SZ624
BY JIM DAWSON
APRIL 11, 2016
EARLY RETURNS
This Just In: The Battlin' BoSox fall 9-7 to the Orioles after Kimbrel gives up a 3-run
blast to Chris Davis. David Price struggled, giving up 5 ERs (Trumbo 3-run dinger).
As the Red Sox play their home opener vs. Baltimore (with whom they struggled going
8-11 last year), the BoSox have shown early life in the bats (Sunday excluded), and an
ability to bounce back from deficits. The team was able to come back and take Joe Kelly
and Rick Porcello off the hook, and even Clay Buchholz who has the deer in the
headlights look - again.
The hitting is encouraging as is the bullpen work. The obvious Achilles' Heel is that
starting pitching. David Price, who starts in today's home opener (Monday), showed
why he is an ace with 10 Ks in his outing vs Cleveland. Knuckleballer Steven Wright
allowed only 2 runs Sunday. However the team clearly needs to get back a healthy
Eduardo Rodriguez to give the team at least 3 starters whom you can depend on.
The early work of the bullpen (2 of 3 vs. Toronto) has been good ('til today), but if Kelly,
Porcello and Buchholz struggle to get through 6 innings, there are going to be some tired
arms in that pen. Just as the starters need Rodriguez back, the pen needs Carson Smith.
Both pitchers might be back in May.
Have to hand it to Hanley Ramirez, who has played 1st base better than I thought he
would and is hitting like the Hanley of old. He's even hustling. I saw him make a great
play on a pop up near the stands the other day. He is the same adventure on the base
paths, but aggressiveness (in the right situation) sometimes works.
Pablo Sandoval, on the other hand, is in the 7th Circle of Hell. How he escapes, I'm not
sure. Where's Charon and that River Styx boat? Maybe some contender will lose their
3B and take him off their hands (with the Sox swallowing much of his swollen contract).
What is noticeable is that everyone not named Sandoval has hit and helped the team win
some games. There seems to be good comradery. Comradery only will get you so far and
will be tested if times get tough.Meanwhile let's enjoy this 2016 team and hope that they can continue to play dirt dog
baseball for the whole season. They seem like a fun team to follow.
PAWSOX
Took in the home opener and was happy to see Henry Owens not only give up just 1 hit
and 3 walks (in 6 innings), but come away with the 2-0 win as well. This mind you on a
43 degree night. I imagine Owens might have been prepared for the cold after being in
Portland, Maine last year. Old friend Alan Craig plated the only run Owens would need.
If only Craig could hit enough (like Sandoval) to make him tradeable.
The new netting ends just before my Row B seats, so I still get to warn the youngsters to
watch out when the lefties are up at bat.
The PawSox (as Scott MacKay noted in his excellent RIPR overview
http://ripr.org/post/scott-mackay-commentary-crucial-pawtucket-red-sox-season-begins)
need fans to fill McCoy to make it harder for the new ownership to turn its back on
Pawtucket. Attendance is affected greatly by the weather, and this season is front loaded
with games in April (12 games) and May (16). There are, however, two noon time games
in April (13th and 26th), and two 11 am games in May (18th and 25th).
So if you want the PawSox to stay a Pawtucket institution, then turn out for a game or
two or three. Take a trip to the AAA shrine – McCoy Stadium.
BULLETS
• Errata: In fairness to the new PawSox ownership, they did send out the tickets to
season ticketholders. They were FED X'd, but I didn't get them somehow.
• A message to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: Hanlon's Razor fits the foolishness
f oisted upon Tom Brady and the Patriots - “Never attribute to malice that which
can be adequately explained by stupidity.” Or if you like, this version from sci-fi
writer Robert Heinlein: “You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply
result from stupidity.” The stupidity is yours, Commish. (info from Wikipedia).
• Sorry to see the Bruins fall on their faces against Ottawa after besting the Red Wings,
which had given fans hope Boston might make the playoffs. I hope they keep Claude.
• Via Bleacher Report and WEEI.com, the AA Portland Sea Dogs will have 6 players
among the top 30 prospects per Baseball America: RHP Ty Buttrey, LHP Williams
Jerez, RHP Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP Kevin McAvoy, LH reliever Luis Ysla and
2B Wendell Rijo. The High A Salem Sox have 3 of the top 20: 2B Yoan Moncada
#3, OF Andrew Benintendi #15 and 3B Rafael Devers #18.THE HOT CLUB
The Herbster (there are 10,000 stories in the Naked City and Herb knows them all) told
me that near Pidge Street, where I used to live, there was an old bar from the 1600's
called The Pidge House (on the Prov./Pawt. Line). Herb knew this because he used to
work for the advertising firm Standish Johnson which bought the property.
That reminded me that Mr. D. and I used to end our Friday evening adventures at
Cahoots, which was in the Marriott on Orms Street. Cahoots after the Biltmore, Rusty
Scupper and Harbourside Lobster Mania.
Fleet Feet Pete was asking me about Rico Petrocelli. He noted that Petrocelli was the
first SS to hit 40 home runs. Yup, in 1969 (40). And isn't Rico in the Red Sox Hall of
Fame? Yup – inducted in 1997.
Count Bassie told me that he saw two brothers who were big, beefy bruisers wearing T
shirts that said: I Cured Anorexia.
Scott, Mike Module's friend, asked me who were the best American rock bands. I
thought of the Beach Boys, Creedence and Tom Petty. Scott suggested Styx. The Eagles
then came to mind. Peter mentioned Steely Dan. So what do you think, readers? Who
would you list among the Top 5 American rock 'n' roll bands?
Overheard at the Hot Club – someone described a project as “plans based on balsa wood
and sand.”
LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So who did the guitar solo on the intro to the live version of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane? A
trick question as there were two lead guitarists on Sweet Jane: Steve Hunter and Dick
Wagner. Hunter and Wagner then joined Alice Cooper's band and Alice had his biggest
seller with Billion Dollar Babies (per Robert E. Martin/Review Magazine). Thanks to
Garry Gillett for the trivia.
THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This group had 3 songs that hit #3, #6 and # 11 in the US in the '80's. Interestingly,
the band's name misidentified the names of the members and their number. Name?
Don't forget to e-mail me with any music trivia that you might have.
Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz.
APRIL 11, 2016
EARLY RETURNS
This Just In: The Battlin' BoSox fall 9-7 to the Orioles after Kimbrel gives up a 3-run
blast to Chris Davis. David Price struggled, giving up 5 ERs (Trumbo 3-run dinger).
As the Red Sox play their home opener vs. Baltimore (with whom they struggled going
8-11 last year), the BoSox have shown early life in the bats (Sunday excluded), and an
ability to bounce back from deficits. The team was able to come back and take Joe Kelly
and Rick Porcello off the hook, and even Clay Buchholz who has the deer in the
headlights look - again.
The hitting is encouraging as is the bullpen work. The obvious Achilles' Heel is that
starting pitching. David Price, who starts in today's home opener (Monday), showed
why he is an ace with 10 Ks in his outing vs Cleveland. Knuckleballer Steven Wright
allowed only 2 runs Sunday. However the team clearly needs to get back a healthy
Eduardo Rodriguez to give the team at least 3 starters whom you can depend on.
The early work of the bullpen (2 of 3 vs. Toronto) has been good ('til today), but if Kelly,
Porcello and Buchholz struggle to get through 6 innings, there are going to be some tired
arms in that pen. Just as the starters need Rodriguez back, the pen needs Carson Smith.
Both pitchers might be back in May.
Have to hand it to Hanley Ramirez, who has played 1st base better than I thought he
would and is hitting like the Hanley of old. He's even hustling. I saw him make a great
play on a pop up near the stands the other day. He is the same adventure on the base
paths, but aggressiveness (in the right situation) sometimes works.
Pablo Sandoval, on the other hand, is in the 7th Circle of Hell. How he escapes, I'm not
sure. Where's Charon and that River Styx boat? Maybe some contender will lose their
3B and take him off their hands (with the Sox swallowing much of his swollen contract).
What is noticeable is that everyone not named Sandoval has hit and helped the team win
some games. There seems to be good comradery. Comradery only will get you so far and
will be tested if times get tough.Meanwhile let's enjoy this 2016 team and hope that they can continue to play dirt dog
baseball for the whole season. They seem like a fun team to follow.
PAWSOX
Took in the home opener and was happy to see Henry Owens not only give up just 1 hit
and 3 walks (in 6 innings), but come away with the 2-0 win as well. This mind you on a
43 degree night. I imagine Owens might have been prepared for the cold after being in
Portland, Maine last year. Old friend Alan Craig plated the only run Owens would need.
If only Craig could hit enough (like Sandoval) to make him tradeable.
The new netting ends just before my Row B seats, so I still get to warn the youngsters to
watch out when the lefties are up at bat.
The PawSox (as Scott MacKay noted in his excellent RIPR overview
http://ripr.org/post/scott-mackay-commentary-crucial-pawtucket-red-sox-season-begins)
need fans to fill McCoy to make it harder for the new ownership to turn its back on
Pawtucket. Attendance is affected greatly by the weather, and this season is front loaded
with games in April (12 games) and May (16). There are, however, two noon time games
in April (13th and 26th), and two 11 am games in May (18th and 25th).
So if you want the PawSox to stay a Pawtucket institution, then turn out for a game or
two or three. Take a trip to the AAA shrine – McCoy Stadium.
BULLETS
• Errata: In fairness to the new PawSox ownership, they did send out the tickets to
season ticketholders. They were FED X'd, but I didn't get them somehow.
• A message to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: Hanlon's Razor fits the foolishness
f oisted upon Tom Brady and the Patriots - “Never attribute to malice that which
can be adequately explained by stupidity.” Or if you like, this version from sci-fi
writer Robert Heinlein: “You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply
result from stupidity.” The stupidity is yours, Commish. (info from Wikipedia).
• Sorry to see the Bruins fall on their faces against Ottawa after besting the Red Wings,
which had given fans hope Boston might make the playoffs. I hope they keep Claude.
• Via Bleacher Report and WEEI.com, the AA Portland Sea Dogs will have 6 players
among the top 30 prospects per Baseball America: RHP Ty Buttrey, LHP Williams
Jerez, RHP Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP Kevin McAvoy, LH reliever Luis Ysla and
2B Wendell Rijo. The High A Salem Sox have 3 of the top 20: 2B Yoan Moncada
#3, OF Andrew Benintendi #15 and 3B Rafael Devers #18.THE HOT CLUB
The Herbster (there are 10,000 stories in the Naked City and Herb knows them all) told
me that near Pidge Street, where I used to live, there was an old bar from the 1600's
called The Pidge House (on the Prov./Pawt. Line). Herb knew this because he used to
work for the advertising firm Standish Johnson which bought the property.
That reminded me that Mr. D. and I used to end our Friday evening adventures at
Cahoots, which was in the Marriott on Orms Street. Cahoots after the Biltmore, Rusty
Scupper and Harbourside Lobster Mania.
Fleet Feet Pete was asking me about Rico Petrocelli. He noted that Petrocelli was the
first SS to hit 40 home runs. Yup, in 1969 (40). And isn't Rico in the Red Sox Hall of
Fame? Yup – inducted in 1997.
Count Bassie told me that he saw two brothers who were big, beefy bruisers wearing T
shirts that said: I Cured Anorexia.
Scott, Mike Module's friend, asked me who were the best American rock bands. I
thought of the Beach Boys, Creedence and Tom Petty. Scott suggested Styx. The Eagles
then came to mind. Peter mentioned Steely Dan. So what do you think, readers? Who
would you list among the Top 5 American rock 'n' roll bands?
Overheard at the Hot Club – someone described a project as “plans based on balsa wood
and sand.”
LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So who did the guitar solo on the intro to the live version of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane? A
trick question as there were two lead guitarists on Sweet Jane: Steve Hunter and Dick
Wagner. Hunter and Wagner then joined Alice Cooper's band and Alice had his biggest
seller with Billion Dollar Babies (per Robert E. Martin/Review Magazine). Thanks to
Garry Gillett for the trivia.
THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ
This group had 3 songs that hit #3, #6 and # 11 in the US in the '80's. Interestingly,
the band's name misidentified the names of the members and their number. Name?
Don't forget to e-mail me with any music trivia that you might have.
Sportzine is also available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz.
posted by jdawson59 at 2:44 PM
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