SZ629
BY
JIM DAWSON
JUNE
6, 2016
A
HORSE, A HORSE! MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!
A
workhorse that can go 6-7 innings every start and give the Red Sox a
chance to win each time. Whence will that workhorse come? Will
Buchholz get another chance? Probably. Though I notice that Buchholz
has given up 12 home runs in 62 innings pitched. Joe Kelly, banished
to Pawtucket for being clueless, has a 8.46 ERA (4 homers allowed in
22 1/3 innings). Oh and while Rick Porcello is 7-2 (4.00 ERA), he has
allowed 11 home runs in 69 2/3 innings. The only starters that are
trustworthy are David Price and Steven Wright. Maybe Eduardo
Rodriguez can make that three.
At
the beginning of the season, I thought that horse
might come from Pawtucket. My bet was on Henry Owens but Henry is a
wild horse. The 6'6” lefty
is 4-2 (3.86 ERA) but has given up 30 walks in 44 1/3
innings (and 6 HBP). The soon to be 24 y/o (7/21) may yet turn
himself around. The last time I saw a pitcher this wild with a
similar frame was 6'7” Andrew Miller. In 2011, in 12 starts (65 2/3
innings) Miller had 35 walks and 3 HBP. Converted to a reliever in
2012, Miller had a
5.73 ERA with 14 walks in 11 innings and 1 HBP. Miller was older. The
mechanics of tall pitchers takes a while to get in sync. The
advantage Miller had was that he has a fastball. Owens barely breaks
89.
LHP
Roenis Elias (obtained from Seattle in the Miley trade) is 3-3 (4.00
ERA). The soon to be 28 y/o (Aug.) Elias beat Norfolk Sunday striking
out 8 and throwing a complete 9 inning game. The last PawSox to do
that (and win) was Steven Wright in 2013. Elias struck out 13 when he
faced Norfolk in May. The Tides, however, are 19-38.
Other
candidates for the stud role are RHP William Cuevas (9 starts) 4-2
(2.98 ERA). Cuevas is 25. RHP Aaron Wilkerson (27 y/o) was picked up
from an independent league and is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA. Stranger
things have happened (see Wakefield, Wright). LHP Brian Johnson is
being treated for anxiety in Florida. He got hit in the face when
with Lowell in 2012 (multiple orbital fxs), and had an ulnar nerve
problem in his left elbow last season. Do these contribute to his
current woes? Doubtful he helps.
from
Pawtucket (2-0, 1.93 ERA in 23 1/3 innings in Boston) and LHP Ross
has been decent 0-1 (3.15 ERA) in 20 innings. Help from Pawtucket
could come from Anthony Varvaro 2-1, 2.70 ERA, 1 save, Pat Light 0-1,
2.79, 3 saves or Wesley Wright 0-1, 2.12, 3 saves. Also Brandon
Workman, recovering from Tommy John surgery (June 2015), is working
out in Florida and may be back by late July or August. He was
expected to be out for the entire 2016 season, but a Globe Rotowire
story (5/29) says he'll rehab with Lowell when their season starts
June 17.
Those
are some of the inside the organization possibilities. Otherwise Dave
Dombrowski will have to trade for a starter (and maybe a reliever).
MUHAMMAD
ALI
My
grandfather Jim Cullen (for whom I'm named) and I used to watch the
Friday Night Fights together with my gramp throwing haymakers in the
air at various points. I remember Benny 'Kid' Paret and Emile
Griffith (you may know that connection) and many others. Burma Shave
was a sponsor. The greatest heavyweight fighter I ever saw was
Muhammad Ali. I wasn't old enough to see Rocky Marciano whose last
fight was on 9/21/55 vs. Archie Moore (per Wikipedia). I would have
been a 9 y/o.
I
remember Cassius Clay winning Gold in the Olympics, beating Sonny
Liston for the title and then defending it (as Muhammad Ali) in
Lewiston, Maine in 1965 when Liston was dropped in the 1st
round by the 'phantom punch'.
Ali's
conscientious objector status was not a problem with me since I was
against the Vietnam War. Ali's combination of remarkable grace and
powerful punches was never matched. However Muhammad Ali stayed too
long in the fight game and the accumulation of punches taken reduced
him to a shadow of his former self by the 1980's when he was
diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Does anyone doubt that Ali
probably had CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy)? It's a wonder
that Ali managed to live to 74. It's tough for me to watch prize
fights now, having read League of Denial, and being aware of
what sports like boxing and football can do to a man's brain.
R.I.P. Muhammad Ali, you were the greatest heavyweight
boxer that I ever saw.
BULLETS
• Per
Jim Barron (NY Times – 6/5) Sports
Illustrated will use a
photo of Muhammad Ali on its June 13 issue. It will
be the 40th
time that Ali has appeared
on the cover.
• The
College World Series starts June 18. URI and Bryant made it to the
NCAA Regionals but were ousted. Congrats to both for making it.
• My
brother Brad calls the Red Sox offense 'relentless'. If you saw
Sunday's game against Toronto you know that word is apt. Down 5-0, no
hits until a homer in the 8th
and a 9th inning rally down 5-1 that got them within 5-4 with the
tying
and winning runs aboard. Well, that's why this team is so much fun.
Now about that pitching...
•Per
Nick Cafardo (Globe-6/5) comes the reminder that Boston got
Steven Wright from Cleveland in 2012 for 1B Lars Anderson. Cafardo
also notes that Orioles' catcher Francisco Pena (who homered against
the Sox last week) is Tony's son.
• Michael
Silverman (Herald /– 6/5) quoted Bill James as noting that
only two players age 40 have ever had 100 RBI – Dave Winfield (108
in 1992 for Toronto) and Harold Baines (103 in 1999 for the Orioles
and Indians). Ortiz may make it three. Silverman adds that the record
for homers by a 40 y/o is 34 by Darrell Evans (with Detroit, 1987)
• The
MLB draft is this week (June 9-11). The NBA draft is 6/23.
E-MAIL
Hey
Jim,
I have two guesses gotta be either stairway or intro to Hotel California. I think I remember it being Hotel California. Also have a thought on NBA draft. Back in the day without the trickery of Red Auerbach would you ever had made a bet that Philly, LA , and Celts would have top 3 picks in NBA draft ?
I have two guesses gotta be either stairway or intro to Hotel California. I think I remember it being Hotel California. Also have a thought on NBA draft. Back in the day without the trickery of Red Auerbach would you ever had made a bet that Philly, LA , and Celts would have top 3 picks in NBA draft ?
Jim
Dwyer
You are right, it's Hotel California.
Your point about Philly, LA and Celtics drafting 1-2-3 is well taken with the understanding that the Celts are doing it with the Nets pick, and Boston went to the playoffs. - Z
You are right, it's Hotel California.
Your point about Philly, LA and Celtics drafting 1-2-3 is well taken with the understanding that the Celts are doing it with the Nets pick, and Boston went to the playoffs. - Z
Hotel
California,
Don Felder - guess for the quiz.
I was at a double header in Fenway in either the '77 or '78 season in which the Sox or maybe both teams set some kind of record for home runs. can't remember who they played. I tried to look it up but couldn't find it, but I instantly thought of those two games when I read your Sportzine. The Boomer had a couple of them for sure.
I was at a double header in Fenway in either the '77 or '78 season in which the Sox or maybe both teams set some kind of record for home runs. can't remember who they played. I tried to look it up but couldn't find it, but I instantly thought of those two games when I read your Sportzine. The Boomer had a couple of them for sure.
Andrew
'Left
Coast' Wright
Yes, Andrew, it's Don Felder and Hotel California.
Yes, Andrew, it's Don Felder and Hotel California.
Joe
Walsh, Hotel
California.
The
Boud
Right song, wrong artist. It was Don Felder who did that lead (with help from Walsh).- Z
Right song, wrong artist. It was Don Felder who did that lead (with help from Walsh).- Z
Hotel
California, with Don
Felder on 12 string (accompanied by Joe Walsh).
Glenn
Dewell
Yes it's Felder and Hotel California. - Z
Yes it's Felder and Hotel California. - Z
Sportzine
is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz
Two
young women sidled up to the bar a few feet away from me. They
debated on what drinks to order. One said, “Well, it's National
Wine Day.” So I said to them “Is that wine with an 'h'. They both
laughed and said no it was the wine that you drink. Then one added,
“The other whine is every day that ends in a 'y'.
Talked
to the Regal Eagle about the chances that the full 13 judge Circuit
Court will hear Tom Brady's appeal. The Regal One said of course
they'll hear it. These judges are all egomaniacs and want to see
their names in the paper. We shall see. Hope he's right.
FootJoy
asked me if I knew the 4 stages of male senility. Naturally I didn't.
FootJoy said – forget names, forget faces, forget to zip up and
forget to unzip. On reflection, I realized that I was guilty of two
of these but not the last one (and I hope I never do).
Talking
to fellow Irishman Mike Module, I asked him if he knew what Irish
amnesia was (thanks to Peter Goodwin for the insight). He didn't so I
told him what Peter had said: “You forget everything but your
grudges.”
Professor
Pete and I were decrying the state of affairs in the US based on the
political primaries and the nastiness and incivility. Pete said:
“We're wondering what kind of world we're going to leave Keith
Richards.”
LAST
ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER
So
who did the guitar solo (and what was the song) rated the best rock
'n' roll solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine in 1998
and the best 12 string guitar solo ever by Guitar World (2015)? It's
Don Felder of the Eagles on Hotel California. Jim Dwyer,
Andrew Wright and Glenn Dewell knew it. If you saw the 3 hour
documentary about the Eagles, you know that Felder was kicked out of
the band when he complained about Don Henley and Glenn Frey getting a
larger share of money. Felder, by the way, is from Florida and guess
who he taught how to play guitar? The prized pupil was fellow
Gainesville, Floridian, Tom Petty.
THIS
ISSUE'S QUIZ
The
most CDs by any one artist that I own are those of Emmylou Harris. So
what CD on which she appears was her biggest commercial success?
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