SZ634

BY JIM DAWSON

JULY 18, 2016

I HEAR FOUR! AM I BID FIVE?

With Dave Dombrowski's deft move to get starting LHP Drew Pomeranz, the starting rotation is at four, with bids out for a fifth. Will Eduardo Rodriguez get over protecting his previously dislocated knee cap? Will Eduardo regain his ability to locate his pitches before the opposition locates them out of the park? Saturday will provide an early answer. And that answer seems to be “Yes!” Eduardo pitched well and may have solidified that 5^th spot in the rotation. Now we just need some consistency.

The Pomeranz deal gives the Sox a pitcher under their control through 2018. Meanwhile his presence means that Buchholz goes back to the bullpen where he can try to find a way to pitch better and feel less sorry for himself (a self-induced plight).

As I listen to the Chambers' Brothers' Time Has Come Today, it is obvious that the Red Sox are all in on going for the gold this year, David Ortiz' last. They have a good blend of dynamite youngsters and dynamic veterans who can lead them to the World Series. Otherwise Dombrowski doesn't give up the #1 pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system. The Sox will need to get their walking wounded back: Kimbrel, Tazawa, Young, Swihart (late August?), and Workman (maybe). That would restore the depth they need.

Any pitching help from the farm system seems unlikely. However being the eternal optimist, I hold out hope that someone steps up if needed. LHP Brian Johnson is pitching again (at Lowell) and could leapfrog Henry Owens and Roenis Elias should the team need starting help, though Owens had a no-hitter into the 8^th inning on Saturday (1 hit, 2 walks, 2 hit batters). I saw Roenis Elias pitch Sunday and he did a good job (6 2/3, no runs, 2 hits). A word of caution – this came against the Charlotte Knights (White Sox) who, while in 1^st place in the IL South are 43-53. Joe Kelly looks like he'll head for the bullpen when deemed healthy. Will that be the end of Clay Buchholz's tenure? Feet of Clay will have some value in a trade (Theo and the Cubs?), but not much.

Next up, the SF Giants, with whom the Sox split a two game series in June on the left coast. They might be Giants, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall!

BULLETS

• OK so I never listed my Top 5 American bands. So I'll do that in the next issue. Actually I'll give you my Top 10. So this gives you a last chance to weigh in on it.

• A front page Pawtucket Times story (Jonathan Bissonette – 7/16) noted that attendance at McCoy Stadium is up. Through 42 home games, the PawSox had 229,298 fans go through the turnstiles, an average of 5,459. Keep the PawSox in Pawtucket! See a game!

• The Portland Sea Dogs just played the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA – Blue Jays). The catcher for the Fisher Cats was Ryan Lavarnway, who is batting .274.

Meanwhile, Yoan Moncada is doing well in Portland since his promotion (in 20 games, 5 HRs, 16 RBI, .325, 7 SB, caught once), and Andrew Benintendi (51 games, 6 HRs, 30 RBI, .277, 6 SB but caught 7 times) has found the going a little tougher.

• The PawSox trivia question Sunday was 'Who was the last player/manager for the Boston Red Sox?' Answer below.

• I'm thinking of having some T-shirts made up that say: Hey 'God' Goodell! Go to Hell!

• In case you missed it, 1B/OF Chris Marrero of the PawSox won the AAA home run hitting contest and was MVP of the AAA All-Star game (and hit a homer). Marrero, however, who has 18 HRs, 46 RBI, hitting .294 is 28 years old.

•Per the Herald's Evan Drellich (7/17), of the 2016 Red Sox draft class, Boston signed all in the top 10 rounds, including #1 LHP Jacob Groome (Yay!). Drellich noted that the Sox signed 22 of their 40 picks and 21 of the top 26 players.

• Mark Murphy of the Herald (7/17) had this about Celtics in the summer league:Jaylen Brown - athletic but needs work on his jump shot. Terry Rozier – the best Celtic on the floor when he played. Jordan Mickey – solid numbers (points, rebounds, and blocks) but offense is a “sizeable' work in progress. Ben Bentil – overmatched defensively.

• NY Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom (6-4, 2.38 ERA) threw a one-hitter vs. the Phils Sunday. Zach Eflin, the opposing pitcher, got the hit!

• Lou Boudreau was the last BoSox player/manager (1952).

E-MAIL

Answer: Deep Purple (also used 2 yrs. earlier, Pearls Before Swine; later by Celtic ? Some Swiss thrasher band).

Roger Boudreau

Right you are, Rog. You're on a roll. - Z

The answer has to be Deep Purple. An album from '69 or '70. It came out as I was reading Dante's Inferno and was intrigued by all the depictions of hell that were available. Father Lapati at SRA guided me through that work.

Barry Spadea

Quite right. The album (which I have) came out in 1969. The Bosch painting was used 2 years before by Pearls Before Swine on their debut LP One Nation Underground. - Z

Jim-I believe the 1st group to use Bosch on a cover was Tom Rapp and"Pearls Before Swine" (Balakava) - I think "Deep Purple" might be the band your referring to?

Ken Forestal

Yes it was Deep Purple (3rd LP) that I was looking for. I figured you'd know about Pearls Before Swine. Bosch's painting (in color) was used on their debut LP One Nation Underground. The Deep Purple cover, unlike the original, was black and white. I have that LP and the only thing that I remember as good on it was their cover of Lalena. - Z

Jim, thought it might be the Moody Blues, but it was Deep Purple, I think.
Dave Burlingame

Yes, Dave, it was Deep Purple. - Z

I
think I know that one. Was it Deep Purple? I had what I thought was a
U.S.version of the album with a small pic of the painting on it with
the band members. Never cared much for that album. I saw Deep Purple
twice and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow once. Where has the time gone?
Never mind, I know!

Garry Gillett

Yes, Garry, it was Deep Purple. I liked Hush. Smoke on the Water wasn't bad but they played it too much. - Z

I'm assuming you've heard we traded for him (Ed.: Drew Pomeranz) 1 for 1 for Anderson Espinoza. As much as this one might hurt, Pomeranz is under control through 2018. Also, Kopech has been pitching well, and Groome is about to be signed. I read an SI article that suggested the Sox should give up Benitendi, Deven Marrero, and 2 more I can't remember for Pomeranz, so I can accept this trade.

Bob Kumins

Yes I heard about the trade. I thought it funny that I brought up Pomeranz's name Wednesday night. So he was a reliever with Oakland. If he helps the Sox get to the playoffs, it's worth it. Espinoza is only 18. How soon will he help SD? 2 years, 3? I kept looking to see if they gave up more than Espinoza. I too accept this trade. Good to see that Groome signed. Glad that the Sox switched the rotation and have Wright opening Fri vs. NY. Kopech 105 mph, if you believe the 'guns'. Just don't do any more drugs or punch out roommates. - Z

THE HOT CLUB

My thanks to Capt. Jack (Wallace) who gave me a picture of the Hot Club area after the 1938 hurricane. Except for the Point Street Bridge, everything else is a shambles, with lumbar strewn around the present day site of the Hot Club. . Nothing like today, even with all the construction and renovations, which should be finished soon.

Charlie Clancy and Robby Perrault asked me who the best Red Sox analyst is. I told them that this year it's Jerry Remy, who has been much better with Dave O'Brien helping to extract baseball tidbits from Remy. With Don Orsillo there was too much talk that didn't relate to the game. Other than Remy, I like Dennis Eckersley with his dazzling dictionary of 'cheese' 'gas masterson', etc.

Fleet Feet Pete said he had a friend who owned a cockatiel. The bird used to sit on his friend's shoulder. When the friend would ask the cockatiel a question, it would answer. Pete said that the best was when his friend asked the cockatiel “What do we do with bad birds?” The cockateel said, “Chicken soup.”

The Wizard told me an amazing story about Neil Young and Graham Nash. Nash was visiting Young's ranch and Neil took Nash out on a lake in a rowboat. Young wanted Nash to hear Harvest (1972) which he had just finished. Young had speakers in his house (left speaker) and a studio in his barn (right speaker). Young had producer Elliot Mazur play it and Mazur asked from shore how it sounded. Neil Young replied, “More barn!” (See openculture.com – 10/18/13). Thanks Wiz, great musical story!

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER

Roger Boudreau, Barry Spadea, Ken Forestal, Dave Burlingame, and Garry Gillett had the correct answer – Deep Purple. Some even knew about Pearls Before Swine (E-Mail).

THIS ISSUE'S QUIZ

This 'blue-eyed soul' performer had a major rock 'n' roll hit in the '60's that reached #2 on the charts (and missed #1 because a Beatles song was there). The song sold over 4 million records. He and his group were later inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the artist himself had a successful Country & Western career. Name the artist and the song.

Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve Lenz