SZ636
BY JIM DAWSON
AUGUST 15, 2016
BACK AND FORTH
Back and forth we go. Just when the Red Sox implode and lose two games atrociously to
the Yankees, they bounce back and sweep Arizona (a bad team). But 9 earned runs
versus Greinke, who doesn’t get out of the 2 nd ? Wow! And Mookie Betts a second 3
homer game. Someone for the Red Sox named Ted Williams was the only other to do it.
Wow! At some point, Mookie will be the first Red Sox player to hit 4 homers in a game.
At the Hot Club, FootJoy is the most knowledgeable baseball mind (besides yours truly,
of course). So our conversations go back and forth. I want to fire Farrell. Recently
Farrell (1) had Benitendi bunt (he was 8 for 16 at the time), (2) had Steven Wright the
starter with the best ERA (3.01) pinch run (Wright jammed his pitching shoulder diving
back into 2 nd and is now on the DL ) and (3) took out Eduardo Rodriguez after 7 innings
and 93 pitches. That’s a trifecta of terrible moves.
FootJoy thinks it’s too late in the season to remove Farrell (though he dislikes Farrell as
a manager as much as I do), and noted that the team is still with Farrell, that he hasn’t
lost the players. As for pinch running Wright for Ortiz against the Dodgers (I would
rather use all my positional players before using a starting pitcher), Foot Joy observed
that its done quite frequently in the NL. He did think that Farrell should have used a
pitcher used to NL pinch running - Drew Pomerantz. I thought it was a good point.
FootJoy conceded that ERod could have gone another inning (NY rallied after he left).
And when I mentioned that Christian Vazquez should be brought up, even if he only
plays two games a week, FootJoy felt that Vazquez was better served working on his
hitting in Pawtucket as well as getting back to framing the ball better than he did early in
the season with Boston. FootJoy added that Vazquez will be called up in September and
will be eligible for the playoff roster. And so it goes. Back and forth.
Now the Sox hold their destiny in their hands. They are 1 game behind Toronto and
Baltimore in the all important loss column. The Orioles (2), Detroit (4) and Rays (4)
await after today’s Cleveland game. The BoSox must win on the road. It’s in their grasp.BULLETS
• Just watched the Cleveland game and Farrell’s got to go. He stays too long with
Pomerantz who got into the 8 th but gave up a double (a near HR) to a .217 hitting catcher
(Gimenez) and allows him to face Rajai Davis who doubles to make it 3-2 Boston. Then
with BoSox runners at 2 nd and 3 rd , no outs in the 9 th , he lets Holaday bat (Leon please –
no saving the extra catcher). If you don’t want to do that, how about a safety squeeze?
Kimbrel had my heart pounding but got one of the year’s crucial saves. Fire Farrell!
• The Herald’s Karen Guregian (8/14) had a good analysis of the Patriots OL and the
return of their line coach Dante Scarnecchia. ‘Scar’ has been very impressed with
draftees Ted Karras at C/G and LG Joe Thuney. Guregian interviewed Damien Woody
who thought that Scar would bring back an orneriness to the OL. Karras and Thuney are
described as very tough in the mold of Logan Mankins. The OL needs exactly that.
• Nick Cafardo (Globe-8/14) had a good interview with Scott Boras who has researched
players who have gotten big contracts and what they do in their first year of the deal.
Boras believes there is a 25-30% dropoff from the average performance of that player
(think Porcello last year and Price this year). He attributes this to the athlete being under
pressure to perform, and feels that after the 1 st year, normal performance levels return.
• The confounding Cafardo (same column) said that 35 y/o Jose Bautista had hurt his
free agent chances because of injuries and then says “He’s a workout junkie and really
takes care of his body...” Well, which is it, Nick?
• Something to work on (besides stabilizing the OL): the Patriots were 3 of 14 on 3 rd
down vs. the Saints.
• If Americans want to know why some people around the globe don’t like us, all you
needed was to see US women’s soccer goalie Hope Solo’s comment that the better team
didn’t win after they lost to Sweden. Shut up Solo! Show some class.
E-MAIL
Love the 'zine as always! My guess for the quiz - possibly Pete Townshend?
The Buff One (sort of)
Steverino, good guess but No. Z
Answer from a flip phone (Kenny wasn’t near a computer)
John Williams, the conductor/composer and the lead singer for Sky.
Ken Forestal
Also a very good guess, but incorrect. - Z
Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve LenzTHE HOT CLUB
The Hot Club has entered a new era as what was the smallest men’s room on the East
Coast has given way to a wider, more spacious bathroom. Charlie Clancy called it the
‘Taj Mahal’ of men’s rooms. Only thing is, I’m still trying to figure out how the water
spouting lion’s head in the sink works. And the next time you visit the HC there will be
more room for parking. The lot has been re-paved and construction materials are gone.
Charlie Clancy asked Abby whom she liked best between Jimmy Garoppolo and Tom
Brady. Without hesitation Abby said Jimmy Garoppolo. I think she found him cuter.
Charlie asked me “Of the 7 deadly sins, which one are the rest of the country who root
against Tom Brady guilty of?” Pretty obvious – envy, malicious envy.
In the vein of the Hot Club as the Hotel California – you can check out any time but you
can never leave – former doorman Bob O’Neil visited recently. He was warmly greeted
by brothers Broc and Beau as well as bartender Britt. You can check out any time, but...
We were talking about different alcoholic beverages when Dr. John brought up
‘Cripple’. “What’s that?”, I asked. Colt 45 and Ripple.
Another conversation was about people who talk on cell phones not realizing how loud
their voices are as they seem to raise them while on cells. Cap’t Jack said he was sitting
next to a woman on a plane who talked loudly and incessantly to her husband. Having
heard enough, Cap’t. Jack said loudly, “Honey, hang up the phone and come to bed.”
LAST ISSUE’S QUIZ ANSWER
The question was: Two men with the same name have contributed to music, but in
different formats. One was the lead guitarist for a British band known for its anthemic
music. The other was responsible for the soundtracks of two of the best apocalyptic
movies ever. Name? Well, no one had the right answer. It’s Brian May (a Brit), lead
guitarist (and astrophysicist) for Queen, and Brian May (an Aussie), who composed the
soundtracks to Mad Max and Mad Max 2 (known in the US as The Road Warrior).
THIS ISSUE’S QUIZ
This singer/songwriter had a brief career as a singer but a much better one as a
songwriter. He wrote a #1 song for Paul Revere and the Raiders and hits for the Everly
Brothers, Sue Thompson, Kris Jensen and Stonewall Jackson among others. Name?
AUGUST 15, 2016
BACK AND FORTH
Back and forth we go. Just when the Red Sox implode and lose two games atrociously to
the Yankees, they bounce back and sweep Arizona (a bad team). But 9 earned runs
versus Greinke, who doesn’t get out of the 2 nd ? Wow! And Mookie Betts a second 3
homer game. Someone for the Red Sox named Ted Williams was the only other to do it.
Wow! At some point, Mookie will be the first Red Sox player to hit 4 homers in a game.
At the Hot Club, FootJoy is the most knowledgeable baseball mind (besides yours truly,
of course). So our conversations go back and forth. I want to fire Farrell. Recently
Farrell (1) had Benitendi bunt (he was 8 for 16 at the time), (2) had Steven Wright the
starter with the best ERA (3.01) pinch run (Wright jammed his pitching shoulder diving
back into 2 nd and is now on the DL ) and (3) took out Eduardo Rodriguez after 7 innings
and 93 pitches. That’s a trifecta of terrible moves.
FootJoy thinks it’s too late in the season to remove Farrell (though he dislikes Farrell as
a manager as much as I do), and noted that the team is still with Farrell, that he hasn’t
lost the players. As for pinch running Wright for Ortiz against the Dodgers (I would
rather use all my positional players before using a starting pitcher), Foot Joy observed
that its done quite frequently in the NL. He did think that Farrell should have used a
pitcher used to NL pinch running - Drew Pomerantz. I thought it was a good point.
FootJoy conceded that ERod could have gone another inning (NY rallied after he left).
And when I mentioned that Christian Vazquez should be brought up, even if he only
plays two games a week, FootJoy felt that Vazquez was better served working on his
hitting in Pawtucket as well as getting back to framing the ball better than he did early in
the season with Boston. FootJoy added that Vazquez will be called up in September and
will be eligible for the playoff roster. And so it goes. Back and forth.
Now the Sox hold their destiny in their hands. They are 1 game behind Toronto and
Baltimore in the all important loss column. The Orioles (2), Detroit (4) and Rays (4)
await after today’s Cleveland game. The BoSox must win on the road. It’s in their grasp.BULLETS
• Just watched the Cleveland game and Farrell’s got to go. He stays too long with
Pomerantz who got into the 8 th but gave up a double (a near HR) to a .217 hitting catcher
(Gimenez) and allows him to face Rajai Davis who doubles to make it 3-2 Boston. Then
with BoSox runners at 2 nd and 3 rd , no outs in the 9 th , he lets Holaday bat (Leon please –
no saving the extra catcher). If you don’t want to do that, how about a safety squeeze?
Kimbrel had my heart pounding but got one of the year’s crucial saves. Fire Farrell!
• The Herald’s Karen Guregian (8/14) had a good analysis of the Patriots OL and the
return of their line coach Dante Scarnecchia. ‘Scar’ has been very impressed with
draftees Ted Karras at C/G and LG Joe Thuney. Guregian interviewed Damien Woody
who thought that Scar would bring back an orneriness to the OL. Karras and Thuney are
described as very tough in the mold of Logan Mankins. The OL needs exactly that.
• Nick Cafardo (Globe-8/14) had a good interview with Scott Boras who has researched
players who have gotten big contracts and what they do in their first year of the deal.
Boras believes there is a 25-30% dropoff from the average performance of that player
(think Porcello last year and Price this year). He attributes this to the athlete being under
pressure to perform, and feels that after the 1 st year, normal performance levels return.
• The confounding Cafardo (same column) said that 35 y/o Jose Bautista had hurt his
free agent chances because of injuries and then says “He’s a workout junkie and really
takes care of his body...” Well, which is it, Nick?
• Something to work on (besides stabilizing the OL): the Patriots were 3 of 14 on 3 rd
down vs. the Saints.
• If Americans want to know why some people around the globe don’t like us, all you
needed was to see US women’s soccer goalie Hope Solo’s comment that the better team
didn’t win after they lost to Sweden. Shut up Solo! Show some class.
Love the 'zine as always! My guess for the quiz - possibly Pete Townshend?
The Buff One (sort of)
Steverino, good guess but No. Z
Answer from a flip phone (Kenny wasn’t near a computer)
John Williams, the conductor/composer and the lead singer for Sky.
Ken Forestal
Also a very good guess, but incorrect. - Z
Sportzine is available at jimdawsonsports.com thanks to Buffalo Steve LenzTHE HOT CLUB
The Hot Club has entered a new era as what was the smallest men’s room on the East
Coast has given way to a wider, more spacious bathroom. Charlie Clancy called it the
‘Taj Mahal’ of men’s rooms. Only thing is, I’m still trying to figure out how the water
spouting lion’s head in the sink works. And the next time you visit the HC there will be
more room for parking. The lot has been re-paved and construction materials are gone.
Charlie Clancy asked Abby whom she liked best between Jimmy Garoppolo and Tom
Brady. Without hesitation Abby said Jimmy Garoppolo. I think she found him cuter.
Charlie asked me “Of the 7 deadly sins, which one are the rest of the country who root
against Tom Brady guilty of?” Pretty obvious – envy, malicious envy.
In the vein of the Hot Club as the Hotel California – you can check out any time but you
can never leave – former doorman Bob O’Neil visited recently. He was warmly greeted
by brothers Broc and Beau as well as bartender Britt. You can check out any time, but...
We were talking about different alcoholic beverages when Dr. John brought up
‘Cripple’. “What’s that?”, I asked. Colt 45 and Ripple.
Another conversation was about people who talk on cell phones not realizing how loud
their voices are as they seem to raise them while on cells. Cap’t Jack said he was sitting
next to a woman on a plane who talked loudly and incessantly to her husband. Having
heard enough, Cap’t. Jack said loudly, “Honey, hang up the phone and come to bed.”
LAST ISSUE’S QUIZ ANSWER
The question was: Two men with the same name have contributed to music, but in
different formats. One was the lead guitarist for a British band known for its anthemic
music. The other was responsible for the soundtracks of two of the best apocalyptic
movies ever. Name? Well, no one had the right answer. It’s Brian May (a Brit), lead
guitarist (and astrophysicist) for Queen, and Brian May (an Aussie), who composed the
soundtracks to Mad Max and Mad Max 2 (known in the US as The Road Warrior).
THIS ISSUE’S QUIZ
This singer/songwriter had a brief career as a singer but a much better one as a
songwriter. He wrote a #1 song for Paul Revere and the Raiders and hits for the Everly
Brothers, Sue Thompson, Kris Jensen and Stonewall Jackson among others. Name?
posted by jdawson59 at 3:23 PM
0 comments
