SZ632

BY JIM DAWSON

JUNE 27, 2016

YOU TOOK MY JOY. I WANT IT BACK.

As I listen to Lucinda Williams' Joy, I think of how the Red Sox have stumbled badly not only in the month of June, but against the AL East (15-17) where they have a winning record against only the Yankees (4-2). Versus the Orioles, they are 4-6. Against the Blue Jays, they are 6-7, and they even have a losing record vs. Tampa Bay 1-2. So don't get too heartened as the Red Sox are about to play the Rays 3 games. TB has lost 11 in a row. In the Red Sox case, and with their starting pitching shaky, TB is bound to win at least one game. But if the BoSox are going to rise up again, they need to start beating up on the Rays (they meet again 7/8-7/10) and Angels, dead last at 32-44.

According to NESN.com's Mike Cole (6/27), Boston was 32-20 on June 1. Since 6/12, they are averaging 3.3 runs a game. Their June record is 9-14 (so far). Cole notes that the Sox bullpen has the 10^th best ERA in MLB, but that won't hold up with constant use.

The Red Sox had 4 game series against both Baltimore and Toronto. In each series, they won the first two games, then lost the last two. They need to start beating the AL East.

HELP IS ON ITS WAY

As I listen to the Little River Band song, I ponder who can help the bottoming out BoSox. A return to form by Travis Shaw would help (swinging at bad pitches), and the return of Swiss Army knife Brock Holt, who may be back very soon. Bryce Brentz is starting to hit. When Blake Swihart comes back the LF situation (with Holt) will stabilize the defense and add to the offense.

What to do with C Ryan Hanigan, who is rehabbing in Pawtucket? Sandy Leon, who has been playing lights out, is out of options. Trade Hanigan? A package for a reliever? Or is Leon about to resort to his prior offensive stats?

Pawtucket doesn't have much starting pitching to help unless the BoSox want to take a flyer on Aaron Wilkerson (3-1, 2.12) obtained from an independent league. Wilkerson

pitches tonight vs Rochester. His last outing wasn't great. Veteran Sean O'Sullivan (6-2, 2.79 ERA) again? Maybe luck of the Irish on a second chance?

As for relievers, I think Pat Light, who throws gas, is given a shot at some point (0-1, 2.05 ERA, 5 saves in 20 games). Keep an eye on RHP Chandler Shepherd, just up from Portland, where he was 1-1, 1.80 ERA, 6 saves in 22 games.

The Portland Sea Dogs now have OF Andrew Benintendi (22 RBI in 35 games), 2B Yoan Moncada (4 RBI in 5 games) and SS Mauricio Dubon. I give them a month more before they all are in Pawtucket. Of those three, Benintendi would be most likely to go to Boston since the Sox have Pedey at 2^nd and Bogaerts at SS. I could see them switching Moncada to a different position. Hopefully the BoSox are still in it by August when they might risk rushing a rookie.

I want my joy back. Start hitting again (Pedey leads in hitting into DPs). Pitch decently. The kids can carry the team just so far. Find a way to win, especially against the AL East. I want my joy back. This summer can be special, still.

BULLETS

• It's Coastal Carolina versus Arizona for the CWS championship. The best of 3 starts today. The Red Sox drafted Arizona 3B/RHP Bobby Dalbec (as a 3B), but who has been quite good as a starting pitcher. Dalbec lost 1-0 (8 innings, 12 Ks) to Okla St. then eliminated them and sent Arizona onto the finals with a 5-1 win (7 innings, 4 hits, 6 Ks). Dalbec is batting .259 in the CWS.

• Glad to see the Celtics draft PC's Ben Bentil, who can score in close and has a nice perimeter shot. Bentil should have stayed at PC. Second round money isn't guaranteed.

• Johnny Manziel's associate attorney quit after accidentally texting the AP that Manziel, seeking a plea deal (domestic abuse charges, hit and run) couldn't pass a drug test.

• Isiah Thomas (ex-Piston) compared Celtics 1^st round pick Jaylen Brown defensively to Kawhi Leonard (Steve Bulpett/Herald – 6/26)

E-MAIL

Last Issue's Music Quiz:

chips moman?   - (he just died). he worked w/ Elvis too in his comeback period among others.

Bobby Sisto

Right you are, Robert, it's Lincoln 'Chips' Moman out of LaGrange. Georgia. Chips produced Elvis' '69 album Elvis in Memphis and the hits In the Ghetto (written by Mac Davis) and Suspicious Minds. Chips died one day after his 79^th birthday. - Z

THE HOT CLUB

A woman desperately wanted to pee and didn't want to wait in the line for the ladies' room. She tried to dash into the men's room, but was stopped by an alert HC employee who told her she couldn't do that. She persisted, but he resisted. When I was at RIC, they had unisex bathrooms (for a while).

Lou, a friend of Cap't Jack and his buddy Bob, told us the story of an American in Africa teaching English to a native. The American pointed out a bird and said 'bird'. He showed the native a tree and said 'tree'. Then the American saw a couple making love in the bushes. He told the native 'Man riding a bicycle'. The native then shot and killed the man and woman with blow darts. Shocked, the American asked why he had done this. The native said 'Man riding my bicycle.”

Dr. John told us about 3 men trying to get into Heaven. St. Peter says Heaven is crowded, only one can make it, so they'll have to prove why they should enter. The first says that he came home early, found his wife had cheated on him and went looking for the man. He saw two hands holding onto the window sill, and hammered them with a frying pan. The man fell but could be seen still alive. So the cuckold pushed the fridge to the window and out but got caught on the door handle. The fridge killed both. The 2^nd man said he'd been washing windows when he fell. He grabbed onto a window sill on the way down, but someone hit his hands with a frying pan. The 3^rd man promptly said, “I was in the fridge.”

LAST ISSUE'S QUIZ ANSWER (INFO VIA WIKIPEDIA)

Only Bobby Sisto knew that the producer/writer/guitarist who engineered Stax/Volt's 1^st big hit, Carla Thomas' Gee Whiz was Lincoln 'Chips' Moman who just passed away. Moman started a Memphis studio, American Sound, and during the '60's and '70's his studio had over ¼ of the hits on Billboard's Hot 100. Chips co-wrote Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song (for BJ Thomas) and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (for Aretha). He also produced The Highwayman album for Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Some called him the 5^th Highwayman. RIP Chips.

THIS WEEK'S QUIZ

This musician/songwriter and singer has been with several popular bands and sang lead on hits for three different British bands. He even co-wrote a song for a member of the Eagles, which was a hit. The BBC called him “The Man with the Golden Voice.” Name?