YFSF

The Question of Deserving It

Tim Wakefield was selected today to his first-ever All-Star Game, joining five Boston teammates. The question, of course, is whether he deserves it. Wakefield is on pace for 20+ wins and leads the league in victories, but he has a 4.30 ERA that is right in line with what you'd expect from him -- and is actually worse than what he posted last season, as well as 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. He wasn't selected to the All-Star Game in any of those seasons. His ERA is good for a 108 ERA+, which isn't particularly All-Star worthy either.

But Wakefield is closing in on the Sox' records for most wins and most strikeouts, he had the bad fortune of having his 1995 season start too late to warrant All-Star consideration. He has been one of the most important parts of two championship-winning teams -- and has been consistently much better over his career than some of the flashes in pans that are selected each year to All-Star teams.

In one sense, Wakefield probably doesn't deserve to be on this All-Star team, but he deserves to have at least an All-Star apearance. I'm happy it's finally happening this year.

He joins more clear cut selections in teammates Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon.

On the Yankee side, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter are heading to the All-Star Game.

Congratulations to all nine of the honorees.

Late Thread: Mariners-Sox Gamer VI

Comment here, if anyone is even around on this glorious Sunday.

Sunday, Sunday: Jays-Yanks Gamer

Brett Cecil pitches for Toronto in the third game of this four game series between the Yankees and the Jays in the Bronx. The Maryland-native rookie had a strong start as a Jay, including an exceptional outing at the Athletics. Since then, his results have been less noteworthy. For the Bombers, it's Joba time.

Comment away.

No Nails Left To Bite: M's-Sox Gamer

I listened to the last four innings of the M's-Sox game on the radio last night, sitting in a parking lot in front of the market to hear the end of it. Devastating Drama. On to today. Garrett Olson has given up 10 home runs to the Red Sox and remains winless against Boston in seven career starts. Brad Penny took the loss against Atlanta though he gave up only two earned runs, and has given up only five earned in his last 22.7 innings spanning four starts. Drew leads off again, for the fifth time this year.

Lineups follow, comment away.

National Halladay: Jays-Yanks Gamer

Chien-Ming Wang draws the formidable task of trying to keep Toronto down, or at least keep it close while the Yankees hope to figure out Roy Halladay.

Lineups follow, comment away.

T. Party: M's-Sox Gamer IV

Tim Wakefield goes up against King Felix and the Seattle Mariners at Fenway. Hernandez was excellent last week against the Dodgers in a game witnessed by our own beloved SF. The Mariners have taken two of three from the Sox so far this season and just finished a three-game set against the Bombers, winning the final contest. Comment away!

What, Now? Jays-Yanks Gamer

Yes, now. The battle is already underway as our beloved Yankees have taken the lead in the bottom of the second, defending the honor of the flag on this, the day before our proud Nation's birthday, against the maple-slurping, backbacon-eating barbarian horde from the frozen wasteland to the north.

Never mind that Benedict Allan James pitched for those barbarians fairly recently. Comment away..

Eat My Glasses: Vin Scully's Greatest Call Turns 50

A rhubarb to remember, on it's 50th anniversary, courtesy Rich Lederer and Baseball Analysts. Why do we love baseball? This is why. 

'Hell to Live Through'

You're not going to get much more extreme than this week's series in Baltimore. The Red Sox had a 99.4 percent chance of winning with no outs in the bottom of the seventh on Tuesday. They lost. The Orioles had a 98.6 percent chance of winning with two outs in the top of the ninth on Wednesday. That didn't work out so well either.

In the end, the Red Sox won the series, kept pace with the Yankees, and won their 20th game in 28 contests. As commenter rootbeerfloat succinctly summarized in yesterday's game thread:

If someone predicted on Monday: Sox win the Lester and Beckett starts, lose the Smoltz start by a run though he pitches well, I would have been happy. It was just hell to live through.

Nearing Half-Time: Ms-Yanks Gamer II

It's July 1st (I know, I had to double check-too) and the Yankees are looking to keep pace with the Boston Heart-Attacksox.

Lineups follow, comment away.

Resilience: Sox-Orioles Gamer

So this is what you get when you decide to watch old episodes of Battlestar Galactica instead of the post-rain delay innings of a blowout.  Today we will pay attention, lest we tempt the baseball gods.  One thing we have learned from past experience with horrid, salt-in-the-wounds losses: baseball players are more resilient than most of us fans.  Today resilience comes in the form of Josh Beckett.  

Chat about the action here.

Horserace

It took some time, but the AL East has finally matured into the three team race we expected at the beginning of the year. The Sox (47-30) are 2.5 up on the Yanks (44-32) and 4 over the Rays (44-35). The only other team in baseball over 44 wins is the Dodgers, at 49. Meanwhile, the Jays are still hanging in at a respectable 3 games over .500 (41-38) and even the lowly O's have been putting up a decent fight (35-42), which isn't anything to get excited about but not altogether tragic either, given the very difficult divisional competition. Looks like this one's going the long haul, and there's going to be one very disappointed team. Win and Place and you're alright, but Show gets you nothing.

Wet But Playable: Mariners-Yanks Gamer I

Brandon Morrow and Joba Chamberlain take the mound for their respective clubs as Seattle comes to town.

Romper Stomper: Sox-O's Late Gamer

The Red Sox have already hung four runs on Rich Hill and it's only the second inning. John Smoltz pitches for the Sox at Camden. Comment away.

Yanks Acquire Eric Hinske

Does this mean the Yanks are a smart franchise? Before this most recent trade, Hinske played three seasons on three different teams run by general managers who went to ivy league schools. Boston is considered by many to be the brainiest of front offices, Tampa's management team is filled with sharp thinkers, and many analysts think Neal Huntington is going to turn things around in Pittsburgh. The Yanks give up a couple of prospects  to add much-needed depth. Hinske can play the corner outfield and infield positions. I like this move given the plan to rest A-Rod regularly and Damon's recent injury issues. Hopefully, Hinske gets back some of the power he had last year.

Looking for a Spark: Sox-O's Gamer V

The Red Sox have kept on winning -- 14-6 in their last 20 -- but their last 10 games have featured some low-scoring affairs. In the four games leading up to the 11-3 pasting of Washington's bullpen, the Sox scored just 12 runs. In the five since, they've scored just 15.

But if you can't go home to get a tonic for a struggling offense, there are always the Orioles -- against whom the Sox are 4-0 this season, and against whom they have another 14 games to play this season. Hopefully Baltimore will oblige, and they start by pushing Jason Berken (6.32 ERA) to the hill against Jon Lester, who has a spectacular 2.78 ERA in his last seven starts and a 2.03 ERA in his last five outings against Baltimore.

Comment away!

Soxfan in LaLaLand, Redux

We took our first trip to Chavez Ravine (we forgot our non-telephonic camera, sadly) this Saturday evening to see the Major League-best Dodgers take on Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. Some observations:

• Most diverse crowd I have ever seen at a ballgame. We sat in the upper deck, reserve seats. $19, and a great view, sight lines nearly perfect. The crowd lives up to its reputation of LA insouciance: relaxed, intermittenly paying attention, truly enjoying themselves. A very nice atmosphere.
• Even understanding tendentious history of Chavez Ravine and eminent domain, the site and park are beautiful. Clean, situated in lovely fashion, with sunset views of the San Gabriel mountains as the game wore on. The most beautiful professional baseball park I have been to that sits outside a downtown. And during the approach to the stadium and at the plateau for the upper decks, you get full views towards sparkling (or smoggy, depending on the time of day) Los Angeles.
• The stadium is segregated by ticket type, even more so than Yankee Stadium. We sat in the upper deck reserves, and there was no way to go anywhere else, even if we wanted to bowl over a security guard. We could have base-jumped, I suppose. The upper sections are separated completely (not by barricade or fence, but by air and space) from the lowers. Yankee Stadium seems positively democratic by comparison. Chatter around the park was that the Dodgers are interested in renovating and changing this, which would be welcome. It is really quite shameful that you can't move around.
• We didn't sample much food other than what we had for dinner, this was no culinary expedition (that was left to an earlier evening and a Top Chef Master - thanks to Ludo for a genius meal and good conversation, the wine provided by a tastemaster). The grilled Dodger Dogs were fantastic, the Gordon Biersch garlic fries even better. Despite a decent crowd they were able to serve them to us fresh, crisp, and covered in garlic. The bagged peanuts were generic, oversalted, dry. With a bottle of water dinner ran $16.
• Felix Hernandez is very impressive in person, even from the top shelf of the stadium. 
• The Mariners lineup is not, despite their win. Oh, except for Ichiro, who put on a display. Though he also dropped an easy fly ball (channelling Luis Castillo, almost!).
• We get to say we saw Ken Griffey Jr. hit a homer in person, something that we weren't able to do up until this weekend, and something on which we thought we'd miss out.    
• In the fifth inning there was a video tribute to Fernando Valenzuela, who was in the house.  A treat to see him and also the highlights.  The crowd went nuts (as nuts as LA fans go, that is) for Fernando. 

Mo: 500 + 1

Congratulations to the great one, Mariano Rivera, on his 500th career save and 1st career RBI. All class, all the time. Bravo 42.

(PS: Yanks sweep the Mets!) 

The End of Interleague for Boston (until October!): Sox-Braves Gamer

Comment here!

Soxfan in LAlaland

First a mural of Manny, then this. Certainly odd to see.