Absent Moderator Gamers: Yanks Jays VIII, O's-Sox XI

Hey, there's a game on today! Yanks and bluebirds tied in the first at one. Not that I can watch it.

Also, why not make this the Sox gamer thread as the mods are all doing yardwork, changing diapers, finalizing their plans for world domination, etc...

Comments

[sam-YF]

#200 for Jeter to lead off the game.

Arod hits one in the 4th to pass Mantle on the all time list.

Yanks up 9-4 bottom 6th.

[stuck working]

Jeez, I thought someone else would be the first to crow about Lugo getting DL'ed for 4-6 weeks. Seems like we'll see plenty of Lowrie this season after all. Let's hope he puts the organization in the awkward position of using Lugo as a bench player upon his return.

[Atheose]

DREW!

RIP Bobby Mercer. Very sad day for baseball fans.

[Atheose]

Wait, what happened to Lugo? He's gone for a month? NICE!

Manny homers! Back-to-back!

[Atheose]

Wow, the announcers reverse jynxed Casey. They said "Casey still looking for his first homerun", and then Casey hit one THREE INCHES away from one. It hit off the top of the wall in right field.

He's thrown out at 2nd though. Bah.

[Atheose]

YOUKILIS GRAND SLAM!

[Paul SF]

Piling on now. A 9-1 game, and TB is losing, 7-0. Looks like we'll be sitting a half-game out. Never mind the offense, Wakefield is pitching a damn fine game.

Count me ecstatic that Jed Lowrie is now the full-time shortstop. Should have happened weeks ago...

In other news, Pedro left his start with shoulder stiffness. How many more attempted comebacks does he have left?

[Atheose]

The Pawtucket Red Sox are in Norfolk all weekend playing the Tides, and I got to see them play last night (right before Lowrie was called up, apparently). Hansack got hit pretty hard, and it was ugly, but beer was only $3.50 a pop and it was a gorgeous night to see some baseball.

I got Masterson's autograph too, btw. Was hoping to see him pitch (he was warming up in the bullpen) but he never came into the game. It was good to see Kielty again, I had forgotten he was still on our AAA team.

[Atheose]

Wow, Daniel Cabrera coming into the game. I guess since the All Star game will erase one of his starts they can use him tonight.

[Atheose]

Nevermind, gameday messed up--it's really Fernando Cabrera pitching.

[John - YF]

Thanks for picking up the slack Gerb. I was at a friends childs 1 year birthday party.

I will be sort of MIA for the next 3 days as well. I will be at all 3 days of the All-Star festivities. Tomorrow is the Futures Game and the Celebrity Softball...I will send along any cool pics I can take. It will be my 1st look at Jesus Montero, pretty excited.

[Devine]

That's awesome, John! Enjoy yourself! (And share the pictures, yes, please.)

[A YF]

"Count me ecstatic that Jed Lowrie is now the full-time shortstop. Should have happened weeks ago..."

Yup, if not months...or last year.

The Sox just got a bit better and through no active decision on management's part. Shoot, even Cora should have been given more playing time. 58 ABs?? But Lowrie deserves his shot - hopefully they decide to play him regularly. Still his defense at short will be an issue if he isn't hitting well - 49 errors in 252 career minor league games there. For those of you without calculators that's 1 error every 5.14 games. Jeter coming up was at 1 error every 4.5 games but he also OPSed .815 in a full AAA season at age 21, after .930 in 126 at-bats at age 20. In the majors, Jeter has averaged 1 error every 9.5 games. For a dirty contrast, Lowrie is OPSing .793 this year at age 24 in AAA, and .862 in 160 ABs last year with no full AAA season in the books. I'm not saying that Lowrie could be Jeter. I'm just saying his bat needs to outweigh his glove. He deserves the chance to show it can.

On Lugo's future: 2 years/18 million left on his contract. And if he gets traded, it will be for a poncho and some shoelaces with the Sox picking up every dollar left. Folks in the know scratched their heads when the Sox signed him after the Dodgers made him a utility guy. It's still a good question - what was Theo thinking?