Friday, April 20, 2001

Not Much

I don't have a whole lot to say today. I think the pace of the 162 game season is starting to settle in on me and this weblog. Must maintain a Ripkenesque attitude and just keep on even on days like today when I don't have much to say. Yep, Martinez struck out 13 as the Red Sox swept Tamba Bay. That is at it should be. It's difficult to get too excited at this point considering the Red Sox will be in the Bronx tonight and the rest of the weekend. The Yankees are coming off a losing skid (stopped last night in a 17th inning win against Toronto), and it doesn't take much imagination to envision them snapping out of all of a sudden. At home against the Red Sox is just the kind of scenario that New Yorkers love. (Though they feign indifference.)

Thursday, April 19, 2001

I like it

To expect to be there in October, you've got to beat up on the weaker teams and the Red Sox are taking care of that. Lastt night it was a 9-1 trouncing of Tampa Bay. I guess the Tampa Bay fans are definitely of the fair weather variety. According to this morning's Boston Globe, "Before the rally was over, the crowd of 16,622 appeared to have fully abandoned the hometown team, as they wildly cheered one Sox hit after another ..."

I don't like it

On Monday, I signed up and paid for the @bat insider edition newsletter and I've yet to receive a single edition in my email! It's bad enough to charge people for information on the web, but if you're going to do it you should at least do it correctly. I'm pissed. As payback, if/when I do start receiving the @Bat Insider Newsletter, I'm going to post each edition here for anyone to read.

Wednesday, April 18, 2001

Keep it coming

After going 55 innings without a homer, the Red Sox got in the homer groove last night. Manny Ramirez (2), Carl Everett and Brian Daubach all went deep, as the Red Sox pummeled the lowly Devil Rays, 10-0, at Tropicana Field.

Meanwhile, Martinez and Nomo lead the AL in ERA with 1.23 and 1.29 respectively.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

Boston Fans

I've had my share of friendly, yet heated, discussions with fans of other teams regarding which team has the most intense and knowledgable fans.

Here are Frank Castillo's comments on the subject after experiencing his first Fenway homestand:

This was his first Red Sox-Yankees series ''and it was amazing,'' said Castillo. ''The fans were great, they're knowledgeable fans and it was fun to be a part of it. It makes you want to rise up, the whole atmosphere. It was electric.''

One of the stops on Castillo's resume is in Chicago with the Cubs, ''but it's different here than in Wrigley,'' he said. ''It's more intense. Definitely ... you can tell they're more intense here than in the Midwest. That makes it exciting'' (Boston Globe).

Good Vibrations

Now this is the kind of karma we need. Red Sox take 3 of 4 from the Yankees at Fenway and the pitching staff is looking very solid.

And maybe none of this should come as surprise. Certainly, ESPN columnist Joe Sheehan doesn't think so:

When most people compare the teams, the Yankees are given a big edge in the starting rotation, due to the perception that they have four aces, while the Red Sox have Pedro Martinez and a cast of nobodies, Hideo Nomo's ability to slap around the Baltimore Orioles notwithstanding. I question that edge, for three primary reasons:
1. The gap between Martinez and any Yankee starter is huge, much greater than most people appreciate.
2. The Red Sox starters behind Martinez aren't as bad as perceived.
3. The middle of the Yankee rotation isn't as good as it's perceived.

Monday, April 16, 2001

Patriots Day

Didn't get to catch any Sox action on the webcast this weekend due to Easter, but on this Holy Monday/Patriots Day things aren't looking too bad at all. Lost won that we should have won and won one that we probably should have lost. Let's call it even with the Sox one game up in the series against the Yankees that will conclude today (until next weekend in the Bronx!) with an early Patriots Day start.

On a frustrating note, The Boston Globe reports,

The last four times the Yankees have faced Pedro Martinez, the Sox ace has had two no-decisions and two losses, and the Yankees have won all four games. Martinez had a no-decision in a 2-1 loss last June 14 in which he gave up just one run; he took the loss in a 3-0 defeat June 20, giving up all three runs; he was beaten, 5-3, Sept. 7 in a game in which he allowed three runs; and he had a no-decision in Saturday's 3-2 loss, in which he gave up two runs and six hits ...