Fitton's Time Travel and Science Fiction
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Sox steal win from Orioles
Less than 24 hours after failing to hold off the Orioles, Jonathan Papelbon celebrated his Sox-record 133d save with catcher George Kottaras (above). The Sox trailed 5-1 in the ninth but rallied for the win, 6-5. (Boston Globe,
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Preview | Matchup | Lineup | Log | Wrap | Box
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Red Sox come back to life
BALTIMORE - Turnabout being fair play and all, it was the Red Sox’ time to...
Jason Bay hits slump
BALTIMORE - A month shy of the one-year anniversary of his arrival in Boston, Jason Bay finds himself in the midst of...
Papelbon packs away franchise record
BALTIMORE - Jonathan Papelbon dropped down to one knee and unzipped the overnight...
HBO take on Ted Williams simply Splendid
The Kid came back to life last night at Fenway Park the way kids always do when they...
Dan Shaughnessy
Charity begins at home plate
Going to Fenway Park for Red Sox-Mariners Saturday? Bring a box of tissue. Bring your checkbook, too. Boston’s ancient baseball theater will be one of 15 major league parks honoring the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech (“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth’’) and raising funds to support ALS research. (Boston Globe, 12 a.m.)
Papelbon adds to savings account
With a perfect 11th inning, Jonathan Papelbon redeemed his second blown save of the season Tuesday and, two games after tying him, passed Bob Stanley for first place in Red Sox history with his 133d save. (Boston Globe, 12 a.m.)
Red Sox notebook
Bay bloodied and battered
Jason Bay took his hand from the side of his face and his fingers were covered in blood. He looked, confused for a second, then located a cut in his left ear. No, it wasn’t the five strikeouts that left him battered and bloody, but it certainly didn’t help. (Boston Globe, 12 a.m.)
Roundup
Yankees claim 7th straight
Alex Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking homer and Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings, leading the host New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, last night for their seventh consecutive victory. (Boston Globe, 12 a.m.)
Lowrie back to Boston
Jed Lowrie is headed back to Boston from Pawtucket to get his left knee, bruised and swollen because he was hit by a pitch last week, looked at by specialist Scott Waugh.
tony massarotti
Protect those arms
So the Sox had an ugly loss last night. Big deal. Boston still has more pitching than two average big league clubs combined. If one of them wants to pay out the nose for a Michael Bowden or even a Clay Buchholz, general manager Theo Epstein should listen.
-
boston sports blog O, this loss is no big deal
Today in Baseball History
July 2, 1975
Jim Rice‚ installed today as the Red Sox regular LF‚ belts 2 homers in the first game‚ including one that is the longest ever hit at County Stadium. In game 2‚ Fred Lynn is kept off the bases‚ ending his streak of 38 straight games. Boston's Rick Wise wins the opener‚ 6-3‚ not giving up a hit until 2 are out in the 9th. George Scott then clouts a 2-run homer‚ and Danny Darwin follows with another dinger.
Comment July 2
Arizona Republic "After weighing the opinions of three orthopedic specialists, Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb will not undergo surgery on his balky right shoulder. Surgery to repair his labrum was recommended by Diamondbacks team physician Dr. Michael Lee last week, but all three doctors Webb visited in the past several days told him a procedure is not needed. "We never arrived at that decision, and we still haven't," Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "At this point, I think it's beneficial he was able to get so many opinions and we were able to put our heads together and decide this was the best course of action." Webb did not return a call seeking comment. His agent, Jonathan Maurer, did not ..."
July 2
Fort Worth Star-Telegram "No one in the jubilant Texas Rangers clubhouse knew what was discussed at the pitcher's mound before Hank Blalock stepped into the batter's box in the ninth inning. No one really seems to care, either. Blalock launched the first pitch from reliever Justin Speier over the center-field wall for a two-out, two-run walk-off homer that gave the Rangers a 9-7 victory at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Wednesday. The blast, Blalock's second of the game, helped the Rangers overcome a blown save by Frank Francisco in the top of the ninth and secure a series victory over the Los Angeles Angels. A second straight victory moved the Rangers only a half-game behind the Angels in the American League ..."
July 2
Miami Herald "The final piece of the Florida Marlins' 15-year quest for a permanent South Florida home came down to $6.2 million, last-minute political confusion and, finally, a 1 a.m. vote at County Hall. By Wednesday morning, only hours after the final approval came, workers assembled on the site of the former Orange Bowl to begin clearing land for the new baseball stadium. And late Wednesday afternoon, Miami-Dade Finance Director Carter Hammer was in New York signing off on a bond sale of $300 million to pay for much of construction of the new ballpark in Little Havana. ''This is a go,'' said County Manager George Burgess on Wednesday afternoon. ``Everything is done and priced. We have the funding in ..."
July 2
Los Angeles Times "The 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez ended on the day the Dodgers became the first team to win 50 games this season -- and with the Dodgers' top standing in the National League, little changed from the day he was banned. After squeaking past the Colorado Rockies, 1-0, at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, the Dodgers finished with a record of 29-21 during Ramirez's absence and are now 50-29. The Dodgers also hold a seven-game lead in the NL West over the San Francisco Giants, which is half a game bigger than the lead they had when Ramirez was suspended May 7 for violating baseball's drug policy. And they edged Colorado in front of 40,455 much the same way they won many of their games during ..."
July 2
Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy "Going to Fenway Park for Red Sox-Mariners Saturday? Bring a box of tissue. Bring your checkbook, too. Boston's ancient baseball theater will be one of 15 major league parks honoring the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech ("I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth'') and raising funds to support ALS research. It's called "4ALS Awareness'' Nice going, MLB. In 1939, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis took Gehrig off the field after 2,130 consecutive games and now baseball is joining the fight against the deadly disease. "We're involved with a whole series of charities,'' explained commissioner Bud Selig. "We get asked a lot. But I've had inquiries about ALS from a ..."
July 1
New York Daily News "Carlos Beltran's trip to Vail, Colo., provided a reassuring diagnosis, a source familiar with the examination told the Daily News. Dr. Richard Steadman, who examined Beltran on Monday, agreed with the team medical staff's assessment that the center fielder is suffering from a bone bruise. Steadman is expected to recommend Beltran remain inactive slightly longer than Mets doctor David Altchek initially suggested - until after the All-Star break. The doctors had yet to speak as of Tuesday morning, according to a source. The Steadman Hawkins Clinic is where Alex Rodriguez had hip surgery. The group also has pioneered microfracture surgery on knees. But assistant GM John Ricco explicitly said ..."
July 1
Newark Star-Ledger "According to multiple reports, the Yankees traded for Pirates utility man Eric Hinske on Tuesday. The Yankees sent to the Pirates two minor leaguers, outfielder Eric Fryer and right-handed pitcher Casey Erickson, in exchange for Hinske, the 2002 rookie of the year. The 31-year-old Hinske hit .255 in 54 games with the Pirates. He had one home run and had driven in 11 runs. According to mlb.com, the Yankees also received cash considerations along with Hinske."
July 1
Washington Post "Just a few months ago, the Washington Nationals envisioned Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan as building blocks -- the future center fielder, the future closer. Yesterday, in a move dictated by a pair of disappointing seasons, the Nationals sent Milledge and Hanrahan to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for outfielder Nyjer Morgan and relief pitcher Sean Burnett, both of whom will be in uniform for today's series finale in Florida. The first significant trade orchestrated by acting general manager Mike Rizzo reflected his team-building strategy, which favors reliability over high-yield potential, a counter to predecessor Jim Bowden. The trade, too, commences Washington's attempt to ..."
July 1
Boston Herald "Mike Lowell felt well enough yesterday that he thought he could return to the lineup as soon as Friday. After being placed on the disabled list, however, Lowell won't play until two weeks from then. The Red Sox made the decision more as a precautionary measure as much as anything else. Lowell, who underwent right hip surgery last October, had been bothered by stiffness in the area for the past two weeks. He received an injection of Synvisc - a lubricant that coats an irritated joint - and had 15 ccs (or milliliters) of fluid drained from the area Monday. "He showed up today and felt great - great to the point where he was thinking he could play in a few days, which we were excited about," ..."
July 1
Palm Beach Post "On the first morning of the rest of the Florida Marlins' lives, team president David Samson wiped sleep from his eyes and proudly showed pictures on his iPhone of the first bit of dirt being moved for the team's new stadium. It was 3 a.m. today at Miami-Dade County Hall when he signed the final paperwork that set in motion the construction of the $515 million retractable-roof stadium in Little Havana. The team agreed at the last minute to cover a $6.2 million shortfall when the sale of bonds to finance the stadium brought in only $341 million instead of the expected $347 million. "There are no hurdles left," Samson said. "It's time to get this building built." Construction workers were ..."
July 1
San Diego Union-Tribune "Adrian Gonzalez awoke this morning with his strained right knee "a little tight and sore" but told a source close to the Padres "I think I can play." Gonzalez, who ranks second in the major leagues with 24 homers, suffered the injury while sliding hard into third base on a triple Tuesday night at Petco Park. After consulting at the third base bag with manager Bud Black and trainer Todd Hutcheson, Gonzalez left the game, walking off the field under his own power."
July 1
MLB.com (scroll down) "Indians GM Mark Shapiro has seen this movie before and might be directing it again. The struggling Tribe already shipped out useful vet DeRosa and rumors abound that Shapiro might say goodbye to pitchers Carl Pavano and Kerry Wood and possibly even slugging catcher Victor Martinez if the price is right. The Orioles could dangle Aubrey Huff, Ty Wigginton or Luke Scott, the Pirates and Nationals already have shown a willingness to part with a good portion of their players, the Royals could make available a host of position players and pitchers, the Padres might offer a little hitting (Scott Hairston) while the D-backs could deal pitching (Doug Davis, Jon Garland, Chad Qualls) to the right ..."
July 1
MLB.com
"The Nationals have traded reliever Joel Hanrahan and outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Pirates for reliever Sean Burnett and outfielder Nyjer Morgan on Tuesday afternoon. Morgan is considered the key to the deal for Washington. He was acquired to improve the team's outfield defense, which is one of the worst in the National League. The Nationals see Morgan as a center fielder/leadoff hitter. Washington also likes his hockey attitude. He once played with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League during the 1999-2000 season. Morgan was playing left field and batting second for Pittsburgh. Entering Tuesday's action, Morgan is hitting .277 with two home runs, 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. ..."
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Baseball Trivia
Trivia Guys
Paul Logan
Bill Cartmill
Bruce Rossi
Steve Cannavo
John Cannavo
MONDAY QUESTION
Only Once?
In today's trivia Oakland's Dave Stewart and the Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela both throw no-hitters. Was this ever, I mean ever, accomplished on the same day before in Major League History?
MONDAY ANSWER
Bob,
I'll say yes.
Paul
Tuesday Question
Fitton Fact or Fiction
In the exhibition game in Today's baseball history, it was Ty Cobb's brother, Paul, of the Washington team, who started the 9th inning ralley that allowed the Marines to beat Army Operations‚ 6-5‚ at Georgetown Field.
Tuesday Answer
Cobb's brother Paul Cobb played minor league ball from 1907 to 1916. During World War I, Cobb was a Captain under Branch Rickey's CWS Chemical Warfare unit; he never saw action although he did make the trip to France. He was in Army's Gas and Flame Division.
PS
I saw this corrected version of the Cobb attacking a fan story. I think even in Baseball Ken Burns relied on the writer's story rather than the real story, Here's what happened:
There is a famous story in circulation that on the way to the park in Detroit one day, Cobb was attacked by a couple of men. He fought them off and chased them away. He caught one and beat him into such a bloody pulp that the man's face was impossible to distinguish and he was having trouble breathing. Cobb went to the park, and, despite a knife wound in the back, played that game and got a few hits. Shortly after, the badly beaten body of a John Doe was found not far from the park. Cobb later told a sportswriter that he believed he killed that man.
This story is not completely correct, and it continues to circulate and tarnish Cobb's image. The co-author of Cobb's autobiography, Al Stump, first reported it but never bothered to investigate the claim. Here's what is known: in 1912, after Cobb's infamous run-in with heckler Claude Lucker in New York, which resulted in the Tigers going on strike, Cobb and his wife were ambushed by three men in Detroit. They were not going to the ballpark in Detroit, but were driving to the train station so Cobb could travel to Syracuse to play an exhibition game. The men acted as if their automobile was broken down, and waved down Cobb. When Cobb got out of his car, the men attacked him. Cobb brandished a gun and chased one of the men who was fleeing. According to Stump, Cobb claimed in 1961, that he killed that man in an alley. This is highly unlikely, since no bodies were found in Detroit during this period that match that story. Most likely, though we'll never know; Cobb fought the three men, chased one down and may have pistol-whipped him. But he almost certainly didn't kill a man, although it is possible that Cobb, who was in a diminished mental state when he spoke to Stump, could have made such a claim. The attack was reported in the papers and the Tiger trainer stitched Cobb up on the train, so it would have been news if a body had been found in an alley or a street in Detroit that matched a murder by beating at the same time. Cobb did play in the exhibition game and performed well. That part of the story is true.
Mid Week Question
Was Denny McClain still at his best in 1970? Or should I say at his BET-ST? What was his ERA and W/L?
Mid Week Answer
Bob,
I'll say Denny went 6-10 with a 4.00 ERA
Paul
------------------------
McLain's 1970 season ended with a won-lost record of only 3-5 and 4.63
Thursday Question
Fitton Fact or Fiction
One of these stats is Fitton Fiction
--Jim Rice led the AL in home runs four times
--in RBI twice
--in slugging average twice
-- in total bases four times (1977-1979, 1983).
--Rice hit at least 39 home runs in a season four times
-- had eight 100-RBI seasons and four seasons with 200+ hits, and batted over .300 seven
times.
--He finished his 16-year career with a .298 batting average, 382 home runs, 1,451 RBIs, 1,249 runs scored, 2,452 hits, and 4,129 total bases.
--He was an American League All-Star eight times (1977-1980, 1983-1986).
--In addition to winning the American League MVP award in 1978, he finished in the top five in MVP voting five other times (1975, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986).
Thursday Answer
TGIF Question
TGIF Answer
Fitton's Time Travel and Science Fiction
http://baseballbonanza.googlepages.com/home
Sox steal win from Orioles
| Final(11) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston « | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Baltimore | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Preview | Matchup | Lineup | Log | Wrap | Box | ||||||||||||
Red Sox come back to life
Jason Bay hits slump
Papelbon packs away franchise record
HBO take on Ted Williams simply Splendid
Charity begins at home plate
Papelbon adds to savings account
Bay bloodied and battered
Yankees claim 7th straight
Lowrie back to Boston
Protect those arms
-
boston sports blog O, this loss is no big deal
Today in Baseball History
July 2, 1975
Jim Rice‚ installed today as the Red Sox regular LF‚ belts 2 homers in the first game‚ including one that is the longest ever hit at County Stadium. In game 2‚ Fred Lynn is kept off the bases‚ ending his streak of 38 straight games. Boston's Rick Wise wins the opener‚ 6-3‚ not giving up a hit until 2 are out in the 9th. George Scott then clouts a 2-run homer‚ and Danny Darwin follows with another dinger.
ESPN SI FOX CBS MLB
YAHOO USA TODAY MSNBCSports
Sporting News
CNN Baseball Weekly
Total Baseball
Baseball TriviaTrivia Guys
Paul Logan
Bill Cartmill
Bruce Rossi
Steve Cannavo
John Cannavo
MONDAY QUESTION
Only Once?
In today's trivia Oakland's Dave Stewart and the Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela both throw no-hitters. Was this ever, I mean ever, accomplished on the same day before in Major League History?
MONDAY ANSWER
Tuesday Question
Tuesday Answer
Cobb's brother Paul Cobb played minor league ball from 1907 to 1916. During World War I, Cobb was a Captain under Branch Rickey's CWS Chemical Warfare unit; he never saw action although he did make the trip to France. He was in Army's Gas and Flame Division.
PS
I saw this corrected version of the Cobb attacking a fan story. I think even in Baseball Ken Burns relied on the writer's story rather than the real story, Here's what happened:
There is a famous story in circulation that on the way to the park in Detroit one day, Cobb was attacked by a couple of men. He fought them off and chased them away. He caught one and beat him into such a bloody pulp that the man's face was impossible to distinguish and he was having trouble breathing. Cobb went to the park, and, despite a knife wound in the back, played that game and got a few hits. Shortly after, the badly beaten body of a John Doe was found not far from the park. Cobb later told a sportswriter that he believed he killed that man.
This story is not completely correct, and it continues to circulate and tarnish Cobb's image. The co-author of Cobb's autobiography, Al Stump, first reported it but never bothered to investigate the claim. Here's what is known: in 1912, after Cobb's infamous run-in with heckler Claude Lucker in New York, which resulted in the Tigers going on strike, Cobb and his wife were ambushed by three men in Detroit. They were not going to the ballpark in Detroit, but were driving to the train station so Cobb could travel to Syracuse to play an exhibition game. The men acted as if their automobile was broken down, and waved down Cobb. When Cobb got out of his car, the men attacked him. Cobb brandished a gun and chased one of the men who was fleeing. According to Stump, Cobb claimed in 1961, that he killed that man in an alley. This is highly unlikely, since no bodies were found in Detroit during this period that match that story. Most likely, though we'll never know; Cobb fought the three men, chased one down and may have pistol-whipped him. But he almost certainly didn't kill a man, although it is possible that Cobb, who was in a diminished mental state when he spoke to Stump, could have made such a claim. The attack was reported in the papers and the Tiger trainer stitched Cobb up on the train, so it would have been news if a body had been found in an alley or a street in Detroit that matched a murder by beating at the same time. Cobb did play in the exhibition game and performed well. That part of the story is true.
Mid Week Question
Was Denny McClain still at his best in 1970? Or should I say at his BET-ST? What was his ERA and W/L?
Mid Week Answer
Bob,
I'll say Denny went 6-10 with a 4.00 ERA
Paul
------------------------
Thursday Question
One of these stats is Fitton Fiction
--Jim Rice led the AL in home runs four times
--in RBI twice
--in slugging average twice
-- in total bases four times (1977-1979, 1983).
--Rice hit at least 39 home runs in a season four times
-- had eight 100-RBI seasons and four seasons with 200+ hits, and batted over .300 seven
times.
--He finished his 16-year career with a .298 batting average, 382 home runs, 1,451 RBIs, 1,249 runs scored, 2,452 hits, and 4,129 total bases.
--He was an American League All-Star eight times (1977-1980, 1983-1986).
--In addition to winning the American League MVP award in 1978, he finished in the top five in MVP voting five other times (1975, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1986).
Thursday Answer
TGIF Question
TGIF Answer
FBB ADDITIONAL READING