624 replies to this topic

[bosockboy]

Lackey has won a lot more big games than James.

[luckysox]

There once was a man named James.
They said he could win the big games.
But he sucked in the Fens,
and they needed the 'pen.
Though Upton could be to blame.


Step up Lackey. We need the pitchers to shoulder the load and show the offense it's all gonna be ok.

[jose melendez]

6/29/10--The Spainsh Flu

It’s time for Jose Melendez’s KEYS TO THE GAME.

1. With Victor Martinez joining Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, St. Josh Beckett, Jeremy Hermida, Mike Cameron, DJ Dru, Daisuke Matsuzaka and others among the sick and wounded, more and more people are suggesting that an epidemic comparable to the Black Plague has broken out in the Red Sox clubhouse. Jose thinks that this analogy is false, or worse, inapt. The Black Death wiped out about a third of the population of Europe and Jose is fairly confident that this particular epidemic will ultimately strike well over a third of the Red Sox clubhouse.

Jose suspects that the better analogy is the Spanish flu of 1918. There are three reasons that Jose draws this analogy. First, since a significant chunk of the injuries are caused by Hispanophone third baseman Adrian Beltre, comparing it to a Spanish germ seems appropriate. Second, in 1918, the Red Sox won the World Series, as they will this year. Finally, as Jose has sadly learned from associating with women in their 30s who are a little too in to abstinent vampires, the Spanish Flu marks the origin of America’s sexiest vampire. This current Red Sox epidemic has given us Daniel Nava who is definitely sexy and, thanks to his fixation on the unattainable Erin Andrews, possibly abstinent. Moreover, while Nava is not over 100 years old, he is, like the high school vampire, far too old to be doing what he’s doing. On the other hand, it is not at all clear that he is a vampire, as thus far he has shown no evidence of sucking.

2. Jose is really tired of economics, of the dismal science of dollars and cents, ruining sports. Jose tried to forgive Manny Ramirez. He really did. Actually, he succeeded. Jose wasn’t there for Manny’s return, but had he been, he would have stood and cheered until a mild fatigue set in and he decided to sit down and/or get another beer.

But no more.

Jose learned last night while watching ESPN News that Takeru Kobayashi has opted out of this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest due to a stall in contract negotiations. Do you remember where you were when you lost your innocence? Jose does. The Federal on Main Street in Durham, NC sucking down an Iron City Beer. It was one thing when money ruined baseball, basketball, football, hockey, billiards, bowling and scrabble. But competitive eating? It’s supposed to be about the love, man.


For KEY 3, thought on Darnell McDonald, visit http://keystothegame...zs-keys-to.html

[Rasputin]

I would like a win today.

[C4CRVT]

It's time to keep sacking up.

[koufax32]

It's time to keep sacking up.

Agreed. Sack. Don't suck against these suckas. The Chin will win.

[Andrew]

There once was a man named James.
They said he could win the big games.
But he sucked in the Fens,
and they needed the 'pen.
Though Upton could be to blame.

Awesome.

[WenZink]

Carl Crawford is back in the lineup tonight (as DH), in spite of a sore shoulder. No doubt he can't wait to run and run and run against the Sox. But Lackey has such a high WHIP that he'll be able to curtail Crawford's running game by clogging the bases, beforehand.

Meanwhile "Big Yields" Shields finally has a nick he can live up to.

[Al Zarilla]

Remember this? I do.



Knock this pussy around some more.

[Foulkey Reese]

Boot on the neck time.

Shields is 1-6 with a 7.53 ERA in Boston.

Edited by Foulkey Reese, 29 June 2010 - 12:51 PM.

[TheoShmeo]

Remember this? I do.



Knock this pussy around some more.

Barely relevant fact: Coco's trip to the mound happened about 90 minutes before game one of the 2008 NBA Finals. What a glorious night in Boston.

[ItOnceWasMyLife]

Big Lame James



Never forget 2008 either. We owe these bitches!

[Brianish]

Coco shoulda taken that punch. Dude was swinging with his pitching hand.

Alas.

Let's see a Rays beatdown tonight.

[artis]

Panty Shields. Nuff said.

[luckysox]

Panty Shields. Nuff said.

Awesome.

[Foulkey Reese]

James "panty" Shields.

That made me laugh out loud.

[pxwhittle]

Let's do this, Phil Mickelson. Earn that big contract.

Kind of bummed, in a masochistic way, that the dramatic debut of Eric Patterson might have to wait another day. From Extra Bases:

Marco Scutaro SS
Daniel Nava LF
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 1B
J.D. Drew RF
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jason Varitek C
Bill Hall 2B
Mike Cameron CF

[rembrat]

That lineup is still a wrecking crew.

[pxwhittle]

It's a decent nine for a team that seems to have been stricken by the Ebola virus, isn't it?

Bench depth is a touch lacking right now: a fake Molina, the other Patterson brother and a guy with three major league at-bats in the last four seasons. D-Mac keeps getting it done though (decent .483 SLG last 31 PAs).

[AimingForYoko]

Hate the Rays. Upton's a pussy. Bears are Catholic, etc....

WIN.

[Fletch]

Look at what's happened to me,
I can't believe it myself,
Suddenly I'm up on top of the world,
It should've been somebody else

Believe it or not,
I'll give up four runs,
I never thought I could feel so free-
Pitchin' away, highest paid on the sox
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it's Lackey

Edited by Fletch, 29 June 2010 - 03:11 PM.

[WenZink]

It's a decent nine for a team that seems to have been stricken by the Ebola virus, isn't it?
Bench depth is a touch lacking right now: a fake Molina, the other Patterson brother and a guy with three major league at-bats in the last four seasons. ...

Well-chosen words to describe the Sox' bench.

But I agree that the starting 9 is still good. I still have nightmares from the plague of August 2006, when, at the end of that month, the Sox got swept in Oakland with a lineup that had Mark Loretta batting in the 3 spot... and what was really bad about it was that, because of a bad knee, Loretta wasn't playing 2nd, but was the DH for that entire series.

[SemperFidelisSox]

Check out the lineup from that series:

Youkilis
Cora
Loretta
Lowell
Kapler
Mirabelli
Hinske
Pedroia
Pena

I don't know what's funnier. Youk leading off or Carlos Pena hitting 9th. This 2010 team could die in a Marshall-style plane crash and it still wouldn't be as bad as that '06 season.

[Al Zarilla]

a fake Molina, ..............

LOL, will ESPN still play "name that Molina" with him? Guess he'll have to do something first.

[24JoshuaPoint]

Youkilis
Cora
Loretta
Lowell
Kapler
Mirabelli
Hinske
Pedroia
Pena

Wow. I must have blacked out that series or was pretty much hammered the whole way thru b/c i don't recall it being that bad. The Orioles can't even sink that low.

[Foulkey Reese]

Check out the lineup from that series:

Youkilis
Cora
Loretta
Lowell
Kapler
Mirabelli
Hinske
Pedroia
Pena

I don't know what's funnier. Youk leading off or Carlos Pena hitting 9th. This 2010 team could die in a Marshall-style plane crash and it still wouldn't be as bad as that '06 season.

At least Pena played that game instead of riding the bench so Loretta could play first.

[WenZink]

Check out the lineup from that series:

Youkilis
Cora
Loretta
Lowell
Kapler
Mirabelli
Hinske
Pedroia
Pena

I don't know what's funnier. Youk leading off or Carlos Pena hitting 9th. This 2010 team could die in a Marshall-style plane crash and it still wouldn't be as bad as that '06 season.

Yup... the bad ole days. I hadn't realized that 'Belli was off the DL. I thought they still were going with Javy Lopez at catcher. And as for Youk at leadoff, back then there was a debate amongst Sox fans whether or not Youk would ever hit 20 homers in a season.

During that series, during pregame warmups, Schilling felt his back give out, but since he was warmed up and "loose" (and no one else was available) he pitched anyway and then sat out the next 3 weeks. Meanwhile, we were waiting results on Lester's "back" issues, resulting from being rear-ended on Storrow Drive. And oh yeah, we were debating whether or not Paps would return to the pen before the end of the season.

Compared to August 2006, These are the good ole days.

[strek1]

From what I've heard I'm not expecting much from Eric Patterson (whenever he gets here), but that being said who knows? The Sox have been pretty lucky this year with the emergency subs.

[Hendu's Gait]

Check out the lineup from that series:

Youkilis
Cora
Loretta
Lowell
Kapler
Mirabelli
Hinske
Pedroia
Pena

I don't know what's funnier. Youk leading off or Carlos Pena hitting 9th. This 2010 team could die in a Marshall-style plane crash and it still wouldn't be as bad as that '06 season.

That was a decent 8-9-1

[strek1]

That was a decent 8-9-1

Pena?

[WenZink]

Pena?

Yeah, that Pena. Carlos Pena. Released by the Yankees in August 2006. Signed by the Sox and released in October 2006. Signed by the Rays over the winter, then DFA'd just before the start of the 2007 season, but then placed on the roster after an injury (Baldelli?) Then went to have an OPS> 1.000 in 2007 with 46 homers.

Not a bad #9 hitter.

[ItOnceWasMyLife]

Cliff Lee needs to pitch his ass off today. Not liking the Mariners offensive chances against Phil Hughes.

[trekfan55]

I kind of blocked out that tail end of the 2006 season. Every time someone brings up another detail form it I wince.

It's incredible to even think about that.

As for now, at least 2 of the 3 starting OF are out there (although Cameron still is a huge question mark).

[WenZink]

....
As for now, at least 2 of the 3 starting OF are out there (although Cameron still is a huge question mark).

That reminds me of the Jack Nicholson line from (the otherwise forgettable) "Mars Attacks," when, as President he addresses the nation right after the Martians have incinerated a Joint Session of Congress:

"I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad. "

[Redkluzu]

I kind of blocked out that tail end of the 2006 season. Every time someone brings up another detail form it I wince.

It's incredible to even think about that.

It's true Trek. I remember being at the Boston Massacre that August before all the pieces fell apart.

But, I have a good feeling about this line-up and am consoling myself by knowing that we get back Martinez relatively quickly.

[strek1]

Yeah, that Pena. Carlos Pena. Released by the Yankees in August 2006. Signed by the Sox and released in October 2006. Signed by the Rays over the winter, then DFA'd just before the start of the 2007 season, but then placed on the roster after an injury (Baldelli?) Then went to have an OPS> 1.000 in 2007 with 46 homers.

Not a bad #9 hitter.

But he wasn't at THAT time.

[pxwhittle]

Rays post:

John Jaso C
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
Ben Zobrist CF
Matt Joyce DH
Sean Rodriguez RF
Reid Brignac 2B
Jason Bartlett SS

Rays continue with Jaso in leadoff role. His BA is .224 there, .271 overall.

[Mystic Merlin]

What the hell is with Maddon's love affair with John Jaso?

[SemperFidelisSox]

Upton benched?

[fuzzy_one]

What the hell is with Maddon's love affair with John Jaso?

Whatever it is, I think I like it. We should help keep it sizzling by sending Maddon something nice with Jaso's name on it.

[WenZink]

Upton benched?

Disciplinary action aside, BJ is 3 for 18 vs Lackey... although that was against the "good Lackey" and not the JL-v2010 that's been "scattering" 10 hits a game. Upton clubbed a 3 run homer of Lackey on Patriot's Day.

Classic Maddon lineup, with a catcher leading off and two hybrids (IF/OF) in Zobrist and Rodriguez. Maybe he'll take Billy Hall for BJ

[rembrat]

At least Pena played that game instead of riding the bench so Loretta could play first.

Give it up.

[T. Nix]

What are we watching for today? What specific players should we keep an eye on and how they perform today for the Red Sox?

[SouthernBoSox]

Mark Loretta. Just can't rely on that little kid.

[Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat]

What are we watching for today? What specific players should we keep an eye on and how they perform today for the Red Sox?

Good question, time to hand out responsibilites for tonight. You've got Cameron. Watch him and only him and report back to the board after the game.

[T. Nix]

Good question, time to hand out responsibilites for tonight. You've got Cameron. Watch him and only him and report back to the board after the game.

It's kinda hard to watch an actual player that plays for the Red Sox in Missouri when you don't have MLB Network or MLB.TV.

Edited by T. Nix, 29 June 2010 - 05:43 PM.

[Andrew]

Holy Shit. That NESN commercial about rain delays was actually really funny.

Wakefield, Youkilis, and Drew in a book club?
"I can't believe she left him!"
"It's a metaphor, Drew."

Lester painting a picture, but only doing four parts of it.
"You're done?"
"Yeah, I only paint the corners."

What are we watching for today? What specific players should we keep an eye on and how they perform today for the Red Sox?

Are you making a joke about FOX/ESPN broadcasts?

Edited by Andrew, 29 June 2010 - 05:42 PM.

[SoxScout]

Holy Shit. That NESN commercial about rain delays was actually really funny.

I just saw it for the first time, really good. Tito in the wig.

[SouthernBoSox]

I'm sure that will be streaming somewhere within the hour.

[SoxScout]

I'm pretty sure Seguin is already the most well-spoken athlete in Boston.