Quick Thoughts - July 27th
Quick Thoughts while counting the days until I make my
triumphant return to Las Vegas…
n Last night’s (7/26/05) Red Sox game - wow. I mean, WOW. That was the first game in about 3 weeks that I’ve watched start to finish, and I couldn’t have picked a better one. Forget the injuries (Clement & Nixon) for a second. Just to be able to come back from giving up a 5-0 lead, and to claw back from down 8-6 in the 9th inning. This game was eerily reminiscent of last year’s July 24th comeback against the Yankees. That game was the one that turned around the 2004 season. I know that Tampa Bay isn’t the same as New York, but the intensity between the teams is just as high, and to win in the way that Boston did, well, maybe that’s the game that rights the 2005 ship.
n Now, as for those injuries… Clement is lucky to be alive with a ball coming that close to his right temple, let alone to just miss one start. The silence in Tampa was very telling... Trot’s oblique muscle worries me more, if in fact Clement is able to return to normal in a week or two. There are a handful starting pitchers that can be had at the trading deadline, with A.J. Burnett atop a very mediocre list. But there are only three or four names that pop out at me from among a weak outfield crop: Adam Dunn (STUD), Austin Kearns (pretty damned good), Matt Lawton (second or third tier), and Mike Cameron (ugh). That’s it. If the Sox can’t swing a deal for any of them (personally, I’d be willing to give up a Hanley Ramirez or Manny DelCarmen for Adam Dunn), then we might be looking at a half-season (plus possible playoffs) of Gabe Kapler and Adam Hyzdu roaming the vast expanse of right field in Fenway Park. That’s not a pleasant thought.
n Think about Adam Dunn in Fenway… Ted Williams’ red chair might be in danger. Besides, when Millar leaves town next season, Dunn could be plugged in at first with Trot returning to right field. I don’t see a problem here, aside from interleague play when David Ortiz would be forced into play at First and Trot would probably have to sit to keep Dunn in the lineup. Besides, this lineup was woefully behind on its strikeout quota with Mark Bellhorn on the DL. Dunn could easily make up for that…
n Two final notes from yesterday’s game. First, I must admit, I was wrong. Curt Schilling as a closer is just as scary as Keith Foulke (See “Quote of the Week”). Second - as soon as Johnny Damon made that catch in the 9th inning in deep center field, I turned to my dog, Tobey, (he was the only one in the room with me, and I needed someone to talk to) and said “Now watch, he’ll hit a homer on the first pitch next inning, because SportsCenter anchors love to say ‘And how many times have you seen it – a guy makes a great defensive play and then leads off with a big hit’”. Tobey, luckily, did not answer. I mean, he is just a dog…
Some other random thoughts…
n Did the cadaver that Dr. Bill Morgan practiced his infamous ankle sutures on get a World Series ring too? Or at least, did his family? I mean, the friggin’ mascot got one, why not this guy?
n How come the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting weren’t required to move to New Orleans when the NBA’s Hornets did? Doesn’t it seem strange that the city of Charlotte is home to the Sting and the Bobcats? Every other WNBA team was essentially named as a variation of their local NBA franchise, in order to capitalize of the then record-high popularity of the NBA. And, more importantly, why am I even mentioning the WNBA? I’ll stop now…
n Is anybody else excited about the return of the NHL? Wait a minute - let’s remove the word “else” from that first sentence…
n Had the opportunity to venture to Foxwoods last weekend for a little cash game poker. I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am that they started spreading a $2-4 NL Hold-‘Em cash game. The $1-2 games are almost useless, with a maximum buy-in of $100. But the $5-5 games are a little high, even for me, with a minimum buy-in of $200 and no maximum. The last time I went to Foxwoods I had intended to sit at a $5-5 table, until I looked and saw that every person there had at least $2500 in chips and I would have only had about $250. Not a very good position to start in. Anyway, $2-4 NL = great game. I know what I’ll be playing from now on…
And finally, the “Quote of the Week”
From the Dennis & Callahan morning show on WEEI radio last week:
John Dennis: “Curt Schilling blew the save but got the win in last night’s game against Tampa. That’s actually a new stat that the Boston brains have created. It’s called a Foulke.”
Sorry, but that’s funny.
Lata.
posted by Big D @ 11:19 AM
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