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 Well, I had planned a column on grading the outfields, but screw that. It's opening day! And if anyone saw it, the Yankees drew first blood, taking the BoSox down with a 9-2 drubbing. The Big Unit outduled David Wells, got help from Hideki Matsui and a rejuvenated Jason Giambi and led the Yankees over the World Series champions 9-2 Sunday night in the major league opener. Already, there were bad omens for the Red Sox: Matsui leaped in left to rob Kevin Millar of a two-run homer in the third, Giambi stretched to reel in two bad throws by shortstop Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez made a diving stop at third on Edgar Renteria, and Tino Martinez made a backhand dive at first to prevent an extra-base hit by Johnny Damon. By the time Matsui hit a two-run homer off Matt Mantei for a 8-1 lead in the eighth, it was almost piling on. Gaaah, Johnson, ARod, Tino, Luis Sojo coaching third. I'm sick of former M's in pinstripes.  Some notes for the game: It was a night of milestones -- the first night opener at Yankee Stadium, the first time the Red Sox played as defending champions since 1919, when they opened with a 10-0 win over New York at the Polo Grounds behind a Babe Ruth home run. Johnson made his 13th opening-day start, tying Roger Clemens for the lead among active pitchers. New York, with the first $200 million payroll in baseball history, had a former All-Star in every spot in its starting lineup, the first time that happened in the major leagues since the Yankees did it on July, 24, 2003, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In all, it added up to 53 All-Star appearances. Further screwing my fantasy team, Kevin Brown didn't make it to Opening Day. The 40-year-old right-hander with the bad back went on the disabled list for the 12th time Sunday, two days after back pain forced him out of his last spring training start. To fill his roster spot, the New York Yankees recalled infielder Andy Phillips from Triple-A Columbus. Flags were at half-staff and a moment of silence was observed one day after the death of Pope John Paul II, who celebrated mass at Yankee Stadium in 1979. In other news, SI.com is reporting our very first steroid suspension for the year! That known muscleman, Alex Sanchez, has been handed down a ten game suspension for violating the new drug policy in MLB. The suspension begins Monday when Tampa Bay opens its season against Toronto, the commissioner's office said Sunday. Under the new policy that took effect last month, steroids and other performance-enchancing substances are the only drugs to draw a 10-day suspension. Baseball officials and the players' union agreed they would not disclose the exact substance for which a player tests positive. Sanchez claims the failed drug test must be due to an over the counter supplement he takes regularly and plans to fight the suspension. Now, my player to watch this week is Russ Adams, SS for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was playing regularly last September for the Jays, hitting .306. He was Toronto's first round pick in '02 and appears ready to bat leadoff for the Jays. Now, some news from the Truth and Rumours column from SI.com: Quote:
Adam Katz, the agent for Aramis Ramirez, will meet with Cubs GM Jim Hendry at the 11th hour to continue contract talks for the third baseman. "We're not going to talk during the season," Ramirez reiterated Thursday. "They know that."
-- Chicago Sun-Times
Hendry is willing to take it into overtime at the start of the season if both sides are close to a deal by the opener. Whether Katz and Paul Kinzer, are amenable remains to be seen. Ramirez said he thinks there's a "pretty good chance" an extension will be completed by Sunday.
-- Chicago Tribune
Mark Prior is set to pitch Saturday afternoon in a minor-league game in Mesa. If Prior fares well, the Cubs could have him pitch for Class AAA Iowa or Class AA West Tenn on Thursday in preparation for a possible start April 12 at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres.
-- Chicago Sun-Times
Prior is expected to be placed on the disabled list.
-- Chicago Tribune
The Cubs have interest in lefty reliever John Parrish of the Orioles.
-- Arlington Heights Daily Herald
The Devil Rays can negotiate with catcher Charles Johnson, but can't sign him until 1 p.m. Monday, after he clears release waivers. It's unlikely another team will claim him, because that team would be stuck with the $9 million salary still owed him after his trade from Colorado to Boston.
-- Tampa Tribune
Not only has Bobby Higginson won a spot on the 25-man roster, he might start in rightfield for the Tigers on Opening Day. Many have been predicting that Higginson would be either traded or released before the Tigers broke camp to open the regular season. Manager Alan Trammell said Higginson's overall play in the last week won him over.
-- Detroit Free Press
Ben Grieve was contemplating taking his release from the Pittsburgh organization after he was reassigned to the minor league camp. Rangers officials indicated they have interest in Grieve if he's willing to go to Triple-A Oklahoma.
-- Dallas Morning News
The Cardinals should soon learn if "retired" pitcher Rick Ankiel has been claimed off the waiver list. Cardinals put him on the list this week before outrighting him. Because Ankiel lacks options, the Cardinals placed him on irrevocable waivers. Manager Tony La Russa reiterated his belief that Ankiel can progress as an outfielder, but questioned the wisdom of another organization claiming him and guaranteeing him a spot on its 25-man major-league roster.
-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Marlins are now confident their spark plug and leadoff hitter Juan Pierre will be ready to go opening day.
-- Miami Herald
Five Nationals are up for free agency following 2005. The most significant is Tony Armas Jr., a talented but snakebitten right-hander who has a history of shoulder problems and will begin this season on the disabled list with a pulled groin.
-- Washington Post
The Mets signed catcher Mike DiFelice, four days after he asked the Marlins for his release and two days after Kelly Stinnett arrived in camp. GM Omar Minaya said Stinnett, who had Tommy John-type surgery last year, felt soreness in his right elbow, and DiFelice was signed as insurance. Stinnett is headed to Norfolk.
-- New York Times
The Blue Jays swallowed reliever Kerry Ligtenberg $2.5-million guaranteed contract and designated him for assignment. Ligtenberg doesn't know where he'll be on opening day. He said, "I'm not too concerned. I can still get people out. It's a matter of me finding the right situation." Given the size of his contract, a trade or waiver claim was out of the question. Now that he has cleared waivers, Ligtenberg can be signed by another club for the major leagues' minimum salary of $316,000, with the Jays paying the rest.
-- Globe and Mail
The Angels has asked utility man Lou Merloni to sign an agreement allowing the team to dock his pay if he is demoted to the minor leagues at some point this season. If he won't sign it, the Angels have threatened to release him by Sunday. If Merloni makes the opening-day roster without signing the paper, the Angels must pay him roughly $500,000 this year whether he is in the majors or minors. The reason: He has more than five years' major-league experience and is out of options.
-- Orange County Register
The Royals will open the 2005 season Monday in Detroit with their smallest payroll in four years at $36.281 million. The figure represents a 23.8-percent cut from last year's franchise-record $47.609 million and is expected to be lower than all but one or two of baseball's 30 teams. Club officials insist the lower payroll merely reflects the organization's youth movement.
-- Kansas City Star
Looking to reinforce a leaky bullpen, the Braves traded the popular utility infielder Nick Green to the Devil Rays for hard-throwing right-hander Jorge Sosa, whose brief pitching career hasn't lived up to scouting reports. "In the opinion of our scouts, he is exactly what we need for our bullpen right now," Braves GM John Schuerholz said The Braves could use another lefty to go with Tom Martin, who's been hit hard all spring. But Schuerholz said if they don't complete any more deals, they would be comfortable starting the season with what they have.
Okay, that's my piece. Anyone go to any games this week? Or maybe saw a good one on TV? Let's hear from you...
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
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cobra kai 15000+ posts
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cobra kai 15000+ posts
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MLB 2005 season begins: The game finally becomes the main event
Buster Olney, ESPN The MagazineWith every pitch Sunday night, the numerals on the back of Randy Johnson's pinstriped jersey tilted toward his right shoulder, the numbers 4 and 1 on his jersey recoiling from his left-handed effort. He seemed saturated with adrenaline in the first inning, overthrowing against leadoff batter Johnny Damon. But as Johnson quickly found his bearings, so did we all.
Pitch selection became more important than urine tests, the ball-strike counts overwhelmed BALCO, and we got to care more about Hideki Matsui's bat and glove than Dr. Pellman's résumé. Alex Sanchez dominated much of the pregame conversation, but by the time David Wells was lifted in the fourth inning, Sanchez already had graduated to a trivia-question answer.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 9-2, and the first page in a 162-game sequel to Boston's championship season contained many paragraphs.
• Scary thought: Johnson did not have anything close to his best stuff, his best fastballs reaching about 93-94 mph, many of his sliders spinning flatly, particularly early in the game. And yet Johnson was probably better than about 90 percent of the starts the Yankees got from their rotation last year, striking out six batters in six innings, handing a 4-1 lead to the backend of the bullpen.
• Weather beaten: Wells typically has had problems pitching in hot and humid weather in his career, greatly preferring brisk conditions. It rained all day Saturday and rained again much of Sunday, the dampness exacerbated by temperatures in the high 30s; as usual, Wells did not wear long sleeves.
But he seemed to have a very hard time in the cold, blowing on his left hand constantly, struggling to throw his curveball sharply and command his fastball. When Wells can't throw the ball where he wants to throw it, he always has trouble.
• Best reception: Tino Martinez, back with the Yankees after a three-year absence, got the biggest ovation of any player when he was introduced before the game, and the Yankee Stadium fans started a Tino chant when Martinez entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Martinez dove toward the foul line and grabbed a grounder as he slid along the dirt, before turning and flipping to pitcher Tanyon Sturtze for the out. For that, Yankee Stadium fans tried summoning Martinez for a curtain call.
• Worst reception: After the Yankees swapped David Wells to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999, he was welcomed back to the Stadium like a returning family member, getting cheered like he was still a Yankee. But by making a choice to sign with the Red Sox in the offseason, Wells crossed the line drawn by many Yankees' fans, and he was booed thickly when he took the mound in the first inning and booed even more when he was relieved in the fifth. But many years from now, expect those fans to love him on Old Timers' Day.
• Good first step: In four plate appearances, Jason Giambi had a ground single, got hit by pitches twice (both times by Wells), and lined out. If he hits early in the year and avoids the situation when pressure will build on him, Giambi should be OK this season.
• Résumé-building: Says here Matsui will win the American League Most Valuable Player Award this year, and he started making his case Sunday night, getting three hits, including a two-run home run in the eighth inning. He also scored three runs, and leaped high above the left-field wall to take a two-run homer away from Kevin Millar in the second inning.
• Counterattack: The Yankees had no answer for David Ortiz last year, with five right-handers in their starting rotation and right-handers filling all the prime spots in the bullpen. Ortiz hit a double in his first at-bat against Johnson, but later struck out against the Big Unit. And the Yankees have added left-handers Mike Stanton and Buddy Groom since last year. At least the Yankees will figure to have a shot to contain Ortiz a little bit in '05.
• There were no formal handshakes between the Yankees and Red Sox before the season opener. Thankfully.
Buster Olney is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. His book, "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty," is a New York Times best seller and can be ordered through HarperCollins.com.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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10000+ posts
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10000+ posts
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 14,896 |
Quote:
jafabian said:
Ben Grieve was contemplating taking his release from the Pittsburgh organization after he was reassigned to the minor league camp. Rangers officials indicated they have interest in Grieve if he's willing to go to Triple-A Oklahoma.
-- Dallas Morning News
Grieve is returning to the Cubs.
It's too bad, I was hoping the Rangers would sign him.
Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
• Scary thought: Johnson did not have anything close to his best stuff, his best fastballs reaching about 93-94 mph, many of his sliders spinning flatly, particularly early in the game. And yet Johnson was probably better than about 90 percent of the starts the Yankees got from their rotation last year, striking out six batters in six innings, handing a 4-1 lead to the backend of the bullpen.
I saw a few of his fastballs reach 95-96 on ESPN's gun, and that's about where he tops out now. He doesn't get to the high 90's much at all anymore.
It's true that he didn't have his best stuff, though.
I'm going to refrain from saying that this is a sign of a huge year forthcoming, though. I fell into that trap last year after Kevin Brown's great April.
Quote:
• Worst reception: After the Yankees swapped David Wells to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999, he was welcomed back to the Stadium like a returning family member, getting cheered like he was still a Yankee. But by making a choice to sign with the Red Sox in the offseason, Wells crossed the line drawn by many Yankees' fans, and he was booed thickly when he took the mound in the first inning and booed even more when he was relieved in the fifth. But many years from now, expect those fans to love him on Old Timers' Day.
I thought he was booed more because of the shit he gave the Yankee front office after signing with Boston. It was almost like he was some jilted lover and that he signed with the Red Sox just to get back at them.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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cobra kai 15000+ posts
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cobra kai 15000+ posts
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Posts: 45,820 |
Quote:
Animalman said:
I thought {wells} was booed more because of the shit he gave the Yankee front office after signing with Boston. It was almost like he was some jilted lover and that he signed with the Red Sox just to get back at them.
i think its all one in the same.
in most cases i've seen, yankee fans are pretty forgiving to guys who go away. even if its for players who want out, like wells.
this was a different case, though. wells was a lifelong hater of the sox and made that venom known. him signing with them was sortuva stick-your-tongue-out moment that yankee fans're pissed over. he'll be hated for quite some time, i'd wager (i know i hate him!)
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We already are 15000+ posts
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We already are 15000+ posts
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I hate him for costing us the World Series in 2003......the Yanks are up 2-1 and he is scheduled to pitch......the fat fuck had back spasms leaves the game the Yanks lose in extra innings and go to NY 2-2....they go to NY 3-1 they win the series.
What pissed me off the most is he spent most of that year and wekk specifically telling reporters that he doesn't need to work out or take care of his body....and then mocked the people that do like Clemens....Fuck that Fat Fuck.
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Joined: Sep 2003
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5000+ posts
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The Tigers played a good game today. OK, so it was against the KC Royals. But Bonderman started strong, and even though he didn't get a strike out after the 4th inning, the defense got the job done behind him. As for the offense, I may not like Young, but 3 homeruns in one game at Comerica Park is unheard of. Damn!
The Tigers could have won this game without a single homerun, but Young's 3 and Inge's 1 were nice. I also liked Trammell using Logan as a pinch runner in the 7th for White. That moved Monroe to LF, with Logan coming in as a defensive replacement in CF. There was a ball that I thought a faster center fielder could have gotten to earlier in the game, and I do think that will show as the season goes on. Another highlight was Brandon Inge. He flew from 3B right past Guillen to bare hand a grounder to 1B for an out. Beautiful play.
Urbina came pitched the 8th. He gave up a solo homer, but nothing else, and Percival was brilliant in the 9th.
That's win #1 for Bonderman, and save #1 for Percival. I know all of Bonderman's starts won't be like this. Hopefully, most of them will be a lot better as the season goes on.
On another note, the Tigers were actually able to trade Colyer to the Mets for Matt Ginter. I have no doubt that Vance Wilson had something to do with this. Wilson has a lot of high praise for Ginter, who looks to be the long reliever and spot starter for the Tigers. The secret to his success during the preseason (no earned runs in 14 innings)? He developed a curve ball last year (he needed a third pitch for starting), and he figured out how to use it. I wonder long term if he will steel Johnson's starting position?
<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionRDCW Profile"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>
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Joined: Jun 2003
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I have gas. 2000+ posts
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OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
Quote:
Scary thought: Johnson did not have anything close to his best stuff, his best fastballs reaching about 93-94 mph, many of his sliders spinning flatly, particularly early in the game. And yet Johnson was probably better than about 90 percent of the starts the Yankees got from their rotation last year, striking out six batters in six innings, handing a 4-1 lead to the backend of the bullpen.
And Steinbrenner is probably completely pissed off that Johnson didn't strike out 13 and wants to trade him!
Seattle got off to a great start, defeating the Twins 5-1. Jaime Moyer got the win and Richie Sexson belted 2 HR's, with Ichiro getting 2 hits and a SB to basically pick up where he left off last season. Hopefully we can maintain, because the AL West is extremely competititve this season.
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170
I have gas. 2000+ posts
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OP
I have gas. 2000+ posts
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,170 |
And the hits just keep on keepin' on! Derek Jeter hits a ninth inning homer to bail out a rare blown save by Mariano Rivera to beat the BoSox, 4-3. Carl Pavano dazzled in his New York debut, Hideki Matsui hit his second home run in two games and the Yankees handed a 3-2 lead to Rivera, who blew just four saves during the regular season last year but three in the playoffs. After Rivera struck out Edgar Renteria to start the ninth, Varitek lined a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence, costing Pavano a win. Two of Rivera's blown saves during the regular season were against the Red Sox: He was 0-2 against them with a 4.22 ERA in nine appearances. Jason Varitek's homer off Rivera tied the score in the ninth. But Jeter led off the bottom half and drove Keith Foulke's 3-2 pitch over the right-field fence, giving the Yankees their second consecutive win over Boston to begin the season. Boston may as well start looking at the free agent list for next season already! Oh, I'm kidding.... In other news, looks like the Cards finally put Rick Ankiel on waivers.
"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"
Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.
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