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10/26/2007
Billy-Ball Daily
Bill Chuck (Billy-Ball his own self)
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The only spin here is on my screwball
Friday, October 26, 2007
Top of the 1st
A WALK AT THE PARK
Everybody who has a keyboard this morning is writing about walks because last night Ubaldo Jimenez walked five Boston batters over the 4 2/3 innings he worked, and two of them came around to score. And when the final score is 2-1, you know that walks are on your mind.
Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking Johnny Cash and saying, “As the man in black wrote, “I Walk the Line”, and that is a thin line that the Red Sox walk between being patient not passive.” The Sox simply make pitchers work, work, and work, For them an 0-2 count simply represents the first two pitches in the start of a long at bat. To counteract that you must make them swing, you must continually put the pitches in the strike zone, you must be able to have the courage and the skills to bust them inside.
The Rockies pitchers are simply not that good. Last night, they walked a total of seven batters.
Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking Dionne Warwick and saying, “To paraphrase, the Sox batters are telling the Colorado hurlers, ‘If you see me walking to the plate, and I start to swing, in a moment of hate, walk on by, Don’t you dare stop, just walk me by.” Mike Lowell, who scored the first Sox run, after he walked, and doubled home David Ortiz, who had walked, with what proved to be the winning run in the 5th uses the term "patiently aggressive" to describe what the Red Sox do.
Lowell explains what that means, "If a guy's throwing strikes, you don't take pitches for the sake of taking pitches. It's chasing pitches out of the zone that hurts you, and that's been one of the strengths of our lineup the whole year, that we're disciplined."
Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking Lou Reed and saying, “The Rockies pitchers are continuing to take a walk on the wild side as they let even good pitching performances drift out of control.” In his 4.2 innings on the mound, Jimenez actually pitched well only surrendering three hits, but walking five is simply too many particularly when you are facing Curt Schilling and company. As Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union Tribune brilliantly wrote this morning, “The Red Sox didn't give away that many free passes to their best corporate sponsors.”
Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking the Ronettes and saying, “The Rockies control troubles began in the foul weather of Game 1 – remember, walking in the rain.” In the two games, the two losses, there have been 15 walks issued by the Rockies staff. Curt Schilling gave up just four hits, two walks and one lone run in what may have been his farewell Sox appearance.
Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking the Four Seasons and saying, “Two games and 15 walks by the Rockies. Curt Schilling, now in his career has thrown 133 post-season innings and issued 25 walks. He’s done more than walk like a man, he’s pitched like a man.”
“It's probably a mixture of what they're doing and what we're doing,” said Matt Herges, who threw the final walk. “They're extremely patient at the plate. But it could be us, too. Fifteen walks? Really? I didn't realize there were that many.”
That’s what happens, you don’t realize what the Sox have done until its too late. Kind of like what happened to Matt Holliday who was picked him off at first base after he singled. Somewhere there is a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking the Ventures and saying, “The Rockies batters need to emulate their Sox counterparts and learn to walk, don’t run.”
Okay, you’re getting the point why Chris Jenkins wonders this morning if the copyright is taken on “Walktober.” But before I walk out on you this morning, I just want to share briefly share with you the story of the pitcher who issued the most walks in a World Series game.
It was Game 4 of the 1947 Series and the Yankees and Dodgers were meeting in their annual ritual that usually ended with a Yankee coronation. The Yankees were leading the Series, two games to one and had Bill Bevens, a righty who had a very mediocre 7-13 record during the regular season, on the mound. The game entered the bottom of the 9th with the Yankees holding a 2-1 lead and Bill Bevens still pitching a no-hitter.
As described in much greater detail in “Walk Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales” by Bill Chuck and Jim Kaplan, due out in February, 2008 from ACTA Sports, with one out in the 9th Carl Furillo worked Bevens for a walk, the Dodgers ninth walk of the game. Spider Jorgensen then fouled out to first and Bevens was one out away from immortality and moments from destiny. Al Gionfriddo then ran for Furillo as Pistol Pete Reiser pinch hit for reliever Hugh Casey.
With a 3-1 count on Reiser, Gionfriddo stole second base and the Yankees took the risky step of putting the winning run on base by intentionally walking Reiser. Eddie Miksis then pinch ran for Reiser.
Brooklyn manager Burt Shotton then sent up Harry “Cookie” Lavegetto to pinch-hit for Stanky. On the second pitch from Bevens, Lavegetto lined a drive to deep right field.
Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich went back but quickly realized he would have to play it off the Gem Razorblade sign on the right field wall. Gionfriddo had already scored the tying run as Henrich grabbed the ball and threw to the plate but too late to catch Miksis sliding in with the winning run.
Bevens had lost his no-hitter and the game (he does still hold the record for most walks in a World Series game with 10).
If this pedestrian parade continues as the 2007 Series moves to Coors Field, somewhere there will be a writer (or maybe Tim McCarver) invoking the Katrina and the Waves and saying, “The Red Sox are simply walking on sunshine on their way to another World Championship.”
Top of the 2nd
THE WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE
Boston Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies
Gm Date Site Time ET (TV)
1 Wed., Oct. 24 @BOS BOS 13, COL 1
W: J. Beckett (4-0) L: J. Francis (2-1)
2 Thurs., Oct. 25 @BOS BOS 2, COL 1
W: C. Schilling (3-0) L: U. Jimenez (0-1)
3 Sat., Oct. 27 @COL 8 p.m. (FOX)
BOS: D. Matsuzaka (1-1) COL: J. Fogg (2-0)
4 Sun., Oct. 28 @COL 8 p.m. (FOX)
BOS: J. Lester (0-0) COL: A. Cook (0-0)
* 5 Mon., Oct. 29 @COL FOX
* 6 Wed., Oct. 31 @BOS FOX
* 7 Thurs., Nov. 1 @BOS FOX
* if necessary
Top of the 3rd
THE PAP-AJIMA SHOW
Hideki Okajima struck out four of the seven batters he faced. With two out in the 8th inning closer Jonathan Papelbon, who had pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings in his four previous playoff appearances in 2007, came in. Papelbon allowed a single to Matt Holliday and then promptly picked him off at first base. In the 9th, he mowed down Todd Helton, got Garrett Atkins to line out to center and overpowered Brad Hawpe on 99-mile-an-hour heat.
"This was the Pap-ajima show tonight," Schilling said. "That was just phenomenal to watch."
Dice-K left for Denver about 5 p.m yesterday in preparation for Game 3.
"You're walking because you're out of control," Ubaldo Jimenez said. "After the third inning, yeah, I lost control of my fastball."
A fire alarm started blaring in Fenway Park a little after 2 a.m. Friday, about two hours after Game 2 ended. An announcement on the loudspeaker said anyone in the building should head for the exits, and the alarm kept beeping for more than 20 minutes. Two fire trucks responded to the ballpark, one with a Red Sox sticker on the side and a sign in the window that read: "There's Only One Beckett." Several Boston firefighters went into the visitor's dugout. When they emerged, one said he thought a malfunctioning compressor in the third base dugout had automatically tripped the alarm. Moments later, the alarm stopped.
Of the 50 previous teams that took a 2-0 lead in the World Series, 39 went on to win - including six straight and 12 of the last 13.
If you’ve never seen fire or rain, you can at least you can say you’ve seen James Taylor, a lifelong Red Sox fan, whine the national anthem. Taylor has the unique ability to make every song exactly alike and somehow did the same with the national anthem
Willy Taveras is hitting .000 as is Yorvit Torrealba and Ryan Spilborghs.
Kaz Matsui is hitting .125 as is Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe.
The Red Sox have drawn 62 postseason walks. Their pitchers have issued just 25.
Colorado has won 11 of its last 12 home games. They seem so long ago and so very far away.
During the season the Rockies were 51-31 at home, tops in the NL, unfortunately primarily against NL opponents.
The Rockies led the NL with a .280 batting average during the season, but hit just .267 in the divisional round and .222 in the championship series. They have managed just two runs in two games in the World Series.
Fifty teams have taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series; 39 of them have gone on to become champions.
Of the last 11 road teams to lose the first two games, none has recovered to win the Series.
The Rockies had not lost consecutive games since Sept.14-15.
Okajima was signed out of Japan to a two-year, $2.5 million deal, or $100 million less than it cost the Red Sox to acquire Matsuzaka. With his performance last night, Okajima has pitched 9-2/3 scoreless innings in these playoffs, to go with Papelbon's 7-2/3 scoreless innings.
A total of 1,852 media credentials were issued for the World Series.
The last time teams from the AL East and the NL West met in the World Series was 2001 when the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees.
I’m wearing a purple shirt on Sunday no matter what, but truth be told, I’m rooting for a couple of Rockies wins this weekend so that we have baseball next week and a clinching celebration at Fenway.
Top of the 4th
A WELL OILED MITT
You know how the off-season you would oil your baseball mitt so that when the season began it would be flexible enough for any eventuality. I’ll bet when the smarmy Mitt Romney was a kid, his father George used to bathe him on oil. The duplicitous, deceiving Romney is declining a challenge from Rep. Tom Tancredo to drop out of the presidential race if the Colorado Rockies win the World Series. Tancredo of Colorado, also a Republican presidential hopeful, said several weeks ago that he would decide whether he would run again for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives when the Colorado Rockies finished their run.
So Tancredo has another proposal, this time including the former Massachusetts governor. He told FOX News that he challenged Romney that if the Red Sox win the series, Tancredo will drop out of the presidential stakes, but if the Rockies win, Romney has to quit.
Asked if he'd take the challenge, a campaign official not-so-sportingly responded, "Governor Romney is running to win."
Top of the 5th
HEARTFELT BEST WISHES
While waiting for a heart transplant at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, 13-year-old Andrew Madden from his native Odessa, Texas, and his surgeon talked a lot about the World Series prospects for their favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. They even talked about somehow making a trip to see a game. Yesterday, he stood on the mound, just like his hero, Josh Beckett
"I started watching [the Red Sox] in 2004 [against] the Yankees and everything, and just stuck with them and kept watching them and just fell in love with them," Madden told MLB.com. "[I like them] just because they're amazing, how the fans always support them and everybody just never gives up their belief in them."
As a newborn, Andrew was diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart that doesn't pump properly. After collapsing one day while playing golf, Madden was flown to the hospital in Dallas and Dr. Guleserian entered his life. "So I got the message that there's a 13-year-old boy up on the eighth floor who may need a heart transplant," Guleserian said, "and [to] go meet him. I said, 'Is there anything else you can tell me about him?' They said, 'Well, he's a baseball player.'"
"I'm Dr. Guleserian," she said. "They call me 'Dr. G.' I'm one of the heart surgeons here. I'm from Boston, and I'm a huge Red Sox fan. And I know you play baseball."
"That's my favorite team," he said. Over time, when Guleserian checked in, she would ask Madden first how the Red Sox were doing, and then how he was feeling. He wouldn't have it another way.
And so on Sept. 30, doctor and patient underwent the 100th heart transplant in the history of the Children's Medical Center. Madden wore his Red Sox cap during the operation. Guleserian wore her Operating Room hat adorned with a Red Sox logo, a relic from her training days in Boston.
"We had our Red Sox gear on," Guleserian said, "and we felt like that was a good sign for the Red Sox, because we all believe in the karma."
Twenty-five days after his surgery, Madden was healthy enough to throw the ceremonial first pitch of Game 2 of the 2007 World Series. And thanks to an event hatched by Guleserian, made possible by an invite from Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino and facilitated with a flight provided by the nonprofit Grace Flight of America, it was about to happen.
The Texas Rangers gave the group a send-off from the airport, with officials giving Andrew several Rangers items. The Rangers are also donating about $15,000 for the fuel for the trip, said Jim Sundberg, executive vice president of communications and public relations.
As Guleserian watched from the infield grass, Madden stood on the front of the mound at Fenway Park last night, he lobbed the first pitch to Doug Mirabelli.
Top of the 6th
LIGHT THAT CIGAR
Luis Tiant will be at Foxwoods to help give away as much as $1 million during each of the next three World Series games scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.
Every inning, 10 fans will win $1,000. If a Boston player hits a grand slam, a winner gets $100,000. If Boston wins by 10 or more runs, one fan scores $150,000. If David (Big Papi) Ortiz blasts back-to-back homers, someone catches $250,000. And should a Bosox pitcher toss a no-hitter, somebody gets $500,000. To enter, players swipe their Wampum Rewards cards - each day, between 6 a.m. and the end of the game - at the slots, table games or any of the casino's kiosks.
In addition, after the ALCS win, Luis was passing out 'El Tiante' cigars to players and staff as if he had a new baby.
Top of the 7th
THE SPIRIT IS SCHILLING
All-time postseason victories for pitchers in the DS: Divisional Series, the LCS: League Championship Series, and the WS: World Series:
15 – John Smoltz (15-4: 7-0 DS, 6-2 LCS, 2-2 WS)
14 – Andy Pettitte (14-9: 5-3 DS; 6-2 LCS; 3-4 WS)
14 – Tom Glavine (14-16: 4-3 DS; 6-10 LCS; 4-3 WS)
12 – Roger Clemens (12-8: 4-4 DS; 5-4 LCS; 3-0 WS)
11 – Curt Schilling (11-2: 4-0 DS; 3-1 LCS; 4-1 WS)
11 – Greg Maddux (11-14: 5-3 DS; 4-8 LCS; 2-3 WS)
Top of the 8th
DID YOU KNOW?
Straightaway center field at Coors is 415 feet from home plate while the power alleys are 390 feet in left and 375 feet in right. It is 347 feet down the left-field line, 350 feet to the right-field foul pole. Good luck, Manny.
Top of the 9th
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND
Wow, this could be the last full week of Billy-Ball for this season and I am far from ready. This has been a great week of baseball and for Billy-Ball and for the Chuck family.
As you know I attended my first World Series game and over time as my mind becomes more addled I will treasure that moment.
I am so proud of my daughter Jen, who has been enjoying her freshman year in high school, and yesterday finished off her soccer season in the nets for the varsity. I am so proud of my eldest, Elizabeth, who has just accepted a position as an editor/producer working jointly with NBC News and MSNBC.com and will soon be moving to NYC and working at 30 Rock with Brian Williams and company.
I am so glad that I write Billy-Ball and get to interact with so many of you; I can’t even begin to tell you. Thank you all for everything.
Have fun this weekend, be safe, stay cool and keep your planet cool and I will see you on Monday.
Bottom of the 9th
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Information provided in Billy-Ball has been gathered from A.P. reports, espn.com, sportsline.com, mlb.com and numerous other e-sources. Opinions expressed in Billy-Ball are obviously solely the opinions of the author of Billy-Ball and do not reflect those of source material no matter how off the wall they may be.
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