A SPORTS BLOG

FREE: 2 GREAT SEATS FOR SAT. NATS’ GAME

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 11:08:09 -0400

I have two tickets to Sat., Sept. 11 Nats’ game, fourth row behind visitors’ dugout, available free to the first person who contacts me, either by leaving a comment below, emailing me (Samesty84@aol.com), or calling me (202-320-9501)

I was going to make the tickets contingent on identifying the statues above, but decided that was not nice.

But if you haven’t seen these three sculptures just inside the main entrance, check them out. They’re pretty good.

Cheers

PS-Check out this kid Espinoza.

“OPEN” - NOT JUST ABOUT TENNIS

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 11:45:07 -0400

Andre Agassi and J. R. Moehringer (author of the excellent The Tender Bar) have collaborated to write one of the best (sport’s) stories I’ve read in a long time. And it is not only about tennis but also about growing up, coming of age, finding ones place in the world, and becoming one of the best, the best in tennis and the best in other ways too.

Actually, it’s not a ‘story’ in that it is an accounting of Agassai’s life (until the age of about 40). But it’s a tale told well, with openness and honesty.

As I am wont to do, I won’t attempt to summarize or outline the story. Better for you to discover that yourself.

Know that it is starts off fast, slows a bit (as Agassai’s life slows?), picks up, and ends well.

It can be read as a book just about tennis and enjoyed from that perspective. Agassai takes you inside his life on the court, with all his successes and failures, and also gives you insights about the game and those who play it that will stay with you.

For anyone who has been involved in a sport that is primarily an individual contest (as opposed to a team sport), I suspect you will identify with much that Agassai has to say about the joys and sorrows of competing alone.

But as the headline above indicates, Open is about much more than just tennis. And it is in the telling of his story that Agassai rises above most other autobiographies written by athletes.

A good deal of the credit for the success of Open, I believe, goes to Agassai’s collaborator Moehringer, an author, a columnist, and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Moehringer moved to Las Vegas (where Agassai lives) and spent two years with him, taping every morning, and eventually fashioning the manuscript that became Open.

Agassai wanted Moehringer’s name on the cover as a coauthor, but Moehringer refused, saying this was the story of Agassai’s life and should be presented as such.

Give Agassai credit for finding Moehringer and then working with him for two years. It is a combined work, with each partner contributing to something that neither alone could have written.

And what they have written together is an open, insightful, and fascinating tale of a someone you may think you know but whose story may surprise and delight you.

* * * *

I am interested in ‘discussing’ Open with other folks. Since many of you live too far for us to get together for an evening, I am hoping we can have some kind of dialogue about the book through this ‘new’ communication medium, using the MillersTime ‘Add a Comment’ section below.

What I propose is the following: Let’s set the beginning of October as a date by which we will begin to exchange our reactions, thoughts, insights, questions, etc. about the book. On or about the beginning of the month, when hopefully a number of you will have had time to finish Open, I’ll invite folks to begin commenting, and let’s see what happens.

Please feel free to invite others you think might have interest to read the book and join us too.

UNCLE !

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:07:05 -0400

Well it is now quite clear to yours truly that my earlier ‘judgements’ about the 2010 Sox (“Will Win AL East & 100 Games,” written 3/2/10 and “Will Make the Playoffs,” written 4/29/10) will not happen.

I know some of you, including RC, KC, AR, and others, knew this much before I did and even tried to warn me.

But that was before the unusually high number of injuries, including but not limited to Youk, Pedey, Beckett, Ellsbury, Cameron, V. Martinez, and Tek, to name just some of the ones who have been out for months or more than half the season.

When more than 50% of your starting team is out for a majority of the games, you’ve got a problem.

I’m quite clear that you have to play with the guys you have, and the Sox did reasonably well on that score.

But clearly not good enough to keep up with the Rays and the Yanks.

Papelbon blew six saves. Ortiz, Beltre, Drew were simply not enough to support good starting pitching and a shaky bullpen. Francona managed a depleted team as well as could be expected. Theo chose, probably wisely, not to give up young talent for a quick fix.

It seems to me that MillersTime reader Randy Candea had it right many months ago when he said the Rays were the best, followed by the Yankees.

The Rays seems to be the most complete club this year, tho the Yankees have done well given their injuries and pitching struggles.

Rays over Atlanta/Phillies in six games.

What say you?

DO SOME HITTERS GET A SMALLER STRIKE ZONE?

Sun, 8 Aug 2010 10:43:00 -0400

The answer appears to be ‘Yes.’

According to John Walsh, a research physicist who used Pitch FX* to analyze 33,000 pitches to Yankee and Mets’ batters, Derek Jeter and David Wright had a strike zone that was 13-15% smaller than the typical strike zone while Brett Gardner, for example, gets one much larger.

Walsh only looked at the Yankees and the Mets, but I’d love to see the analysis done of every MLB team.

And if Walsh’s findings hold up, then I think some one should sit down with the MLB umpires top brass and show them the results.

Why should there be a different strike zone for different players?

And while someone is at it, maybe they could do the same analysis for pitchers too.

Do elite pitchers, for example, also have an advantage from the umpires, simply because who they are?

What do you think about this?

Does it matter?

Anyway, take a look at THIS ARTICLE in the Wall Street Journal for a bit more information, and then leave your comment below.

(* Pitch FX is “ a camera system in MLB stadiums that measures the speed and route of every pitch.”)

AT THE ALL STAR BREAK

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:18:48 -0400

Eighty-eight games completed.

Seventy-four to go.

Yanks lead the Rays by 2 and the Sox by 5.

If you look at the stats below, you’ll see that the Sox lead in Batting, the Rays in Pitching, and the Yanks in Fielding.

But Yanks lead overall because their pitching is close to the Rays and their hitting is close to the Sox.

A factor but not an excuse: The Sox have been ‘hit’ with an unusual number of injuries, including Beckett, Dice-K, Buchholz, Youklis, Pedroia, Okajima, Beltre, Cameron, Delcarmen, Ellsbury, Hermida, Lowell, V. Martinez, Varitek.

Injuries don’t appear in the stats. Nor should they. A team must win despite injuries.

What can we expect the second half?

A close, three way race.

As I said prior to the opening of the season as well as when the Sox had a disastrous April and May, I think the Sox will not only be in the race, I believe they will be in the playoffs.

What say you.?

I TOLD YOU SO

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:03:46 -0400

My good mother would not have approved of the above headline, tho she certainly would have approved of the sentiments behind it. She particularly would have approved because she was the daughter of my wonderful Red Sox loving grandfather and the mother of a son who suffers from the same disease.

I speak, of course, of the Sox return from (a premature) ‘death,’ at least so termed by the Boston media and a number of fainted hearted Sox fans.

The latter category includes, along with RC, KC, and others, long time friend BF who claimed I was drinking some kind of kool aid when I wrote at the end of April (Click Here) that my preseason predictions of the Sox being in the race were still valid, despite their disastrous first month of baseball in 2010.

Anyway, now that the American League East race has tightened, precisely as I said it would, I trust some of you will have a bit more confidence in my Go Sox blogging.

The Rays have cooled off, as they had to because rarely does a team play at a .750 rate for a whole season (that would equally about 121 wins). They are still a strong team and will no doubt be in the race until the end.

The Yanks have benefited from the Rays’ cooling, despite some mediocre pitching and less than stellar performances from A-Rod, Teixeira, and even Jeter. But those Bronx folks who are reveling in the Yanks’ current (one day?) first place standing may be cheering too soon. Had the Sox not been so far behind and had the Rays not come down to earth, the Yanks would not be in first. They did not do that on their own.

As for the Sox, they have the best record in baseball for the past month and a half. And considering that much of that has occurred without the services of Beckett, Dice-K, Ellsbury, and Cameron, that ain’t bad.

But every club has to deal with injuries, and few make it through a season with the roster they project coming out of spring training.

While I am old enough and wise enough to take nothing for granted with the Sox, I merely want to point out that my earlier analysis of the Sox being in the race all the way still stands.

Their pitching is and will be the primary reason for that statement.

Plus, I never believed all those naysayers who claimed the Sox were suspect at the plate. Check out these batting rankings in the American League.

The Sox are:

2nd in BA, just .oo1 behind league leading KC
1st in OBP
1st in SLG
1st in Runs Scored
1st in Hits
2nd in HR
1st in RBIs
1st in TB
1st in BB

Not bad for a team that was written off as a ‘suspect’ hitting team.

Will they keep up this pace at the plate? Probably not, but they are able to score, and I suspect as Beckett and Dice-K return, Sox overall pitching will keep them in contention.

What say you now, BF, RC, KC, AR, SB, CE, etc.?

And how about you so called Boston sports’ writers?

Any second thoughts?

(Next up, in a day or two, a few thoughts about Manny)

JOIN ME FOR A NATIONALS’ GAME

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:31:35 -0400

I can’t promise you’ll get to see Steven Strasburg pitch, but if you have interest in seeing a Washington Nationals’ game in the next several months, consider the games I have available (see below).

The good news is it won’t cost you anything and the seats are quite good. The bad news may be that you have to see the game with me, but since the Red Sox are not involved in any of the games, I’m pretty relaxed and easy going.

And, who knows, you might get to see Strasburg. By chance, I saw his first game in DC and will see his second one here also, Friday night. I say ‘by chance’ as I have a partial season package, and the games I see are already determined.

Anyway, if you are interested in joining me, e-mail me at Samesty84@aol.com or call me at 202-320-9501, and if you are the first to ask for a certain date, I’ll write you in for that game.

Also, there may be a game or two that I cannot attend, and if you are interested in two tickets, let me know, and I’ll keep you on a list for when I’m looking to pass on two tickets.

Remaining Nats’ Games to Share:

Sat., July 3 - 7:05 vs Mets

Wed., July 7 – 7:05 vs Padres

Fri., July 9 – 7:05 vs Giants

Sun., July 11 – 1:35 vs Giants (2 extra tickets, bring a kid or a friend)

Tues., Aug. 10 – 7:05 vs Braves

Mon., Sept. 6 – 1:05 vs Mets

Wed., Sept. 8 – 12:35 vs Mets

Sat., Sept 11 – 1:05 vs Marlins

Mon., Sept. 20 – 4:35 vs Astros

Tues., Sept. 28 – 7:05 vs Phillies

STEPHEN STRASBURG: THE REAL DEAL

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 08:47:30 -0400

If you’re a baseball fan, any sport’s fan, or even vaguely in touch with the sporting world, you already know that Stephen Strasburg more than lived up to the hype preceding his first Major League pitching start.

Specifically, you know:

*He won his first outing.
*He struck out 14 batters in just seven innings.
*He struck out the last seven hitters he faced and 8 of the last 10.

You may also know:

*He threw 94 pitches, 65 of them for strikes (69%), to just 24 batters, giving up four hits, including two earned runs (one a home run that just made it into the first row of the right field stands).
*He didn’t walk a batter.
*He averaged just over 13 pitches per inning over his seven innings.
*He got stronger as the game proceeded.
*He struck out every player in the Pirates’ starting lineup at least once.
*His average pitching speed was 97.5, and he threw at least one pitch 100 mph.
*He pitched before a sellout, standing room crowd that came to see if he was as good as the hype.

They were mislead, I think.

On this night, he was better than advertised (for example, he had not struck out more than nine batters in any of his minor league games this year).

So what can I tell you that you might not know, especially if you watched any of the game on TV?

Ironically, I suspect you saw something I didn’t. Even though I had a good seat,about 20 rows off the field, between home and first close to the catcher, it was hard to get a true sense of the movement of his pitches. When we saw replays on the massive scoreboard, we could see more than just the baffled batters. He truly had command of both sides of the plate, a wicked curve ball, and whenever he slowed down a pitch from his high 90s to throw any of his other three pitches, he was still able to throw for a strike.

A few minor observations from being in attendance:

*He seems older than his age of 21.
*He has control of his emotions, and the only time I saw an expression of emotion while he was at the mound was when his team turned a double play that almost got him out of his only less than stellar inning.
*Despite the press reports, there were empty seats, particularly in the nose bleed areas.
*Having Ivan Rodriquez as his debut catcher was certainly a plus.

And a few notes of caution:

*He was pitching against the Pirates, the worst hitting team in the majors this year (.236 BA).
*Last night was just one night (albeit it a wonderful one), but it almost goes without saying that he has to stay healthy and avoid the injuries that have plagued some of the also truly wonderful pitchers, young and not so young.
*Scott Boras is his agent.

Finally, it was truly a terrific night for Washington fans, especially those who have ‘stuck’ with the Nats since they first came to DC and RFK.

And it was also a terrific night for baseball.

UPDATE: 6/11 - An article in today’s NYTimes discusses whether Strasburg’s debut performance was really as outstanding as has been portrayed (a caution I suggested in the paragraph above). Author Andrew Kamholz compares this game to other first games and uses sabermetrics guru Bill James’s ‘game score’ statistics to rate it a 75, quite a good score but not among the top MLB debut performances. Click Here if you are interested in these numbers and want read Kamholz’s article).

A PERFECT GAME, OR NOT?

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 10:09:56 -0400

I know. I know.

The Stanley Cup is still in progress. Hopefully, in my mind, the Blackhawks will finish off the Flyers, tho one should never count those brutes from Philly out.

And the NBA Finals are just in their infancy (Celtics 1-Lakers 1). Hopefully the Bostonians will put Kobe in his place and eke out a seven game win.

And then there’s the World Cup, about to start (for those of you in DC, folks have set up big screens in Dupont Circle, imitating how much of the rest of the world watches the most watched sport).

And lowly baseball is just completing the first third of its season. So why even take much notice at this point?

Because the other day a remarkable event occurred.

A perfect game.

Or not?

And then maybe something even more unusual happened.

As many of you know, Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga in the 9th inning with two outs was sitting on a perfect game, probably one of the most cherished accomplishments a pitcher can ever make (only 20 in the history of MLB).

Then the umpire blew a call at first base and called Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe on what would have been the final out – 27 up and 27 down (Galarraga got the next batter out).

Replays showed a clearly blown call. And when umpire Jim Joyce saw the replay, he quickly admitted his call was a mistake.

But the game was over.

No perfect game.

There were lots of calls for MLB’s Commissioner Bud Selig to over rule the call after the game and award what was due to Galarraga – a perfect game.

That didn’t happen.

What’s your view? Should Selig have overruled? Was it a perfect game?

Please give your view in the ‘Add a Comment’ section below.

But something else pretty unusual happened as a result of the blown call.

Umpire Joyce not only admitted his mistake but said so directly to Galarraga.

Then the next day Galarraga presented the Tigers’ line up card to then home plate Umpire Joyce at the opening of the game.

And the fans cheered, for both Galarraga AND Joyce.

How could that have happened?

How come there weren’t boos and accusations and recriminations?

Because Joyce was a stand up guy (tears and all), and Galarraga was too.

One, Joyce admitted his mistake almost immediately, and two he said so to the offended party and the public ( “I blew the call…and I took away a perfect game...and I’m sorry.”).

And the other guy accepted it, saying, “Nobody’s perfect.’

And then so too could everyone else.

Once again, Tom Boswell, Washington Post sports writer, captured the moment and its significance in another one of his wonderful columns (Click Here).

* * *

(By a piece of luck, I happen to have tickets to tomorrow night’s Nats’ game when Stephen Strasburg, number one MLB drat pick in 2009 and probably the most talked about young player in the last couple of years, will pitch his first major league game.

If you’re interested in baseball, you’ll probably know how he did even before the Wednesday reviews. But check in sometime Wednesday afternoon at MillersTime’s Go Sox blog to see what this fan saw.)

BASEBALL’S OPEN SECRET, HIDDEN KEY

Fri, 28 May 2010 10:56:47 -0400

The game within the game.

That’s what makes baseball so wonderful for those of us who know a bit about baseball and are learning more all the time.

In a must read article yesterday in the Washington Post (“Pay Attention to the Count, Baseball’s Hidden Treasure”), Tom Boswell writes about baseball’s “open secret, the hidden key, the game-within-the-game.”

Specifically, Boswell discusses the ‘huge importance of the ball-strike count,’ especially the power of strike two.

As Boswell lays it out:

*With less than two strikes, the AVERAGE MLB hitter is a .339 hitter, a Stan Musial, and a .549 slugger, a Hank Aaron.

*In the eight hitter counts with less than two strikes, here’s last year’s MLB AVERAGE:

Count Average
0-0 .339
1-0 .340
2-0 .368
3--0 .395
0--1 .317
1-1 .332
2-1 .339
3-1 .352

*But when the count reaches two strikes, here’s what happens:

Count Average
0-2 .156
1-2 .171
2-2 .189
3-2 .233

*Half of the plate appearances go to strike two, and the MLB AVERAGE drops to .186.

*The most transformational count is 2-1. If it goes to 2-2, the AVERAGE MLB batter becomes no better than a back up player. But if it goes to 3-1, the AVERAGE MLB player suddenly is better than anyone save Babe Ruth or Ted Williams.

*Sum: With less than two strikes, an AVERAGE hitter is equal to Musial or Aaron. A GOOD hitter is equal to or often better than RUTH. But get to two strikes and even the best hitters are no better than back up players.

Boswell’s details all of this, including the ‘why’s,’ and a bit more in his column.

To truly understand the game, he says, “You don’t wait for the action. You anticipate it – through the count.”

If you don’t know Tom Boswell, in my alleged mind, you’re missing one of the truly great sports writers/columnists of our day.

Click Here to read Boswell’s full column.

PANIC ENDS -- SOX BACK IN THE RACE

Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The panic is over.

Sox fans can once again handle sharp objects and stand near high windows without fear.

With just about 30% of the season complete (leaving approximately 114 games to be played), the Sox are not toast.

While the Rays still lead both the Yanks and Sox, both the Rays and Yanks have cooled off from their impressive early season starts. And the Sox have had a good month of May and have gained on both the Rays and Yanks.**

Why?

You might be a bit surprised.

It has not been just because the Sox pitching is now beginning to click.

In all aspects of the game, the Sox have improved, and both the Rays and Yanks have declined.

To whit:

Batting: In BA, OBP, SLG & Total Runs Scored per Game, the Sox have increased in every category. Not so for either of the other two teams as they have both declined in almost every one of these areas.

Pitching: In ERA, HR Given, and most important in Total Runs Allowed per Game, the Sox have made the biggest improvement of the three teams.

Fielding: Here also the Sox have made the biggest improvement of the three.

Update 6/2: The Providence Journal has finally caught up with MillersTime and lays out some of the details of improved Sox defense.
Click Here for those details.

Injuries: The Sox have had the most number of injuries of the three teams. The Yankees seem to be hurt most, however, by their injuries. Depth?

I have the statistics to support each of these statements, but mostly I wish to point out to those folks who thought I was drinking some form of Kool Aid (and that includes Sox fans as well as Yankee and Rays fans) that I am not a total fool.

The Sox fans, who were ready to give up on the season and chuck Ortiz, reduce Theo’s and Tito’s salaries, and call the Sox pitchers overrated, all panicked.

Likewise, because the Sox are beginning to play as projected, (thanx not only to good pitching but much improved hitting and fielding), those same Sox fans need not get foolishly optimistic.

The Rays seem to me for real, and I suspect they will be in the playoffs.

But I still maintain the Sox will be in the playoffs, leaving the Yanks the odd team out.

(**This time period approximately coincides with the time since I wrote my last entry on the Sox prospects 4/29 - “Not to Worry: The Sox Will Make the Playoffs” - Click Here.

Admittedly this includes that disastrous three game series in Baltimore, one game of which I attended, but otherwise I’m willing to accept any accolades for my impact on the Bosox since my return from Europe at the end of April.

Or at least for not panicking like much of New England.)

YANKEE FAN STEVEN BEGLEITER DECLARED WINNER

Fri, 21 May 2010 08:54:24 -0400

Now that MLB has rejected the Yankee protest over Monday night’s game, the split of the first eight games between the Sox and Yankees is official: Yanks on top, 5-3.

There were seven MillersTime contestants who had the 5-3 split, and so on to the tie-breaker: how many runs would each team score over these first eight games?

Yanks scored 59, Sox scored 44.

No one got even close to those numbers.

I considered having a tie breaker for the tie breaker (suggestion of younger daughter), but using my junior high math, I figured the Yanks outscored the Sox 57.3%-42.7%.

And much as I might not like to say it, Steven Begleiter, Yankee fan and brother-in-law to my elder daughter, came the closest of the seven finalists with his split of 58.3% to 41.7%. (to see how all seven finalists did, Click Here).

So, Steven wins:

Prize: One ticket to one Red-Sox-Yankee game in the second half of this year’s season (following the All Star break). Site of the game will be dependent upon in which park I am able to get tickets. Most likely, I will attend the game with the winner (assuming I am on speaking terms with the said person).

SEVEN MILLERSTIME CONTESTANTS PICK SERIES OUTCOME. NOW WHAT?

Wed, 19 May 2010 07:48:31 -0400

Hmm.

What’s that saying about ‘what comes around goes around’? Or something like that?

So Papelbon with some help from Dice-K blew a save two nights ago. And some guys named Rodriquez and Thames came through for the Yanks in the bottom of the 9th, after a major Sox comeback.

Then last night, errors by Rodriquez and Thames. Bad pitching by Chamberlin and Rivera (yes, THAT Rivera, the one who gave up a grand slam several night’s ago). Another major Sox comeback and the save from Papelbon took some of the sting out of the previous night’s loss for Sox fans.

Hero one day, goat the next.

And vice versa.

Anyway, the seven of you below all correctly picked the 5-3 series outcome for the first half of the season (the Sox and Yanks don’t play each other again until after the All Star game).

And to determine a winner, we have to go to the tie-breaker: total number of runs each team will score over the eight games.

Yanks scored 59. Sox scored 44.

No one got close to that; tho some guy named Romero had the Yanks at 45 and the Sox at 40.

So the Yanks scored 15 more runs than the Sox.

Or looked at another way, the Yanks outscored the Sox 57.3% to 42.7%

And here’s how the MillersTime contestants did:

David Price (Yanks; 5-3) Y-40 -- S-34 - 54% - 46%
Micah Sifry (Yanks: 5-3) Y-32 -- S-20 - 61.5% - 38.5%
Nick Nyhart (Yanks: 5-3) Y-34 -- S-30 - 53% - 47%
Nelson Romero (Yanks: 5-3) Y-45 --S-40 - 53% - 47%
Steven Begleiter (Yanks; 5-3) Y-35 -- S-25 - 58.3% - 41.7%
Dave Stephenson (Yanks: 5-3) Y-32 -- S-30 - 51.6% - 48.4%
Rebecca Lemaitre (Yanks: 5-3) Y-40 -- S-34 - 54.1% - 45.9%

Since Yank’s manager Girardi is protesting the game (see Here), we can’t yet say the game is official and declare a winner.

We do know that if last night’s game stands, Andrew Rasiej definitely joins the losers.

In the meantime, I’m open for suggestions and comments as there is some room for debate about which of the seven wins since none of them got close on the run issue itself.

Add your comments below or in an email to me (I’ll post those email comments so everyone will see what you are saying).

As usual, please keep your comments reasonably decent.

Feel free to comment on Girardi’s protest too.

MILLERSTIME CONTEST # 2: ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?

Thu, 13 May 2010 20:19:16 -0400

Update: 5/18: Following last night’s walk off win for the Yanks against Papelbon (and Dice-K), and despite all the Sox HRs, we’re now down to Andrew Rasiej vs. David Price, Micah Sifry, Nick Nyhart, Nelson Romero, Steven Begleiter, Dave Stephenson, and Rebecca Lemaitre.

I suspect there could be a rainout today, leaving the whole thing undecided for the time being.

* * * *

So going into the final two games in the first half of the season between the Sox and Yanks Monday and Tuesday, the Yanks lead the series 4-2. The Yanks have scored 43 runs and the Sox 29.

Do you remember what you said would happen in these first eight games?

The following folks CANNOT win:

Cory Kessler (Sox: 5-3)
Randy Candea (Sox:5-3)
Chris Eacho ((Y: 7-1)
Kevin Curtin (Y: 7-1)
Elizabeth Miller (Sox: 5-3)
Britton Milner (Sox: 5-3)
Matt Wax-Krell (S: 5-3)
Rob Higdon (Sox: 5-3)
Ellen Miller (Sox: 6-2)
Barry Schwartz (Sox: 5-3)
Jere Smith (Sox: 6-2) - Jere was last year’s winner in this category
David/Benjamin Donnelly (Sox: 5-3)
Justin Stoyer (Sox: 8-0)
David Meall (Sox: 5-3)
Brian Steinbach (Sox: 5-3)
Nick Fels (Tie: 4-4)
Kevin Groob (Tie: 4-4)
Larry Longenecker (Tie: 4-4)
Tiffany Lopez (Tie: 4-4)
Larry Makinson (Tie: 4-4)
David Elvove (Tie: 4-4)
Matthew Galati (Tie: 4-4)

The following folks CAN still win:

Andrew Rasiej (Yanks: 6-2)
David Price (Yanks; 5-3) Y-40 -- S-34
Micah Sifry (Yanks: 5-3) Y-32 -- S-20
Nick Nyhart (Yanks: 5-3) Y-34 -- S-30
Nelson Romero (Yanks: 5-3) Y-45 --S-40
Steven Begleiter (Yanks; 5-3) Y-35 -- S-25
Dave Stephenson (Yanks: 5-3) Y-32 -- S-30
Rebecca Lemaitre (Yanks: 5-3) Y-40 -- S-34

I suspect there will be a tie, unless Andrew Rasiej’s 6-2 pick prevails. In case several folks have the same, winning pick, we’ll move to the tie-breaker: how many runs each team scored.

Prize for this contest: Two tickets to one game of either the American League or National League Divisional playoffs this year. Winner’s choice.

NOT TO WORRY: THE SOX WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:55:48 -0400

If you look at the data, things seem bad for the Sox.

Especially in the area of pitching, which was supposed to be their strength. They’ve given up almost one and a half more runs per game than the Rays and almost one run per game more than the Yanks.

In fielding, which was also supposed to be their strength, they lead both Rays and Yanks in number of errors and the number of unearned runs given.

In batting, they haven’t done so badly if you consider BA, OBP, SLG, HRs; tho the total runs they’ve scored is significantly less than their two rivals in AL East Division. As of this posting, the Rays have scored 32 more runs having played one less game than the Sox .

(See table below for the details, and please excuse the format as I had trouble with the layout).

So why do I think the Sox are not in trouble and will make it to the playoffs?

Their pitching is better than they’ve shown to date. The last couple of days have proven this with two excellent performances, by Buchholz and Lester. Lackey and Beckett are beginning to come around, and I believe Dice-K, who will pitch Saturday for his first time this season, is going to be an asset this year. Wakefield can step in and eat up innings whenever necessary.

The bullpen is better than they’ve shown, and Byrd and Papelbon will give opponents trouble all year. Delcarmen is stronger this year than ever, and Embree may prove to be a good acquisition.

(Thanx to a request from my good New England cuz who was visiting last night, we tuned into the last couple of innings of Lester’s one hit outing and saw Byrd and Papelbon shut down any Toronto hope of a comeback once Lester finished his seven innings, 119 pitches, and 11 strikeouts. They both looked good and clearly had the batters fooled.)

And the fielding, I believe, will settle down and be a positive factor as the season develops. Folks who have dissed Theo for focusing on run prevention are laughing now, but they’ll be praising him before the season ends, I believe.

So I hold to my earlier view that the Sox will make it to the playoffs. My prediction of 100 wins may seem foolish at this point, but I’m not backing off.

Sox fans need to calm down a bit and not get so worked up. It’s about pitching, and the Sox have that.

Plus, and this is significant, I am back and in charge. When I left on my recent ‘extended’ trip, the Sox were 4-4. When I returned, they were 6-10. Since I've been back on the the ‘case,’ they are 6-1, and I have no plans to be out of the country again.

Tampa Bay looks very strong, and I think the Yankees are going to be the odd team out this year.

What say you?

***************************

Rays - 21 Games
Yanks - 20 Games
Sox - 22 Games
Batting:

BA
Rays - 0.269
Yanks - 0.271
Sox - 0.261
OBP
Rays - 0.348
Yanks -0.365
Sox - 0.329
SLG
Rays - 0.447
Yanks -0.448
Sox - 0.423
K/BB/HR
Rays - 161/86/24
Yanks -127/92/24
Sox - 151/77/24
Total Runs Score
Rays - 131
Yanks - 108
Sox - 99

Pitching/Fielding:

ERA
Rays - 3.28
Yanks - 3.72
Sox - 4.66
HR Given
Rays - 26
Yanks - 15
Sox - 23
Errors
Rays - 13
Yanks - 8
Sox - 15
ER/Total Runs - Pct
Rays - 70/72 - 97%
Yanks - 71/75 - 95%
Sox - 105/114 - 92%

W/L- Pct
Ray - 16-5 - .762
Yanks - 13-7 - .650
Sox - 11-11 - .500

33 ‘CONTESTANTS’ MAKE PICKS IN 2010 MILLERSTIME BASEBALL CONTEST

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 08:59:51 -0400

If you can trust the 33 contestants in the 2010 MillersTime.Baseball Contests, the Yankees will repeat as World Series champs, defeating once again the Phillies.

The Yankees just edge out the Sox by one game for the Division title, and they just edge out the Sox for the American League title.

The Washington Nationals will improve their won-loss record by ten games this year.

I doubt that the results of the choices made in this contest are scientific, but nonetheless, here’s a summary of what these 33 baseball folks say will happen this year:

Contest #1:

The Yankees will win 96 games and lose 66.
The Red Sox will win 95 games and lose 67.

Pitching will be the dominant factor.

Contest # 2:

The Yankees and Red Sox will split their first eight games (4-4).

They will score a total of 36 runs each in these eight games.

Contest # 3:

The Washington Nationals, by an overwhelming margin, will do better this year.

Their record will be 69-33 (an improvement of 10 wins).

Contest #4:

The Yankees will win the World Series.

The two teams in the WS will be the Yankees and the Phillies.

To see how the 33 contestants answered the questions in the four contests,
Click Here

JOIN ME FOR A GAME AT NATIONALS’ PARK

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 08:59:54 -0400

If you want to join me for a game this year, I have about 20 games and am always looking for someone to buy me a hot dog and a beer and enjoy a day or night game at the park.

I’ve listed below the games that are available at no cost to you (other than the dog and beer).

You don’t need to be a ’good’ friend, an Obama supporter, or like the Red Sox, just someone who enjoys a day at the park.

For those of you who don’t have the pleasure/pain of living in DC, if you know you’re going to be here for other reasons, check and see if one of the dates below works for you. We can even give you a bed for the night.

Send me an email at Samesty84@aol.com or call me at 202-320-9501 if you have a particular game in mind you’d like to attend.

First to be in touch, gets the game (and moi).

Update 4/7/10: Games spoken for = Taken

Available Games:

Thursday, April 22, 4:35 - Rockies - Taken

Saturday, April 24, 105 - Dodgers

Tuesday, May 4, 7:05 - Braves - Taken

Thursday, May 20, 7:05 - Mets

Friday, May 21, 7:05 - Orioles - Taken

Friday, June 4, 7:05 - Reds - Taken

Tuesday, June 8, 7:05 - Pirates

Wednesday, June 9, 7:05 - Pirates

Friday, June 18 - 7:05 - White Sox

Sunday, June 20, 1:35 - White Sox - Taken

Tuesday, June 22, 7:05 - Royals - Taken

Saturday, July 3, 7:05 - Mets

Wednesday, July 7, 7:05 - Padres

Friday, July 9, 7:05 - Giants

Sunday, July 11, 1:35 - Giants (also two great seats available for sale)

Tuesday, July 27, 7:05 - Braves - Taken

Tuesday, August 10, 7:05 - Marlins

Sunday, August 15, 1:35 - Diamondbacks

Monday, Sept. 6, 1:05 - Mets

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 12:35 - Mets

Saturday, Sept. 11, 1:05 - Marlins

Monday, Sept. 20, 7:05 - Astros

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 7:05 Phillies

(In some cases, particularly when I have several games back to back, I’d be willing to part with two tickets at face value -$50-$68. And on occasion, I can even be talked into just giving you two tickets if you promise to become an ‘avid’ reader of Millerstime.net.)

Email: Samesty84@aol.com

Cell: 202-320-9501

TIME BEGINS AGAIN: OPENING DAY IN DC

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 08:30:59 -0400

Well, it wasn’t the Sox-Yanks today, but the weather was wonderful, the stadium was full, mostly with Phillies phans, Doc Halladay was on the mound, Pres. Obama was throwing out the ‘first pitch,’ and the Nats had a new manager and supposedly an improved team (could they be any worse – 59-103?).

Obama lobbed his pitch to a mixture of cheers and boos, and time began again (Boswell: Why Time Begins on Opening Day – if you haven’t read it, you have a treat ahead of you).

Roy Halladay in his new uniform (from Toronto to Philadelphia) was a bit shaky at the beginning, giving up one run and allowing two runners to get to second base. The Nats’ fans began to hope.

But before long Halladay settled, down, and any Nats’ offense was over for the day.

The Phillies’ bats got to Lannan in the fourth, and they soon were up 5-1, then 7-1, and with a grand slam, 11-1 by the end of the seventh.

The stadium began to empty, but what was the rush?

Baseball was back.

And so were the Nats, not looking much different from where they ended last year.

The key ‘statistic’ it seemed to me: Phillies 12 hits resulting in 11 runs. Nats 9 hits resulting in one run.

Still, I’ll be back on Thursday with another friend, and as I’m always doing, looking for something in a game I’ve never seen before.

* * * * *

If you want to join me for a game this year, I have about 20 games and am always looking for someone to buy me a hot dog and a beer and enjoy a day at the park.

Click Here to see a list of the games that are available. Send me an email at Samesty84@aol.com or call me at 202-320-9501 if you have a particular game in mind you’d like to attend.

THE GAME THAT DOES COUNT

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 08:07:42 -0400

WOW.

It’s only one night.

It’s only one game.

If you follow the Sox, you know they often do well at the beginning of a season.

But what a good night it was.

They fell behind, clawed their way back to tie, fell behind again, clawed their way back to tie, and eventually went ahead to win by two, 9-7.

And against the Yankees on Opening Night (first one ever for the Sox at Fenway?).

What was supposed to be a pitchers’ duel wasn’t.

Beckett, after getting the first five Yankee hitters (good ones) out, couldn’t seem to get anyone else out. Posada, who always seems to hurt the Sox, bounced a 310 foot fly off the Pesky pole to get the Yankees started. Then the Damon replacement Granderson hit one a mile over the bullpen in deep center. Before long, the Sox were down 5-1.

Sabathia, who seemed unhittable for four innings, proved fallible too, thanx largely to Youkilis and Pedroia. Yankee manager Girardi left CC in too long for his first game and the Yanks paid the price.

Suddenly, both Number One pitchers were out, and the bullpens were in charge.

Or not.

What was supposed to be the new Sox strong defense and good pitching took a backseat to their hitting, which most of the Boston sportswriters (a breed unto themselves) said was suspect.

Not.

At least not in this game.

Not that the Sox defense was bad (other than Ellsbury getting use to left and Martinez allowing a double steal (including a steal of home).

And the Sox bullpen, other than Ramirez (who in my humble opinion is a problem), proved better than the Yankee pen.

Ellsbury and Ortiz looked hopeless at the plate. Everyone else looked pretty good. Youk and Pedroia were terrific.

I know. I know.

It’s only one game.

But how sweet it is to come from behind against the Yankees in a game many Sox fans (including moi) had almost given up upon. But not the Sox themselves.

161 games to go.

A pretty good start.

UPDATE: 4/8: Unfortunately, for Sox fans, they gave away the next two games to the Yanks, although some might say the Yankees won the two game - 6-4 and 3-1.

Seems as if it will be a long, and hard fought season. And Tampa Bay, the team that one Randy Candea says will win it all, is off to a good start - 2-0.

THE GAME THAT DIDN’T COUNT

Sun, 4 Apr 2010 13:33:02 -0400

A few observations from Sox 6-1 victory in DC vs Nats yesterday. My first chance to see Boston live this year:

Defense prevented at least two runs in this game. Beltre snagged a hard hit ball over his head between third and short with men on base. Had he not got it, at least one run would have scored and the rally would have continued? Hermida made a wonderful diving catch in the outfield that also stopped the Nats.

Lowell and Varitek both came in and got important hits. And Lowell looked good at first. I hope Lowell stays the whole season.

Pedroia continues to do everything right, but he left the game very early. Wrist problems?

Martinez went to Dice-K and settled him down after he walked the first batter. And his hitting for a full season is going to be a big upgrade over Varitek’s.

Youk may lead the Sox in HR and RBI’s. And his glove is solid both at first and third.

Cameron swung at a lot of bad pitches. Ortiz and Ellsbury did nothing.

Drew looked good, homered.

Martinez seemed kind of to himself during batting practice, not much interaction with the other players (tho he has said Varitek has welcomed him and been good to and for him.

Dice-K pitched four innings and allowed one run but was saved by two double plays and good defense, or he would’ve been in much more trouble. He slows the game down and still wastes time nibbling around the plate rather than challenging hitters. He walked three over four innings and only struck out one. Not ready for prime time yet.

Wakefield looked solid. Nats couldn’t figure him out and looked foolish at the plate.

Hermida, Hall , Hulett, Lowell, and Varitek,, all bench players, all contributed both at the plate and in the field.

Lackey is huge and seems very comfortable with the team.

Nats don’t seem like a team yet, more like a bunch of players thrown together on a team. They may do better than last year’s 59-103 record, but how much better remains to be seen.