Tag Archives: Yunkees

Baseball Notes

13 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

New for the 2018 Season:

The 2017 season isn’t over yet, at least for about 10-12 teams, yet there’s news about the 2018 season. It will start earlier, all teams will open their season on March 29, a Thursday, and the season will end Sept. 30 (for all but 10 playoff teams). There will be more off days scheduled, as a result of a collective bargaining agreement between league and the player’s union. More 2018 details.

And, of particular importance to this fan, the Boston Red Sox will come to Washington for a three game series, July 2-4. (For those of you who care about such things, the Yunkees come to DC for two games, May 15th & 16th). Also, as previously announced, the 2018 All Star game is in DC next year!

Cheating Red Sox:

Speaking of my heroes, the Sox have been caught red handed (wristed) using an Apple iWatch to steal and relay catchers’ signals about what pitch is coming, probably using TV to send this illegally gained info from the clubhouse to the dugout to the runner on second and then to the batter. Dustin Pedroia, one of my long time favorite Sox players, was instrumental in this violation of MLB rules (it’s OK to steal signals, say for a runner on second to relay what pitch is coming to a batter, but it’s not OK to use binoculars or electronics to do so).

Pedroia says stealing signals has always been part of the game and is no big deal.

The Sox admitted it when MLB confronted them, following evidence of the Sox perfidy being transmitted from the Yankees to MLB. (The Sox also said the Yankees are doing it, using their YES TV network in the process).

MLB is “reviewing all the evidence” and will announce any action in the near future.

So what do I say to my grandchildren about this when they learn of it and asks me?

Winning and Losing Streaks:

The Cleveland Indians, those bad guys who knocked the Sox out of the playoffs in the ALDS last year, have of this writing won 20 straight games with their complete game win last night by Corey Kluber. Twenty straight is quite a feat. It ties Cleveland for the American League record with the 2002 A’s. Now, if they win tonight, they will tie the 1935 Cubs for the MLB record at 21. (The 1916 New York Giants had a 26 game winning streak, but that was ‘marred by a tie game in a 27 game stretch.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers just barely held on over the Giants last night by striking out the final two batters in the bottom of the 9th with bases loaded. For those of you who don’t follow the West Coast Bums, the Dodgers seemed headed for 115+ wins until the ‘regression to the mean’ struck. They were 91-36 (.716) and had gone 25-5 without losing consecutive games. Then they lost the next 16 out of 17 games. With last night’s ‘win,’ they are currently 93-52 (.642).

And for the really important update, the Sox won last night, the Yankees lost, giving my cheating boys a four game lead over the Bronx cheaters going into the final 18 games.

Isn’t baseball wonderful?

Final Free Nats’ Tickets for the Asking:

Since I will be in Seattle for a wedding of a good friend of more than 50 years, you can benefit from my absence from DC. Let me know if you’re interested in two good seats (free if you take a kid, broadly defined) to the Nationals Sept. 29th game against the Pirates (7:05).

Email me at Samesty84@gmail.com if you’re interested. First shot to anyone who hasn’t used my tickets this year, then to anyone who will take a kid to the game.

Share

“America Has Spoken: The Yankees Are the Worst” – 538

24 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in Articles & Books of Interest, Go Sox

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Well, something that we Sox fans have known from our first scrape with the Evil Empire has now been verified. While you-know-who-might call it fake news or question the source of this information and article (FiveThirtyEight), it is comforting to have ‘verification’ of what some of us have long known.

Check out this article which also includes ‘info’ on which teams are most liked and lots of other useful/useless information:

America Has Spoken: The Yankees Are the Worst (and the nation mostly agrees the Cubs are pretty cool), by Harry Enten, 538, July 20, 2017.

Share

Truck Day, Spring Training, & The Contest

03 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Finally.

Life begins again.

Truck Day for the Red Sox is Feb. 6.

Sox Pitchers & Catchers report to Spring Training Feb. 14.

Sox first full-squad workout is Feb. 17.

(Sox are reporting a week earlier than last year, tho many, if not most, of the players go early to ‘Fenway South’ – JetBlue Park – anyway.)

Sox first Spring Training game is Feb. 23 against Northeastern. and their first Grapefruit League is against the Mets Feb. 24.

And I’ll see the Sox vs the Nats at The Ball Park of The Palm Beaches (the Nats new Spring Training facility) on Mar. 7, and then three games at Jet Blue Park (USA team, O’s, and the Rays) on Mar. 9, 10, & 11.

Opening Day for MLB is April 2 with the Yanks vs Rays and the Cubs vs the Cards. The Sox open at home against the Pirates on April 3, and the Nats also open at home April 3 vs Marlins.

Life takes a turn for the better.

MillersTime 2017 Baseball Contests:

Meanwhile, I’m starting to work on the annual MillersTime Baseball Contest questions for 2017, and I have a few questions I hope you’ll answer:

  1. Usually I have six contests with maybe an Extra Credit one. Is that too many?
  2. I’ve moved from a Sox vs Yunkee focus to questions about your favorite team and ones that require more knowledge of all of MLB. While I try to have a mixture of simple and more complicated contests, what kind of questions in general do you prefer?
  3. I’m open to specific suggestions on new questions. If you have an idea for one for 2017, please send it to me in the next couple of weeks.

I hope to have The Contest questions posted on this website by Mar. 1 with your predictions due by Opening Day, April 2 at 1:10 PM.

Feel free to have your baseball friends join in. If anyone you bring in wins (they need to mention your name), you too will win a prize.

To see last years winners, go to: Summary of 2016 Winners and to see last year’s questions, go to: 2016 MillersTime Baseball Contests.

And all winners will get the exclusive and highly coveted MillersTime Winner baseball t-shirt in addition to individual prizes for each contest.

Share

Where’s Waldo?

15 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

jn3_50761473893470Washinton Post Photo/Check out the crowd.

I was too busy watching the pitcher’s duel in DC yesterday between the Nats’ Tanner Roark (who has thrown seven scoreless innings nine times this year) and the Mets’ Robert Gsellman to watch the one between the Sox Ric Porcello (20-4) and the O’s Kevin Gausman.

Both were terrific games, both won on one mistaken pitch (or just good hitting), and both final scores of 1-0.

So the Nats’ magic number’ is seven (combination of Nats’ wins/and or Mets’ losses) for winning their Division and heading to the playoffs.

The Sox are currently in first place by just one game and are in a four way race with the Os, Blue Jays, and Yunkees.

Still, for a team that was in last place in their Division last year, 15 games out of first, the Red Sox Nation has to be pleased with their being in the race this late in the season.

I love baseball (beisbol).

Share

What’s Going on in Baseball?

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In no particular order, here are some comments, thoughts, observations, and perhaps even an occasional insight at this point in the 2015 baseball season: ** For those of you who can remember back to preseason, I wrote about the new baseball rules for shortening games and predicted they’d work (see: It’s Gonna Work – Betcha). At the All Star break this year, roughly the halfway mark of the season, the average length of the games was down almost exactly 10 minutes.  The rule about batters having to keep one foot in the batter’s box accounted for half of the reduction in game time. Calling for a play challenge from the dugout and limiting the time between innings, probably make up the other half. Recently, however, the game time has crept up a bit. (It seems to me that batters are staying out of the box more now than they did at the beginning of the season, perhaps because MLB and the Players Union agreed not to use the financial penalties that were supposed to kick in in May?) ** If you think there are more no-hitters this year than last, you’re right (six already versus five for all of last year). And there were 33 no ‘hitters’ thru 6 innings (better than all of last year), 17 through 7 innings and 10 through 8 innings. But pitchers on the whole are doing worse than last year. The ERA of all the Major League teams is up over 2014, from 3.74 (full season) to 3.82 (thru 8/31/15). Batters are doing better (makes sense if ERA is up) in all categories: Ave. – 254/.251, OBP – .315/.314, SLG. – .402/.386, and OPS –  .718/.700. Fielding PCT is virtually unchanged (.985/.984). ** What’s up with the Sox? They have been out of it for most of the season, largely because of weak pitching and weak hitting. (Outgoing GM Cherrington should’ve listened to me when I said stay away from Hanley Ramirez). They have done well over the past several weeks as they have settled into what is likely to be an outstanding outfield — Bradley, Betts, and Castillo (photo below) — for next year and beyond, tho it’s not clear yet which position each will play in that outfield. Their hitting is up and so is their starting pitching; relief pitching, however, has worsened, especially with the loss of Uehara for the remainder of the season. They have a modest chance of avoiding last place if they continue at their present pace. Everyone is on their toes trying to prove to their new president of baseball operations Dombrowski that they deserve to play next year.

-BOSTON-RED-SOX-AT-CHICAGO-WHITE-SOXCaylor Arnold/USA Today Sports

Continue reading »

Share

Why You Gotta Stay ‘Til the End

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Screen Shot 2013-09-06 at 9.14.07 AM

Last night proved once again that you simply have to stay until the end of a baseball game, whether that’s the 27th out or the final out or run scored in extra innings.

So after blowing a 7-2 lead to the Evil Empire last night, the mighty Sox were down to their final strike in the ninth inning. Mariano Rivera, the great God of closers, was on the mound. Mike Napoli, the strike out leader for the Sox with 171 so far this season, was up with two strikes. The Yunkee fans were all on their feet screaming for the final punch out, an amazing comeback, and an important win as their long season was hanging by a thread.

And I had my hand on the off button on my iPad so I wouldn’t have to see the Bronx celebration.

If you’re reading this post, you probably already know the outcome. Napoli scratches out a hit. Recent Sox acquiree and speedster Quintin Barry replaces Napoli on first, steals second and gets to third on a bad throw and a missed stop by hobbled Derek Jeter. Stephen Drew, unsung Sox player who was 0-4 already, scratches out a single, and the Sox tie the game. Rivera blows (another) save opportunity against my heroes.

So if you had left the stadium, as perhaps half of the Bronx fans had already done, or switched off your TV, iPad, or radio, you missed the come back.

Then it was another 15 minutes or so before the Yankees further imploded with Soriano getting greedy trying to steal third after having swiped second. He was caught. The Sox got out of the inning with the next batter.

In the 10th, after a blown call by an umpire on whether Shane Victorino had swung or not, benefiit to the Sox, chubby Joba Chamberlain gave up a go ahead RBI to one of this year’s key Sox players (Victorino).

Koji Uehara, the not so surprising Sox closer (to those who have followed his career closely), and perhaps the new, next God of closers, shut down the Yunks in the bottom of the 10th.

Four hours and thirty-two minutes.

And if you hadn’t stayed through the end of the 9th and on to the 10th, you woulda missed it.

There were enough mistakes by both teams, their managers, and the umpires to fill another post, but I’ll spare you that.

Suffice it to say, Thursday night’s game was simply another confirmation that no matter what, you have to stay until the end.

(PS – Elsewhere I’ve written why you also have to be at the park for the first inning, as the three hardest outs are not at the end of a game but in the first inning, when most runs are scored, before the pitchers settle in and while the offensive teams have their best hitters lined up).

Share

Worst MillersTime Baseball Predictions – Please Vote

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Bryce Harper goes nuts. — Harper’s age-19 season was arguably the best ever for a player of his age. It wasn’t just his physical tools, but his approach at the plate, with a good walk rate and acceptable strikeout-to-walk ratio, the way he worked to improve in the outfield, and his unmatched aggression on the bases. Mike Trout set the bar high for 20-year-olds last year; look for Harper to clear it and set a new standard for baseball playing by a guy who can’t legally buy a drink. He will challenge for the NL MVP for a Nationals team that might be the best in the game.

 –  Joe Sheenan, Sports Illustrated – My Baseball Predictions for 2013. Posted: Thu December 27, 2012 11:29AM; Updated: Thu January 3, 2013 3:39PM. (Ed. note: Harper is currently hitting .278 {last year he hit .270} with 19 HRs and an OBP/SLG/OPS of .381/.541/.895 {last year – .340/.477/817} and has missed more than a month because he continues to run into outfield walls. Harper is hardly equal or above Trout’s last year’s BA of .326, 30 HRs, and OBP/SLG/OPS of .399/.564/.963. Also, the Nats are barely above .500 and likely won’t make the playoffs. Clearly not “the best in game.”)

*                         *                          *                          *
I’ve gone through the 2013 MillersTime Baseball Contests looking to see which of you will turn out to be the wise (lucky) ones. In the process, I noticed there were a number of predictions that are a bit wide of the mark, so to speak.

 

So, while we await the outcome of the September games, I thought I’d ask all of you to vote for which of the following you judge to be The Worst Prediction for 2013:

 

  • 1. Teddy will win at least 26 races; Taft will not win any races. (Ed. note: You probably need to be a Nats’ Homer to understand this one. Anyway, Teddy has only won 8 times and Taft has already won 9 times.)
  • 2.  Nats win 103 games and the WS – multiple ‘fans’ mistakenly predicted a Nats’ WS win. (Ed’s note: Nats’ record currently at 69-68. Even were they to win all of their remaining games, their record would only be 94-68. If they continue at their current .504 rate, they will end up 82-82.)
  • 3. Blue Jays win AL East. (Ed.’s note: Blue Jays currently at 63-75, 18.5 games behind in the AL East.)
  • 4. Yankees win 95 games and “have little trouble in dispatching with the flotsam of Boston & Baltimore.” (Ed.’s note: Yunkees currently at 73-64 and would need to win 22 of their remaining 25 games to win 95.)
  • 5. Cole Hamels wins 24 games and leads the resurgent…Phillies to the NE East title. (Ed.’s note: Hamels is currently 6-13.)
  • 6. Stephen Strasburg wins 30 games. (Ed.’s note: Strasburg is currently 6-9.)
  • 7. The New York Yankees will finish 90-72, make playoffs, lose in the ALCS. (Ed.’s note: See # 4 above, plus the Yunkees are currently 8 games out of first, behind the Sox, Rays, & Os, and behind the As, Rangers, Rays, and Os for one of the two wild card spots.)
  • 8. The dreaded Yankees will win the WS. Jeter or Rivera will win MVP honors. (Ed.’s note: See above # 4, 7.)
  • 9.  Farrell will quickly realize the Sox need more depth in their rotation and will call his buddy Tito in Cleveland and put together a deal to get Dice-K back in Boston. (Ed’s note: Sox pitchers are currently first in the AL East with an ERA of 3.76 and fourth in the AL. Who is Dice-K ? That guy now pitching for the Mets who is 0-3?)
  • 10.  Baltimore will play Washington in the World Series. (Ed.’s note: See #2, etc.)
  • 11.  Jeter PEDs. (Ed.’s note: If he is, he isn’t getting any benefit as he’s currently hitting .196.)
  • 12.  Harper will hit well over .300 and hit at least 40 home runs. (Ed.’s note: See above,: re Joe Sheenan’s prediction, etc.)
  • 13.  Dodgers finish third with 80-85 wins. Ed.’s note: Dem Bums in first place by 12.5 games and in line to win about 97 games at their current rate of .599.)
  • 14.  Papi with 15 quick HRs. career ending injury. (Ed.’s note: Otiz currently has 24 HRs and a BA of .312. No sign as of this writing of a career ending injury.)
  • 15.  Derek Jeter revives his bat and gets at least 250 hits and bats over .300 for the season. (Ed.’s note: See #11. And he currently has nine {9} hits.)

You can vote once, you can get friends to vote, you can vote for your own predictions, and you need to get your votes in by September 30 (tho I’d prefer you do it sooner). You can put your vote in the Comment section on this post or send it to me by email (Samesty84@gmail.com)

Whoever’s the winner (i.e., the author of”The Worst Prediction for 2013) will have the ‘honor’/’dishonor’ of attending a Nats’ game with me next season.

Share

Red Sox: Wrong, Dumb, & Foolish

19 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , ,

A-Rod Answers Dempster

I don’t usually post about the most immediate events, whether sports or other, but Sox fans need to make their voices heard on this one.

When I learned last night that Dempster had hit A-Rod, I couldn’t believe it. I turned off the game and said to myself, “The Sox deserve to lose this one.”

I was on an early morning flight today to San Francisco (and later in the week will head to Portland and then to LA) to visit with friends and see two Sox games vs the Giants and two vs Dem Bums. So I don’t know what is being said about Dempster hitting A-Rod (except for the email I got stating disapproval from my long-suffering Sox cousin). But I can say I’m not as excited to see them tonight as I thought I would be.

Hitting A-Rod was simply wrong, despite his disrespect for the rules of the game.

Yes. He’s a cheater and a liar, amongst other things. But the best Sox players could do would be to speak out against him, not to hit him.

Because A-Rod is wrong doesn’t give the Sox the right to hit him. A-Rod’s peers should call him out publicly. That’s the best and most powerful way to respond to his behaviors and to send a message to other PED users.

Additionally, it’s dumb and foolish. You’re in a tight race, ahead in this game 2-0, and why do anything that takes the focus off winning and gives the Yunkees and A-Rod fuel?

Simply wrong, dumb, and foolish.

Sox got what they deserved.

Share

Sox Atop AL East. Magic Number Down to 162.

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Yes.

162 is correct and not a misprint.

According to a young friend who studies these things (who ever knew there were such people?), apparently even though the Sox play 162 regular season games, they start the year with a magic number of 163.

Something about a need to put a cookie jar out of reach.

Once I return from this week’s trip to New Orleans, I’ll explain all of that in a future post for the few of you out there who may be interested in the metrics of such ‘foolishness’.

And the White Sox, Detroit, Houston, LAA, Seattle, Atlanta, Mets, Nats, Dodgers, Arizona, Cubs, Brewers also have magic numbers of 162, if I fully understand what this sabermatrician is trying to teach me.

Also, thanx to all of you who succumbed to my constant nagging (redundancy?) to participate in the 2013 MillersTime Baseball Contests.

I haven’t had time to put all the answers on a spread sheet yet; that will have to wait a week or so. But suffice it to say that not many of you picked either the Sox or the Yunkees to go all the way. In fact, many of you seem to believe neither will make it to the playoffs, but they will fight each other — for last place in the AL East.

Harrumph.

Better predictions for the Nats, however.

Cheers.

 

Share

Two Free July 4th Nats’ Tickets & Other Baseball Notes

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Go Sox

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , ,

This and That on My ‘Baseball’ Mind:

1. Free Tickets:

I find myself unable to use two good Nats’ tickets for Wednesday, July 4 at 11:05 against the Giants. The seats are on the first base side, about 20 rows off the field, just to the right of the catcher. If you’re interested, first to contact me either by leaving a Comment below or writing me at Samesty84@gmail.com gets the tickets.

Continue reading »

Share