A Labor of Glove
A Labor of Glove
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Twelfth Night
Yes, I Saw That Catch Coco Made
(And No, Damon Wouldn't Have Had It)
Get On Board: The 'Tito Train' Is the New 'Morgan Magic'
How Sweep It Is Again and Again and Again and Again
The Perfect Game: Sox 4, Mets 2
Schilling Digs Deep to Overcome Some Scattered Pregame Applause
And Finds a Way to Pitch a Gem for 10th Win
Tom Glavine Bravely Prevails Against Billerica Boys Club Cheers
From High in Fenway Bleachers to Stay in the Game
DEE-Fense--Clap--Clap--DEE-Fense--Clap--Clap
DEE-Fense--Clap--Clap--DEE-Fense--Clap--Clap
A Steamy Glove Affair: Youk, Loretta, Etc., Etc.
Wish Upon an All-Star: Loretta 12-Straight-Hits a Long Ball
Bringing the A Game: Sox Play Big When It Matters, Small Where It Counts
Same Old Sox: Bunt, Steal, Sac Bunt, Sac Fly
Speedy Ortiz: David Makes a Mad Dash to Third
Then V-Tek Kicked In: Sac Fly Counts, Reyes Been Caught Stealin' Too
A Little Insurance from Big Papi, a Nice Hold from Timlin
Another Save for JonBon, Ties Sox Rookie Record
"I didn't think I was going to get there. I took a leap of faith and, because I was running so fast, I was able to hang in the air." -- 6.29.06, Coco on that catch he made
This Just In ...
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Coco Catch Expected to Be Rated 'Sizzling Hot' On
Next Reading of Welch-O-Meter, Stay Tuned
Manny Being Clever:
He Will Honor His Contract with the Red Sox
But Will Probably Miss the All-Star Game
No Show Martinez
No Show Martinez
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
It's a Big Fall From Grace for Sox Former Ace
New Ace of Diamonds Trumps the King of Queens
Boston Rocks New York and Turns It Up to 11, 10-2
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Don D.) |
The Choke's on Pedro as the Sox Are Just Joshin' on the Mound
'Look at Me' Martinez Couldn't Decide Which Camera to Pose for,
So Petey Blows the Game By Finally Throwing Papi Out at First
Youk, Nixon, and A-Gone Send Short-and-Pete to Early Shower
Lastings Milledge Makes Manny Ramirez Look Like Johnny Damon
Solid Return to Fenway ... for Darren Oliver and Chad Bradford
K-Men Only Need One K to Get Through Return of Their Hero
Too Bad They Didn't Bring the 7 K's Needed for Beckett
Lopez, Delcarmen Pick Up Where Josh Left Off
Game Pics | The Scene | Listen for Yourself
New York Tabloids | Discuss
Emotional Miscue or The World's Lamest Excuse?
"I did get caught up in the emotion a little bit and that threw me a little bit off, especially on that
groundball."
-- 6.28.06, Pedro Martinez blames a smattering of cheers on his poor play
Funny, Willie Randolph Just Got Through Telling Us
How You Are Uniquely Able to Stay Focused and Block All This Out
Cheer Up Petey!
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(AP Photo) |
You Weren't Around Long Enough to Hear the Jeers
Pedro Was Working on His Media Pitches in the Clubhouse
Before the Fans Were Able to Fully Organize the Catcalls to the Mets Dog
Guinness Book Records the World's Quietest Standing Ovation
Pedro's Proud of Half Cheers from a Crowd Half Filled with Mets Fans
If You Sneezed When He Walked to the Mound, You Missed It
What's the Smatter? That Sound You Heard Beyond Polite Clapping
Was the Rumble of a Standing Boovation
Respect? Johnny Damon Elicited 20 Times the Emotion at Fenway
"A few fans were chanting, 'Who's your daddy?' when Coco Crisp grounded to second to end the rally on Pedro's 29th pitch. Finally safe in the dugout, Pedro gave Milledge a pat on the back.
"We saw some of old Pedro when he drilled Loretta in the wrist on an 0 and 2 pitch ('The only time I tried to get a fastball in,' Mart�nez said) with two outs and nobody aboard in the second. At that moment, fans took hold of their senses and booed the Mets' pitcher." -- 6.29.06, Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
Applause for Pedro Was Over in a New York Minute
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(Mets fans cheer Pedro / AP Photo) |
Probably Because New Yorkers Were Doing Most of the Applauding
Sox Admit They Rigged Tuesday's Ovation
"We put a [highlight] video on the scoreboard with hopes of cueing such a response." -- 6.29.06, Red Sox president Larry Lucchino on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan talking about Pedro's reception on Tuesday
But What About Johnny Demon's Reception?
"You don't demonize the enemy. You still honor and value the person regardless of what uniform they're wearing." -- 6.27.06, Red Sox Vice President Dr. Charles Steinberg, ESPN The Magazine, on former Sox players returning to Fenway (It must be quite the highlight tribute they are working on for Damon's next visit)
DominiCon Man Wins the Vote ...
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
... For Worst Performance by a Motion Pitcher
'I Won My Game, the Most Important Game to Me'
-- Pedro MarTEAMez on the 10-2 Loss to the Red Sox
What Are Omar Minaya and the Mets Fans Thinking This Morning?
"I�m not disappointed at all. I think I won the game on one side. Not even a win would give me the satisfaction I got from the fans... I won my game, the most important game to me.. Regardless of the result of the game, I'll always remember this as one of the best moments of my life... I'm not disappointed at all. The reception I got overmatched what I did out there. I'm extremely happy... I wasn't mentally prepared. I got caught up in the emotions of being received so well here." -- 6.28.06, Pedro MarTEAMez talking about how some polite clapping meant more to him than winning the game for his team
Shame on Some Obtuse Red Sox Fans Too
"They went more nuts for Pedro than for me." -- 6.28.06, Josh Beckett, who dominated and got his 10th win, laying a guilt trip on Red Sox Nation even though he got a real ovation
Theo: 'Computer Geeks 1, Pedro 0' | John Tomase: 'Other Side of Pedro'
� 'Hey computer geeks!' Martinez screamed [hours after the Sox won the World Series]. 'Computer geeks! This is my World Series, not yours! And now I�m a free agent and there�s nothing you can do about it!' � -- 6.29.06, John Tomase, Boston Herald
Rattle Pedro and Roll
Need Someone to Cheer?
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(AP Photo) |
You Can Stop Right Here
In Case You Forget, Beckett's Pitching Tonight
Josh Goes for 10th Win, Sox Turn It Up to 11
How About a Little Root, Hoot, 'Who's...' for the Home Team?
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
Party's Over for Petey
Rattle Pedro and the Sox Train Keeps Rolling
Will Fenway Let Mets Fans Cheer Louder for Pedro in Our House Tonight?
Will It Be a 'Let's Go Mets!' Lovefest Again?
The Disingenuous Diva Gets a Reality Check
"...But when Pedro says he wanted nothing more than to return to Fenway and finish out his career with the Sox, a little context would be nice. Pedro�one of the proudest men ever to put on a uniform�hated the fact that Schilling had supplanted him as the team�s ace. He hated it so much that he didn�t travel to New York for Game 6 of the ALCS against the Yankees, when a bloodied Schilling took the mound and did what Pedro hadn�t been able to do since 1999: beat the Yankees in the playoffs. He resented the fact that the Sox had juggled their World Series rotation so it was Schilling who got the Game 2 start at Fenway. (That way, Schilling wouldn�t need to bat and risk running on his ankle.) Pedro had been a savior in Boston, and he wanted a chance to do the same thing in New York. 'Fenway Park changed almost 100 percent from the time I got there the first day to the time I left,' he told the New York Times earlier this week. 'I�m glad I�m in the middle of it again, changing what seemed to be a dead atmosphere at Shea Stadium.' Pedro loves to be The Man. For almost seven years, he was in Boston, and tonight, he will be again. But let�s not allow the misty-eyed tributes to cloud a clear-eyed view of reality." -- 6.28.06, Seth Mnookin, Pedro 2006: Revisionist history, reunions, and reality
Chilly Reception for Pedro in Sox Clubhouse?
"I heard some of the same things [Sox players kept watching movie when Pedro came in to visit clubhouse] that you [WEEI's Dale Arnold] did and I'm not surprised certainly. I've always said there's this perception in the real world, for whatever reason, that the 25 guys on the Red Sox are all best friends and obviously they're not and there was certainly a rivalry between Schilling and Pedro if that's what you want to call it."-- 6.28.06, the Herald's Tony Massarotti on Boston Sports Radio WEEI
Heroes and Goats
"[Yankees manager Joe] Torre added he's 'curious' to see Pedro Martinez's welcome tonight. 'They beat up on Johnny Damon, so it wouldn't surprise me what they do,' he said of the Fenway fans. 'Johnny was sort of a cult hero over there, more than anyone else, and they didn't treat him too favorably.' " -- 6.28.06, New York Newsday
Pedro Would Be Working for Joe, If the Yanks Had Only Ponied Up the Dough
"Imagine that, Pedro Martinez in New York. How many Dominican flags do you think there would be? I don't even want to imagine... The Yankees and Pedro? I don't even want to think about it... it would be great for George, not for the Red Sox." -- 3.26.03, Pedro Martinez, then of the Boston Red Sox
He Certainly Wasn't Going to Stay with the Red Sox
"I'll make my $17.5 (million) next year and I'm outta here." -- 8.24.03, Pedro Martinez, then the highest paid player in the game
But He Was Happy The Team Picked Up His Option
"I sacrificed a lot of money by not being a free agent the next two years... I'll let you know what I deserve."-- 4.9.03, Pedro Martinez, after the Red Sox picked up his option early
The Nation Won't Be Sleeping
With the Enemy Tonight
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(AP Photo / BDD Photo Illustration) |
Game On at Fenway
BDD Pedro Archives:
Pedro's Back in Town
Thank Him for 2004? That's What the Parade Was For
Can Pedro Worm His Way Out of Trouble in Boston?
Come to Papa Petey
Fuggedabouthim. Pedro Used the Team in a Highly Unethical Fashion
Diva Defection: Sox Got Punked
Prima Goner: Greedy Petey Gets His Deal with New York
He's the King of Queens... And Full of Beans
Schilling, Schilling, Schilling, Jan Brady Martinez Can't Let Go
Burning Boston Bridges on the Way Out of Town
Pedro's Panic Room
Streak ExTENded
Streak ExTENded
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(AP Photo) |
Fired Up (and Sometimes Out of Control):
Sweet Emotion for Lester on Bases-Loaded Strikeouts
Def Jams, But Rookie Lefty Pitches Through Them For Win
Mets Are Less Than Impressive, Sox Romp 9-4
Captain Drives in Two to Get Sox Off and Running
Infield Power: Lowell, Gonzo Go Deep
Mets Soler Powered Pitching Needs More Gas
Sox Now 12-1 vs. Senior Circuit Citizens
Lastings Impression: Milledge Miscue Out of Left Field
Rocket Manny: Ramirez Nails Reyes Who Gets Leveled by 'Tek
Hansen, Tavarez Keep Getting Hit
Welcome Back '86'ers
"It definitely helps your confidence when you do work out of it. I wish I hadn't had to go through it, but in the long run this will be good." -- 6.28.06, Jon Lester on his jams
Seth Mnookin: The Return of Pedro and New Attitude on Yawkey Way
Survey Gallery: 10 to Consider | The Buzz: Tejada on the Block?
Extra Bases: Sox Win 10th Straight, 9-4
Fans Greet Pete
Fans Greet Pete ...
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
'They Like Me... They Really Like Me'
Yeah, Either That Or the Red Sox Just Dusted Off the VCR
To Play the 2004 World Series Video to Stoke the Crowd.
The Lovefest at Fenway Was a Pleasure ...
But Tomorrow Night, It's All Business.
Why Can't I Get Ovations Like That? Sincerely, Keith Foulke
The Red Sox Must Still Be Working on the Johnny Damon Highlight Video
And Will No Doubt Show It on the Jumbotron During the Yankees Next Visit
Gammons Stricken, Undergoes Surgery
Gammons Stricken,
Undergoes Surgery
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Pat Greenhouse) |
Peter Gammons Suffers Brain Aneurysm
Update: He Is Out of Surgery and in ICU
Please Say a Prayer for Peter and His Family Tonight
"...I work on a national stage, yet my heart is always in New England, and I like to think that I represent New England, which is why being only the second person from the area -- Harold Kaese was the other -- to be elected to the Hall means so much." -- 12.13.04, Peter Gammons to BDD on Heading into the Hall of Fame
Papi and Petey Together Again
Papi and Petey Together Again
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(AP Photo) |
Pedro's Still Playing the Role of the Jilted Lover
and Spinning His Revisionist History Rap:
Martinez Fires Away at Fenway
Petey's Back in Town
Petey's Back in Town
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(Getty Images Photo / David Maxwell) |
Let's Take a Look Back at the Life and Times of the Dominican Dominator
Is He Sticking to His Story This Week?
Pedro Said the Red Sox Were the Yankees' Daddy, Not Him:
'My Team Was Not Helping Me'
4.13.05 - New York Post, Tempo magazine: You�re known for your calling-it-like-it-is personality. Have you ever said anything you regret?
Pedro: "I speak from my heart. I�m honest. I can�t be any other way. But yes, there were actually two things I�ve said that I�ve come to regret. The first, when I called the Yankees my daddy. I was feeling it that night so I said it, but I was saying it more for my team, than for me. I was feeling like I could not beat them because my team was not helping me."
Pete Threw Mahow, Millar, Under the Bus, Too
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(BDD Photo Illustrationi) |
What ever happened to Nelson de la Rosa [Pedro�s pal who became a sort of locker room personality with the Red Sox]?
"Nelson needs help. He is a special human being. I haven�t seen him in a while."
But he says you broke his heart.
"He was angry that I signed with the Mets. He wanted me to stay with Boston."
So are you going to bring any lucky charms to New York?
"He was not my lucky charm. I�m not superstitious like some guys. It was Kevin Millar who thought this. I met Nelson through mutual friends and he asked to come to the game. I gave him tickets. And it so happened that we would win every time he came to games and people would go crazy for him, especially kids. Since we won some games, Millar started saying that he was the team�s lucky charm. But I am not superstitious. I only have certain routines that I practice."
Do you want to share them?
"I have two sets of underwear �a set that I wear for practice only, the other set I use to play." -- NY Post's Tempo magazine
But What About Pete Calling Nelson 'Our Lucky Charm'
"My friend is Nelson. His name is Nelson. He's 36 years old. He's from the Dominican Republic and very funny character, and very animated. Everybody's happy with him. He's our lucky charm now. Now a days. The guys are falling in love with him." -- 9.28.04, Pedro Martinez to CBS4's Dan Roche
Reunion is Bittersweet for '86 Sox Who, Along with Red Sox Nation, Suffered the Most Heartbreaking Defeat in the History of the Franchise, Losing in Game 6 to the New York Mets... Pedro's Team.
Eric Wilbur: Electric Billing
NY Times: Pedro Lightens Up, So Give Him a Huge Ovation Tonight... and Thursday Night
(But Not on the Night He Pitches... We Need the Win)
Thank Him for 2004?
Thank Him for 2004?
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(Reuters Photo) |
That's What the Parade Was For :-)
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photos / Scott Darlington) |
Those Were the Days... Before Pedro Kicked Poor Nelson to the Curb
Can Pedro Worm His Way Out of Trouble in Boston?
Can Martinez Worm His Way Out of Trouble in Boston?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs / Frank Galasso, cartoonist) |
It's Meet and Greet for
Pete and the Media
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(AP File Photo) |
But Will the Fans Hold His Feet to the Fenway Fire?
Mike Celizic: 'Red Sox Fans Need to Heartily Boo Pedro'
"For the fans, Pedro�s return to Fenway shouldn�t be about doing what�s right by their former hero. If sports started working that way, the entire player-fan dynamic would be turned on its head.
"He used to play there, and then he went to not just another town, but to the hated Big Apple. It doesn�t matter that he didn�t sign with the New York Yankees, because the Mets haven�t occupied a terribly choice piece of real estate in Boston hearts since 1986 and that episode with Bill Buckner..."
"Reviling old heroes is what makes the game fun, and few are bigger than Pedro. Red Sox fans have already shown what they�re capable of when they booed Johnny Damon on his return. Now it�s Pedro�s turn.
"They�ve got to give him everything they got. To do otherwise would be an insult to what he meant to Boston and a travesty of what it means to be a fan.
"They can cheer him whenever his career is finally winding down and he�s making his last stop. Until then, it�s full hiss ahead."
-- 6.26.06, Mike Celizic, MSNBC, (file under Bingo)
Come to Papa Petey
Come to Papa
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(AP Photo / BDD Photo Illustration) |
Just Think of Yankee Fans as Your Weird Uncle, Pedro
'Cause You Ain't Heard Nothin' 'Til You Meet Your Real Daddy
WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY... WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY...
" '[The New York Mets] have shown more respect in days than Boston did in seven years'... They will field the best bad team in baseball history... They'll be stupid not to do Varitek. Varitek is the next one gone. Theo's going to have the biggest problem with him. ... I hope 'Tek is on my team... Theo got really arrogant on Fernando [Cuza, his agent] and I didn't appreciate it... Francona had no say, like he didn't have any say in managing the team. He was manipulated [by the front office]." -- 12.18.04, Pedro Martinez talking about the Boston Red Sox, the team that made him the highest paid player in the game
WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY... WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY...
"...In the end, they [Red Sox front office] scraped and bowed and gave him the perks he requested, all proof he is different from the other players on the Red Sox... In Boston, Pedro was allowed to do whatever he wanted -- show up whenever and take vacations. The Boston media were easy on him for what he had done. They gave him a mulligan for not attending Game 6 in New York..." -- 12.14.04, Hall-of-Famer Peter Gammons, ESPN.com
WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY... WHO'S YOUR DA-DDY...
Back in Boston: Disingenuous Diva Eyes Fenway Return | Photos: Prima Goner with Sox
NESN: What If Grady Had Pulled Him? | Martinez to Mets: How Quickly We Forget
Ryan: Pedro Shows True Colors | Shaughnessy: Words Speak for Themselves
If Pedro Loved Boston Fans So Much, Why Didn't He Take Out an Ad Like Johnny?
NY Post: Gammons: 'There Will Be A Lot of Booing'
'I Was Pretty Much Let Go'
More Revisionist History from Pedro Metinez
"Does he expect to be booed? 'I hope not, but there are some people... I don't know how they feel,' Martinez told Newsday yesterday. 'Knowing my fans and the relationship I had and how much I expressed how I wanted to stay... it wasn't my choice. I wasn't given the choice to actually think about, I was pretty much let go.' " -- 5.3.06, Pedro Martinez: New York Newsday
Gammons on Martinez and Damon Returning to Boston
Comments from Gammons on WEEI's Big Show, May 4, 2006 (Audio Here):
On the Damon reaction at Fenway:
�I thought it went a little bit over the top. I don�t understand the mentality of someone spending hours at home making up some obscene sign. It wasn�t like he was an electric personality here� he was very popular here but it wasn�t like Pedro or Clemens, he didn�t depart simply because of money. It was a prolonged kind of a mixed-up negotiation. And the one thing about him, he always played hard, he played hurt, and he was always accountable. I don�t know, I just didn�t think it needed to be quite so insane.
"I sit down there and I listen to people stand up there with their kids on either side of them scream obscenities at Derek Jeter like their big people because they�ve got a fence in between them and the field so, I guess if that�s what makes people happy� I think sports can be fun too. There are a lot of people that don�t think it�s fun� I just thought that, in Damon�s case, one thing about him� I like Roger a lot, but he did say that, he did complain about things like carrying his bags, and he did go to Toronto and say that he loved it because it was so much like Houston, and Pedro left town with guns blazing because of his relationship with Schilling. But I just thought that the way Damon was always very respectful of the fans� I did not think taking out that ad in the Globe was phony in the least, I think Johnny�s pretty genuine, but that�s it, he�s moved on and I�ll say this, I found this really interesting, Don Mattingly made, and this surprised me, he said to me �you know, Damon has really changed our team�� this team had become so businesslike, and so uptight the last three years, Damon is sort of goofy, he comes in everyday with a big smile on his face, he�s up to something, he�s always accountable to the media. He said �he�s really changed our personality for the better.� And if that�s true, and I believe Mattingly�s got a pretty good finger on that team as hitting coach and future manager, then I think that�s pretty interesting. I think the Yankees got more than they thought they got when they signed him."
On Pedro coming back to Fenway:
"I think there�s more hostility towards Pedro [than Damon]. And it�s partly because he�s an electric personality. I think that Pedro will get a pretty rough [reception]. Now he�s not pitching for the Yankees, and that�s a big difference. They won�t have people standing there with their kids and screaming obscenities at Jose Reyes, but I think Pedro will take a lot of heat here. I�ll be interested to see how he is. I think he�s gonna be a little testy when he comes back here."
Are the Sox Really Going to Fire Up New York's Ace with Highlight Clips
Or Will They Keep the Heat on Pete and Keep the Streak Alive?
On Cloud Nine
On Cloud Nine
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(Boston Globe Staff Photos / Jim Davis) |
Extraordinary: David Does It Again
With A Little Help From His Friends
Nine Lives: Sox Winning Streak Continues, 8-7 in 12
Wake-Lidle Duel Turns to Run Explosion, Both Sides
Youkontinue to Get It Done, Big RBI Tied It Up
Johnny Be Good, Coco Too? Crisp Gets in the Mix, Goes 3-for-5, 2 R
Good Thing Seanez Says He Doesn't Mind Getting Booed
Papelbon... Back to Pawtucket? Trade Him? ... Nah
Can't Blame Them: Lopez, Timlin, Tavarez, Delcarmen
Rheal Deal: Hard to Believe Cormier is Still Getting Guys Out
Be Careful What You Wish For... a.k.a. Hansen Late
What a Release: Mike Holtz, We Hardly Knew Ye (Like Paxton Crawford)
Sox Burn Through 8 Pitchers as Dangerous Mets Come to Town
"He's unbelievable. You just know he's coming through. You're just waiting for the opportunity to jump over the little gate in the dugout and be the first to greet him." -- 6.26.06, Coco Crisp on Big Papi's heroics
Seth Mnookin: More on Manny and Ortiz
Shaughnessy: Phillies Should Have Stopped Myers's Start
Philly.com: Phillies Called Out | Bill Conlin: Par for The Coarse
Feeding the Monster: Nomar Complains About Sox Brass
Not Defending Him in Boston; Claims There Were Death Threats
Eric Wilbur: Stolen Summer?
Who Else?
Who Else?
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Ho Hum, Another David Ortiz Walkoff Home Run
Look for Yourself: He's Done This Before
He Gets His Phil: Lowell Homers Against Philly Again
Pain in the Neck for Pitchers: Loretta's Bat is Back (Neck's OK)
Some Better Than Others: Delcarmen, Lopez, and Hansen Hold On
Save It for a Rainy Day: The AL Most Valuable Player Gets a 'W' Instead
Fenway Fans Let Brett Myers Have It
"I pretty much called that [walkoff homer], I told Willie Harris, sitting next to me, that Papi was setting him up." -- 6.24.06, Jonathan Papelbon, Kept Game Tied with 2 1-3 Scoreless Relief, Gets W
No Win Situation for Schill
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Schilling Gets 10 Strikeouts for the 92nd Time in his Career, First in '06
Speaking of Curt, Here's What Pedro
Had to Say About the Sox Ace...
"Schilling is 38, I'm only 33. The fact that I had an off-year doesn't mean that I can be below Schilling. Still, with an off-year, I'm way over Schilling as a pitcher and I've pitched pretty much like Schilling the last few years... Schilling's not taking anything away from me... And they should have thought about the rest of the stuff and not just Curt Schilling and his personal catcher. And all Theo argued was 'Schilling got this, Schilling got that.' Everything we were going to negotiate was based on what they did with Schilling... Schilling doesn't even work with us. Schilling cannot run with me." -- 12.16.04, Pedro Martinez to the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman
Myers Rumbling
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Lowell Connects off the Accused
Oh My: Witnesses Provide Details Against Myers
And the Philadelphia Phillies Let Him Pitch Today Anyway
" 'He [Phillies pitcher Brett Myers] was dragging her by the hair and slapping her across the face,' Knight said. 'She was yelling, `I'm not going to let you do this to me anymore.' "
"Knight said the 6-foot-4 -inch, 240-pound ballplayer dwarfed his wife, whom police report at 5 feet 4 inches and 120 pounds.
" 'She's a real small girl,' Knight said. 'It was awful.'
"Knight said Myers was undeterred by the presence of her and her friends.
" 'He had her on the ground,' Knight said. 'He was trying to get her to go, and she was resisting. She curled up and sat on the ground. He was pulling her, her shirt was up around her neck. . . . He could have cared less that we were there.' " -- 6.24.06, Suzanne Smalley, Boston Globe
Ending the Cycle of Domestic Violence:
The Gabe Kapler Foundation
�I�m Just Lost Right Now�
FARM REPORT by Gary Jacobs
�I�m Just Lost Right Now�
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(Reuters Photo) |
JUNE 26, 2006 | PAWTUCKET -- Abe Alvarez couldn't have picked a worse time to lose his way.
Amid the backdrop of the recent promotions of Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, and Craig Hansen, and Red Sox manager Terry Francona's pronouncement that barring injury the McCoy-Fenway Express would be shut down for the time being, Alvarez -- finding himself back at McCoy -- had one job: to focus on pitching.
Alvarez had spent the first part of the season virtually unhittable in Pawtucket: He started off the season a blistering 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA for the PawSox, and his ticket appeared punched for The Show. But after a mediocre performance for the Red Sox in mop-up duty against Philadelphia this past May 21, he was sent back to McCoy and since then it's been all downhill for the personable young lefty.
As of today, Alvarez stands at 5-3, with a decidedly pedestrian 4.46 ERA. Most of his appearances since the demotion have been short and ugly: 4 IP, 4 ER in a loss May 26; 5 2/3 IP, 4 ER in a loss June 1; 6 2/3 IP, 3 ER in a no-decision June 6; a return to form on June 11 when he gave up just one ER in seven innings pitched in a no-decision; 4 1/3 IP, 7 ER in a no-decision June 17; and this past Friday's 3.2 IP, 7 ER performance.
Alvarez has no answers for his recent decline.
"I have no idea -- I'm just lost right now," said Alvarez after Friday's game. "I don't know what's going on, pretty much. I'm not making any excuses -- I'm in a rut, and when you're in a rut, you need to find your way out�you just struggle with it until it's gone."
PawSox manager Ron Johnson makes the point that although Alvarez has not brought his A game of late, his numbers don't tell the full story.
"The game in Richmond [June 17], the numbers were much worse than the outing would show," says Johnson. "You saw a lot of swinging bunts, jam shots into right field -- he just got well placed to death. Now [Friday's game,] if you break down his outing -- he was behind, I'm not saying it was good -- but if you take out [three mistake pitches], it's not like he got beat up real bad out there. But those accounted for a lot of runs. So it wasn't his best -- but he probably could have had a better fate than his numbers would show."
For Alvarez's part, he can pinpoint at least one deficiency in his game, though he's at a loss as to how to correct it.
"I haven't thrown a lot of first-pitch strikes, and that's the main thing. You throw a lot of first pitch strikes, you're ahead most of the time, and that's one thing I know I haven't done. I don't know if it's mechanically or if it's in my head but it's the one thing I've noticed."
Alvarez has the arsenal to be a major-league pitcher. His fastball (mid-80s) is just fast enough to make his changeup a formidable weapon. He's got an above-average breaking ball that he's improved over the last two seasons. The consensus is that there's a spot somewhere in the Bigs for him. Before that happens, he needs to get out of his recent doldrums. Johnson is confident he will.
"There's no doubt in my mind he will rebound and come back," he said. "And you know what? When Abe has an outing like this, when you look at it from a positive standpoint, that means there's a real good outing coming. Because he doesn't have a lot of them like this."
Gary can be reached at [email protected].
Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Beckett's Back to Front and Center
Skyway to Seven
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Manny on Fire, Finally
Sox Win Seventh Straight, 10-2
Sweet 16: Beckett Sits 'Em All Down into the Sixth
ManRam BamBam: Two Homers Five RBIs for Manny
A Glove Affair: 11 Straight Error-Free Games
Sox Keep Dominating (Inter)national League
Hitting Machine: Gonzo Batting .260
Very Impressive Mr. Kapler
"I guess I'm not like everybody else because they all say that they don't even know that it's going on. You look up there and it's nice to think those kinds of things, but against a lineup like that it's pretty tough." -- 6.23.06, Josh Beckett on an almost perfect game
Phillies Pitcher Brett Myers Arraigned for Allegedly Beating His Wife on Boylston Street in Boston
Cash Cow
Cash Cow
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(Reuters Photo) |
Costly Loss for Houston: Clemens Cashes Check for About $700,000
While the Astros Were Already Spent When They Signed Him
Ryan: Clemens Back in Business
Eric Wilbur: Steroid Scandal: Source of the Matter
Quick Shots Survey: Were You Surprised About Crawford's Confession?
(Only 85 Percent of Sox Fans Think Other Sox Players Were Involved)
Thank God He's a Country Boy
Steroid Scandal Hits Hub
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(Boston Globe File Photo / David Kamerman) |
Seth Mnookin: Players Union Fights for Right to Drive Bus Off Cliff
Globe: Crawford Said It Was Everywhere
Herald: Wakefield Reacts to Crawford's Clubhouse Culture Charges
Alex Speier: Steroid Scandal Lands at Fenway
"Though Crawford�s former teammates said they were unaware of his use, they were unsurprised to hear that a Red Sox tried to gain an edge with illegal substances. Already, the franchise endured other incidents in which their players were tied to the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Police found steroids in the car of former infielder Manny Alexander in 2000, and minor-league pitcher Felix Romero was suspended and subsequently released after failing a test for PEDs last year. Former Sox player Jeremy Giambi (brother of Jason) told the Kansas City Star last year that he used steroids throughout his career. Jose Canseco boasted of his steroid use throughout a career that included a stint in Boston in 1995-96." -- 6.21.06, Alex Speier, Union-Leader
Thank God He's a Country Boy
"Shoot, why not? I'm just a country boy; I didn't even think twice."
-- Paxton Crawford, to ESPN The Magazine
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Life on the Sox farm was kinda laid back
Ain�t much an old country boy like me can't hack
But I was late to rise, a couple pitches that I lacked
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
I had a good family, but wastin on Boston's farm
They said the stuff I took wouldn't do me no harm
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well I got me a fine vial I got me a needle
HGH kickin in I�m back in the saddle
With juice in the veins this game isn't such a riddle
Thank God I�m a country boy
When the pitchin�s done and I�m out with my bros
I'd pull out my needle keep juicin on the go
Jimy doesn't sleep gotta keep it kinda low
Thank God I�m a country boy
I�d throw really hard all day if I could
But the lord and my stuff didn�t make me very good
So I needle when I can, pitch when I could
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well I got me a fine vial I got me a needle
HGH kickin in I�m back in the saddle
With juice in the veins this game isn't such a riddle
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well I would�ve traded my life for diamonds and jewels
Acting like one of them money hungry fools
I shoulda tossed that needle, grabbed my farmin tools
Thank God I�m a country boy
Yeah, superstars drivin in a black limousine
A lotta minor leaguers thinkin that�s mighty keen
I told ESPN exactly what I mean
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well I got me a fine vial I got me a needle
HGH kickin in I�m back in the saddle
With juice in the veins this game isn't such a riddle
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well, the needle was my buddy till the day I retired
I fell on a glass and cut my back open wide
Shoulda lived a good life and played the game with pride
And thank God I�m a country boy
[Name blacked out] taught me young how to insert the needle
Taught me how to cheat and how to fool all the people
Taught me how to lie, give reporters just a little
Thank God I�m a country boy
Well I got me a fine vial I got me a needle
HGH kickin in I�m back in the saddle
With juice in the veins this game isn't such a riddle
Thank God I�m a country boy
Thank God I�m a country boy
Eric Wilbur: See No Evil
10-4 Good Buddy
10-4 Good Buddy
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(Boston Globe Staff Photos / Barry Chin) |
10 Strikeouts for Lester; 4-Run Bomb for Papi
Sox Convoy Keeps Rolling On, 9-3
More Les the Better: Second Win for Koufax Jr., Call Cooperstown
Sox Bats Batter nAAAtionals' Pitching Again
Grand Papi: Ortiz Slam Ends Game in a Second
Hot to Trot: Nixon Goes 3-for-5, .333, Yada, Yada
Gold Bust Twins [Thanks Bob Lobel] In: Seanez, Tavarez Give It Up
"What I thought he did so effectively was that he made them respect all of his pitches. The slow breaking ball, his cutter, his fastball, his four-seamer. You can't sit on one pitch, and he threw them all for strikes. Looks like his fastball has got a little bit -- whatever it registers on the gun -- it's got that last couple feet that it keeps going, and when it's getting to the hitter and Tek [catcher Jason Varitek] it's got a little finish on it. It looked like to me the game slowed down for him a little bit tonight, and that's good." -- 6.21.06, Tito Francona on Lester
Feeding the Monster: A Look Back at the Sox Sale to H/W/L
(Seth Mnookin Chat, Wed. July 12 at Noon)
Crawford* Comes Clean
Crawford* Comes Clean
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(Boston Globe File Photo / Jim Davis) |
Extra Bases: Paxton Crawford Admits to Using
Steroids and HGH While with the Red Sox
" 'One time [in 2001], I walked right into the Red Sox clubhouse with a bunch of needles wrapped in a towel and left them on my chair. A few minutes later, one of my teammates came running over, saying, �Paxton, someone knocked your chair over and your freaking needles are all over the floor!� Man, we just died about that. He said it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen, told me I was nuts. But that's the way it was back then.' � -- Paxton Crawford in ESPN The Magazine
Seth Mnookin: Crawford and the Downside of RSN
Extra Bases: Johnson to Pitch July 1 vs. Marlins
Boston Boo-Birds Get Your Signs Ready for Petey:
The Dominican Diva Will Pitch at Fenway on Wednesday
He Should Fit Right In
He Should Fit Right In
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(AP Photo) |
Extra Bases: Sox Acquire Jason Johnson
Snyder Optioned to Pawtucket
Standing O for Gonzo
Hey, Fenway, Hey, How About a Little Something, You Know,
for the Effort, You Know...
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(Boston Dirt Dogs / Frank Galasso, cartoonist) |
A Little Standing O for Gonzo Tonight
Rob Bradford: Gonzalez's Dad the Secret to His Success
Is Papelbon the New Johnny Damon? | Eric Wilbur: An Added Riske
Good Luck with That: Love at Sox Sight
Sox Expos Nats
Sox Expos Nats
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Cora Leads the Hit Parade as Sox March on Washington
Bats Wake Up: Run Support Was Not Tiny for Tim
Sox Win Fifth Straight, 11-3
Wash and Go: Sox Bang Out Season-High 17 Hits Against Capitol Gang
Unamerican Activities: Sox Have Won 11 of Last 12 Interleague Games
The Second Coming: 12 Men Step to the Plate in Inning Two
Right on the Mark: Loretta Breaks RBI Slump with Three
It Was a Very Good Year: Trot Quietly Hitting .327
Doug Mirabelli Gets a Hit, Raises Average to .149
Is Coco Crisp About to Break Out in Boston?
Hansen Gets Nicked by Nats
�I�m not trying to do too much. I�m hitting the ball well the other way� and that�s what you�re supposed to do, work the count, had to go the other way and it�s working so far� we took advantage of what he [Hernandez] was giving us... We did a pretty good job with him� we play good defense and we have great pitching. Everybody�s talking about our defense and our pitching, and that�s what you do in the National League, and so far so good.� -- 6.20.06, Alex Cora on his hot streak and the Sox success against NL teams
Extra Bases: Blogging Live from Fenway Tonight
Will Bill Buckner Be Coming Home to Boston Next Week?
All-Star Game: Ortiz, 'Tek, Manny May Be Seeing Stars
North Shore Spirit Invite Gammons to Fraser Field
Young Guns Locked and Loaded
Young Guns Locked and Loaded
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Extra Bases: Hansen, Delcarmen Get Go-Ahead in Sox 'Pen
Walking Tall
Walking Tall
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(AP Photo) |
High Five: Snyder Comes Up Big in Short Stint
Everybody Hits: Sox Scrape Together Six Runs, 'Pen Holds It Together
Everybody Loves Kapler: And Gabe's a Big Hit at Fenway Again
Manny's No Help to Loretta at Home, But Helps Out with Late Homer
No Minor Matter: Van Buren and Lopez Make Major Contributions
Recipe for Success? Seanez in the 8th, Timlin in the 9th
Photos: Red Sox This Week
"I started shaking a little bit. It wasn't what I anticipated, obviously. But under the circumstances it was one of the best feelings I've ever had." -- 6.19.06, Kyle Snyder on his win over Washington
Is Hansen Here to Stay?
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
Van Buren Goes Down, Hansen Back Up
Gordon Edes Chat Transcript
Here You Go Second-Guessers: Courant: 'Sox Dealt an Ace in Arroyo'
Feeding the Monster: Nomar Whines About Boston
Eric Wilbur: Boston Bonds
5 Rules for Adam Stern
FARM REPORT by Gary Jacobs
5 Rules for Adam Stern
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(Reuters Photo) |
JUNE 19, 2006 | PAWTUCKET - Adam Stern's first stint with the Red Sox was less than satisfying, for player and team, and everyone from Theo Epstein on down knew it. But based on the mysterious, multifaceted, and some would say unfair guidelines governing the Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft, if Stern didn't spend a full season with the Big Club, they couldn't keep him.
To sum up the Rule 5 draft in 30 words or less, if a player has four years' service (three if they were under 18 when he was drafted) and isn't protected in the Big Club's 40-man roster, he is eligible to be drafted in a winter draft. Stern wasn't protected by Atlanta, so the Red Sox plucked him from Atlanta's roster in 2004.
But there's always a wrinkle, and the Rule 5 draft has a doozy: Any team drafting a Rule 5 player has to keep that player on its major league squad for a full year, or be offered back to the original team for half the $50,000 draft fee. This rule effectively prevents the overuse, or misuse, of the draft by restricting the field to legitimate major-league prospects.
So when the Sox drafted Stern, they knew what they'd have to do: keep him riding the pine for a full season and hope that he could make a contribution.
It's not entirely unheard of for a Rule 5 pick to end up with a major league career, or even a Hall of Fame plaque: Pittsburgh made a smart Rule 5 pick with a kid named Roberto Clemente in 1954.
But Stern wasn't ready for prime time, and his numbers bore grim testament to it: in 16 plate appearances with the Sox over 36 games in 2005 he went an anemic 2 for 15 with no walks and one sacrifice, good for a .133 BA and .188 OBP. Stints on the DL and surgery to correct a labrum problem prevented him from getting any more of the at-bats the young player so desperately needed. As a result, he was optioned down to Pawtucket the day after he fulfilled his Rule 5 obligation. Conventional wisdom at the time was that four ABs a day every day would do the lad some good.
Since then Stern has spent just about every game in the PawSox lineup, usually at the leadoff spot (he gave it up for Coco Crisp during his one-game rehab stint here). And the work does seem to have improved his average, though probably not as much as the Brain Trust would like: Stern is batting .237 (49/207) in 50 games played. He's also using his speed to his advantage, as evidenced by his two bunt singles and two runs scored in a recent game against the Richmond Braves.
While he's pleased with his progress, he acknowledges that he's got a ways to go.
"Any time you lose a year, like last year I lost to injury, and you try to come back, you have to try to find your swing," said Stern one recent Sunday evening. "This year my swing has been inconsistent -- that's why you'll have good games and then you'll go on a bad streak. I'm just trying to find my swing right now, find my comfort zone, and as the season goes on -- hopefully not too late -- I'll find it."
So, in honor of the Rule 5 draft that brought him to the Sox, here's five rules for Stern to get promoted:
1. Bring the average up. .237 in Triple-A isn't going to cut it -- and will just barely cut it in the bigs as a fourth or fifth outfield guy. He admits that something isn't right with his swing, which is a good thing: it's not like he's reached the upper end of his talent. And while we're talking about his hitting, he also needs to�
2. Increase his slugging percentage. Teams are a lot more forgiving of someone who hits infrequently if he can clear the bases when he does connect. Stern's .357 SLG puts him in the middle of the PawSox pack, third among outfielders, behind David Murphy and Ron Calloway. Not bad, but again, it's not the bigs.
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time
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Extra Bases: Live from Fenway Tonight | Report Card
Eric Wilbur: Cy of Relief | Seth Mnookin: Seanez and the Sox
Too Legit to Quit
Too Legit to Quit
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(Reuters Photo) |
The Father of All Rallies
Comeback Kids Complete Sweep in Atlanta
Overcome Poison 'Pen, Deep-6 Braves with 8-Ball, 10-7
Schill Win Blown: Curt Can't Count on 'Pen Again
It Had to Be Youk: Kevin Crushes Another Big Homer on the Road
Dominican Dynamite: Ortiz, Manny Long Balls Get Sox Rolling Early
Pinch Me: Lowell is Double Trouble for NL East Celler Dwellers
Nixon Makes a Great Grab, and Is Right in the Thick of Things
49er: Congratulations to Sure-Handed Shortstop Alex Gonzalez
Good Grief Relief: Seanez Gets the Win
Papelbon Marches On
"We bounced right back with a vengeance and that's awesome. That's a losable game and it hurts. And it winds up being a great inning. There was no letup." -- 6.18.06, Terry Francona on the comeback kids
A League of His Own
A League of His Own
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(Reuters Photo) |
Beckett is Back in the Saddle vs. the Senior Circuit
Sox Right Ship Against Average Atlanta Team, 5-3
Fit to Be Tied with Yankees in East
Six-Inning-Josh Goes Back to Square One to Get Win
Beckett Helps Himself with Lucky Bat Again
Power Trip: Youk and Papi Provide the Punch
Tito Gets the 'Manny's Knee is Balky' Wake Up Call
Anybody Still Trying to Run Alex Gonzalez Out of Town?
Pen Holds the Line, Paps Does What He Does
Welcome Back Kapler
"I stuttered a little bit late but it was nice to get those two big outs. I was up, up, up with everything but I made an adjustment and got a couple pops." -- 6.17.06, Josh Beckett on his big bounceback
Les is More
Les is More
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(Reuters Photo) |
The Tough Get Going in Atlanta
Lester, Sox Stop Streak at Four
Get Back on Winning Track, 4-1
The Les You Know the Better: Jon Bounces Back in Second Start
The Anti-Clement: Les Hangs Tough to Work Out of Jams
Captain Steers the Ship Out of Troubled Waters with Big Bat
The Anti-E-Rod: Lowell Connects Early, Grabs the Win Late
Enthusiastic Sox Go for the Win While Braves Slip into Francoma
Out of Control: No Need to Hit Hudson When Walks Turn to Runs
Pen Provides Two Shutout Innings from Guys Not Named Papelbon
"I pounded the zone better with my fastball. I had better command with everything, and just went right after them and made them hit it." -- 6.16.06, Jon Lester on his improved outing
Rent-a-Wreck Reception
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Brian Shamis) |
Road Sox Nation Gets Money's Worth When Rent Steps to the Plate
As Edgar Gets the Damon-Pedro-FoulkeFenway Treatment
(He May Need a Hiding Place at Turner Too)
Matt's Lament
Matt's Lament
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(Reuters Photo) |
Silva Rips Sox
Silva Rips Sox
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(AP Photo) |
Lackluster Offense Takes the Night Off Again
Second Placers 'Try Hard' But Swept Away, 5-3
Whatever Happened to the $160 Million 'MVP Season' Manny Ramirez?
Games Go By and Bye No Matter What His Year-End No.'s Look Like
Worked Out Well to Let Manny Fly to Minnesota on the Day of a Game
That Was Easy: Let's Blame the Speaker That Stopped Papi's Dome Run
He's a Knuckleballer: Wake Is What He Is (4-8)... So Is Mirabelli (.143)
Oh and Babe Ruth Bard is Now Batting Cleanup for the Padres
Nomar Varitek Swings at First Pitch, Kills Rally with Garciapopup
Will Coco Ever Be as Good at the Plate as He Is In Commercials?
Hey a Bunch of $ox Are Doing an Autograph $how, Pony Up!
And It's Only $139 for Josh Beckett to Scribble '5.26 ERA!'
Silva Lining: Cora's Three Hits, and Game Over in 2:46
J-Lo Shakes Booty and Arrives on the Big Stage, Sings Hit Single
In a Dorm Room at Yale Lies a Draft of "Is It Time For Theo To Go?"
Braves Thinking of Dusting Off Steve Avery to Face Fading Sox
WWJWD? What Would Jack Welch Do?
"It's not a lack of trying. It's trying too hard. It's a quality you admire in your players, but at the same time you have to fight it." -- 6.15.06, Terry Francona (Yeah, that's all it is Tito)
Terrible Twins Break Out the Brooms
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'Must Win' Turns to 'Just Lose'
Sox Are Born to Be the Wild Card
Road Sox Remain In...
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
As the Misery Train Heads To Atlanta
Eric Wilbur: Piece Corp -- A Look at Theo's Bullpen Blunders
Feeding the Monster: Papelbon Learns the Importance of Tipping the Bellman
Sox Make Riske Move
Sox Make Riske Move
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(Lopez: AP Photo | Riske: Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Riske Game Over in Boston
Extra Bases: Righty Shipped to Chicago for Lefty Reliever
For Comcast customers: The Red Sox on NESN HD will now be on Channel 851
Fox's Trading Spouses is looking for families of Sox fans. To apply, click here
Extra Bases: Josh Papelbon Signed, Serrano Sold to Korea
Epstein Talks About Trade, the Bullpen, and Getting a Starter
Eric Wilbur: Staff Infection: Pedro Yr. 4 Better Than Clement Yr. 2
Metrodoom and Gloom
Nightmare on the Misery Train
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Road Sox Derailed Again
Metrodoom and Gloom
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(AP Photo) |
Sox Slip Into a Deep Francoma
And Mail It In In Minnesota
Twins Add Insult to Injury, 8-1
Put the Bat Boy in the Lineup
Boston Bat Boy Stepped It Up While Dead Sox Lay Down
"It's Time to Unload Matt Clement," Sincerely, Edgar Renteria
While Twins Hit Grand Slams, Ortiz Was Having a Grand Old Time
Maybe Manny Should Bat Leadoff? He Seems Very Happy Just Walking
The Silence You Hear Is the Manny Delcarmen Fan Club Gaining Steam
Van Buren Blows Up... But Seanez Has Clean Inning to End It!
Take a Look
"It's on the side of my biceps and shoulder, I guess like a dead feeling, not like a dead arm. A dead arm I would pitch through. Something that slows me up and I guess scares my body enough that it affects the way I throw." -- 6.14.06, the man who would replace Derek Lowe
Twins Get to Pen Again
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Coco Dropped Down to 8th in Batting Order
The Boston Globe Invites You to Attend 'Sports Talk' at Game On! This Friday
WEEI Audio: Francona Talks About Using the Bullpen Last Night
Slam Dunks Sox
Slam Dunks Sox
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(AP Photo) |
Terrible Tavarez Fuels Latest Metrodome Meltdown
Worst Loss of the Season, 5-2 in 12
Schilling Was Solid, But Had Dinner After 8
Same Old Story: Theo Can't Build a Bullpen, Tito Can't Manage One
Meanwhile, Manny Delcarmen Rots Away on Bench
And Lights-Out Craig Hansen Is Wasting Away in Pawtucket
Captain Crunch: 'Tek Coulda Been a Home Run Hero
Coco Crisp is No Johnny Damon at Leadoff
Black Magic Johan
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Santana Gets 13 K's
(He's Got to Change His Evil Ways)
Eric Wilbur: Young Gun Shy
Rob Bradford: Kapler Talks Retirement... from Riding
Feeding the Monster Outtakes: Youk Opens Up on Sox, Boston
Ortiz Illustrated
Ortiz Illustrated
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(Clay Patrick McBride / Sports Illustrated Photo) |
Tom Verducci's column in the June 19, 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated
(republished with SI's permission)
Who�s Your Papi?
What drives David Ortiz, the supersized Red Sox slugger, is his resentment of the ball club that did him wrong�and the fighting spirit of his late mother, Angela Rosa
Every ballpark seems smaller, every room brighter, every worry lighter when you�re in the company of David Americo Ortiz, the friendly galoot of a designated hitter for the eternally grateful Boston Red Sox. In girth and mirth Ortiz evokes Babe Ruth, Santa Claus and your favorite stuffed animal from childhood. The only son of Enrique and Angela Rosa �Ortiz��I�m my mom�s baby boy, you know?� he says �proudly�grew up loved in Santo Domingo, D.R., and seems intent on loving the world back.
Runyon or Twain might have invented a character like Ortiz, if it were possible for even such expansive imaginations to conjure a 230-pound teddy bear who speaks like a California surfer with a thick Spanish accent; a Dominican who married a Wisconsin girl and has wintered part time in the state; a hip-hop, bling-�covered fashion plate who underneath his cool threads wears black boxer shorts with who�s your daddy? �printed in all directions in Day-Glo colors; and�most amazing of all�one of the game�s great sluggers, who, at 27, was released by the Minnesota Twins after no other major league club wanted him in a trade.
Ortiz, now 30, ranked fourth in the American League in home runs (18) and first in RBIs (56) at week�s end, a pace that would leave him with 48 homers and 149 RBIs for the season and a three-year run in which he had no fewer than 41 homers and 139 RBIs. Only two players in history maintained such high production for three consecutive seasons: Ken Griffey Jr. (1996 through �98) and Ruth, who did so for six straight years (1926 through �31). A .300 hitter last season, Ortiz was batting .265, blaming the drop partly on the extreme defensive shifts employed against him (right).
In Ortiz there is a little bit of something for everyone to like, which helps explain why he received more All-Star votes from major league fans than any other player last year; why his Boston Red Sox teammates, in one of the more respectful acts in clubhouse culture, ceded him total control of the stereo; and why a terminally ill eight-year-old boy, given days to live, asked to visit Fenway Park to meet him in April. Ortiz�s popularity, like his gap-toothed, omnipresent smile, crosses cultures and generations.
�He appeals to every demographic,� Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein says. �People love watching athletes who you can tell enjoy what they�re doing. And to have a guy who comes to work every day with a smile�that�s especially huge in our clubhouse, where we had problems in the past.�
Says Puerto Rican�born teammate Alex Cora, �People love to be around David. The unique thing about him is that he communicates just as easily with the American players as with the Latin players. Most of the Latin stars don�t have that quality. He brings the team together.�
Ortiz thrives on such interaction, preferring to spend as much time as possible around friends and family. Yes, he is out�going by nature, but the company also keeps him from the dark thoughts that plague him sometimes when he is alone. Behind the smile there is pain. �I start thinking about life after death,� Ortiz says. �I�ve got to quit thinking about it because it�s very deep. Very deep. Sometimes you start thinking about it, and you don�t feel like you want to be alive, so I don�t like to get all quiet.
�Everybody goes through some tough times in their life, no matter what you do. Man, I�ve had my tough times.�
Eight minutes. Ortiz remembers it as exactly eight minutes. It is all the time needed for an elite runner to cover two miles, for an orchestra to play the second movement of Brahms�s Symphony No. 1 or, as Ortiz found out, for your heart to break. On New Year�s Day 2002, it was eight minutes from that awful phone call from his sister�s �boyfriend�Your mom has been in an �accident�to the time Ortiz arrived at the roadside wreck near his home in Santo Domingo. A dump truck. His mom�s car. And Angela Rosa ... gone.
�I was there eight minutes after it happened, and she was dead already,� Ortiz says. �That�s why I don�t worry about baseball. I don�t feel like I put any pressure on myself when I�m playing baseball. Not after that.�
Ortiz was 26 years old at the time and still trying to establish himself as an �every-day player with the Twins, who had plucked him from the Seattle Mariners� farm system in 1996, in one of those �pennant-race deadline deals in which the anxious Mariners wanted veteran third baseman Dave Hollins. At the end of the �97 season Ortiz was promoted to the big leagues, and the first person he called was, of course, Angela Rosa. She and Enrique, whom everyone calls Leo, were always there for him. There was the day Leo, who sold auto parts, left work to watch his boy play Little League for the first time. David smacked a home run, and as he rounded third, Leo bolted from the stands and interrupted his son�s trot to home by throwing a big hug around him. Though David still visits Leo regularly in Santo Domingo, things will never be the same without Angela Rose.
�She was one of the best mothers ever,� Ortiz says. �She was pretty much my everything. It�s tough, man. I come from a poor family, but I had a good education and a good home. That counts for everything. My mom, she �wasn�t like a baseball mother who knew everything about the game. She just wanted me to be happy with what I was doing.�
Both his parents, Ortiz says, stressed the importance of education, but it was Leo, a former semi-pro ballplayer, who advised David to give up his other love, basketball, to concentrate on baseball. It was baseball that brought Ortiz to Wisconsin in 1996, where, while playing Class A ball at age 20, he met his wife, Tiffany, and started a family that includes two daughters, Jessica, 9, and Alexandra, 5, and a son, D�Angelo, 1 1/2.
The year that began with his mother�s death, 2002, would also be Ortiz�s last with the Twins. He hit .272 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs platooning at first base for a young team that reached the AL Championship Series. Minnesota, though, was not high on Ortiz, who seemed injury-prone (he missed chunks of time with wrist and knee injuries), was not a polished fielder and �couldn�t catch up with good fastballs on his hands. Minnesota G.M. Terry Ryan figured that Ortiz�s development had stalled and decided to trade him. �He just �wasn�t getting it done here, for whatever reason,� Ryan says. Then he admits, �I made a bad baseball decision.�
He wasn�t alone. Ryan tried to trade Ortiz for two months. �Not one team made an offer,� Ryan says. �Nothing.�
Finally, in December 2002, the Twins released Ortiz. Finding a job at that point of the �off-season looked so difficult to him that he told his agents, Fernando Cuza and Diego Benz, to check for openings in Japan and Mexico. �[The Twins] did me that bad,� Ortiz says. �I never had a problem with anybody in that organization. Ever, bro. I was a good teammate. I respect everybody. I never had no argument with no coach, nobody. I never did anything wrong, but they did me wrong. No respect, bro. I was lucky I got a job with the Red Sox. There were other teams, but they were offering me way less money.�
The Red Sox gave him $1.25 million and figured he was one of five guys��along with Jeremy Giambi, Shea Hillenbrand, Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller�who would combine to fill three spots (first, third and DH). Six weeks into the season Ortiz showed so little power (two homers) that his teammates were calling him Juan Pierre (the light-hitting leadoff man who�s now with the Chicago Cubs). Ortiz wanted out of Boston. �I called my agents,� he recalls, �and said, �If you guys are not here tomorrow, you guys are fired.��
After the next day�s game Ortiz and his agents met with Epstein in the players� parking lot outside Fenway Park. �I told Theo, �I want you to trade me or release me,�� Ortiz says. ��I can�t be sitting here watching this circus anymore, guys I know I can do better than. Me just watching from the bench? I�m not that kind of guy. I don�t clap for something that �doesn�t deserve it.��
�Give me a couple of days,� Epstein recalls saying. �I promise you we�ve got something in the works to free up a spot for you.�
That's All Foulke
That's All Foulke
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(AP Photo) |
Foulke Goes on DL with Elbow Tendinitis, Has MRI Today
Seth Mnookin: Statistics, Clutch Hitting, and the Left Arm of God
Eric Wilbur: Quite the Catch
Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Meir Weinberg) |
In the Big Inning, Ortiz Called His Home Run
Bradford: Papi Builds Legend with Blast
" 'I told him if we got two guys on I was going to do it,' Ortiz confided after his home run into the Boston's bullpen handed the Sox a 5-4 win. 'I got it done.' " -- 6.12.06, Rob Bradford, Eagle-Tribune
Around the Horn Blog: Papi at the Bat
Eric Wilbur: Clutch of the Argument
Extra Bases: Offday Offerings | Report Card: Average Week
Names: Mnookin on Theo, Larry, and Nomar's Jealousy
Mazz Cashes In On 'Fake Fans'
Pauley Gets Whacked
Pauley Gets Whacked
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo - Jim Davis /BDD Photo Illustration) |
David Comes Back to Earth, Lands in Pawtucket
It's a Texas Mess for Francona's JV Team
Rangers Explode for 22 Hits in 13-6 Win
From the Wayback Machine: Wasdin Gets a Win at Fenway
Manny Watches Willie Harris Play Left
Keith Foulke is Horrendous
At Least D-Lowe Was Fun, Flexible, Healthy, and He Won...
Clement Now Suffering from 'Dead Arm'
"Give Clement credit because missing starts is costly to him. He's well compensated at $9.5 million this season, but his contract also has a $25,000 incentive clause for starts Nos. 30-34 (he's made 11 this season). He also has a $50,000 incentive clause for pitching 200 innings (he's thrown 60 2/3) and gets $50,000 more for every 10 innings thereafter up to 230 innings." -- 6.12.06, Nick Cafardo on the godawful numbers
This Is The End
This Is The End
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Matthew J. Lee) |
Ortiz Shifts to Clutch, Strikes for Three in 9th
Game Won: 5-4
Positive Spin: Beckett Avoids Another Loss
Manny Hits a Bomb, Manny Gets a Win
"We've got a long way to go this season. The sooner I can get it back, the better." -- 6.11, David Ortiz after his walkoff
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(Boston Dirt Dogs / Frank Galasso, cartoonist) |
Wait and See
Wait and See
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(AP Photo) |
After 4:47 Minutes, Lester Gets a Mulligan
See What He Looks Like the Next Time Around
Rangers Pour It on Sox Pen in 7-4 Win
Texas Mess for Tito: Tavarez Left in Too Long
Pleading the 5th: Jon Was Gone Early After Throwing 102
Manny Tries to Rally the Team With Long Ball
Keith's Back and His Balls Are Flying off Bats
Youk's Gold Glove Dreams Slipping Away
Fenway Factor: Fans Trapped for 11 Hours Feast on Free Hot Dogs
"I was just happy to get the first one under my belt and get it done with." -- 6.10, Jon Lester
The Next Big Thing?
FARM REPORT by Gary Jacobs
The Next Big Thing?
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
JUNE 9, 2006 | PAWTUCKET - When David Murphy, the Red Sox' first pick of the 2003 draft, stepped to the plate at McCoy Stadium on May 26 for his first at-bat with the Pawtucket Red Sox, he swung at the first pitch he saw. The swing was tentative and weak, and he missed an inside and low fastball by a foot.
He deposited the next pitch into the visitor's bullpen for a home run.
During his next at-bat he came jaw-droppingly close to repeating the feat: he indeed hit the ball over the fence but a well-timed leap by Matt Kata of the Norfolk Tides prevented Murphy from collecting two home runs in his first two at bats. And oh, by the way, he roped a double to center field in his third AB.
You didn't need to be Earl Weaver or Kreskin to foresee a bright future for the lanky lefty.
Since then Murphy has posted numbers that would indicate that somewhere there's an express ticket to The Show with his name on it. In 13 games with the PawSox he leads the team in batting average (.327 at the start of Friday night's game), OBP (.411), slugging percentage (.592) and OPS (1.003).
Murphy seems to be one of those players who gets better the higher up in the organization he goes. His stats in Pawtucket all far exceed those from his time with the Portland Seadogs- he's gained 54 points of average, 96 points of OBP and 156 points on his SLG. By all accounts he enjoys his time in Pawtucket � and he�s certainly putting it to good use.
�I�m just trying to learn right now,� he said after Friday�s game. �I�m a step up from where I was last year, and the beginning of this year. Obviously the competition�s better up here, so I�m trying to have good AB�s and pick up as much as I can from pitchers and improve myself as a hitter.�
His manager, PawSox skipper Ron Johnson, sees nothing but upside.
�He�s swinging the bat well, he�s doing a nice job in the outfield � he�s done everything we�ve asked him to do. He�s competing well � he�s [never] overmatched. What I�ve noticed, too, is that since he�s come up here, I bet he�s faced about 75% left handed pitchers. He gives you a real good at-bat against lefties. I�m very pleased with him.�
Murphy plays center field for the PawSox, and with the injury to Wily Mo Pena, could provide the Big Club with a capable fourth outfield choice and a left-handed pinch-hitter off the bench with some pop -- both immediate needs for the Landsdowne St. Nine.
So why don't they call him up? Youth might be a factor. Murphy won�t turn 25 until after the season is over and this is only his third year in professional baseball. He spent much of the 2004 season on the DL, only appearing in 73 games that season hitting only .261. The powers-that-be may want him to get another few hundred AB�s under his belt before they punch his ticket to the Hub of the Baseball Universe. Murphy also has a tendency to swing at bad pitches. He needs to infuse his game with a dollop more patience.
Does Johnson see him being called up this year?
�I don�t know � we have a nice assortment of [recent callups] up there right now. But it�s really up to those guys [Theo Epstein, Sox GM and his staff]. But he is showing why he was drafted where he was drafted. He has a lot of tools.�
The Imperfect Storm
The Imperfect Storm
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
He Can Save It for a Rainy Day
Rangers Papelblown Away in 9th, Sox Win 4-3
Home Run Trot
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4-For-4 (And 4 More Years!)
Nixon Leads the Offense with Huge 3-Run Bomb
Making a Name for Himself: Coco Crisp is Starting to Play Baseball
It's a Broken Record: Wake Deserved a Win Tonight
Manny, Nixon, Lowell Put Game Winner on the Board
Hansen Says Hello and Heads Back to Pawtucket
Texas Raingers in Town
Texas Raingers in Town
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Meir Weinberg) |
Extra Bases: Weather the Story Again, Cora Starts at Short
Eric Wilbur: Rain in the Neck
Deadspin on the HGH Scandal: 'So ... We've Got Some Affidavit Names'
New York Times: Kimberly Bell Advised Not to Cooperate with Mitchell Investigation
NY Post: MLB Investigators Want to Interview Bonds*
Cyonara Sweep
Cyonara Sweep
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(Reuters Photo) |
Sox Step It Up at The Stadium, Stomp On Yanks 9-3
Solo Effort Gets Schilling AL Leading 9th Win
Yanks Knock Three Times, But Ace Won't Let Them Win
The Executioner's Song: Last 12 Sitting, Schill Shoots Down Final Dozen Batters
Looking Good at Short: Gonzo Grinds It Out, Gets It Past E-Rod
ManNYY Killer Gets Sox Off and Running
Cereal Killer: Coco Gets His Game On
55,000 Shut Up... 30,000 Hit the Road in the 7th
Schilling Shoutout: Haselman, DeMarlo Set Up the Defense Perfectly
'Best Defense I've Ever Played With'
�He [Schilling] did a helluva job� This is a game we had to win.�
-- 6.8.06, Jack Welch, Voice of the Fan, NESN
Battery Powered Pinstripe Pounding
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(AP Photo) |
V-Tek Kicks In: Captain Crunches Big Apple Jack
Nice Job Nomar: Garciaparra Doing It All for the Dodgers
All-Star Arroyo: Guitar Boy Is Now 8-2 for the Reds
More Lester
More Lester
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(AP Photo) |
It Looks Like Lester Will Be Here to Stay
Extra Bases: Jon Lester Will Pitch at Fenway Saturday
Sheffield to Have Wrist Surgery, Out Until September
Too Much, Too Soon?
Too Much, Too Soon?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs / Frank Galasso, cartoonist) |
Or Will You Miss Them When The Royals Come to Town?
TC's Mailbag: Yanks-Sox Hitting a Dry Spell
The Brothers Grimsley
The Brothers Grimsley
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(The Arizona Republic / AP Photo) |
How Many Major Leaguers Are Still Cheating, Bud?
Ask Edes Mailbag: The Good, The Bad, And The Grimsley
Drug Revelations a Grim Situation for Baseball
"Everybody wants to blame the Players Association, yet Bud Selig said he wanted an [drug policy] agreement in '96, but said he hadn't heard of anything [steroids related] until '98." -- 6.8.06, ESPN's Peter Gammons on WEEI
Rained Out at The Stadium
Rained Out at The Stadium
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Meir Weinberg) |
Would the $ox Have Tried to Get the Game In?
Judge: Fan Can Sue Sox Ticket Reseller
Your Thoughts on Price-Boosting
He Will Make 55,000 Shut Up Tomorrow Night
He Will Make 55,000
Shut Up... Tomorrow
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(BDD Photo Illustration / Zack Schweitzer) |
Then He Might Have Something to Say
Bob Ryan Audio Slideshow: 'Walking the Walk'
Eric Wilbur: Pauley, for Sure
Bill Simmons: Divorcing Pedro and Nomar
Extra Bases: Sox Select Josh Papelbon in Draft
Sox-Yanks Rained Out, See You in September
(And the Boston Red Sox Would Like to Remind You That 'Game On'
Is Still Open for Business Tonight If You Are in the Neighborhood)
Bad Omen
Bad Omen
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(Getty Images Photo / Ezra Shaw) |
An Outstanding Performance from Pauley Wasted
Sox Drop the Ball, Yankees Hang On for 2-1 Win
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(BDD Photo Illustration / AP Photo) |
Bernie Williams Comes Out of Retirement to Burn Sox
Going Solo: Papi's Power is Not Enough to Energize Offense
Manny Being Ridiculous: Was He Just Messing Around with Damon on the 'Double'?
Pauley Cracks: Defense is Part of Being a Pitcher Too
That's the Ballgame: Grady Left Pauley in One Batter Too Long
(He Was Done After Damon Of Course)
Another Rudy Awakening: Bad Spot for Seanez
The Melky Way: Cabrera Robs Manny's Make Good
Sox Roll Over for Rivera
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
Draft Day: Top 10 Skinny | Sudden Impact: Theo, McLeod Talk Draft
From Kentucky: Clemens Strong in Debut | Collegian: Rocket Closure
Hansen Gets the Call
Hansen Gets the Call
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(BDD Photo Illustration) |
The Bronx Job. Can He Get It Done?
The Bronx Job.
Can He Get It Done?
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(Reuters Photo / BDD Photo Illustration) |
The Boss Wants to Whack Pauley Tonight
Eric Wilbur: Pauley's Green Mile
Don Orsillo: Boston.com Chat Transcript
New York Nightmare
New York Nightmare
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(Getty Images Photo / Al Bello) |
'Ace' Was a Disgrace
Horror Show at the Stadium, 13-5
Beckett Yanked After Giving Up 7 Earned Runs, Two HRs in 1 1/3
One Trick Pony: Flat Fastballs Mean Game's Over in a Hurry
Would Florida Take Him Back for Hanley If We Threw In Lowell?
Josh Looked Just as Bad as Derek in the '04 Bronx Bloweout
Whatever Happened to the $40 Million Version of Jason Varitek?
Jermaine Van Buren Wasn't Much Better Than Josh Beckett
Big Guns Fire Blanks: Manny and Papi are No-Shows
Riske, Delcarmen, Tavarez Mop Up a Mess
David Pauley, A Nation Turns Its Division Hopes to You
�His health is fine, he just got hit around a little bit, more than anyone�s comfortable with but it happens. It�s not a lot of fun to sit through and he�ll regroup. He�s too good not to, but it wasn�t a lot of fun to sit through.� -- 6.5.06, Terry Francona on Josh Beckett's performance
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(BDD Illustration / Meir Weinberg) |
Tonight: Youkilis In, Jeter Out | Wilbur: Managing Just Fine
Banged-Up Rivals Stay Afloat
Banged-Up Rivals Stay Afloat
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(Boston Dirt Dogs / Frank Galasso, cartoonist) |
Are the Yankees About to Meet Their Waterloo?
With the Call to Pauley Tomorrow, It's a Big Start for Beckett Tonight
Motown Momentum
Motown Momentum
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(Getty Images Photo / Gregory Shamus) |
Sox Get It in Gear Before New York Showdown No. 779
Sunday is a Walk in Comerica Park, 8-3
We Have a Winner: Clement Picks Himself Up Off the Mat
Who Knew (Besides Schilling)? You Can't Say Enough About Youkilis
A Nation Stunned: Two More Scoreless Innings from Seanez and Riske
Bonus Points: Gold Glove Strikes with Two-Run Homer
Dominican-do: Manny and Papi Step Up at the Plate
Give It a Rest: Cora Fills In Just Fine
Jermaine Van Gettin-It-Done
``Game 7 tomorrow night. Game 7 the next day and the next day and the day after that. World Series, right?" -- 6.4.06, Kevin Youkilis (he is the new clubhouse Kevin Millar, except he actually hits the ball)
Bonderman, Jeremy Bonderman
Bonderman, Jeremy Bonderman
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(AP Photo) |
The Man with the Golden Arm Holds Down Sox
We're No. 2 Again: Boston Settles Into Second Place in East
Sox Have Seen Batter Days: Offense Takes Night Off in 6-2 Loss
Tim Being Tim: Wake Pitches Just Well Enough to Lose on the Road
Going Downtown in Motown: Ordonez Puts Game Out of Reach
Dominican't Deliver: Manny and David Seem To Be Struggling
Rodney is King: Sox Can't Come Back Off Tiger Reliever
Panic in Detroit? Clement Has to Be the Stopper Today (Gulp)
Tavarez, Julian Tavarez
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(AP Photo) |
Live and Let Die in Detroit
"I came out of the bullpen very aggressive. I'm thinking, `I'm going to go with a fastball inside,' but I missed really bad." -- 6.3.06, Julian Tavarez on giving up a critical 3-run homer to Ordonez
Youk Da Man
Youk Da Man
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(AP Photo) |
Sox Catch Tigers at Tail End
Youkilis Hits 2-Out, 2-Run HR in 9th for 3-2 Win
Schilling Still Stuck at 200: Nice Effort From Ace
Sox Didn't Feel at Home in Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
Run Like the Win: Coco and Manny Combine for Key Score
We'll Alert the Media: Riske and Seanez Hold the Line on the Road
Detroit Breakdown: Todd Jones Has Seen Better Nights
From Gaffe to Game Winner: It Had to Be Youk
Papelbon: Tigers Gone
"I call it a Bellhorn day. Mark was the best at that. Three [bad] at-bats then boom, home run to win a game." -- 6.2.06, Youk doing his best Kevin Millar impersonation
Yankee Clipper?
Yankee Clipper?
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(2002 Sopranos, Paulie Walnuts / HBO Photo) |
Extra Bases: Tito: Pauley Best Option for Tuesday
WEEI Audio: Jon Lester Interview | Eric Wilbur: Target Practice
Tigers Again Are On the Prowl | Gallery Survey: Meet the Tigers
Yankee Stadium Spells Trouble for Sox Rotation
Yankee Stadium Spells Trouble
for Sox Rotation Next Week
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(Getty Images Photo / Chip Somodevilla) |
"New York is not the place for the Red Sox to call on
some pusillanimous starter to make his debut."
P-U-S-I-L-L-A-N-I-M-O-U-S
Extra Bases: Sox-Yanks Dominate Early AL All-Star Voting
Edes Mailbag: Sox Had a Shot | TC's Mailbag: Questions Rocket to Mind
Eric Wilbur: Wish You Were Here | Bob Ryan: Nixon's Old School
Bigtime for Gonzo
Bigtime for Gonzo
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(AP Photo) |
Double Plays Keep Sox Out of Big Trouble in Toronto
Defense, Delcarmen, and Van Buren Stop Sweep, 8-6
Good Night, and Good Luck: It Was Nice to Meet You Dave Pauley
Ted's Excellent Adventure Over: Lilly Finally Wilts for Sox
AL All-Starter? Loretta Breaks Out the Homer Hammer
Home Run Trot: Nixon, Papi, and Manny Play Long Ball
How's That Gold Glove Going Manny?
It Takes Two: Foulke and Papelbon Close it Out
"That ball has a chance to go into the outfield and they call icing. Gonzo, whatever he did at the plate, might as well give him some RBIs. He saves runs. I know it doesn't count but it might as well." -- 5.31.06, Terry Francona on the spectacular shortstop play of Alex Gonzalez
