Monday, June 15, 2009
History Nerd
I've mentioned it more than once, I love history. It was my favorite subject in school. I still think it was lucky that I grew up in Oregon because we studied the Oregon Trail extensively in the 4th grade. I also did some reading on my own, of course. The Oregon Trail rules.Mr. O'Donnell was maybe 47 the year he was my AP US History teacher. Rumor was he'd been a therapist before he began teaching high school. He was a quiet but steady guy who laid out his subject in a thoughtful and engaging way. He had a good though subtle sense of humor. And he told me the secret to understanding the world.It's not about names and dates, history is about themes. Basically, the same themes are working themselves out over time. An example; 'race in America' is a theme found throughout the record of our 227 years as a nation. From the minute those Europeans laid eyes on Native Americans, race was an issue. Tragically in 1860 as a nation went to war with itself. One hundred years later, Martin Luther King, Jr. was organizing stand-ins to protest discriminatory voter registration practices. And of course, last week when we elected Barack Obama. A few other common themes: religion, war, technology, immigration, etc. When you think of it this way, knowing that current events are just an unfolding of what was begun a long time ago, the world makes more sense.Better understanding the times in which I live is why I'm still a student even though my school days are long over. So when I had a fantastic 'lifelong learning' project idea last week, I got really excited. How awesome would it be to read one biography of each American president?! Now I know most of you are like "dude, that would not be awesome at all." And I get that. So for you, how awesome would it be if someone else did it and then told you the interesting parts? Now you're feeling it....My free copy (courtesy of Paperback Swap) of Washington: The Indispensable Man should arrive any day now. Though this ambitious curriculum will take years to complete, it won't be long before I'm dazzling people at parties with my unique historical perspective and interesting tidbits. History nerds are always really popular at parties...Nerd Bonus: Scroll through this timeline of Civil Rights action in 1960. It's really inspiring.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Little Bit of This & That Seasoned Tofu Cutlets
These tofu cutlets are easy to cook up! (We don't really measure spices or amount of time to cook up...)A Little Bit of This & That Seasoned Tofu Cutlets1 block of Tofu, cut into 8-12 cutletsA little spice of Cayenne pepperLots of squirts of Bragg’sLots of sprinkles of Garlic powderLots of shakes of Dried BasilLots of showers of Nutritional yeastLots of love of Creamy avocado 1. Add a little spice, squirt, and sprinkle to each tofu cutlet, then brown tofu on either side in a skillet.2. Tofu is done - now to serve, add lots of love, then on top add more squirts and sprinkles, and lots of shakes and showers! Enjoy with sandwich bread, on crackers, or in a rice bowl. YUM! Our favorite way to have tofu! - LK
Saturday, June 13, 2009
On paper, Red Sox are facing Yankees at an inopportune time
In Major League Baseball, over the course of a 162-game season, timing is everything. It's better to catch a team when it is struggling, banged up or both than when it is on a roll at full strength. On paper, at least, this is not an ideal time for the Boston Red Sox to play the New York Yankees.
Sure, the American League East standings show that the Yankees are 34-23 and the Red Sox are 33-24 and just a game out. Yet the Yankees have what so far has been a healthy Alex Rodriguez in their lineup, and Mark Teixeira's April funk has long passed. The Red Sox have David Ortiz, who even with a six-game hitting streak has still not surpassed the Mendoza line, and an ailing Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew (both of whom have shoulder strains). The Yankees are fresh off a series at Yankee Stadium that saw them take two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox laid an egg at Fenway Park over the weekend, dropping two out of three against Texas, scoring one run and three runs in the two losses.
That the Red Sox are nine games over .500 and just a game out of first at this point in the season is puzzling. Until recently, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have looked like marginal back of the rotation starting pitchers instead of aces. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a no show all year while Tim Wakefield and Brad Penny are performing their best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act - a good start here and an awful outing there. For most of the season, Ortiz has been an automatic out. The shortstop position - manned by Nick Green and Julio Lugo - has cost Red Sox pitchers a plethora of runs because neither guy has the range to reach grounders that most Major League shortstops would turn into routine outs and both players have a tendency to botch the grounders they do field and uncork a throw nowhere near Kevin Youkilis. And right now, noone in the lineup is delivering a clutch hit, leaving runners on base and squashing potential big innings.
Despite all of this, the Red Sox are one game out of first place. Not a bad spot to be in, if you ask me. The three-game series between the Sox and Yankees that starts tonight at Fenway Park is important. True, it will not be devastating for the losing team if it gets swept, but the momentum from this three-game set can be instrumental. If the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, or grab two out of three, not only will they reclaim first place in the AL East, but perhaps they can regain some fire. In recent weeks, this team has looked sluggish. One game, the offense looks impressive, and then the next game, it is held to a run and four hits. If the Yankees conduct a sweep, or take two out of three, it will reinforce their confidence. They are 0-5 against the Red Sox so far in 2009.
Here is a look at the pitching matchups in the series:
Tonight - Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09 ERA) versus A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69 ERA). This is an important game for the Sox. Better to be tied for first place with two games left in the series than to fall two games behind. The last time these two pitchers and former teammates opposed one another, the Red Sox clubbed the Yankees, 16-11. It would seem like this would be a pitcher's duel, but as we have learned when the Sox and Yankees clash, you can expect the unexpected.
Wednesday - Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50 ERA) versus Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46 ERA). Why is it that, although Wang has been dreadful in 2009, I don't like this matchup? Perhaps Wakefield's track record against the Yankees is the reason. The knuckleballer is 10-17 with a 5.03 ERA in his career versus the Yankees, which have a habit of using the knuckler for batting practice. Knowing the history of the Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Beckett-Burnett matchup will be a slugfest and the Wakefield-Wang battle will be a 1-0 or 2-1 game.
Thursday - Brad Penny (5-2, 5.85 ERA) versus C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.56 ERA). Multiple media reports indicate that the Sox are in a hurry to trade Penny, especially when June 15 arrives and they no longer have to get his permission. Personally, I like the Penny to Philadelphia for Triple-A shortstop Jason Donald rumor, but I digress. Penny has been adequate, aside from his last start. Sabathia is 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in seven starts against the Sox, so he is definitely hittable.
Notes and observations
Every time ESPN's Buster Olney writes a column about a trade rumor, it should be accompanied with an asterisk. So many times a trade rumor reported by Olney is debunked hours after it is published. The latest example is his golden nugget that the Sox are interested in Oakland's Orlando Cabrera. That was quickly dismissed. According to one AL team's statistical analysis, Cabrera is the worst defensive shortstop in the AL. Thanks, but no, thanks. The Red Sox already have two shortstops with limited range and unreliable fielding and throwing abilities.
Recent reports in Boston media outlets indicate that Theo Epstein will wait for Jed Lowrie to return instead of dealing away prospects for a shortstop. Apparently, the cost in prospects for J.J. Hardy. Jack Wilson and Bobby Crosby is too prohibitive. Since it is evident that Boston will trade Brad Penny as early as June 15, the Sox could get a shortstop in Philadelphia prospect Jason Donald, who is stuck behind Jimmy Rollings and Chase Utley (Donald can also play second base). Donald is a defensive whiz who would be in the majors on many teams. Omar Vizquel is a possibility. The Rangers need relievers, and as we saw last weekend, Vizquel is still a competent defensive shortstop, even at 42. I'm not sure if the Rangers would deal Vizquel, though. He is serving as a mentor to bright young shortstop, Elvis Andrus.
Don't get me wrong. I like Jed Lowrie. I think he will be a productive major league hitter, and he can proficiently play the middle infield spots and third base. For this season, perhaps it is best if he starts at shortstop. In 2010 and beyond, though, maybe he would best serve the Sox in a super utility role. Wouldn't it be nice to have a productive young player who can fill all four infield spots when needed? Yes, Lowrie can also play first base.
If the Sox do not acquire a shortstop, I am comfortable with Nick Green serving as the utility man for the remainder of the season when Lowrie returns. Green has a strong arm, and he has the range to make the routine plays. His problem has been erratic throws, which he has cut down on recently. Until Lowrie gets back in late June or early July, Green should play every day. Julio Lugo is such a liability that he cannot even get to routine grounders. It is clear he has not recovered from knee surgery. What was his main asset - his speed - no longer exists. He is not an offensive threat, either. He thinks he should be playing instead of Green. At this point, the Sox would be better off summoning Gil Velazquez from Pawtucket. Velazquez can't hit major league pitching, but he is defensively sound. When will the Red Sox release Lugo? Obviously, John Henry knows that he has no choice but to eat Lugo's remaining salary (he is signed through 2010 for $9 million a year). Why not do it now instead of when Lowrie returns?
As a Red Sox fan, aren't you sick of the annual talk about the shortstop position? Yesteryear is just that, yesteryear, so we shouldn't dwell in it like Yankees fans, who are immersed in the history books reminiscing when they won World Series titles. Sure, Theo Epstein should have kept Orlando Cabrera, who was still a decent defensive shortstop in 2004. True, Edgar Renteria was a mistake. Yes, Alex Gonzalez was adequate. He hit well enough to justify his spot in the lineup because of his exceptional defense. Maybe, just maybe, Lowrie can provide stability to the position. I just get the feeling that Epstein shares my opinion that, for the long term, Lowrie will best help this team as a utility man who can play all four infield spots. If this is true, the Sox could have yet another shortstop in 2010.
Sure, the American League East standings show that the Yankees are 34-23 and the Red Sox are 33-24 and just a game out. Yet the Yankees have what so far has been a healthy Alex Rodriguez in their lineup, and Mark Teixeira's April funk has long passed. The Red Sox have David Ortiz, who even with a six-game hitting streak has still not surpassed the Mendoza line, and an ailing Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew (both of whom have shoulder strains). The Yankees are fresh off a series at Yankee Stadium that saw them take two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox laid an egg at Fenway Park over the weekend, dropping two out of three against Texas, scoring one run and three runs in the two losses.
That the Red Sox are nine games over .500 and just a game out of first at this point in the season is puzzling. Until recently, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have looked like marginal back of the rotation starting pitchers instead of aces. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a no show all year while Tim Wakefield and Brad Penny are performing their best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act - a good start here and an awful outing there. For most of the season, Ortiz has been an automatic out. The shortstop position - manned by Nick Green and Julio Lugo - has cost Red Sox pitchers a plethora of runs because neither guy has the range to reach grounders that most Major League shortstops would turn into routine outs and both players have a tendency to botch the grounders they do field and uncork a throw nowhere near Kevin Youkilis. And right now, noone in the lineup is delivering a clutch hit, leaving runners on base and squashing potential big innings.
Despite all of this, the Red Sox are one game out of first place. Not a bad spot to be in, if you ask me. The three-game series between the Sox and Yankees that starts tonight at Fenway Park is important. True, it will not be devastating for the losing team if it gets swept, but the momentum from this three-game set can be instrumental. If the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, or grab two out of three, not only will they reclaim first place in the AL East, but perhaps they can regain some fire. In recent weeks, this team has looked sluggish. One game, the offense looks impressive, and then the next game, it is held to a run and four hits. If the Yankees conduct a sweep, or take two out of three, it will reinforce their confidence. They are 0-5 against the Red Sox so far in 2009.
Here is a look at the pitching matchups in the series:
Tonight - Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09 ERA) versus A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69 ERA). This is an important game for the Sox. Better to be tied for first place with two games left in the series than to fall two games behind. The last time these two pitchers and former teammates opposed one another, the Red Sox clubbed the Yankees, 16-11. It would seem like this would be a pitcher's duel, but as we have learned when the Sox and Yankees clash, you can expect the unexpected.
Wednesday - Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50 ERA) versus Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46 ERA). Why is it that, although Wang has been dreadful in 2009, I don't like this matchup? Perhaps Wakefield's track record against the Yankees is the reason. The knuckleballer is 10-17 with a 5.03 ERA in his career versus the Yankees, which have a habit of using the knuckler for batting practice. Knowing the history of the Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Beckett-Burnett matchup will be a slugfest and the Wakefield-Wang battle will be a 1-0 or 2-1 game.
Thursday - Brad Penny (5-2, 5.85 ERA) versus C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.56 ERA). Multiple media reports indicate that the Sox are in a hurry to trade Penny, especially when June 15 arrives and they no longer have to get his permission. Personally, I like the Penny to Philadelphia for Triple-A shortstop Jason Donald rumor, but I digress. Penny has been adequate, aside from his last start. Sabathia is 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in seven starts against the Sox, so he is definitely hittable.
Notes and observations
Every time ESPN's Buster Olney writes a column about a trade rumor, it should be accompanied with an asterisk. So many times a trade rumor reported by Olney is debunked hours after it is published. The latest example is his golden nugget that the Sox are interested in Oakland's Orlando Cabrera. That was quickly dismissed. According to one AL team's statistical analysis, Cabrera is the worst defensive shortstop in the AL. Thanks, but no, thanks. The Red Sox already have two shortstops with limited range and unreliable fielding and throwing abilities.
Recent reports in Boston media outlets indicate that Theo Epstein will wait for Jed Lowrie to return instead of dealing away prospects for a shortstop. Apparently, the cost in prospects for J.J. Hardy. Jack Wilson and Bobby Crosby is too prohibitive. Since it is evident that Boston will trade Brad Penny as early as June 15, the Sox could get a shortstop in Philadelphia prospect Jason Donald, who is stuck behind Jimmy Rollings and Chase Utley (Donald can also play second base). Donald is a defensive whiz who would be in the majors on many teams. Omar Vizquel is a possibility. The Rangers need relievers, and as we saw last weekend, Vizquel is still a competent defensive shortstop, even at 42. I'm not sure if the Rangers would deal Vizquel, though. He is serving as a mentor to bright young shortstop, Elvis Andrus.
Don't get me wrong. I like Jed Lowrie. I think he will be a productive major league hitter, and he can proficiently play the middle infield spots and third base. For this season, perhaps it is best if he starts at shortstop. In 2010 and beyond, though, maybe he would best serve the Sox in a super utility role. Wouldn't it be nice to have a productive young player who can fill all four infield spots when needed? Yes, Lowrie can also play first base.
If the Sox do not acquire a shortstop, I am comfortable with Nick Green serving as the utility man for the remainder of the season when Lowrie returns. Green has a strong arm, and he has the range to make the routine plays. His problem has been erratic throws, which he has cut down on recently. Until Lowrie gets back in late June or early July, Green should play every day. Julio Lugo is such a liability that he cannot even get to routine grounders. It is clear he has not recovered from knee surgery. What was his main asset - his speed - no longer exists. He is not an offensive threat, either. He thinks he should be playing instead of Green. At this point, the Sox would be better off summoning Gil Velazquez from Pawtucket. Velazquez can't hit major league pitching, but he is defensively sound. When will the Red Sox release Lugo? Obviously, John Henry knows that he has no choice but to eat Lugo's remaining salary (he is signed through 2010 for $9 million a year). Why not do it now instead of when Lowrie returns?
As a Red Sox fan, aren't you sick of the annual talk about the shortstop position? Yesteryear is just that, yesteryear, so we shouldn't dwell in it like Yankees fans, who are immersed in the history books reminiscing when they won World Series titles. Sure, Theo Epstein should have kept Orlando Cabrera, who was still a decent defensive shortstop in 2004. True, Edgar Renteria was a mistake. Yes, Alex Gonzalez was adequate. He hit well enough to justify his spot in the lineup because of his exceptional defense. Maybe, just maybe, Lowrie can provide stability to the position. I just get the feeling that Epstein shares my opinion that, for the long term, Lowrie will best help this team as a utility man who can play all four infield spots. If this is true, the Sox could have yet another shortstop in 2010.
On paper, Red Sox are facing Yankees at an inopportune time
In Major League Baseball, over the course of a 162-game season, timing is everything. It's better to catch a team when it is struggling, banged up or both than when it is on a roll at full strength. On paper, at least, this is not an ideal time for the Boston Red Sox to play the New York Yankees.
Sure, the American League East standings show that the Yankees are 34-23 and the Red Sox are 33-24 and just a game out. Yet the Yankees have what so far has been a healthy Alex Rodriguez in their lineup, and Mark Teixeira's April funk has long passed. The Red Sox have David Ortiz, who even with a six-game hitting streak has still not surpassed the Mendoza line, and an ailing Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew (both of whom have shoulder strains). The Yankees are fresh off a series at Yankee Stadium that saw them take two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox laid an egg at Fenway Park over the weekend, dropping two out of three against Texas, scoring one run and three runs in the two losses.
That the Red Sox are nine games over .500 and just a game out of first at this point in the season is puzzling. Until recently, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have looked like marginal back of the rotation starting pitchers instead of aces. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a no show all year while Tim Wakefield and Brad Penny are performing their best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act - a good start here and an awful outing there. For most of the season, Ortiz has been an automatic out. The shortstop position - manned by Nick Green and Julio Lugo - has cost Red Sox pitchers a plethora of runs because neither guy has the range to reach grounders that most Major League shortstops would turn into routine outs and both players have a tendency to botch the grounders they do field and uncork a throw nowhere near Kevin Youkilis. And right now, noone in the lineup is delivering a clutch hit, leaving runners on base and squashing potential big innings.
Despite all of this, the Red Sox are one game out of first place. Not a bad spot to be in, if you ask me. The three-game series between the Sox and Yankees that starts tonight at Fenway Park is important. True, it will not be devastating for the losing team if it gets swept, but the momentum from this three-game set can be instrumental. If the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, or grab two out of three, not only will they reclaim first place in the AL East, but perhaps they can regain some fire. In recent weeks, this team has looked sluggish. One game, the offense looks impressive, and then the next game, it is held to a run and four hits. If the Yankees conduct a sweep, or take two out of three, it will reinforce their confidence. They are 0-5 against the Red Sox so far in 2009.
Here is a look at the pitching matchups in the series:
Tonight - Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09 ERA) versus A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69 ERA). This is an important game for the Sox. Better to be tied for first place with two games left in the series than to fall two games behind. The last time these two pitchers and former teammates opposed one another, the Red Sox clubbed the Yankees, 16-11. It would seem like this would be a pitcher's duel, but as we have learned when the Sox and Yankees clash, you can expect the unexpected.
Wednesday - Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50 ERA) versus Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46 ERA). Why is it that, although Wang has been dreadful in 2009, I don't like this matchup? Perhaps Wakefield's track record against the Yankees is the reason. The knuckleballer is 10-17 with a 5.03 ERA in his career versus the Yankees, which have a habit of using the knuckler for batting practice. Knowing the history of the Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Beckett-Burnett matchup will be a slugfest and the Wakefield-Wang battle will be a 1-0 or 2-1 game.
Thursday - Brad Penny (5-2, 5.85 ERA) versus C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.56 ERA). Multiple media reports indicate that the Sox are in a hurry to trade Penny, especially when June 15 arrives and they no longer have to get his permission. Personally, I like the Penny to Philadelphia for Triple-A shortstop Jason Donald rumor, but I digress. Penny has been adequate, aside from his last start. Sabathia is 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in seven starts against the Sox, so he is definitely hittable.
Notes and observations
Every time ESPN's Buster Olney writes a column about a trade rumor, it should be accompanied with an asterisk. So many times a trade rumor reported by Olney is debunked hours after it is published. The latest example is his golden nugget that the Sox are interested in Oakland's Orlando Cabrera. That was quickly dismissed. According to one AL team's statistical analysis, Cabrera is the worst defensive shortstop in the AL. Thanks, but no, thanks. The Red Sox already have two shortstops with limited range and unreliable fielding and throwing abilities.
Recent reports in Boston media outlets indicate that Theo Epstein will wait for Jed Lowrie to return instead of dealing away prospects for a shortstop. Apparently, the cost in prospects for J.J. Hardy. Jack Wilson and Bobby Crosby is too prohibitive. Since it is evident that Boston will trade Brad Penny as early as June 15, the Sox could get a shortstop in Philadelphia prospect Jason Donald, who is stuck behind Jimmy Rollings and Chase Utley (Donald can also play second base). Donald is a defensive whiz who would be in the majors on many teams. Omar Vizquel is a possibility. The Rangers need relievers, and as we saw last weekend, Vizquel is still a competent defensive shortstop, even at 42. I'm not sure if the Rangers would deal Vizquel, though. He is serving as a mentor to bright young shortstop, Elvis Andrus.
Don't get me wrong. I like Jed Lowrie. I think he will be a productive major league hitter, and he can proficiently play the middle infield spots and third base. For this season, perhaps it is best if he starts at shortstop. In 2010 and beyond, though, maybe he would best serve the Sox in a super utility role. Wouldn't it be nice to have a productive young player who can fill all four infield spots when needed? Yes, Lowrie can also play first base.
If the Sox do not acquire a shortstop, I am comfortable with Nick Green serving as the utility man for the remainder of the season when Lowrie returns. Green has a strong arm, and he has the range to make the routine plays. His problem has been erratic throws, which he has cut down on recently. Until Lowrie gets back in late June or early July, Green should play every day. Julio Lugo is such a liability that he cannot even get to routine grounders. It is clear he has not recovered from knee surgery. What was his main asset - his speed - no longer exists. He is not an offensive threat, either. He thinks he should be playing instead of Green. At this point, the Sox would be better off summoning Gil Velazquez from Pawtucket. Velazquez can't hit major league pitching, but he is defensively sound. When will the Red Sox release Lugo? Obviously, John Henry knows that he has no choice but to eat Lugo's remaining salary (he is signed through 2010 for $9 million a year). Why not do it now instead of when Lowrie returns?
As a Red Sox fan, aren't you sick of the annual talk about the shortstop position? Yesteryear is just that, yesteryear, so we shouldn't dwell in it like Yankees fans, who are immersed in the history books reminiscing when they won World Series titles. Sure, Theo Epstein should have kept Orlando Cabrera, who was still a decent defensive shortstop in 2004. True, Edgar Renteria was a mistake. Yes, Alex Gonzalez was adequate. He hit well enough to justify his spot in the lineup because of his exceptional defense. Maybe, just maybe, Lowrie can provide stability to the position. I just get the feeling that Epstein shares my opinion that, for the long term, Lowrie will best help this team as a utility man who can play all four infield spots. If this is true, the Sox could have yet another shortstop in 2010.
Sure, the American League East standings show that the Yankees are 34-23 and the Red Sox are 33-24 and just a game out. Yet the Yankees have what so far has been a healthy Alex Rodriguez in their lineup, and Mark Teixeira's April funk has long passed. The Red Sox have David Ortiz, who even with a six-game hitting streak has still not surpassed the Mendoza line, and an ailing Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew (both of whom have shoulder strains). The Yankees are fresh off a series at Yankee Stadium that saw them take two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox laid an egg at Fenway Park over the weekend, dropping two out of three against Texas, scoring one run and three runs in the two losses.
That the Red Sox are nine games over .500 and just a game out of first at this point in the season is puzzling. Until recently, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have looked like marginal back of the rotation starting pitchers instead of aces. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been a no show all year while Tim Wakefield and Brad Penny are performing their best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act - a good start here and an awful outing there. For most of the season, Ortiz has been an automatic out. The shortstop position - manned by Nick Green and Julio Lugo - has cost Red Sox pitchers a plethora of runs because neither guy has the range to reach grounders that most Major League shortstops would turn into routine outs and both players have a tendency to botch the grounders they do field and uncork a throw nowhere near Kevin Youkilis. And right now, noone in the lineup is delivering a clutch hit, leaving runners on base and squashing potential big innings.
Despite all of this, the Red Sox are one game out of first place. Not a bad spot to be in, if you ask me. The three-game series between the Sox and Yankees that starts tonight at Fenway Park is important. True, it will not be devastating for the losing team if it gets swept, but the momentum from this three-game set can be instrumental. If the Red Sox sweep the Yankees, or grab two out of three, not only will they reclaim first place in the AL East, but perhaps they can regain some fire. In recent weeks, this team has looked sluggish. One game, the offense looks impressive, and then the next game, it is held to a run and four hits. If the Yankees conduct a sweep, or take two out of three, it will reinforce their confidence. They are 0-5 against the Red Sox so far in 2009.
Here is a look at the pitching matchups in the series:
Tonight - Josh Beckett (6-2, 4.09 ERA) versus A.J. Burnett (4-2, 4.69 ERA). This is an important game for the Sox. Better to be tied for first place with two games left in the series than to fall two games behind. The last time these two pitchers and former teammates opposed one another, the Red Sox clubbed the Yankees, 16-11. It would seem like this would be a pitcher's duel, but as we have learned when the Sox and Yankees clash, you can expect the unexpected.
Wednesday - Tim Wakefield (7-3, 4.50 ERA) versus Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 14.46 ERA). Why is it that, although Wang has been dreadful in 2009, I don't like this matchup? Perhaps Wakefield's track record against the Yankees is the reason. The knuckleballer is 10-17 with a 5.03 ERA in his career versus the Yankees, which have a habit of using the knuckler for batting practice. Knowing the history of the Sox-Yankees rivalry, the Beckett-Burnett matchup will be a slugfest and the Wakefield-Wang battle will be a 1-0 or 2-1 game.
Thursday - Brad Penny (5-2, 5.85 ERA) versus C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.56 ERA). Multiple media reports indicate that the Sox are in a hurry to trade Penny, especially when June 15 arrives and they no longer have to get his permission. Personally, I like the Penny to Philadelphia for Triple-A shortstop Jason Donald rumor, but I digress. Penny has been adequate, aside from his last start. Sabathia is 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA in seven starts against the Sox, so he is definitely hittable.
Notes and observations
Every time ESPN's Buster Olney writes a column about a trade rumor, it should be accompanied with an asterisk. So many times a trade rumor reported by Olney is debunked hours after it is published. The latest example is his golden nugget that the Sox are interested in Oakland's Orlando Cabrera. That was quickly dismissed. According to one AL team's statistical analysis, Cabrera is the worst defensive shortstop in the AL. Thanks, but no, thanks. The Red Sox already have two shortstops with limited range and unreliable fielding and throwing abilities.
Recent reports in Boston media outlets indicate that Theo Epstein will wait for Jed Lowrie to return instead of dealing away prospects for a shortstop. Apparently, the cost in prospects for J.J. Hardy. Jack Wilson and Bobby Crosby is too prohibitive. Since it is evident that Boston will trade Brad Penny as early as June 15, the Sox could get a shortstop in Philadelphia prospect Jason Donald, who is stuck behind Jimmy Rollings and Chase Utley (Donald can also play second base). Donald is a defensive whiz who would be in the majors on many teams. Omar Vizquel is a possibility. The Rangers need relievers, and as we saw last weekend, Vizquel is still a competent defensive shortstop, even at 42. I'm not sure if the Rangers would deal Vizquel, though. He is serving as a mentor to bright young shortstop, Elvis Andrus.
Don't get me wrong. I like Jed Lowrie. I think he will be a productive major league hitter, and he can proficiently play the middle infield spots and third base. For this season, perhaps it is best if he starts at shortstop. In 2010 and beyond, though, maybe he would best serve the Sox in a super utility role. Wouldn't it be nice to have a productive young player who can fill all four infield spots when needed? Yes, Lowrie can also play first base.
If the Sox do not acquire a shortstop, I am comfortable with Nick Green serving as the utility man for the remainder of the season when Lowrie returns. Green has a strong arm, and he has the range to make the routine plays. His problem has been erratic throws, which he has cut down on recently. Until Lowrie gets back in late June or early July, Green should play every day. Julio Lugo is such a liability that he cannot even get to routine grounders. It is clear he has not recovered from knee surgery. What was his main asset - his speed - no longer exists. He is not an offensive threat, either. He thinks he should be playing instead of Green. At this point, the Sox would be better off summoning Gil Velazquez from Pawtucket. Velazquez can't hit major league pitching, but he is defensively sound. When will the Red Sox release Lugo? Obviously, John Henry knows that he has no choice but to eat Lugo's remaining salary (he is signed through 2010 for $9 million a year). Why not do it now instead of when Lowrie returns?
As a Red Sox fan, aren't you sick of the annual talk about the shortstop position? Yesteryear is just that, yesteryear, so we shouldn't dwell in it like Yankees fans, who are immersed in the history books reminiscing when they won World Series titles. Sure, Theo Epstein should have kept Orlando Cabrera, who was still a decent defensive shortstop in 2004. True, Edgar Renteria was a mistake. Yes, Alex Gonzalez was adequate. He hit well enough to justify his spot in the lineup because of his exceptional defense. Maybe, just maybe, Lowrie can provide stability to the position. I just get the feeling that Epstein shares my opinion that, for the long term, Lowrie will best help this team as a utility man who can play all four infield spots. If this is true, the Sox could have yet another shortstop in 2010.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Sunday, 05/10/09 10:41 PM
I hope you had a nice weekend? I did, a pretty unproductive weekend, but I caught up on sleep, finished Angels & Demons, started Pattern Recognition, discovered Cuco, a Spanish Yecla, and spent quality time with my family and my pool. Doesn't get too much better than that, except my todo list isn't any shorter and I know I will pay for my sins of omission tomorrow... Did I mention? Alexis successfully passed her driving test and is now in proud possession of a learner's permit. Oh no! How exciting for her, and, um, how exciting for me, too... If you live in Ventura County and see a blue Volvo station wagon, you have been warned :) So about that bailout... Bankruptcy 'inevitable' for GM, experts predict. The non-expert experts at TTAC have been predicting that for about three years. Note to all: they are not victims of a bad economy, that was just the last straw. Between their union relationships, their pension funds, and their inability to make cars people want this writing has been on the wall for a long time... If you think the government is immune from the same fate, check out the recent terrible treasury action. "There are two critical consequences to the economy stabilizing. The first is that the massive liquidity injected into credit markets by the Federal Reserve and central banks around the world transforms from economic medicine to inflationary heroin. The second dangerous consequence is that President Obama is on course to double the national debt in just four years." Oh goody, inflation. Good news: US Dept of Energy kills hydrogen vehicle program. Now we won't be wasting time and money on that dumb idea... let's concentrate on electric cars and nuclear power, okay? Actually, I don't think the US government should spend any money on this at all, private industry should make the investments. That way the economics will be sound. The Giro d'Italia is under way, the three week Tour of Italy bike race... favorites for the overall include Levi Leipheiper ably assisted by super-domestique Lance Armstrong... interestingly, Alessandro Petacchi edged Mark Cavendish in the sprint finale to stage 2; wow, I didn't think anyone beat Cavendish in a sprint anymore. Cavendish remains first overall for the moment, but when they start climbing that will change. This is pretty cool: hilarious ad about dirty money... nicely done. This has to be the dumbest idea of all time, amid heavy competition: Twitshirt prints tee-shirts with tweets you like on them. The next time you see a tweet which is worth printing on a shirt, let me know. I haven't even see any worth putting in a blog post; every time a blogger tries that, it flops miserably. Maybe I should tweet about
Thursday, June 11, 2009
More Brisconnections train wreckage!
I really love following the BrisConnections debacle. It makes Opes Prime, Storm, and all that sort of stuff look pretty dull in comparision.This week, the Victorian Supreme Court gave its reasons for its ruling on the BrisCon case, and whilst bucketing the BrisCon people, did not say anything nice about Nick Bolton.Well, he is a cyclist, so why should they?More court action has been going on in Queensland as well, and the MacQuarie Bank was hoping to salvage something through a deal which would see retail investors saved from the $2 per share liability. This fell through due to their co-underwriter, Deustche Bank, refusing to come to the party. Obviously, the legal position which is starting to emerge is one where the BrisCon prospectus and other related information failed to adequately inform retail investors as to what their potential liabilities are. Which means, with ASIC and others starting to line up for legal action, that those liabilities could very well get thrown out of court. I sure hope so.BrisCon has now, belatedly, been suspended from trading on the ASX, and the ASX has changed its trading rules so as to protect retail investors better in future from incurring such liabilities.But why so late to act? I think that amongst the various conflicts of interest, BrisCon's chairman Trevor Rowe's position on the ASX board of directors now no longer looks tenable, and he should do the honourable thing and resign from the ASX board.Another interesting development is that Nick Bolton's legal team has indicated that some of the evidence provided by the Mac Bank in their Queensland court case is material which was not disclosed in the float prospectus. Bolton's team is considering using these revelations as the basis for further litigation against the Mac Bank.I hope that happens. I think that the Mac Bank has to wear a lot of the blame for the whole debacle, particularly in the short sighted way they caused the share price to collapse by dumping their holding on the market when they realised belatedly that they were onto a lemon.Which leads me to an interesting aside about the MacQuarie Bank. They underwrote this float, and set up the whole structure of the deal and the company. Could they not have foreseen when they set it up last year that there were all sorts of things which might and could go horribly wrong, and which would cost them big time? After all, unlike me, the MacQuarie Bank pays huge salaries to a lot of economic and financial wizards who should be able to understand these things and forecast market conditions a lot better than any old retail investor.That the Macquarie Bank has failed so miserably in this particular instance seriously casts doubt on the competance of their people and their whole operation. I suspect this is their defining Babcock and Brown moment.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
half of my secret revealed!
FIRST THINGS FIRST: I'M ON THE TONIGHT SHOW TONIGHT!!!!!
Now, onto today's blog...
********************************************
That's right, gang!
Today I (with the help of a special lil' blog buddy) reveal HALF of my big secret!
REMINDER - I will continue doing my Tonight Show segments, just as I have for the past 7 years. And, because I know there will be questions from all of you, there has been no discussion yet of me appearing on Jay's new show, which doesn't mean I won't or I will continue doing segment for him once he goes there.
Just fyi... :)
Anyway, let's get to today's TALKY BLOG to find out about ROSS' BIG SECRET PART 1!
Well... what are YOUR thoughts, gang?!? And what do you think Part 2 of my secret will be?!?
Go share YOUR thoughts in our COMMENT SECTION! And go say hi to Lara in there - I know she'll read them! :)
I hope you like our lil' segment on The Insider tonight. And if you do, watch again tomorrow! That's right - I'll be on The Insider again tomorrow night, too! :)
AMAZING, RIGHT?!?!?
More info to come, gang. Don't worry - things may change a bit, but we'll still get to hang out together online every day.
:)
Now, onto today's blog...
********************************************
That's right, gang!
Today I (with the help of a special lil' blog buddy) reveal HALF of my big secret!
REMINDER - I will continue doing my Tonight Show segments, just as I have for the past 7 years. And, because I know there will be questions from all of you, there has been no discussion yet of me appearing on Jay's new show, which doesn't mean I won't or I will continue doing segment for him once he goes there.
Just fyi... :)
Anyway, let's get to today's TALKY BLOG to find out about ROSS' BIG SECRET PART 1!
Well... what are YOUR thoughts, gang?!? And what do you think Part 2 of my secret will be?!?
Go share YOUR thoughts in our COMMENT SECTION! And go say hi to Lara in there - I know she'll read them! :)
I hope you like our lil' segment on The Insider tonight. And if you do, watch again tomorrow! That's right - I'll be on The Insider again tomorrow night, too! :)
AMAZING, RIGHT?!?!?
More info to come, gang. Don't worry - things may change a bit, but we'll still get to hang out together online every day.
:)
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