Well, it seems like there's a pattern with the Red Sox pitchers. Could this 19-8 start be a hot team or something else????
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Well, it seems like there's a pattern with the Red Sox pitchers. Could this 19-8 start be a hot team or something else????
Will what ever end, Joe? Your chronic silliness? Your bookie says the line is 10-1 against.
Sorry rumples, but these are pretty serious accusations coming from Hayhurst, Martinez and Milner and they can't be taken lightly, I personally think that sooner or later they(Sox pitchers) will get caught and when they do look for big suspensions.
Greg Zaun appeared on Primetime Sports yesterday afternoon & the item in question was brought up. Even though he did admit it was cheating, he did defend Bucholz by stating what he did wasn't really against the rules since many pitchers do the same thing. The difference is that some are better than others at covering it up. But his responses were vague. Yes, it's cheating...but not against the rules? He was surprised the Jays never brought it up with the umpires, but did agree that teams in the future (and MLB) would likely take notice.
One thing the panel did mention was that Bucholz' hair appeared to have an abundance of hair gel, which would also make him look very suspicious. I also did notice this during the first inning of his game the other night....i couldn't believe Bucholz had sweated so much considering the first inning had just started. But i hadn't realized that his hair wasn't wet due to sweat, but likely to an extreme amount of hair gel in his hair. By the way, there were many instances during the game where Bucholz was spotted going to several areas of his body prior to gripping the ball.
And now, Tazawa was supposedly caught doing the same thing. Is it a common thing among the Red Sox pitchers? Is pitching coach Juan Nieves behind these tactics? Why didn't anyone mention this to Alfredo Aceves before he got buried in the minors?
Check out a clip of today's Baseball Central show on Rogers Sportsnet:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/red-sox-starter-buchholz-could-be-doctoring-ball/
Jack Morris: "Bucholz threw spitter"
TORONTO -- Jack Morris, a former World Series hero and a current Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster, said Thursday that he watched video after Wednesday night's game between the Jays and Red Sox and came away convinced Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz was throwing a spitball.
Morris said he didn't notice it during Wednesday's telecast.
"I found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," he said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is."
Morris's accusation was vigorously disputed by the Red Sox, including manager John Farrell and Buchholz, who said it's the first time he's been accused of throwing a spitball.
"Loading up with what, rosin?" Buchholz said. "I get wet from my hair. Are they talking about the stains on my shirt? There probably are stains on my shirt, because I've been wearing the same shirt for the last three years.
"I'm doing the same thing right now as I did in 2008, when I was sent down to Double-A. But I guess something's got to be wrong, right?'"
Video of Buchholz rubbing his pitching hand on his left forearm was shown on the Jays' pregame show Thursday night.
"He's got rosin on his arm," said Farrell, visibly annoyed. "He's not loading up; he's got rosin on his arm. As soon as someone pitches well or does well, they're cheating."
Buchholz has won each of his first six starts, including Wednesday's when he held the Jays to two hits in seven scoreless innings. Buchholz, who has a 1.01 ERA, was named American League Pitcher of the Month on Thursday.
Morris said he went to Farrell and told him of his suspicions. He said he saw Buchholz repeatedly going to his left forearm, which he said was clearly smeared with a substance that Buchholz was rubbing onto the ball.
"It was all over his forearm, all over the lower part of his T-shirt, it's all in his hair," Morris said. "I can't prove anything. I can't prove anything.
"Funny thing, the way the game is played today. In our generation, every player, every coach would have seen it, the umpire would have gone out and made him change, made him stop and that changes everything. Or else they throw him out of the game. So what kind of bugs all of us is nothing is done here."
That last comment could be construed as criticism of Toronto manager John Gibbons and the rest of the Blue Jays, none of whom raised any issues with plate umpire Bruce Dreckman.
Morris won 254 games over the course of an 18-year big-league career. He is best remembered for one of the greatest pitching performances in World Series history, when he was with the Twins and beat the Atlanta Braves, 1-0, in 10 innings in Game 7 of the 1991 Series.
Asked if he believed the action of Buchholz's pitches suggested he was throwing a spitter, Morris said, "What do you think? Look at the pitches. Fastball at 94 that goes like that," Morris said, his hand darting swiftly down and away. "On a fastball?
"He's not the first guy to ever do it? You can get away with it. Gaylord [Perry] made a nice career out of it."
Perry is in the Hall of Fame.
Asked if he has seen any other current pitchers throw a spitball, Morris said he hasn't.
"But I'll be looking,'' he said. "I'll be looking. You warn all your boys I'll be looking.''
Morris said he shared his suspicions with Red Sox catchers David Ross, who caught Buchholz on Wednesday, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia before Thursday's game.
More On The Red Sox
Gordon Edes and the rest of the ESPNBoston.com team have the Red Sox covered for you. Blog
"I went up to Salty and I told him," Morris said. "He said, 'It's dry in Boston, and I've seen him put water all over his pants.' I said, 'Salty this isn't my first [expletive] rodeo.' He didn't know what to say to that, so we ended the conversation right there."
Saltalamacchia and Ross acknowledged speaking to Morris.
"I know for a fact he's not doing anything illegal, as far as making his ball move more or cutting the ball to make it do this, that's ridiculous," Saltalamacchia said.
Saltalamacchia said Buchholz uses a mix of water and rosin to improve his grip on the ball.
"There aren't too many pitchers who don't try to get a grip somehow," Saltalamacchia said. "That's why there's rosin out there. I don't see anything to be alarmed about. It's not like he's taking a file and cutting the ball, doing something to make the ball move.
"The only person I've ever seen do that is [Vicente] Padilla. I'd see Padilla get water from the back of his head, and the ball would sink six inches or so. With Buch, anyone who's been around him knows his ball does what it does, but he's not doing anything different than last year or the year before."
Said Ross: "I touch the ball as much as Buch does and I know when a pitcher is messing with the ball. He's not putting anything on it. And that shirt he wears is about 40 years old."
Morris said he never threw a spitter in a game.
"One game I tried it in the bullpen and that's why I know," he said. "It was back against Oakland when Billy [Martin] was in Oakland. He had Matt Keough, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Steve McCatty. Every one of those guys was throwing a spitter; every one of them. The reason I know is I was pitching against Mike Norris and back in those days they wouldn't throw balls out, and they were all full of [stuff].
"Next time I'm in the pen, I asked Milt Wilcox, 'How do you throw a spitter,' because he pitched with Gaylord. He knows all Gaylord's tricks.
"He said, 'C'mon, I'll show you.' So I threw about three of them and the bottom fell out -- quick, sharp, nasty. But it's not the easiest thing to throw. That's why you don't throw it every pitch."
Morris said he took no issue with his spitball accusations being reported.
"I've got no problem with it," he said, "because I know he was."
Morris wasn't the only one to accuse Buchholz.
Former major league pitcher Dirk Hayhurst, now a broadcast analyst for the Blue Jays, told Toronto radio station Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Thursday that Buchholz was "absolutely" cheating in Wednesday's start.
http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story...-miffed-jack-morris-allegations-clay-buchholz
TORONTO -- Jack Morris, a former World Series hero and a current Toronto Blue Jays broadcaster, said Thursday that he watched video after Wednesday night's game between the Jays and Red Sox and came away convinced Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz was throwing a spitball.
Morris said he didn't notice it during Wednesday's telecast.
"I found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," he said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is."
Morris's accusation was vigorously disputed by the Red Sox, including manager John Farrell and Buchholz, who said it's the first time he's been accused of throwing a spitball.
"Loading up with what, rosin?" Buchholz said. "I get wet from my hair. Are they talking about the stains on my shirt? There probably are stains on my shirt, because I've been wearing the same shirt for the last three years.
"I'm doing the same thing right now as I did in 2008, when I was sent down to Double-A. But I guess something's got to be wrong, right?'"
Video of Buchholz rubbing his pitching hand on his left forearm was shown on the Jays' pregame show Thursday night.
"He's got rosin on his arm," said Farrell, visibly annoyed. "He's not loading up; he's got rosin on his arm. As soon as someone pitches well or does well, they're cheating."
Buchholz has won each of his first six starts, including Wednesday's when he held the Jays to two hits in seven scoreless innings. Buchholz, who has a 1.01 ERA, was named American League Pitcher of the Month on Thursday.
Morris said he went to Farrell and told him of his suspicions. He said he saw Buchholz repeatedly going to his left forearm, which he said was clearly smeared with a substance that Buchholz was rubbing onto the ball.
"It was all over his forearm, all over the lower part of his T-shirt, it's all in his hair," Morris said. "I can't prove anything. I can't prove anything.
"Funny thing, the way the game is played today. In our generation, every player, every coach would have seen it, the umpire would have gone out and made him change, made him stop and that changes everything. Or else they throw him out of the game. So what kind of bugs all of us is nothing is done here."
That last comment could be construed as criticism of Toronto manager John Gibbons and the rest of the Blue Jays, none of whom raised any issues with plate umpire Bruce Dreckman.
Morris won 254 games over the course of an 18-year big-league career. He is best remembered for one of the greatest pitching performances in World Series history, when he was with the Twins and beat the Atlanta Braves, 1-0, in 10 innings in Game 7 of the 1991 Series.
Asked if he believed the action of Buchholz's pitches suggested he was throwing a spitter, Morris said, "What do you think? Look at the pitches. Fastball at 94 that goes like that," Morris said, his hand darting swiftly down and away. "On a fastball?
"He's not the first guy to ever do it? You can get away with it. Gaylord [Perry] made a nice career out of it."
Perry is in the Hall of Fame.
Asked if he has seen any other current pitchers throw a spitball, Morris said he hasn't.
"But I'll be looking,'' he said. "I'll be looking. You warn all your boys I'll be looking.''
Morris said he shared his suspicions with Red Sox catchers David Ross, who caught Buchholz on Wednesday, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia before Thursday's game.
More On The Red Sox
Gordon Edes and the rest of the ESPNBoston.com team have the Red Sox covered for you. Blog
"I went up to Salty and I told him," Morris said. "He said, 'It's dry in Boston, and I've seen him put water all over his pants.' I said, 'Salty this isn't my first [expletive] rodeo.' He didn't know what to say to that, so we ended the conversation right there."
Saltalamacchia and Ross acknowledged speaking to Morris.
"I know for a fact he's not doing anything illegal, as far as making his ball move more or cutting the ball to make it do this, that's ridiculous," Saltalamacchia said.
Saltalamacchia said Buchholz uses a mix of water and rosin to improve his grip on the ball.
"There aren't too many pitchers who don't try to get a grip somehow," Saltalamacchia said. "That's why there's rosin out there. I don't see anything to be alarmed about. It's not like he's taking a file and cutting the ball, doing something to make the ball move.
"The only person I've ever seen do that is [Vicente] Padilla. I'd see Padilla get water from the back of his head, and the ball would sink six inches or so. With Buch, anyone who's been around him knows his ball does what it does, but he's not doing anything different than last year or the year before."
Said Ross: "I touch the ball as much as Buch does and I know when a pitcher is messing with the ball. He's not putting anything on it. And that shirt he wears is about 40 years old."
Morris said he never threw a spitter in a game.
"One game I tried it in the bullpen and that's why I know," he said. "It was back against Oakland when Billy [Martin] was in Oakland. He had Matt Keough, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Steve McCatty. Every one of those guys was throwing a spitter; every one of them. The reason I know is I was pitching against Mike Norris and back in those days they wouldn't throw balls out, and they were all full of [stuff].
"Next time I'm in the pen, I asked Milt Wilcox, 'How do you throw a spitter,' because he pitched with Gaylord. He knows all Gaylord's tricks.
"He said, 'C'mon, I'll show you.' So I threw about three of them and the bottom fell out -- quick, sharp, nasty. But it's not the easiest thing to throw. That's why you don't throw it every pitch."
Morris said he took no issue with his spitball accusations being reported.
"I've got no problem with it," he said, "because I know he was."
Morris wasn't the only one to accuse Buchholz.
Former major league pitcher Dirk Hayhurst, now a broadcast analyst for the Blue Jays, told Toronto radio station Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Thursday that Buchholz was "absolutely" cheating in Wednesday's start.
http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story...-miffed-jack-morris-allegations-clay-buchholz
It's amazing the things guys will say when their team sucks. Jack Morris has apparently never seen a spitter. Morris is a dope; Hayhurst should know better.
What makes Buchholz successful is a riding two seam fastball, which moves nothing like a spitter. His secondary pitch, his curve, looks nothing like a spitter. His third pitch, his change, which he throws maybe 10% of the time, could be mistaken for a spitter by a total moron.
What makes a spitball effective is its irregular movement. There is nothing like that in anything Buchholz throws. If you want to see a spitter in action, take a peak at some video of Gaylord Perry or Whitey Ford, who threw it regularly leading the NY Yankees of the 1950s to quite a few tainted World's Championships.
Anything else you guys want me to teach you about baseball, just let me know. You can now go back to your regularly scheduled whining.
Oh, by the way, Buchholz doesn't wear hair gel; he pours water on his head between innings. Sox announcers were discussing that a couple of weeks ago.
What makes Buchholz successful is a riding two seam fastball, which moves nothing like a spitter. His secondary pitch, his curve, looks nothing like a spitter. His third pitch, his change, which he throws maybe 10% of the time, could be mistaken for a spitter by a total moron.
What makes a spitball effective is its irregular movement. There is nothing like that in anything Buchholz throws. If you want to see a spitter in action, take a peak at some video of Gaylord Perry or Whitey Ford, who threw it regularly leading the NY Yankees of the 1950s to quite a few tainted World's Championships.
Anything else you guys want me to teach you about baseball, just let me know. You can now go back to your regularly scheduled whining.
Oh, by the way, Buchholz doesn't wear hair gel; he pours water on his head between innings. Sox announcers were discussing that a couple of weeks ago.
Here's Dennis Eckersley and Jerry Remy taking Morris and Hayhurst to school. Morris, poor guy, is no match for The Eck's high cheese.
http://nesn.com/2013/05/dennis-ecke...x-cheat-tells-former-pitcher-to-zip-it-video/
http://nesn.com/2013/05/dennis-ecke...x-cheat-tells-former-pitcher-to-zip-it-video/
This reminds me of the famous Joe Niekro nail board incident, seen in this video, which led to Niekro's ejection and suspension:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXLmh1dG5fY
The problem with Bucholz is Gibbons and his staff did not complain so there was nothing for the umpires to do. The game was not protested. What Morris should have done is called the Toronto dugout rather than talk to the Red Sox catchers. I don't understand why, if he thought there was cheating going on, he did not just pick up the phone and call John Gibbon so Gibbons could take his John Wayne-like strut/swagger out to the mound and argue the issue to the umps, rather Morris and Hayhurst bitching about it later in the media.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXLmh1dG5fY
The problem with Bucholz is Gibbons and his staff did not complain so there was nothing for the umpires to do. The game was not protested. What Morris should have done is called the Toronto dugout rather than talk to the Red Sox catchers. I don't understand why, if he thought there was cheating going on, he did not just pick up the phone and call John Gibbon so Gibbons could take his John Wayne-like strut/swagger out to the mound and argue the issue to the umps, rather Morris and Hayhurst bitching about it later in the media.
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Beave, if you read the last article (from ESPN) that i posted, Morris was unaware of Bucholz cheating until he heard about it once the game was over. He looked at the video evidence after the game & easily concluded Bucholz had been throwing a spitter. No wonder he had been pitching so well in April. As the article explained, Morris confronted both of Boston's catchers prior to their game last night when Dempster took the mound. By then, it was already news & everyone had heard about it...and watched the video showing Bucholz cheating. Morris also mentionned that in the ol' days, the umpires didn't wait for the opposing team's manager to complain about a pitcher possibly cheating. They would have walked to the mound & done their jobs like they're paid to.
Considering the game was already out of hand by the time Toronto might have noticed the infraction(s), it was no use for Toronto to stir the pot & complain. But i can guarantee you that from now on, Mr. Bucholz & other Boston pitchers will be scrutinized by opposing teams & likely MLB. I expect Mr. Bucholz' stats to start dipping within the next couple of weeks or so. "No more cheating for you, Mr. Bucholz!"
I can almost guarantee you that a managers such as John Madden, Buck Showalter or Joe Girardi won't let Mr. Bucholz & the other Red Sox pitchers get off so easily the next time they meet. I can also assure you that by now, MLB has advised their umpires to keep an open eye on Mr. Bucholz & other Red Sox pitchers since it's rather obvious from the video evidence that cheating has been going on. "No more spitballs for you."
Considering the game was already out of hand by the time Toronto might have noticed the infraction(s), it was no use for Toronto to stir the pot & complain. But i can guarantee you that from now on, Mr. Bucholz & other Boston pitchers will be scrutinized by opposing teams & likely MLB. I expect Mr. Bucholz' stats to start dipping within the next couple of weeks or so. "No more cheating for you, Mr. Bucholz!"
I can almost guarantee you that a managers such as John Madden, Buck Showalter or Joe Girardi won't let Mr. Bucholz & the other Red Sox pitchers get off so easily the next time they meet. I can also assure you that by now, MLB has advised their umpires to keep an open eye on Mr. Bucholz & other Red Sox pitchers since it's rather obvious from the video evidence that cheating has been going on. "No more spitballs for you."
Haha, rumps, you teach us about baseball. Being modest there again, rumps.
Anyhow, Jack Morris had a pretty damn good career. He pitched 17 years and was the hero in the 1991 Minnesota Twins World Series win over the Atlanta Braves, pitching a 10 inning shut out.
But really, it's good Morris spoke out. Eckersley, should shut his big mouth up, from here. Now Buchholz is in the spotlight. If Buchholz is throwing spitters, he won't be able to or he will be caught. If he is not, he has nothing to worry about. Good job, Jack.
Hows about you get taught a dose of reality, I know, i know, it is IMPOSSIBLE a red sox player cheats, simply impossible............ Bwhahahahaahahahahaahahahaha.
Cheater? Explain to me how a guy aging like dave ortiz is now all the sudden the best hitter in the game, having just came off the DL with little game experience in the minors and hitting .500 and crushing the ball??? Reminds me of another old guy who was the same way, one mr, Barry Bonds. hmmmmmmmmmmm cant wait to hear your awesome knowledge on that one, Teach
(actually, dont bother, lol)
Cheater? Explain to me how a guy aging like dave ortiz is now all the sudden the best hitter in the game, having just came off the DL with little game experience in the minors and hitting .500 and crushing the ball??? Reminds me of another old guy who was the same way, one mr, Barry Bonds. hmmmmmmmmmmm cant wait to hear your awesome knowledge on that one, Teach
(actually, dont bother, lol)I would agree that he is going to be watched. It will be interesting to see if he continues these behaviors on the mound. I can recall various pitchers being questioned about doing various things to scuff balls through the years, and claiming they were trying to get a better grip on the ball.
I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned that the Blue Jays were accused of stealing signs last year, by both the Orioles and Yankees:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/jays-accused-of-sign-stealing/
If I recall correctly, Girardi said that he believed they were putting someone in the outfield stands with videocam with high powered zoom lens, zooming in on catcher's signals and then texting the info to the BJs dugout. Girardi thwarted these maneuvers by changing signs. He went out to the mound and ordered all signs changed during the game.
Guess who was the Jays manager that season? Yep, John Farrell. Same John Farrell who manages the Red Sox.
I remember the incident. The Jays firmly denied the allegations & suspected the rumours came from the Chicago White Sox.
On another note, i strongly question every sports achievement that comes out of Boston, which in my opinion owes a lot of its past success to a culture of cheating. Just look at the New England Patriots. Just look at Manny Ramirez & other players who were strongly suspected of using steroids/HGH several years ago when they finally won a championship, their first since 1918. Of course, i'm not saying that they're the only team(s) cheating, but cheating & pro sports in Boston almost seem to go hand-in-hand.
But if it works & they can get away with it, who can blame them?? Other teams should follow their lead.....
And once again, i predict that Mr. Bucholz' statistics won't be as good in the coming months has they have been in April. He got caught cheating....nobody not affiliated to the Red Sox buys his story....they got him hook, line & sinker. "No more cheating for you, Mr. Bucholz."
The Jays denied it, but I remember that the YES network cameras caught some suspicious looking guy in the left field area holding a camera with a zoom lens which was pointed at home plate and the Yankees' catchers. I think Jack Curry of YES told Girardi and not only did the Yankees have several series of signs to use, but Girardi ordered the Yankees catchers to paint their fingernails with colored fingernail polish to confuse the Jays, as color sequences were used in the change of signs. I think the Jays gave up on their shenanigans after these counter-cheating measures were implemented by Joe Girardi.
I recall at the time thinking it was strange as I had never seen a catcher wearing fingernail polish, but it was designed to alert the Jays that the Yankees knew what they were doing and Girardi was not going to be fucked with. And the Yankees 17-10 record so far this year, with half their team on the DL, and the Yankees starting guys who are mostly part time players, shows he is someone who is not to be fucked with.
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Tell Us Teacher
Sure, rumps, can you teach us how your team, the Boston Red Sox, cheats so well? It's very interesting, especially with their 20-8 record.
Sure, rumps, can you teach us how your team, the Boston Red Sox, cheats so well? It's very interesting, especially with their 20-8 record.
The Red Sox have absolutely no credibility after this latest cheating incident, the season up until this point should be declared null and void for them, I can guarantee you that Bill Billicheat is smiling from ear to ear right now, sad, very sad.
Hello Boyz,
I thought of the Jays cheating last night, but I was laughing too hard at Joe.t to get into it.
Really!!! Are you saying that in your expertise no pitcher can maintain a 1.01 ERA for a whole year just because it's totally impossible anyway. Wow, what a revelation. Oh wait, I said the same thing three days ago, April 30, before any of this crap came up.
The only thing John Farrell did was further embitter an old Toronto fan by not taking the Jays to the Series, now Doc can't stand the Sox success under Farrell.
Sorry it's so tough being a Toronto fan. It's hard on the emotions for any fan when a team goes shopping on a spending spree to grab so much of the top talent available and creates such BIG expectations only to have hopes crushed and still end up stinking at the bottom of the division. Then there's the double whammy of getting pasted 4-1 and having your boasts of being able to beat anyone shot to pieces. Like Dirk Hayhurst who shamefully backed out of being on WEEI today to back up accusations Toronto fans have become excuse mongers because of the legacy of endemic losing. No coincidence Hayhurst and Doc got desperate to rationalize two failed teams in two sports right after two serious beatings.
Boston Red Sox: Is Clay Buchholz Cheating by Throwing Spitballs?
By Douglas Sibor
(Featured Columnist) on May 3, 2013
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-clay-buchholz-cheating-by-throwing-spitballs
Clay Buchholz was his typical masterful self on Wednesday night, firing seven two-hit, shutout innings for the Red Sox against the Blue Jays. He has been phenomenal all season, and after this latest gem lowered his ERA to 1.01 and was named AL Pitcher of the Month for April.
So, of course, he must be cheating.
First it was some commentator named Dirk Hayhurst throwing accusations around, and then Thursday night Hall-of-Fame wannabe Jack Morris decided to get in on the action, telling ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes, “He’s throwing a spitter” despite also admitting that he “can’t prove anything.”
Natually, the question is: did Buchholz do it?
If you have ever watched or played baseball, the answer is pretty clearly no.
In Edes’ article, Buchholz and manager John Farrell freely admit that the right-hander uses a combination of water and rosin to improve his grip on the ball. Nearly every professional pitcher does this. If you watch any of them between pitches, you’ll see them wiping their hands on their jerseys, pant legs, hats, hair and pretty much anything else. It’s all part of the game and 100 percent legal.
And, quite honestly, how stupid would Buchholz have to be to think he could get away with doctoring the ball? Not only are there four umpires, 25 opposing players and a bevy of coaches watching his every pitch, but there are several high-definition cameras trained on him at all times. Brazen cheating simply can’t happen under those conditions.
Seeking rationality in this situation is clearly asking too much, though. Farrell was on point when he told the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham that “it bothers me immensely when someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case cheating, because they've seen something on TV.”
Again, though, logic simply isn’t going to win out here.
One thing I can say in praise of Toronto is this is the kind of PR move that would make Don Draper proud. The team is horrible, an underachiever reminiscent of last year’s Miami Marlins, and look to be headed towards a 2012 Marlins-esque season. They even have a couple of their players.
Since they don’t like what people are saying about the team on the field, they change the story. How many people today are talking about the Sox taking two of three and the Jays dropping to 10-19, already 10.5 games out of first in the AL East?
Nobody.
They may have picked the wrong team to mess with, though. The Sox have a number of equally vocal people on their side, and they have come out in force defending Buchholz.
On Thursday night’s NESN broadcast, Jerry Remy declared “there was none of that going on here [Wednesday] night,” and analyst Dennis Eckersley termed the accusations “a joke,” “nasty” and “ridiculous.”
Eckersley took it a step further when Morris’ comments came to light during the game, calling the former pitcher “clueless” and telling this “guy who can’t even make it to the Hall of Fame” to “zip it” on the NESN postgame show.
What’s funny too is that the logic of all these statements about spitballs and doctoring the baseball completely ignore how Buchholz has been getting it done on the field. His changeup and curveball have been devastating this year, with both serving as “out” pitches for the right-hander. His fastball has been good, but it hasn’t been the difference maker. Given the only pitch a spitball is useful for is a fastball, the Toronto broadcasters’ argument doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Perhaps the fact that nobody, including the Blue Jays themselves, has complained about Buchholz should be a sign that he isn’t cheating. Reality does not seem to be the strong suit of the Toronto broadcast team, however.
Buchholz himself can really just take all this controversy as a big compliment. He has flummoxed hitters all season and has received nary a complaint, a sign that he has rediscovered his form of 2010.
The best way for him to put this controversy to bed is to go out and dominate in his next start, and given how he’s pitched this season it’s a good bet he will.
Poor Doc!!! :nod: Is there a stand-up guy from Toronto?????????? :noidea:
"Since they don’t like what people are saying about the team on the field, they change the story." BINGO...or on the ice, right Doc!!! :thumb:
Cheers,
Merlot
I thought of the Jays cheating last night, but I was laughing too hard at Joe.t to get into it.
Really!!! Are you saying that in your expertise no pitcher can maintain a 1.01 ERA for a whole year just because it's totally impossible anyway. Wow, what a revelation. Oh wait, I said the same thing three days ago, April 30, before any of this crap came up.
The only thing John Farrell did was further embitter an old Toronto fan by not taking the Jays to the Series, now Doc can't stand the Sox success under Farrell.
Sorry it's so tough being a Toronto fan. It's hard on the emotions for any fan when a team goes shopping on a spending spree to grab so much of the top talent available and creates such BIG expectations only to have hopes crushed and still end up stinking at the bottom of the division. Then there's the double whammy of getting pasted 4-1 and having your boasts of being able to beat anyone shot to pieces. Like Dirk Hayhurst who shamefully backed out of being on WEEI today to back up accusations Toronto fans have become excuse mongers because of the legacy of endemic losing. No coincidence Hayhurst and Doc got desperate to rationalize two failed teams in two sports right after two serious beatings.
Boston Red Sox: Is Clay Buchholz Cheating by Throwing Spitballs?
By Douglas Sibor
(Featured Columnist) on May 3, 2013
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-clay-buchholz-cheating-by-throwing-spitballs
Clay Buchholz was his typical masterful self on Wednesday night, firing seven two-hit, shutout innings for the Red Sox against the Blue Jays. He has been phenomenal all season, and after this latest gem lowered his ERA to 1.01 and was named AL Pitcher of the Month for April.
So, of course, he must be cheating.
First it was some commentator named Dirk Hayhurst throwing accusations around, and then Thursday night Hall-of-Fame wannabe Jack Morris decided to get in on the action, telling ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes, “He’s throwing a spitter” despite also admitting that he “can’t prove anything.”
Natually, the question is: did Buchholz do it?
If you have ever watched or played baseball, the answer is pretty clearly no.
In Edes’ article, Buchholz and manager John Farrell freely admit that the right-hander uses a combination of water and rosin to improve his grip on the ball. Nearly every professional pitcher does this. If you watch any of them between pitches, you’ll see them wiping their hands on their jerseys, pant legs, hats, hair and pretty much anything else. It’s all part of the game and 100 percent legal.
And, quite honestly, how stupid would Buchholz have to be to think he could get away with doctoring the ball? Not only are there four umpires, 25 opposing players and a bevy of coaches watching his every pitch, but there are several high-definition cameras trained on him at all times. Brazen cheating simply can’t happen under those conditions.
Seeking rationality in this situation is clearly asking too much, though. Farrell was on point when he told the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham that “it bothers me immensely when someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case cheating, because they've seen something on TV.”
Again, though, logic simply isn’t going to win out here.
One thing I can say in praise of Toronto is this is the kind of PR move that would make Don Draper proud. The team is horrible, an underachiever reminiscent of last year’s Miami Marlins, and look to be headed towards a 2012 Marlins-esque season. They even have a couple of their players.
Since they don’t like what people are saying about the team on the field, they change the story. How many people today are talking about the Sox taking two of three and the Jays dropping to 10-19, already 10.5 games out of first in the AL East?
Nobody.
They may have picked the wrong team to mess with, though. The Sox have a number of equally vocal people on their side, and they have come out in force defending Buchholz.
On Thursday night’s NESN broadcast, Jerry Remy declared “there was none of that going on here [Wednesday] night,” and analyst Dennis Eckersley termed the accusations “a joke,” “nasty” and “ridiculous.”
Eckersley took it a step further when Morris’ comments came to light during the game, calling the former pitcher “clueless” and telling this “guy who can’t even make it to the Hall of Fame” to “zip it” on the NESN postgame show.
What’s funny too is that the logic of all these statements about spitballs and doctoring the baseball completely ignore how Buchholz has been getting it done on the field. His changeup and curveball have been devastating this year, with both serving as “out” pitches for the right-hander. His fastball has been good, but it hasn’t been the difference maker. Given the only pitch a spitball is useful for is a fastball, the Toronto broadcasters’ argument doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Perhaps the fact that nobody, including the Blue Jays themselves, has complained about Buchholz should be a sign that he isn’t cheating. Reality does not seem to be the strong suit of the Toronto broadcast team, however.
Buchholz himself can really just take all this controversy as a big compliment. He has flummoxed hitters all season and has received nary a complaint, a sign that he has rediscovered his form of 2010.
The best way for him to put this controversy to bed is to go out and dominate in his next start, and given how he’s pitched this season it’s a good bet he will.
Poor Doc!!! :nod: Is there a stand-up guy from Toronto?????????? :noidea:
"Since they don’t like what people are saying about the team on the field, they change the story." BINGO...or on the ice, right Doc!!! :thumb:
Cheers,
Merlot
I totally agree. From all accounts, Eckersley is a douchebag, a former cokehead & lifelong alcoholic whom i wouldn't give waste a second on. He's a loser. Morris & Hayhurst simply gave their opinion & i'm happy someone finally had the guts to do so & don't back away from their statements.
Okay, i just heard the entire Dennis Eckersley diatribe for the first time. Here are my conclusions:
1) He's off the wagon again.
2) He's back on coke.
3) He's nuts.
4) He needs to be seriously medicated.
5) All of the above.
1) He's off the wagon again.
2) He's back on coke.
3) He's nuts.
4) He needs to be seriously medicated.
5) All of the above.
Today's rebuttal by Dirk Hayhurst on Baseball Central was pure brilliance. Check out the May 3rd podcast:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/590/baseball-central-at-noon/
http://www.sportsnet.ca/590/baseball-central-at-noon/
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