Hello all,
Iggy, I am so glad I didn't accept your request to meet you for a beer;
I couldn't handle the sight of you and Joe.t french-kissing each other like this. Do you guys ever have a thought independent of the other? I mean, listening to the Waltons say goodnight was less nauseating.
Lackey has not been nearly as good as we hoped so far, but the idea that he stinks is just typical opposition fan nonsense. Even at 1-5 his ERA at 5.07 isn't out of control indicating there may be issues, but they can be adjusted in time.
Yankee fans should start to worry about Hughes. Yes, no matter who he faced when he was 5-0 he was extremely good. But he got beat up by the Red Sox after being staked to a large lead (possibly excusable because it came when the Sox got hot), but now he was ineffective against the Mets. That might begin to concern the Yankees.
I've heard from various sports reporters and friends about a blow-up controversy in the clubhouse after the Yankees game between Dice-K, Martinez, and Varitek which basically goes: both Martinez and Dice-K saying they aren't in sync during games and Varitek laying it on the line to Dice-K to get over the excuses. There is an incredible difference in the stats for Matsuzaka when comparing the two catchers calling the game.
http://soxblog.projo.com/2010/05/varitek-shoots.html
* With Victor Martinez catching, he has an 11.05 ERA in 14 2/3 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts and nine walks. All three of his starts have included one disastrous inning that have completely ruined the outing.
* With Jason Varitek catching, he has a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and four walks -- and he came within four outs of a no-hitter on Saturday.
Catcher controversy? You'd better believe that'll be a hot topic for the next five days.
But Varitek was emphatic in shooting down that idea in the Red Sox clubhouse late Saturday night.
"People have to understand one thing: If we start doing that, as a team, you put your starting catcher in an awkward position in that he doesn't get the right days off," Varitek said. "I need to play when (Martinez) needs to not play. It doesn't matter who's on the mound. ... I was fortunate today. Dice was powerful through the zone. ... I need to play when he needs to not play and not when somebody's on the mound."
Whether these stats are a reflection of the difference in skills for calling a game between the two catchers, one pitcher's attitude problem, or a lack of respect for one of the catchers, the results against the second best team in the majors (Tampa #1) speak for themselves. Whether Varitek did tell Dice-K and everyone else to put up or shut up, or it was just the fact that Tek was catching, the Red Sox were brilliant last night. Both the pitching and fielding absolutely sparkled, showing...what can be done.
Today: Red Sox 8 Philles 3.
So what good is a 43 year-old pitcher...he's got a damn good knuckle-ball doesn't he. Yup, Tim Wakefield just beat the much vaunted Roy Halliday dropping his career record against the Red Sox to 14-15
