You haven't made it in this town as a ballplayer until you've been pied in the face by Big Papi.

Welcome to Boston, Jason Bay.

Tuesday Wednesday Curveball - Week Ten The Olympics officially kick off this Friday in Beijing, and if you're anything like me, you're going to be watching 7-8 hours of coverage every day, minimum. One thing you won't be watching after this year, though, is baseball-- 2008 marks the last time baseball will be played as an Olympic event. So let's hear from you: if you were the manager of the USA Olympic baseball team, and (like with the NBA) could have your pick of MLB players, who would you select as your starting 9? This wouldn't be like the All-Star vote, tainted by nostalgia and bias -- who is the best player you'd select at each position to help America take home the gold? Obviously, no Canadians or other nationalities can be selected -- but naturalized citizens are still eligible (Papi, Manny, Pujols, etc.)

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Well, hello, there, Mr. Beckett. Nice to see you again.

It's even nicer to see this:

6.2IP 4H 2ER 0HR 2BB 7K 2.70ERA

We missed you.

For the first time in a long while, I have a total baseball hangover.

The kind of hangover you can only get after a full and satisfying weekend of baseball. One that has nothing to do with alcohol, and everything to do with the play on the diamond. One that involved a sweep of wins notched on the scoreboard, but also displayed a combination of a killer offense and a cracking defense. Pitchers spotting their locations well and throwing some gas. Hitters seeing the ball well and maximizing on-base efforts every at-bat. Web Gem-like diving catches in the outfield and beautiful double plays in the infield. Spectacular baserunning and steal attempts. OK, well except for Sunday on that last one.

Red Sox baseball seems to have had a heavy cloud hanging over it of late. A sense of drudgery, a touch of antagonism, an air of melancholy. You got the feeling, even through the TV screen, that everything was labored for the guys, heavy and difficult where it ought to be light and breezy-- weighed down by... something.

The easy way out would be to point the finger at Manny - but I think that is not only wrong, it would also be a gross oversimplification of something that's far more complex. I think though his recent behavior was a part of the malaise, he was a symptom of the problem and not the cause. The team just seemed to be in a funk that they couldn't seem to shake loose (albeit not a totally unproductive funk - it's not like they went into a '07 Mets-like losing skid). A baseball team can't always run around all "HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY" every day- this is a job, after all, and they have ups and downs like anyone else at work. But that mythical 'spark' seemed to have died out there for awhile, and the grumpiness and petulance and lethargy seemed to take off at the same time.

But that all seemed a thing of the past this weekend. Everything was fun again. And just like Manny was not the cause of all the problems before, Jason Bay was not the solution to all those problems either. But he certainly helped. I think the trade on Thursday prodded the team to stop and draw a line under what had happened in the first part of the season, and then decide to close the book on it and move forward to reclaim some of that spark back again. The clouds seemed to part over Fenway, and the heavy load seemed to lift. I'm sure a large part of it was subconscious, but the change is welcome all the same.

Maybe it's all just a happy coincidence. Or maybe it's just a mirage. Either way, I don't much care - because I'll happily suffer through a string of baseball hangovers from now until the end of October for more weekends like we just had.

Maybe it's a BAYsball BAYngover. Yeah, I'm pretty much going to keep up with as many Bay-related plays on words as I can.

It seems Jason Bay got the party invitation for Jason Bay Day, because he celebrated by going 2-for-3 with a triple (!), 2 walks -- and scored the game-winning run on a soft rolling hit by Jed Lowrie. In between, he found time to make a spectacular diving catch in the outfield that saved a run, and cemented the love of pretty much every Sox fan across the country.

The extra innings walk-off win also brought back something that has been missing from the Fens for awhile now: the sight of the guys jumping around like little kids in celebration, hugging and high-fiving and grinning like madmen. As a team.

It's pure poetry that today, on Jason Bay Day, I'm giving my Baseball Boyfriend of the Day honors to Jason Bay.

Yeah, I think Jason is going to fit in here just fine.

vs. Oakland Athletics 7:05 pm Fenway Park - Boston, MA SP: Tim Wakefield vs. Justin Duchasczbflhfewblhwefer Duchscherer tv/radio: NESN - MLB.TV - WRKO

Now this is what I'm talking about...

As Jason Bay Day rolls on, and we're counting down the hours and minutes until Sox fans get their first look at Beaker in his home whites - I'm reminded that it's never too early to pronounce snap judgments.

So before we get a chance to see Bay in action, I'm going to scrutinize every facet of his personality based purely on random photos of him found around the interwebs. It's a very scientific process.

So we know that he likes to swing his bat inside an abandoned corregated tin shed while looking off semi-wistfully into the distance. What else can we learn about Jason Bay?

Follow me after the jump, for snap judgments aplenty...

Continue reading »

The final guest post installment in today's Jason Bay Day extravaganza comes from Don Spagnolo of the center of the Pittsburgh sports blogosphere, Mondesi's House. Don also brings with him a pretty fantastic nickname for Jason.

How do I describe Jason Bay in just a few short paragraphs? Well, there's times when you love him, and times when you love him just a little less. He's not the kind of guy that ever would inspire any of the hatred directed at, let's say, the player who he was traded for.

My best synopsis of what you're getting out of Bay could be taken from my 2008 Pirates preview for Deadspin, entitled, 16 Reasons Why the Pirates Streak Won't End in 2008:

5. Jason Bay is not happy
Jason Bay usually makes about as much noise as your average mime. Never before have I seen a player so inappropriately thrust into a leadership role. So you can imagine my surprise when the muted one finally opened his mouth to reveal that he was disappointed with the Pirates' offseason inactivity.

Fantastic. I'm glad that Bay feels comfortable enough to speak his mind. Unfortunately, the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year chose a time when he's coming off his most disappointing year as a Pirate, as his numbers fell from 35/109/.286 in 2006 to 21/84/.247 in 2007. As previously mentioned, he's turned the called strike three into an art form, which the city has dually noted.

His impeccable timing has already irked the new front office, who preferred that Bay aired his grievances with them rather than through the media. It's good to see that one of our star players is starting off on such a good foot with his new bosses.

He's obviously bitter over the dead-end trade with Cleveland, but that's for two obvious reasons:

1. All he was worth was Cliff Lee, which is a major shot to anyone's ego, and

2. He's still stuck in Pittsburgh, at least until he pulls a Raul Mondesi and concocts an extortion plot to get his release.

Looking back on it, I guess Cliff Lee wouldn't have been such a bad return on that proposed deal, considering he's 14-2 with a 2.58 ERA on a 47-60 team. Of course, when the deal was proposed, Lee was coming off of a 2007 in which he went 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA, and I'm guessing that wouldn't have gone over with us long-suffering Pirate fans.

As I alluded to earlier, Bay never came across to fans as a vocal leader-type. He was more of a laid-back personality, which can be good at times and bad at times. He developed quite a rep in these parts for a sphincter that seemed to tighten in the rare clutch situation, so I hope he can hold up to the microscope of Boston (much like the microscope that Pittsburgh puts their football players under). The difference is that he's not the #1 guy in Boston with the weight of the franchise on his shoulders. I always thought that Bay would be best-suited as a 2nd or 3rd offensive option, and I think he can thrive in this role with the Sox.

What I'll most miss about Bay, however, is his presence in my annual Pittsburgh Pirates: The Movie posts. After three editions, Beaker is going to be out of work!

Continuing on with our Jason Bay Day festivities, Tecmo from the awesome Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies (where you get sports news AND mini ponies every day!) checks in with his thoughts on Jason Bay and yesterday's trade. Also, he has a very special mini pony for us.

What can I say about Jason Bay? A Pirate for parts of six seasons, Bay gave us fans every emotion one could hope for when one becomes baseball fan. Franchise records as a rookie, power to all fields despite looking like a third line hockey winger, unrealized potential, "is-he-clutch?" worries, nasty injuries and at times, All-Star caliber play. As a Pirates fan, I get to see Bay's tenure in the Burgh within the greater context and how he has shaped the future of the Pirates. Yeah, we suck now, but just you wait.

The Sox were probably impressed with his 26 dingers as a rookie. If Boston has done their collective homework, they'll be more than happy with Bay's current .985+ fielding percentage, or the little nugget that the guy counted on to be the Buccos' primary source or power actually tied a MLB record in 2005 for most steals in a season without getting caught (before getting thrown out at the very end of the year, dammit). Boston fans, you're getting a guy who might worry you, or might blow your..ahem...Sox off (sorry). Baseball-Reference says you're getting either Kevin Mench or Grady Sizemore. Seems about right.

I thank Bay for all he gave to the team. Brian Giles was a hero in Pittsburgh, and Bay had the responsibility of replacing Giles when he was traded to the San Diego Daddies. Bay's name seemed to be in constant trade rumors since his arrival, but his career year in '06 allowed the other guy acquired from San Diego, Ollie Perez, to be dealt to New York for Xavier Nady instead. Nady's recent trade then brought us prime prospect Jose Tabata. Now Bay's trade brings us Andy LaRoche and Craig Hansen. By most accounts, Bay allowed the team to segue between Brian Giles and a first round pitcher, a legit third base prospect and a stud like Tabata. Take that however you want, but you can't ask for much more when you trade a guy who was as respected in Pittsburgh as Giles was in '03.

A little part of me is sad to see Bay go, mostly because I'll miss his opposite-field homers over the Clemente wall. If Bay continues his trend of hot hitting against AL East pitching, that short porch near Pesky's Pole might get lit up.

Pittsburgh wins, getting top prospects that we desperately need, and Boston makes out by getting a guy 7 years younger than Manny who can still be counted on for 28-30 homers and 100 RBIs when playing to potential. Not a bad trade by anyone's count.

As part of the Jason Bay Day festivities, I've asked die-hard Pittsburgh fan TheStarterWife to tell us a little more about our newest addition. You can find her as part of the Playing The Field team, and at her own black-and-gold blog, appropriately called Black and Gold Tchotchkes.

Last week, my first thought after the Nady-Marte trade to the Yankees was, "We could have done better." Four prospects - the brightest being 19 year-old Tabata - for a solid hitter and proven pitcher.

My second thought was, "We still have Bay."

My third thought was, "We have to trade Bay. I cannot believe I am thinking this, but we should just go for it. See what we can get for Bay. Balls out."

To any other team, this wouldn't be that big of a deal. Sure good players - even All-Stars- get traded all the time. But do you realize how terrifying a notion this is when your team wants to trade a two-time All-Star from a clubhouse that has produced only four All-Stars in the past four years? No matter how bad the team was, Bay was out there shining so fans had at least something to say in defense of still following the Pirates.

"The Pirates suck." Yeah, but Jason Bay, Rookie of the Year. We're rebuilding for the future!

"When was the last time the Pirates had a winning season?" Bush Sr. was in office, but hey! Bay hit ten homers in ten games! The man's a powerhouse!

"It's time for training camp. You know, the players who win for Pittsburgh." Bay actually likes Pittsburgh! He said he would like to keep playing here! What type of deranged fan turns away a player who likes playing in Pittsburgh? Who is active in the community! And he's Canadian! He has to be affable to everyone around him! Which makes him a great leader! Lord knows we don't need that around town.

But it was time for Bay to go. Watching the Sox and the Rays go after him, you knew his value was never going to be any higher - at least while he was still in a Pirates uniform. Besides, we were lucky to have him in the first place. And in a move that proved the old adage "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while", Dave Littlefield trading Brian Giles for Bay (and Oliver Perez) would be the highlight of his tenure with the Pirates. (Aside of the time he walked off with one of the bases.)

Tonight after I had a few hours to think about the trade, it hit me; I was really happy for Bay to be going to the Sox. Bay came into the majors in a club where the team leader greeted new players with, "Welcome to hell" and still thrived. And as a fan of baseball and as fan of Jason Bay, you knew he deserved better.

He deserves to win for a change.

Last night, I was sappy.

But today's a new day. In fact, it's a JASON BAY DAY. That means all day long, I'll be celebrating our newest LF overlord, Boston-style. I've also got some guest posts coming your way, from some black-and-gold folks who knew him way back when.

So get ready - today, we're drinkin' the Jason Bay Kool-Aid. Mmmmmm - tastes like Pittsburgh!

Tomorrow night, Manny will be in Dodger blue.

Just think about that for a moment.

I know this is not news to anyone, the fact of the trade -- but the reality of actually seeing it for the first time... frankly, it's all still kind of unbelievable.

The perennial manchild and fixture of two Sox championship teams, the ballplayer who was both astronomically gifted and maddeningly blasé, the man who was universally beloved and caused universal bemusement. Homerun admirer. Head petter. Media shunner. Lackadaisical fielder. Otherworldly batter. He wears blue now.

The clubhouse has been in shambles lately while the media rained down a Manny-sized firestorm. Manny certainly didn't help matters, choosing to come out of his shell just in time to tell reporters things that have made some very important people very unhappy. But despite every single bit of the hoopla, every bit of the drama, every bit of the teeth gnashing and head-pounding moments he's induced... that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier, really.

He's one of the finest hitters of his generation, a savant with a nearly unparalleled eye at the plate, and a ballplayer who got more joy out of the game than just about anyone. He's a guy who made a lot of missteps and mistakes, some big and some small, but he's also unquestionably a character who was as much a part of the Red Sox ethos as any other.

For better or worse, Manny is larger-than-life, and a one-of-a-kind. His bad behavior is not excused or excusable, but it's part of the crazy jumbled package -- with Manny, you get the brilliance and the insanity. The childlike devotion to the game and the petulant teenager tantrums. The trips to the Monster for a pee-break and the walk-off homerun sailing into the Fenway night sky last October. And any Sox fan who says they're glad to see the back of him? Is either lying or kidding themself.

Tomorrow night, Manny will be in Dodger blue.
But he'll always wear Red Sox.

Welcome to Boston, Jason.

Despite premature reports that the trading deadline had come and gone without any movement from the Sox, Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers, in a three-way deal (sounds a lot dirtier than it is) with the Pirates that brings Jason Bay to the Fens, and sends Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to the Pirates.

The Manny Being Manny era in Boston is over.

The trade deadline is now officially upon us. There are less than 24 hours left on the clock for MLB teams to make their moves and shuffle their rosters.

Today figures to be busy as always- but especially so for Sox fans, with the rumors swirling around Manny Ramirez. Let this post serve as your open thread to post new rumors, talk about the rumors, and generally go stir crazy waiting for the final bell to sound. Throughout the day, I'll try and update this post with the latest news and rumors. So I have one request: if you post a rumor, please also post a link to where you read it.

Let's hope this year's bounty is a little better than last year's horror show...

4:29 pm - SI
The Red Sox traded Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers late Thursday afternoon, SI.com has learned.

Jason Bay is headed to Boston as part of the deal, SI.com has learned. The Pirates will get four minor leaguers in the three-way trade.

3:49 pm - Fox/Ken Rosenthal

The Rays' pursuit of Pirates outfielder Jason Bay is off "unless a miracle happens," according to a source close to the negotiations.

Whether that means the three-way Manny Ramirez blockbuster is back on remains to be seen.

A source with one of the clubs said that the trade was still dead in the minutes leading to Thursday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver deadline.

3:10 pm - Per MLB.com, Jason Bay is a Ray.

2:50 pm - SI/Jon Heyman

The Los Angels Dodgers have re-entered the Manny Ramirez Sweepstakes, SI.com has learned.

The Marlins deal may not be dead. But the Dodgers could become a real player here and knock out Florida at the last minute. According to people familiar with the talks, the Dodgers have offered young outfielder Andre Ethier, but Boston is believed to prefer the ultra-talented Matt Kemp.

It won't be easy to put together a deal with a different team on such short notice. But the Dodgers were talking a few days ago to the Red Sox, before it became apparent that Boston's focus was on the Marlins.

The Red Sox, who appear motivated to trade Ramirez, have spent most of their time on the Marlins over the past 24 hours. But sources say the Dodgers have always remained interested.

Ramirez has approved a trade to go to Florida, Philadelphia, Los Angels [sic] or anywhere else, SI.com has learned. In return for Ramirez signing off on a deal, the acquiring team will agree to drop the two club options for $20-million apiece for 2009 and '10 in his current deal.

2:02 pm - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There was quite some optimism about an hour ago, quite some pessimism now. Sure sounds on this end as if the Pirates were ready to go, but the Marlins' demands - including the extra cash - blew this out. But this obviously will take a while to flesh out. Still have not heard anyone say it is outright dead, either.

Just spoke to someone in Tampa, and the Rays are not necessarily out of this, contrary to much else that is being said.

Continue reading »

There once was a girl named Sarah
Who was tired of boys who didn't care(-a)
About girls who liked sports
From backgrounds of all sorts
So she created a new blogging era:

I never said I was a poet. That tortured bit of prose above is my own tiny little homage to Sarah Schorno, my blogging partner here and one of the weekend editors here, who had the fantastic idea to gather together a group of some of the best female sports bloggers on the web... and who happened to ask me to be a part of the wild adventure.

Today's the grand opening of Playing The Field - so stop by, bookmark it, and join in. There will be original content and posts at the blog there, and it will also function as a one-stop-shop highlighting the writing of all the women/girls/gals/ladies/womenfolk. You can find me in the little green box, wearing a Sea Dogs hat and kissing a baseball in front of the Sox bullpen at Fenway. Naturally.

Sorry, John Lackey, but I must admit that I cheered a little when this happened.

It's the conflict between wanting to see a piece of baseball history, and not wanting your own team to be the one to take the fall in the history books. Has I been at the ballpark, I probably would have been (secretly) stoked at the chance to see that most elusive of feats in person.

But I still would have cheered Dustin Pedroia.

A no-hitter is just a thousand million bajillion times better when it's your team getting the no-no, and not the one being no-no'ed.

Now about that sixth inning...

What's that? I can't hear you over the sound of the implosion! I've got a theory that I think explains this phenomenon perfectly. Allow me to expound...

Dice-K - July 22nd iteration
Jul 22 @ SEA W 4-2 7.1 IP 5 H 2 ER 0 HR 3 BB 6 K 2.63 ERA

Dice-K - July 28th iteration
Jul 28 LAA L 5-7 5.0 IP 7 H 6 ER 2 HR 2 BB 3 K 3.04 ERA

What has changed? Witness:

Dice-K's hair is angry.

I don't know whether you've heard or not, but there appears to be a bit of a freak-out in progress over one Manuel Aristides Ramirez.

Predictably, CHB has shared his rational, well-reasoned and not-at-all-biased thoughts on the issue (not just once, but twice). And, naturally, WEEI is conducting a solemn and dignified discussion on the matter. The staid Herald is, of course, loathe to contribute to the maelstrom. The New York media is definitely not going to fan the flames. And a very small number of Red Sox blogs have pontificated on the subject as well, but just a few.... you know, like: here, here, here, here, here (and then here), here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here (and on and on and on).

It's official. Everyone's worked themselves up into a tizzy.

We've got ourselves a honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned, crazy-ass tizzy fit going on! Screaming and crying and wailing and rending of garments and teeth gnashing. Loud noises! Dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria!

This is gearing up to be a tizzy of epic proportions. A tizzy which we haven't seen the likes of since... well, last week with Brett Favre. So it seems only natural that Tirico Suave has come up with the perfect solution for the massive tizzy:

It's so crazy, it just might work.

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. And after Friday's disappointment, and Saturday's horror show, Jon Lester is that somebody.

For pulling the Sox up out of suckage by the scruff of the neck, Jon Lester gets my Baseball Boyfriend of the Day honors. A very honorable mention goes to Big Papi's tater-pounding bat.

vs. New York Yankees 7:05 pm Fenway Park - Boston, MA SP: Josh Beckett vs. Joba Chamberlain tv/radio: NESN - MLB.TV - WRKO

Josh hearts Joba.

You better shut your mouth, Joba, or you're liable to wind up catching bugs.

Oh wait...

Portfolio Magazine gives us their take on the Manny trevails over the past few months... err, years. Despite the fact it's got unsubstantiated quotes from unnamed member of the "Red Sox heirarchy" (Wally? is that you?) and is recycling false information (are we seriously still reporting the called 3rd-strike out was an intentional middle finger? seriously?), the article does contain one helluva new "Manny being Manny" story.

I once asked a prominent relief pitcher to describe the most idiotic thing he had witnessed in the big leagues. "That's easy," he said, and launched into the story of a former teammate--an All-Star outfielder--who refused to use toilet paper. A clubhouse attendant supplied the player with a daily ration of hand towels, which, when soiled, would be flushed.

One afternoon the reliever came in from batting practice to find the locker room awash in frantic maintenance workers. When he asked a plumber what all the fuss was about, he was told that a washcloth-clogged toilet had overflowed and was threatening to submerge the bathroom stalls. "Of all the dumb stuff I've seen that particular outfielder do," the stopper told me, "that was the dumbest."

That particular outfielder was, of course, Manny Ramirez.

Anyone?

Hat tip: Deadspin, and PeteJayhawk for the post title.

Don't forget: today is the deadline for entering your favorite picture showing your Sox fandom into the Mark Waitkus print contest. I've gotten lots of great entries so far - so don't lose out on your chance to get a beautiful print straight from Mr. Waitkus himself.

Also, you'll get to brag about how awesome you are when your winning entry is posted here. That's a bonus.

As I mentioned in the contest post, Mark's online studio showcases this and other Red Sox prints, but also prints commemorating the Boston Marathon, the Patriots and the Celtics '08 championship... and you can buy all of those there direct from him.

Coming soon, to a ballpark near you...

It's like Christmas Eve!

It is entirely too early to rejoice and hail Mr. Justin "Too Tall" Masterson as the savior of the lackluster bullpen... but I'm going to do it anyway.

All Hail the 'Pen Prince!

He's Master-ful! The Master of his domain! He's the bullpen's Master-of-arms! He Master-fully handled the Mariners! [Insert your own pun on a derivation of "Masterson" here.]

In his first outing from the bullpen, the 'Pen Prince went for 2 2/3 innings. Even better, he pitched a perfect 2 2/3 innings. In a game that ended up going deep into extra innings, PP's masterful (ahem) long relief was a necessary component of the victory. And for that, Justin Masterson has earned himself Baseball Boyfriend of the Day honors. Tito Francona was pretty taken with him as well:

"I think that's the guy we hoped we'd see," Francona said of Masterson. "That was electric. The ball came out of his hand (well). He had poise. You're not going to jump up and down for the future (yet), but that was exciting.

"There was no reason to take him out," Francona continued when asked about the length of Masterson's outing. "I don't think we'd say we look that far ahead (in any game), but with his effectiveness, we weren't going to rush him out of there."

Starter Clay Buchholz is the newest disciple of The Jason Varitek Workout, and decided to show off his ass-over-teakettle skills last night while trying to flash some leather in the third inning.

And Clay wasn't the only pitcher that failed to deliver Gold Glove-caliber defense. Jonathan Papelbon had a hell of a time trying to field a little bloop dribble hit by Jose Vidro in the 11th inning. And Mike Lowell is not going to let Papelbon off easy.

"You know, he and [Josh] Beckett think that they should get a Gold Glove, but they stink," said Mike Lowell. "Paps whiffed at that ball twice. First, it would have gone foul. Then I don't know if he kicked it, spit on it, kneed it, or whatever. That one, I want to see a replay - because that was terrible. I don't think he'll ever talk about a Gold Glove again."

"Pitchers always say they can hit and they can field and they get their chance and they screw it up. It's like me saying I can go on the mound and start getting guys out, although I went 9-0 in high school with a 1.74 ERA."