The irish jigging isn't over yet this year for Jonathan Papelbon- following on the heels of his Sports Illustrated cover, he kicked off a round of TV appearances this evening on Late Night With David Letterman... and he entered the studio doing an Irish jig (to "Shipping Up To Boston", no less).
I have a sneaking suspicion Papelbon already regrets ever doing the irish jig to begin with. At least the first time he was probably drunk on champagne and Bud Light, and didn't realize the consequences; now he's forced to do it all the time... or look like a jackass for refusing.
And Jonathan took the opportunity to show up Josh Beckett yet again. Josh, who dropped an f-bomb on the good people of America on FOX during the playoffs, was outdone by Papelbon-- who dropped the m-f-bomb on Letterman. (granted, Beckett's cuss was unbleeped- but Papelbon knew what he was doing in advance)
video courtesy of CBS and Late Night With David Letterman
The highlights, other than the aforementioned jig-gy entrance:
- "95-plus usually works."
- talking about the slutter, without ever actually saying slutter. "Slider/cutter - ooh, is that legal?" "No, not yet."
- "I probably was gonna go deep..."
- describing what he's done since the World Series: a parade, not much sleep, a lot of partying, a lot of drinking. "You know, other than not sleeping, you know, partying."
- "And we've seen you dance now after two or three games. One time, it seemed like you were just wearing your underpants."
"True, yes, I can't deny that."
"And how does that happen?"
- Quote of the night: "Not very many people know this, but David Ortiz happens to be a huge Bedazzler."
Papelbon's Magical Media Tour, Part Two
After a quick run through NYC to appear on Late Night With David Letterman, Jonathan Papelbon made a stopover in West Chester, PA tonight so that he could help co-host the Red Sox memorabilia segment on QVC.
Forget winning the World Series, the parade in Boston or the Letterman appearance-- in what HAD to be the highlight of his last week, Papelbon hawked merchandise on QVC. For an hour. And yes, they forced him (yet again) to do another jig. Such is the life of the Sports Illustrated cover boy.
I cut the hour's worth of footage down to the 20-ish minutes where Papelbon is talking; this is the first clip, the other two are after the jump.
video courtesy of QVC
The QVC guy kept mispronouncing his name- calling him "Josh" about three times, and saying his last name as "Papelbom". It's funny to watch Jonathan start out enthusiastic and joking, and by the end, the monotony of QVC and the doltishness of the host wears him down to a guy who can barely muster fake enthusiasm.
Best part? At the very end of the hour, when they call Doug Mirabelli over to join Jonathan, and the two of them are looking at someone off-camera who makes a face or otherwise says something to them. Jonathan and Doug both bust out laughing: Jonathan making a shocked open-mouth face that dissolves into giggles, and Doug who lets one laugh escape before he has to cover his face with hands to stifle his laughing. The QVC guy suddenly remembers what it was like to be around the popular jocks in high school, when Jonathan tries to say it's an "inside joke." Doug doesn't say anything, because he's still cracking up behind his hands.
Other highlights:
- "We're a bunch of grown men with little kid personalities."
- the two finger salute motion, ever so slightly mocking
- "you haven't picked many people off this year"; yes, if by 'many' you mean 'zero'
- modeling the hat, and then demonstrating the rally cap
- "I had to go with my signature pitch to end the signature World Series"
- "I knew as soon as I got in this league I had to make a name for myself"
- his dad works at the Ted Williams Museum
- the rookie year bet with Youkilis that ended in a mohawk
- he thinks Josh Beckett is Top 10 all-time, will be #1 when he's done
- his hero was Roger Clemens
- described Dustin Pedroia as a "fireplug", and compares him to Jim Clayton (that joke goes right over the QVC guy's head)
- says if he was pitching to Pedroia, first pitch would be right at his head
- Pedroia is the "worst cribbage player [he's] seen in [his] life"
- if Pedroia doesn't get ROTY, there's politics involved
- Josh's best pitch is the fastball, and he calls Josh's curveball "the hammer"
Dan over at Red Sox Monster dug up this gem of a video from a no-hitter Daisuke Matsuzaka threw back in high school in the finals of the high school championship tournament. This is Dice-K at just 17 years old, pitching for Yokohama High School against Kyoto Seisho High School.
Wee little Dice-K is just too precious for words. I know you're not supposed to describe a ballplayer as "precious" - but he just is. He's rocking the high socks and the ballcap that is a size or two too big for his head... and it makes me just want to feed him some animal crackers and read him a bedtime story.
This Is What I Want For Christmas
One of the bad things about living in Chicago? You miss victory parades in Boston.
You know what's even worse? You don't get to pick up one of these beauties that they were handing out for free along the parade route. What I wouldn't give...
Harvard Is Hilarious
Hah-hah-hah! I've got a really original, really funny joke I want to share with everyone. Are you ready? Athletes are stupid. Aren't I witty and observant? I bet you never heard that one before!
Did you like how I took isolated quotes out from their context and strung them together? I also made fun of the speech patterns of a Dominican, which is always a riot. I almost worked in a reference to a redneck Southern accent and/or a trailer park in Louisiana, but my editor wouldn't let me. Now that would have been some funny, groundbreaking stuff!
I'm so clever.
Next time, I'm going to continue to mine unexplored territory with a groundbreaking article about how people don't seem to like this Barry Bonds guy very much. Or possibly about how they don't use a designated hitter in the National League- can you believe that? That's what I'm here for- to bring timely, original, insightful thoughts to the masses. And to be absolutely hilarious while doing so!
Papelbon's Magical Media Tour, Part Three
The Jonathan Papelbon train keeps rolling- get on, or get out of the way. Thursday's stop was at the Comcast New England studios, for a 15-ish minute segment with the Sports Tonight crew. These are the same guys that Jonathan did his weekly "Friendly's Scoop" segments with throughout the season- and they're a pretty fun tagteam.
Papelbon talks about everything from his parade antics, to hawking products on QVC, to how he ended up riverdancing in the first place, Big Papi's role on the team (and playing hurt), being in contention for the World Series MVP, and talking with Theo in the offseason about the bullpen. He also mentions, when asked if he was 100% for game 4, that he "really wasn't 100% most of the playoffs", because he was tired from pitching so often.
We also learn that 'having fun in the locker room' and "celebrating' are Jonathan's family-friendly code words for 'getting really drunk'. He responds to any critics who got on to him for his celebrations. And when talking about the team letting loose after winning, he says: "It's basically a bunch of grown men, playing a kid's game."
He's not sure if Curt is coming back, and cannot imagine the bullpen without Mike Timlin. He talks about the value of kids coming up through the Sox farm system- because "they know how to play not baseball, but Red Sox baseball-- which is totally different."
Here's the first 6 minute clip- the second is after the jump.
David Ortiz appeared on Live With Regis & Kelly this morning- conveniently, massive Yankees fan Regis was not around to participate in the fun. Damien Fahey filled in for Regis, and fangirled all over Big Papi. Kelly also dressed up like Manny Ramirez towards the end of the segment- which basically involved her putting on a rasta wig with dreads, and trying to talk like what she thinks a gangster sounds like. We're not laughing WITH you, Kelly- we're laughing AT you.
I really was hoping he'd turn around, and the back of his jacket would have a giant bedazzled Lamborghini on it.
Big Papi talked about how he got his nickname (he couldn't remember people's names, and so just used to call everyone 'Papi', so they called him Big Papi in return), about how Papelbon is crazy and about A-Rod, saying everybody wants him on their team because he's a great player -- but "right now, we're just focused on signing Mikey Lowell."
Papi is called out for saying everybody wants A-Rod
We also learn about Papelbon's pregame superstition ritual of going in and turning on every single shower head before taking his shower, which fogs up the locker room and makes the other guys sweat who are trying to dress out for the game. Papi also points out that Papelbon is not a very good dancer.
He also talked about the possibility of playing for the Yankees someday: "You know, I have a lot of respect for the Yankees, and I think they're an amazing organization, but I think I'm a Red Sox for life".
video courtesy of Live With Regis & Kelly
Hot Stove Update
Only a few days into the hot stove season, and there's already a ton of movement. We already said goodbye to Eric Gagne (will he go back to Texas? who cares!), saw Curt Schilling, Matt Clement, Bobby Kielty, Eric Hinske and Doug Mirabelli file for free agency, and learned Royce Clayton (always the bridesmaid and never the bride) was DFA'ed.
Good news today? Tim "Timmeh" Wakefield and Julian "Freddy Krueger" Tavarez both had their options for '08 picked up by the club- which means the Sox have locked up at least a Beckett-DiceK-Lester-Wakefield-Buchholz potential starting group for next year, with Tavarez as a kicker. Even better, it means 1/2 of the Timmeh Team is locked up- Mike "Timmeh" Timlin, we're waiting on you, now.
Don't break up the Timmehs! Keep the Timmehs together!
Even better news today? The coach for the bullpen pirates will not be heading to Pittsburgh to coach the Pirates; John Farrell released a statement taking his name off the table for consideration for a job with the Buccos. Keeping Farrell in Boston was quite possibly the #1 item on my offseason wish list for the Sox, so this news is like Christmas coming early. It sounds like Curt Schilling agrees- he sent this email to the Globe today about Farrell:
John Farrell is a HUGE part of the equation, not just for me either. He's as good as anyone I've ever worked with and probably the most over qualified pitching coach in the world. This guy is a GM already. I think him doing what he's doing is a testament to his love for the game more than anything.
This guy gets it on so many levels, personal and professional. While I would claim we are very close friends, he was always my coach first, which is something I desperately need at this point in my career. He's as upfront and honest as you could ever hope someone in his position would be.
Add to that he's as genuine and nice as anyone I've ever met. One of my real pleasures in life is the ability to rag him about the fact that he wears a 10 5/8 hat, or something close to it.
Good pitching coach, better person.
Speaking of Curt Schilling, he continues to post over at 38pitches.com very openly and honestly about going through the free agency process. I'm hoping (cross fingers, toes and every other available appendage) that the Farrell news also bodes well for a Curt re-signing. Curt also today posted the opening letter he received in 2003 from the Sox. Not only is it hopefully a sentimental heartstring tug on Curt, but it's a fascinating peek into the innerworkings of the front office and great look at the underlying philosophy of the club. Here's my favorite part:
Well, we think that the Schillings and the Red Sox might just be another great fit - a perfect marriage - and we hope that we can demonstrate why. We are here to tell you all about the Red Sox: who we are, where we are going, and how we're going to get there. We want to share our thoughts on everything from advance scouting to the way we set up our family room at the ballpark. We'll discuss the neighborhoods where you might live and every inch of the old neighborhood ballpark you would call home. We'll be honest about the small weight room and crowded clubhouse, but we'll also tell you about Ted Williams' old locker and the feeling you get walking up the ancient tunnel to greet 35,000 of the best fans in baseball. We want to tell you about the type of person and player we want to represent the Red Sox, and how we're filling our clubhouse with them. We want to tell you all about the unparalleled passion of Red Sox Nation, and about how hard we are working to bring a World Championship to Boston. We're sure you have hundreds of questions for us, and we're here to do our best at providing answers.
One bit of sad news: Kevin Cash was assigned outright to Pawtucket-AAA, and refused the assignment- so he's now officially a free agent, and up for grabs. We've got a couple of great catcher prospects in the minors, but I'll really miss Cashie- as he was such a hardworker, and always struck me as a stand-up guy.
Mike Lowell still has yet to file for free agency- which shouldn't make anyone relax about his status, but definitely is a positive sign that he's really working through options with the Sox first before going on to test the broader market. Some Lowell fans have built on the grassroots campaign that started with the "Keep Mike Lowell" and "Don't Sign A-Rod" chants I heard while I was at the celebrations in Denver, and started the Lowell Yes / A-Rod No website. All like-minded Sox fans can head over there and show support.
Sean Danielson - no relation to Karate Kid Daniel-san
The Sox also put the last piece of the Joel Pineiro trade in place today, with the acquisition of outfielder Sean Danielson from the Cardinals as the "player to be named later". Danielson is a Texan (YAY!) from San Antonio will start out at Portland-AA, and has been described as what sounds like a very Pedroia-like player:
Scrappy, undersized, and speedy, Danielson is a great clubhouse presence at any level. He's very capable defensively, able to play al three OF positions well with great range. Strong arm.
And in "Long, Long, Long, LONG Shot" news... could it be possible that Tom Glavine might end up in Boston? He was born and raised in Mass., and he and his kids remain huge Red Sox fans. He's also got a good shot to finally nab a World Series ring back in his old stomping grounds. Hmmmm....
Pigs Fly: Manny Speaks! On A Talk Show!
He came out in sunglasses. Of course he did.
Manny was an enthusiastic, engaging and quite charming interview, believe it or not. He talked about cars a little, but mostly he talked about the Red Sox and how much he loves Boston and loves the Red Sox. NO REALLY, he did. It helped that the stage was full of Bostonians- Jay Leno and his first guest Steve Carrell are both from the Boston area.
Manny (rightly) dismissed the idea of there ever having been a curse, and said it was the management that made things happen. He says the guys are not cocky, that "Boston is like a dynasty" and that "the city needed the happiness" from the wins. Jay asked him about the "who cares if we win" quote- and Manny explained that he said that to take pressure off his teammates... and that after he said that, they went on to win seven in a row. How very true, Manny.
Manny also cracked a few jokes at Jay's expense, first bringing out a batter's helmet for him but doubting whether it would fit his chin -- and then asking Jay if he was related to Kevin Youkilis, because he said they "have the same chin." Jay shrugged and said his dad got around, so he would check-- which cracked Manny up so much, he had to fistbump a bemused Steve Carrell.
Best part though is when Jay asked Manny about getting called out at home plate in Game 3 of the Series, and Manny says very seriously, "I was safe." So Jay showed him the clip, Manny watched it, and then responded, "Yeah, I think I was out."
video courtesy of NBC and the Tonight Show
He was relaxed and funny and lighthearted- and the number of times he talked lovingly about the Sox made my heart happy.
Here's a bonus clip from earlier in the show, when Jay talked to Steve Carrell about his Red Sox fandom- and Steve expressed his fascination at learning about Coco Crisp.
video courtesy of NBC and the Tonight Show
Big Papi Up In N-Y-C
Quiz time! Is this:
A) an LSD-induced hallucination
B) a costume rejected by Siegfried and Roy as being "too out there"
C) a Christmas light display by the scariest Santa ever
D) Papelbon's prophecy come true
Nah- it's just David "The Bedazzler" Ortiz. With a bedazzled scorpion on his jacket. Naturally.
Conan is a Brookline, Mass. native- and a huge Sox fan- so Papi came bearing gifts of a Papi-sized bat and a personalized O'Brien road jersey.
They talk about Papi answering his own door to give out candy at Halloween (to which Papi crosses himself in remembrance), and how Papi's wife invited over 250 kids for the occasion, unbeknownst to Papi- who was grilling in the backyard with friends. Conan asks if Papi invited all those kids in to the house after giving out candy, and Papi quickly (and resoundingly) responded, "NO!"
Papi also reveals that his secret to psyching pitchers out is to let his beard grow.
Conan gets Papi to re-enact his batter's box routine and his little high five-bow thing he does with DiceK... and then Conan suggests a few additions. I would not be in the least surprised to see Conan's hip waggle show up sometime in the dugout celebrations next season.
Best part? When Conan asks Papi what it's like to walk around Boston, with everyone wanting to be near him and talk to him and hug him- and Conan says, "You're like Santa at the North Pole."
I lied. The best part is Papi pointing at the camera and saying, "THEO. DO IT." (sign Mike Lowell)
OK, I lied again. The VERY best part really is Papi sharing, with a completely straight face, the advice he gives to reporters as they're leaving the lockerroom after a game: "Go home and get some ass." And then Papi and Conan do the DiceK high5-bow-hip waggle. Wise words, Papi.
video courtesy of NBC and Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Can Of Corn
A "can of corn" is a can't-miss high fly ball, an easy catch an outfielder can (and should) make without any trouble.
Around here, a can of corn contains all the can't-miss posts I've run across during the week- great links that you can (and should) check out.
For everyone who wasn't lucky enough to be there, Beth writes about the parade celebrations so eloquently, you'll feel like you were. [Cursed To First]
Manny is a Gemini Sun and Capricorn Moon? This explains everything. [Pine Fresh Shenanigans]
Ah, to have been a fly on the wall during the Sox plane ride back to Boston from Denver. It could not possibly have been more fun than imagined by Kristen. [Basegirl]
Friday marked the home opener for the Boston Celtics- and the hometown men in green honored the hometown men in red during the pregame festivities.
The Celtics played a video tribute to the World Champion '07 Red Sox on the jumbotrons above the court, before bringing owner John Henry and president Larry Lucchino and several of the Red Sox - including Tim Wakefield, Manny Delcarmen, Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz - and the championship trophy out to center court. Of course they couldn't close out the occasion without playing "Sweet Caroline" over the PA for everyone to sing along to.
I've got more pictures, all courtesy of the AP, Getty Images, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald (with a hattip to jollygreenpear!) after the jump...
Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have all done their part and made the rounds in the Sox post-victory media maelstrom... and tonight it was Mike Lowell's turn to take one for the team. Like Papelbon and Doug Mirabelli on QVC this past Wednesday, Mike appeared on the Home Shopping Network earlier this evening to hawk some Sox World Champions merchandise.
Surely this eclipses the MVP Award, the champagne celebrations and the victory parade through Boston as the highlight of Mike's post-World Series activities.
To his credit, and unlike Papelbon and Mirabelli, Mike manages to keep a straight face and not dissolve into giggles when the outrageous prices of the merchandise are announced. And in the fifteen minutes of discussion with the HSN host, you really get to hear a lot from Lowell about the World Series, and his thoughts on his teammates and the MVP award.
Here's the first video- the second half is after the jump.
The general managers' annual meetings started today in Orlando, and reportedly the biggest buzz so far has centered around A-Rod (no surprise) and Coco Crisp (slightly surprising). The market for outfielders is apparently going to be a hot one this offseason, and Nick Cafardo reports that Coco's name seems to be the one everyone is talking about. There are a number of clubs rumored to be interested in Coco- including the Astros, Rangers, Braves, Padres, White Sox, Phillies and the Twins- who may be looking at him as a cheaper alternative to Torii Hunter.
Curt Schillingwas in Philadelphia yesterday to watch the Eagles-Cowboys game, as a guest of the Eagles' owner Jeff Lurie. Lurie is also a lifelong Red Sox fan. No word on whether Curt was in town purely for the football-- or if he also had contact with the Phillies while he was there.
you BOTH look much better in the Boston unis, guys
The Boston Herald points out that the Red Sox are expected to inquire about Twins pitcher Johan Santana and Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Rumors on Miggy Cabrera are that the Marlins would be asking for hefty compensation- like at least two out of the group of Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury.
And while there are rumors about the Sox looking at the Marlins' third basemen, fans in Florida want to know if the Marlins are looking at the possibility of acquiring the Sox third baseman. Mike Lowell is likely way, way out of the Marlins' price range - but Mike is reportedly down in Orlando now... possibly to take a meeting with Tito Francona and Theo Epstein?
Rob Bradford of the Boston Herald is reporting that Curt Schilling and the Red Sox are close to reaching a deal that would bring him back to Boston next season. From the Herald:
The deal is believed to be incentive-laden and, according to sources, might be simply contingent on a final physical.
Schilling, when reached by phone last night, said that things "gathered momentum and if they continued to progress like they did (yesterday) something could potentially get done."
Talks with the Red Sox are moving. Theo and I have spoken multiple times daily over the past week and given the current situation I am feeling very confident that we will be able to finalize a 1 year contract to allow us a chance to finish our career as members of the Red Sox organization.
There are some things to iron out and details that must be finalized for both sides but barring something unforseen or outrageously odd happening I feel very comfortable that I will finish my career here.
1986, Redux
Back in August, I (along with one of my blogging partners at Ladies..., J-Money) accepted an invitation from The Sporting News to participate in a special project the magazine was putting together: a Strat-O-Matic recreation of the 1986 baseball season, with various sports bloggers managing each of the MLB teams. Basically, the two of us would be given a team to manage throughout the 1986 season- day-by-day, game-by-game, with the players from the 1986 roster, to trade or bench as we chose -- and we'd be going head-to-head against other sports blogger folks.
At the time, we didn't know what team we would be assigned to manage, or who would be managing the other teams -- but with the prospect of a long and empty offseason stretching out over the winter, we jumped at the chance to participate. Hey- it's The Sporting News! You don't say no to The Sporting News. My co-manager J-Money is also a huge Sox fan, and we tend to have similar baseball philosophies, so we were quite thrilled to step back in time and take the reins of a major league ballclub.
It would also give me great joy to rewrite the history books for that particular year, because 1986 was the year of my first sports heartbreak... twice over. I was just a kid, but I can recall clear as day sitting cross-legged on the floor inches away from the TV in my parents' house in Houston watching the Mets dismantle the hometown Astros for the NL pennant (I cried!), and then watching the same hated Mets roll on to devour the Red Sox. 1986 is regarded as one of the best years in baseball, but it's always been the year that broke my heart. So I'm happy to wipe the slate clean and get a do-over.
We found out about a month ago that we'd be managing the Blue Jays. Which is great because (1) the Jays had a very solid team in 1986, one that could definitely compete for the division (remember, this was back when there were only four divisions, and the Tigers, Indians and Brewers (!) were all in the AL East), and (2) the Jays are also a current divisional opponent of the Sox, which adds a nice little twist- we're switching roles, and gunning to take down the Red Sox. Barfield, Bell, Whitt, Fernandez, Henke, Clancy, Key, Steib, Eichhorn- yep, this is going to be fun.
If nothing else, our team knows how to rock a mustache. FEAR THE STACHE.
his name is RANCE MULLINIKS... we win
Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when we were introduced to the other managers involved in the project-- and discovered that not only were we the only females involved, but that there were some real heavy-hitters participating. Including... Will Leitch, Doug Glanville, Dan Shanoff and Curt Schilling. So we're managing the '86 Blue Jays, and we're competing against Curt Schilling's '86 Red Sox. I'm thinking he might know just a tad about the game and how to manage a roster. Just a tad.
My current plan is going to be to bombard Mr. Schilling and the other opponents in our division with a deluge of silly and/or ludicrous trade requests. You know, the old "bury them in a mountain of paperwork" trick. Except instead of paper, they'll be buried in emails. For example: "Hey, Curt- I will trade you Rance Mulliniks for Roger Clemens." With a plan this genius, it is only a matter of time before my fellow AL East managers crumble under the pressure- and then it will be JAYS TIME, BABY.
Opening Day was yesterday- but our Jays had a day off, so our first game is today, against the Rangers. I've got my retro '86 Jays ballcap, the Roger Clemens poster I had on my wall in 1986 (for luck!), and enough stats and research on the '86 season to fill a few binders. We'll see how much good that does me. If nothing else, it's gonna be one hell of a fun time.
I'm accepting any and all roster moves, trade possibilities or other suggestions- because we're going to try our damnedest to beat Schilling and the Red Sox. And please, baseball gods, whatever happens... just don't let the Mets win. Please?
Sox On The Town
It doesn't sound like the guys are taking it easy in the offseason- they're out and about in Boston (and otherwise) enjoying the spoils of victory.
Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon both made appearances at Modell's in Medford, Mass. last week to pick up some Sox gear and sign some autographs. (more on Jonathan's appearance later...)
I noted earlier that Curt Schilling was in Philadelphia on Sunday night for the Eagles-Cowboys game, but before heading out of town he held his annual reception on Saturday afternoon for supporters of his Pitch for ALS charity. And afterwards, on Saturday night, Curt also helped throw a 40th birthday bash for his wife Shonda at the Children's Museum. The party had an 80's theme, so guests (including Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Jonathan Papelbon, Doug Mirabelli, Mike Timlin and their respective wives) all partied in head-to-toe 80's gear. Varitek rocked a mullet wig and parachute pants, Papelbon rolled with a fanny pack and headband. And naturally, several of the guys (Schilling, Wakefield, Mirabelli, Timlin and Papelbon) joined the party's Journey cover band onstage to belt out "Any Way You Want It". The coolest part isn't the outfits or the singing, though- the coolest part is that as a birthday gift, Curt reportedly donated a nice chunk of money to the local high school in Medfield in Shonda's name for the refurbishment of the baseball and softball field (which will now be named the "Shonda Schilling Field" in her honor).
Clay Buchholz attended the One Night Only event at Gypsy Bar, with DJ A.M. (yep, that DJ A.M.), DJ Vice and DJ Aoki. Isn't he just the little clubkid! He's throwing the peace sign and everything.
And Kevin Youkilis's charity Hits For Kids is having their "Crackin' It Up" function at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT this Saturday night. There will be a silent auction of Sox memorabilia, cocktail reception and dinner, and a comedy sketch written by SNL's Seth Myers in the style of the Newlywed Game-- which will feature Youk and his fiancee as well as other Sox players and their significant others. Tickets for the event are $500 and can be purchased from Ticketmaster- and Youk's website has all the details.
Images and reports courtesy of the Boston Herald and NJ.com
Own A Piece Of History
Forget QVC and HSN; for the coolest (by 'coolest' I mean 'most disgusting') World Series memorabilia, head over to eBay and pick up this one-of-a-kind gem:
2007 WORLD SERIES GAME USED CHEWING TOBACCO BY FRANCONA
Yep- someone picked a wad of chewed bubblegum and tobacco up off the floor of the Red Sox dugout at Fenway, and is now selling the wad on eBay.
"YOU ARE BIDDING ON A VERY UNIQUE PIECE OF SPORTS MEMORABILIA. THIS IS AN ACTUAL GAME USED PIECE OF CHEWING TOBACCO CHEWED BY RED SOX MANAGER TERRY FRANCONA DURING GAME 1 OF THE 2007 WORLD SERIES AT FENWAY PARK VERSUS THE COLORADO ROCKIES. THE PIECE OF TOBACCO IS INTERTWINED WITH A PIECE OF BUBBLE GUM. SEVERAL PICTURES ARE POSTED BELOW AS PROOF OF THIS ITEMS AUTHENTICITY. THIS ITEM WAS TAKEN RIGHT FROM THE SEAT OF TERRY FRANCONA".
The seller includes pictures of the wad with the auction (which I refuse to post here, for fear of gagging). Even worse, there are three bids on the auction. I would love to know who would bid on an auction like this, why in the world they'd want to pay money for a chewed wad of tobacco and gum, and what kind of memorabilia display case they'd put that in.
Oh, but wait- the seller wants you to know that, "A PORTION OF ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE JIMMY FUND." Ah, yes, right.
And it's good to know that this particular wad is "game used". I don't want a wad that was chewed up and spit out during batting practice or anything.
No worries, though- if you win, the seller will be insuring it for shipment. Whew- what a relief! I just don't know how they'll be able to set a value for insurance purposes. Can you write in "priceless" on an insurance form?
Youk Picks Up A Gold Glove
Congratulations to Kevin Youkilis, who just snagged his first ever Gold Glove- and it was well deserved. Youk didn't record a single error this season, in 1,080 total chances (that's 135 errorless games), and also nabbed 990 putouts. Youk is the first Sox player to snag one of these prestigious defensive awards since Jason Varitek in '05.
Youk is one of five first-time AL Gold Glove honorees this year- including Johan Santana, Placido Polanco, Adrian Beltre and Grady Sizemore. The AL list includes two Tigers, two Mariners, two Twins, and one player from each of the Red Sox, Indians and Angels. No Yankees made the list (Derek Jeter lost his slot to the Angels' Orlando Cabrera). The NL list includes two players from each of the Phillies, Braves and Mets, and one player from each of the Padres, Dodgers, Cubs and Diamondbacks.
Here's some interesting history on the awards, courtesy of the Phillies (congratulations also go out to Philly's Aaron Rowand, who snagged his first Gold Glove today):
The idea of awarding Gold Gloves to the game's top fielders hatched in 1956 when Elmer Blasco, the Rawlings Sporting Goods public relations/sales manager, discovered during a Spring Training survey that 83 percent of MLB regular players used Rawlings gloves or mitts.
He noted that Hillerich & Bradsby, the Major League's leading baseball bat supplier, awarded "Silver Bats" to the game's top hitters, so Blasco reasoned that Rawlings ought to sponsor some sort of fielding award.
After his idea was accepted by Rawlings' management, Blasco contacted the Brown Shoe Company of St. Louis and obtained a hide of gold lame-tanned leather used to make ladies formal slippers. A glove was crafted from the hide, laced and stamped as a regular fielder's glove, and attached to a metal fixture on a walnut base with an engraved plate. Thus was born the Gold Glove Award.
The Oct. 2, 1957, edition of The Sporting News featured a full-page announcement: "Recognizing the importance of superior individual fielding performance to the advancement of baseball as America's national game, Rawlings has established the annual Gold Glove Awards beginning with the '57 season."
A committee selected by The Sporting News voted from 1957-64; MLB managers and coaches took over the voting responsibility in 1965.
Hot Stove Update
The time has come: Mike Lowell and Mike Timlin both officially filed for free agency today, rounding out a group of 8 Sox players total who filed for free agency. Reports are that Lowell's agents arrived in Orlando today, and met with Theo Epstein- it's unclear if he filed for free agency before or after any of those meetings. The Sox have exclusive negotiation rights with Lowell until Nov. 12th. Earlier today, Theo had again expressed his focus on re-signing Lowell:
"With respect to third basemen, signing Mike is our clear priority," Epstein said. "We're going to work hard at that and really hope to get something done. I hope this doesn't come to pass, but if he eventually signs somewhere else, then we'll explore other options, but really, right now, we're focused on trying to sign Mike."
Previously, Theo discussed his philosophy on disclosing details of his negotiation process in general- and Mike Lowell in particular:
"I don't usually like to talk about contract negotiations in any type of detail unless the player wants to or does so first. In this case, I think we have a better chance of getting a deal done in relative secrecy or confidentiality. I just answer it in general terms and say we're working at it and making progress."
Theo also noted that he had not spoken with A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras-- and that the bandied-about notion of signing Lowell to play third and then signing A-Rod to play shortstop is not up for consideration: "We have a shortstop," Epstein said.
The Boston Herald also reported that the Sox held their "initial discussions" with Mike Timlin on Monday. Mike will be 42 at the start of next season, so in addition to the possibility of sailing the free agent waters, the Admiral could be sailing on off into the sunset of retirement.
WE MUST RE-SIGN THE MIKES.
While everyone is focusing on Lowell, no one can seem to find Julian Tavarez. The Sox picked up the option on his contract last week- but apparently Theo doesn't know Julian's thoughts on the matter, because they haven't been able to make contact with him. Any guesses on what he's doing?
Theo told the Globe's Nick Cafardo that they're not really looking to pick up any more pitchers on the free agent market in the wake of re-signing Curt Schilling.
"We're probably out of the free-agent market unless there's a real value there, as far as the trade market is concerned if we have a chance to add a real good young, controllable pitcher, sure but we're pretty happy with our depth right now. What we needed was quality to protect the remainder of the rotation."
Maybe they'll change their tune on that if Julian Tavarez doesn't ever bother to surface.
And both Bobby Kielty and Doug Mirabelli were specifically mentioned by Theo as possibles for returning to the Sox roster. Although the Herald noted that Rangers catcher Gerald Laird interests the Sox as well. Kielty needs to be re-inked immediately- and ol' Dougie Fresh will likely be re-signed as well (in my totally speculative and not-at-all-expert opinion).
Curt Schilling Talks With Dennis Miller
Following close on the heels of his announcement today that he was returning to Boston (hooray!), Curt Schilling made an appearance on the first episode of Dennis Miller's new Sports Uncensored show on Versus. Curt was relaxed and at ease, and who wouldn't be after locking down a multi-million dollar contract and solidifying your legacy in a town that worships you?
Curt talked candidly, as always, about all kinds of Sox stuff. Dennis asked him to spill some of the details about his brand new contract, and Schill responded, "I got a shit ton of money to play back in Boston, the city that I love." Excellent. Not enough people use the phrase "shit ton", I heartily approve. And I also appreciate a pro ballplayer recognizing that the minimum $8MM he'll get is, indeed, a shit ton.
He joked about some words Dennis had used earlier in the broadcast ("I'm actually trying to figure out how I can fit 'eternal priapism'- I think that's the term you used earlier. How did you get somebody to laugh at that? I don't even know what it means.") and also joked about the fear he feels before his starts, saying: "I don't think I'm any different than most people when it comes to the big game. You couldn't pull a pin out of my ass with a tractor."
Curt also talked about some of his teammates and coaches, including the prospect of signing Mike Lowell ("I think they're going to make a serious, serious effort to get it done."). He first joked about manager Tito Francona: "He sucks at cribbage. he's a horrible fantasy football manager. Doesn't really know the game very well- if he didn't have Brad Mills, he probably would be scouting for Modesto or something." And then, more seriously, "Phenomenal guy. Phenomenal manager. Phenomenal human being. A hell of a guy to play for, and a very close friend. "
The highlight, however, was Schill talking about Josh Beckett- I think that pair probably have a very mercurial relationship. They've got a lot in common, and I bet they alternate between being either the best of pals, or they get so sick of each other, they can't stand to be around one another. On Beckett, Schill said:
"I enjoy [Josh's] press conferences more than anything. I mean, his f-bomb to quote ratio is right up there with anything Eddie Murphy ever did.
He's intense. But beyond all of it, he has a deep-seated desire to be great and to be better than everybody else. And when you throw the ball 98 miles an hour, you got Nolan Ryan's curveball and a Frank Viola changeup, that's not a real bad mix."
Here's full video of the appearance:
video courtesy of Versus
As Promised, Beckett Did Dance
Amidst the champagne-soaked celebrations following the Red Sox pennant-clinching win over the Indians in Game 7 of the ALCS, one Mr. Joshua Patrick Beckett made a solemn promise (video- the "Fox, part two" clip):
"I told [Papelbon] I'd dance with him if we won the World Series."
When the victory parade rolled through the streets of Boston, and Josh was tucked away on a duckboat with Wakefield and Schilling, while Papelbon, Timlin and even Okajima jigged on a flatbed, everyone wondered: where was that dance Beckett promised?
There was speculation perhaps he attempted to fulfill his promise by dancing with Jonathan at the afterparty in Denver, but folks didn't feel that fulfilled the spirit of the promise. They wanted a public dancefest from Josh.
Lo and behold, on the Red Sox Report this Sunday, footage shot by NESN on the diamond at Coors Field during the on-field celebrations that night shows... Beckett did indeed dance.
Now, granted, it wasn't a jig- it was more of a Texas two-step, er, one-step kind of deal. And he didn't dance with Papelbon. But considering Josh's disdain for calling attention to himself in public, I gotta give him credit for at least busting out this dance- and for recognizing that he did make a promise to dance that he had to keep. I only wish they would have showed more of his dance moves- they're awesomely awful.
video courtesy of NESN
On The Occasion Of Roger Clemens' Retirement
The news broke earlier tonight that Roger's pitching days are likely over. I wrote more about this over at Babes Love Baseball, but essentially, Roger told the Astros' front office that he'll be kicking off the first year of his 10 year personal services contract with the team this coming 2008 season.
Yeah, I know- with Clemens, no retirement is safe. But this time, it feels different. It feels pretty certain. I think starting down the consultancy road is turning a big corner for Roger, and it would take something serious to reverse paths and go back to pitching. ("something serious" = Pettite coming back so the both of them can play in Houston?) After this season, with his injury issues, and his performance issues, I think Roger finally saw the writing on the wall: a power pitcher at the age of 45 is just not going to be able to push through the wall anymore. Curt Schilling reinvented himself as more of a finesse-type pitcher; I don't see that at all in the cards for Roger.
So now is the part where I get a tad misty-eyed, which will confound most Red Sox fans who hate him. Because... Roger Clemens is a god to me. I've written before about how growing up as a baseball fan in Texas, I was raised by my father to revere the twin Texas boys Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens above all else. I was destined to love Roger Clemens, way back before he even played for the Red Sox, because of this:
The burnt orange trumps all- and make no mistake, Roger Clemens is way more burnt orange than he ever was Red Sox red or Yankee blue. He is as big of a Texas Longhorns homer as I am, maybe more-- and that's saying something. Roger pitched for my beloved University of Texas, and not only that, he won us a National Championship. For that, no matter what he has done or will do over the rest of his life, Roger Clemens has my undying devotion. The fact that he's one of the best pitchers to ever play the game just cements him in my pantheon of sports heroes.
So unlike the vast majority of Red Sox fans who first loved Roger Clemens because he was a Red Sox player, I first started to love the Red Sox because Rogers Clemens was on the team. The love I have for the Red Sox today can be directly traced back to 1984-86, when he first started making waves in Boston. If there had been no Roger Clemens, I likely would never have become a Red Sox fan.
And like Craig Biggio, who I also grew up idolizing as a kid in Houston (and who has been the subject of my mushy ramblings on more than one occasion), I've never known baseball without Roger. As long as I can remember, Roger's been on the pitcher's mound, and Craig's been roaming the field. And now I'm waving farewell to both of those guys in the same year. The thought of a new baseball season starting up in the spring without Craig and Roger breaks my heart in a way I don't think I can even fully contemplate yet. How do you turn the page on an entire life watching baseball? Because Roger Clemens and Craig Biggio ARE baseball to me.
In a way, I guess it's almost poetic to close this chapter in my life as a baseball fan this year. This summer was the summer of baseball for me- I left a high-stress, high-workload job, and essentially just traveled around going to baseball games all summer (78, to be precise). I was in Houston the weekend Craig hit his 3,000th- missed getting to see that milestone by one game (!), but I got to sit out at Minute Maid for the four games after that enjoy watching my childhood hero play again. And I was in New York, at Yankee Stadium for my first time ever, to see Roger pitch against Josh Beckett-- passing the torch from my childhood hero to my adult favorite pitcher. I suppose if they have to exit stage right from the game of baseball, there's really no better parting gifts I could have asked for than to be a part of their last hurrahs.
So if this is really it, if we never see Roger pitch again, I have to thank him for this:
Texas wins the Natonal Championship
And for this:
Roger gets 20 K's
And for this:
Roger and Craig celebrate winning the first NL pennant for Houston
And even for this:
Roger Clemens vs. Josh Beckett showdown
I have to thank him for everything- even the Blue Jays years- because without Roger, baseball would not be as sweet for me. He helped me fall in love with the game, and that's a gift of priceless value.
Thanks, Roger.
Buy Manny's Car
Manny Ramirez tried selling his grill on eBay, but the auction was shut down due to an onslaught of phony bids. David Ortiz tried selling his car on eBay, but that auction was also derailed by phony bids (that time from his fellow Sox teammates).
Manny apparently keeps a stable of "only" four cars: the Chrysler, a Mercedes, an Escalade and a "project car" that he's restoring. So in order to make room for that 1958 Chrysler Imperial he talked with Jay Leno about, he's got to unload the 2006 Chrysler.
The listing for the car ("It has a lot of custom features, 22-inch wheels, chrome, a custom grill. It was Manny's personal drive.") will go up on the auction site on Thursday night. And in addition to the car, the winning bidder will receive a bundle of goodies direct from Manny: "The lucky winner will get a trunk full of autographed items, a jersey, bat and ball, four tickets to a future Red Sox game and a meet-and-greet with Manny to talk about the car."
Price tag? The car is worth approximately $35,000, and bidding will start at $5,000, but the West Roxbury Motors folks expect it to go for about $50,000.
Hot Stove Update
The general manager meetings concluded today in Orlando, and Theo Epstein and the other GMs have departed town and headed home. Unfortunately, the meetings concluded without a deal for Mike Lowell in place (which was not too surprising, considering this report- but there are positive signs that negotiations are progressing (and the Sox still have exclusive rights to speak dollars and cents with Lowell through November 12th).
The Sox extended a three-year guaranteed offer to Lowell before they departed Orlando- an offer described by a club source as "really strong". Reportedly, the Sox believe that the offer made to Lowell "is competitive enough that if Lowell truly wants to re-sign with the Sox -- which the club believes and which the club wants to happen -- then their three-year offer is significant enough to make him want to stay." The market, however, may offer Lowell a four-year contract- one nameless National League GM told Nick Cafardo, "He'd get four years on the open market. No question." But the word on the GMs' street also apparently is that Lowell will most likely return to the Red Sox: the Yankees manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman both have reportedly thrown in the towel on the possibility of bringing Lowell to New York.
"I personally believe the player's preference would be to stay in Boston," Cashman said. "I believe that's probably accurate."
re-sign this man. NOW.
And despite what some folks are still talking about, Michael Silverman reports that if Lowell does not sign on the dotted line, the Sox are NOT likely to try and sign Miguel Cabrera. In that case, the Sox are exploring three alternatives: (1) a "non-blockbuster" trade for a low profile 3B, (2) move Kevin Youkilis to 3B, and trade for a low-profile 1B, or (3) fill the 3B hole internally, possibly utilizing new 1B Chris Carter and SS prospect Jed Lowrie to patch the void left by Lowell.
In Scott Boras news, Theo Epstein took a meeting with the notorious superagent yesterday to run through the list of Boras clients (which includes Alex Cora, J.D. Drew, Eric Gagne, Devern Hansack, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Julian Tavarez and Jason Varitek). Theo has been careful to classify this meeting as a routine one, not one meant to discuss A-Rod-- though Theo reportedly had to listen to Boras's pitch extolling the value of A-Rod (complete with charts and graphs). One Boras client who most certainly will not be returning to the Sox is Eric Gagne; Theo said, "He's not a great fit for our bullpen right now", and Boras indicated Gagne is pursuing a closer's role... meaning he's almost assuredly long gone from the Fens.
don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you
Brendan Donnelly will reportedly be invited back to the Sox. Donnelly had Tommy John surgery in August, and likely won't be available to pitch until late in the season next year. Theo said, "He might be ready to pitch toward the end of next year; we're talking to him about working something out so he can come back next year."
However Matt Clement's days in Boston are apparently over. All sources say there are no talks going on between the Sox and Clement- and Theo remarked yesterday that, "given the Sox' pitching depth, that Clement 'probably has better options elsewhere'." Clement is garnering interest from the Royals and Padres.
trade bait
Much speculation still surrounds Coco Crisp- including interest from the Twins and the Rangers. The Twins would likely be looking for a Lester/Buchholz and Crisp trade for Johan Santana- but as I mentioned before, Theo has said the Sox are not looking on the free agent market for more starting pitching. The Rangers, on the other hand, have two viable catchers in Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia that could help the Sox out. Of course I'd prefer Saltalamacchia... for obvious reasons.
Final note: longtime baseball veteran Royce Claytonfiled for free agency yesterday-- the only ballplayer to do so. This means twelve Red Sox were on the free agent market this offseason- and three of those (Wakefield, Tavarez, Schilling) have re-inked with the Sox.
Where Is Tavarez?
Earlier this week, Theo Epstein mentioned that since picking up Julian Tavarez's option for 2008, no one from the Sox front office had made contact with him... and they weren't really sure where Tavarez is.
So now it's time to play the game... WHERE IS TAVAREZ?
click to enlarge
My guesses?
Alligator wrestling outside Lafayette, Louisiana.
Living on a riverboat on the Amazon.
Working as a department store Santa in Duluth, Minnesota.
Carnival barker in Romania.
Running around New Orleans in a Godzilla costume.
Still hungover in Denver from the World Series.
Big Papi Notches Another Silver Slugger
Big congratulations go out to Big Papi, who collected yet another Silver Slugger Award today- the fourth in a row for him (tying him with Paul Molitor and Edgar Martinez for the most all-time awards for a DH). No DH had ever won the Silver Slugger three times in a row until Papi did it last year- and now he's rolled on to a fourth.
In addition to congrats on the Silver Slugger, I also want to throw a quick "Get Well" to Papi- he successfully underwent knee surgery this week, will start rehab immediately, and should be back and ready to go in spring training.
I also have to shout out my Philly boys Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins- Rollins won a Gold Glove earlier this week, and now added the Silver Slugger to his collection. (MVP! MVP!)
American League Silver Sluggers 2007
C: Jorge Posada, NYY
1B: Carlos Pena, TB
2B: Placido Polanco, DET
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NYY
SS: Derek Jeter, NYY
OF: Magglio Ordonez, DET
OF: Vlad Guerrero, LAA
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
DH: David Ortiz, BOS
National League Silver Sluggers 2007
C: Russell Martin, LAD
1B: Prince Fielder, MIL
2B: Chase Utley, PHI
3B: David Wright, NYM
SS: Jimmy Rollins, PHI
OF: Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF: Carlos Lee, HOU
OF: Matt Holliday, COL
P: Micah Owings, ARI
