Media Movement All Over The Place

Posted by Bruce August 15, 2008 (6 days ago) at 8:30 am

Last night we learned about the changes at the Globe, which included Tony Massarotti moving over from the Herald, and Chad Finn earning himself a sweet promotion.

This morning, David Scott has more on the move, but also reports on new hires at weei.com, which include Jeff Goodman, Alex Speier and wait for it…Ron Borges.

Ron Borges? 

Seriously? Ken Powers wasn’t available? Mike Barnicle turned them down? Patricia Smith wasn’t interested?

My interest and enthusiasm in their new venture just sunk considerably. They were doing things right all the way up until that point. Michael Felger, Rob Bradford, Goodman and Speier are all relatively young guys who understand how things work in the new age of sportswriting. For the most part they have a fresh perspective on things, and don’t stir up stuff just to get noticed (well, except for Felger.)

Borges throws all that out the window. The quotes from Dennis and Callahan in Scott’s piece are just nauseating. Yeah, I’m sure Bill Belichick is shaking in his shoes at the thought of Borges back in Foxboro. That’s provided of course that he knows how to get there. He hasn’t been seen down there in a long time, even before his (wink wink) retirement from the Globe.

I had high hopes for this new weei.com. Borges just about kills it for me. You hire him, you lose your credibility. Simple as that.

Bad move, guys.

——————————
The Red Sox hitters are surely sorry to see the Texas Rangers pitchers leave town. Boston finished off the sweep of the Rangers with a 10-0 victory at Fenway Park last night. The Red Sox scored 37 runs in 3 games off the Rangers…

Globe beat reporter Amalie Benjamin has the game story. Jeff Horrigan has the Red Sox continuing their hot hitting since the Manny Ramirez trade. Paul Kenyon has the Red Sox finishing off their roundup of the Rangers. Jeff Goldberg has Daisuke Matsuzaka once again letting the runners on, and once again not letting them score. Bob Stern has the Red Sox pounding the Rangers one more time. Garry Brown has more on the demolition at Fenway. Phil O’Neill has another big inning leading the way for Boston.

Tony Massarotti has David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis proving to be a formidable 3-3 combination. Barbara Matson has Ortiz especially sorry to see the Rangers go. Ortiz has regain his power stroke in this series, and even enjoyed an early departure last night. Still, I can’t help but remember the reaction from the media when Pedro Martinez left the ballpark early after a start. I’ve got absolutely no problem with Ortiz (or Pedro) going home early, but it’s interesting to note the difference in reaction. Steven Krasner analyzes the lack of success by the Rangers pitching in this series. Massarotti says that the Blue Jays will provide a much stiffer test for the Boston bats.

Marty Dobrow has a minor league notebook in the Globe, and examines a rash of oblique strains in the Red Sox organization. Rich Thompson’s minor league notebook has Bartolo Colon on the road back to the majors.

Benjamin’s notebook has Jon Lester trying to help out Clay Buchholz. Horrigan’s notebook has Dice-K once again walking a tightrope last night. The ProJo notebook has more on Matsuzaka. Goldberg’s notebook says that Kevin Youkilis is making a case for league MVP. Brown’s notebook has Paul Byrd getting ready for his first Red Sox start tonight. O’Neill’s notebook also makes the case for Youkilis as AL MVP.

Patriots

Over on Patriots Daily, Scott Benson examines whether the Patriots can or will carry five running backs on their roster.

Christopher L. Gasper has a look at the Patriots signing of veteran safety John Lynch. Christopher Price has more on the Lynch signing. Carolyn Thornton says that Lynch could end up being a big presence in the Patriots secondary. Eric McHugh thinks Lynch should fit well here. Jennifer Toland writes that Lynch could fill the void left by Tank Williams being placed on IR. Mark Farinella looks at this year’s carbon-dated addition to the Patriots roster.

Karen Guregian says that adding Dom Capers to the coaching staff might be the best move the Patriots made in the offseason. Thornton has rookie QB Kevin O’Connell doing all he can to learn from Tom Brady. Guregian has more on the rookie learning how to play the position in his first NFL camp. Farinella has a look at Kenny Smith, who gets a feature written about him for the second day in a row. Thompson has punter Chris Hanson secure in his role with the team.

Price tells us what to watch for during Sunday night’s game. Ian M. Clark has a Ruud family reunion on tap for Sunday night. Mike McMahon looks at former Boston Patriot Daryl Johnson going into the Morgan State Hall of Fame.

Gasper’s notebook has Jason Webster getting close to returning to action for the Patriots. Guregian’s notebook has more on the signing of Lynch. Toland’s notebook has Dean Pees talking about some of his young players on defense. McHugh’s notebook examines the impact on he safety depth chart that the Lynch signing will have.

Misc

Steve Bulpett and Marc J. Spears report on the Celtics signing first round pick J.R. Giddens.

Spears also has the United States’ men’s basketball team taking care of business with Greece yesterday.

Mark Blaudschun has a media column on NBC Sports reporter Bob Neumeier. Neumy mentions that WEEI wasn’t “fair” in their contract offer to him, which is why he left his show with Dale Arnold.  

Nuggetpalooza

Posted by Rob Bradford June 26, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Headed for the airport en route to Houston, but wanted to give you some time to digest another round of Nuggetpalooza from Gary from Chapel Hill …

Stats are through Wednesday.  Thanks to Baseball-Reference!
 
* - Jon Lester has now allowed 4 ER or fewer in 22 consecutive starts dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the majors.  Jake Westbrook (18) has the second longest active streak.  The longest streak (since ‘56) by a Red Sox pitcher is 32 starts by Pedro (’99 through ‘00) and Clemens (’90-’91).  It’s interesting that in all 32 starts in Clemens’ streak, Roger allowed THREE earned runs or fewer.   Lester has quite a ways to go to catch the longest streak ever recorded:  106 straight starts by Greg Maddux from 1991 through 1994. 
 
* - Jonathan Papelbon’s K% with the bases empty:  38.6% this year versus 39.0% last year.
 
* - Jonathan Papelbon’s K% with runners on:  25.5% this year versus 34.9% last year.
 
* - Teams have only stolen 5+ bases in a game 8 times all season and the Red Sox claim 3 of them.  No other team has done it more than once.  Before this season, the Red Sox had only stolen 5+ bases in a game six times in the last 50 years (none since 2002).
 
* - The Red Sox have thrown 6 shutouts in 33 interleague games since the beginning of 2007.  That’s the most in the majors (Detroit, 4) during that time.
 
* - On Wednesday, the Red Sox allowed just 4 total bases to the Diamondbacks.  They have now won 24 straight interleague games in which they’ve allowed 8 or fewer total bases (dating back to 2002).
 
* - Last Sunday, the Cardinals’ Aaron Miles had 5 hits, but didn’t score or drive in a run.  It was just the 18th time in at least the last 52 years that it has happened in the major leagues.  It was the 2nd time that it was a Red Sox opponent.  13 of the 18 such occurrences have been by a visiting player.
 
* - Also on Sunday, Kevin Youkilis became the 45th player to have 3 or more multiple HR games in his Red Sox career.  Jim Rice had 35 such games, while David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have 29 and 28, respectively.
 
* - JD Drew is going to have to rally late to set the June slugging percentage mark.  He is currently at .885, while the top two are Mark McGwire (.915 in ‘96) and Norm Cash (.901 in ‘61).  He still has a great shot at the Red Sox’ June record of .784 (Jackie Jensen, ‘58).
 
* - Since the beginning of 2007, the Red Sox have put up a major league best .859 OPS in the 8th inning when tied or trailing by three runs or less.  Their 5 for 7 performance (with a double) in Tuesday’s rousing comeback is included.  The Rockies (.828) are second and the Yankees (.790) are third.
 
* - Happy 26th anniversary to Mrs. Gary from Chapel Hill!  Maybe we’ll go to a ballgame to celebrate!

Lester shares AL Player of the Week

Posted by Extra Bases May 27, 2008 at 3:48 pm

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, May 25, the league announced today. He shares the award with Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordoñez.

On May 19 against the Royals, Lester became the 18th pitcher in Red Sox history to throw a no-hitter. The 24-year-old left-hander threw 130 pitches and struck out nine batters on the night. He also earned both his first complete game and shutout.

For the week, Lester went 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14.0 IP. This is the first such award he has earned in his career
.

A Moment to Remember

Posted by Mike Giardi May 20, 2008 at 10:27 am

Jon Lester doesn’t want me to think about that dark day a couple of summers ago, the day when we all learned he had cancer. He claims its not anything he preoccupies himself with, so why should I? Or any of you? Good in theory, but hard to accomplish.

Last year, it was impossible to not think about his diagnosis and subsequent recovery. It was too soon. And that was before the quiet southpaw capped a 2007 comeback by earning a win in the deciding game of the World Series. How could we not frame that evening in the back-story?  It was just too fitting; perhaps a reminder from the baseball gods that Jon Lester deserved that moment, deserved to feel that good just a year removed from such a dark period in his young life.  I felt good for him. All of baseball did.

There were rumors in the months that followed of a possible trade to Minnesota for Johan Santana. Lester was definitely on the table, and that was hard for some in Red Sox Nation to fathom. They had such a tie to him, wanted so much to see the Washington native become a finished product and help anchor the rotation for years to come. Fans got their wish when the Mets finally sealed the deal for the established ace, but there’s been more than one reference to Santana this April and May, and the typical second-guessing, “Why did Theo hang on to Lester?’

At the start of spring training, Lester was different. 20 pounds heavier, and oh how the staff and brass raved. If I heard that the Sox were “bullish” on Jon and his talents, well, you know…Perhaps that was as I sign that at least I was moving on. But even then, almost every story written about the kid had some link to his diagnosis in 2006. When could we - the media, the fans - let it go?

I didn’t know the answer. Until last night. Sometime after 10 o’clock. Jon Lester threw the last of his 130 pitches. It went past Kansas City’s Alberto Callaspo, into catcher Jason Varitek’s mitt, and that was it. A fresh new chapter in this tale, one that sent chills racing up and down the arms of all 38-thousand crammed into those seats at Fenway, and to the millions watching at home, on the couch, or chair, or lying on the floor with their dog (that was me).

Jon Lester had pitched the game of his life, a no-hitter. He turned into the pitcher we had all heard about during his run through stops like Portland, Maine, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island; the pitcher we had seen flashes of as a rookie in 2006 and - on a couple of occasions - in 2007. Jon Lester is finally where he wants to be, not just in his body and mind, but in the hearts and souls of a rabid fan base. Said Mike Lowell, “It shows his ability has come full circle. Besides the no-hitter, he shows he can really shut down a team, because he has that kind of stuff.” Yes, Mike, yes he does. I just saw it with my own eyes.

Capping a special comeback

Posted by Chris Collins May 19, 2008 at 10:14 pm

If there ever was any doubt that Jon Lester had made it all the way back from cancer after last year pitching the World Series clincher, tonight absolutely sealed the deal.

The Comeback Kid tonight turned into the No-Hit Kid. Lester was brilliant right from the giddy-up. His command was outstanding, working a plus fastball and locating his off-speed stuff — at one point he retired twenty Royals in a row. And he only two guys (an area that has been an area of concern with Lester, but not tonight).

And as always seems to be the case, there has to be one outstanding play made behind the pitcher to make it all happen. Last year, it was Clay Buchholz who supplied the no-no, and then-rookie Dustin Pedroia making the no-hit saving play. Tonight, it was rookie Jacoby Ellsbury with the glove work.

And while young pitchers throwing no-hitters is getting to be routine around the Fens, I don’t think there will ever be anyone who deserved this more than the young lefty tonight — Jon Lester.

No. Hits. For You.

Posted by Ted McEnroe May 19, 2008 at 10:05 pm

Well, I am sure that the guys in the sports department are running around. So, I’ll jump in. What can you say? If there’s a better story than the rookie Clay Buchholz throwing a no-hitter in his second start, it’s having a guy beat cancer in 2006, win the World Series clincher in 2007, and then a no-hitter in 2008.

There was one hit-saving catch by Jacoby Ellsbury in the fourth, but otherwise, it was cruise control for Jon Lester for most of the night. And one character moment. It could have been easy for Lester to get rattled after he walked Esteban German to start the ninth. But he didn’t. He bore down and got the job done. (Of course, compared to cancer… it was the Kansas City Royals.)

And listening to Terry Francona in the post-game press conference, sounding like a proud dad, you have to just enjoy the moment that much more.

So there you have it. First no-hitter by a Red Sox lefty in 52 years, and a record for Jason Varitek, as the first catcher in history to catch four no-hitters in his career (Nomo, Lowe, Buchholz and now Lester).

Super 7

Posted by Mike Giardi May 10, 2008 at 8:03 pm

Time for another edition as I wait on this 8:18 Celts/Cavs start.

1) Is there any way LeBron doesn’t go crazy tonight? I kept waiting for it in Game 1. Then again in Game 2. And I’ll be sitting here in sports row tonight wondering when…I repeat…”when” it will happen. I have that much confidence in that guy, even if he’s done less than nothing in this series.

2) How do Red Sox fans feel about Julio Lugo? Check out Sonsofsamhorn.com. When word filtered out that he would miss tonight’s game with a mild concussion, the jokes started flying. I laughed out loud…repeatedly. Check it out, on game threads.

3) Orlando just gakked away a shot at evening their series with Detroit. Up 15 points in the third quarter, the Magic fell apart. No way should Dwight Howard be that quiet. He should be unguardable. That’s not always the case. Maybe its just being a kid. Or maybe he’s got David Robinson disease ( I know. I know. He’s a Hall of Famer, but he wouldn’t have won jack squat without Tim Duncan). But it shouldn’t be happening.  Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is ready to strangle him. Please, no P.J. Carlesimo/Latrell Sprewell jokes.

4) Kevin Youkilis is absolutely on fire. He is now tied for the A.L. lead in home runs (as of early this evening). Who’s running alongside Youk? Hint: a prison, a Husky and an Italian town (answer below).

5) Who’s more frustrating to watch? Dice-K or Lester? I can’t decide, although I’d probably lean to Matsuzaka. He has the stuff - at times - to be great. But most hitters will tell you its not there from AB to AB, let alone game to game.

6) Paps may have blown two straight saves, but the Sox are so settled at that spot. Look at the disasters across baseball this season. Eric Gagne (we knew that was coming), Jason Isringhausen, Huston Street, Trevor Hoffman, Manny Corpas. On and on the list goes. Having that money performer in the pen is the difference between playoffs and no playoffs. Simple as that.

7) Did anyone catch the Sports Illustrated article on Matt Ryan a couple of weeks ago? Peter King penned the piece, and there are some suspect quotes from Ryan’s new teammates in Atlanta. Makes me wonder if its gonna work there. If I’m part of that new brass for the Falcons, I’m purging my team of every Mike Vick supporter. Heck, the guy ruined your season, and screwed up your franchise. Standing by him now only makes you look stupid, not disloyal.

Answer to the A.L. HR Leaders: Carlos Quentin, Carlos Pena and Mike Napoli. What a trio that is!

Random Thoughts While Awaiting Chinese Food and Game 1

Posted by Craig Kolodny May 6, 2008 at 7:34 pm

1) Curt Schilling threw today for the first time in what seems to be forever. And former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon threw yesterday….but with the way the Sox rotation is throwing these days, do the Sox need these vets? Buchholz has been great, Lester has improved over the last couple starts, and you still have Beckett at the top.

2) I’m anxious to see how the Celtics come out tonight. Will they have the same energy and focus they showed in Game 7 when their backs were against the wall? I say yes, and the Celtics will win this series in 6 games. (But look for a close game tonight)

3) Alex Rodriguez fainted while his wife was giving birth to their second daughter. Looks like he’s someone you can’t count on in a big spot even off the field. Cue up Suzyn Waldman: Of all the dramatic things I’ve ever seen!

4) Count me as a Kevin Cash fan. Don’t get me wrong, the Dougie Going Deep era in Beantown was great, but Cash is handling Wakefield perfectly, and he just singled in a run to give the Sox the early 2-0 lead…

5) It’s now 3-0 sox. I haven’t heard much about this Japan trip in the past week or two….

Gotta Be Starting Somewhere

Posted by Mike Giardi May 4, 2008 at 9:47 pm

I think that’s a Michael Jackson tune. Maybe not. I know this though. I’m not looking it up. Anyway…

Pitching, pitching and more pitching. That’s the story of the Red Sox’s just-completed 5-and-1 homestand. The starting rotation playing a solid game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” Just look at it.

Lester 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (1-0 W, ND)

Matsuzaka 7 IP, 2 H’s, 0 R, 4 K’s, 2 BB (2-1 W, ND)

Wakefield 7 IP, 6 H’s, 3 R’s, 0 K’s, 4 BB (3-0 L)

Buchholz 5.1 IP, 5 H’s, 1R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (7-3, W)

Beckett 8 IP, 7 H’s, 4 R’s, 5 K’s, 1 BB (12-4, W)

Lester 6 IP, 4 H’s, 1 R, 5 K’s, 3 BB (7-3, W)

When the worst outing they get from “The 5″ - statistically - is courtesy of Josh Beckett, life is awfully good.

There’s a tendency for Sox fans to obsess about what they don’t have. Those 80-some odd years of futility can have that kind of impact. But if we’ve learned anything from these two very recent championships, its that you can never have enough arms. Right now, with this group of starters, and the possibility of another Justin Masterson sighting (nevermind the potential of a healthy Colon), the Sox are in an enviable position as we get deeper into May, and get into real baseball.

The only real concerns through the first six weeks is David Ortiz’s knee (more at some point on this very blog) and that bullpen. Manny Delcarmen failing to get it done again today, forcing Okajima in quicker and sooner than Terry Francona would like. The MDC holds the key, but right now, he may get grounded until he regains last season’s sharpness. Actually, check that. He deserves to be put in a lesser role. For now.

In the meantime, Craig Hansen has been recalled from Pawtucket, and perhaps this is finally the year the former number one pick gets it. He’s got a spaghetti strand for a body, but that right arm can be electric. Truthfully, and I think Theo has admitted this on our air and elsewhere, Hansen getting rushed to the Bigs really stunted his growth, really played with his head. But he’s been fantastic in Pawtucket, and that one outing in Boston was pretty electric, save for the Kotchman bomb. No idea how long Hansen will stay here on his second tour of duty, but if he throws like that, he’ll be here through the playoffs and in a key role.

Wait. Did I just write playoffs? Good grief. We’re only in May…

Jon Lester’s troubles

Posted by Craig Kolodny April 23, 2008 at 8:17 pm

It’s hard to find a lot of issues with the 2008 edition of the Red Sox in the early going. They’re 15-7 entering tonight (though trailing 3-1 at the moment), and we’ve officially got past the excuse that the trip to Japan could hinder their performance in April and May. There’s not much for me to nitpick.

But there’s no fun in that. Let me start by saying I’m thoroughly impressed with how Jon Lester was able to beat cancer and return to the Sox rotation. Winning Game 4 of the Fall Classic must have been an amazing feeling for him considering how unimportant baseball was in his life not too long ago.

But strictly from a baseball point of view, the Sox should have traded this guy last fall in a deal for Johan Santana. His stock was extremely high after beating the Rockies in Colorado, and you have to wonder what his ceiling is. Exlcuding tonight’s performance, Lester has made 32 starts. He’s 12-4, but he’s never had a season ERA under 4.50. His 2008 season WHIP (Walks and Hits Per Inning Pitched) is 1.67. That’s EXTREMELY high. During his rookie season, Lester was known as a guy who could get in and out of trouble. A few years later, the same amount of guys are reaching base, but more and more of them are crossing the plate. The Red Sox staff remain confident Lester will evolve into a top of the rotation starter, but every time I watch him pitch, I’ll think of how dominant the Sox REALLY could be if they had Johan Santana.