Answering an anymous critic

An anonymous commenter of my last posting had some pointed remarks.

He (or she) said, and I quote...

"Is anyone other than the Yanks or the Red Sox playing? If you read this blog, you'd think the other divisions finished their season a month ago."

So basically I am being accused of being yet another guy who refuses to acknowledge that there is a baseball world outside of Boston and New York.

Never mind that scrolling down the page, I have long posts about the White Sox, the Marlins and the Tigers, not to mention quick hits on the NL West and AL Central.

Never mind that in July I wrote about the Blue Jays and the Cubs/A's trade.

Forget this July I wondered about the misery level of Washington Nationals fans and over the course of the season I have written posts for the Diamondback fans, Mariners fans, the Orioles/Pirates interleague series, accurately predicted the return of Cito Gaston, pondered about an All Florida World Series, question the White Sox's lack of love, called for a fitting end of Nomo-mania for the Dodgers, complained about the A's lack of TV coverage, wondered how Pirate fans do it and asked Marlin fans how they celebrate.

Throw in the trash the fact that last season I wrote about EVERY SINGLE TEAM.

None of that matters because this reader felt I was too much emphasis on the Red Sox and Yankees during a Red Sox and Yankees series.

No doubt during the 2004 ALCS, he would have expected me to be talking about the Padres.

But we here at Sully Baseball aim to please our readers... even the lazy ones.

So I have a new vow. And I am obsessive enough to follow through on these.
For every Red Sox or Yankee post I write, I will write two NON Red Sox/Yankee posts.

How about that?
I will shift the focus so we are not fixated on the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the AL East, but giving attention to all the other teams.

How about them apples?

And if the Red Sox and Yankees play in the ALCS, I will indeed sneak in a few posts about the Rangers farm system.

Will that satisfy my readers?
I hope so...

Now identify yourself!

The Sully Baseball "ALL F---ING YANKEE TEAM"

The Red Sox and Yankees are starting up a new late season series. And last night's 1-0 Yankee win caused some profanity from your pal Sully

So let's look back at the recent rivalry and put together the Yankee team that made Red Sox nation drop the most F-Bombs.


Damn Yankees is no longer strong enough.






IT'S THE ALL F---ING YANKEES TEAM

C - Jorge F---ing Posada
Lest we forget his homer in the 99 playoffs and his game tying double off of Pedro in 03

1B - Jason F---ing Giambi.
Yeah Tino, Chambliss and Donnie were better Yankees... but I still lament those homers hit in game 7, 2003.

2B - Enrique F---ing Wilson.
He had Pedro's number. Don't ask me how!

SS - Bucky F---ing Dent.
I know Jeter is great and that catch into the stands was amazing, but Bucky Dent prevented a ring for Yaz, Rice, Lynn, Evans, Tiant, Lee, Remy, Burleson, Scott and Hobson. Pretty powerful stuff

3B - Aaron F---ing Boone.
I know it was only one year of misery... but it hurt.

LF - Roberto F---ing Kelly.
Lest we forget his 9th inning home run torpedoed the Red Sox 1991 playoff push.

CF - Bernie F---ing Williams.
The walk off in game 1, 1999... the year after he turned down the Sox offer! Ooof.

RF - Lou F---ing Pinella.
How DID he stab that ball hit by Remy during the 78 playoff game? He couldn't see it! That gets by him and the game is tied!

DH - Reggie F---ing Jackson.
The Dent home run game the Sox the lead... but Jackson game them breathing room with another homer. And they would need every single run as it turned out.


3 Man Rotation

El Duque F---ing Hernandez.
Shut down the Sox in 1999 finale to win the ALCS MVP

Ron F---ing Guidry
Let up Yaz's home run and little else in the 1978 playoff game.

Mike F---ing Torrez
Yeah, I know he was on the Red Sox. But he was a Yankee the year before and some thought he was a double agent!

Closer - Rich F---ing Gossage.
Yeah, Rivera won the 2003 ALCS MVP, but his blown save in 2004 cost him this job. Besides, what image hurt Sox fans more than Yaz popping up weakly to Nettles?

Set Up Man - Ramiro F---ing Mendoza.
All due respect to El Duque, Mendoza SHOULD have won the 1999 ALCS MVP. He wiggled out of potential series turning jams in games 2 and 5... killing any World Series hopes

Manager - Joe F---ing Torre.
He just sits there. And he doesn't seem to do anything... and they still won! I know his moves may have cost them the 2004 pennant, but I used to curse him out so much that he deserves this spot.

A pretty solid team... let's hope there are no new members after this week!

WHY ARE THE YAWKEYS LOVED IN BOSTON???

Oh... you will hear lots of great things about Tom Yawkey and the Yawkey family in Boston. Tom owned the Red Sox from 1933 until his death in 1976. His wife ran the team until she died in 1992 and the family continued running it until 2002. The city of Boston named one of the streets adjacent to Fenway after them. You will also hear about how lavishly Tom spent on players, raided small markets for superstars like Jimmy Foxx and Lefty Grove. And you hear how beloved he was and how badly he wanted to win a title for the city of Boston.

And you can equate all of that with the substance pushed out of a bull's rectum.

Tom Yawkey and the Yawkey family did more to ruin the Red Sox than anyone and the greatest thing to ever happen to my team ridding themselves of the Yawkey stench.

They should change "Yawkey Way" back to "Jersey Street."

Anyone notice the vast bulk of the 86 year title drought was under the Yawkey watch? Anyone notice that passion to bring a title to Boston failed EVERY SINGLE YEAR this family owned the team?

And oh yeah... anyone notice that desire to win in Boston included a caveat... make sure the team remains lily white?

The Red Sox had the first chance to sign Jackie Robinson... and passed. Instead of being the first team to integrate, they became the last with utility infielder Pumpsie Green.

And I'm not just talking about social justice here. I'm talking about tanking the team! The Red Sox could have signed Willie Mays. They passed because he wasn't their "type of player." Yeah, they couldn't squeeze in the greatest player of all time. It might mean benching Clyde Vollmer.

Yawkey would do ANYTHING to win a title... except sign Hank Aaron.

So all through the 1950s and 1960s the Red Sox didn't sniff a single pennant race and attendance dropped... but thank GOD they passed on Ernie Banks!

And don't think this is isolated to the distant past. Coach Tommy Harper filed and WON a racial discrimination suit in 1985! There are still players playing from that year.

And the stigma of racial tension went all the way through the early 1990s. Ask Jim Rice how fun it was being sometimes the only black player on the team. Remember how quickly they dumped players like Don Baylor, Lee Smith and Ellis Burks?

And that doesn't even mention Latin America. When other teams were raiding the Caribbean for infielders, the Sox gamely trotted out the Glenn Hoffmans, Spike Owens and Jody Reeds of the world. When Dan Duquette came to Boston in 1993, he was stunned to find out the Sox didn't have a single scout in the Domincan.

Only after Mrs. Yawkey's death in 1992 did minority players start to flourish on the Red Sox. First with Mo Vaughn. Then with Pedro Martinez. Then the team was owned by someone other than the Yawkeys in 2002... and in 2 short years Henry delivered the title Tom Yawkey couldn't buy.

They were led by a trio of black Domincan players: David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez.

No doubt Yawkey would have labeled them "not my type of players."

Mmmmm.... this is good crow

Well credit must be given where it is due...

And two Yankee pitchers need a reluctant Sully Baseball tip of the cap.

Last year I thought Mike Mussina was toast... and the fact that he pitched himself out of the rotation kind of backed up my point.

This year I thought his fast start was a fluke and I thought the Yankees should trade him before he broke down.

But now it looks like not only Mussina should get some Cy Young votes but also should get some Hall of Fame consideration.

As for Joba, I never doubted his talent but I thought shifting him to the rotation might lead to a Jabba sized hole in the bullpen.

I didn't take into consideration that maybe one criticism of Joe Torre was right and he was no longer a good bullpen manager. Well anyone who thought that Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth would be effective, raise your hand.

So after a maddening 1-0 loss on a dribbler by Giambi and another good Beckett outing wasted I must tip my cap and say "Well... maybe the Yankees pitching was better than I thought."

Now to put more sugar on this crow

Bonds as a Yankee? Why not?

Of course there is an argument to sign Bonds.
The Yankees offense might need a boost
Money is no object for the Yankees
He costs the Yankees no prospects
Little Hank Steinbrenner would be able to make his first big splash
And let's not get too self righteous about his cheating.

4 seasons ago the headline of the Post was "Dump the Bum" calling for a release of Jason Giambi based on his name being in the initial steroid findings.

Now people are debating the merits of giving him an extension.

Funny, Sheffield was in the same report... nobody called to dump him? Could it be that Giambi had a bad year in 2004 and Sheffield was an MVP candidate? Nahhhh

Plus they brought back Andy Pettite, who bravely kind of confessed after being caught.

And had Roger Clemens suit up.

Not to mention Jose Canseco in 2000.

What's one more?

(Keep in mind, the number of juicers in the league is probably so high and on every team including the Red Sox that NOBODY can act holier than thou about it.)

So Bonds could come in, supply some offense and protection for A-Rod, Abreu and company and provide a spark.

So it’s a no brainer, right?

Not so fast…

First of all with Damon, Posada and Giambi, they already have three guys who can swing from the left side with physical issues who should be DHing.

Secondly the offense is finally starting to click, especially with Cano hitting the ball.

Thirdly, the Yankees are still starting Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson every 5th day. It’s been working for the Yankees to be sure, but those victories have all the security of an episode of Mr. Magoo. The Yankee brass should be talking about bringing a starting arm into the Bronx seeing that 40% of their starters could implode at any moment.

But most importantly there is the Bonds factor… which nobody can honestly say what it will be like.

As someone who has lived in the Bay Area for the last few years and has seen up close how the Giants bent over backwards for Bonds, I can tell you it will be a NIGHTMARE for the Yankees.

Since losing the NL West on the last weekend of 2004 and losing Bonds for almost all of 2005, the Giants basically put a product on the field in 2006 and 2007 with one purpose only: Keep Bonds happy while he tries to hit 756 homers and fills AT&T Park every night.

They signed old friends like Rich Aurillia, surrounded Bonds with low maintenance veterans like Randy Winn and Dave Roberts and allowed him any concession he needed.

Want to take a day off? Need the clubhouse clear? Don’t want to talk to the intensely forgiving press? Go ahead Barry….

He was so insulated and protected that you got the sense that people in M Night Shymalan’s The Village were more up to date on current events than Barry.

Not to mention the press fawned over Bonds, save for a pair of reporters in the San Francisco Chronicle who were VILLIFIED for writing about Bonds.

And the fans gave him standing ovation after standing ovation.

And why not?
He saved baseball in San Francisco!

And he was still prickly!

So now you want to put him in an environment where he has no good will banked with the fans, in a clubhouse where he will not be the big star (that’s A-Rod’s job) won’t be the head of the clubhouse (that would be Jeter) won’t have a position and, I’m going out on a limb here, might find out the press won’t give him his space.

This is what is being proposed for a team that is finally playing up to its potential?

As a Red Sox fan let me say “It’s a GREAT idea!!!!!”

Better than a trade

Well, the Red Sox had to take care of business themselves seeing the Twins and A's couldn't give them any help.

And after the sweep in Anaheim, they did exactly what they were supposed to do... sweep Seattle.

If I had said the Sox were going to go to the West Coast and play the Angels and the Mariners and go 3-3, most everyone would take it.

But along with the extra inning heroics of Lowell et al yesterday, the best thing about yesterdays game was the return of Justin Masterson.

They sent him to Pawtucket after being effective as a starter to learn how to relieve... in a very un Joba like low key manner.

And now he came back and threw 2 2/3 perfect innings out of the pen yesterday.
This could be a big thing. Masterson has thrown well all year and now he can be a weapon in the 7th and 8th.

I'm not too worried about the Sox because they are pitching well and you know who is coming back soon so the offense will pick up with Papi's prescience in the line up.

But the pen was the biggest concern and with the Martes and the Feuntes of the world being the best options, it didn't seem like it was worth giving up more Freddie Sanchezes or Kason Gabbards or David Murphys for a 7th inning stiff.

If Masterson can be a solid 8th inning guy and Aardsma, Okajima and Delcarmen can all move to smaller roles... then maybe there will be no need to make a trade at all.

It would be nice if Craig Hansen was a little more steady. His save yesterday was unnecessarily terrifying.


Man, what a novel idea... fix the problem from within.
It's almost as novel an idea as letting Beckett, Wakefield, Dice-K and Lester pitch into the 8th inning.

So THIS is what a Farm System feels like