Penny responds to Girardi: http://http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4257365 "I don't give two [expletives] what Joe Girardi says," Penny told the Globe. "I'm coming inside. I don't care. Anybody can say that. We can say that about the time they hit our guys. I'm just trying to pitch inside. Maybe he should worry about managing and not trying to be the commissioner. "Why wouldn't he say that the night before? Don't wait a day, then say it. He should worry about managing and let the umpire crew do their job." Haha good for Penny. He's right.
Joe Girardi is a terrible manager. I wouldn't listen to what he says either. This is coming from a Marlins fan too, he lost us more games than he won and gets entirely too much credit. It's said that a manager cant win a game usually, but a poor decision sure can lose one. That is Girardi. I've never seen a manager WORSE at managing his bullpen. Except maybe F. Gonzalez. You'd think my Marlins would have learned their lesson. /endrant Anyway series starts tonight, Marlins vs Red Sox. I'd honestly be happy to just take one from you guys.
I'm surprised that Girardi isn't a better manager. I would have thought a smart guy, being a catcher, would almost be a slam dunk to be a good one. But hey it doesn't happen over night so maybe he'll turn into a good one, but most likely it won't be with the Yankees. I'm looking forward to seeing Hanley and the Marlins at Fenway. Hopefully the fans give him a warm cheer.
He just needs someone to help him manage the bullpen better IMO that's his major flaw. He is a smart baseball guy. There was an interesting article on the Marlins site about Hanley going back to Boston this series. It should be fun to watch.
Yeah I read that and the article in the Miami paper on his return. Hopefully he goes 0-20 in the series and Theo Epstein plants a dead hooker in the Marlin GM's hotel room so they can trade for Hanley on the cheap (and yes I watched The Godfather Part 2 recently).
Its unreal that Wakefield needs 20 more wins to break Cy Young and Roger Clemens franchise record of 192 wins. At the current pace barring injuries Wake should do it sometime next year. The guy really isn't appreciated enough by Sox fans, myself included. I'm pushing hard for him to break the record as the guy has been nothing but class for the franchise for the past 15 years. Dare I even say if he breaks the record the Sox should retire his number?
I'd retire his number. You dont always have to be all world to get your number retired, sometimes it's just being extremely good/important for one club for a long period of time. He fits that criteria. Anyway this wasnt how I imagined winning one against you, but great series. We really got kicked around the first two games, two young pitchers that have never seen a lineup like yours or pitched in that park....I can't say I didn't expect it. Hopefully I'm right on and we take 2-3 against the Yankees (you guys would like that too )
Trust me coming from another NL East team....we may be rivals but you guys are in for a VERY tough series. Anyone would be, I'm thinking Boston might = best team in baseball by a wide margin.
Should be a fun series. I'm looking forward to the Matsuzaka/Francoeur match up. It will be an amazing match up of a guy who refuses to throw strikes against a guy who refuses to take a pitch. I'm not very confident tonight but I can't wait for the Lowe/Beckett match up tomorrow night. Good luck this weekend.
same to ya... that was weird to watch tonite. the Red Sox were not themselves, and neither were the Braves (because they actually hit). Boston's hitters were just off. Lowell's swing on that third strike was Andruw Jones like. tomorrow should be a fun matchup. gonna have to watch it on TIVO though. plans with the wife. but even though Boston did not hit well except for Jason Bay, he and Youk both had great plays in the field. Bay's catch on the left field line, while flat on his back sliding was amazing. i like that guy more every time i watch him play. and Youk's spearing of that shot down the line and turning two in the run down was a nice piece of fielding too. thankfully for us, McLouth seems to be getting comfortable in an Atlanta uniform.
I'm thinking of starting a 'Deport Matsuzaka' movement. He's been just terrible this year so far. Hopefully he doesn't hurt himself polishing those WBC MVP trophies. No I don't think Matsuzaka is this bad but I do believe the WBC screwed him up for this season. Hopefully the Sox DL him and give him a full month's rest so he can get back in shape, as there are whispers that he showed up to camp overweight. The Sox bats, especially Pedroia and Youkilis have really be struggling. I'm not shocked we lost with the way Matsuzaka had been pitching this year but I figured the bats would put up more of a fight.
Didn't see the game but I know Francoeur walked in his first at-bat. Francoeur > Dice-K. Two aces go at it tomorrow. Should be fun to watch as Beckett has turned it on lately.
I honestly think Joe gets a bad warp. He gets blamed for everything wrong, and nothing he does correct... I mean Joe does things that i disagree with, ie having Joba as a starter, but he has done a good job this year. He is a young manager, i believe its only his third year. Look at Joe Torre, he was not an amazing manager when he first began. Its not easy managing a bunch of guys who, some you once played with, and a team where almost every player has a huge ego. He is doing a hell of a lot better than he did last year. And he did good with Florida. As Michael kay said today, the youth caught up with them...I honestly think the Yankees need a new pitching coach. They get that and they are set... but overall the Yankees are playing a lot better this year than last year at this point.
Haha. Francoeur's first at bat killed me. Matsuzaka threw the first 3 pitches so far outside that all of them would have went behind a left handed batter. Even Francoeur wouldn't have swung at them.
The Joba thing isn't Joe's decision, it's the front office. And while agree he may get sometimes a bad wrap he does things that make zero sense i.e. when he switched Pettite with Burnett for the Red Sox series a week ago and when Burnett sucked Girardi said, I figured he might have had trouble because he was pitching on 7 days rests. Hello Joe, if you thought that why the heck did you switch the two pitchers? That's something totally dumb and somewhat of a panic move for a June series. He also has very little control in the clubhouse and most of the players, especially the old veterans, don't like him at all. Like I said before I'm surprised he's not a good manager because he's obviously a smart guy and yes he probably will grow into the job, since it is harder than people think. But right now I don't think much of him as a manager.
No, No he didn't. All of our fans hated him and wanted him gone by midyear. Don't look at the # of wins, our fans expected that many because we follow the team and knew the potential. It wasn't shocking to us like the rest of the league.
The owner did not help Joe's situation in Florida... anyway Ray, whats your thoughts Jonathan Papelbon saying he would keep his options open after 2011, even if it means playing for the Yankees...
Honestly? I could care less what he says now. It's 2009, so it's two years away. A lot can happen in 2 years. Again money talks, if the Sox feel that Papelbon is worth it, they will sign him, if not and he signs with the Yankees so be it. I won't be happy about it but I trust the Sox FO so if they take him go it will be for a good reason. Papelbon is clearly all about the money, which is fine because baseball is his job.
I spoke to someone today that has a lot of knowledge of the Red Sox and the FO. Basically the Sox are extremely upset at the Matsuzaka and the way he was used in the WBC. Matsuzaka didn't really follow the Sox offseason shoulder program and the Sox didn't like how he was throwing some many pitches in the WBC games. MLB offices basically put a gag order on all 30 teams and would not permit anyone to say anything bad about the WBC or they would get heavily fined (something Gammons actually brought up on an ESPN radio hit today). The Sox think Matsuzaka will be out for at least 2 months, maybe more, but think he could come back to pitch at the end of the year but the guy basically had zero strength in his shoulder. The Sox won't trade Penny unless they can get something really good back for him, and they have faith in both Buchholz and Bowden and won't trade either unless they get a stud back.
Don't they almost always have more fans on the road than the home town team (minus Yankee Stadium)? Hey the owners of the other teams won't complain they get butts in the seats, the Sox helped Washington set a new attendance record tonight.
that was a heck of a performance the other night... liked the respect shown to D. Lowe during the game by the Boston fans, too.
Yeah I'm glad Lowe got a big ovation. He was with the team for a long time and did everything for them whether it was starting, relief, closer and never really complained about it. When he was given the ball in big spots he usually responded. No one can ever forget his 2004 post season. I've been lucky enough to have met Lowe a few times, he's always been very nice and always expressed how much he loved the city of Boston, the fans and the team. He badly wanted to come back this year as a member of the Sox but the FO never really offered him a contract, it's too bad it would have been nice to see him in a Sox uniform again but I'm glad he's in a good situation in Atlanta now though.
I am gonna try to make it Friday's game with Beckett and Jurrjens. Got to be impressed with the way the Sox are playing even though we play cupcakes for another 2 weeks or so.
Yup I think Lester is officially back as Ace 1B to Beckett's Ace 1A. I would have liked to have the Sox win tonight without having to use Papelbon but a win is a win. The Sox have to take at least 1 more in Baltimore but a sweep would be nice. Big start for Smoltz tomorrow.
Win or lose what a god awful job by the bullpen tonight. Truly pathetic. EDIT: I love Francona but he managed poorly tonight, leaving in Masterson and Okajima way too long. This is going to be a terrible loss.
Oh go away you troll! (Yes I'm very pissed right now as the home plate ump just blows a strike 3 call)
i was just telling my brother that i felt bad for people who had money on this game since they would have thought it was a lock
I saw it was 9-1 before I left and yeah I thought it was a lock. Had I bet on Baltimore though, Boston would have kept the lead. My teams never come back.
would have been a hell of a win if you did pick Baltimore, just like if you picked the chargers in the steelers-charger game, you thought you won then lost then won agian
