Red Sox/Yankees News & Notes – 9/14

Josh vs Joba

It’s that time of the season again folks, Red Sox vs Yankees. The Red Sox come into the game with 5 1/2 game lead over the Yankees and had the day off on Thursday. The Yankees, on the other hand, are coming into Boston having lost on a walk-off hit to the Toronto Blue Jays last night. It should be an interesting series to say the least. I guess the biggest question to be answered is whether or not the Sox will retaliate against the Yanks for what Joba Chamberlain did to Kevin Youkilis the last time these two teams met. Here is a look at the video and the headlines from the Boston area and New York media on this chilly late summer morning in New England.

Video courtesy of Texy from Center Field

 

 

 

 

Yankees are rolling, but Sox don’t yield [Boston Globe]

YANKS: DON’T COUNT US OUT [NY Post]

Matsuzaka on the big stage [Boston Herald]

Joba doesn’t feel Fenway will faze him [NY Daily News]

Sox – Yanks: Here We Go Again [Hartford Courant]

Excitement grows again for Yankees-Red Sox [Newsday]

A fresh look at an age-old rivalry [Pro Jo]

Clemens says he’s ready [Boston Globe]

ROTATION DEBATE NO LONGER SWINGS IN BOSTON’S FAVOR [NY Post]

Heads up, Joba [Boston Herald]

Time For Matsuzaka To Step Up For Sox [Hartford Courant]

As always stop by here first for your latest Red Sox news then head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, NY Post, NY Daily News and Newsday websites to see what else they are writing.

Red Sox vs Yankees Pitching Matchups

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Friday September 14th, 7:05 PM

Andy Pettitte, LHP (13-8, 3.78) vs Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP (14-12, 4.44)

Saturday September 15th, 3:55 PM

Chien-Mien Wang, RHP (18-6, 3.69) vs Josh Beckett, RHP (18-6, 3.27)

Sunday September 16th, 8:05 PM

Roger Clemens, RHP (6-6, 4.45) vs Curt Schilling, RHP (8-7, 3.93)

Friday’s Fast Walk Around the AL & NL West

Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis has good numbers against the Dodgers.

Justin Speier is glad he chose to play for the Angels this year.

Derek Lowe will make his next start for the Dodgers on Saturday.

Kurt Suzuki is improving behind the plate for the A’s.

Dan Ortmeier has shown the Giants he can be the everyday first baseman.

Adam Jones hit a monster pinch-hit home run for the Mariners Wednesday night.

Brett Tomko will make his first start for the Padres on Saturday.

Hank Blalock will test his arm on Friday before the Rangers game with Oakland.

Mark Redman will get a start for the Rockies on Tuesday.

The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

The Milwaukee Brewers are making postseason tickets available to their fans for the first time in 15 years. Milwaukee fans will have to dress for the cold because hell has frozen over.

How bad are the Pittsburgh Pirates? A day after the Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.8 million, it batted fifth.

A Cubs fan built a one-third-size replica of Wrigley Field so he’ll only have to wait one-third of a century for a World Series. Wow. You can really get a lot done when you’re not distracted by women or friends.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is on a five-city tour of Asia. That’s how far he has to go to find people who still like him.

Speaking of people who don’t like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal plans to return to the Heat after shedding over 120 pounds of useless weight this off-season. His ex-wife.

Chivas USA Soccer has hired former NHL and NBA exec Shawn Hunter to help increase home attendance, by one.

A neurologist has concluded that former WWE star Chris Benoit suffered from brain damage. The brain damage was brought on by years and years of watching wrestling.

A punter who was cut by the Patriots was charged with assaulting his own father later that night. Convicting him will be easy, since Bill Belichick probably taped it.

And world champion Tyson Gay has decided to pull out of the Golden League 100 meters due to fatigue. Gay was exhausted after years spent running from his last name.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

In the Red Zone – Belichick’s Wallet Is A Little Bit Lighter

SOX & Dawgs - In the Red Zone

Steve’s on vacation for a bit so I’ll be bringing you the Patriots news for a few days.

If you hadn’t heard by now, there was some sort of scandal with the Patriots and a video cameraman being caught at the Jets game last week. Then you had Bill Belichick’s cryptic apology where he apologized but didn’t. It was more of a Texas two-step around an apology.

Rumors had been the Patriots would probably lose a draft pick or two as punishment and that Belichick would be suspended for some games. Well that was certainly not the case on Thursday when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the punishment.

Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots organization $250,000. The Pats will also lose their 1st round draft pick if they make the playoffs and their 2nd and 3rd round picks if they don’t. However, the Patriots will not lose a first round draft pick obtained from San Francisco in the trade for Randy Moss from Oakland.

Some excerpts from Goodell’s letter to the Patriots:

“This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field,” Goodell said in a letter to the Patriots.

Goodell said he considered suspending Belichick but didn’t “largely because I believe that the discipline I am imposing of a maximum fine and forfeiture of a first-round draft choice, or multiple draft choices, is in fact more significant and long-lasting, and therefore more effective, than a suspension.”

But it said the commissioner believed penalties should be imposed on the club because “Coach Belichick not only serves as the head coach but also has substantial control over all aspects of New England’s football operations. His actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club.”

Belichick also issued a statement in response to the punishment and said this will be the last time he comments about the situation.

I accept full responsibility for the actions that led to tonight’s ruling. Once again, I apologize to the Kraft family and every person directly or indirectly associated with the New England Patriots for the embarrassment, distraction and penalty my mistake caused. I also apologize to Patriots fans and would like to thank them for their support during the past few days and throughout my career.

As the Commissioner acknowledged, our use of sideline video had no impact on the outcome of last week’s game. We have never used sideline video to obtain a competitive advantage while the game was in progress.

Part of my job as head coach is to ensure that our football operations are conducted in compliance of the league rules and all accepted interpretations of them. My interpretation of a rule in the Constitution and Bylaws was incorrect.

With tonight’s resolution, I will not be offering any further comments on this matter. We are moving on with our preparations for Sunday’s game.

So now that’s all said and done, can we get down to the business of kicking the Chargers’ asses on Sunday night.

Cabrera & Trembley Suspended For Their Actions

In two separate incidents, the Orioles’ Daniel Cabrera was suspended 6 games and manager Dave Trembley was suspended 3 games. Both were fined undisclosed amounts as well.

Cabrera was suspended by MLB for throwing behind the head of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia after being called for a balk. He seemed to be upset with Coco Crisp at the beginning of the inning when Coco tried to bunt his way on. Coco eventually reached base and when he got to third. When Cabrera was getting ready to throw a pitch, he was running back and forth down the third base line. As Cabrera was getting ready to throw a pitch and he stopped and looked at third and was called for the balk.

Cabrera has appealed his suspension and will able to pitch until MLB hears the appeal. Here is the video of that incident courtesy of Texy from Center Field.

 

 

Trembley was suspended for his tirade during last night’s Orioles/Angels game. On a close play at second base, Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick received the throw from Orlando Cabrera and was visibly off the bag before he threw to first. The runner at second was called out while Jay Payton beat the throw to first. Trembley went out to argue and was ejected by Paul Emmel. After his ejection, Trembley went over past second base and used his spikes to draw a line where he thought Kendrick was standing. Before he walked back to his dugout, he made a gesture as to eject the umpire from the game and then went back to the dugout.Trembley began to serve his suspension tonight and will be able to manage again on Sunday. All though I’d have to guess he’ll be managing the game with a cellphone. Just pure speculation on my part.

 

 

The Curse of Sam Bowie

Sam Bowie/Greg Oden

Back in 1984, the Portland Trail Blazers had their choice of drafting Sam Bowie or Michael Jordan with the second pick of the NBA draft. They decided to draft Bowie with the pick. Bowie played four injury-riddled seasons with the Blazers and was traded after that while we all know what Jordan has done in his illustrious career.

Fast forward to 2007 if you will. The Trail Blazers had the first pick in the NBA draft and had to choose between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. At the time it was thought that you couldn’t go wrong with either player.

Well my how just a few short months later time has changed. Oden had his summer league session cut short because of a tonsillectomy. Then he was to go undergo knee surgery to repair some cartilage so he could be ready for the rigors of an 82-game NBA season.

After having the surgery, Oden is now out for his rookie campaign. The surgery found torn cartilage and he had microfracture surgery. Microfracture surgery, which stimulates the growth of cartilage, takes anywhere from 8 months to a year to recover from.

So if Durant goes on to have a better career, is this the Curse of Sam Bowie?

Only time will tell.

Paw Prints – Roundball Edition

SOX & Dawgs - Paw Prints

UCONN Huskies women’s basketball recruit Caroline Doty, who suffered a knee injury in a soccer game, got the MRI results on her left knee. The tests showed a complete tear of the ACL and a small meniscus tear of the LCL (lateral collateral ligament). She is going for a second opinion and most likely will have surgery after her visit to the women’s supershow on October 12th.

Senior Brittany Hunter almost didn’t come back for the 2007-08 season. After the season, Hunter told Geno Auriemma that she was done playing basketball even though she had a year of eligibility left from when she transferred from Duke. Hunter hooked up with Diana Taurasi’s agent who gave her an internship out in Los Angeles. As time passed, Hunter decided she wanted to play basketball still at UCONN. Playing for the UCONN women’s program is like having a second family and Hunter decided she couldn’t give that up.

“I think taking that time off really made it easier for me to go, ‘OK, I’ll play,”‘ Hunter said. “Had I been here all summer I would have been burnt out, irritated, irritable. My knee would have been up and down still. It was really good. Really, I only came back for my teammates. There’s nothing I need to accomplish. It’s either I’m playing or I’m not, and I wanted to be part of the team.”

It will be good to see Hunter back in uniform. She was incredible off the bench last season in limited minutes almost averaging a point a minute. Plus another year of Tina Charles practicing against her can only help the Huskies.

Men’s basketball player freshman Donnell Beverly is adjusting to life in college as a student and a basketball player. With A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson entrenched as the starters, Beverly is looking to get into the mix for playing time with Doug Wiggins and Craig Austrie in the rotation of guards. You can tell he is a freshman because he wasn’t getting the ball in pickup games at first.

“At first [during pickup games], they weren’t really giving me the ball, but that has changed,” Beverly said. “You have to earn your teammates’ trust. You have to earn the ball. I think I’ve done that. They’ve all been great and everyone has helped me in some way so far. … I always think team first, regardless of anything. We’re all out there together, working for the same thing, but at the same time we want to push one another. I just want to be aggressive, be dangerous and be ready for anything.”

Wiggins was a huge spark plug off the bench with his speed ala the John Gwynn days. Beverly isn’t the fastest player but has the size to play the 1 or the 2.