I turned off the A's/Yankees game when the score was 7-2. I turned the game back on and the Yankees were ahead 14-7, at which point I termed the game officially un-flarkin-believable. The Yankees then hit two more grand slams and won the game 22-9. Silly time.
Link time!
So there is a bunch of noise about Theo Epstein and the Chicago Cubs open General Manager job. Allow me to fall back on cliche when I say, where there is smoke, there is fire. But, and this is important to recall, THERE IS NO SMOKE. No report has said that Epstein is interested in the position, or Epstein has agreed to talk to the Cubs or, and this is an important one, the Red Sox will allow Epstein to talk to the Cubs. None of that has happened. The media has been fanning flames that don't exist (which hasn't stopped John Henry from issuing the world's most nicely phrased "please, for the love of Jehovah, shut the sex up!" note) This amounts to a semi-drunken disheveled guy looking around the bar at last call and seeing the prettiest girl he's ever seen. Sure, she's with someone, and sure, her guy is a huge strong and mighty handsome fellow, but he'd sure like to go talk to her! He won't because he'd get his ass kicked, but he'd sure like to! I'll finish this up by paraphrasing David Ortiz, Theo ain't going to no Cubs.
As you, the reader, must be aware, the Red Sox rocked the Rangers for the third time in a row on Thursday night. In the process the Sox hit four home runs, one in each of the first four innings. Allan at Joy of Sox didn't think that was a record but it sparked his interest in finding out what the record for homers in consecutive innings was. He was right (four wasn't the record) and he did find the real record (more than four). Click here to find out the truth!
Among the things I didn't expect to happen at Thursday night's game with the Rangers were, in order, the following:
1. My cat interrupting the game by singing "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash in a top hat with a cane.
2. Ron Washington declaring after the end of the fourth inning. "I think I got this whole economy thing figured out."
3. Andrew Miller throwing six plus innings with six Ks while allowing only five base runners and no runs.
Dude was really good (TIm Britton of the Providence Journal gets into the details) which begs the question: Maybe Marc Normandin was actually right...?
NAAAAH.
Mike Huegel of Sox Prospects has an interview with Red Sox director of Amateur Scouting, Amiel Sawdaye. Among other things, they discuss some of the bigger names nabbed by Boston in the most recent draft, the last second negotiations to get those players signed, and his love of the TV show ALF. That last one isn't in the article, it's just assumed.
Finally, Is John Lackey making a comeback? If you believe the Globe's Tony Mazzarotti, sure, why not? Or you could look at useful stats and see Lackey has been essentially the same pitcher for the last three months. But then, what fun would that be? (Answer: Tons!) I'm reminded of Chevy Chase's President Ford impression. When "Ford" was asked about the economy during a debate he responded by looking confused and saying, "It was my understanding that there would be no math." Mazz money quote: "Before we go further, a quick aside with regard to pitching statistics, at least as they pertain to evaluation: do not discount wins entirely." OK, I will now discount wins entirely. What else you got?