Friday Dial Stopper - ALCS edition

In honor of that improbable Game 5 win...

(see here for the background on this song)

Damn West Coast

I need a nap.

Manny Be Gone

Warning: non-Boston sports-fans and those who haven't been following the Manny Ramirez soap opera may want to skip this post.

Thankfully, Manny Ramirez is leaving Boston. I wish it hadn't come to this, but he has become a major pain in the ass over the past few weeks - getting into fights with teammates, knocking down elderly club assistants, refusing to play, making up injuries, saying that Boston doesn't deserve a player like him, etc, etc. All because he really didn't want the Sox to pick up a $20 million option for next year (don't you hate it when someone wants to pay you $20 million a year?). Manny being Manny just went too far.

I always kinda liked the guy - a big goofball who could hit the crap out of a baseball - but with the way he's been acting lately (like one of my kids when they were 2 and were told they couldn't have ice cream) I'm happy to see him go. Looks like the Sox are getting a decent player in Jason Bay in return, but we'll see (and really, at this point, I don't really care). Everyone on the team has to feel better right now - especially Tito (Terry Francona, the team manager).

The only downside to this whole thing is that my 4-year old son, Jack, lost it when he heard the news (we were listening to the radio waiting for Emma to get home from camp). Tears, sobbing, pure uncontrollable (and inconsolable) emotion. I didn't know he was so attached to Manny. I don't even want to think about how he is going to react when the same fate befalls his favorite player, Jason Varitek. He's going to be absolutely crushed. But maybe Manny's departure will help soften the blow - Jack won't be so blindsided by the fact that this happens.

Anyways, I am 100% ready for the Manny-less era to begin. Good luck, LA! Repeat after me, it's just Manny being Manny...

Rice close, but falls short

Even with the numbers to back up a Hall of Fame induction, Jim Rice fell short once again. The good news - he's closing in, garnering 392 votes this year, falling only 16 votes short of the requisite 75% of the votes. The bad news - next year is Rice's 15th and last chance to get in.

The Case for Jim Rice

Jim Rice is up for election to the baseball Hall of Fame. He has been for the past 13 years - failing to make the cut each time. Much has been written about why Rice belongs in the Hall (as well as about why Rice does not). There is plenty of speculation that, with the uncovering of the Steroids Era™ resulting in Rice (and indeed all pre-S.E. players) being seen in a better light, this is the year for Rice. Of course every year seems to be the year. Yet for the past 13 years it hasn't. I happen to think Rice belongs in the Hall - but of course, I'm a Sox fan and I had the privilege of seeing him play. The articles linked to above go into plenty of stats, but here are some compelling numbers:

Rice's best years were between 1975 and 1986. In those 12 years in the AL, Rice ranked 1st in runs, 1st in RBI, 1st in hits, first in HR, 1st in slugging, 1st in total bases and 4th in batting average. He also won an MVP and finished in the top five in five other years. From 1977-1979 he became the only player in history to hit 35+ homers and 200+hits in 3 consecutive seasons.

MLB Leaders 1975-1986

HOME RUNS	RBIs	HITS
Mike Schmidt* 440	Jim Rice 1,276	Jim Rice 2,145
Dave Kingman 365	Mike Schmidt* 1,221	Steve Garvey 2,121
Jim Rice 350	Dave Winfield* 1,147	Cecil Cooper 1,975
Reggie Jackson* 330	George Foster 1,114	George Brett* 1,961
George Foster 321	Steve Garvey 1,076	Robin Yount* 1,933
SLUGGING %	TOTAL BASES	RUNS
Mike Schmidt* 0.545	Jim Rice 3670	Mike Schmidt* 1,194
Jim Rice 0.520	Mike Schmidt* 3,448	Jim Rice 1,098
George Brett* 0.518	Steve Garvey 3,222	Dave Winfield* 1,069
Eddie Murray* 0.505	Dave Winfield* 3,221	George Brett* 1,021
Fred Lynn 0.494	George Brett* 3,201	Robin Yount* 995

* member of the Hall of Fame

What seems to be keeping Rice out of the Hall is his lack of longevity which prevented him from reaching career milestones in RBI and HRs - Rice only hit 382 HRs and only drove in 1,451 runs. Still he had more RBIs than Hall of Famers (to name a few) Duke Snider (1,333), Robin Yount (1,406), Roberto Clemente (1,305), and Kirby Puckett (1,085) and he hit more HRs than Hall of Famers George Brett (317), Joe DiMaggio (361), Carlton Fisk (376), Tony Perez (379), and Orlando Cepeda (379).

I'm not going to argue that he's in the same league as Ruth or Aaron or Williams, but Rice's career numbers match up with Hall of Famers and for 12 years he absolutely dominated the American League. I think he deserves to be in the Hall and I think the numbers back it up.

Perhaps this is the year. I certainly hope so.

Maybe I should have more class...

...but then again, I am a Masshole

PS this is why the rest of the country hates New England sports fans

So good. So good. So good.

And here are some more images (and songs)

Good times never seemed so good

This post has nothing to do with biology...unless I decide to delve into the nuerobiology of being a Red Sox fan...but if PZ Myers can allow a student to post about Drew Brees, I figure it's OK to open Archaea up to sports.

Anyways, my wife and I were at Fenway last night to watch the Sox beat the A's 7-3. This was our first (and only) game of the season (in fact, it has been a couple of years since we've managed to get to a game), and, man, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I got to see just about everything that I could have hoped to see. Here are the highlights:

• We got to see Schilling pitch. He wasn't overpowering, but he was very good - scattering 6 hits over 6 innings, striking out 6, and only giving up 1 run.
  
  
• Manny Ramirez actually decided to play after sitting with an oblique "injury" for 24 games. BTW, Manny wears number 24. Coincidence? Knowing Manny, no. He got a standing ovation from the crowd (why oh why do we encourage him?) and went 1 for 2 before quiting being taken out of the game in the 5th. He won't be back here next year, so it was good to see him one last time.
  
  
• I got to see my favorite current player, Mike Lowell, hit an RBI double off the wall. What can I say, I was hoping to see him get a hit and he did, so I was happy. He likewise probably won't be here next year (which is a damn crying shame if you ask me, especially if A-Rod is here instead), so it was good to see him before he goes.
  
  
• J.D. Drew actually hit the ball. He went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Maybe he's needed 156 games to get used to Boston.
  
  
• After being sidelined with a wrist injury for a while, Kevin Youkilis was back. He received a standing ovation and was showered with a full chorus of "Youuuuuuuuuuuk!"
  
  
• A's pitcher, Ruddy Lugo had to wait to pitch in the bottom of the 8th while the crowd finished singing "Sweet Caroline". The PA had cut off the song and announced "Now pitching, Ruddy Lugo", but we could care less. 35,000 fans standing and belting out "Sweet Caroline, BAH BAH BAH, Good times never seemed so good. SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD" while the players just stood around, watched and waited. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll just have to go to Fenway and experience it for yourself (in the meantime, here's a little taste). Gotta love this place.
  
  
• The crowd erupted when the scoreboard showed that Tampa Bay was beating the Yankees. This was followed by 35,000 fans chanting "Yankees suck...Yankees suck...". I wonder how insignificant the A's felt at this point.
  
  
• Jon Papelbon pitched in relief. This might have been was the most electrifying part of the entire game. As he ran in from the bullpen, 35,000 fans were on their feet and cheering. While he warmed up, 35,000 fans were on their feet and cheering. Let me repeat, while he was warming up, the crowd noise was at jet-engine decibel levels. And then 35,000 fans stood and cheered as he threw what turned out to be his only pitch of the evening to get a pop-out to end the inning and get the Sox out of a jam. The place went nuts. (BTW, excellent use of the Dropkick Murphy's "Shipping up to Boston" during his warmup.)^*
  
  
• David Ortiz hit a 3-run shot over the right field wall. Every fan wants and expects Big Papi to do this every time he's up, yet it never gets old. Again, the place went nuts.
  
  
• Did I mention that the Sox won? (and the Yankees lost)
  

There was really only one lowlight of the game (what? did you think I'd leave well enough alone and be happy with the aforementioned highlights? what kind of Sox fan do you think I am?):

• Eric f-ing Gagne: he couldn't (once again) get the job done in the 8th and Francona had to go to Papelbon with the tying run at the plate to quelch a potential A's rally. I'll be shocked (and enraged) if this guy is given the ball in a close game in the post-season.
  

Even with the disappointing Gagne, this was easily the best game I've ever been at.

^*When Papelbon emerged from the bullpen, the PA played "Wild Thing", which I didn't think was right. It's cheesy and ripped off. This made the switch to the Dropkick Murphy's all the better.