The Bitter Rivals Thread

[Mattingly]

Re: Go Jeffery!

Originally posted by KenFougere
I like when you say things like that! I think that Weaver and your basket will both UN-weave tomorrow!!!
{The saying goes, "Never put your eggs in one basket..."} -Especially one with a known hole in it!

You've got all your eggs in Lowe, I've got all mine in Weaver. Who figured that we'd win a game in which Pedro and Boomer started? Wells was certainly valiant, but his back didn't allow him to complete the job, despite keeping the score manageable.

I've seen Weaver fail, I've seen Lowe fail. I've seen Weaver succeed, I've seen Lowe succeed. All I need is one game and that's on Sunday, so it's a tossup, just like Friday's and Saturday's game.

I'll take for granted that Weaver already knows not to throw that ugly curveball that doesn't curve, so we won't run into early trouble. Unlike Moose, he isn't so finicky that if not facing the ace or #2, he doesn't feel like giving his A game. Then last season, he couldn't work with run support, despite having earlier complained about not getting any at all.

I love the guy, but the conditions have to be too stinking right before he decides to give us his best stuff. Sheesh!

Anyway, Weaver just needs to rear back and throw flames and we should be OK. If Lowe is out before the 7th, I'll take my chances on the pen, and make sure you bring on BH Kim, since like Tino, he's one of the few visiting players who gets the standing O at Yankee Stadium. He'll give us the AFLAC insurance.

[Mattingly]

VT, do you get YES? If so, please check their schedule:

http://www.yesnetwork.com/network/index.cfm?cont_id=97453

Try watching the live performance he'd taped during the AS break.

Bernie Williams: The Journey Within Bernie Williams in concert at the House of Blues in Chicago

[VTSoxFan]

Nope, I'm outside the YES broadcast zone. I would have liked to see that performance.

Thanks for the album title!

Last time Lowe pitched he said he had rediscovered the mechanics with which he'd had such great success last season. I must say that, despite the 2 HRs he gave up, he looked loose and comfortable on the mound, worked fast and had the opposition chopping that sinker into the ground time after time after time. I guess the grounds crew will make that dirt in front of the plate soft as a featherbed to take the bounce out of the grounders tonight!

[Mattingly]

Originally posted by VTSoxFan
Nope, I'm outside the YES broadcast zone. I would have liked to see that performance.

Thanks for the album title!

Last time Lowe pitched he said he had rediscovered the mechanics with which he'd had such great success last season. I must say that, despite the 2 HRs he gave up, he looked loose and comfortable on the mound, worked fast and had the opposition chopping that sinker into the ground time after time after time. I guess the grounds crew will make that dirt in front of the plate soft as a featherbed to take the bounce out of the grounders tonight!

Actually, that's the title of the program on YES. I *think* that "The Journey Within" is part of the album's title, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, we'll see how forgetful Lowe is of his 2002 season, and if lucky, he may remember his awesome 2001 season as a closer before Ugie came aboard that summer. Yes, those were great days.

I'll be fixated on tonight's game, since there haven't been any "sure thng" pitching matchups. Hopefully, we'll have a 9-8 game and Trot can make an error. You know, bases loaded, no outs, Posada's up, draws the walk off Kim, then Mo Rivera shuts down you guys down.

It could happen, couldn't it?

[Biggerin]

What? Nixon doesn't make errors and Kim would NEVER walk anyone with the bases loaded in a tie game in the ninth, especially not posada! It's simply just not possible...

Seriously though, tonight's game's gonna be good. Lowe should be Lowe, not 2002 lowe or 2001 lowe, but 2003 lowe, meaning 1-3 runs, 7 innings. I'm pretty confident that the sox can score 4-30.

[Mattingly]

Originally posted by Biggerin
What? Nixon doesn't make errors and Kim would NEVER walk anyone with the bases loaded in a tie game in the ninth, especially not posada! It's simply just not possible...

Seriously though, tonight's game's gonna be good. Lowe should be Lowe, not 2002 lowe or 2001 lowe, but 2003 lowe, meaning 1-3 runs, 7 innings. I'm pretty confident that the sox can score 4-30.

Kim didn't surprise me, since he would've allowed 2 hits. It was the guys behind him that did his job. Nomar's getting Enrique Wilson out and Damon with the dive killed us. Had 1 run scored, it would've been Mo Rivera, not Armando.

OK, I should go outside to see what daylight looks like, since come nighttime, I'll be thinking about nothing but this game. Crazy life.

[Biggerin]

btw, i came up with a theory behind nomar's attempted bunt...

Now, as a Red Sox fan, I refuse to think nomar is anything short of god, naturally. So I say he figured you got manny on deck. If nomar doesn't get this run in, they'll walk manny for sure, so he figured he had a better chance of bunting for a single, so he'd be on first, and they'd be more likely to pitch to manny. Leave me in my own little world here :P

[KenFougere]

Originally posted by Biggerin
btw, i came up with a theory behind nomar's attempted bunt...

Now, as a Red Sox fan, I refuse to think nomar is anything short of god, naturally. So I say he figured you got manny on deck. If nomar doesn't get this run in, they'll walk manny for sure, so he figured he had a better chance of bunting for a single, so he'd be on first, and they'd be more likely to pitch to manny. Leave me in my own little world here :P

I like your theory....ALOT.

[Mattingly]

Does Nomar bunt much? I don't usually see many sluggers bunt much.

When he does, is he a good or successful bunter?

[Biggerin]

he's bunted exactly twice in the last six years. Last time, earlier this year, it put the runner in scoring possition and manny singled him home to end the ballgame. This time, he lined out to mussina.

[Biggerin]

as to my theory, it actually does make some sort of sense. You know manny would be walked with no one on first in that situation. The only way you can make them pitch to manny is if there's someone on first (though, i'd still walk him). If he felt that he wouldn't be able to hit a ball hard enough to get the run in, if he could surprise everyone and get a bunt single so they'd have to pitch to manny. In the process, the runner moves to 3rd base with no outs, or if nomar isn't safe at first, 1 out. Even if they don't pitch to manny in that situation, any tripple-a player can get a ball into the outfield for the sac fly.

But, bottom line was, he didn't get the ball down. It's ok, if ortiz didn't get that hit, nomar woulda hit a walk-off homer in the 10th to make up for it

[KenFougere]

Always the easy way out!

Originally posted by Biggerin
But, bottom line was, he didn't get the ball down. It's ok, if ortiz didn't get that hit, nomar woulda hit a walk-off homer in the 10th to make up for it

Ya...I'm glad they took the "easy" route...

[Mattingly]

Take away that 7th inning by Hammond and we would've won.

Damn you!

[VTSoxFan]

I'm really glad Torre brought in a lefty and turned Varitek around to his high-batting-average side of the plate!

:gt

And dang the power going out in the broadcast booth so we missed Lowe's fabulous defense to end the 3rd! Just saw it replayed on Sportcenter... wish I'd seen it live!

Wow wow wow wow!

Ok, I better go to bed. I sure will sleep well now!

[Biggerin]

I missed a good 90% of this game >< and I can't even watch the highlights!

My satellite dish moved in the wind and i gotta go up and move it back into place while someone yells back how strong the signal is on me ><

Anyway... I was sitting there playing a flash game somewhee out there on the web while the mlb.com gameday thing was on in the background so i could check it. I see it going into the 7th, still only 2 or 3 freakin hits and weaver still on. Bleh, that didn't look good. I watched pitch by pitch the walk to nixon and thought "well, it's a start." After the HBP on mueller, the pitching change thing went on forever so i resumed my game.

I came back and noticed no one was on base. First thought was that tak had hit into an inning ending DP and that the inning was over. So I look up to the top of the screen and it says 1 out still. Needless to say i about ppoped myself when i finnaly though to look at the score :P After damon's HR, I knew it was over.

But the big blow of the game, which i was able to kinda watch between "aquiring satelite signal, please wait" messages was ortiz's hit. A two-run tripple. For David Ortiz. A tripple. For D-a-v-i-d O-r-t-i-z!

Long story short, I'm gonna sleep well tonight as well


BTW, mattingly, if we were alowed mulligans, the sox would be like 80-22 by now