2008 August

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Beckett Lands On DL

August 29, 2008 on 7:13 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

Two days after losing starting right fielder J.D. Drew to a lower back strain, the Boston Red Sox placed ace Josh Beckett on the 15-day DL with lingering right elbow numbness. The trip to the disabled list comes a day after the former 20-game winner visited renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrew in Alabama. According to Andrews, Beckett only has a mild arm strain and should be back at 100% within ten days. Terry Francona told WEEI in Boston early Friday that the visit to Andrews was mostly to reassure Beckett that his arm wasn’t seriously injured. The two-time World Series champion manager likened it to having “a first baseman” with gimpy knees “who limps through a game”. Regardless of the severity of the strain, the Red Sox will need Beckett for the stretch run if they want to entertain any thought of repeating as World Champions.

Acquisition of Kotsay Speaks Volumes Of Drew Injury

August 28, 2008 on 6:04 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

Just a day after All-Star Game MVP J.D. Drew went on the 15-day DL with a lower back strain, the Boston Red Sox acquired veteran outfielder Mark Kotsay from the Atlanta Braves for a lower-level minor leaguer. In 88 games this season, the 32-year old Kotsay was batting .289 with six home runs and 37 runs batted in. This is quietly a very good deal for Boston as in it allows Terry Francona to have Kotsay’s bat in the lineup while keeping Coco Crisp and his .263 average on the bench as a late-inning defensive replacement. Meanwhile, the oft-injured Drew joins a Boston disabled list that already sports the starting right side of the infield in shortstop Julio Lugo and third baseman Mike Lowell. Early word has it that Drew might be out for at least the next three weeks, a real shame being Drew is hitting .280 with 19 longballs and 64 RBIs on the season. After taking two of three from the Bombers at the Stadium, the Red Sox welcome in the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox for the first of a three-game set starting Friday night at Fenway Park.

Merriman To Forego Surgery

August 28, 2008 on 4:36 pm | In Football | No Comments

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawn Merriman announced that despite two damaged ligaments in his left knee, he’s going to pass on season-ending surgery and play out this season for the reigning AFC West Champions. Merriman received counsel from four different decisions before deciding to play, a decision that has apparently sparked a fire beneath teammate and former NFL Most Valuable Player LaDainian Tomlinson. LT, whose own knee issues kept him out of last season’s AFC Championship Game, called Merriman “a warrior” who would have to be literally dragged off the football field. Personally, the Chargers are not an aging team and I’m not sure I’d be willing to risk my entire career for a shot at the Super Bowl when you still have three or four “window” years remaining. That said, if the fiery Merriman can play through the pain of two torn ligaments, the Chargers are right up there with the New England Patriots as the AFC favorite to reach the Super Bowl.

Another Classic For Sox and Yanks?

August 26, 2008 on 4:33 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

Just hours after Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was released from Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital following triple-bypass heart surgery, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will begin their last-ever regular season series at Yankee Stadium. The best rivalry in professional sports, the Red Sox are looking to put a practical nail in the Yankee’s season coffin. New York enters tonight trailing the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by nine-and-a-half games and the Wild Card-leading Red Sox by five. Numerically speaking, the Yankees have 25 games left against teams with winning records. A damning statistic when considering the Yanks play a mere .523 against those teams. Flat out, if the Bombers want to have any chance of extending the life of that big ballpark in the Bronx, they’re going to have to win at around a 75% clip for the remainder of the season. That charge will begin tonight when Joe Girardi hands the ball to Andy Pettitte, who is unbeaten in his last three starts. The Red Sox will send veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the mound tonight for the first time since landing on the 15-day DL with shoulder stiffness August 7th. If there is a bright spot for New York entering this series, it’s that Wakefield is 0-5 with a 8.91 ERA his last six starts against the Bombers.

Logano Announcement Caps Busy Weekend For Gibbs

August 25, 2008 on 8:10 pm | In NASCAR | No Comments

With NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship only two races away, pressure is building up on just about everyone trying to squeeze themselves into the sport’s top-tier 12-team playoff format. The pressure is on everyone except well, probably Kyle Busch. Busch, the winner of a series-leading nine races, will enter the Chase as the No. 1 seed when the green flag drops at the opening race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday September 14th. Busch has dominated just about everything he’s entered thus far this year, including this past Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol. The 23-year old led a career-high 415 laps before eventual race winner Carl Edwards nudged his way past Busch for the race lead with just under 30 laps to go. Busch would come home second and see his point lead reduced to 212 points while Edwards celebrated with his trademark backflip on the front stretch. The race Saturday came one day after two of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nationwide Series cars were found to be using magnets to try and conceal horsepower after the Friday night race at Bristol. The infraction resulted in a total of seven crew members suspended indefinitely along with Tony Stewart and Joey Logano being stripped of 150 driver points each. Speaking of Logano and Stewart, the two will both be in new Sprint Cup rides for next season. With Stewart’s plans for team ownership already in place and announced, Gibbs Racing Monday announced that 18-year old Joey Logano will take Stewart’s place in the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet full-time next season in the sport’s top series. Logano, who made his NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series earlier this season, has never started a Sprint Cup race but is considered by many to be the sport’s next potential superstar. If that turns out to be the case, Gibbs may have three very good drivers in Kyle Busch (23-years old), Denny Hamlin (27) and Logano (18) around for a very long time.

Maddux, Rollins Sink As Phills Roll Padres

August 22, 2008 on 10:09 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

Jimmy Rollins dissed his Philly faithful last week and has seemingly suffered from every end since. Since J-Roll called fans at Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park “front runners”, the former National League MVP is 3-for-37 and has been endlessly booed at the Philadelphia Phillies’ home games. 3,000 miles across the country, future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux was embarking on a new start with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being traded north by the San Diego Padres earlier this week. The Dodgers and Phillies met Friday with Maddux looking for his 354th career victory and a tie with Roger Clemens as the eighth-winningest pitcher in Major League history. What the future Hall of Famer ran into was a buzzsaw in the form of a free-swinging Phillies lineup. Behind homers from superstars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the NL Wild Card-leading Phillies went on to crush Maddux and the Dodgers 8-1 and close to within two-and-a-half games behind the East-leading New York Mets. Maddux meanwhile was roughed up for seven earned runs in just under six innings, dropping to 6-10 on the year. The Dodgers entered the night as winners of six otwo-and-a-half games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the putrid National League West.

Browns Get CB Daniels From Miami

August 21, 2008 on 7:41 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

The Cleveland Browns added a much-needed cornerback to their secondary Wednesday when they dealt a seventh round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for Travis Daniels. The Browns are in absolutely desperate need of solid bodies in the secondary and Daniels is just that. The former fourth round pick played in all 16 games for the Fish last season, recording 27 tackles and bringing in one interception. The Browns’ defense was brutalized last season, finishing dead last in the NFL in points allowed per game at 30.5 and 18th in the NFL against the pass. Daniels brings durability to a secondary already short of youngster Daven Holly who was placed on injured reserve early in training camp. The Browns open their regular season Sunday September 7th against Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland.

Griffey Slams No. 609

August 20, 2008 on 5:22 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

With his Chicago White Sox facing the team he began his career with, Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy Sosa for fifth-place on the Major League’s all-time home run list. The future Hall of Famer and arguably the most popular player in baseball history slammed No. 609 off of Seattle Mariners pitcher R.A. Dickey in the bottom of the second inning. Jr’s blast extended the Chicago lead to 8-0 as they look to extend their one-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

Mets Lose Wagner For Foreseeable Future

August 19, 2008 on 9:45 pm | In Baseball | No Comments

You almost had a sense that the news was on the horizon, but Billy Wagner’s aching left shoulder is in worse shape than initially thought. Originally chalked up to mere soreness in his left elbow, the New York Mets‘ closer underwent an MRI Tuesday that revealed further inflammation and made Wagner’s return to the mound a glaring question mark for a team already weak in the bullpen. The Mets have been without their All-Star closer since August 3rd and have leaned heavily on Aaron Heilman, Scott Shoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano, each with mixed results. The Mets also went out last week and acquired veteran reliever Luis Ayala from the Washington Nationals to add depth to a ‘pen that sports an ERA over six since the All-Star break. While their list of options may be short, I wonder if the Mets’ brass is contemplating moving future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to fill the closer’s role. Aaron Heilman could be moved into the rotation while Martinez’s miniscule 5.1 innings-per-start average could suspend its taxation on the bullpen while Pedro following the likes of John Smoltz and Curt Schilling as elite starters moved to the pen to close out games. With the Philadelphia Phillies hot on their heals, I can’t dream of the Mets winning the National League East without Wagner or another arm dominating the ninth inning night in and night out. The closer is arguably the most important position on a ball club, anyone who disputes that can cite Mariano Rivera’s role in four World Series Championships for the cross-town New York Yankees.

Silly Season Pieces Coming Together For ‘09

August 18, 2008 on 4:39 pm | In Memorabilia, NASCAR | No Comments

While both the NBA and Major League Baseball have action-packed weeks leading up to their respective midseason trade deadlines, NASCAR’s own version of free agency runs rampant year-round. While North America’s fastest growing sport has given in to the Chase for the Cup, NASCAR’s season ending playoff system, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see a trading deadline at the Sprint Cup level. While drivers and crew chiefs may never be dealt from owner to owner (imagine the possibilities of Jamie McMurray being traded for a set of Goodyear Eagles), that doesn’t stop drivers and teams discussing deals for next season while still under contract with other entities. That’s certainly been the case of late and this season has been no exception. With over a third of the Sprint Cup season still on the schedule, Daytona 500 Champion Ryan Newman has already agreed to join Tony Stewart’s Chevrolet racing team starting in 2009. Of course Stewart went on to announce his plans to leave Joe Gibbs Racing at year’s end with more than half a season of contract yet to race out. Stewart certainly has made noise by becoming the sport’s most relevant owner-driver since Ricky Rudd did the double during the mid-90’s, but he may have set his crosshairs on his biggest target of all for next season. Stewart has reportedly offered his crew chief opening for next season to Hendrick Motorsports’ Engineering Manager Darien Grubb, a Cup circuit veteran who crew chiefed Jimmie Johnson to his 2006 Daytona 500 victory. Grubb is currently the head of engineering for Casey Mears’ No. 5 and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolets at Hendrick’s team headquarters in Concord, North Carolina. The team may be a perfect pairing for both Smoke and Grubb as the Daytona 500-winning crew chief seems to be destined to always be the fifth wheel in Hendricks’ four-car garage. Currently, Hendrick Motorsports has three cars in the top-nine in points while Tony Stewart and his No. 20 Toyota sit in sixth place with three races to go until NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship begins at the one-mile oval in Loudon, New Hampshire September 14th.