Thursday, September 23, 2004
|
Back That Thang Up
Boston Fox 25's Butch Stearns was on WEEI radio Wednesday discussing--what else--the Red Sox. Butch started yapping about how he had some information that the relationship was not great between Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez adding "How do you think Pedro feels when he sees Schilling pitch a game like last night?" and "Go look at the tapes (of past games) you never see Schilling and Pedro embrace after a win." Stearns got a quick surprise as did the hosts of the show, Pete Sheppard and Steve Burton. Here's the transcript:
Burton: Next we have Curt on a car phone
Schilling: How you doin' guys...
Burton: Hey we got Schilling!
Sheppard: How ya' doin' Curt?
Schilling: Hey listen, I'm not going to be long but I'm gonna say one thing, I don't know who it was that just said something regarding Pedro and I...
Burton: ...that was Butch Stearns.
Stearns: That was me Curt
Schilling: Don't be stupid enough to think you can make something out of nothing. That's how dumb idiotic rumors get started by those who don't know the game. I have...
Sheppard: ...well we're glad you calle...
Schilling: I HAVE nothing but the utmost respect for Pedro. I think he's probably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a great guy. We get along awesome. Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing. Don't say something stupid and something ignorant like that.
Stearns: Alright Curt, I understand, and I'll apologize for that, but can I ask you a question?
Schilling: No. Here's my problem. If I don't call up you don't apologize for it, you don't retract it, and somebody calls and you make it a bigger deal than it is.
Sheppard: I'm not trying to make it...
Schilling: It's a stupid idiotic comment to make. It's irresponsible. And you know what? it's ignorant, because you don't know. Obviously you just made it up.
Sheppard: I didn't make anything up.
Schilling: Sure you did. Sure you did. I've hugged Pedro on the field this year, after we've won a game. That's a stupid thing to say... Isn't there some other controversy you can go to? Because you had some valid points, but don't make up stupid stuff.
Sheppard: Alright fair enough Curt. Can I ask you a question? What do you care to offer us about your relationship with Pedro? That's all.
Schilling: I love him. Pedro's an awesome guy. And he's arguably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a fantastic human being.
Sheppard: Do you feel like you guys have pushed each other in a good way, for the good of the team?
Schilling: I don't know if we push each other, I've learned a ton from watching the guy pitch this year. A ton.
Sheppard: Same or different than relationship with Randy as players?
Schilling: No it's different because RJ and I lived right down the street from each other. We both have four kids. Our wives are very close. So there's a lot of different... it was different. As teammates and as friends, Pedro has my utmost respect and he's a guy I'd kill for, absolutely.
Burton: Hey Curt, in all fairness to Butch, I'm the one who brought up the subject and what I said was 'How do you think... Pedro's used to being the ace of the staff. Here you come in...
Schilling: No, no you didn't preface it with that, you just said 'How do you think Pedro feels when Schilling pitches well?'
Burton: Right, and I think that's a fair question. I think...
Schilling: Wait, wait, wait, why is that a fair question? Because in that situation you'd be jealous?
Burton: What's that?
Schilling: Given a similar situation, you'd have problems with it?
Burton: I think some people would, yes. I think that's a very fair question.
Schilling: You're assuming Pedro is 'some people.' Pedro is not 'some people' Pedro's one of the five best people on the planet at what he does. People like that tick differently than people like you. You have to. The top five in the world at anything they do and they're going to be so vastly different people than you are, or than most normal people are. Yeah, they're human. They have emotions, but you know what? You get here doing things differently than most people do. I gotta go guys, I just wanted to make sure that people understood that that's not a top subject.
Sheppard: Curt? Curt? I think he had to go...
I think there are many writers and radio personalities in the sports world who are not always great examples of professionalism. Others are just meatheads. They observe something in behaviors and interpret it to mean something when there is no further evidence to support it. They write a column about it or just mention it on a local radio show and before you know it, it becomes a "scoop." It's a modern day sports witch trial. On one hand, I feel like they really don't need to be dignified with a response, but on the other, I think it's great what Curt Schilling did. Call these guys up and make them own up to the mud they sling. If their argument is based solely on biased observation as this one was, shred them with facts and truth. Nip any potential media issues in the bud before they snowball. I think I just broke the amateur record for cliches in a paragraph. Anyway, I applaud Curt for sticking up for himself and I wish these chowderheads on the air and online (see Jason Whitlock of espn.com's Page 2) would get confronted by their subjects more often.
You'll notice I mentioned nothing about the Angels today...That would be because my doctor told me I need to avoid irritable topics and stressful situations. I care not that the Angels are choking like a dog on a chicken bone....For I am but a babbling brook.
|
Burton: Next we have Curt on a car phone
Schilling: How you doin' guys...
Burton: Hey we got Schilling!
Sheppard: How ya' doin' Curt?
Schilling: Hey listen, I'm not going to be long but I'm gonna say one thing, I don't know who it was that just said something regarding Pedro and I...
Burton: ...that was Butch Stearns.
Stearns: That was me Curt
Schilling: Don't be stupid enough to think you can make something out of nothing. That's how dumb idiotic rumors get started by those who don't know the game. I have...
Sheppard: ...well we're glad you calle...
Schilling: I HAVE nothing but the utmost respect for Pedro. I think he's probably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a great guy. We get along awesome. Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing. Don't say something stupid and something ignorant like that.
Stearns: Alright Curt, I understand, and I'll apologize for that, but can I ask you a question?
Schilling: No. Here's my problem. If I don't call up you don't apologize for it, you don't retract it, and somebody calls and you make it a bigger deal than it is.
Sheppard: I'm not trying to make it...
Schilling: It's a stupid idiotic comment to make. It's irresponsible. And you know what? it's ignorant, because you don't know. Obviously you just made it up.
Sheppard: I didn't make anything up.
Schilling: Sure you did. Sure you did. I've hugged Pedro on the field this year, after we've won a game. That's a stupid thing to say... Isn't there some other controversy you can go to? Because you had some valid points, but don't make up stupid stuff.
Sheppard: Alright fair enough Curt. Can I ask you a question? What do you care to offer us about your relationship with Pedro? That's all.
Schilling: I love him. Pedro's an awesome guy. And he's arguably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a fantastic human being.
Sheppard: Do you feel like you guys have pushed each other in a good way, for the good of the team?
Schilling: I don't know if we push each other, I've learned a ton from watching the guy pitch this year. A ton.
Sheppard: Same or different than relationship with Randy as players?
Schilling: No it's different because RJ and I lived right down the street from each other. We both have four kids. Our wives are very close. So there's a lot of different... it was different. As teammates and as friends, Pedro has my utmost respect and he's a guy I'd kill for, absolutely.
Burton: Hey Curt, in all fairness to Butch, I'm the one who brought up the subject and what I said was 'How do you think... Pedro's used to being the ace of the staff. Here you come in...
Schilling: No, no you didn't preface it with that, you just said 'How do you think Pedro feels when Schilling pitches well?'
Burton: Right, and I think that's a fair question. I think...
Schilling: Wait, wait, wait, why is that a fair question? Because in that situation you'd be jealous?
Burton: What's that?
Schilling: Given a similar situation, you'd have problems with it?
Burton: I think some people would, yes. I think that's a very fair question.
Schilling: You're assuming Pedro is 'some people.' Pedro is not 'some people' Pedro's one of the five best people on the planet at what he does. People like that tick differently than people like you. You have to. The top five in the world at anything they do and they're going to be so vastly different people than you are, or than most normal people are. Yeah, they're human. They have emotions, but you know what? You get here doing things differently than most people do. I gotta go guys, I just wanted to make sure that people understood that that's not a top subject.
Sheppard: Curt? Curt? I think he had to go...
I think there are many writers and radio personalities in the sports world who are not always great examples of professionalism. Others are just meatheads. They observe something in behaviors and interpret it to mean something when there is no further evidence to support it. They write a column about it or just mention it on a local radio show and before you know it, it becomes a "scoop." It's a modern day sports witch trial. On one hand, I feel like they really don't need to be dignified with a response, but on the other, I think it's great what Curt Schilling did. Call these guys up and make them own up to the mud they sling. If their argument is based solely on biased observation as this one was, shred them with facts and truth. Nip any potential media issues in the bud before they snowball. I think I just broke the amateur record for cliches in a paragraph. Anyway, I applaud Curt for sticking up for himself and I wish these chowderheads on the air and online (see Jason Whitlock of espn.com's Page 2) would get confronted by their subjects more often.
You'll notice I mentioned nothing about the Angels today...That would be because my doctor told me I need to avoid irritable topics and stressful situations. I care not that the Angels are choking like a dog on a chicken bone....For I am but a babbling brook.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 6:23 PM 
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Chin Music
I got home around 7:15 last night and flipped on the TV as I dropped my man-purse on the bed. Luckily, the bed was also there to break my own fall as the image on the screen sapped the strength from my legs. Vladimir Guerrero lying in the dirt, replays showing him beaned in the side of the head by a Ryan Franklin fastball. Like an overprotective mother, I instinctively held my breath and feared the worst. A direct hit like that could kill a man. I don't think I exhaled until Vladdy returned from the hospital to appear in the dugout later in the game, smiling wider than ever.
A team never wants a scare like the Angels got last night, but sometimes a positive byproduct of such an unfortunate incident can be a jolt of rejuvenation in the clubhouse. Seeing a superstar teammate nailed in the head will surely anger the team and that adrenalin can bring a little more spring to your step and a little more focus in these dwindling dog days of summer. After Guerrero was helped off the field, Jose Guillen stepped up to the plate and you could feel his thirst for revenge via the home run. Of course, he ended up striking out to end the inning, but the eruption of emotion that followed gave this fan some hope that the Angels will snap the shackles of their recent offensive malaise. With Aaron Sele throwing tonight, they're going to need all the help they can get.
I take issue with the officiating last night for several reasons. First of all, there was apparently a report of some kind submitted to the umpires before the game about bad blood between Guerrero and the Mariners stemming from a confrontation between he and Mariner Bret Boone after Vlad was hit by a pitch earlier in the season. If that is true, how do they not eject Seattle pitcher Ryan Franklin after he beans Vladimir in the head? Angel manager Mike Scioscia obviously thought he should have been and argued the point so adamantly that he got himself ejected.
Secondly, if both benches were warned following the beaning of Guerrero, how does Angel starter John Lackey not get tossed for nailing Randy Wynn in the top of the third? Was it not obvious to the umpiring crew that it was an act of retaliation? Lackey got ejected and suspended earlier this season for throwing inside and not even hitting a batter in what was perceived to be retaliation. I ask now as I asked when Curt Schilling got away with the exact same thing in Boston's last trip to Anaheim, what is the point of the warning if you're not going to back it up with an ejection when pitchers are clearly hitting batters intentionally?
Finally, I saw something in the 8th inning I have never seen before and may never see again. After initially calling Seattle's Jeremy Reed out by force at second base, second base umpire Chris Guccione conferred with the third base umpire, who was in worse position to see the play, and brought Reed out of the dugout to take second base. Guccione was in perfect position to see the play and replays showed he would have been better served to trust his first instincts. However, even though the final ruling was incorrect, I applaud the umpiring crew for having the resolve to change a call they felt was incorrect. So many times, it seems pride enters into the equation and umpires seem more concerned with sticking to their guns than getting the call right. I seem to recall a similar play the last time I attended an Angel game where Mike Scioscia got ejected for appealing to another umpire for help on the call after the second base umpire refused to do so himself. I guess it all depends on which crew you get and what they had for breakfast.
Third base call-up Dallas McPherson looked fantastic in his first professional start. He was 3-3, with a double, a walk and an RBI and even made some impressive plays defensively, which was a pleasant surprise given that the knock on McPherson this season had been that his defense was not yet at the major league level. It appeared the Angels coaches did a great job in helping him turn the corner at the hot corner. If Adam Kennedy's injury turns out to be as serious as feared, Dallas may have earned a few more starts at third as Chone Figgins would likely be moved to second to fill in for Kennedy.
Losing Kennedy would certainly make the Angels' uphill road to the postseason a little bit steeper. Even with super-sub Chone Figgins providing his usual clutch play, the Halos would sorely miss Kennedy's Gold Glove-caliber defense at second. Angel fans had better be crossing their fingers in hopes that he's okay because the playoffs are all about defense and pitching. Personally, I'm crossing all fingers on both hands and even a few toes where possible.
|
A team never wants a scare like the Angels got last night, but sometimes a positive byproduct of such an unfortunate incident can be a jolt of rejuvenation in the clubhouse. Seeing a superstar teammate nailed in the head will surely anger the team and that adrenalin can bring a little more spring to your step and a little more focus in these dwindling dog days of summer. After Guerrero was helped off the field, Jose Guillen stepped up to the plate and you could feel his thirst for revenge via the home run. Of course, he ended up striking out to end the inning, but the eruption of emotion that followed gave this fan some hope that the Angels will snap the shackles of their recent offensive malaise. With Aaron Sele throwing tonight, they're going to need all the help they can get.
I take issue with the officiating last night for several reasons. First of all, there was apparently a report of some kind submitted to the umpires before the game about bad blood between Guerrero and the Mariners stemming from a confrontation between he and Mariner Bret Boone after Vlad was hit by a pitch earlier in the season. If that is true, how do they not eject Seattle pitcher Ryan Franklin after he beans Vladimir in the head? Angel manager Mike Scioscia obviously thought he should have been and argued the point so adamantly that he got himself ejected.
Secondly, if both benches were warned following the beaning of Guerrero, how does Angel starter John Lackey not get tossed for nailing Randy Wynn in the top of the third? Was it not obvious to the umpiring crew that it was an act of retaliation? Lackey got ejected and suspended earlier this season for throwing inside and not even hitting a batter in what was perceived to be retaliation. I ask now as I asked when Curt Schilling got away with the exact same thing in Boston's last trip to Anaheim, what is the point of the warning if you're not going to back it up with an ejection when pitchers are clearly hitting batters intentionally?
Finally, I saw something in the 8th inning I have never seen before and may never see again. After initially calling Seattle's Jeremy Reed out by force at second base, second base umpire Chris Guccione conferred with the third base umpire, who was in worse position to see the play, and brought Reed out of the dugout to take second base. Guccione was in perfect position to see the play and replays showed he would have been better served to trust his first instincts. However, even though the final ruling was incorrect, I applaud the umpiring crew for having the resolve to change a call they felt was incorrect. So many times, it seems pride enters into the equation and umpires seem more concerned with sticking to their guns than getting the call right. I seem to recall a similar play the last time I attended an Angel game where Mike Scioscia got ejected for appealing to another umpire for help on the call after the second base umpire refused to do so himself. I guess it all depends on which crew you get and what they had for breakfast.
Third base call-up Dallas McPherson looked fantastic in his first professional start. He was 3-3, with a double, a walk and an RBI and even made some impressive plays defensively, which was a pleasant surprise given that the knock on McPherson this season had been that his defense was not yet at the major league level. It appeared the Angels coaches did a great job in helping him turn the corner at the hot corner. If Adam Kennedy's injury turns out to be as serious as feared, Dallas may have earned a few more starts at third as Chone Figgins would likely be moved to second to fill in for Kennedy.
Losing Kennedy would certainly make the Angels' uphill road to the postseason a little bit steeper. Even with super-sub Chone Figgins providing his usual clutch play, the Halos would sorely miss Kennedy's Gold Glove-caliber defense at second. Angel fans had better be crossing their fingers in hopes that he's okay because the playoffs are all about defense and pitching. Personally, I'm crossing all fingers on both hands and even a few toes where possible.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:25 PM
Monday, September 20, 2004
"Over the Line!"
Following up on last Wednesday's column about the Texas Folding Chair Massacre, here's what a former player has to say about fans getting personal...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=kruk/040917
|
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=kruk/040917
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:53 PM
Quote of the Weekend
"Without question, it was definitely a blow to their ego. We start getting a little closer, they start doubting themselves a little more."
--Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo after beating the Yankees 3-2 on Friday night. The loss was so devastating to the Yankees that they beat Boston in the ensuing two games of the series, outscoring the Sox 25-5.
Good call, Bronson. Two weeks ago, I wrote a column about how colorful the Red Sox and their fans are. That being said, I think there is also some value in the way that, without t-shirts, catch phrases or any other gimmicks, the Yankees continue to just go out and beat Boston time and time again.
|
--Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo after beating the Yankees 3-2 on Friday night. The loss was so devastating to the Yankees that they beat Boston in the ensuing two games of the series, outscoring the Sox 25-5.
Good call, Bronson. Two weeks ago, I wrote a column about how colorful the Red Sox and their fans are. That being said, I think there is also some value in the way that, without t-shirts, catch phrases or any other gimmicks, the Yankees continue to just go out and beat Boston time and time again.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:05 PM
Angels Continue to Flap Their Wings--And Miss
Speaking of losing, I have had just about enough of my beloved Angel team. The only thing worse than hanging Kelvim Escobar out to dry AGAIN on Saturday with zero runs of support was to do the exact same thing the following day to Jarrod Washburn. If the Angels can't hit pitchers like Texas' Erasmo Ramirez and Seattle's Bobby Madritsch who shut down the Angels last week, they're not going to make the playoffs. Espn.com doesn't even have pictures of these scrubs on file! Just for the sake of argument, let's say Oakland takes their traditional October choke a month early and Anaheim does make the playoffs. Do they really expect to do much better against Curt Schilling and Johan Santana?
The entire Halo batting order should be listed as day-to-day. They'll explode for 15 hits and 9 runs one night and go ice cold for 6 hits and 0 runs the following night. Despite having one of the most potent offenses in baseball and being 3rd in the American League in runs, their starting pitchers know they may need to throw a shutout to get a win these days. Kelvim Escobar will tell you that sometimes that's not even enough having shutout the Brewers for 8 innings only to watch the team lose 1-0 in the 14th back on June 8th. When the Halo hitters are on an off-night, it's like watching me try to hit anything faster than 60 mph at the batting cages; they just flail about and don't appear to have any chance of making solid contact. As much as I love what Jose Guillen has done for the team this year, at this point, I could strike him out. He can't lay off the outside breaking ball and anytime he gets two strikes on him, everyone in the stadium knows it's coming.
The Angels might be leading the AL in batting average (.285), but they're gaining the reputation of a team that doesn't take a walk. They're dead last in walks (404) and tenth in walks/strikeout (0.47). The frustrating part is, these statistics are very similar to those of the 2002 season when the Angels won the World Series. It's obvious they can hit and hit very well, but why can they not seem to do it consistently over a 3-game span? To put it simply, the Angels offense is crumbling under the pressure. Their margin for error is decreasing at a much faster rate than their number of games back in the standings. The batters know it and they're pressing. The team is trying too hard, especially at home where they don't want to let down the greatest Angels fan turnout in franchise history. The Angels have exactly the same number of wins at home as they do on the road (42). The five other contending AL teams are on average 10 games better at home. Once again, I call on Mike Scioscia to step in and get this team back on the right track. Maybe they need a team meeting, maybe they need extra batting practice, or maybe they need a team pancake breakfast, but whatever it takes, Scioscia has got to get his players to stop sweating under the pressure and start putting that pressure on the opposing defense.
The time for throwing up our hands and saying "we'll get 'em next time" has passed. This is the time to separate the men from the boys and right now the Angels appear to be stuck in offensive puberty.
# posted by j.h.k. @ 1:04 PM
