9-16-08 D&H Talk Red Sox-Rays and MNF

It just it is it anecdotal because the last couple of games. That we watched you know seemed -- the ball like a million points in the NFL or is steep and down all over the NFL start of the season. And we had that that's an idle Denver game I doubt -- you know and sandwich it seems like the defense league wide. And and maybe it's anecdotal and funny and true which seem like league wide the -- or maybe some bad differences. Does that I didn't think Philadelphia and Dallas going into the season we're going to be bad deep fences that your -- last.

Yeah but yeah I think. Dallas' Dallas is going to make a lot of deep into the bad this year. America's and -- is trying to figure out how do you stop the Cowboys. You can't you can't do -- something simple ones -- you know we're going to focus on Rawlins who's shut him down. Could just about Jason Witten. And I used to have Marion Barber got a good quarterback got to pick offensive line. The only way you shut him down as you hoped that. -- Wade Phillips or Jason Garrett has a brain lock. And you're able to get them do some things they shouldn't be doing in Philadelphia two Philadelphia is missing its top two receivers. But Donovan McNabb is back up Brian Westbrook -- those are two very good teams -- good offenses that -- some teams -- bad.

By the time DeSean Jackson had his brain fart and -- won by the time that happened Terry Francona I think was actually on the laptop in the dugout checking out it's fantasy team. Because DeSean Jackson was on his than they.

Wanted to do it if the Red Sox here's where I am sure some guys did it because you know in baseball even if -- the big game like last night in Tampa. They're terms and guys going to the clubhouse. They'll check out some they'll they'll study video of themselves and their look at TV for awhile. If the Red Sox -- it you at the start of Monday Night Football they can have gone in there and watch the game without. Feel like they're being disrespectful to their teammates because at that point. At 837838. Checked the record the game was over.

I get via I get a text from Michael. And it says maybe the Red Sox want to watch Monday Night Football to Sarasota and I and I text that him back and I said the Red Sox have already become my secondary game at.

The start of the game you know we're supposed to started 830 never really starts but I was around 837838. The Red Sox and RD pick and controlling game you can see it from the start. Scott Kazmir Spurs pitch. Is not go 9 what was first pitch goes through -- Birth certificate it stolen that one yet this this big game this big showdown with the Red Sox. And he wasn't I think that moment got the best of elderly -- you know it it it's easy to say that only he he choked but you know. Joking means to me this is choking doesn't mean. A great team losing to a team that is above average. That's natural enemy choking is there a moment overwhelms you and it forces you to do something that you would normally do you. You get you get spooked. Scott Kazmir the last time. He gave up a home run. To a left handed hitter.

Wasn't this year. 48 starts ago and a.

So quit him at this is now when he does he ever given up off home run to a lefty all year of course David Ortiz is that your average lefty. But -- not what he does. It doesn't just walked guys to begin a game two two guys to begin again on it and then to give up four runs. And in the first inning. Well in public up about.

It Grammy a lot of credit and you know as a former player he probably picks up on this stuff even faster than we do I mean from the basically the second batter on Remy was saying you know he's somewhere on here it's not the norm. And I thought it was it was really telling win in the fourth inning when -- says Kazmir is looking into the dugout as if they come get -- You know this isn't this isn't my night come get me. That left him out there for -- more hitters in the mail ultimately came out and got a we're talking about a guy who you know it wasn't it wasn't verbal necessarily. It's like Vince Young. I don't want I don't want to be out here -- come on come come come in the United things are gone the way I want him to you've got to come get input somebody Elton here I don't want to play.

The other reason they'd they took awhile to get him is that they have the got ready ready right times our unit. Take your starter out in the fourth inning even when he doesn't have and I mean.

Well yeah I was gonna say no in this case I might just started get somebody get a goal a little earlier than than Joe Madden did I mean. As you said it was obvious from the first three batters of the game that there was some knuckle right.

This a lot of things went against the rays last night not that I feel sorry form but one you didn't have Kazmir. Doing is normal thing to. -- really unfortunate interpretation. By the umpiring crew where there warning. Both got outs but you know I I wonder though eight -- I thought it was as Jerry Remy says there's no feel for baseball here.

Well it and maybe the league head as he pointed out maybe the league it's -- one guy gets hurt. You're one and everybody we're not going to let this get away.

But there's one thing we don't know what -- Jason very -- say to the home play home plate umpire he said something after he got hit. Maybe he said it out of frustration but if you've been thinking about it I hope we didn't say. You gotta warn him -- going to warn both sides because if you if you get get hit nobody wants to get hit with a pitch you know we see it all the time and really. Think about what it's like when -- pitch going at. One night let's go let's call ninety withdrawn -- best -- less than 9091 miles per hour -- When your forearm when your wrist. Or your elbow. And -- Illini might have said something out of frustration which kind of led the umpires to warn both that.

I'll tell -- I thought it was a league mandate. Because the umpires to their credit sought to guys get hit after the warnings and didn't chuck anybody out. So was almost as if you know okay we were told we had it was shall warning is in somebody got hurt. But we're not going to be idiots about it here. Because Daisuke hitting guy and was who was Talbot who had a guy forget who was now and that whole parade but two guys got hit after the warning nobody -- so. You know maybe cooler heads did prevail among the umpires even though the league said -- somebody gets hit you -- bugler warn everybody. Now according to the newspaper articles and it I didn't see this on TV. Evidently guys were -- at each other pretty good during. The immediate aftermath the Ameritech getting hit evidently you know of the two dugout for -- yet been at each other and so you know maybe at that.

Point you say we're gonna we're going to nip this yeah and going to war and amended and then looking go -- and and play baseball but. When he got to the baseball park. I don't think there's any you can you can complain about. If your Red Sox fan. It has jumped on a from the start it it almost seemed like you know this is this is only one games you don't want to go too crazy. But it almost seemed like. A return to order. It out looked like an old yet Red Sox -- Tokyo raised here here -- you're the rays where the Red Sox were supposed to in the division it's been a great story for you. -- not only -- we are we going to beat you. Going to be few. Underneath your circus tent if that's what it.

That is stepped places such -- circus how bout and in and I didn't know this until the the newspaper article this morning. Apparently. Nobody has ever hit that catwalk. That's the seat ring. No one's ever hit it before in the history of the of the trop yeah and is eight and luck and and as Michael points out. You know catwalk or not that the place was -- bomb I mean I was out of everything you have yet but it's such a shield.

You think about. -- about some of the great calls. In baseball history. You know the Giants -- in the -- in the shot heard round where you think about that you think about. Jack -- thing that I can't believe what I just saw. Uh oh -- Gibson knocked it -- knocking it -- versus. -- about Joe Joe Carter Toronto.

These calls don't understand. About the catwalk and all her. -- It is sanctum Mickey Mouse play is not --

I'm rooting against them to play in the American League Championship Series that reason as to -- anything of significance that happened at the -- There will be looking back on ten years from now. So on that was baseball bats based that was always sort of in play.

Well I will say this the Red Sox to their credit have not fallen into this you know look all the matters is we make the playoffs doesn't matter I mean they've been saying all along the -- want to win this thing. And and their playing. Great baseball right now we have we talked about this I know they lost two out of three to the rays here at Fenway but think about those two games they lose one in fourteen innings. And you know -- I mean they lose one because they're closer inexplicably blows up which is not the norm for him. Why did you read his comments on that yeah the year for you on May do exam is -- and -- act act. Lima well I'm human bleep -- The -- yeah well we think about then you know the white hot Toronto Blue Jays come to town. Red Sox take three of four from them over a wet weekend and now they've taken the first one at the trop. I mean misses this team is playing really well -- now. They're hitting their pitching. They've now got the best defensive team in the American League they've been slowly climbing those beyond that ranking and now the best defensive team in the league so they pitch. They catch. They hit. They've got up and to use one of Terry Francona terms they've got a bat lineup now. You know where you've got Lowell back in and you know you get guys backing you start to broaden that lineup out little bit. The lineup that you sought take the field last night. With the possible exception of Drew and I don't know what his situation -- I think that line -- is what you while winning game one of you know BA LD.

I would think so it's probably. Not something that Julio Lugo once -- here but it's the truth. But. He he's lost his job. And they they haven't had to say it because. He hasn't been healthy enough to put them in position where they have the right have to make a decision but and.

Other way I have no problem with him talking the way he's talking either. He's a professional athlete this is how he makes his living. You know he's supposed to say hey on the you know on the shortstop but this bleep the -- nine yeah at least most of think like that. But Terry Francona does necessarily have to listen to -- I don't think you.

Here here's it was interesting about the Red Sox fan and possibly winning division. Of course they want to win the division. And it has nothing to do psychology as it did last year last we talked of a lot about psychology they had a big lead fourteen games of the Yankees. They can't let the Yankees comeback and win this division even if they both make the playoffs resilient -- all failure -- all the psychic stuff going -- with the Yankees. Letting the rays when the division there's no history. With Tampa in -- no real history happen this year right at Fenway Park so lots of fights between the Red Sox and the race -- that the reason. You want to win it. Is the matchups that's number one you win the division. Now you've got Tampa. Playing in Los Angeles. And you play Chicago. Pretty good.

Now eyes as Curt Schilling correctly pointed out this morning and I do agreement. He said the matchups are are probably more of a concern to the people in the media than they are in the clubhouse. He said because in the clubhouse you're thinking is if were gonna win a World Series we gotta be a bunch good teams anyway. You know you. And and by the way that's the right way to thank I hope the players think.

That -- players can think that way unless unless BR. You mean it's army. That you you you have the option of starting the playoffs against a team that is eight and one against you. Or team that you've done pretty well against this year even though you might have to played 81 team eventually you might have to.

Well and and -- chances are you're going to have to look at what went bananas in his point is you're gonna have to beat that team sooner or later and whether or not -- of the second maybe. I disagree with that. What happens at Tampa upsets. The library or not I can say urgency and upset would have -- that it it is not corsets and -- If the wild -- Tampa bay rays pat do give up home field advantage and take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that's an -- well.

Look at their regular season versus the Angels they've done pretty well against and it's hard for me to say that a team that is. You know the rays and Red Sox went about ninety something games Los Angeles is already in 92. They've clinched division. And they can start setting up their rotation. Which sleep so my second. There's an outside chance. That the Red Sox can finish with a better record than the Angels made -- won't let it happen no say we've got the division clinched. We've got our plans for what we want in the post season so. This this record doesn't matter to us but he does matter. Because if they finish with a better record and the Angels. Then. They start the -- it becomes so that the league is all they get to choose which playoff series against our I'm getting I'm getting way ahead of myself but. Let's say the Angels knock off the and to back up the raise the Red Sox knock off knock off the White Sox. Where is game one of the American League championships. Here so that is huge. They're three games right at three games behind. The Angels now -- look like the Angels are really coasting to they've won their last five games and 73 in the last ten.

So Red Sox are only about seven in three rate to in their last. Six and four -- an announcement with one worse and I thought. Is that I I I liked the way this team looks like the way they act like the way they play. You know and and I know this is. Little esoteric -- metric I would go drives -- is a terror group what time is run differential. Easily -- for many people it is the biggest statistic when you start looking -- it's why I said two months ago I thought the Red Sox were the better team. Not only in the American League east but maybe the best team in the American League and I know the record didn't -- at that time. Wow and he and -- and another three games away from having the best record in the American.

I mean. Run differential is not the type of esoteric I'm looking for in it was it was a little too early. But it really don't accurate are talking about some astrology years them. Some moon is and -- And some -- due outlines some type pot pie because it's spiritual thing. Spears gotten us here on -- old enough and -- no no Spirit coastal forget you want to do that do it after -- eleventh and and and Rosenthal the twelve to. It would have to look at.