How Josh Beckett and the Star Trek films mirror each other

Josh Beckett’s tenure with the Red Sox is in sync with the quality of the Star Trek movies. Don’t believe me? Don’t understand me?

Follow along… it is logical.

Josh Beckett’s first season in Boston (2006)
mirrored Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Both were eagerly anticipated by fans:

Red Sox fans were getting the 2003 World Series MVP who conquered the Yankees.

Star Trek fans were getting to return to the Enterprise for the first time in more than a decade.


Both were trying to recreate a success from 2 years before:
The Red Sox needed an ace to fill Pedro Martinez’s shoes and replicate the 2004 World Championship.

Paramount needed a science fiction blockbuster in 1979 to answer the staggering success of Star Wars.

Both were incredibly expensive:
Beckett cost the Red Sox budding superstar Hanley Ramirez, a good pitcher in Anibal Sanchez and a big fat $30 million contract extension.

Star Trek The Motion Picture was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever produced. It’s price tag was around $45 million.

Both were initially big let downs:
Beckett let up way too many homers, his ERA soared to 5.01 and Red Sox fans shook their heads. “This is NOT what we wanted in an ace.”

Star Trek The Motion Picture lumbered along with a not exactly action packed plot. And the flight through V’Ger was the longest and most dull special effects sequence in history, rivaled only by the laborious introduction of the Enterprise.

Both had some decent numbers, but not what was expected:
Beckett won 16 games and pitched over 200 innings, which would be fine for most pitchers. But for Pedro Martinez’s replacement, it was a let down.

Star Trek The Motion Picture grossed over $130 million world wide and made $30 million in profits for Paramount. Impressive, but not even close to Star Wars.


Both had, in retrospect, some bright spots:
Beckett pitched brilliantly out of the gate, winning his first three starts convincingly. He homered in a game against the Phillies. And on September 21, in his second to last start of the season, he out pitched Johan Santana in a game where the Twins were trying to take over the Division lead. Beckett went 8 innings of shutout ball.

There are some cool scenes in Star Trek The Motion Picture. The Klingons attacking the V’Ger cloud at the opening was neat. Spock’s spacewalk and mindmeld with V’Ger was a cool scene. And in retrospect, the film plays like a very good episode that happened to have some overlong special effects sequences shoved into it.

Josh Beckett’s second season in Boston (2007)
mirrored Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Both addressed what went wrong before:
Beckett stopped relying on his fastball and learned how to pitch in the American League with his breaking stuff and location. And along the way reduced the walks and homers that plagued his 2006 season.

For Star Trek II, they brought in a whole new creative cast and crew. And (get ready for some blasphemy) removing Gene Roddenberry in favor of Harve Bennet was the best thing to ever happen to Star Trek! The Wrath of Khan acted like Star Trek The Motion Picture didn’t even happen. It picked the story up with Kirk wanting the Enterprise back and, unlike the first movie, acknowledged the fact that the cast was old. Now the age of Kirk was no longer a distraction but part of the story and it worked big time.

Both obliterated all of the earlier doubts:
Beckett’s 2006 made people wonder if he was yet another National League pitcher who couldn’t make it in the American League. And some people started pointing out that his regular season stats weren’t exactly eye popping. Nobody was saying that after 2007.

Critics wondered if Star Trek was just a TV show that couldn’t translate to the big screen. I mean if they couldn’t make it work with a big budget and Robert Wise directing, what chance did it have? The new producers, writers and director solved that!

Both were so much better than anyone could have imagined:
Beckett was hoping for a good rebound season. What he got was a Cy Young caliber season where he played the role of ace and etched his name into Red Sox lore.

The Wrath of Khan became the gold standard of every Star Trek movie and episode since. It was more than a good Star Trek movie. It was a good MOVIE. Even non Trekkies (or Trekkers) admit that it is a heck of a good sci fi action film.


Both had a cool bad ass quality:
Beckett didn’t just win. He won with an unmistakable swagger and he was unflappable. Remember how the Red Sox were down 3-1 in the ALCS and Beckett had to save the season? He not only won, but he barely broke a sweat. The Indians hired his ex girlfriend to sing the national anthem. He didn’t care. Kenny Lofton tried to charge the mound, and Beckett shrugged. Nothing phased him.

Think Star Trek is nerdy? Check out Riccardo Montalban as Khan, chest out and out hamming William Shatner. There was nothing dorky about dropping creatures into Chekov’s ear. And Kirk was at his coolest, out smarting Khan and finding out he was a dad. Even Spock showed a unflappable side, lying in one scene taking one for the team at the end. The Enterprise was never cooler.

It just kept betting better:
Beckett just kept winning. On September 15th he faced off against the Yankees supposed ace Chien-Ming Wang and won easily. He opened the Division Series with a complete game shutout of the Angels. Won the ALCS MVP and probably would have been the World Series MVP if he got another start.

Wrath of Khan kept topping itself. The Khan sneak attack. The Genesis planet. Kirk screaming Khaaaaaaaan! The battle in the Nebula. And just when the film couldn’t get any better, Spock had a death scene. Are you kidding me?

The ending was not delivered goose bumps but promised more greatness:
Beckett won the opener of the World Series and set the tone for the Red Sox sweep. When they won, it felt different than 2004. There was the possibility of more titles on the way.

Wrath of Khan ended with the funeral of Spock. But then the camera swooped down to the Genesis planet with all new life forming from death… AND SPOCK’S COFFIN WAS INTACT! And the “Space The Final Frontier” monologue was said by Spock, not Kirk. You know what that means: There was going to be an awesome sequel with Spock in it!

Josh Beckett’s third season in Boston (2008)
mirrored Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Both had an impossible act to follow:
How could Beckett top his near Cy Young winning 2007 season where he built on his reputation of being an all time Post Season pitcher? He couldn’t.

Could The Search for Spock even come close to the awesome roller coaster that was Wrath of Khan? Nope.

Both seemed like hollow facsimiles of the previous triumph:
Beckett got some big wins to be sure. But he hovered around .500 around most of the season and his ERA hovered around 4.00. Not bad, but not great.

There were some nice scenes in The Search for Spock. But Christopher Lloyd was a poor man’s Khan. And destroying the Enterprise and killing Kirk’s son just didn’t hold a candle to Spock’s sacrifice.

Both saved the best for last:
Despite some bad outings against the Angels and Rays in the playoffs, Beckett won Game 6 forcing the ALCS to go the limit. It didn’t have the cool ending as 2007, but Beckett did his job at the end.

The Search for Spock felt a little cheap and slapped together after Wrath of Khan. But the finale on Vulcan and Spock raising his eyebrow was a great ending.

Josh Beckett’s fourth season in Boston (2009)
mirrored Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Both were fun if a little light and less ambitious:
Beckett won a bunch of games including a terrific opening day start against the Rays and a complete game shutout against the Braves. He also showed his fire was there when he threw at Bobby Abreu’s head and got suspended. The Angels got revenge by beating Beckett in the playoffs.

The Voyage Home had no intention of topping Wrath of Khan. There was no bad guy and no great sacrifice. There were funny scenes in San Francisco and a save the whales message. It was the big screen equivalent of The Trouble with Tribbles.

Both were a nice return to form:
While he didn’t dominate in the playoffs, Beckett became an All Star starter and along side Jon Lester, it looked like the Red Sox had their aces back.

The Voyage Home was no Wrath of Khan. But all the crew was back and in uniform. Rand and Chapel had cameos. Even Spock’s mom showed up to say hello. And at the end, a new Enterprise was introduced meaning that the series was going to get a fresh start.

Josh Beckett’s fifth season in Boston (2010)
mirrored Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Both looked bad right from the beginning:
Beckett started the season against the Yankees got clobbered, being chased in the 5th inning. He looked bad and it wasn’t going to get better.

The Final Frontier opened with Spock, McCoy and Kirk singing "Row Row Row your boat" around a camp fire. It was worse than embarrassing. It was Mystery Science Theater material.

Both tried but failed to fix things in mid stream:
Beckett sat out a start in May before getting his butt kicked by the Yankees again. He was put on the disabled list after the Yankee start. But when he came back, he was dreadful, watching his ERA rising to 6.67 in mid August.

The Final Frontier went through so many different script changes and reedits that I am convinced that none of the actors knew what the plot was from scene to scene.

Both were so bad that you wondered if there was any hope for the future:
Forget being an ace. A 30 year old pitcher going 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA could be filed in the “he’s done” bin.

With the incomprehensible ending on the God planet, a return to the camp fire and a fat and old cast, the idea of another Star Trek voyage seemed unlikely.
Both made you think “better leave it to the next generation”:

Beckett was no longer the ace. Buchholz and Lester had that title. Should Beckett step down and give the Michael Bowden and Felix Doubronts of the world a shot?

Kirk, Spock and McCoy? By 1989 they should leave the “boldly going” to Piccard and company.



So where does this leave Beckett for 2011?

The good news is that Star Trek VI was the best written film of the series other than Wrath of Khan and gave the crew a great send off. So things look good for the Sox and Beckett.

Bad news is the NEXT Star Trek film, Generations, blew a great chance to have Kirk and Piccard team up. The film was a mess. Which means Beckett will probably flop in 2012.

However Star Trek: First Contact was a terrific and fun film. The Borg on the big screen? Awesome. Which bodes well for Beckett and the Sox in 2013.

The last year of Beckett’s contract is 2014. Sadly Star Trek: Insurrection was so forgettable that I forgot I saw it while I was in the theater. Doesn’t look good for Beckett that year.

And if a team signs him for 2015, bad news. I couldn’t finish Star Trek: Nemesis. I am guessing Beckett won’t finish that season.

A ray of hope for 2016? The Star Trek reboot wasn’t bad. Maybe he’ll finish in style.


Live long and prosper, Josh Beckett.

(How often can I combine two different childhood obsessions into one post?)

Dice K... by way of Alfred Hitchcock

Earlier this year, I compared Daisuke Matsuzaka to a David Lynch film... so why not bring up another great director when talking about him?

The great Alfred Hitchcock explained his method of suspense using the analogy of showing the audience that there is a bomb under a table and the characters in the scene unaware that it is there. The audience recoils because they are waiting for the bomb to explode at any moment... and the more he could stretch out the scene, the more suspenseful it would be.

The whole analogy can be read here, but that is the basic idea.

Well that also describes how last night's game with the A's felt like.

As I wrote before, most of the time Daisuke pitches well... but there is always that one inning. The proverbial "bomb under the table" that we Red Sox fans dread.

And as the game went on, I recoiled thinking "Oh boy. Here's where he is going to SUCK!"
And he didn't. He'd get through, inning after inning... and in the end, when I was done covering my eyes, he was the winner.

Talk about a surprise ending!

I gladly will update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 28

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 27

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.)


Back to +1.

And hopefully this team will put together a winning streak soon as the up and down nature of this season is indeed giving me Vertigo!

Did Adam LaRoche and Casey Kotchman REALLY play for the Red Sox last year?

I see the pictures of them... and I have some hazy recollections of it...

But I could have dreamed the whole thing.

It DID happen, right?

I wonder if they savored their memories of their completely inconsequential tenures in Boston.

I wonder if anyone bought a LaRoche jersey.

If you bought a LaRoche or a Kotchman jersey, send me a picture of it at info@sullybaseball.com

Red Sox... show some willpower this off season

I know what I am about to write is not going to be embraced by all Red Sox fans… especially in the wake of a Yankees World Series celebration and a ticket price increase at Fenway.

I realize all Red Sox fans who are 14 years old and under have no real memory of a Red Sox team that didn’t fancy itself a pennant contender.

Even the most recent Sox team to fail to make the playoffs, the 2006 edition, was in first place at the All Star Break.

And I also know that the Red Sox have gained a reputation of being Yankee-esque in terms of free agent gluttony and raiding low budget clubs for top players in exchange for subpar prospects.

But please hear me out… especially young Red Sox fans and recent bandwagon jumpers.

I do not think the Red Sox should be aggressive this off season.

The Red Sox have too many long term holes on their team and I don’t think a free agent spending spree is the answer.

Nor is trading away a ton of young talent... even for an Adrian Gonzalez.

This year will be the end of David Ortiz’s career in Fenway. And you can say the same for Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek. The season should be a farewell tour to those three great Red Sox and maybe have a chance to say good bye properly instead of awkwardly.

(For examples of beloved Red Sox who were given awkward goodbyes, please refer to Tiant, Fisk, Evans, Boggs, Clemens, Vaughn, Garciaparra, Martinez, Damon, Foulke, Ramirez.)

But there are long term question marks at shortstop. (Is Jed Lowrie really the answer?)
There are long term question marks at catcher. (Victor Martinez can do the job now, but he should be a first baseman.)
There are long term question marks in the corner outfield positions. (Unless you think we are truly entering the Jeremy Hermedia era.)

And I do NOT want to see the Red Sox turn into a team that has a revolving door of veterans breaking down to fill those holes.

Look at the post Cal Ripken Orioles and the recent Mets to see teams like that.

And oh yeah, the Orioles and Mets were considered to be powerhouses with great fan bases and perennial contenders… like the Red Sox.

It can ugly in an awful hurry.

I’d rather take a step back for a year and fix the problems and be a contender in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 rather than plug holes each year with the moronic refrain “Red Sox fans won’t accept anything less than a World Series contender every year.”

Cyrano De Varitek

Fans of Sully Baseball know that I refer to Jason Varitek as "The Lobster."

It's a much better nickname than 'Tek.

Well, like Jermaine Dye's time with the White Sox, it looks like the Captain may have played his last game with the Red Sox.

It wasn't even in the playoffs as he rode the pine all three games against the Angels this October.

The Sox declined his $5 million option and now Varitek is mulling over his $3 million player option. Now I can't imagine he is going to get more than that in the open market.

But I think the Red Sox should bring him back for $5 million.

Just not as a player.

About a year ago, I dropped the suggestion of making him a player coach.

Now I want to drop the player part and just keep him as a coach.

We keep hearing about he handles pitchers well and calls a good game...
He just can't hit anymore.

Well guess what? There is a spot on Tito Francona's bench!
Brad Mills is the new manager of the Astros. He was the Red Sox bench coach.

Make Jason Varitek the bench coach!
Have him call the game from the bench. Have Victor Martinez look over for each pitch.

Basically Varitek will be pulling a Cyrano de Bergerac and we get the bat of Martinez and the pitching mind of Varitek.

And yeah, I think that is worth $5 million.

Seriously, they spent $14 million last year on Julio Lugo and Brad Penny.

And they were uglier than Cyrano EVER was!

Post Season Innings to Redo

Well the World Series is over. Going into October the Yankees sure looked like the best team and they never faced an elimination game the entire post season.

But what about the other teams?

Each of the other seven playoff teams (and the one game playoff runner up) go into the off season wondering what might have been. And each team has one blatantly obvious inning they’d love to have back as each closer NOT named Mariano Rivera coughed one up.



But each team also had a less obvious inning that I am sure they’d like to do over.



An inning that might have turned around a game earlier…an inning that might have killed the other team’s momentum… an inning that might have actually changed the outcome of the post season.



This is Sully Baseball and listing is what we do best. So the staff has compiled a list of the obvious innings and the not so obvious innings the also rans must be grinding their teeth over… and wish that Superman could turn the world backwards and fix.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Obvious Inning To Redo.
GAME 4, Top 9.

The Phillies had shockingly tied the game in the 8th on Pedro Feliz’s 2 out 2 strike homer. And every Phillies fan and Yankee hater had the same thought in their head… make it through the 9th scoreless and the top of the Phillies lineup could score a run… the series would be tied and a rested Cliff Lee would pitch Game 5!

And Brad Lidge got two quick outs and had two strikes on Damon… and suddenly the roof caved in.

Damon fouled off 38,211 pitches, plunked one into left, stole second and took third because nobody was covering… and before you could say “TAKE LIDGE OUT!” the Yankees were up 7-4 and the end of the series was a mere formality.



Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Top 8.

Manuel left Pedro in too long and a 2-1 game became 3-1… but the Phillies got 2 on with only one out off of Mariano Rivera… with Utley and Howard coming up. Tim “Nostradamus” McCarver kept saying the Phillies runners should be in motion. Utley, representing the go ahead run, smacked into a double play (although replays showed he was safe at first) preventing a potential Howard vs. Rivera showdown.


Had the Phillies tied or taken the lead in that inning, the chances of going to Philadelphia up 2-0 would have been great… and the tone of the series would have been totally different.

AL WEST CHAMPION LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 11.



The Angels were three outs from stealing a game in the Bronx and sending the series back to Anaheim tied. Closer Brian Fuentes needed to get past Alex Rodriguez and then would face easy outs in Freddy Guzman, Bret Gardner and slumping Robinson Cano.


With two strikes on A-Rod and a steady rain, he somehow willed a homer over the right field wall, tying the game.



Fuentes got the next three outs, but the game was tied and the Yankees won in 13.



Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 2, Top 13th.

The Angels put two on with only one out and had sluggers Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero facing David Robertson. Chances are a base hit would have driven in 1… and with the rain and weak outfield arms, a hit into the outfield would probably be extra bases.



And neither Hunter nor Guerrero hit it out of the infield. The Yankees would score the next inning on an error.

NL WEST CHAMPION LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 4, Bottom 9

The Dodgers seemed poised to tie the series at 2 games apiece with closer Jonathan Broxton on the mound, 1out and nobody on. But a walk to Matt Stairs and a hit by pitch on Carlos Ruiz gave the Phillies life.

Pinch hitter Greg Dobbs lined out but Jimmy Rollins hit a 1-1 pitch into the gap, scoring 2, winning the game for the Phillies and effectively sinking the Dodgers.


Less Obvious Inning To Redo
GAME 1, Top 8

The Dodgers and Phillies game 1 was supposed to be a pitchers duel between Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels. Instead it became a slugfest with neither pitcher making it through the 6th.


George Sherrill was brought in to keep the game close as the Dodgers trailed 5-4 in the 8th. Instead he faced 5 batters and retired only 1, giving up a three run homer to Raul Ibanez in the process.


The Phillies had a 4 run cushion and were able to survive an 8th inning rally by the Dodgers.

NL WILD CARD COLORADO ROCKIES

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 4, Top 9

The Rockies had rallied off of Cliff Lee and reliever Ryan Madson to take the lead going into the 9th inning. Colorado had a chance to tie the series and have a deciding game against struggling Cole Hamels.


With 2 outs and 1 on, Huston Street walked Chase Utley. Then Howard hit a game tying double. Jayson Werth then drove home Howard for the go ahead run.


The Rockies tried to rally in the 9th but Tulowitzki struck out with the tying and winning runs aboard, eliminating Colorado.





Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 3, Top 9

With the game tied, Rollins led off with a single. Victorino sacrificed him to second and then Utley hit a slow chopper.

The batted ball appeared to have hit him, making it a foul ball. But the umps didn’t call it that way and because these are just the playoff games, nothing important… ergo couldn’t be reviewed even though everyone on the planet saw the clip of him being hit by the batted ball.

That put runners at the corners with 1 out and Ryan Howard got Rollins to score on a sacrifice fly. Lidge would somehow hang on for the win.

NL CENTRAL CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 9

The Cardinals, picked by many including yours truly to go to the World Series, had two outs and nobody on and seemed ready to send the series back to St. Louis tied at 1.

Closer Ryan Franklin faced James Loney who hit a short fly to Matt Holliday… and… GAG! Holliday let the ball hit off his body to become a 2 base error.


A few walks and a pair of singles, the Dodgers won the game and the demoralized Cardinals were blown out in Game 3.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 1, Top 1


The Cardinals, despite opening on the road, were considered to be the team to beat. And they started the series against Dodgers starter Randy Wolf by loading the bases with nobody out. The Cardinals got a run out of it, but it looked like it was going to be disastrous opening frame and put the Dodgers on their heels.

The Dodgers would score 2 in the bottom of the frame and win the game 5-3.

AL CENTRAL CHAMPION MINNESOTA TWINS

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 9

The Twins basically threw their junior varsity pitching staff in Game 1, conceding to Sabathia. But in Game 2, Blackburn and company held the mighty Yankees to 1 run over 8 innings and had a chance to take the series back to the Metrodome tied 1-1. Gardenhire couldn’t ask for more than a 2 run lead in the 9th with Joe Nathan on the mound.

Well maybe he COULD ask for more… he could have asked for a few outs.

He let up a lead off single to Mark Teixeira and then wouldn’t throw a strike to A-Rod. With the count 3-1, he threw a meatball… and A-Rod crushed a game tying homer… erased his playoff choker image in one swing… and deflated the Twins.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Top 11

Even with the A-Rod homer, the Twins were still alive. A brilliant double play saved the Twins in the bottom of the 10th. And now with Rivera gone, they needed to rally against Damaso Marte.

Joe Mauer hit a double down the left field line. Anyone who watched the game saw he hit a ball that landed fair. That would include the umpire staring at the play.

So naturally it was called foul and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

These are playoff games… nothing important.

Mauer then singled and the Twins loaded the bases with nobody out. A winning rally would still do the trick of splitting the series.

Robertson got out of the inning without a run and Teixeira hit a walk off homer in the 11th. The Yankees would pull off the sweep two days later.

AL WILD CARD BOSTON RED SOX

Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 3, Top 9

The Red Sox, trying to stay alive, had a fat 5-1 lead… that became a less fat 5-2 lead… that became a nerve wrecking 5-4 lead… which then became a more manageable 6-4 lead in the 9th with 2 outs, nobody on an Papelbon pitching to 9th place hitter Erick Aybar.

Nothing to worry about…

Then Papelbon, who had never let up an earned run in the postseason, couldn’t retire another batter. Figgins walked on a 3-2 count. Abreu singled in a run with two strikes. Then Vlad Guerrero singled home the tying and series winning runs, silencing Fenway and making the Red Sox faithful do the unthinkable: Boo Papelbon.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
GAME 2, Bottom 7

The Red Sox dropped game 1 but had a chance to come back to Boston with a split. The game was tied in the 7th 1-1 with Beckett and Weaver dueling. Maicer Izturis hit a 2 out RBI single off of Josh Beckett. The Angels would score two more to take a 4-1 lead, which would be the final score… and the Angels were in control.

AL CENTRAL RUNNER UP DETROIT TIGERS

Obvious Inning to Redo
TIE BREAKER, Bottom 10

The Tigers were 3 outs away from making the playoffs and having a Justin Verlander start the opener.

But Michael Cuddyer tripled past Don Kelly in left field. Reliever Fernando Rodney got one out but couldn’t prevent the Twins from tying the game.

Only a brilliant and redeeming throw to home by Kelly kept the Twins from clinching in the 10th.



Less Obvious Inning to Redo
TIE BREAKER, Top 12

The infamous Brandon Inge inning.

The Tiger loaded the bases off of Bobby Keppel with one out and the Tigers looked like they were in great shape.

Then Keppel hit Inge with a pitch forcing in the go ahead run.

Except of course that it wasn’t called a hit by pitch… even though every replay showed it hit him.

Not that this game was important.

But that being said, the Tigers should be able to score a run off of Bobby Keppel. But they didn’t. And when the Twins scored in the bottom of the 12th, Keppel got his first ever big league victory.





So there you have a bunch of teams grinding their teeth.

Would any of them have been able to beat the Yankees?



Probably not.



But if these innings had turned out differently, who knows? Maybe all of October would have too.

Hey Red Sox fans... let's not get carried away

Don't get me wrong... yesterday sucked.

It didn't just suck. It SUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKED!

One strike from winning the game, putting Lester on the hill... and a Game 4 win would send the game back to Anaheim (sorry Angels, that's where you play) with the pressure on THEIR shoulders.

And instead we get a monumental collapse.

But some Sox fans are getting carried away.

Bob Ryan said this was the worst Red Sox post season loss since 1986.

Really?

It's not even the worst Red Sox post season loss in the last 12 months!!!

Game 7 of last year's ALCS was MUCH worse!

Come on... the Red Sox had the tying runs on base with nobody out in the 8th... heart of the line up coming up... just a few days removed from the mind boggling Game 5 come back... a trip to the World Series on the line... and they got a goose egg.

I'll think of J. D. Drew striking out against David Price a hell of a lot more than the Angels rallying against Papelbon.

Last year was a chance to make it back to back pennants... have a great shot to repeat as World Champs and maybe have the word dynasty mentioned.

Instead we got a World Series opening in the Trop!

This year? Holding off a Division Series sweep.

Not as much on the line.
And how quickly we forgot the devastation that was 2003!

Lest we forget the Sox had a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning... 1 out and nobody on.

The Yankee dragon was about to be slain by a gritty and lovable bunch.

Plus we all knew that the Yankees for what ever reason couldn't hit Embree, Timlin nor Williamson... and if Pedro let up a hit, Grady would have those three guys to record 5 outs.

And then the most agonizing inning since the 10th of Game 6 in 1986 happened.

We replayed that inning, batter by batter until Posada's little bloop tied the game... and a few innings later when Aaron Boone ended it.

In some ways that was WORSE than Game 6 in 1986.

We had felt we couldn't be burnt again after that... and then let us feel hope as the outs piled up.

And when the ball rolled through Buckner's legs, not only was the game already tied, but there was a Game 7 on the horizon.

When Boone's homer landed... that was it. End of season. End of hope. Many of us wondered if we should just stop rooting for the team.

It was time to buy a copy of Noose Making For Dummies.

A little less devastating than trying to prevent a Division Series sweep.

So folks, it hurt yesterday. But it doesn't carry the weight of "Will we ever see a World Series title in our life times?"

It doesn't have the "will we EVER beat the Yankees" question hanging over it.

Nor does it have the "I wanted to see a Dynasty!" possibility.

It was quite simply "I hope we don't get swept by a better team in the Division Series" situation.

Let's not go nuts folks.

(We wouldn't want Red Sox fans to be irrational!!!)

It's my fault

Seriously... the Red Sox lost today because of me.

If you are looking for a goat, blame me... Paul Francis Sullivan.

I started writing my Sully Baseball blog post during the 9th inning. I wanted to post it the NANOSECOND the Red Sox won.

It included a funny Xanadu reference and the clip "I'm Alive" that made me look clever.

And just as I was typing it, the Angels rallied...

And now the season is over.

And it had little to do with the Angels starting pitching in games 1 and 2 and the clutch hitting in the 9th inning.

It had to do with the fact that I JUMPED THE GUN!

I never learned the lesson of trying to call my Uncle Ron when there were two outs in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

To all of Red Sox nation... I apologize.


Curse of the Bambino

Paul Sullivan (aka Sully)|MySpace Videos

Breakfast with the Red Sox

The Red Sox are going to play at 9AM west coast time.

There is a certain beauty to that. Chances are before 12:30 PM tomorrow the
Red Sox season will be either over or extended... And I will know around the
time I am making my kids their lunch.

I'll still have the whole day to be a good attentive father all afternoon
without missing the game.

I will either have an extra bounce in my step or I'll be watching my kids
thinking "They are what matters."

It's a more effective use of my time.

Watch it go 20 innings!

OK, deep breath

Alright this sucks.

The mighty Red Sox have scored 1 run in 2 games.

To put that in perspective, I could dig up the entire 1918 Red Sox squad, throw THEM on the field and they'd nearly match the '09 squad's output.

Beckett and Lester were the keys and they both let up 3 run innings that were their undoing.

So here we are again... in '86, '99, '03, '04 and '07 the Red Sox were on the brink of a humiliating defeat only to come back each time. (In '86, '99 and '03 of course the season ended with frustration at the hands of a New York team, but the earlier rounds brought the glory of the Hendu homer, Pedro's no hit relief appearance and Trot's walk off.)

So is it going to be one of THOSE years?

Or is it going to be like the '88 team? Or the '90 team? Or the '95 team? Or the '98 team? Or the '05 team?

Teams that made the playoffs but were out of it before you could say Tony Graffanino.

I said all this in 2007.

I said all this last year.

I'm saying it again THIS year.

And at 9AM west coast time on Sunday, we'll find out what kind of memories we'll have for this team.

Not to get all Douglas Adams on you Red Sox fans...

Seriously... Beckett is on the hill. If the Sox win tonight, then they have done what they needed to do. 

Now if Beckett loses tonight... then panic.

WHAT FOX WANTS... 2009 EDITION

It is becoming an October tradition.

The staff at Sully Baseball tries to figure out which World Series match up has Fox salivating... and which ones they are dreading.

We did it in 2007...

We did it in 2008...

Now let's do it for this year.

I know one of the announcers at Fox Sports (I will protect his identity) who told me that when the Rays eliminated the Red Sox ensuring a Tampa Bay/Philadelphia instead of the Red Sox/Dodgers dream match up, the mood at Fox Sports was funeral-esque.

So which one of the 16 match ups do the suits at Fox want in terms of getting some national attention.

Well, first and foremost I am sure Fox wants an actually GOOD World Series.

The Series hasn't gone 6 games since 2003.

3 of the last 5 World Series were sweeps.

A heart stopping World Series a la 2001 could go a long way.

But short of that, let's figure out the dream and nightmare scenarios for the Nielsens.

1. NEW YORK YANKEES vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

I wouldn't be surprised to see Fox executives sacrificing animals to the baseball Gods for this match up. The two biggest media markets make this a drool worthy Series. Throw in all of the clips of great Yankees/Dodgers series (Jackie steals home... Larsen's no hitter... Koufax shutting down the mighty Yankees... Reggie's three homers.) Throw in all of the New York celebrities and all of the Los Angeles celebrities. Throw in Manny Ramirez, A-Rod, Jeter and a galaxy of stars... and oh yeah. Joe Torre returns to New York. Could be the biggest series of the decade.

2. BOSTON RED SOX vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

The allure of the Red Sox in the World Series is no longer as sexy as it once was... but there are still transplanted Red Sox fans everywhere. Plus the spectacle of Manny's return to Boston would be very interesting.

3. NEW YORK YANKEES vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Remember when Ali started taunting George Foreman with "THE CHAMP IS HERE!"? That would be the Yankees, swaggering into Philadelphia wanting the title the Phillies got last year. Plus Ryan Howard and company is the only lineup that can match the Yankees fire power.

4. NEW YORK YANKEES vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Remember how the NBA promotes the Finals as a Star vs Star match up? Magic vs. Michael. Michael vs. Charles. Ewing vs. Hakeem. Well this would be A-Rod vs. Pujols. I'd watch it!

5. BOSTON RED SOX vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The last two World Series winners stage a 1915 World Series rematch. Plus it would be a nightmare for New York fans from the north and the south.

6. BOSTON RED SOX vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

The Red Sox blew out the Cardinals in a jaw droppingly lop sided 2004 World Series. But neither Carpenter nor Wainwright were on that 2004 Series roster. If the Red Sox win, they would be unquestionably the team of the decade. If the Cardinals win, they might lay claim to that title.

7. NEW YORK YANKEES vs. COLORADO ROCKIES

The Yankees have played the Giants, Cardinals, Pirates, Cubs, Reds, Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Padres, Mets, Diamondbacks and Marlins in the World Series. Why not the Rockies?

8. BOSTON RED SOX vs. COLORADO ROCKIES

Sure the 2007 World Series was a bust and a rematch probably won't capture the attention of the world... but the fact of the matter is Fox wants Boston or New York in the World Series at any cost.

9. LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

This might actually be the best match up, baseball wise. Good pitching, good hitting and one Hall of Fame manager in LaRussa up against a potential Hall of Fame manager in Scioscia. It will be confusing when they play in St. Louis as both teams will be wearing red hats.

10. LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

You get the whole East Coast vs. West Coast thing. It's kind of the ugly step sister version of the Yankees/Dodgers match up.

11. MINNESOTA TWINS vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Hey! It's a 1965 World Series rematch! Just wait for all of the Twitter-ers to go crazy for THAT match up! 

12. MINNESOTA TWINS vs. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Twins try to become the only team to win the World Series in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s... and they'll need to take on the Defending Champs to do it. (Echo... echo... echo...)

13. MINNESOTA TWINS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

What better way to send off the Metrodome than remind everyone of the 1987 World Series... the Series that introduced so many people to the baggie in right field and the baseball colored roof? Ahhh tradition!

14. LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Think of how thrilled Fox would be ratings wise with THIS match up. A city whose fan base is notorious for showing up late and leaving early... versus that city's suburbs!

15. LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM vs. COLORADO ROCKIES

Maybe Fox can convince the people of Denver that this is actually a Broncos game.

16. MINNESOTA TWINS vs. COLORADO ROCKIES

This World Series will only be shown regionally. The rest of the country will see reruns of So You Think You Can Dance