August 17, 2008
Lugo's Return May Not Unseat Lowrie
• This week's Inside Baseball writes what everyone else wrote, but with way more numbers than anyone else. My calling card.
August 16, 2008
Rest Ordered Up For Buchholz
• Notebook from a rainout.
August 13, 2008
Byrd Lands At Fenway
• Pretty straightforward. The next day, the AP stole my lead, so at least I noticed it first.
August 13, 2008
Looking For Spark From Explosion
• The column that the middle was cut from in the print edition. To top it off? No readers e-mailed about it.
August 10, 2008
Papi Being Papi Without Manny
• Inside Baseball goes deep in game logs and makes another spreadsheet. It's my idea of a leisurely afternoon.
August 3, 2008
Still Time For 'Pen To Write Chapter
• This week's Inside Baseball leads with what the Sox didn't do at the deadline. Shorter than normal, but only because Fernandes got broken out.
August 3, 2008
Dropping Down Elevates Kyle Fernandes' Game
• The latest update from SouthCoast's only MLB prospect, who just made High-A and took seven minutes to tell me he almost quit the game earlier this year.
August 2, 2008
Dropped Into Playoff Race, Bay Couldn't Be Happier
• Flows smoothly for having to rewrite because the triple he hit in the 12th inning essentially won the game.
August 2, 2008
Great Debut Doesn't Solve All of Sox Problems
• Because it's always a good idea to work shredded mix tapes into the lede of your column after a Hall of Famer gets traded.
August 1, 2008
Rid of Ramirez, It's Time For The Sox to Move On
• In the time waiting for a conference call that never came, I also produced this Manny timeline for his Red Sox years.
July 31, 2008
Once Again, We Await Word on Manny
• He has a way of dominating the headlines, doesn't he?
July 30, 2008
Angels of Not, Sox Reeling
• John Lackey comes within two outs of a no-hitter, hours after L.A. gets the best bat of the trade deadline. That's pretty close to a perfect storm, I think.
July 30, 2008
Astros GM Denies Sox Interest in Tejada
• Perhaps the shortest notebook I've ever written, and it's still like 15 inches.
July 29, 2008
No Tiger, But Plenty of Excitement Expected at Deutsche Bank Championship
• NORTON -- At TPC Boston. Plus, the story's good and I inexplicably parred six of seven holes in one stretch.
July 27, 2008
Salesmanship Stops With Sox Brass
• Inside Baseball had no lede item, but was done. So, I cranked one item up above where it belonged, and closed my eyes.
July 27, 2008
Old Times Not Good Times in This Rivalry
• Despite this headline, this makes no reference to the really old times. As in, 26 rings and all I got is this T-shirt with pictures of them all.
July 26, 2008
Joba, Youkilis Go To Round Three
• Shuffled far more times than the usual Red Sox notebook, even if I still can't believe he'd throw at a leadoff guy in a 1-0 game.
July 26, 2008
Yanks Command Attention From Sox
• I'd like to think I wasn't the only one who'd just kind of forgotten about the Yankees. (Especially in a relative sense.)
July 23, 2008
No Reason To Save This Stat
• Building on the death of a legendary journalist, I discover the frightening similarity between David Aardsma and Francisco Rodriguez. Not bad for throwing something together after a round of bad golf.
July 20, 2008
Playing All-Stars Longer Key To Avoiding Late-Night Scare
• Inside Baseball says the obvious, and explains why Brian Wilson can actually fly.
July 18, 2008
Sizing Up The Sox Second Half
• As it says. Getting used to doing these, though apparently it came across as negative.
July 17, 2008
Longoria, Kazmir Rays of Light
• NEW YORK --Some rather extreme neglect of Dioner Navarro in my Rays feature going into the second half.
July 16, 2008
Drew's Finish Better Than His Start
• NEW YORK --Red Sox recap from the Game, written before Drew won the MVP or announced he nearly pitched.
July 16, 2008
Legends of Then, Now Open Game in Stirring Fashion
• NEW YORK --In-game column. Rather cobbled together, but it works well enough. I'll do better next All-Star Game.
July 15, 2008
Drew Finally Gets His All-Star Due
• NEW YORK --Live, from the press conference cluster. Talk about a little prescience, huh?!
July 15, 2008
Boston, New York Share All-Star Spotlight
• NEW YORK --For the front page. Not prescient, given how generally terrible they all were.
July 13, 2008
Beane Deals Still Mystify Oakland
• Inside Baseball salutes the man who nearly became Theo Epstein, and kept him from becoming "Theo Epstein."
July 12, 2008
Buchholz Still Just Potential In Waiting
• Well, shucks. If I had walked five guys, I'd have been pretty good!
July 9, 2008
Even In Perfect Spot, Bonds Not Worth It
• A lot easier column to write when I'd deluded myself he was a notoriously slow starter.
July 8, 2008
Sox Show Why They're Still A Playoff Team
• First Sox game as a married man, after the 3-7 road trip.
July 8, 2008
Masterson Sent Down, With Eye on Bullpen
• Two story notebook.
July 6, 2008
The 2008 Ideal All-Stars
• What I'd have to presume is the start of an annual feature.
July 6, 2008
Magic of Cooperstown? A Lot of It's Missing
• Inside Baseball announces the wedding, in its own way.
June 15, 2008
Lugo Miscues In The Past ... Well, Almost
• Inside Baseball digs into the actual damage of Julio's errors. So many errors.
June 12, 2008
Dice-K Working At Team's Pace
• Notebook, with updates on the various and sundry. Like that's ever not true.
June 12, 2008
It's Been An Ugly Path To The Top
• Everything is wonderful, even thought it isn't. (And yet, it is.) Make sense?
June 8, 2008
Rice: 2007 Sox No Match For '75
• Inside Baseball needed a lede. Jim Rice came to the rescue.
June 5, 2008
A Method To Epstein's Madness in MLB Draft
• A Web exclusive story on the draft. Aren't we just on technology's cutting edge? (No. I refused to cram the Stanley Cup clincher in agate. Almost the same thing.)
June 4, 2008
Ortiz Hopes Two Weeks Will Do Trick
• Obligatory Big Papi wrist sheath update.
June 4, 2008
Sox Better Equipped To Produce Without Papi
• The speed story I almost wrote the night Jon Lester threw a no-hitter instead. I think I wove it into current events pretty well.
June 1, 2008
No Second Thoughts On Taking Second Look
• Inside Baseball visits the replay issue, and says a lot of what everyone else already has. I mean, it's about replay. It's a literary device.
May 25, 2008
San Diego's Crash Largely About Lacking Foundation
• Inside Baseball's mostly about the Red Sox. Nice, for once.
May 22, 2008
Sox Hope Ex-Ace Proves To Be Bargain
• Bartolo Colon a go go. Sent in early so my desk could go to a midnight showing of 'Indiana Jones.'
May 22, 2008
Manny Slumping, But Not Pressing
• Brandon Moss like cookies and ice cream. That's not in this notebook, but you should know that.
May 21, 2008
Masterson Stymies Royals For First Win
• Another game story, though this one took a lot longer than it should have.
May 20, 2008
Lester Caps 'Long Road Back' With No-Hitter
• It could have been a better story, definitely. But now I can say I saw one, forever.
May 19, 2008
Sox Win Slugfest
• Souped-up gamer on my off day. I just can't sit still.
May 18, 2008
Stars Shine in Surprising Places
• What this has to do with this week's Inside Baseball, I remain largely unsure. Though, I mean, I did write about the All-Star Game
May 18, 2008
As Manny Heads For History, What Does It Mean?
• It's not good when all of your research has to stand in for all the quotes you didn't get.
May 17, 2008
Gabe Still Has Game, On and Off Field
• The obligatory "Gabe Kapler's back" story. Perfect for a rainout.
May 11, 2008
A's Rank As Surprising West Contender
• With special hat tip to West Coast correspondent Matt Bruce. Also, the Stat that became a trivia question at my Jack and Jill.
May 5, 2008
Inconsistency Holding Back Delcarmen
• Some semi-deep number study, which may or may not be a good thing. Sadly, no quotes from the two most compelling parties.
May 4, 2008
Prospects (May) Always Be Measured Against Santana
• This week's Inside Baseball, featuring fun with the transaction wire. Also, no dumping on the Giants.
April 30, 2008
Sox Happy Rough Stretch is Over
• The story I tried to do last week, showing it would have been better last week.
April 30, 2008
Halladay's Best Isn't Good Enough
• Is it still a Red Sox notebook if it leads with Jays stuff?
April 27, 2008
Arizona Assault Now Takes Many Forms
• Inside Baseball, poorly formatted but featuring a love note to the desert and the lowest scoring teams ever.
April 25, 2008
Masterson Provides Glimpse of Future
• Written later than the main column, but somehow probably written better.
April 25, 2008
Sox Bats Can't Overcome Bullpen
• More big picture than that head would seem.
April 22, 2008
Canadiens' Price Right All Night
• MONTREAL -- My first hockey game ... logically, at Bell Centre with 21,000-plus in rapture over a Game 7. Overwhelming, to put it lightly.
April 21, 2008
Lowrie Making Most of Chance
• Sadly, I was three-quarters of the way through this story when I remembered I wrote it last week.
April 20, 2008
Longoria Takes The Early Money
• I tried to spin Inside Baseball into a big picture story, though I don't think it totally worked. But hey, more Kyle Fernandes news!
April 16, 2008
Lowrie Wastes Little Time
• Let's pretend I sat on this story for a couple days because I knew he'd have three RBIs in his debut.
April 13, 2008
New Book Dissects 'Greatest Game,' Era
• Inside Baseball trolls the book review side of the street, and with good reason.
April 12, 2008
Buchholz Takes To Big Stage
• Could not have worked out better. He wasn't even mentioned in the early gamer we ran.
April 12, 2008
Timlin Struggles in First Outing
• Friday's notebook had a lot better lede if Timlin could have just pitched nondescriptly.
April 11, 2008
Sox Beat Tigers, Lose Lowell To Thumb Injury
• My new plan of writing "gamer notebooks" on days off ... long day off, it was. 1:30 to 1:30, I believe is accurate.
April 9, 2008
Notebook: Youkilis Hitting Stride Early
• Short and sweet and full of hawk jokes.
April 9, 2008
A Forgiving Buckner Puts The Nightmare Behind Him
• I'd like to think the digging I did unearthed some worthwhile nuggets.
April 8, 2008
Sox Anxious to Ring In Home Opener
• Shockingly, Monday at Fenway Park appeared sparsely attended by players.
April 6, 2008
Hard To Read Much From First Week, But ...
• Does it still count as breaking a story if it's the High-A prospect that no one may care more about than you and his family?
March 30, 2008
AL East Unlikely For Change At The Top
• Inside Baseball stands as the local MLB preview, complete with season predictions.
March 27, 2008
One Loss in Land Far Away Means Nothing
• After the second Japanese game, the Sox-specific (and largely secondary) picture.
March 26, 2008
For Good and Bad, Opener The Price of Success
• After the first Japanese game, the bigger-than-the-Sox picture.
March 23, 2008
'08 SOX PREVIEW: Youth, Veterans Fit Perfectly
• The centerpiece of the preview, talking about team chemistry.
March 23, 2008
'08 SOX PREVIEW: Parts In Place, But Repeating No Easy Task
• The second story of the preview, talking about ... you know.
March 23, 2008
'08 SOX PREVIEW: Jon Couture's Starting Nine
• The inside of the preview: nine talking points.
March 16, 2008
Fernandes Looks To Rebound
• Inside Baseball's semi-annual visit with SouthCoast's one professional prospect. To be continued, should he get back to Portland.
March 14, 2008
Sox Cut Mirabelli, To Go With Cash
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Thursday's lone story, probably reworked since I had to go catch a plane midway through the game.
March 13, 2008
Delcarmen Has Finally Grown Up
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A spring after writing about his immaturity, we go full circle.
March 13, 2008
Buchholz Still Seeking Sharpness
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Wednesday's notebook, written from the condo. Hammond Stadium is still awful.
March 12, 2008
Greenwell Pulls No Punches
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Steroid banter with my childhood hero. I left that part out almost entirely.
March 12, 2008
Beckett Will Miss Japan Trip, Report Says
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Tuesday's notebook. Suffice to say, reworked a couple times.
March 11, 2008
Ellsbury, Sox Next Big Thing, Living In The Moment
• PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- And yet, not living in the moment. My favorite of the spring.
March 11, 2008
Sox Not Worried About The One That Got Away
• PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Monday's notebook. Santana-riffic, especially because my computer wasn't smashed by that foul ball.
March 10, 2008
Dodgers Shutting Down 'Baseball Heaven'
• VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Everyone else seems to like this more than I do. And they didn't even get to hear Vin Scully.
March 10, 2008
Boston Will Be Patient With Beckett's Back
• VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Sunday's notebook, no worse for wear after a 40-mile wrong turn.
March 9, 2008
Pragmatic Sox Set For Tough Opening Stretch
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A lot of people seem to have not gotten this. Regardless, there's no way they're .500 through April. OK, maybe a very little way.
March 9, 2008
Beckett Pulled With Sore Back
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Saturday's notebook. Suffice to say, the day very quickly ceased being a lazy Saturday.
March 8, 2008
Kottaras Catching On
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Held together pretty well despite Theo Epstein declaring the organization doesn't have its 'catcher of the future.'
March 8, 2008
Closer Hopes He Opened Up Market
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- I really wish I'd been able to ask where Papelbon's sense of contractual honor sprang from.
March 7, 2008
What's The Story With Torre?
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- This would have been much better as a notebook lede.
March 7, 2008
Papelbon Settles For Modest Raise
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Thursday's notebook. I gotta figure out how to get salary figures.
March 6, 2008
Sox Need More From Lester
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Where Spring Training stats aren't overvalued, but used to prove a point.
March 6, 2008
Rival Friendlier Than Advertised
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Wednesday's notebook, leading with the impending Francona-Torre love-in.
March 5, 2008
Subtle Change Could Make Difference For Dice-K
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The editors do love Dice-K over Daisuke, I've noticed.
March 5, 2008
Papelbon Looks For Fair Deal
• FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Tuesday's notebook, basically led by another whole story. That doesn't happen enough.
February 17, 2008
Few Issues For Sox This Spring
• This week's Inside Baseball finds the nothing in a nothing Spring Training.
February 14, 2008
Sleaze Lurks Around Every Corner
• This seemed much more insightful while I was writing it, for some reason. But hey, what says Valentine's Day like Congress recaps!
February 10, 2008
O No, Baltimore A Mess
• The season's first Inside Baseball begins the long, thorough process of burying the Orioles.
January 16, 2008
This Buch's Gaining Value
• CHESTNUT HILL -- Live from the Sox Rookie Development Camp, I show my maturity by leaving out gratuitous slams at Boston College.
January 8, 2008
Rice Denied Again, And It's The Right Call
• All I forgot were the comparisons to Albert Belle. Bring on the hate mail.
January 1, 2008
All The Success Hasn't Made It Less Sweet
• Last story of the year, wraps the year.
December 20, 2007
1972 Dolphins Perfectly Phull of It
• I am such a wicked fanboi, dood.
December 14, 2007
Selig's Legacy Hinges on Cleaning Up Game
• Spend all day watching old white people and reading PDFs, apparently.
December 2, 2007
Plenty of Big Names Could Be On The Move
• The start of the Winter Meetings gets an Inside Baseball. One bereft of insight, but one nonetheless.
November 20, 2007
Sox Get Lowell Without Giving Ground
• So many things I don't have to write about now.
November 14, 2007
Sox World Keeps Spinning
• Hey! Smash a bunch of stuff together!
November 12, 2007
Awards Time Upon Us Again
• There was no Pats this week, so Inside Baseball returns! With ballots!
November 7, 2007
Better Than Outspending? Not Having To
• Schilling returns! 38Pitches.com commenters rejoice!
October 30, 2007
Sox Questions Start With Lowell
• DENVER -- Adapted from a season's over three questions written 10 days prior, when Cleveland led 3-1.
October 29, 2007
Sox Time Is Now
• DENVER -- For the second time, I'm writing a "Sox win the World Series" column on location. I can't believe it either.
October 29, 2007
Francona Pleased By Daisuke's Offense
• DENVER -- Game 4 notebook.
October 28, 2007
Red Sox Ready To Repeat History
• DENVER -- After Game 3, a sort of preview to the Sox win column. Much better than Game 3 three years ago, which some people didn't get.
October 28, 2007
Francona's Helpers Lend Major Assist
• DENVER -- Game 3 notebook, referencing Brad Mills calling the pickoff that helped win Game 2.
October 28, 2007
Cook, Lester Put Trying Times Behind
• DENVER -- Game 4 preview.
October 28, 2007
Offense Pacing Postseason Run
• DENVER -- Thrown together when it became clear that the game wouldn't end by East Coast deadline. Perhaps the fastest I've ever written as a pro.
October 27, 2007
Sox Try To Minimize The Coors Field Effect
• Off-day story, written before I spent like 36 hours in Denver with a pretty nasty headache. Yeah, this altitude stuff is all bull.
October 26, 2007
Sox Grind It Out For Hard-Fought Win
• Game 2 column, and the last for the S-T front page. Decision had little to do with me, or logic.
October 26, 2007
Crisp Will Get More Series Chances
• Game 2 notebook.
October 25, 2007
Sox Let Bats, Beckett Do The Talking
• Front-page column, which I oddly struggled with for a game so one-sided. Don't like it.
October 25, 2007
Young Jimenez Up For Challenge
• Ubaldo has 19 career appearances. Tonight is Curt Schilling's 19th postseason start.
October 25, 2007
Snyder Best Rounds Out Staff
• Notebook. I guess Francona's still to meet Claude Julien.
October 24, 2007
No Worries About Layoff
• In a span of about 10 minutes, I fell in love with Clint Hurdle. Even if his bullpen usage confuses me.
October 24, 2007
Wakefield Left Off World Series Roster
• It really kind of felt like he was either going to cry or immediately announce his retirement. Neither happened.
October 24, 2007
Jon Couture's World Series Matchup
• In which, after an internal debate, I pick the Rockies in 6. Well, at least I have a legacy as a writer now.
October 23, 2007
Papelbon Takes To Postseason Stage
• In some alternate universe, Ryan Garko's fly ball tied the game at 5. I'd like to at least know how it finished there.
October 23, 2007
Rockies 101
• World Series opponent primer. It didn't exactly reproduce very well on the Internet.
October 22, 2007
Seventh Heaven
• How have I covered three ALCS Game 7s in five years? And all of them dramatic in their own way?
October 22, 2007
Fans 'Cowboy Up' With Familiar Face
• ALCS Game 7 notebook. Like he would have missed this, Orioles or not.
October 21, 2007
Sox Were Made For This Moment
• My finding a beautiful wife is the only thing that was less likely than J.D. Drew hitting a pivotal playoff grand slam.
October 21, 2007
Mueller Returns To Scene of Shining Moment
• ALCS Game 6 notebook, featuring everyone's favorite forgettable batting champion.
October 21, 2007
Dice-K Gets One More Shot To Prove Worth
• Matsuzaka cramming it up Cleveland's collective would be my highlight of the year. (He didn't, but it still would have been cool.)
October 20, 2007
Signs of Life From Pedroia, Drew
• Sleep-deprived off-day story, but did they end up showing some life in the final two games or what?
October 20, 2007
It's All on Schilling's Shoulders Tonight
• With special Nexis digging from 1993! As though I ever need an excuse.
October 19, 2007
It's Never Easy in October
• CLEVELAND -- Post Game 5 column. Seems to be the favorite of a lot of people.
October 19, 2007
Nameless Game 5 Notebook
• CLEVELAND -- You're thinking cliche about "our objective is to win today," and man, does Terry Francona just deliver.
October 18, 2007
Sabathia is Playoffs' Polar Opposite of Beckett
• CLEVELAND -- Game 5 preview. And no, nothing in here makes a joke about Sabathia's size.
October 18, 2007
Francona Sticks By His Plan, His Players
• CLEVELAND -- Off-day column on ... the guy in the headline.
October 17, 2007
Red Sox in New Territory
• CLEVELAND -- Post Game 4, from the snuck seat in the press box. Panic low because, well, I did predict seven games.
October 17, 2007
Sox Marvel At Rockies' Run
• CLEVELAND -- Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I got to see a Sox-Rockies World Series?
October 16, 2007
Sox Need To Get Back In The Zone
• CLEVELAND -- Post Game 3, out in the Pronkville seats. So wait, you mean it's not going to be easy? (The column makes the headline non-cliche, which is nice.)
October 16, 2007
Kielty Could Get Second Start Tonight
• CLEVELAND -- Game 3 notebook. I'm really hoping they spelled 'Kielty' right elsewhere.
October 16, 2007
Will Slow or Slower Win Tonight's Race?
• CLEVELAND -- Paul Byrd vs. Tim Wakefield. The winner? Gravity. (And HGH sellers, as we later found out.)
October 15, 2007
Game 3 Presents New Stakes For Dice-K
• CLEVELAND -- Game 3 pitching preview. The Sox beat the Game 3 "jinx."
October 15, 2007
Dirt Dog Coming Back to Haunt
• CLEVELAND -- Off-day notebook. It's Trot Nixon. He's back. We're all thrilled, for him and for us.
October 14, 2007
Francona Enters Postseason of Errors
• After Eric Gagne and Game 2, but before the hi-larious race to the airport for a far-too-early flight.
October 14, 2007
Nameless Game 2 Notebook
• The lead is Boston's success driving in runs with the bases loaded. It's harder than it sounds.
October 13, 2007
Leave The Predictions To The Pros
• It's about Ortiz, Manny and the offense. Not that you'd know it from the headline.
October 13, 2007
Carmona Not Sure He's The Favorite
• Game 2 preview. I'm sure enough for both of us.
October 13, 2007
Kielty Delivers On Success
• Not a bad notebook for needing to be done before the game ended.
October 12, 2007
Farrell Elevates Sox After Building Indians
• Through stumbling across my lede, one of the better stories of my season. Even if no one wants to read about the pitching coach.
October 12, 2007
Aces Up
• Bold prediction: Friday night is going to be awesome. (And it was, no thanks to C.C. Sabathia.)
October 11, 2007
Role Players Keep Rolling Along
• Any time you can build around Alex Cora, you're doing something good.
October 9, 2007
Pedroia Ends Slow ALDS On A High Note
• ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Futzed with this throughout my extra day in Anaheim. Did not end my trip on a high note.
October 8, 2007
Ortiz, Manny Bring The Power
• ANAHEIM, Calif. -- I quite like this one. Has that "written covered in champagne and beer spray" feel.
October 8, 2007
New Schilling At His Postseason Best
• ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Headline encapsulates story. Really needs nothing else.
October 8, 2007
Sox, Angels A Postseason Mismatch
• ANAHEIM, Calif. -- ALDS Game 3 notebook, leading with various playoff numbers. In no way a Stat That Time Forgot.
October 6, 2007
Angels Prove They Belong in Postseason
• The classic "written before Game 2 is over" column. It still works ... L.A. still pissed it away, and did they give my father and brother something to see.
October 5, 2007
Game 2 Starters Found Groove Just In Time
• Game 2 preview. Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his playoff debut, OMG.
October 4, 2007
Red Sox Ace Made Pitches, And History
• How often does one get to make references to Mordecai 'Three Finger' Brown?
October 4, 2007
It's Manny's Time of Year
• Jerk couldn't even hit a home run to make things more relevant. What a hollow .800-something average.
October 4, 2007
Wakefield Will Have To Wait
• Pre-game notebook. Can't believe I'd forgotten clubhouses are closed in the playoffs ... I've covered friggin four of them.
October 3, 2007
Bring It On: Papelbon Ready For Spotlight
• The preview centerpiece, and honestly, I think I've outdone myself.
October 3, 2007
Aces Thrive on Big Stage
• ALDS Game 1 preview.
October 3, 2007
Angels 101
• Meet the first playoff roadbump, same as the first playoff roadbump three years ago.
October 2, 2007
Youth Group Inspires Confidence
• The playoff preview stoires roll on. See what happens when I try!
October 2, 2007
A Hot September Offers No Guarantees
• Stats everywhere! Isn't it weird the games starting will actually feel like less work?
Sept. 30, 2007
Surprise! Ortiz Still Among Baseball's Best
• Inside Baseball, led with the story I'd written Friday night before the clinch.
Sept. 29, 2007
Division Win Fuels Fans' Happiness
• Little to do with fans, but for 30 minutes, I'll take it.
Sept. 29, 2007
Buch Stops Here: Rookie Shut Down For Season
• Like a notebook, but he's the only story.
Sept. 28, 2007
Nothing To Worry About
• Does uncreative headline equal uncreative story?
Sept. 27, 2007
Lowell Leads Sox Attack
• Game story. I was there anyway, and I can't stand not doing anything.
Sept. 26, 2007
No Appeal To Sox Off The Field
• Is it a great rant column, or simply a rant? America, decide!
Sept. 23, 2007
Best Record More About Home Field Than Format
• This week's Inside Baseball isn't my best effort. That Stat, though, is superb.
Sept. 19, 2007
Sizing Up Sox For Early October
• Man, timing is everything.
Sept. 17, 2007
Durable Youkilis Stuck in an Unlikely Position
• Sunday's notebook, which could've used the time afterward, but couldn't.
Sept. 17, 2007
Sox Surviving Manny's Absence
• Sunday's story, written too quick given they actually did what things up well before deadline.
Sept. 16, 2007
Rebuilding Begins Anew For Twins
• Inside Baseball. Can't be bad when a player from 1904 gets referenced.
Sept. 16, 2007
Beckett's Evolution Shines Through in Win
• Saturday's MVP performance was from John Farrell, Sox pitching coach.
Sept. 15, 2007
Ramirez Still Not Ready To Return
• Friday's Sox-Yankees Notebook
Sept. 15, 2007
Dice-K Remains Mystery
• Friday, written quick to avoid the crunch of high school football.
Sept. 14, 2007
No Finality From The Finale Series
• Sox-Yankees. For the gabillionth time.
Sept. 9, 2007
Sizing Up The AL Rookie Race
• This week's Inside Baseball secretly replaces normal stat analysis with VORP and Folgers crystals! And insults Twins middle reliever Pat Neshek!
Sept. 4, 2007
Wakefield Should Be Ready To Go Thursday
• I referenced a butterly flapping its wings and spawning a no-hitter. I'm a poet!
Sept. 4, 2007
Dice-K Shows All His Ups and Downs
• Apparently, no one told Daisuke that it was not acceptable to suck.
Sept. 2, 2007
Buchholz An Important Part of Boston's Future
• Live, from Chicopee Falls, I write about a no-hitter semi-drunk. And we weren't even done with our game of Uno.
Sept. 2, 2007
Roster Expansions Give Some Final Shot at Glory
• Please note the correction within Inside Baseball, which has actually spawned a pretty nice exchange.
August 31, 2007
Francona Fumed (About) Fashion Police
• NEW YORK -- Oh, baseball. You're so funny sometimes.
August 31, 2007
Three Close Calls, But Three Losses
• NEW YORK -- I resisted the urge to work in Boston's similar three-game sweep from 1999.
August 30, 2007
Banged-Up Manny Sits Out
• NEW YORK -- This was actually the spot where I learned the concept of "cheating" on a pitcher.
August 30, 2007
Clemens Gets His Man; Beckett Doesn't
• NEW YORK -- From the basement, he looked really hittable is what I'm saying.
August 29, 2007
Manny Serves Up Another Bronx Blast
• NEW YORK -- How often does the chance to start a notebook with Nine Inch Nails come along?
August 29, 2007
Baby Bombers Sprout Hope For Yankees
• NEW YORK -- It just so happened that in the first game, Joba Chamberlain fulfilled my pre-written stuff perfectly.
August 28, 2007
Ready To Rumble
• Pre Sox-Yanks series hype column.
August 26, 2007
Sizing Up The Best of The Rest
• A few more predictions I'm sure I'll regret weeks from now. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Not mentioned anywhere? Colorado!]
August 23, 2007
Four Foes Not To Be Forgotten
• It would be really nice is these teams aren't all out by the LCSes. [EDITOR'S NOTE: One actually made the playoffs!]
August 20, 2007
Gagne Shows Best Stuff in Losing Cause
• Notebook. It always makes me smile to hear Eric Gagne's stronger-than-you-thought accent.
August 20, 2007
Sox Aren't Ready To Panic Yet
• Aaaand here come the backhanded swings at J.D. Drew!
August 19, 2007
Pena's Plight Reflects Failing Method
• Sunday's Inside Baseball. Need I say more?
August 14, 2007
Sox Have Made Their Own Bed
• Sunday was the first time this year I've actually been mad at the Red Sox. It was eventually going to happen.
August 14, 2007
Francona Plans To Stick With Gagne
• The notebook. Desperately needed Gagne quotes, but he wasn't around. Must have been off not shaving.
August 13, 2007
Show Will Play On After Beckham
• Somehow not damaged by my writing on laptop battery power, unsure whether the computer would shut down at any moment.
August 12, 2007
Ankiel Having A Blast In His Return To The Bigs
• Borderline chill-inducing stuff in Inside Baseball. Stuff you probably knew, but hopefully you didn't.
August 9, 2007
Baseball Bigger Than One Tainted Record
• This is revision number three. Ultimately, the one extra day probably didn't affect the story much, but did make me feel better about it.
August 8, 2007
Even in Decline, Schilling Can Still Deliver
• A requested folo, since the only West Coast baseball we get in the paper is home run records.
August 6, 2007
IB: Santana Can't Mask His Disappointment
• This week's Inside Baseball avoids the "rank the deadline" idea, instead letting the Stat shine.
August 1, 2007
Epstein Pulls Trigger On Difference Maker
• The column on the Eric Gagne trade, written after I found myself a working laptop.
August 1, 2007
Sox Don't See Ortiz ...
• The notebook on trade deadline day, written after I found myself ... see above.
July 29, 2007
IB: Not Much Excitement Blowing in the Trade Winds
• This week's Inside Baseball is not exactly an advertisement for my deserving a larger stage. Well, outside of The Stat That Time Forgot, as always.
July 25, 2007
Boston Bench Has Some Building Blocks
• Based on weekend interviews, would have been much better if I'd done more weekend interviews.
July 23, 2007
Lester's Call-Up Sign of Strength
• On the announcement Jon Lester will return on Monday in Cleveland. Half news, half column.
July 23, 2007
Ortiz Out Again, But No Real Worry
• Notebook, leading with his shoulder injury and continues sitting out.
July 22, 2007
IB: Westport's Fernandes Takes Another Step Up
• Inside Baseball. SouthCoast's Sox prospect now in the High-A California League pinball machine. Plus, Book Corner!
July 20, 2007
A Long Night of Missed Chances
• It's a lot easier to write a game story when you can spend the whole game doing it.
July 20, 2007
Hamstring Sends Drew to Bench
• The notebook, written entirely during an unexpectedly free hour and 56 minutes. Thanks, rain!
July 20, 2007
'Experience of a Lifetime' for Mattapoisett Girl
• Strictly mop-up work and editing on a Sox-skewed news story about a local blind girl who threw out the first pitch. The EMC Club is very nice.
July 19, 2007
Surreal Moments Bring Out The Fan in Everyone
• The weekly column, spinning off the British Open. Way off the British Open.
July 17, 2007
Sox Need Schilling, But No Hurry
• Written around No. 38's side session, and an apparent panic among the lunatic fringes. Already, more credit than they deserve to get.
July 17, 2007
Sox Finding Their Power Strokes
• The notebook, Gabbard-free since he was going to dominate the AP gamer. The nuggets at the end about the famed Leo Nunez honestly made my entire drive home happy.
July 10, 2007
Lowell's Star Burning Brightly
• The annual All-Star feature, this time on everyone favorite thrid baseman who wants Fidel Castro dead.
July 4, 2007
Time To Tweak The Midsummer Classic
• Three ideas to make the All-Star Game, and picking the teams for it, better. Whatever that means.
July 3, 2007
Sox Not Worried About Struggling Middle
• A story sadly deficient in mentions of the night's highlight: Jacoby Ellsbury going second-to-home on a passed ball.
July 1, 2007
IB: Feeling Loney At First, Dodgers Send Nomar To Third
• Inside Baseball cranks through a little Gameday Audio, and features private e-mail in-jokes.
June 24, 2007
IB: Youk's Snub Not Biggest All-Star Sob Story
• This week's Inside Baseball digs deeped into the voting than, and I guarantee this, anyone who's voted.
June 20, 2007
Despite Slump, Schilling Still A Bargain
• The eternal question: Does Whale City understand the concept of BABIP?
June 17, 2007
IB: Bonding With Giants Fans at Fenway
• Inside Baseball meets some delightful San Franciscans and crazy kids from Nova Scotia.
June 16, 2007
A S*d Tale
• The best headline on any column of mine I can remember. Bonds related, obviously.
June 16, 2007
Roberts Steals A Place in Sox History
• A Sox-Giants notebook plum full of joyous memories.
June 13, 2007
Lugo No Longer Leading Man
• A beefy notebook, which is always nice.
June 5, 2007
Pedroia Looks Like He Belongs
• Rain cancelled all our high school games, so we needed copy. Fortunately, that plucky little bastard has started swinging.
June 4, 2007
Sox Fall On A-Rod Homer In Ninth
• The most rushed gamer you'll read today. You name it, I forgot to put it in. To me, there's nothing harder to write than game stories in mid-stream.
June 4, 2007
Francona Not One For Arguing Antics
• Sunday's notebook, which fortunately had the part updated that needed to be updated.
June 3, 2007
IB: Epstein Focuses On Impact As Draft Approaches
• Intrascrotal hematoma. Welcome to this week's Inside Baseball.
June 3, 2007
Clemens Delays Return
• Pure news, thanks in large part to my somehow ending up in the front of the Brian Cashman postgame scrum.
June 2, 2007
With Giambi Out, Yanks Juggle DHs
• Notebook from Saturday. As much Yankee news as Red Sox, because Joe Torre just seems more forthcoming sometimes.
May 29, 2007
Nixon Well Received in Boston Return
• I resisted the urge to talk to fans. Ultimately, it would have ended up poorly for everyone involved.
May 29, 2007
Youk Steals Trot's Thunder
• Hassle-free notebook.
May 27, 2007
IB: It's Not His Body, But Use That's Hurting Bonds
• Inside Baseball attempts to get 'Perlozzo's Boner' in the baseball lexicon. It's going to be a long road.
May 20, 2007
IB: Cust's Comeback Means He's No Longer Majors' Fall Guy
• Inside Baseball salutes Jack Cust, the man seveal Standard-Times staffers screamed at during a previous 12:30 p.m. PawSox game. Yeah, I left that part out.
May 16, 2007
Red-Hot Start Reminds of Five Years Ago
• The 2002 Red Sox ... the best team that sucked. (History will show I was right about this. At least enough for our purposes.)
May 15, 2007
Watching Dice-K A National Fixation
• The shame in this is I'll apparently never get to see the video footage of one of my greatest moments: the Nippon TV interview with the plastic signs.
May 15, 2007
Beckett's Finger On The Mend
• The notebook, which could not be more cut avulsion and dry. Wokka wokka wokka.
May 13, 2007
IB: By Comparison, Pena's Chances May Be Fleeting
• Sunday's Inside Baseball, brought to you by walks. Many, many walks.
May 12, 2007
A Night For Burres, Not Wily
• End the nominations. Worst game of the year has been decided. Fortunately, I saved my worst for it.
May 9, 2007
A Different Kind of Clemens Closure
• The Jon Couture Clemens story, complete with personal anecdote. Join us next time, when I tell the story of why I liked Hideki Okajima before you did.
May 7, 2007
Fast Acting Doesn't Make Clemens Quick Fix
• My boss called me twice this afternoon. Both calls added far more work to my pile than I'd had previously. To me credit, I think, I kept picking up.
May 4, 2007
Wild Dice-K Cause For Concern
• I'd really like to know if tracking his pitches is getting me anywhere. Though on a night where the quotes were sparse, it helped immensely.
May 3, 2007
Beckett Hangs Tough For Sixth Win
• Definitely did not end up the perfect game I was hoping I'd see four innings in.
May 3, 2007
Francona Fosters Communication Without Translation
• Another short notebook that actually isn't that short.
May 2, 2007
Epstein's Dream Team Shining So Far
• It's always good to pen a love sonnet about something right before they blow a save.
April 29, 2007
IB: Yankees Have Heard Bronx Cheers Before
• Comparing the 2007 Yankees to their 2005 counterparts, for whom things worked out. Columns are better when you have an actual topic.
April 23, 2007
Pedroia Takes It One At-Bat At A Time
• Sometimes, the timing of your pre-game interviews couldn't be much better. (And that's before considering he'd make a run at Rookie of the Year.)
April 23, 2007
Lester Making Strides Toward Return
• Of more interest to me, enclosed is the answer to the "consecutive bunt hits" question from the day previous.
April 22, 2007
Beckett Battles Through A Challenge
• I really hope people are actually getting something out of the pitch data stuff I've been trying to pepper in lately, because it really makes it hard to do a whole lot else during the game.
April 22, 2007
IB: Losses Put Torre's Feet to the Fire
• I dare say Inside Baseball can't believe he wasn't fired.
April 21, 2007
Cora Nation: Sox Use Five-Run Eighth ...
• When the rally made everyone blow up their Alex Rodriguez stories, suddenly making my other story a gamer made a whole lot sense. So much sense, I wouldn't have thought of it had it not been suggested to me.
April 21, 2007
A-Bombs Remind Us Of A-Rod's Talent
• Originally the notebook lead until it couldn't just be in the notebook, and then the notebook was ditched all together.
April 15, 2007
Ortiz To Wear Appreciation On His Back
• Originally the lead to Inside Baseball, broken out as its own story.
April 15, 2007
IB: Yanks Stretching To Find Source of Injuries
• Everything else, which is more than 'everything else' usually entails.
April 12, 2007
It's Dice-K Night at Fenway Park
• This was the news-side scene story, which featured meeting these guys on the street. I'm gonna guess 100,000 sales is out of reach.
April 12, 2007
Overshadowed, But Not Overmatched
• The sports-side sports story, which you might imagine I enjoyed about 40 times more.
April 11, 2007
Beckett Shines in Opening Day Spotlight
• Probably not worth having tracked his pitches all afternoon, but I had the extra time. Using it made sense.
April 11, 2007
Start of Dice-K ERA Steals Spotlight
• So did the game being over in the second inning, but who's counting.
April 8, 2007
IB: Rice Comments Lend Insight Into Reality
• This week's Inside Baseball, drawing upon the two Tampa Bay Devil Rays games I've watched this season. Also, the source of a two-page handwritten hate letter! (Read the April 15 update for details.)
April 4, 2007
Wamsutta To Open New Baseball-Themed Club
• I mingle with the idle rich again, and enjoy a sneak peek at their new club. Apparently, I really am the target demographic.
April 3, 2007
No Way This Role Reversal Lasts
• Good for Kansas City. They can look back on this fondly when Gil Meche is 16-11 at the end of the year.
April 2, 2007
On The Doorstep of a New Season
• Written for the front, front page, and guest edited by Cooch HOF member Jonathan Comey!
April 1, 2007
A New World: Dice-K Fits Right In
• One-half of the centerpiece for the baseball preview, on Daisuke's adjustments to America.
April 1, 2007
Tinker Boys: Sox Spent Spring Tweaking Repertoire
• One-half of the centerpiece for the baseball preview, on how all the starters spent spring training working on stuff. That's a poor explanation, really.
March 25, 2007