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Awful pitching by John Lackey. Terrible pitching by Phil Hughes. But someone had to win and its the Sox finally finding a team that played a game worse than they did. 9-7 over NY.

Hughes' ERA was 4.81 from June 1-end of season in 2010 and he's 16.20 in his first two games of 2011. Yankees' pitching looks a bit thin. They are supposed to have a whole bunch of great pitchers in the upper minors; we'll see.

Looking at the pitching stats for the Yankees. They have only used 4 starters: one has been great, CC ERA 1.50; one has been good Burnett ERA 4.00; one has been bad Novoa ERA 6.50; one has been awful Hughes ERA 16. And four bullpen ERA's are 9. Not a promising set of numbers for a team that hopes to contend.

Twins’ misery multiplies: Joe Mauer out with bilateral leg weakness

By David Brown


What in the gosh-darned heck is going on with the Minnesota Twins?

In the team's most-recent and potentially most-apocalyptic injury to date, they have placed Joe Mauer(notes) on the 15-day disabled list because of "bilateral leg weakness." Now, I'm not a catcher, nor a doctor, nor do I play either on TV, but weakness in both legs would seem quite detrimental to the art of catching.

We'll know more about Mauer's condition as soon as he sees a specialist, but his appointment has been delayed because of the flu. That's correct: Joe Mauer is also too sick to see a doctor right now.
Mauer is in the first season of a contract that will pay him $23 million a season for the rest of his life until 2018. He was batting .235/.289/.265 at the time of his injury.

That doesn't sound too good for the Twins, who are experiencing a series of injuries and other misfortunes, the likes of which can just ruin a baseball season.

Starting second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka(notes) broke his leg and is out for a month or longer, and starting shortstop Alexi Casilla(notes) is not any good, so the team is being forced to consider a double-play combination of Luke Hughes(notes) at short and Michael Cuddyer(notes) at second.

Yes, Michael Cuddyer, the outfielder. And "Luke Hughes" might possibly be a name Mauer made up to fill out a roster in his MLB video game. The offense, which was supposed to be celebrating the return of Justin Morneau(notes) from a concussion, has produced a .601 OPS and a MLB-low three runs per game so far this season.

Then there's ace left-hander Francisco Liriano(notes), who is not injured but also cannot get anyone out. The Twins are trying to get him to pitch to contact more, but therein lies a problem: A 9.42 ERA in three starts.

That the Twins have a 4-8 record is somewhat amazing, all things considered. But let's see what a more informed diagnosis of Mauer will reveal. As soon as feels up to seeing the doc, that is.

STRANGE!
The RF foul pole at Fenway (Pesky pole) does not line up with the yellow line painted on the outfield wall!
http://www.nesn.com/2011/04/umpires-ove ... line-.html

I can't find a picture of it, but the MLB channel showed Coco during BP a couple of nights ago and he had an Afro that would have shamed Oscar Gamble!

J.R.- Great stuff!

There is something just totally wrong with that look.

I just discovered that Joe Garagiola is an announcer on the DBacks telecasts. Haven't heard him in years!

I always enjoyed Garagiola and Kubek on the Game of the Week.

Joe had lots of good stories.

Of course the Tribe made few appearances on the big Network in those days.

Oh man, I hated Garagiola after he developed his man love for Tommy LaSorda.

Yeah, I get the family support angle.


I heard a comment on the Indians telecast today that Bob Feller was around for over half of his life as a member of The Hall Of Fame.


Hard to believe Garagiola hasn't played a MLB game in 57 years, and he still has a paying broadcast job.


That's cool, of course.

I still didn't like his love of The Dodgers when he was doing the broadcasts of their games.

Of some interest? A book called "Bottom of the 33rd"

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
New York Times columnist Barry provides a charming, meditative portrait of a minor league baseball game that seemed to last forever. Because of a rule-book glitch, the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings played for 33 innings on a chilly Saturday night into the Easter morning of 1981.

Using the game as a focal point, Barry examines the lives and future careers of many of the players, including the then unknown Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken. Barry also profiles the Red Sox team owner, the fans and workers, and even the stadium and the depressed industrial town of Pawtucket, R.I.

The game gives Barry ample opportunity to explore the world that surrounds it. Not every Triple-A player becomes a Cal Ripken, and Barry gives generous attention to those who didn't make it—the powerful outfielder who can't hit a curve, the eccentric Dutch relief pitcher with the unlikely name of Win Remmerswaal, the 26-year-old who feels like an old man among younger prospects.

The three decades that have passed since the game allow Barry to track the arc of entire lives, adding emotional resonance. Barry is equally adept at describing the allure of a ballpark and the boost it can give to a struggling town like Pawtucket. (Apr.)
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TFIR: Sounds like a good read, and of particular interest to SEAGULL.