Saturday, April 21, 2007

Beckett Solid, Ortiz Hits Bomb, Sox Take Game Two!

(Beckett Fires Away.)(Coco Steals Second.)(Beckett pitched admirably.)(Wally & The Fans Appreciated his work.)(Beckett shouldn't be disappointed.)(Pap gets the save!)

Just a quick note on this game. Josh Beckett pitched admirably (6 2/3 IP, 9H, 4ER, 7K), and hung on despite early trouble. David Ortiz went 2-5 (a home run and a double) and 4 RBI in another monster game, and the Sox held on to win against the Yankees this Saturday at Fenway, 7-5. Jonathan Papelbon held on for the save.

GO SOX!

TomC

Boston Red Sox appoint Gary DiSarcina manager of Single-A Lowell Spinners.


Boston Red Sox Press Release.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox today announced the appointment of Gary DiSarcina as the manager of the Single-A Lowell Spinners of the New York Penn League for the 2007 season.

The announcement was made by Director of Player Development Mike Hazen.

DiSarcina, who will be making his professional managing debut, was hired by the Red Sox as Baseball Operations Consultant in November. In that role, the former Angels shortstop assists Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein and the baseball operations department in the areas of major league transactions, professional and amateur player evaluation, and minor league instruction.

Jon Deeble, who was originally announced in January as Lowell's 2007 manager, will continue to concentrate exclusively on his role as Boston's Pacific Rim Scouting Coordinator.

"Gary DiSarcina has been a real asset to the Red Sox since joining the organization last fall, and we feel he will be a good fit with the Lowell Spinners," commented Hazen. "With the major emphasis that the Red Sox place on international scouting, the decision was made to continue to allow Jon Deeble to concentrate in the Pacific Rim operation on a full-time basis."

A native of Billerica, MA, DiSarcina had a career .258 batting average in 1086 games with the California/Anaheim Angels from 1989-2000. He was a two-time team MVP and a 1995 American League All-Star.

Since retiring as an active player, he has operated the DiSarcina Baseball Academy in Billerica and served as an analyst on NESN's pre and post-game Red Sox coverage prior to joining the Boston organization. DiSarcina was also on the coaching staff for Team Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

DiSarcina will continue in his role as Baseball Operations Consultant prior to the opening of the 76-game New York Penn League season in June. Lowell opens its 2007 season by hosting Oneonta on Tuesday, June 19 at LeLacheur Park.

In Memoriam. . .





"We are Virginia Tech.

We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.

We are Virginia Tech.

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.

We are Virginia Tech.

We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.

We are Virginia Tech.

The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.

We are the Hokies.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We will prevail.

We are Virginia Tech."

-- Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist

Sox Rally On Rivera, Draw First Blood!

(Youkilis with Vigininia Tech on his mind.)(A Moment of Silence for the fallen Hokies.)(Ain't that the Fuckin' Truth!)(So Close, yet So Far.)(Coco Crisp triples in the tying run in the 8th.)(Varitek scores the tying run.)Hideki Okajima, NOT Mariano Rivera, gets the save.)(AJOB turned into a pumpkin in the ninth, weakly lining out to second.)(VICTORY CELEBRATION!)

The Red Sox survived a lackluster start, spotty control by Curt Schilling, and two home runs by AJOB, to rally in the eigth and beat the New York Yankees, 7-6, at Fenway Park on Friday Night. Wearing green home uniforms to honor the late Celtics Coach Red Auerbach, and a VT logo on the side of their caps, the Sox scored 5 runs in the bottom of the eighth (highlighted by a game tying two run triple by Coco Crisp) to complete the comeback. Most notably the last two runs came off of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, arguably the best closer there is.

The Red Sox survived a rather unremarkable start by pitcher Curt Schilling (7IP 8H 5ER 1BB 5K 2 AJOB HRs), by picking on the Yankee bullpen after starter Andy Pettite (who only gave up 2ER in 6 1/3, on a HR by Jason Varitek). Alex Cora singled in the winning run, and had the winning RBI for the second consecutive day.

The series resumes today at 4:00pm at Fenway, with Sox starter Josh Beckett (3-0, 1.50 ERA) facing off against Jeff Carstens (first game of the year).


GO SOX!


TomC