Yardwork: Maybe Detroit Just Really Likes Davey Johnson
Baseball April 7th. 2008, 10:00am
White Sox 13, Tigers 2: In front of a worldwide ESPN 2 audience, Justin Verlander and the Tigers took a serious beating at the hands of the White Sox and Senor Loco. Three off-season acquisitions (Swisher, Cabrera, Quentin) combined for nine RBI and helped chase Justin Verlander in the 6th. The Tigers are 0-6 and can only hope at this point, to do what Cincinnati did in 1995: start off the season 0-6 and win the division.
Braves 3, Mets 1: John Smoltz gave up two hits and blanked New York through five innings. Mark Teixeira hit a 2-run bomb, helping the Braves best Johan Santana’s solid 7-inning performance. The Braves finished with a 2-game “sweep” thanks to a rain shortened series.
Yankees 2, Rays 0: Chien-Meng Wang struck out six in six innings and moved to 2-0 on the season. Hideki Matsui had three hits, including a 2-run homer and the Yanks saved face in another tough series with Tampa Bay.
Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 2: Mark Reynolds had 3 RBI and Stephen Drew hit the game-winning homer in the 10th inning at Colorado. Quick: Name as many sports personnel with the last name Drew: Stephen … J.D. … Bryce… Homer… Nancy… DAMNIT — mystery solving isn’t a sport.
Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 4: Roy Halladay went eight innings and struck out six, while ace counterpart Josh Beckett gave up five runs and walked four in 4 2/3 innings. Toronto completed a 3-game sweep of Boston thanks to a grand slam by Frank Thomas. The Sox are in last place for the first time since April of ‘05. OH MY GAWD!
Sunday Scores [FoxSports]
55 Responses to “Yardwork: Maybe Detroit Just Really Likes Davey Johnson”
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April 7th, 2008 at 10:02 AM
detroit fans getting worried yet? shouldve been 13-1, if only that ump didnt get hit in the grill and let that run in.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
anybody else watch the braves feed of that game yesterday? who calls a better baseball game than boog sciambi.. very funny, and smart too.. said that last year smoltz was 13 for 13 in sac bunts.. next pitch, smoltz gets the bunt down perfectly..
April 7th, 2008 at 10:05 AM
HEY DON’T SLEEP ON THOSE WHITESOX… I think I remember saying that and being laughed at.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:05 AM
It’s only 6 games though.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:07 AM
some one please explain to me the white sox philosophy… please.. they trade gio gonzalez for nick swisher(swisher is a nice player, but he wont be good the next time the white sox compete).. what the hell is the point of that trade.. they give up their best pitching prospect.. and WHAT? they’re still gonna finish 3rd in the division and win 77 games and not make the playoffs.. why not just blow the house up and rebuild it..i hate that strategy of baseball decision making.. just throwing breast implants on a corpses and wasting money
April 7th, 2008 at 10:08 AM
My beloved White Sox had a nice little road trip to start the season but unless it can be proven that the starting rotation (especially the young guys in Danks and Floyd) can keep it up I’ll remain skeptical
The bullpen has been a welcome sight though so far…the Linebrink-Jenks 8th/9th tandem could be a good one
April 7th, 2008 at 10:08 AM
stole the breast implants on corpses line from le batard’s column about pudge rodriguez a few years ago.. still cracks me up..
April 7th, 2008 at 10:12 AM
The Tigers’ pitching is shit. Their offense will win a lot of games for them, but unless the pitching (dramatically) improves, there’s no way they’re making the playoffs. Now, it’s not out of the realm of possibility; after all, the Yankees were like 8 games under .500 thirty-five games into the season, and they ended up making. But they’ve dug themselves quite a hole…
April 7th, 2008 at 10:13 AM
A little revenge for the Dbacks with a sweep of the Rocks
April 7th, 2008 at 10:14 AM
the blue jays need to keep the old school uniforms
April 7th, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Cotex, you’re obviously not a general manager.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Last time the last team in the league to get a win made the playoffs…. 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Even though I was high on them before the season started, I am really impressed by the Jays this year. Wells looks to be back in old form and Thomas still has a nice bat. Combine that with some nice pitching, and these guys are going to be giving the Yanks and Sox a run for their money this year.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:18 AM
@swandong..
why not? the marlins have won 2 world series in the past 11 years.. i just dont understand this concept.. like the royals giving gill meche 55 million.. whats the purpose? why waste that money.. they’re gonna lose regardless.. wouldn’t you rather lose with a 30 million dollar payroll than a 70 million one? no difference.. spend the money on scouting and young draft picks and then when you are CLOSE to contending, thats when you spend the money and overpay..
April 7th, 2008 at 10:20 AM
@cortes: The reason being, is that you still have to give the appearance of trying. They are still trying to sell tickets and so if it takes overpaying ONE guy then so be it.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:20 AM
it isnt a shock that detroits pitching is terrible…but lets all remember its 6 games in
a lot of the “favorites” in the AL are struggling a little (cleveland, detroit, boston, NYY)
April 7th, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Orioles are 4-1, Orioles are 4-1, Orioles are 4-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 7th, 2008 at 10:22 AM
i guess pki.. i just disagree with that philosophy..as a fan, i’d rather have a few years where we suck, if it means that every 4 or 5 years were gonna be in serious contention and spending money as opposed to finishing in 3rd place every year and over paying players (white sox, royals, orioles etc)
April 7th, 2008 at 10:22 AM
They play 162 games for a reason man. Nobody know how this season is going to turn out. They pay cause they have to pay… GM’s pay 10million dollars a year for a bum pitcher just cause he can give them 200 innings no-a-days. Why are you complaining about money? They’re all overpaid, nobody in the world deserves 150 million dollars for playing a game! If Gil Meche wins 12 games this year and has a sub 4.5 ERA, he is worth the money they paid for him cause its status quo in the post juice era.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:24 AM
And Cortes, at least the Sox try to compete every year. They aren’t Dodgers.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:32 AM
truth
April 7th, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I’m sure Gonzo approves of the Reds-Phils final not making it into this post.
How about a little love for the youngins in the Reds staff? One start each so far, but looking damn good.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:48 AM
@WhoDey, I picked up Cueto already after what he did to that potent Dbacks lineup. I’m being serious, they’ve hit 12 HRs already and all the youngins look good. It’s the old guy(s) that look bad: Eric Byrnes don’t look at the floor when I’m talking about you.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Hef…i think it’s against MLB policy to refer to Eric Byrnes as an ‘old guy.’
stephen drew is gonna be the shit. upton is out of this world good.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Whodey, Our Redlegs are playing well, but 12 division opponents in the next 13 days could show our staff’s age (old and young).
April 7th, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Chien-Ming Wang.
The rotation would be better off with me pitching every fifth day over Contreras; he needs to be euthanized. It’s a small sample size, but the Sox are allowing only 3.5 runs per game.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Spence, when everyone else on the team is wearing Pullups (they just graduated from diapers but still have problems keeping the bed dry at night), then Eric Byrnes is old. It’s a comparitive thing.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Hef…funny stuff.
but you know eric byrnes is gonna be one of those guys who plays till hes like 42, and even then he’ll still remind you of a burnout surfer dude who lives with his mother and drives a van to the beach.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Cardinals are 5-1.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:10 AM
spence, that’s funny, cuz i read an ESPN mag article about Byrnes awhile ago, and he does have a really pimped out van that he drives his kid and hanger-on friends around in all day.
also, spencer, i tried those mini chicken ranch BLT sandwiches from Applebee’s. they were not bad at all. they might’ve been better if i was high though.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:12 AM
@Spence: he’s looked like a burnout since he was in diapers. I’m curious to see what he’ll look like when he’s 42. What’s 42 in burnout years? Will he wear a lot of tie-dye?
April 7th, 2008 at 11:13 AM
benji…it’s the chicken finger BLT at fridays, those are a culinary wet dream come to life. im not a big Applebee’s fan nor a big ranch fan.
byrnes really has a pimped out van? thats pretty awesome, he’s the MLB version of spicoli.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Funny how the TBL Yahoo! league is like MLB. The team picked in the preseason as one of the worst (me, Hank Scorpio) is in first.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:14 AM
burnout 42 = beer gut, tye-dye dead shirt, hemp shorts, and constant sunglass wearing.
a burnout year is 1.5 years for every normal human year.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:16 AM
yea, my team (it hurts when i pee) sucks something fierce right now.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:18 AM
6 games in St. Bear. Six games in.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:18 AM
spencer, i swear you said applebee’s. maybe (probably), i just can’t read. i looked all over the menu and couldn’t find a chicken finger BLT. so, i figured it was those other things cuz they were the only chicken sandwiches with BLT. now, i guess i’ll have to go to Fridays to try the real Chicken Finger BLT.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Byrnes feels like he’s trying to hard to look like Spicoli and I like the guy. He calls his van his shaggin wagon and dives after balls that he could stay on his feet for. I would love to have him as a teammate (if I were a professional baller of course) but sometimes, I can’t help but laugh at how much it feels premeditated.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:23 AM
@cortes: Swisher is a great player, plus he’s cost controlled for the next two years. He’s only 27 years old, too. He could easily be around for the next good White Sox team. I loved that deal for them.
On the other hand, the O-Cabrera trade??? Indefensible. A 33 year old light hitting shortstop? No thanks.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Hef, I know we’re six games in. I’m just like all the Royals, ChiSox, Orioles, D-Rays, Twins, Nats, etc. fans on this site who are enjoying our moment in the sun before we revert back to the mean.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:29 AM
I don’t mind taking my reps here. The Phils got spanked yesterday. Bring it on!
April 7th, 2008 at 11:29 AM
benji…yea, it’s def fridays, but i couldve had a brain-fart myself and typed the wrong thing.
Hef…oh, totally, that premeditated shit annoys the fuck out of me, but he’s fun as hell to watch diving everywhere and he definitely puts in effort, so you cant really fault him for any stupid histrionics.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:32 AM
@St. Bear: you’re on top, so you got the right to boast for now. Go strong man. Make fun of spence and Gonzo for being bitches. I’m with you.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:33 AM
@spence: I don’t find fault. I like him. Sometimes though, it feels, you know…
April 7th, 2008 at 11:39 AM
If the Yankees were 0-6, there would be special editions of SportsCenter dedicated to it.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:42 AM
@Jay: Oh the humanity!!!!! Can they invoke the spirit of Rizzuto to claw back into the race?!!!?
/Suzyn Waldman
April 7th, 2008 at 11:48 AM
After watching my second Tigers game of the season (stupid noon games!) I have noticed the fault with this team. Holy fucking lazy as hell. It all blew up with these lazy plays (it was 2-1 when this happened) 1) Pudge reached for a ball with his mit instead of kicking out a leg and it gets by him and a run scores and more runs score when the inning is extended when 2) Guillen drops a routine throw to 1B. I am pretty sure like 6 more runs scored in an inning that should have been over. The fact is they are making lazy plays. It is just terrible to watch. In the dugout? Nothing but smiles. It makes me sick. This team deserves to lose with the effort I see so far.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:08 PM
@Cortes: GONZALEZ?? GONZALEZ is the Sox best pitching prospect? are you serious? they traded for him so they could trade him, that was obvious when that happened, they never wanted him, they proved that when they never gave him any sort of shot. The White Sox only play hard when nobody gives them a chance. See 2005, and then when they were favored in 06 and given a chance in 07.. nothin.. here we are in 08, some new guys, some old guys, some pitching that needs to prove itself… sounds familiar..
April 7th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Correlation doesn’t equal causation.
When are ChiSox fans going to realize they had a great year because they’re pitchers pitched 8 levels above their head for one season?
Sure it can happen again, but I’d hate to have to count on it (which you do).
April 7th, 2008 at 12:45 PM
does jon garland still exist? i havent heard a thing about him since he inexplicably was a Cy Young cadidiate during their WS run.
you can put that on the fucking board. yes.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:55 PM
@ spencer, he’s an LAA Angel these days. netting the white sox Orlando Cabrera in a trade. He pitched a good game in Minnesota as his first start of he year, and he’s a perennial 18 game winner. He’s really got average stuff, but some how always comes out winning.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I think a lot of lesser pitchers could pitch well against the twins.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Go Rays!!!
April 7th, 2008 at 4:06 PM
Wow, you guys don’t know shit about the Sox aparently except how to bash them as an unknowing third party member. Garland was a stud for the Chisox, he’s a sinkerballer, so no, his stuff never looks that impressive, but he did lead the league in wins over the course of the last 3 seasons prior to last season and still managed a decent season last year while the hitting was atrocious. Every single person in the lineup last year had a career worst season. Back on Garland, he’s got a tight slider as well, but no, he’s not a strike out pitcher. Since when has it been a pre-requisite to be some roided out strike out pitcher to be considered good? mark Buehrle threw one of 3 no-no’s last season and is probably near the bottom of the barrel in terms of strikeouts. but he uses his defense and induces grounders and pop outs with? Location, changing speeds, and confusing the hitters. Jeeze, have you played the game or did ESPN just teach you the “basics”?
April 7th, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Also a major plus, neither has ever been injured and consistantly throw over 200+ innings. Roger say what? I think i tore some stitches!