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It's getting too close to deadline, so this is my last blog of the night.
What's Tim McCarver thinking??? The Fox analyst said he thought keeping Manny Ramirez in the game in the eighth?? It's 2-1, and his bat is important. Besides, he plays the wall well.
If Boston can't close this out in Denver, I'll see you here next Wednesday for Game 6.
Reporters can multi-task. One computer in the press work room is connected to a live play-by-play of the BC-Virginia Tech game. N.E. reporters have one eye on the Sox and one eye on the Eagles.
10:42 p.m. and Schilling just came out of the game. He received a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd. He went 5 1/3 innings and gave up only four hits and two walks, striking out four. The World Series is far from over, but this could have been Schilling's final appearance at Fenway Park.
His contract is up, and if the Series doesn't return for Games 6 and/or 7, this was it for the righty. I think he knows that too.
Game tied. Some good baserunning helped the Sox get runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Unlike Wednesday, Sox didn't get the clutch hit here.
Time 8:15 p.m. and Lenox's James Taylor just sang the National Anthem beautifully. He should record it so schools can play it instead of some other versions not as nice.
In the media dining room, ran into Lee native Sharon Pannozzo. The former Chicago Cubs media relations director was working for MLB this week.
And we'll try again --- any questions or comments, send them to hherman@berkshireeagle.com. We'll respond.
Checking in at 7:05 p.m. Seen in press box is MSNBC anchor, and former SportsCenter king Keith Olbermann.
And I have to be honest with you. The majority opinion in the press box is that reporters are kind of rooting for the series to end in Denver. Nobody's saying who should win, just that it should end in four or five games.
Not so live from Fenway Park, it's blog time.
The Colorado Rockies realize they can't go down 2-0 before returning to the Rocky Mountains. In a pregame press conference, Colorado first baseman Todd Helton said it best.
"There is a sense of urgency," said Helton, "but we've had our backs against the wall before."
This is being written at 5:51 p.m., so game time is still 2:30 away.
Always interesting who you find in the press box. This sighting would give most of New England hives. Former New York Yankee Aaron Boone, he of the game-winning homer in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, is working for CBS Sportsline.com. Working for XM Satelite Radio is Charley Steiner (Follow me to freedom), who was on the radio for the Yankees and called that dramatic home run.
At least there was no "Yankees win, theeeeeee Yankees win!!"
Thanks a lot Fox network. Does Fox hand out signs to fans. Somebody held up a sign that said "Manny is the next American Idol." A little cross promotion??
Imagine if NBC had the World Series, would Manny be the next Hero? If it were CBS would it be CSI Manny?? Just wondering.
By the way, the answer to the earlier home run question was Don Buford of the Baltimore Orioles.
It has started raining harder here at Fenway. We're in the top of the fourth. I don't think they'll stop the game yet. Or as one of my fellow reporters said, it would have to be a deluge.
Yeah, it has been raining. Certainly ought to make the Rockies feel at home. They played a couple of playoff games in the rain and spent a couple of days practicing along with snow showers in Denver.
By the way, Pedroia's first-inning homer was the first Game 1 lead off home by a rookie since who? Send me the answer, or I'll tell you later.
How about Yaz bouncing the ceremonial first pitch? Sox fans hope that's not an omen.
And this plug -- read Friday's Eagle. I'll have a column about a special honor that is being given to the late Buck O'Neil. Just call it one of the great makeup calls of all time.
It's 7:10 p.m., and the national media has rolled in.
Don't know if you like "Around the Horn" on ESPN, but we could do a version right here. Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times, Woody Paige of the Denver Post (our company's flagship paper) and the Globe's Jackie MacMullan are in the house. So is the Globe's Bob Ryan, who dropped his ATH duties when he started hosting "Globe 10.0" on NESN.
If anyone has any questions during the night, drop me a note at hherman@berkshireeagle.com, and I'll try to respond.
So who do we like in the World Series? Here are the predictions from the Eagle sports staff, all remarkably similar...
"I'll take the Red Sox in six games. No one's been able to slow Beckett in the postseason, and he's the likely starter for Games 1, 4 and a possible Game 7. Ortiz and Ramirez have plenty of help at the top of the order from Pedroia and Youkilis. Throw out Gagne, and the bullpen is solid." - Matthew Sprague, sports editor
"Sox in six. Their pitching is much better and deeper, and they have more power arms in the bullpen." - Chris Carlson, sports writer
"While my column today (Wednesday) predicted the Red Sox as World Series champions, it did not predict the win-loss records. I think Boston will clinch the Series at Fenway Park in Game 6. Colorado is more formidable than Red Sox fans may know. However, the back end of Colorado's rotation is Josh Fogg and Aaron Cook (who hasn't pitched since mid-August). Were I Clint Hurdle, that would worry me. The Red Sox are too deep and a little bit better." - Howard Herman, sports writer
"Red Sox in five. Beckett will be the difference." - Rich Fyle, sports writer
So who do you like? Let us know in the comments section.
Evening everyone, Howard Herman checking in from Fenway Park.
A couple of quick tidbits:
1. No word on who will play and who will sit in Denver. Francona has said that a combination of Ortiz/Youkilis and Lowell will sit and or play while the Sox don't have the DH.
2. Reliever Kyle Snyder has been added to the roster for the World Series. Snyder was not on the roster in either the ALDS or the ALCS.
3. The Boston Pops will play the National Anthem and Ashanti will sing "God Bless America." For Game 2, James Taylor will sing the Anthem and Boyz II Men will sing God Bless America.
Another reporter said to me before the game that there hadn't been a lot of heart-pounding excitement in this series. Well, now you've got your heart-pounding excitement. Okajima gave way to Papelbon with no outs in the eighth and runners on first and second. Papelbon hasn't had a two-inning save this year.
Just noticed that Mike Timlin is warming up in the sixth inning with Josh Beckett. Terry Francona said before the game that the only two pitchers who were unavailable were Curt Schilling (Saturday's Starter) and Tim Wakefield. "We felt it was in his best interest." Francona also said that getting Wakefield up quickly "won't work."
Beckett made a relief appearance against the Chicago Cubs in the 2003 playoffs.
Win, lose or draw, the Boston Police Department will be ready for post-game partying.
A release in the press box from Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Police Commissioner Ed Davis encourages revelers to celebrate responsibly.
Once fans leave Fenway Park and its immediate neighborhood, those fans won't be allowed back. Police patrols will be significantly increased.
And the release asks parents (those of you in the Berkshires) to check in with sons or daughters who may be heading into Fenway, and ask them to "celebrate responsibly."
By the way,when I left Fenway Park after Game 6, there were more police in Kenmore Square than I ever see anywhere in Berkshire County.
Has anybody else noticed that Dice-K is wearing a playoff beard? What's next, skating for the Bruins?
The Red Sox had a chance to take all the suspense out of the game in the bottom of the first inning, but J.D. Drew remembered he was J.D. Drew again - hitting into a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded an one out.
Sox leading 1-0 after one.
By the way, if anyone has any questions, send me an e-mail at hherman@berkshireeagle.com, and I'll try to correspond.
Kevin Millar threw out the ceremonial first pitch - once a member of the Idiots, always a member of the Idiots.
The Dropkick Murphys sang the National Anthem and "Tessie" a Sox fight song. By the way, the new "Tessie" lyrics were written by Boston Herald sportswriter Jeff Horrigan. Bet you didn't know that.
Byrd told reporters before the game "I have nothing to hide. I have never taken any hormones or any drugs not prescribed to me."
The Indians, citing medical regulations, would not discuss the spectifics of Byrd's medical condition.
The pitcher also told reporters the following:
"I have had temptations to cheat," said Byrd, a devout Christian. "I have been asked by pitching coaches, 'Here's how you scuff a ball. Here's how you put saliva on a ball.' I was prescribed a hormone and I did inject it.
"I have had the temptation to take more of it than what was prescribed, so my fastball would reach into the 90s (mph) on a consistent basis. I never succumbed to any of those temptations. I never took any more than what was prescribed. I was trying to think of a way to prove that to people. I don't know that there is."
Before we get back to Paul Byrd, the question of the LCS was asked to Terry Francona before the start of the game. Here is the transcript:
Q - You've answered just about every kind of imaginable question in this series from inane to insane. I'm just wondering, A, which question are you most tired of answering? And B, which question do you wish we would have asked that we haven't?
A - Okay, that would be it right there (laughter). I think that about covered inane -- what was the other one you said?
Q - Insane.
A - Yeah, I don'thave a good answer for that one. I didn't wake up thinking that would be asked. I just really want to win tonight (Laughter). I don't know where else to go with that (Laughter). Believe it or not, I don't rate your questions.
Howard Herman here from Fenway Park. There should be enough drama for a Game 7 with the winner going to the World Series. But the Paul Byrd/HGH story took all the oxygen out of the pregame activity.
Byrd, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, used human growth hormone. In a pre-game press conference, he admitted to using it for medical reasons and conceded no wrongdoing.
Of course, it was difficult to hear him since he stood outside of the Cleveland locker room with no microphones, about 50 reporters, and Sox personnel clanging around getting Fenway ready for 37,000 of our closest friends.
More on this later.
Some smart aleck reporter in the press box (somebody whose picture graces the left side of the Eagle sports section each Sunday) said that with the Sox leading 12-2 in the ninth, it wasn't over yet. That's because we saw Eric Gagne coming out of the bullpen. Gagne has become persona non grata for the Sox, and probably won't see any critical action as long as the Red Sox continue to play post-season games.
OK Curt Schilling is a clutch pitcher. Seven innings of two-run, six-hit baseball with five strikeouts is pretty impressive. Yes it is true that Schilling almost didn't make it out of the third --- when he gave up back-to-back singles to the No. 8 and 9 hitters in the Cleveland lineup. But he retired the side in order after that, and thanks to a nine-run bulge (until the seventh), he had no presure on him.
During the telecast, Tim McCarver asked Terry Francona if the 10-run lead took some pressure off Curt Schilling. Think so??
Schilling has pitched well enough through five innings. But he's no prognosticator.
Take this from the workout day interview: "We've got a guy going against us tomorrow night who I don't envision will back up that last start with another bad one."
Wrong. Carmona's first appearance was nearly Cy Young caliber compared to Game 6.
My story on A.J. Ziter, Pittsfield's loyal team manager for the past 22 years, comes out tomorrow/today. It's one of the most enjoyable stories I've written since I've been at The Eagle. Everyone who has gone to school at PHS -- students, athletes, teachers, volunteers -- has a story about A.J. Some were emotional and touching. Others were hilarious and side-splitting. He's become a presence inside the homes of players and even attended a handful of weddings. Here are a couple of anecdotes that didn't make the cut:
-- No one can question his independence. At practice at Pittsfield, A.J. makes himself at home. During one afternoon I spent with him, he wandered all around the grounds. He chatted with teachers and mingled with volleyball players, taking a half-hour break from his regular duties. There's no question that Pittsfield High is where A.J. believes he belongs.
-- While A.J.'s gifts of gum are appreciated, they haven't always been the most sanitary. When he was a youngster, John Goodnow remembered A.J. removing packs of gum from a sweaty sock before offering them to players. "Of course, you still took it," Goodnow said. "What else were you going to do?" Goodnow also remembered that in 1991, his brand of choice was Wrigley's, while now A.J. hands out Trident. A.J.'s also upgraded his facilities. With a wardrobe comprised of nearly 50 percent Pittsfield apparel, the gum remains packed away in pockets.
-- How's this for loyalty? In 1990, Harte kicked a player out of one of his practices. The player sulked in the locker room, sitting in a bathroom stall and closing the door. A.J., in a display of solidarity, walked in and plopped down on the seat next door.
- Perhaps my favorite of the bunch -- and the one that sums up A.J.'s incredible combination of goofiness and affection -- occurred during Pittsfield High's final game of the 1991 season after the Generals blew a seven-point lead in the final two minutes. Matt Mickle took it harder than most. Still clad in his uniform, he disappeared into the shower, the water mixing with the tears on his face. His coach, Dave Harte, walked in, drenching his suit jacket, and placed an arm around Mickle's shoulder. Moments later, A.J. walked in. His sweatshirt sopping wet, he threw his arms around the pair from behind. He released the two from his embrace and patted Mickle on the back. Said A.J. "Don't feel bad, we'll get them next year."
Former Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller, who now works for the Los Angeles Dodgers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch last night. Mueller hit .267 in the 2004 ALCS and .429 in the World Series win over St. Louis. Some 20 minutes after throwing a pretty good strike, Mueller made an appearance in the media interview room. Here's some of what he had to say.
"It's just incredible the legacy that a group of us walked into and had happen with the World Series and everything. I embraced it a great deal because it's a wonderful thing."
I think that's why I come back because I'm really appreciative of my time here, the fans, the enthusiasm here and everything here. I would not hesitate to come back and show my appreciation to the fans as well."
It's the top of the third inning and Trot Nixon just singled. The first time the Indians came to town, Nixon got a standing ovation from the crowd here at Fenway. Now, he's just another opposing batter.
Howard Herman checking in from Fenway Park. That grand slam may not have pulled J.D. Drew even with Red Sox Nation based on his big contract, but it sure as heck came close. It put the Sawx up 4-0, and if Schilling even pitches decently, it looks like everyone will be back here Sunday night.
Good evening, or good morning depending on when you read this blog. The Sox and Indians are heading back to Boston for Game 6 on Saturday night.
That was why Terry Francona didn't start Josh Beckett on short rest in Game 4. Beckett hasn't been very effective on short rest in 2007. If Cleveland had beaten Boston with Beckett, what would have happened Friday?
Beckett was outstanding, outpitching CC Sabathia for the second consecutive game.
I'll be there Saturday (and Sunday if they win). I'll try to blog frequently during the game, and will have post-game coverage in the paper and on the web site.
By the way, read the paper or the web site for what will be an interesting story from a speech at Williams College Thursday night featuring NBC's Bob Costas and former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent. I interviewed Vincent a couple of years ago and found him fascinating. I look forward to reading the story.
Howard Herman
Is this it? For the first time all season, the Red Sox are up against it. They look tightly wound and nervous. The bottom of the order can’t hit, leading to nothing but solo homers. The one solace? Cleveland’s top two starters have looked as tense as the Boston bats, and there isn’t a better 1-2 tandem in the playoffs to ride than Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.
One problem – who do the Sox start in a deciding Game 7? The up-and-down Jon Lester? Daisuke Matsuzaka, who appears clinically depressed? None of the options are very inspiring.
Fans of the Red Sox are among the most paranoid and superstitious in baseball, so the last thing they needed tonight was Tim Wakefield pitching on the anniversary of the Aaron "Bleeping" Boone home run. But that's what they got, as well as a poorly pitched game and a 7-3 loss that put Boston into the grave with Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia stnding above with a shovel.
The Sox have looked listless against two mediocre pitchers, which doesn't inspire much confidence, though the optimistic Sox fans in the office were comparing it to New York's demolition of the Sox in Game 3 in 2004.
More inspiring, however, should be the sight of Josh Beckett on the mound for Boston. The (future) Cy Young Award winner has shown a toughness (both here and in Seattle) that Sabathia seems to lack this postseason. Beckett, while vulgar, crass and stubborn, might be one of the few Red Sox thickheaded enough to realize this series shouldn't be headed back to Boston.
If not, the curse of Kason Gabbard won't be far behind. Come to think of it, the Sox already got Eric Gagne for him, so perhaps the pox is already upon them.
-- C.C.
Ah, the best laid plans. Another night with a pregame pitchers' duel discussion and another night of offense. Ramirez just crushed one and Lowell followed. Sox winning 6-5 and since there aren't any more good football games on TV, time to turn to Fox.
A-Rod is going to be the AL MVP, although in my Sunday column, I think I made a pretty good case that David Ortiz is a very close second. But you could also not go wrong by voting for Mike Lowell. He's one of the most professional people around, and his big hit tonight shows that he's pretty clutch too.
Three innings in and this one is living up to its pregame hype. Schilling and Carmona are both pitching very well. I'd love to see another two hour, 30 minute game like Game 1 of the ALDS.
And to think that last year, Carmona couldn't get anybody out as a closer for the Indians. One wonders if the Red Sox would have run into a similar, but opposite, problem if Papelbon had been moved to the rotation??
Evening everyone. I was out covering high school football and college sports, so we're a little late getting going.
Got a phone call from Joe Miller of Lenox, who is at Game 2. Miller and his daughter Katie were part of a front-page story about local Sox fans at Game 1 of the ALDS.
By the way, it looks cold out there.
Now we know why Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are feared.
According to the AP story, Josh Beckett pitched six innings of four-hit ball on Friday night, and Ortiz and Ramirez reached base all 10 times they came to the plate to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Indians 10-3 in the AL championship series opener.
Ramirez went 2-for-2 with an RBI single and three walks — two of them with the bases loaded — and Ortiz went 2-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Ramirez also had two crowd-pleasing catches in left field: one going back, one coming in.
Carmona vs. Schilling Saturday night. Ought to be interesting.
Had to happen this way, didn't it?? All week, we've read about the duel between the aces of both teams in Game 1 of the ALCS. C.C. Sabathia didn't look much like an ace, did he?
Beckett, meanwhile, has pitched pretty well. He wasn't nearly as effective as he was when I saw him last Wednesday against Los Angeles.
That performance, by the way, reminded me of Pedro Martinez's performance in the All-Star game - a truly dominating one.
It's 6:31 as I write this, and with a 7:10 game, we media members have, in all probability, take our seats in the press box. In the ALCS and the World Series (should the Red Sox get there) my seat is in the Auxiliary Press Box. If you watch the game and notice some red, white and blue bunting in right field, that's where we are. Only active membes of the Baseball Writers Association of America can sit in the main Fenway box. I have to remember to bring gloves and a ski cap.
Hi. This is Howard Herman and I spent last week at Fenway covering the ALDS. I'll be heading back to Fenway for Games 6 and 7, if they are going to be played. But I thought I'd give you a brief tour of what we reporters do during the pregame.
As I write now, it's about 4:50 p.m. and both managers have just completed pre-game media sessions. They bring the pitchers for Game 2 along as well. The media room is packed with reporters looking for some pre-game or some feature material to fill multiple pages. Everything that is said during the news conference is recorded and a court stenographer type uses one of those steno machines in order to give print reporters copies of the press conferences.
That's what we do now. Later today, I'll give you some insight on the rest of our pregame day.