Archive for Baseball
The Other Way to Get a Signed Trading Card
Posted by: | CommentsIf you don’t have luck pulling autograph cards from Upper Deck packs and just can’t find your favorite players milling around before or after a game, there is another route you can take to get an autograph from these stars. Try the TTM approach where “TTM” stands for “through-the-mail” autographs. If you’re just a little patient, this is a really cool way to get signatures of your favorite players.
Some people will send more than just a trading card to get signed, maybe a photo or jersey, but the easiest thing to send is definitely an Upper Deck card. First you need to write a letter to the player of your choice explaining that you think they are great and that you would like to get them to autograph your card. The best place to mail your card to is to the stadium address for that player’s team. Also, you may want to consider writing your letter by hand; people have experimented and found they have a better rate of success with hand-written letters.
Let’s say you are sending a request to Jason Motte, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. You would send it to the Busch Stadium address. This is a sample letter of something that you could send to your favorite player:
Dear Mr. Motte,
I am a huge fan of you and the Cardinals. I think you are an amazing pitcher and so glad that you are on the Cardinals. (You could personalize it with an experience that you had or some accomplishment that the person you are writing to has accomplished.) I was hoping that you could autograph my Upper Deck card for me. I have included a self-addressed, stamped envelope so that you could send it back to me. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to read my letter and hopefully you’ll get back to me soon.
Your #1 FAN,
And if you get a player as nice as Jason Motte was for me, you could end up with something like this!
SUCCESS! He signed my card and returned it to me!
The most important thing to include with your letter and trading card is a SASE which stands for “self-addressed, stamped envelope.” That makes it much easier for the athlete to just sign your card and return it to you. This is why sending memorabilia can be a little tough; most athletes are not going to have time to re-package and pay for additional postage to send your item back to you.
So, how do you find the addresses for your favorite player’s team? Check out this great website that will help you pull the addresses you need for baseball teams: http://www.sportmapworld.com/map/baseball/north-america/mlb/.
The most important aspect about TTM autographs is to be patient. Players have a lot on their plates and cannot always drop everything to sign and return your cards each day. I have got autograph cards back in as little as five days before, but waited as long as three years in some instances. The normal wait is usually around three months.
You may want to prepare for the worst. You may not get your card back. It rarely happens, but it can. That’s why you likely don’t want to send anything too expensive out. If you send the card to the wrong address you may get everything back with a yellow slip from the post office, which is called a RTS (Return to Sender). Also, if the player is in a hurry they could put the signed card right in the envelope after signing and it can get smudged like the card below.
Oh rats! The pen he used wasn't the best and the autograph is beading. Oh well.
If you really want to get into the hobby of collecting autographs through the mail, Harvey Meiselman writes a comprehensive book every year, with the players’ home addresses. It is so great to use and you get the address for almost every current and retired player. Here’s more information about Harvey’s book: http://www.sportsaddresslists.com/.
There are plenty of resources to find up to date addresses for your favorite players.
A great website to use is Nolan’s TTM. He updates it whenever he has success in getting an autograph card through the mail. His website is: http://www.nolansttmgraphs.webs.com/. Another great website that is always updating their users’ success is: http://www.fanmail.biz/ to see who is signing. One last site you might want to review is: http://www.sportsautosttm.com/.
I’ve found current and former MLB players have the highest success rate, for all sports, for fulfilling through-the-mail autograph requests, but don’t let that discourage you from sending Upper Deck cards to players from other sports like NBA, NFL or NHL. Since I started collecting through-the-mail autographs in Spring Training, I have already received over 100 signed cards. Hopefully you’ll have the same success rate. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Troy Kozlowski is an avid collector, a contributor to the Upper Deck Blog and a member of the Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance.
Popularity: 4% [?]
The National Pastime in 2030
Posted by: | CommentsI sometimes find myself channel surfing late at night. I flipped to an old Twilight Zone episode where the Hoboken Zephyrs had a robot pitcher named Casey. It was hokey, but I hadn’t seen it in awhile and it made me think, “I wonder what baseball will be like in the future.” I didn’t want to look five years, or 10 years into the future. Why not make it interesting and jump ahead 20 years into the future. Now I’m certainly not Nostradamus or even Bob Costas, for that matter, but I grew up with baseball and feel qualified to make an informed hypothesis as to the future of the game.
Remember the Twilight Zone episode where the robot pitcher dominated the league? Will we ever see a robo-player?
Will baseball even be considered America’s game in 2030? Maybe not with increased competition from the NFL, but it just takes one good labor dispute by any league to completely turn off the fans and it looks like the NFL is heading for one soon. So there is hope for baseball and as long as fathers go out to have a catch with their kids, it will be a part of American culture.
Here are my top ten predictions of what I think Baseball will be like in 2030:
10. Increased Advertising – Remember a few years back when Sony Pictures wanted to advertise “Spiderman 2” on the bases during regular season MLB games? It could have happened. While I don’t think advertising will come on the field in the next 20 years, I do believe we’ll see it on the uniforms similar to what you have in NASCAR. It may not start off as much, but I believe that 20 years from now, players jerseys, pants and hats will all have some type of advertisement on them. I’m not saying they’ll be covered like a race suit, but in searching for more revenue, team owners will likely be open to pushing for something like this. Look for even more advertisements in stadiums, but I don’t think we’ll see advertisers make their way on the field and base paths in the next 20 years. Maybe 30…
9. More International Play – I really enjoy the World Baseball Classic, but when I go to the games, I wonder where the heck everyone is. I’ve been to high school football games with more fans. Maybe the game is just better suited for television and overseas, but it is clear that MLB is focused on growing its game internationally. With more and more players from Latin America coming into the league, there is definite potential to have a franchise south of the border. In 2030, I believe there will be a franchise in Mexico City, Ole! The financials will be tough to work out, but Spanish-speaking players and fans in Mexico would eat it up. I can also foresee that a spring training league may be set up in Japan. At the very least, the early regular season games in Japan will likely continue with some added to China as well.
The Asian community is passionate about baseball and are begging for more.
8. Pitch Clock – No, I’m not talking about how many pitches a pitcher throws, I’m talking about how long it takes them to throw a pitch after getting it back from the catcher. That’s right, put them on the clock. If you don’t get the pitch off within 45 seconds from having it in your glove, that’s an automatic ball. Hey, that’s how we do it in 2030! Long overdue if you ask me.
7. Less “Fan” Interaction at the Stadium – Fans are great for the game of baseball, but remember, fan is short for “fanatic.” Fans have the potential to go a little crazy. Streaking, pouring beers on players, shouting profanity or even running onto the field to attack coaches are all actions of fanatics. I read the story about a fanatic in Philly intentionally vomiting on a father and daughter. Are you kidding me? Even players can be fanatics, just look at Milton Bradley. And while these crazy outbursts are rare, when they do happen it triggers a very strong response from MLB and the MLBPA. One of the great things about going to the ballpark is having the ability to be so close to the players, but unfortunately in the next 20 years, I’m pretty sure a small group of fanatics will do something idiotic that requires additional security at the gate and more security between players and the fans at the ballpark. I’m not talking about trenches and moats, but higher walls, more space between the stands and field and of course more security staff on the field are all likely on the horizon for baseball’s future.
Will fanatics ruin the game for everyone? Looks like he's thinking, "Maybe this wasn't the best idea..."
6. The Billion Dollar Player – Move over Alex Rodriguez, the billion dollar player is coming. No, maybe not in five or 10 years, but in 15 to 20 years it could definitely happen. Tickets will probably be $500 a game by then anyway so don’t say it can’t happen.
5. Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson are inducted into Cooperstown – Americans are pretty forgiving, especially as more and more time passes. No betting on baseball is a very strong rule, but I believe these two athletes will be forgiven in the next 20 years. Not necessarily because baseball wants to, but because baseball may need a positive PR story like this to help the sport survive and remain relevant in the USA. Many believe the NFL is America’s game now, so why not have a campaign where these athletes are publicly forgiven and honored for their accomplishments on the field. If we could just keep Pete out of the casinos this would be a lot easier…
Sooner or later they will accept your apology Pete. Hang in there.
4. Baseball Cards Go Digital – Always leading the way with innovation, Upper Deck brought a digital trading card to the market back in 2000 with PowerDeck, but it was ahead of its time and collectors didn’t embrace it. Twenty years in the future, I believe a strong segment of baseball cards will move to a completely digital experience with better results from fans where users can play games, interact with players and win prizes through cards that are digitally traded with computers, cell phones and whatever else comes next. The physical trading cards will never go away and Upper Deck is working on some remarkable new technologies currently to really blow collectors’ minds. It blows my mind to think about what the physical cards will look like in 20 years when we are already planning some amazing new insert card sets in next couple years. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
The digital trading card has been done, what's next?
3. Unbelievable New Stadiums – The new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field have set the stage for new mega-stadiums in major markets. Unfortunately, out with the old and in with the new in some cases. I think in order to remain competitive with New York, Boston will have a new Fenway Park 20 years from now. I also think a new Dodger Stadium (along with a powerful new Dodgers owner) are not that far off. I can’t see Wrigley Field getting demolished in the next 20 years, however. While both Wrigley and Fenway are considered cathedrals for baseball, the Chicago faithful would riot for months if the wrecking ball came close to West Addison. Boston fans love Fenway too, but if it meant putting a better product on the field and competing with the hated Yankees, I think they’ll be more apt to do it.
2. A Major Record Will Fall – I think over the next 20 years we will see Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak record fall. It’s one of the most impressive personal records ever, but players have come close before and it’s one of the few major records of meaning that a player would want to shoot for. And I don’t know when this blitz of no-hitters and perfect games is going to stop. The next few years may continue to see pitching dominance, but after that, look out Joltin’ Joe.
1. Instant Replay and Challenges – We’ll see this not just for home runs and foul balls as we do today, but replay will extend to catches and questionable calls on the bases with the opportunity for managers to challenge umpires’ calls. I don’t think you can ever take balls and strikes away from the umpires, however. Although tennis in particular incorporates technology to tell if a ball is in or out, calling balls and strikes is part of the game that I just can’t see ever being taken away from the umpires.
"I object!" How much does Armando Galarraga wish there was a challenge flag in baseball to save his perfect game?
Do these sound fair or foul? What do you think the future holds for baseball 20 years from now?
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I’m in Love…with the National Sports Collectors Convention
Posted by: | CommentsI couldn’t sleep at all Tuesday night. I was staying in Baltimore, at a great hotel, and while there had been a disturbance at the venue earlier that evening, that’s not why I had trouble sleeping. The sounds of the bustling city didn’t keep me awake either. Neither did the fact that I couldn’t fall sleep on my flight out from San Diego. The reason I couldn’t get unconscious was because I was excited. I tossed and turned like a little kid on Christmas Eve because I couldn’t wait for The National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC) to begin.
When I attended my first NSCC, I felt like I had been sent to the Gulag in Russia for some crime for which I was wrongly convicted. As Upper Deck’s Customer Service Manager back then, I received a steady diet of off-the-wall complaints for all five days of the show. My blood pressure elevated every time I heard one of my co-workers say: “Oh, yeah, you want to speak to Chris Carlin.” After hearing people who appeared completely rational start complaining passionately about things like why Upper Deck can’t hand-package every trading card release to reduce flaws on some of the cards, to why we don’t make Jai-Alia cards, I realized one thing: People love Upper Deck cards.
And you know what? I do too. The 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card hooked me immediately and it was my dream come true to work for Upper Deck. Yes, I had to deal with complaints at the NSCC, but people don’t complain if they don’t care about your products. During one sleepless night during my first NSCC with all these complaints running through my head, that simple fact dawned on me. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t take the time to complain, right? They just wouldn’t care. Each complaint is a proclamation of love for our products. I was comforted and soon fell into a deep sleep.
THE CARD THAT STARTED IT ALL: Upper Deck's 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (#1).
I began to see the NSCC as an opportunity on several different levels. It poses an opportunity every year to listen to compelling ideas from people who care about Upper Deck products. It provides the chance to hear complaints about goods and services that are not perfect and what might work to make them right, while hopefully salvaging a relationship with a customer. It creates the opportunity to share how compelling and fun this hobby is with new and old collectors alike. As hard as it is to get yelled at from time to time about something I didn’t really have any control over, after my first NSCC, I knew I had to keep coming back every year. It’s simply not a show I would miss for the world.
If you are anywhere near Baltimore this weekend and have ever cared about any sport, you have to come. There are tons of crazy/weird things that will make you ask yourself, “Who would buy that?” and then the next thing you know you’re walking around with a framed signed photo of Don Mattingly posing with Donald Trump and his family because (let’s face it) when are you ever going to get the chance to own something like that again.
So why was I so excited, exactly? Because I knew what would happen. It’s almost the same every year and I love it. But to let you in on the secret, here are just some of the reasons why I’ve enjoyed the show so far and why I can’t wait for the rest of the weekend.
The Set Up – Getting to the show before anyone else is an electric environment. Booths are being erected. Displays are going up. Deals are quickly being struck with vendors already set up. And at the Upper Deck booth we are unpacking like crazy, hoping that everything sent reached its destination in good condition. We went all out this year. We have some amazing pieces to see. We brought out several unique insert cards from our upcoming 2010 Sweet Spot Football and 2009-10 NHL The Cup releases which will hit in late August-early September. People have been drooling over those cards. The Michael Jordan autographed Curve Display has been a traffic stopper as well, but there is one eye-catcher that stops both young and old collectors in their tracks every time. It’s the 2009 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions complete set of the Entomology, Landmarks and Thoroughbred Hair Cuts inserts. It is really amazing to see all these cards together and it’s commonplace to see people’s jaws drop when they stop by for a look.
BUGGY DISPLAY: At the Upper Deck Booth this weekend in Baltimore, swing by to check out the company's Entomology insect/insert cards!
The Hotel View – I didn’t realize just how central downtown Baltimore really is. All I knew about Baltimore prior to my first visit this weekend is what I learned on HBO’s critically acclaimed show The Wire and it certainly didn’t paint the best portrait of the city. Goes to show you can’t believe everything you see on TV. Our hotel is situated right next to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and beyond that on the skyline you can see the field where the Baltimore Ravens play. Oh and you can see into the ballpark from the hotel. How cool is that? Additionally the convention center and harbor are all within walking distance and with the exception of the humidity, I’ve loved this city so far.
ROOM WITH A VIEW: I can almost see Cal Ripken Jr. doing his victory lap back in 1995.
The Frowns Turn to Smiles – I’ll never get tired of this one. So many times at these shows and even at this show already where I’ve had someone come up to the booth so upset (which is a good thing; remember, they care). Getting to spend some time with them face-to-face explaining why Upper Deck does things a certain way, giving them that sneak peek behind the curtain, it is just really special. Nine times out of 10 I can have a passionate collector who comes to our booth upset but leaves happy. It’s just really gratifying to get the chance to listen to concerns and have the opportunity to educate collectors or share plans we have in place to fix things in the future. It’s so important to let them know that the people who make the brands they care about actually care about the people’s opinions who buy those brands. That is really special.
The Shaking Hands – Upper Deck spends a lot of money and time each year in producing a special wrapper redemption program for every NSCC. There is a different set of cards available at our booth each day provided collectors open up five packs of a new Upper Deck product at our booth. Randomly inserted into these packs are rare autographed cards from all sorts of sports legends like LeBron James, Gordie Howe and Michael Jordan to name just a few. When you see someone open the packs and find one of those cards, their hands immediately begin to shake. They want to show it off, but the excitement and thrill of finding one of these limited cards of a superstar athlete absolutely knocks them off their feet. It’s probably my favorite part of the show. It is such a special privilege to get to provide those moments to sports fanatics.
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE: This collector couldn't stop shaking when he pulled this MJ beauty from a pack of cards at our booth.
The Friendships – In just two days at the show it is just so great to see so many familiar faces. With the dawn of email, Facebook and so many other ways to keep in touch with friends and colleagues, there is nothing quite like the face-to-face experience you get with seeing customers and business partners who you have cultivated friendships with over the years. The caring and brutally honest dialogue that takes place between me and fans, collectors, shop owners, show vendors, distributors and league reps is really special. There is nothing quite like pressing the flesh (handshake) and spending time with people you may be totally different from outside the show, but in that great hall, you share the common bond of a true love for sports cards and memorabilia. It is very special.
The Chance to Help a Small Business Owner – There are so many great hobby shop owners out there who come to this show as a service to their customers. Some are set up and selling/buying/trading to make new customers, but many walk the show to trade items from dealers they know in other regions in order to get items in their region that their customers will want. They sell cards for their customers. They share what their customers are thinking and want with manufacturers. Quite simply, they come because they care. And to get the chance to talk with them about promotions Upper Deck can do in their store is very valuable to us. There are not as many hobby shops left as there were in the early ‘90s, but the ones that are know exactly what they’re doing. And they care. So make sure you make time to visit one if you haven’t been in awhile.
The Healthy Competition – I went to dinner last night with some customers and on the way back we came upon a guy who works for Panini America, one of our competitors. No glares or ill words were spoken. Instead smiles and high-fives were shared. Leaving we came upon some members of the Topps staff. Again, we had a nice conversation about the show and the industry. When we returned to the hotel, we came upon some of the Press Pass crew and again, we just enjoyed pleasant camaraderie. As competitive as our business is, I believe it is a healthy competition. I wake up every day motivated to beat Panini, Topps and anyone else at making the best sports collectibles, but it is a healthy competition. Or maybe I just like keeping my enemies close.
The Opportunity – More than anything else, to me and the Upper Deck staff in attendance, we treasure the opportunity to meet the thousands of collectors who have purchased Upper Deck products over the years. It is so helpful to get to hear your thoughts (except about Jai-Alai cards, that’s most likely not going to happen). It means the world to us to be able to spend time with collectors and to see their eyes light up as we share what we are coming out with next. And from the bottom of my heart, I just want to say, “THANK YOU!” We know you have a choice when you are choosing what company’s cards to purchase, but the fact that people choose Upper Deck means so much to everyone at 5909 Sea Otter Place. We love bringing fans closer to the game and we will continue to come in early and work late to meet and exceed collectors’ expectations. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH: This weekend will continue to be a blast for lucky collectors...and me!
By the way, I wrote this entry between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Friday morning because I couldn’t sleep. I can’t wait for the next day of the show and I hope you are there to experience it with me.
Popularity: 8% [?]
2010: The Year of the Pitcher?
Posted by: | CommentsAs I sat with friends at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Del Mar last night, I kept thinking, “Why do they have this Tampa Bay Rays game on? What about A-Rod’s quest for 600 home runs or Dan Haren’s first start as a member of the Angels?” The audio on the flat-screen TVs was turned way down so I had to wait until I saw a glimpse of the scoreboard to understand the significance of what was happening. Rays right-hander Matt Garza was just six outs away from throwing a no-hitter for Tampa Bay, which would mark the first in franchise history. Our casual conversations came to a halt and we became mesmerized by every pitch he threw over the next two innings.
In years past I might have thought, “I wonder how this one is going to get broken up?” But not this year as 2010 has definitely become the year of the pitcher. Four no-hitters have already taken place this season so it just seemed so much more possible. And while there have been plenty of assumptions in recent years that it is because the ball or maybe even the players were “juiced,” there’s no denying it has been exciting to watch pitchers at the top of their games.
Tampa Bay pitcher Matt Garza made history last night registering the first no-hitter in franchise history.
We laughed about how nervous we would be if you were an infielder in this situation and got a line drive directed our way, but you just would have to make the play. And that’s another thing that makes no-hitters so truly awesome; it really is a team achievement as you see players hustle like crazy to make plays for their pitcher and for the team. Rightfielder Ben Zobrist made an amazing leaping catch early in the third inning that will likely be forgotten, but it was critical in helping Garza make history. It just shows how important every play is and if your team is behind you, good things can happen. If you don’t believe me, then just ask Carlos Zambrano how he feels about that.
On June 25th Carlos Zambrano launched into a tirade after giving up four runs in an inning because he felt his team didn't have his back.
It was great television as we watched Garza get the no-no. Especially considering the Rays have made a habit of being on the receiving end of no-hitters with Mark Buehrle (White Sox) racking up one against them last season and both Dallas Braden (A’s) and Edwin Jackson (D-Backs) accomplishing the feat against them this season. But with this being the fifth no-hitter of the season – and that’s not even counting the perfect game that Detroit’s Armando Galarraga had stolen from him – one has one has to wonder: Who’s next?
They seem to be striking like lightning this year. And besides Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay, most of the pitchers who accomplished this feat in 2010 are not exactly considered the aces of their staff. So trying to figure out who will be next is like trying to determine when and where the next big earthquake will hit. You just don’t know.
Halladay made history with the Phillies this season by getting his first perfect game.
In the collectibles industry, as more no-hitters and perfect games are recorded during the same season, the trading cards and memorabilia of these players tend to actually depreciate a bit. I guess it seems a little less special the more it gets accomplished. But don’t try telling that to Ubaldo Jimenez or any of the other five players who accomplished the feat this year as I’m sure they’ll tell you it was no easy task.
Ubaldo Jimenez registered his no-hitter as a member of the Rockies this season.
We are watching history. It’s a flashback to the pitching dominance of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Embrace it. Collect it. Collecting these players is relatively inexpensive, so why not do it? They’ve accomplished something great in a very special season. There are plenty of rookies this season, but the cost of some of their cards is off the charts (see Stephen Strasburg). Part of the fun of collecting cards and memorabilia is they help bring you back to special moments in sports that gave you goose bumps. There have arguably been six of those moments this year and if you ask me, I think there may be more coming. Just don’t ask me when it’s going to happen next.
Popularity: 2% [?]
How Many Injuries Can the Red Sox Suffer?
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I’m a big baseball fan; have been for 40-plus years. And even though I grew up on Long Island, I was brainwashed early by my Boston-bred father to cheer for the Red Sox. It was the ‘70’s and with guys like Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice and Luis Tiant in the lineup, it seemed like a pretty good thing. Besides, I hated listening to the completely biased remarks and commentary being spewed about by NY Yankee announcers Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer and Bill White on WPIX (Channel 11).
Well, for the next 30 years, I endured like the rest of New England, watching the Red Sox come oh-so-close to winning it all, only to lose in very dramatic fashion via multiple scenarios: Game 7, 1975 World Series; 1978 one-game playoff against the Evil Empire; Game 6, 1986 World Series; and, of course, Game 7, 2003 American League Championship Series, when fly-by-night Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone took Tim Wakefield yard in the bottom of the 11th inning.
But lo and behold, all became right with the world in October of 2004 when the Red Sox not only came back from a three-games-to-none deficit to beat the dreaded Yankees in the ALCS, but also swept the Cardinals in the World Series. Since St. Louis had beaten the Sox (in seven games, naturally) in the ‘67 Fall Classic, it was like exorcising two demons in two weeks off New Englanders’ backs. It marked Beantown’s first WS ring in 86 years and a lot of elderly folks in the northeast were saying they could go to their graves now because they had seen the Red Sox reverse the curse of the Bambino, Babe Ruth. Boston’s subsequent title in 2007 was a true gift, something nobody except for Boston GM Theo Epstein expected to see again in this lifetime. But because it was the Red Sox, a team so often associated with heartbreak in years past, everyone embraced their second title inside of four years.
Come back, Pedroia: I can't wait for my favorite second baseman to come back swinging.
But this year, the Boston batsmen – despite dropping like flies due to a rash of injuries – are hanging in there, trailing their arch-nemesis by seven games in the AL East standings as of today. I still get the MLB Extra Innings package, which allows me to watch my beloved Sox night after night and listen to their funny (and, dare I say, objective) commentators Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo. Even my wife likes listening to these two chowder heads because they really seem to have a good time chatting it up in the broadcast booth. But lately, the walking wounded wearing red socks haven’t been able to win too many series. And now I’m starting to wonder if some higher force is trying to cripple my favorite team. I mean, first it was Josh Beckett (back) and Jacoby Ellsbury (broken ribs) going down in April. Then June came along and snatched Clay Buchholz (pulled hammy), Dustin Pedroia (broken foot), and Victor Martinez (broken thumb) in less than 48 hours! July wasn’t exactly kind either as Adrian Beltre (hammy), Jeremy Hermida (ribs) and Mike Lowell (hip) all took turns on the DL.
The Yankees, incredibly, have been blessed with great health nearly the entire season; save for Andy Pettitte’s pulled groin a couple of nights ago. But despite the number bodies falling by the wayside, Sox manager Terry Francona has been able to keep his team in every game and battling to the last out. At times it’s been tough to watch my prized baseball team take the field with nobodies like Darnell McDonald, Eric Patterson, Bill Hall and Dusty Brown in the starting lineup, but I must admit, they’ve been holding their own. And the Sox latest breakthrough star, Daniel Nava, seems to have actually attracted a legion of fans over in left field.
The Red Sox start a four-game series with Seattle tonight, so let’s see if something magical can take place at Safeco Field. On paper, Boston should win tonight. Right-hander John Lackey (9-5) squares off against the M’s Ryan-Rowland-Smith (1-9). After dropping back-to-back series against the Rays and the lowly A’s, the Fenway Faithful need something good to happen to their team. The rest of the 2010 MLB season starts in about two hours. Let’s roll.
Popularity: 3% [?]
