Varitek: Taking Away Your Team's Hits

Been a while since I updated this baby. Sadly, no more no-hitters to add to the list, but Tek has accumulated a few more one and two-hitters. He's pretty awesome, and I feel no shame in saying that without crediting any of the pitchers. All Tek.

No-Hitters
April 4, 2001 (vs. Orioles) - WP Hideo Nomo
April 27, 2002 (vs. Devil Rays) - WP Derek Lowe
October 1, 2006 *5 Inning Game* (vs. Orioles) - WP Devern Hansack (doesn't actually count in the books as a no-hitter, but I'm adding it to my list)
September 1, 2007 (vs. Orioles) - WP Clay Buchholz
May 19, 2008 (vs. Royals) - WP Jon Lester

One-Hitters
August 29, 2000 (vs. Devil Rays) - WP Pedro Martinez
May 25, 2001 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Hideo Nomo
June 14, 2005 (vs. Reds) - WP David Wells
July 18, 2006 (vs. Royals) - WP Jon Lester
June 7, 2007 (vs. A's) - WP Curt Schilling (the infamous shaking-off-Tek game!)
May 22, 2010 (vs. Phillies) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka
May 25, 2010 (vs. Rays) - WP Jon Lester
June 15, 2011 (vs. Rays) - WP Josh Beckett

Two-Hitters
July 28, 1999 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Pat Rapp
April 4, 2000 (vs. Mariners) - WP Pedro Martinez
May 12, 2000 (vs. Orioles) - WP Pedro Martinez
June 8, 2000 (vs. Indians) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 26, 2001 (vs. Twins) - WP Hideo Nomo
April 5, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP Derek Lowe
April 19, 2002 (vs. Royals) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 25, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP Pedro Martinez
June 20, 2002 (vs. Padres) - WP Pedro Martinez
July 6, 2002 (vs. Tigers) - WP Pedro Martinez
July 30, 2002 (vs. Angels) - WP Pedro Martinez
September 21, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP John Burkett
June 8, 2004 (vs. Padres) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 29, 2008 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Jonathan Papelbon (SP Jon Lester)
August 29, 2008 (vs. White Sox) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka
June 9, 2009 (vs. Yankees) - WP Josh Beckett
April 28, 2010 (vs. Jays) - WP Jon Lester
April 10, 2011 (vs. Yankees) - WP Josh Beckett
April 18, 2011 (vs. Jays) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka
April 23, 2011 (vs. Angels) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka

Armando Galarraga: Robbed

Ugh... All I have to say about the attempted perfect game by Galarraga is that the umpires blew it. To lose a no-hitter is one thing. Sure, it's painful, and sure, you may never get it again, but it's not as bad. Galarraga had what would have been the third perfect game of the 2010 season if the umpire at first, Jim Joyce, hadn't completely blown the call. There have never been as many as two perfect games in a season before this year. Three would have been amazing.

Listen, I can't speak for what Jim Joyce saw or heard, but Jason Donald was out by a whole step. Sure, Galarraga snow-coned the ball, but he was holding onto it. Heartbreaking. Galarraga handled the news well, but his facial expression broke my heart.

Jim Joyce should be ashamed of himself. I've been saying it all season... the umpiring this year has been disgraceful. I don't care if he made the call he thought was right, I hope he gets punished for it.

Also, in news that I feel I should have more to say about... Ken Griffey Jr. has announced his retirement. For a long time, Griffey was the embodiment of hope. He was going to be the next Hank Aaron. He was going to break the home run record. He was going to break every record there was. And then injuries derailed his career, and we were all left wondering what could have been. Don't get me wrong, The Kid put together a tremendous career, and his accomplishments are certainly nothing to be ashamed of. He had a wonderful 22 year and 2 month career that will almost definitely end with him getting into Cooperstown on the first ballot. If he doesn't, it'll be a crime against baseball for sure.

He finishes up with 630 home runs, putting him fifth on the all-time home run list. There's not a whole lot I can say about Griffey that won't be said a million times in the coming days. All I can say is that in the game of baseball and the hearts of baseball fans, he's a legend in his own right, and he will be missed. Thanks, Junior, for all the memories and good luck!

Jason Varitek: A Magician Of Sorts

I'll get to Dice-K and his own personal sorcery in a minute, but I just want to take my opening paragraph to praise my favorite player, because Dice-K's brilliant performance affords me that opportunity. Yes, I'm ridiculously bias, but I love Tek, and SOME credit has to be given to the catcher for bringing the best out of their pitching staff. Yes, I am aware that over his career, Tek has been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the best pitchers the Red Sox have ever had. But I'm not going to let a trivial detail like that get in my way Tek-praise. I decided to do a little research and see how often Tek has caught no-hitters (4), 1-hitters, or two-hitters. Sure, two hitters aren't as impressive, but whatever. I like having stuff to look up. I admit, I only checked out the game data for games the Sox won where the opposing team didn't score any runs. I know, I'm a bad historian. Sue me. Or don't. Actually, don't. I don't have a lot of money nor do I have a lot of time to spend in court. Anyway, before my Dice-K praise, here are my findings:

No-Hitters
April 4, 2001 (vs. Orioles) - WP Hideo Nomo
April 27, 2002 (vs. Devil Rays) - WP Derek Lowe
October 1, 2006 *5 Inning Game* (vs. Orioles) - WP Devern Hansack (doesn't actually count in the books as a no-hitter, but I'm adding it to my list)
September 1, 2007 (vs. Orioles) - WP Clay Buchholz
May 19, 2008 (vs. Royals) - WP Jon Lester

One-Hitters
August 29, 2000 (vs. Devil Rays) - WP Pedro Martinez
May 25, 2001 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Hideo Nomo
June 14, 2005 (vs. Reds) - WP David Wells
July 18, 2006 (vs. Royals) - WP Jon Lester
June 7, 2007 (vs. A's) - WP Curt Schilling (the infamous shaking-off-Tek game!)
May 22, 2010 (vs. Phillies) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka

Two-Hitters
July 28, 1999 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Pat Rapp
April 4, 2000 (vs. Mariners) - WP Pedro Martinez
May 12, 2000 (vs. Orioles) - WP Pedro Martinez
June 8, 2000 (vs. Indians) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 26, 2001 (vs. Twins) - WP Hideo Nomo
April 5, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP Derek Lowe
April 19, 2002 (vs. Royals) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 25, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP Pedro Martinez
June 20, 2002 (vs. Padres) - WP Pedro Martinez
July 6, 2002 (vs. Tigers) - WP Pedro Martinez
July 30, 2002 (vs. Angels) - WP Pedro Martinez
September 21, 2002 (vs. Orioles) - WP John Burkett
June 8, 2004 (vs. Padres) - WP Pedro Martinez
April 29, 2008 (vs. Blue Jays) - WP Jonathan Papelbon (SP Jon Lester)
August 29, 2008 (vs. White Sox) - WP Daisuke Matsuzaka
June 9, 2009 (vs. Yankees) - WP Josh Beckett

So there. Proof that Tek is amazing. I mean, sure, Pedro's name is up there about a hundred times, but where would he have been without Varitek? I dare not even think it (because it may disprove my theory of Varitek being indispensable). I feel good now.

As for Dice-K.... wow. I was absolutely stunned and impressed. But of course, I knew he wasn't going to get the no-hitter because I am utterly superstitious when it comes to these sorts of things, and around the 7th inning, the jackasses on Fox said "I'm just going to say it. He's got a no-hitter." And that, my friends, was the end of the good karma. You NEVER say no-hitter during a no-hitter. Apparently, the Red Sox radio guys were doing the same thing. Bad karma all around. I really wanted it for him. I've given the guy so much abuse, and I finally have a reason to be nice to him and the horrible people in charge of the media go and mess it all up. I guess I've learned my lesson. Now, if any of our pitchers are throwing a no-no, I'll be sure to put the TV on mute. If you don't hear the bad karma, it doesn't count, right? Right.

Anyhow, the one hit Dice allowed was painful. Painful because it was catchable.... or it would have been if Scutaro were just a few inches taller. I found myself muttering bitterly that Gonzo would have had it, but I don't know. It was just placed very inconveniently. I'm not going to blame Scutaro, even though I want to blame him really really badly. He did all he could. At least I think he did all he could. Still, Dice-K was able to get it together long enough to finish the game. This Dice-K robot that shows up every other start or so is very welcome. I just don't know what happens to him the game after a gem. I really, truly hope he can follow up this performance with another great one.

And not for nothing, but our once-suspect defense was unbelievable. David Ortiz played a great first base. Adrian Beltre snared a line drive. Even Dice made a fantastic catch off of a line-drive that could have ended up going up the middle. I don't know what got into our usually sketchy defense, but I'm glad that they're putting it together. I mean, really, how could I complain?

I'd go into the offense, but all I really care about is the fact that we won the game. We scored runs, and we didn't waste the great performance from our starting pitcher. Also, I'm lazy and I still have one more good game to write about before the game tonight, so... all you get is the fact that I'm happy. What a game it was. What a wonderful, heartbreaking game. Luckily, I've got another wonderful game to report on. All in due time, though. All in due time.

150 Posts Later, I'm Still Missing Dougie

Wow. I completely missed my celebration for my 100th post, so my 150th will have to do.

And the awful thing is that I am unprepared. Like a college student who skipped the entire semester, didn't buy the book, and is showing up to the final. So I guess this isn't going to be a spectacular post, especially considering that there was no game yesterday so I have no praise or negativity to hand out.

I was just asked how many knuckleball pitchers in the history of major league baseball have thrown no hitters. I have no idea. This lead to a little research project. Come on, after Wake's awesome performance Wednesday, aren't you the least bit curious how often it's been done? I know I was, so as my 150th Post-a-palooza, I'm here to provide you with the information you didn't even know you craved.

My qualifications for this list were that the pitchers had to be most-known for the knuckleball (IE - Wakey). The no-hitter had to occur during the years they were known for the knuckler... for example, Ted Lyons threw a no-hitter in 1926. He didn't switch to a knuckleball until 1931, so he doesn't count. I tried to be thorough about this, but it is tricky. Unfortunately, I can only count no-hitters recognized by major league baseball because I couldn't find a more comprehensive list. Oh well. For your enjoyment...

Knuckleball Pitchers and The No-Hitters Who Loved Them

- Sept. 5th, 1908 - Nap Rucker of the Brooklyn Superbas (LA Dodgers) threw a no-hitter against the Boston Doves (Atlanta Braves). Brooklyn won 6-0

-April 14th, 1917 - Eddie Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox threw a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns (Baltimore Orioles). Chicago won 11-0

-July 17th, 1924 - Jessie Haines of the St. Louis Cardinals threw a no-no against the Boston Braves (Atlanta Braves). St. Louis won 5-0

-April 27th, 1944 - Jim Tobin (who's nickname was Abba Dabba... seriously, that's awesome) of the Boston Braves pitched a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers (LAD), leading Boston to a 2-0 victory

-September 20th, 1958 - Hoyt Wilhelm of the Baltimore Orioles threw an 8 K no hitter against Don Larsen and the New York Yankees. Baltimore won 1-0.

-April 23rd, 1964 - Ken Johnson of the Houston Astros, in perhaps the most bizarre knuckleball no-hitter, lost to Joe Nuxhall and the Cincinnatti Reds 1-0. The Astros logged 5 hits, but couldn't score a run. Both Johnson and Nuxhall pitched complete games. Pete Rose scored the only run of the game, on a ball hit by Vada Pinson. It seems the error that allowed the run to score was the fault of Nellie Fox.

and finally...
-August 5th, 1973 - Phil Niekro of the Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres by a score of 9-0. But I find this far less entertaining than Johnson's no-hitter.

So there you have it. In the history of major league baseball, only seven predominantly-knuckleball pitchers have thrown no-hitters. Three have happened in April, two in September, one in July, and one in August. Of all the no hitters by knuckleballers, Boston teams have been involved in three. All three times, it was the franchise that would go on to be the Atlanta Braves. In the franchise history, the Braves have been involved with 4 knuckler no-no's. The Dodgers and Orioles franchises have been involved two times apiece. Only once has the no-hitting knuckler taken a loss for a 9-inning complete game. Pretty fascinating stuff.

Anyway, what good would a 150th Post-tastic post be without mention of two of my favorite Sox alum?

My darling Ducky hit a grand slam for the Blue Jays last night. He hasn't hit a grand slam since 2003, so you know it was kind of a rare sighting. I hope the Blue Jays are enjoying Millar. So many years later, and I still miss him dearly. Why couldn't he have been in Toronto last year when I actually went there?! Though in all fairness, I was in Baltimore, too...

I've seen it on a few blogs already, but I want to pipe in regarding Dougie's new gig as a real estate agent. He's gotten chubby, and greyer, but that doesn't deter me from wanting him to sell me a house. Oh my goodness, I think I'll stop in Michigan on the way home from Chicago just to get his business card and let him show me some real estate...

...why is my brain insisting that should be considered a perverted line? Does it come off as perverted to anyone else? Hmm. Weird. We all know (and by 'we,' I'm more than likely just talking about me) that I love Doug. It's more than likely my fault he got fired... you know, due to my well-documented spring training jinx, wherein whenever I go to spring training, the Red Sox get rid of a player I love (that's why I didn't go this year!). I still get giddy whenever I hear news about Doug. The prospect of letting him sell me a house that I probably cannot afford is mind-murderingly awesome. However, he really should consider putting on a black suit with white pinstripes... and a fedora. Do you know how much money I would pay to see Doug in a gangster-style suit?

It's an absurd amount. Absurd.

And here I am, at the close of my 150th post. I feel so accomplished!

Blue Jays Series: Good Times

Yeah, I'm aware that I don't post on the weekends, and yes I know I'm late posting by my own standards, but forgive me. I've got a shiny new printer here at work and I'm trying to get it to accept and love my computer. So far, I have failed, so the Help Desk is basically trying to be a matchmaking service. Printer... I will MAKE YOU love computer, if it's the last thing I do for the day!

So anyhow.... Wakefield.... awesome. Byrd... disappointing. Colon.... didn't even realize he was scheduled to pitch, but good nonetheless. Lester... seriously, you don't know by now? Lester is money. Cash in a win with Jon on the mound. As long as Cash isn't playing, of course.

Luck went our way in this series, which is something that you really can't take for granted. If Papelbon didn't have a little luck, you're looking at a 2nd and 3rd situation with no outs, and the tying run being the guy on 2nd. Luckily, we got a bad call in our favor (to make up for all the blown HR calls this year, I suppose), and we won that third game.

On a side note... honestly, was Papelbon surprised that his high school dance video would come out eventually. And was he even really embarrassed? He should be relieved he was wearing pants... sort of.

Byrd may have been terrible in that first Saturday game, but in all fairness, he was due for a bad start. Pitchers having bad starts is just something that happens. You have to expect it, and you have to deal with it. For a gross metaphor that I tried to avoid using but couldn't, it's like that special monthly visitor that females are blessed with. You know it's due to come eventually, and yes it sucks, and probably ruins your day, but you just have to expect it. If you expect it, it's never as bad.

Ok, I have no idea where my mind is today. I'm fretting over Kazmir. I hate facing Kazmir. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy as a pitcher and watching him make teams look stupid does tend to be pretty enjoyable. You know, except for when it's the Red Sox being made to look stupid. Then I don't enjoy it. I can't even tell you the last time I used the phrase "fretting," that's how much I'm actually fretting.

I also want to point out that Carlos Zambrano is now my least favorite pitcher in baseball. After going almost the entire season with only Lester's no-hitter to adore and be proud of, Z decides it's time to take the crown of "Most Recent No-No" from Jon. We were SO CLOSE to the end of the season... two more weeks, and Jon would have been the only one this year. But it was not to be. Does this mean the Cubs are gonna win the World Series now? I mean, Clay's no-no was the last one last year, and we won it... I don't know. I'm still proud of Jon for everything he's done this year, reigning no-no crown or not.

For the record, I am aware that this blog might as well be called "I Love Jon Lester" because the dialogue has devolved into something like this "Jon Jon Jon Jon Jon Jon Jon Jon Munchkin Jon Jon Jon Jon! LOVE LOVE LOVE!" Please be advised that I make no promises for this to change.

Dice-K, Commander Kickass, and Timmy Wonderpitches.... gentlemen (and Josh), the season is in your hands, and.... Josh, put down the damn gun and pay attention! Like I was saying... the season is in your hands. A sweep, and the division is ours. 2-3, and we're tied. Nothing besides these two options is even halfway acceptable. They embarrased us in our house... JOSH! Stop strangling the clubhouse attendants! I'm talking to you, here!.... Sigh. Yes, right in our own house they came in and took 2 out of 3. Return the favor, and then some, with extreme prejudice. You've all had bad starts recently. It's time to man up and get the... DEAR GOD, JOSH! Why did you set Lowrie on fire?! WE NEED HIM! DO YOU REALLY WANT LUGO BACK?! No? Then put out Lowrie! And 'Tek, stop telling Josh about symbolism. Those kinds of things are dangerous in the wrong hands! Well, Jed seems to be ok. Someone get him some ointment, he'll be fine. As for you three... just win.