Jack Brady takes over in Boston

[Swami077]

The Red Sox dropped their home opener by a score of 4-1 to the Cleveland Indians this afternoon. Beau Allred's 2 run home run off Red Sox reliever Dennis Lamp in the 11th inning broke a 1-1 tie and gave Cleveland the win. Bob Tewksbury was able to continue his strong pitching from the spring, as he allowed 1 run on just 4 hits over 6 innings of work. However, he was matched by the Indians' newly acquired starter Scott Sanderson. Just added off of waivers yesterday, Sanderson worked 7 innings of 1 run ball for the Indians. Boston's lone run came on a Phil Plantier home run in the second inning, which was already his third of the season. After an off day tomorrow, the team will meet again on Saturday for the second game of this 4 game opening series at Fenway.


Boston dropped its third straight today, 8-6 to the Cleveland Indians. Following Jimmy Key's performance in Toronto earlier this week, free agent addition Chris Bosio had a strikingly similar effort for the Red Sox today. He allowed 7 earned runs in just 3.1 innings. A Beau Allred 3 run homer in the first inning set the tone for the day. Jim Thome went 3-for-5 with 5 RBI for the Indians. Despite trailing 7-0 in the 4th inning, the Red Sox never quit and made a game of it. Representing the potential game winning run, pinch hitter Mo Vaughn struck out against Indians closer Steve Olin to end the game. Boston wasted a 4-for-4 effort from Ellis Burks atop their order. Mike Greenwell added 3 hits and 2 RBI in the losing effort.


Reigning Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens was knocked around today, allowing 7 earned runs. While he obviously did not have his best stuff, he was able to grind through 6 innings. The Indians jumped on Clemens with 3 runs in the first. Boston tied the game with a 3 run 4th, but Cleveland answered back immediately with 2 in the 5th and never looked back. Pat Hentgen pitched well in relief, tossing 3 scoreless innings. Manager Jim Fregosi indicated after the game that he is a candidate to earn a rotation spot in the not so distant future.

[Swami077]

April 22, 1991
It was a pair of three game sweeps for the Red Sox this week. First, they took three games at home against the Kansas City Royals, following immediately by dropped all three games in Cleveland against the Indians. Boston’s record sits at 5-8 on the season, but are now 0-7 against the Indians. Fortunately, they won’t see Cleveland again until August.

Boston’s offense was on fire for the better part of the week. Ellis Burks led the club and he took home American League player of the week honors. He went 10-for-29 with 4 home runs last week. The Red Sox have hit 17 homers on the season to lead the American League. Phil Plantier leads the AL with 5, while Burks and Tim Naehring are right behind him with 4 each.

On the pitching side, Roger Clemens bounced back from a rough outing last weekend to pitch 8 solid innings in Cleveland on Friday night. He was denied the win when the bullpen imploded in the 9th inning. The late inning combo of Steve Farr and Jeff Reardon had been outstanding this season prior to that.

Bob Tewksbury’s results have been much improved from his disastrous season last year, but there’s cause for concern in the underlying numbers. Tewksbury has struck out just one batter in his two starts, a span of 12.2 innings. Chris Bosio may get just one more opportunity to prove himself worthy of a rotation spot. He has opened his Red Sox career with back to back awful outings. With Pat Hentgen having pitched very well out of the bullpen thus far, it’s likely only a matter of time before he’s given a shot in the rotation.

The Red Sox claimed RHP Rod Beck off waivers from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. Beck, 22, was outrighted by San Francisco to clear a spot on the 40 man roster. He had been pitching in AA for the Giants this season, after having spent the majority of last year on the Major League roster. He made 28 appearances (9 starts), going 4-7 with a 4.81 ERA. He’s expected to report to AAA Pawtucket and will be a candidate to join Boston’s bullpen at some point this season.

Down in the Florida State League, Winter Haven outfielder Paul Rappoli was named Player of the Week. He went 14-for-31 last week, good for a .452 batting average. The 19 year old Rappoli spent last year in the Gulf Coast League, hitting .296 with 2 home runs in 223 at bats.

Around the League
The San Diego Padres announced last week that they had agreed to a 5 year contract extension with 33 year old SP Bruce Hurst. It’s a 5 year/$15.8 million deal that will keep Hurst in San Diego through the 1996 season. Hurst is coming off a season in which he finished third in NL Cy Young voting, going 20-8 with a 2.58 ERA. He has gotten off to another great start in 1991, being the winning pitcher in each of his first three starts.

Mariners pitcher Jack Morris got the 200th victory of his career with a win against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday last week. His Mariners career has gotten off to a great start, as he’s now 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA on the season.

While Ellis Burks was player of the week in the American League, the award in the National League went to Montreal’s Larry Walker. Walker hit .636 with a home run last week.

Week in Review

Rick Reed stole the show on this Patriots Day at Fenway Park. He pitched a complete game, allowing just 3 hits in an 8-2 victory for the surprising Cleveland Indians. The Indians have run their early season record to 6-1, while the Red Sox have dropped its 5th game in a row. Red Sox starter Dana Kiecker did not have his best stuff today, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in 5 innings. He struck out only 1. Mo Vaughn showed that he may be emerging from his slow start with his second home run in as many days. Kansas City now heads to Boston to open a three game series tomorrow.


The Red Sox took game one of their series against the Royals by a score of 7-3. It was an outstanding performance from Wade Boggs that carried the team to victory. He went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and 3 RBIs. Tim Naehring broke a scoreless tie with a two run home run, his third of the season, off Royals' starter Kevin Appier in the 4th inning. The offensive support was appreciated by Boston starter Jimmy Key, who was making his debut in front of the Fenway faithful. He earned the win, pitching six innings while allowing 3 runs on 6 hits.


The Red Sox got their second straight victory over the Kansas City Royals, 6-5 today at Fenway Park. Bob Tewksbury wasn't as sharp as he was in his first start of the season, but was good enough to earn the win. He pitched into the 7th inning and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits. Ellis Burks and Matt Nokes each hit their first home runs of the season off Royals' starter Howard Farmer. Farmer, a Rule 5 pick from the Expos, gave up 6 runs on 11 hits in 4 innings of work. The Red Sox late inning bullpen combo of Steve Farr and Jeff Reardon combined to throw two perfect innings to preserve Boston's one run lead.


In one of the wildest games we've seen at Fenway Park in quite some time, the Red Sox beat the Royals 15-10 to finish off a three game sweep. They did so by sending 14 men to the plate in the first inning while scoring 11 times. Phil Plantier hit a 3 run homer and Mo Vaughn added a grand slam to cap off the inning. Royals starter Bret Saberhagen was able to record just two outs while allowing 7 runs. Though it seemed like the Red Sox had broken the game wide open early, the Royals answered back with 8 runs of their own off Red Sox starter Chris Bosio in the top of the second. Pat Hentgen came on in relief to keep the Royals at bay for the next 2.2 innings to earn the win. Ellis Burks allowed Boston to extend their lead with two home runs later in the game, giving him three on the season.

[Swami077]

The Indians got the best of the Red Sox for the fifth time in as many games, this time in Cleveland by a score of 6-5. It was a total meltdown for Boston's bullpen in the 9th inning after Roger Clemens started and went 8 innings allowing 3 runs. Taking a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 9th, closer Jeff Reardon walked Jim Thome and allowed a single to Albert Belle before he was removed for lefty Rob Murphy to face Red Sox killer Beau Allred. Allred had already homered and doubled off Clemens earlier in the game, but he was removed for pinch hitter Alan Cockrell who promptly lined a single to left field to load the bases. Steve Farr entered and allowed back to back singles to tie the game before walking in the game winning run for Cleveland. Phil Plantier and Ellis Burks both stayed hot with homers in the losing effort for the Red Sox.


Despite jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, the Red Sox dropped their 6th straight game to the Indians this season, 12-3. A two run home run by Jeff Manto off Dana Kiecker tied the game in the 3rd inning. The game would remain tied at 3 until the 6th inning when the Indians scored two runs to take the lead. They added 5 in the 7th and 2 more in the 8th off Boston's bullpen to put the game out of reach. Indians starter Greg Roscoe came within 1 out of a complete game, getting the win by allowing 3 runs on 6 hits. Alan Cockrell and Sandy Alomar had 3 hits apiece to lead the Indians attack. Kiecker tossed 6 innings, allowing 6 earned runs on 7 hits, taking the loss.


The Indians earned their second sweep of the Red Sox in a week with a 5-2 win today at Cleveland Stadium. After finishing last season with just 56 wins, the Indians have gotten off to a surprising 9-2 start this season. They jumped on Red Sox starter Jimmy Key with 4 runs in the 1st inning and we never seriously threatened. Mitch Webster went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI to lead the Indians. Boston's two runs scored on a 6th inning home run by Tim Naehring, his 4th of the year. Indians starter Scott Sanderson got the win, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 7. Key lasted 5.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits but struggled greatly with his control, walking 5. The Red Sox head back home for a 3 game series with Toronto at Fenway Park starting tomorrow.

[Swami077]

April 29, 1991
It was an eventful week for the Boston Red Sox. After dropping 2 out of 3 at home to the Blue Jays, they went to Kansas City and took 2 out of 3 against the Royals. Their 8-11 record at this point has them in 5th place in the American League East division. They have had one of the strongest offenses in baseball to this point, leading the American League in runs scored, batting average and home runs. However, they have also had one of the poorest pitching staffs to negate the gains made by the offense. They are last in the league in runs allowed.

A brief lineup shakeup helped to jumpstart Mike Greenwell’s season. Hitting in his customary third spot in the lineup for the first two weeks of the season, Greenwell was off to a slow start with a .190 batting average and just 5 runs batted in. Manager Jim Fregosi dropped him to the 6 hole last weekend in Cleveland. After returning to the 3 spot early this week, Greenwell heated up going 13-for-22 over his next 5 games to raise his average to .311.

A surprising contributor to the offense has been backup catcher Matt Nokes. Acquired from the Tigers in the offseason, Nokes is off to a blistering start with 13 hits in his first 26 at bats after hitting just .196 last season in Detroit.

The pitching staff received a couple of shakeups last week as well. After allowing runs in 3 straight outings, Fregosi announced that veteran Jeff Reardon would be removed from the closer role at least temporarily. Steve Farr has been shifted into the 9th inning stopper role and earned his first save of the season over the weekend in Kansas City. Farr hasn’t allowed a run in his first 7 appearances with the Red Sox.

Chris Bosio’s struggles continued through the last week. He surrendered 20 runs in his first three starts of the season without making it through 4 innings in any of them. He was moved to the bullpen following a start against the Blue Jays last week. Serving in a mop up role in the bullpen this weekend in Kansas City, he allowed all 6 batters he faced to reach in his first appearance, before settling down and pitching three strong innings in yesterday’s blowout loss. Pat Hentgen seems likely to take Bosio’s next turn in the rotation, which likely won’t be until later next week due to a number of upcoming off days.

Around the League
The Red Sox got to see American League player of the week Brian McRae up close this past weekend. He homered in each game of the series, giving him 5 for the season. For the season, the 23 year old outfielder is hitting .379 with 5 homers and 13 RBI. In the National League, Houston 3B Bill Doran took home the award by going 12-for-16 last week.

Big news in Toronto last week with the Blue Jays promoting top prospect catcher Carlos Delgado. He made his Major League debut last week in Boston at just 18 years old. Delgado figures to be a mainstay in the Blue Jays’ lineup for years to come.

There were a couple of significant injuries suffered last week. Mets catcher Lance Parrish suffered a broken kneecap and will be out for the rest of the season. It is a big blow to the Mets who just acquired Parrish in a trade with California this past offseason. Darren Reed figures to reclaim the starting catcher role after serving as the team’s primary catcher last season.

Detroit outfielder Tom Brunansky has a bone spur in his elbow and will be out until June. He had gotten off to a strong start, hitting .290 in his first 9 games with the Tigers providing a bright spot for a team that has struggled and finds itself in last place in the AL East.

Week in Review

Pinch hitter Junior Felix hit a two run home run off Boston closer Jeff Reardon with two outs in the top of the 9th inning to steal a victory over the Red Sox tonight, 4-3. Ellis Burks hit a mammoth two run homer in the 5th inning to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead which they would take into the 9th inning. The home run for Burks was his 5th of the season, and traveled an estimated 496 feet to dead center field. Reardon's first blown save of the season wasted a strong outing from Bob Tewksbury, who pitched 7 innings and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3. Derek Bell went 3-for-4 to lead the Blue Jays. Ed Nunez earned the win, pitching two scoreless innings in relief of starter Don Robinson. Duane Ward pitched clean 9th for his 4th save.


The Red Sox blew a lead for the second straight day in losing to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. After putting up 5 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning to take a 6-3 lead, the Red Sox gave it all back in the very next inning allowing Toronto to score 4 times to take a lead they would never relinquish. It was a third consecutive rough outing for Chris Bosio who did not make it out of the 4th inning. Bosio is expected to be removed from the rotation before his next scheduled start. Mike Greenwell and Matt Nokes each had 3 hits for Boston. Brett Butler and John Olerud had 3 hits apiece for the Blue Jays, while Fred McGriff added two hits including a two run home run.


Jeff Bagwell picked a perfect time for his first career home run, blasting a 3 run shot off Toronto starter Dave Stieb in the 8th inning to break a 2-2 tie and give the Red Sox the lead. Closer Jeff Reardon made things interesting in the 9th by allowing a run and was pulled with two outs and the base loaded. Jeff Gray got rookie catcher Carlos Delgado to pop out to end the game. In what was easily his best outing of the season so far, ace Roger Clemens pitched 6.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and added 6 strikeouts. He took a shutout into the 7th inning and was ultimately removed after throwing 121 pitches. With the Red Sox holding onto a tenuous 2-1 lead, a passed ball by catcher Tony Pena allowed Manuel Lee to score from 3rd to tie the game. A red hot Mike Greenwell had 3 more hits for the Red Sox and finishes this three game series 8-for-12.

[Swami077]

The Red Sox prevailed 10-7 tonight in a slugfest at Royals Stadium. They pounded out 18 hits, including 8 extra base hits in the game, as they jumped on Kansas City starter Kevin Appier for the second time in just over a week. Wade Boggs and Ellis Burks had 3 hits apiece to lead a Red Sox lineup in which each starter had at least one hit. Dana Kiecker got the benefit of the great run support to earn the win despite allowing 6 runs and 9 hits in 5+ innings. Following the recent struggles of closer Jeff Reardon, it was Steve Farr who got the ball in the 9th inning in a save situation.


Boston hit double digits in runs for the second day in a row in Kansas City, beating the Royals by a score of 10-5. They used an 8 run 5th inning to knock Royals starter Howard Farmer out of the game and break the game open. Mo Vaughn and Mike Greenwell had 3 hits apiece for the Red Sox to pace their attack. One of Greenwell's 3 hits was certainly memorable as he recorded an inside the park home run in the 4th inning. Jimmy Key earned the win, pitching 7 dominant innings while allowing just 1 run on 5 hits to improve to 2-2 on the season. Jeff Reardon who had recently been removed from the closer role, pitched a clean 8th inning. Chris Bosio, recently demoted from the rotation, did not fare as well. He entered a 10-1 game in the 9th inning and was unable to retire any of the 6 batters he faced. His future with the team is murky at best.


After Boston took the first 5 games of the season against Kansas City, the Royals struck back in a big way tonight, winning 16-2. Bret Saberhagen threw a complete game to earn his first win of the season, and allowed just 2 hits before the 9th inning. Bob Tewksbury got the start for the Red Sox and took a big step backward after his promising start to the season. He lasted 2.2 innings, allowing 9 runs on 11 hits. With Ellis Burks DHing and getting a day off from center field, Kevin Romine opened the flood gates with a key error in the 2nd inning. Brian McRae went 3-for-4 and homered twice, giving him 4 in his last 3 games. Joey Cora went 4-for-5 atop the Royals' order. The most encouraging sign from this game for Boston was Chris Bosio pitching 3 inning in mop up duty and allowing just 1 hit.

[Swami077]

May 3, 1991 – The Boston Red Sox made a trade with the Chicago Cubs this morning, acquiring 30 year old left handed relief pitcher Paul Assenmacher in exchange for AA infielder Alex Delgado. The Red Sox bullpen has taken some beatings already this season, but none more painful than the meltdown suffered this week in Minnesota. Leading 6-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning, a total implosion led to the Twins scoring 9 runs in the inning to send the Red Sox to a tough loss.

Assenmacher will provide the Red Sox with a second left handed relief option in addition to Rob Murphy, who has struggled so far this season. The Cubs, who are off to a historically poor start at 2-20, were eager to unload Assenmacher who is likely to be a “Super 2” free agent at season’s end. Assenmacher has made 8 appearances for the Cubs this season, posting a 4.70 ERA with 7 strikeouts over 7.2 innings of work. Serving as Chicago’s closer last season, he tallied 29 saves to go along with a 3.07 ERA. His addition sends a clear message that Boston’s front office believes it can compete for a playoff spot this season.

Delgado, 20, has seen his stock fall over the past year. Regarded as one of the team’s top 10 prospects entering last season, Delgado hit just .244 with 6 home runs for Single A Winter Haven. To this point, his power bat hasn’t developed as the organization had hoped. He had been hitting .253 at AA New Britain so far this season.

The Red Sox are hopeful to have Assenmacher available for tonight’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago. The team’s bullpen will be shorthanded over the weekend, as Jeff Reardon has been suspended for 4 games by the league for inciting a bench clearing brawl on Wednesday in Minnesota. Immediately after surrendering a three run home run to Kent Hrbek, he hit Darryl Strawberry with the very next pitch. Strawberry charged the mound, which incited the bench clearing situation. Strawberry was suspended 4 games for his role in the melee as well.

There was some hardware handed out in Major League Baseball this week to recognize the top April performers. The Red Sox are proud to employ the recipient of the AL player of the month which went to Ellis Burks. Burks hit .370 with 5 home runs during the month and the 26 year old seems to have hit another gear so far this season.

In the National League, Cincinnati’s Eric Davis earned player of month honors with a power display far out pacing anyone else in the league. His 9 home runs and 24 RBI were both the most in baseball by a wide margin.

Yankees rookie right hander Mariano Rivera was named AL pitcher of the month, along with earning top rookie honors. He is 5-0 in his first 5 starts, pitching at least 7 innings in each start. He posted a 1.13 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. The top prospect seems to be slated for superstardom. The NL’s pitcher of the month was certainly no rookie, as the Padres’ 33 year old Bruce Hurst earned the award. He went 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA. The rookie of the month in the National League was named as San Francisco’s Joe Rosselli, who went 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA in the first 5 starts of his Major League career.

A Red Sox minor league earned an April award as well. Lynchburg outfielder Jeff McNeely was named Carolina League player of the month, hitting .360 with 3 home runs and 16 stolen bases. The 21 year old is likely still a couple of years away from seeing action in the Major Leagues.

[Tom the Fish]

Hey, I'm enjoying your dynasty report. I was 20 in 1990 and a Red Sox fan from age 7. The 88 and 90 teams have a special place in my heart because they were such underdog teams.

Can you tell me what some of my favorite players from that era have been like in your sim: Kirby Pucket, Brett Saberhagen, Danny Darwin, Oil Can Boyd, Tony Gwynn, George Brett and Bob Walk?

Thanks and keep it up!

[Swami077]

May 6, 1991
The Red Sox find themselves with a lackluster 11-13 record, but with no one having pulled away in the AL East, Boston is just 3 games out of first place. They have an off day today before starting a 9 game homestand against the Twins, Rangers and White Sox.



In an effort to shore up the bullpen, the Red Sox added lefthander Paul Assenmacher in a trade with the Cubs. Assenmacher figures to factor prominently in high leverage situations and in the late innings. To make room for him on the roster, the Red Sox optioned disappointing pitcher Chris Bosio to AAA Pawtucket. Bosio pitched 11.1 innings for the Red Sox, posting an abysmal 15.09 ERA after allowing 19 earned runs on 27 hits and 7 walks. He had already lost his rotation spot, as Pat Hentgen is expected to take his turn in the rotation later this week.

The trade came immediately following a bullpen meltdown in Minnesota which has Jeff Reardon serving a 4 game suspension for losing his cool and throwing at Darryl Strawberry after giving up a home run. He has one more game to serve and is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game against the Twins in Boston. The umpiring crew figures to be on high alert for this series following last week’s incident.

22 year old rookie outfielder Phil Plantier has broken out in a big way. He leads the American League in home runs with 8, and his outfield assist yesterday in Chicago ended the game to preserve Boston’s 1-0 win over the White Sox. It also preserved the win for Roger Clemens, who pitched a complete game shutout. After getting off to a rocky start to the season, Clemens has settled down and has looked like his old self over his last few starts.

New Britain’s 19 year old outfielder Greg Blosser was named Eastern League player of the week today. In the last week, he’s hit .444 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. He’s one of the youngest players at the AA level in all of baseball, and yet is hitting a very impressive .383 so far this season.

Around the League
The Blue Jays were hit hard by the injury bug in this past week. They lost starting pitcher Dave Stieb for the next 3 months due to a partially torn labrum in his shoulder. In addition, center fielder Brett Butler suffered a strained oblique and will be out at least 6 weeks. Currently tied for first place in the AL East, the Blue Jays will hope to withstand the losses and maintain their current pace.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Frank Thomas earned AL player of the week honors. The White Sox slugger went 9-for-18 with 2 home runs last week. In the National League, Pittsburgh’s Andy Van Slyke took home the honors by going 10-for-22 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI.

Week in Review

Roger Clemens finally earned his first win of the season by shutting down the Twins over 7 innings of work tonight at the Metrodome. He allowed 1 run on 5 hits and tallied 5 strikeouts. Twins starter Kevin Tapani took the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season. In the 5-3 victory, the Red Sox took the lead for good with 4 runs in the 5th inning. The inning was jumpstarted by a leadoff bunt single by Rex Hudler. It was one of Boston's 8 hits in the game, 3 of which came courtest of Wade Boggs who finished 3-for-5. Carlos Quintana drove in two runs in the game, and his RBI single in the 4th inning erased Minnesota's early 1-0 lead. Steve Farr earned his second save of the season, strengthening his grip on the closer role.


The Red Sox bullpen suffered a complete meltdown in Minnesota tonight. In a game marred by a bench clearing brawl, the Twins scored 9 times in the bottom of the 8th inning to erase a 6-3 deficit, and they were able to close out a 12-8 win. Rob Murphy and Dennis Lamp's struggles continued. Murphy allowed two lefties to reach base to start the inning before Lamp imploded by allowing 6 hits and retiring just one batter. Jeff Reardon entered and promptly surrendered a 3 run home run to Kent Hrbek to put the game out of reach. When he hit Darryl Strawberry with the very next pitch, there was little doubt of the intent and it was clear that Reardon's frustrations had boiled over. Strawberry charged the mound, inciting a bench clearing brawl. Both players were ejected and are expected to face additional league discipline. The Red Sox wasted a two home run game by Phil Plantier, who now has 7 long balls on the season.

[Swami077]

In their first game at the new Comiskey Park on the South Side of Chicago, the Red Sox bats were silenced by Jack McDowell in a 4-2 defeat to open a 3 game weekend series. McDowell entered the game leading the AL in ERA at 0.53, having allowed just 2 earned runs in his first 34 innings pitched. The Red Sox got to him for two runs in his 7.1 innings of work, but he earned the win to improve to 4-0 in his outstanding young season. Jimmy Key battled through 5.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits while striking out 5. Paul Assenmacher made his Red Sox debut in the 7th inning, stranding a runner at third base by recording a strikeout and fly out to get Boston out of a jam. Phil Plantier got the scoring started in the 2nd inning with a home run off McDowell, his 8th of the season.


Bob Tewksbury pitched 7.2 outstanding innings as the Red Sox beat the White Sox 4-2 tonight. Tewksbury outdueled White Sox starter Eric King, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. King gave up 3 runs in his 8 innings of work and wound up as a tough luck loser on this night. The Red Sox offense was led by Ellis Burks, who went 4-for-5 with his 6th home run of the season while coming up a triple short of the cycle. Steve Farr recorded a 4 out save, his third of the season.


Today's game at Comiskey Park was one of the most well played, exciting games that we have seen in quite some time. Roger Clemens and Melido Perez locked in a pitcher's duel in a game that was scoreless into the 8th inning. Mike Greenwell drove in Ellis Burks with a two out RBI single to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Heading into the 9th having allowed just 2 hits to that point, Clemens gave up a Frank Thomas single and then hit Sammy Sosa with a pitch with two outs. Dan Pasqua then hit a sharp liner to right field for a base hit. Thomas tried to score from second, but a strong throw from right fielder Phil Plantier nabbed Thomas at the plate to end the game. It was Plantier's second outfield assist of the season. Clemens pitched a complete game shutout, allowing 4 hits and striking out 6. Perez took the loss for Chicago despite an outstanding start in which he held Boston's high octane offense to just 5 hits over 7.2 innings.

[Swami077]

Originally Posted by Tom the Fish

Hey, I'm enjoying your dynasty report. I was 20 in 1990 and a Red Sox fan from age 7. The 88 and 90 teams have a special place in my heart because they were such underdog teams.

Can you tell me what some of my favorite players from that era have been like in your sim: Kirby Pucket, Brett Saberhagen, Danny Darwin, Oil Can Boyd, Tony Gwynn, George Brett and Bob Walk?

Thanks and keep it up!

Nice! Thanks for reading along... nice to see that a few folks are enjoying this along with me. I've been a Sox fan since I was about 7 as well, which was 1992.

As I'm sure you saw, my 1990 season was nothing like what you remember lol. Kind of a disaster, but 91 is going better.

Of the guys you mentioned, Kirby Puckett has been kinda disappointing. He has no power in the game. Only hit 6 homers in 1990.

Darwin has been awesome for Houston. Was top 3 in ERA in 90.

Saberhagen has been slightly better than league average.

Tony Gwynn's average is a little down. Hit .296 last year and .303 so far this year.

George Brett's 1990 mirrored his real life spike. He hit .336 with 18 homers. I'm interested to see how the development engine handles him as his career winds down.

Oil Can signed a big deal with the A's last offseason and is off to a good start. In this era, it seems like anything Oakland touches turns to gold. Rickey Henderson is the best player in the game and it's not particularly close.

[Swami077]

May 13, 1991
A week that began with optimism with the Red Sox beginning a 9 game home stand following the team winning 6 out of 9 games and management adding to the team’s bullpen ended with a much different feeling. The Red Sox dropped 5 of their first 6 on the homestand to the Twins and Rangers. The lone win came in an outstanding start for Roger Clemens against Texas over the weekend.

Pat Hentgen made his first start for the team following a strong April in Boston’s bullpen. He struggled out of the chute allowing 4 runs to the Rangers in the 1st inning, but settled down from there to work 5 innings without allowing any additional runs. He is expected to make his next start this week against the Chicago White Sox.

In an effort to spark the team, manager Jim Fregosi shook up the lineup yesterday by moving Wade Boggs back into his traditional leadoff role with Ellis Burks returning to the cleanup spot he held last season. Two of the more disappointing bats so far this season have belonged to youngsters Mo Vaughn and Jeff Bagwell, and each of them have been moved down in the order. Both players heated up over the weekend against Ranger pitching, with Bagwell 7-for his last-16 and Vaughn 6-for-12 over his last 3 games.

The Red Sox executed a transaction this week, claiming RHP Cal Eldred off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. Eldred made 6 appearances for the Brewers last season, going 1-3 with a 6.59 ERA. He’s been in the minor leagues for the entirety of the season thus far. It’s unclear if the 23 year old will immediately join the team in Boston or if he will be assigned to AAA Pawtucket. If he joins the Major League club, it could spell trouble for Rule 5 pick Ricky Bones who has struggled so far this season. If the Red Sox are to release Bones, he will be returned to San Diego.

Around the League
There was one major injury around the league this week with Minnesota 3B Gary Gaetti sustaining a fractured fibula that will keep him out of action until mid-August at the earliest. Gaetti’s season had gotten off to a rough start as he was hitting just .187 with 1 home run. 21 year old Denny Hocking is expected to serve as the team’s third baseman in Gaetti’s stead.

Blue Jays rookie Carlos Delgado was named American League player of the week by going 9-for-18 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI last week. The 18 year old catcher who entered the season as one of the top prospects in all of baseball appears ticketed for super stardom.

It was an interesting winner in the National League with Dodgers backup shortstop Tim Barker earning the award. In limited playing time, Barker went 5-for-6 with a home run and 6 RBI.

Week in Review

Minnesota starter John Burkett dominated the Red Sox today in a 4-1 victory. He allowed just 1 run in his 8 innings of work. He was matched by Boston's Dana Kiecker who took a shutout into the 6th inning before running out of gas. Outfielder Darryl Strawberry, in his first game back from suspension, got some revenge against the Red Sox with an RBI single to tie the game. Gene Larkin followed with his second home run of the season, a three run shot of Kiecker, to put the Twins in front. Kiecker's day finished with 6 innings of work, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits to go along with 5 strikeouts. Mike Greenwell went 2-for-4 with 2 doubles in the losing effort for Boston.


The Red Sox offense was dominated by left handed starter Allan Anderson, as the Twins earned a sweep of this brief two game series. Anderson threw 116 pitches and came within 1 out of a complete game, throwing 8.2 innings and allowing no runs on just 4 hits. Minnesota's Kirby Puckett hit a two run home run off Red Sox starter Jimmy Key in the 5th inning to extend the Twins' lead to 3-0 and give Anderson some breathing room. Catcher Paul Russo went 3-for-4 with a home run off Key as well. Key went 6.2 innings for the Red Sox, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits to go along with 4 strikeouts.

[Swami077]

The Red Sox showed a lot of heart in battling back from a 7-0 5th inning deficit to tie the game at 7 in the 8th inning, but ultimately fell 8-7 to the Rangers in 10 innings tonight at Fenway Park. Bob Tewksbury started for Boston and struggled to keep the ball in the yard, surrendering 3 home runs in his 4.2 innings of work. The Red Sox got back in the game in the bottom of the 5th with a grand slam from Wade Boggs and two run homer from Mike Greenwell who finished with 4 hits in the game. With the score 7-6, the Rangers put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs, but Jeff Gray was able to work out of trouble without allowing a run. A Jody Reed single in the bottom of the 8th tied the game, but Boston was unable to take the lead when they left the bases loaded. The Red Sox squandered other opportunities when they had runners thrown out at the plate to end two separate innings. Julio Franco's RBI single in the 10th off Red Sox closer Steve Farr gave the Rangers the lead and ultimately proved to be the difference when Rob Brown came on and slammed the door for his 5th save.


For the second straight day, the Rangers took an early lead before the Red Sox battled back. Making his first start of the season, Pat Hentgen surrendered 4 runs in the 1st inning, highlighted by a 3 run homer for Dean Palmer. Boston came all the way back, tying the game at 4 on a home run by Mo Vaughn in the 5th inning. A run in the 6th gave Boston a lead that they would hold into the 8th inning when Juan Gonzalez hit his 8th home run of the season, a opposite field shot off Paul Assenmacher to tie the game. The Rangers scored 2 runs off Ricky Bones in the 11th inning to take a 7-5 lead, which would turn out to be the final score. The Red Sox are suddenly in a skid, having lost the first 4 games of this homestand.


With the Red Sox bullpen having been taxed in the last few days, Roger Clemens was just what the doctor ordered. Clemens threw 130 pitches over 7.2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits while striking out 9 to improve to 3-1 on the season. The only Ranger hitter that Clemens could not solve was Julio Franco who homered twice off Clemens and drove in all 3 Texas runs in the game. Boston's Phil Plantier re-took the sole American League lead in home runs with his 9th round tripper off Texas starter Mike Arner in the 2nd inning. Mo Vaughn and Jeff Bagwell each drove in 2 runs for the Red Sox. Working for the third day in a row, closer Steve Farr struck out the side in the 9th inning to notch his 4th save of the season.


The Rangers topped the Red Sox 6-3 this afternoon to finish off taking 3 out of 4 this weekend at Fenway Park. Kevin Brown started for Texas and became the second pitcher on this homestand to come within one out of a complete game. Jim Fregosi shook up his lineup for this game, moving Jody Reed into the two hole, Ellis Burks to cleanup, and dropping Tim Naehring to the nine spot. Early returns were not strong, as only Wade Boggs had a strong game offensively, going 4-for-5. Rusty Greer matched him with a 4-for-5 effort for Texas. Boston starter Dana Kiecker pitched better than the final numbers would indicate. All 6 runs were charged to him, but 5 of them scored in the 6th and 7th innings as he was running out of gas. With the Red Sox bullpen being taxed in recent days, Kiecker was likely left in longer than he typically would be.

[Swami077]

May 20, 1991
The skid continues for the Boston Red Sox, who find themselves at 13-23 and in last place in the AL East, 10.5 games behind the New York Yankees. Losers of 5 in a row and 10 of their previous 12, the Red Sox need to turn things around in a hurry or they could be looking at the prospects of a second straight lost season.

If they are able to turn their season around, it will have to be without the services of starting pitcher Bob Tewksbury. He was forced to leave his start last week against the White Sox with discomfort in his elbow. Further examination revealed that Tewksbury had suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow and would require surgery. After struggling mightily last year in his first season in Boston, Tewksbury had been off to an up and down start so far this season. He’ll now be on the shelf until next year. With him being arbitration eligible for the 2nd time this winter, he could be a non-tender candidate.

Taking Tewksbury’s place on the roster was pitcher Cal Eldred, who was claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. In his first appearance with the club, Eldred allowed 8 runs on 10 hits, including 3 long balls. Eldred was later optioned to AAA Pawtucket. Taking his place on the Major League roster is 21 year old RHP Nate Minchey. Acquired last season from the Atlanta Braves, Minchey has been with the Pawtucket Red Sox since joining the organization. He will make his first start tonight against the Brewers at Fenway Park.

Offensively, the team has slowed a bit recently. However, there are several players who have continued to exceed expectations this year. No one fits that description better than rookie outfielder Phil Plantier. His 10 home runs put him third in the American League, and he is on pace for a 45 homer season. Fellow rookie Jeff Bagwell has not fared quite as well so far, as he has been moved down in the lineup following a .244 start with 1 home run. Bagwell has come up with some timely hits for the Red Sox, but the team was hopeful that the power stroke would develop quicker than it has. After a cameo last season where he hit .351, the Red Sox expect that Bagwell will continue to grow and develop as the year goes on.

Around the League
The Orioles lost start shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. to a strained oblique muscle. He was placed on the disabled list, but isn’t expected to need much more than the minimum 15 days to return.

20 year old infielder Jim Thome was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis and he is expected to be out for at least two months. Thome burst onto the scene last year with 17 home runs as a 19 year old. In 31 games so far this season, Thome had been hitting .348 and was a central figure in the Indians’ resurgence. They have fallen on some hard times recently, and the loss of Thome figures to make things even more challenging in Cleveland going forward.

The Philadelphia Phillies announced that starting pitcher Scott Service tore the flexor tendon in his elbow, similar to Tewksbury. His injury was deemed to be more severe and he seems likely to miss the majority of next season as well. It is a significant setback for the 24 year old.

Oakland’s Rickey Henderson earned AL player of the week honors by going 11-for-27 with 3 homers and 13 RBI last week. The reigning AL MVP has his average up to .309 and is 2nd in the league with 11 home runs on the season. In the NL, Chicago’s Shawon Dunston took home the award. He hit .560 last week with a homer and 11 RBI.

Week in Review

The Red Sox played one of their best games of the season today in a 6-2 win over the White Sox. A week after being dominated by starter Jack McDowell, the Red Sox got the better of McDowell tonight at Fenway Park. He entered the game 5-0 with a 1.10 ERA, but he lasted just 3+ innings in this one, as Boston got to him for 5 runs. Jeff Bagwell had a 2 run triple in the 3rd inning, which was immediately followed by catcher Tony Pena's first home run of the season to give the Red Sox a 5-2 lead. Starter Jimmy Key made sure that lead stood up, as he earned the win by throwing 7 innings and allowing just 2 unearned runs while striking out 6. Outfielder Sammy Sosa went 3-for-4 to lead Chicago's offensive attack.


It was a very disappointing loss for the Red Sox today at Fenway Park. Facing White Sox rookie starter Steve Schrenk who was making just his second career start, the Red Sox could muster just 3 runs. They had Schrenk on the ropes in the 1st inning, loading the bases with no outs, but could only push across 1 run. Three double plays in the first 5 innings allowed Schrenk to limit the damage. He settled down and worked 8 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while also walking 5. On the Red Sox side, Bob Tewksbury allowed home runs to Garry Templeton and Sammy Sosa before being forced from the game after 2.2 innings due to elbow discomfort. Catcher Tony Pena went 2-for-3 with a 2 run single in the 7th inning to pace the Red Sox.


The Red Sox wrapped up a disappointing series against the last place White Sox with a 16-8 loss today at Fenway Park. Pat Hentgen got the start and had allowed just 1 run through the first 4 innings, with the Red Sox taking the lead on a 3 run homer from Phil Plantier. But the wheels came off in the 5th. Chicago put up a 10 spot, with Hentgen being charged for 8 total runs. Newly acquired pitcher Cal Eldred came on in relief and he worked 2.1 innings, while allowing 8 earned runs on 10 hits in his outing. Dan Pasqua went 4-for-5 with a home run, Rich Amaral went 3-for-5 with a home run and 5 total RBI, and rookie Ray Durham added 4 hits in Chicago's relentless attack. Tim Naehring hit his 5th home run of the season in Boston's losing effort.

[Swami077]

The wheels are quickly coming off the Red Sox season, as they dropped a 5-4 extra inning decision to Texas Rangers at Arlington Stadium tonight. Leading 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th, closer Steve Farr allowed a game tying two run home run to pinch hitter Rafael Palmeiro. After Boston left two runners in scoring position in the 10th, Farr gave up a game winning homer to Rusty Greer. Roger Clemens started for the Red Sox in an elite pitching matchup against Kevin Brown. Clemens lasted 7.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 7. Brown threw 8 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits.


Boston managed just 4 hits in a 3-1 loss in Texas tonight. Juan Gonzalez hit a two run homer off Red Sox starter Dana Kiecker in the first inning to get the scoring started. That was enough for Jose Rijo, who has lived up to his billing as a high priced free agent. Rijo went 7.1 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 7 in a dominant performance to move to 5-0 in his Rangers career. The Red Sox loaded the bases with 2 out in the 9th, but Tim Cain was able to strike out Jody Reed to end the game. Kiecker pitched well in the losing effort, lasting 6.1 innings and allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits. The Red Sox will try to salvage the final game of the series tomorrow.


Red Sox starter Jimmy Key took a big step backward in Texas today in a 9-5 Boston loss. He surrendered 6 runs on 11 hits with 4 walks mixed in over 5.1 innings of work. Texas starter Steve Trachsel did give up 5 runs in his 7.2 innings, but was overpowering at times as he struck out 9 Red Sox in the game. A 3 run double in the 3rd inning proved to be the big blow for the Rangers as they took command of the game and never looked back. Tim Naehring and Ellis Burks each homered for the Red Sox, while Carlos Quintana added 3 hits in the losing effort.

[Swami077]

May 27, 1991
The biggest story around the Red Sox organization this past week has clearly been the performance of starting pitcher Nate Minchey. He made his Major League debut on Monday and pitched 7 shutout innings in a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen since coming over from Atlanta last season, Minchey threw 95 pitches in his first start in over a year. After waiting all week for his encore, Minchey did not disappoint this weekend in Detroit. He pitched 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits without walking a batter. Some cause for concern is the fact that he’s struck out just 3 batters over his first 13 innings. His next start is slated for next weekend against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Since moving to the starting rotation, Pat Hentgen has not been able to replicate the outstanding start he was off to as a reliever. After his start yesterday in which he surrendered 9 earned runs in just 1.2 innings, his ERA as a starter sits at 13.50 in his 4 starts. This was after he allowed just 2 runs in his 14.1 innings as a relief pitcher. It’s possible that he will return to the bullpen to see if he can recapture his early season success. As a Rule 5 selection, the 22 year old must remain on the active roster for the entire season.

The Red Sox traded for Matt Nokes in the offseason to be the backup catcher to Tony Pena. However, two months into the season, Nokes seems to be earning more playing time. He’s made the most of his opportunities with a .350 average and 2 home runs in his 60 at bats. Meanwhile, Tony Pena has struggled at the plate to the tune of a .189 batting average to date.

A rumor has surfaced that the Red Sox have made it known around the league that 27 year old outfielder Mike Greenwell could be had for the right price. With top prospect Moises Alou in Triple A and seemingly ready for a call up, Boston would likely resist a promotion until there is a clear path to regular playing time in their outfield. Greenwell, who was likely Boston’s most consistent hitter last season, has struggled a bit so far this year, hitting .272 with 2 home runs through the season’s first two months.

Boston was shorthanded in the bullpen for the majority of the week, as they were without the services of relief pitcher Jeff Reardon. He rolled his ankle in a game on Wednesday against the Brewers, and hasn’t pitched since. Manager Jim Fregosi has continued to assert that he is day to day and will avoid a trip to the disabled list.

Around the League
There were a couple of significant injuries around the league this week. Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin was diagnosed with an intercostal strain and will be out until the All-Star break. This is a significant blow to the defending champion Reds who find themselves in last place in the NL West at this juncture.

The Rangers’ 24 year old closer Rob Brown was diagnosed with forearm inflammation and he will likely miss the rest of the season. Brown had been off to an outstanding start this season, with 6 saves and a 1.88 ERA.

St. Louis starting pitcher Matt Young suffered a partially torn labrum in a start this week, and is expected to miss two months. After signing in the offseason, Young’s Cardinal career had been off to an outstanding start posting a 5-1 record and 2.34 ERA.

Seattle’s Tino Martinez was named AL Player of the Week, hitting .440 with two home runs and 8 RBI. He was overshadowed by the NL’s Player of the Week, as Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds went 9-for-22 with a whopping 6 home runs last week. He now has 13 homers on the season, putting him 1 behind teammate Andy Van Slyke for the National League home run lead.

Week in Review

Making his Major League debut, 21 year old starter Nate Minchey was absolutely fantastic for the Red Sox today. He threw 7 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits and he struck out 3. Every pitch Minchey threw was pressure packed in a 1-0 game throughout. Paul Assenmacher pitched a scoreless 8th inning and closer Steve Farr slammed the door in the 9th for his 5th save. Milwaukee starter Dave LaPoint was a tough luck loser, as he pitched a complete game while allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. An RBI double from Ellis Burks in the 1st inning pushed across the only run of the game, and was Boston's only extra base hit in the game. Tim Naehring went 2-for-4 for Boston as the only man in their lineup with multiple hits.


The Red Sox fell to Bud Black and the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 tonight at Fenway Park. Black was excellent, pitching 7 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits. The lone Boston run came courtesy of a Mo Vaughn home run in the 2nd inning. Red Sox starter Pat Hentgen went 6 innings, and struggled to keep the ball in the yard. All 5 runs he surrendered came on 3 home runs for Milwaukee. Gary Sheffield, Darryl Hamilton and Scott Bryant each went deep for the Brewers. Paul Molitor went 3-for-5 to lead Milwaukee's offense. The teams will meet tomorrow for the rubber game of this 3 game series.


Roger Clemens dominated Milwaukee over 7 3-hit innings in an 8-1 win over the Brewers at Fenway Park. All of Boston's scoring came early, as they knocked starter Jaime Navarro out of the game after just 2.1 innings. Catcher Matt Nokes hit a 3 run home run in the 3rd inning which pushed Boston's lead to 8-1 at the time. It wasn't all great news for the Red Sox today, as reliever Jeff Reardon was forced from the game after facing just one batter due to an ankle injury. Manager Jim Fregosi said that Reardon would have tests tomorrow, but that the team is not initially concerned about the injury and expect that he will be day to day.

[Swami077]

18 year old Jose Lima pitched a gem against the Red Sox tonight at Tiger Stadium. He pitched 8.1 innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits to earn his second win of the season in the 4-1 victory. Red Sox starter Dana Kiecker allowed 4 runs on 8 hits over his 7 innings of work to take the loss. Lou Whitaker hit his 6th home run of the season off Kiecker in the 7th inning. Three of the Red Sox' 6 hits came from Mo Vaughn who was hitting out of the 3 spot in the lineup with Mike Greenwell getting the day off.


The Red Sox used a strong starting pitching performance from Jimmy Key to to beat the Tigers 7-2 tonight. Detroit got 10 hits off Key, but he was able to limit the damage to just 2 runs in 6.2 innings. On the other side, Detroit starter John DeSilva struggled with his command, as he walked 6 batters in his 6 innings of work. Three of those walks were to Ellis Burks, who came around to score twice in the game. One of the game's biggest hits came in the 7th inning when Jeff Bagwell hit an RBI double off Detroit reliever Paul Gibson to break a 2-2 tie. Tony Pena followed with a two run double of his own to extend the lead. Jody Reed added 3 hits as part of the Red Sox' 13 hit attack. Travis Fryman had 3 hits of his own, including a first inning home run to give Detroit an early lead.


If you look at the final score, it reads like a blowout Red Sox victory. A review of the fine print shows that this 12-4 victory came in 13 innings. Jody Reed got the rally started with a 1 out double, and his 2 run double later in the inning helped to put the game away. Reed had 5 hits and drove in 3 runs in the game, as he remains red hot to raise his average to .347. Phil Plantier added 4 hits as well, with his 3 run homer in the 13th inning being the big blow which broke the game wide open. After his spectacular debut earlier this week, Nate Minchey did not disappoint in his second start. He pitched 6 innings, and allowed just 1 run on 7 hits. Minchey departed with a 4-1 lead, but relievers Rob Murphy and Dennis Lamp combined to allow Detroit to tie the game with 3 runs in the 8th inning.


The Detroit Tigers earned a split of this 4 game series against the Red Sox with a 10-6 win today at Tiger Stadium. They jumped on Red Sox starter Pat Hentgen with 9 runs in the 2nd inning, highlighted by a Tony Phillips grand slam. Since being moved to the starting rotation, Hentgen has really struggled. He was relieved by Ricky Bones in this one, who fired 3.1 perfect innings which allowed the Red Sox to try to get back in the game. They put up 6 runs in the 6th inning to get within striking distance, but they had two runners thrown out at the plate which thwarted the comeback efforts. Ellis Burks hit a 3 run homer for Boston, which was his only hit of the game.

[Tom the Fish]

Yay! You're back!

[Swami077]

Lots going on personally lately so haven't had a lot of time. Wife and I just bought a new house. Trying to get some me time here and there in between packing!

[Swami077]

June 3, 1991
The Red Sox finished an up and down week on a high note by taking 3 out of 4 games against the reigning American League champion Baltimore Orioles. It was much needed, as it came on the heels of a three game sweep at Yankee Stadium. The team enjoys an off day today as they head out west for a 9 game road trip with a 20-30 record. Sitting in 6th place and 14.5 games behind the division leading Yankees, this upcoming road trip is likely a crossroad for the team. Anything short of an outstanding trip will likely put the team in position to be sellers over the next two months leading into the July 31st trade deadline.

The Red Sox did make some roster decisions over the last week. After another very poor start by Pat Hentgen this weekend, he will be moved back to the bullpen. The Rule 5 selection from Toronto had opened the season very successfully in the bullpen, but has really struggled since moving into the rotation. In 5 starts, Hentgen is 0-4 and has allowed 36 earned runs in just 19.1 innings pitched. He’ll be replaced in the rotation by lefty Pedro Borbon, who has worked exclusively as a reliever with Pawtucket this season. He has been working to stretch himself out in recent weeks.

To make room on the active roster, 38 year old relief pitcher Dennis Lamp was designated for assignment. He made 18 appearances this season and struggled to the tune of a 7.06 ERA. He seems likely to clear waivers given his $750k salary, but it is uncertain if he will accept a minor league assignment with the organization.

Seldom used outfielder Kevin Romine was also designated for assignment earlier today. He was just 2-for-21 in limited action with the Red Sox this season. His removal opens a roster spot for 24 year old top prospect Moises Alou. He was hitting .282 with 2 home runs in Pawtucket so far this season. There doesn’t appear to be an immediate path to playing team in Boston’s outfield. However, with Phil Plantier recently struggling, Alou could form a platoon in right field in the near term.

One way for playing time to open up would be for the Red Sox to move veteran left fielder Mike Greenwell. Rumors of a trade began to heat up last week with word that the Dodgers were interested in Greenwell. Los Angeles possesses one of the deepest farm systems in the league, so the Red Sox are sure to be interested in some of their young players. To this point, word around the league is that Boston’s asking price for Greenwell has been sky high.

In Winter Haven, Boston’s top draft pick Manny Ramirez was named the Florida State League player of the week. Ramirez, who celebrated his 19th birthday last week, went 11-for-25 with 3 home runs during the week. He now possesses a .298 average with 10 home runs on the season and seems to be on the fast track to the big leagues.

Around the League
There was one significant injury across the league this week with Montreal outfielder Larry Walker suffering a shoulder injury. The 24 year old is expected to be out until the All-Star break. He had been hitting .309 with 5 home runs at the time of his injury.

Two other star outfielders suffered injuries last week with Texas’ Juan Gonzalez sustaining a hand injury and Atlanta’s Ron Gant injuring his hamstring. The players are both expected to try to play through their ailments. The 21 year old Gonzalez is tied for the American League lead in home runs with 15. Gant is hitting .294 with 11 home runs so far this season for the NL West leading Braves.

MLB released an update on All-Star voting with no surprises at the top. Oakland’s Rickey Henderson and Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds, the reigning MVPs in each league, top the voting. Bonds, fresh off signing an 8 year/$22 million extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 1999, is on pace for an historic season as he currently is hitting .312 and on pace for 51 home runs and 68 stolen bases.

The Red Sox’ Roger Clemens leads the voting amongst AL starting pitchers, while Ellis Burks in 2nd behind Ken Griffey Jr. in centerfield, and Jody Reed is 3rd amongst shortstops.

The American League player of the month for May was named as Minnesota’s Darryl Strawberry, who hit .309 with 10 home runs and 31 RBI during the month. David Justice of the Atlanta Braves earned the award in the National League after hitting .363 with 9 home runs and 24 RBI.

New York’s Mariano Rivera continues his superb rookie season by taking home AL pitcher of the month and rookie of the month honors. He went 6-0 with a 1.00 ERA during May. Rivera is now 10-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his 11 starts this season and is the early season favorite for both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards.

In the National League, the Mets’ Sid Fernandez was named pitcher of the month, going 4-2 with a 1.76 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 46 innings. San Diego’s Salomon Torres earned the rookie of the month award, going 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA. He also earned NL player of the week honors today after throwing 17.1 shutout innings across his two starts last week. Kent Hrbek of the Twins was named AL player of the week after going 11-for-29 with 3 home runs during the week.

Week in Review

The Red Sox got their first shot against the first place Yankees today at Yankee Stadium. New York sent the crowd home happy with a walkoff 3-2 win on this Memorial Day. Opposing arguably the best pitcher in the game (Roger Clemens), New York's Tim Rumer pitched a 7 inning gem, allowing just 2 hits while punching out 9. A two run double for Jeff Bagwell gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the 7th, and put Rumer on the hook for the loss. However, the Yankees pushed across the tying run in the 8th and walked off with the win in the 9th on a two out infield single by Jesse Barfield that score Darrin Fletcher from third base. Jeff Treadway had 3 hits for the Yankees, including a key RBI double in the 8th inning which tied the game. Bagwell had two of Boston's 4 hits in the game.


The Yankees won their second straight against the Red Sox, tonight winning by a score of 7-6. The Red Sox came up on the losing end despite outhitting the Yankees 15-10. Jody Reed remained red hot, going 4-for-4, while Mike Greenwell and Ellis Burks each added 3 hits for Boston. Luis Polonia drove in 3 runs for the Yankees, and a day after being the hero with a walkoff hit, Jesse Barfield went deep for his 8th home run of the season in the 2nd inning. Clay Parker earned the win, despite allowing 12 hits in 5.1 innings. He was able to limit the damage to 4 runs. Dana Kiecker started for Boston and took the loss, lasting only 3.1 innings and allowing 7 runs. The Yankees were aided by a key error by Jeff Bagwell in the 2nd inning which led to 2 unearned runs.


Sterling Hitchcock was masterful for New York, as the Yankees finished off a 3 game sweep of their rival Red Sox tonight. Boston managed just two hits in the 11-0 loss. Hitchcock pitched a complete game, walking 3 and striking out 6. For the Red Sox, Jimmy Key got the start and worked through 5 ineffective innings while allowing 6 runs on 9 hits to go along with an astounding 8 walks. Luis Polonia and Jim Leyritz had 3 hits apiece to lead New York's 15 hit effort, while Roberto Kelly and Bernie Williams each homered off of reliever Ricky Bones. The Red Sox now head back to Boston for a weekend series against the Orioles.

[Swami077]

Just a day after being shutout in New York, the Red Sox absolutely bludgeoned the Orioles tonight at Fenway Park, winning by a score of 22-4. They had 22 hits, including 6 home runs. Ellis Burks went deep twice while Mo Vaughn added a grand slam in support of Boston starter Nate Minchey. After two outstanding starts to begin his career, Minchey got off to a rocky start by allowing two runs in the 1st inning. He settled in from there and did not allow anything further, while striking out 7 over 7 innings of work. With the Orioles reeling and out of pitchers, Baltimore called upon outfielders Rob Deer and Mike Devereaux to get the final two outs of the game. Jody Reed went 4-for-5 to raise his American League leading batting average to .362.


A day after being embarrassed at Fenway Park, the Orioles turned the tables on the Red Sox. Starting pitcher Pat Hentgen's struggles continued, as he allowed 10 runs in just 2 innings, putting the Red Sox in a deep early hole en route to a 16-4 defeat. The Orioles blasted 5 home runs, 2 of which were from catcher Mickey Tettleton. The Red Sox managed just 3 hits in the game, one of which was a bases loaded double by Mike Greenwell in the 2nd inning. Orioles starter Pete Harnisch lasted 8.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 3 hits to go along with 3 strikeouts.


Boston starter Roger Clemens outdueled his Orioles counterpart, John Mitchell, in a 3-2 win at Fenway Park. Clemens threw 119 pitches over 8 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 9. Mitchell turned in a strong outing of his own, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in his 6 innings of work. All of Boston's damage off Mitchell came in the third innings. An RBI double by Tim Naehring was followed by a Mike Greenwell RBI single to tie the game at 2. Phil Plantier drove in the go ahead run when he followed with a sacrifice fly. Both Orioles runs scored on a 2nd inning triple off the bat of Brady Anderson.


The Red Sox finished out an up and down week by taking 3 out of 4 against the Baltimore Orioles. Dana Kiecker got his first win since April, pitching 6 strong innings and allowing 1 run on just 3 hits in a 6-1 Boston victory. Jeff Bagwell drove in 4 runs, and Mike Greenwell doubled twice and scored 3 times to lead the Red Sox' offense. Cal Ripken was the only Orioles' hitter who posted a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk. After a strong weekend at home, the Red Sox will now head out west for a long road trip.