WMUR-TV’s Jamie Staton, at a baseball dinner, once told a packed house I was Naoko Funayama’s personal beat reporter. (I had just written a story about Ms. Funayama.) If so, I must inform you that Naoko has her own blog at NESN. She’s covering the Bruins — and hanging from trees on zip lines.
– Have to pull for the Twins tonight against the ChiSox. Not only is Minnesota GM Bill Smith a graduate of Winnacunnet High in Hampton, many of the Twins came through the farm system and played against the Fisher Cats. Starter Nick Blackburn, taking the mound in Game No. 163 tonight, always had trouble against NH.
– I have challenged Pete Tarrier of WGAM Radio to help stop the madness. You know how people in sports (especially announcers) tend to pluralize names for no reason? Well, it must stop. For instance, Jon Lester was just saying on WEEI, “The Schillings and Becketts — they get that respect as big-game pitchers. That’s something that you always want to be known as.”
Well, the Kevin Grays and the Pete Tarriers have heard enough. The Mike Mutnanskys, Rob Bradfords and Alex Speiers and other media moguls must join me in this crusade. Let’s put an end to this stupid trend.
Congrats to Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond, who notched his first big-league win by blanking the Orioles for six innings on Friday. He didn’t allow a run in the rain-shortened game and will be credited with complete-game shutout. Richmond, ace of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats staff this season, didn’t play affiliated baseball until this season at age 28. Great story. Oh, and here’s the video I promised from Fenway Park earlier this month.
The annual Media Game between the Boston and New York press, scheduled for Friday, has been canceled. I provide this information to spare fans a drive into commuter traffic this morning. (Joking. Attendance at these games is typically about 50.) … I get invited to play in this game every year. It’s quite an honor as you can imagine! Oh well. There is even an annual Media Game “Media Guide” that is created by a friend of the Boston gang. Last year, there was almost a brawl.
– Fisher Jay Jesse Carlson (7-2) gave up a grand slam to Bobby Abreu last night and took the loss. Ouch. His ERA jumped from 1.74 to 2.29.
– Scott Richmond, NH’s opening-day starter, goes for his first big-league win tomorrow night against the Orioles. Richmond is 0-3 in four appearances with the fourth-place Jays.
– That reminds me. Who will pick up the “Gold Crown Award” at this year’s Granite State Baseball Dinner? The tooth trophy (for real) is given to the Fisher Cats MVP, who also gets $1,000 cash from Northeast Delta Dental. This award is not connected with Toronto’s version of the Double-A MVP, known as the Webster Award. Last year, David Smith won the coveted molar. My vote for this year’s MVP would be Scott Campbell, followed by Travis Snider.
Josh Beckett dropped the word “spootenator” on NESN’s Heidi Watney last night … Wouldn’t mind seeing the Twins catch the White Sox in the A.L. Central … Chicago broadcasters may be horrendous, but the Ken Harrelson’s “He gone” call is growing on me … Travis Snider nearly de-limbed Yankee starter Mike Mussina last night, hitting a bullet off the Moose’s right elbow.
THURSDAY update: Snider is blowing up big-league pitching. Went 3-for-4 and sent a missile to the wall that Melky Cabrera ran down. Now hitting .438 with RISP. Twenty-one games and 22 hits. OPS sits at .903 … I will not be happy until his batting gloves have “The Franchise” stitched on there.
Here are some of the players who attended the Manchester Millrats Exposure Camp over the weekend. I saw most of these guys at the camp, and they were pretty darn talented. Roosevelt Lee was legit.
Jamal Dixon 6′2 PG Radford, Derek Coleman 5′10 PG Robert Morris, Tony Robinson 6′2 G UConn, Travis Lewis 6′3 G E. Michigan, Beau Muhlbach 6′5 G Texas A&M, Jared Hardwick 6′5 G-F Milwaukee-Wisconsin, Brandon Odom 6′6 F New Hampshire, Shondale Robinson 6′6 F Maryland Eastern Shore, Jamal Wise 6′6 F Rhode Island, Scott Hazelton 6′8 F Rhode Island/UConn, Roosevelt Lee 6′6 F Midland JC, Sam Carey 6′8 F-C SNHU, Mark Koenecny 6′11 F-C Lambuth/Syracuse
BASEBALL nuggets while waiting for Fisher Cats trainer Voon Chong to “friend me” on Facebook:
– Cleveland’s Zach Jackson, the lefty who beat the Red Sox tonight, pitched for the Fisher Cats in 2005. Tonight he went six innings and allowed six hits, two runs, at Fenway Park. Jackson as a Fisher pitched in the MLB Futures Game in 2005.
– Next year we’ll be saying Scott Campbell was “promoted to Las Vegas” instead of Syracuse. The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League dropped the Jays after a 31-year partnership. Toronto didn’t have many options for its top farm club and signed a two-year contract in the land of fakery. How excited is the Las Vegas franchise?
“It is what it is. We’re going to make the most of it,” 51s president Don Logan told the Vegas Review-Journal. “Obviously there are a lot more Dodgers fans here than Blue Jays fans.”
– Toronto starter Shaun Marcum will miss next season while returning from Tommy John surgery. Scott Richmond, New Hampshire opening-day starter in 2008, will get a shot at the vacant spot … FYI, I have video footage of Richmond carrying his My Little Pony backpack at Fenway Park. Are any readers interested in seeing this?
– Tonight I watched Dancing with Stars long enough to be convinced Lance Bass and ex-Fisher Cat Brad Hassey were separated at birth. Twins?:
”
– Voon? Are you out there? Let’s play Texas Hold ‘Em on Facebook. Friend me, and I’ll tend your Global Warming Green Patch. Promise.
Toronto’s Jesse Carlson did it again last night, pitching a scoreless inning of relief in the Jays 3-2 win over the O’s. The ex-Fisher Cat owns a 7-1 record and 1.77 ERA. Not sure if he’ll win Rookie of the Year, but he did earn his own song this year. With apologies to Rick Springfield, here is, once again, “Jesse’s Curve.”
(Editor’s note: the reader is encouraged to sing the lyrics.)
Jessie is a Fisher,
yeah, I know he’s got
a slider that’s just fine
But lately something’s changed
that ain’t hard to define
Jessie’s got himself a curve 
and I want to make it mine
And he’s watching with those eyes
And he’s lovin’ the big leagues,
I just know it
Yeah he’s holding runners
from the stretch late,
late at night
You know, I wish that I had Jessie’s curve,
I wish that I had Jessie’s curve
Where can I find a deuce like that
I wait all night in the bullpen,
they don’t seem to be
a making to change
You know, he’s a lefty
with a bunch of tattoos
And he owes clubhouse dues,
but the point is probably moot
’cause he’s watching with those eyes
And he’s lovin’ the big leagues,
I just know it
And he’s holding runners
late, late at night
I wish that I had Jessie’s curve …
OK, here’s the deal on Tio Pepe: it’s a restaurant in Clearwater, Fla. It’s where Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly and Ted Williams sat down in 1986 and discussed their own theories on hitting. Here’s the story from the vault at Sports Illustrated.
A sampling:
WILLIAMS : Have you ever smelled the smoke from the wood burning?
MATTINGLY : I’ve had it happen. Yeah. Twice, for sure. All of a sudden, I smelled a real big burn, and at the same time I was thinking, “I just missed that one.” Two or three times. I’ve never told that to anyone, because I didn’t think anyone would believe me.
BOGGS : That’s the damndest thing I’ve ever heard. I thought I’d heard everything about hitting, but that’s unbelievable. Amazing.
Does anyone know the story behind Tio Pepe? Hint: It involves the art of hitting a baseball — and Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly and Ted Williams.
