Red Sox Pitching Problems. Trivia Answers.

Sox Pitchers Dropping Fast

The Red Sox pitching staff is in rough shape with both David Wells AND Curt Schilling on the disabled list at the same time. Not that such a development is a total surprise. Wells, after all, turns 42 next month, and has never been a poster boy for physical fitness. Schilling is 38 and is coming off of ankle surgery.

Lefty John Halama will come out of his long relief role to replace Wells in the rotation, while Jeremi Gonzalez was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace Schilling. Gonzalez spent part of last year with the Devil Rays and won zero games, lost five in eleven appearances (eight starts) with an ERA of 6.97. Not encouraging.

So for the time being, the Sox starting rotation is: Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement, Bronson Arroyo, John Halama and Jeremi Gonzalez. Add to this chaos the fact that closer Keith Foulke and lefty setup man Alan Embree have been extremely hittable. Righty setup man Mike Timlin has been solid, as has lefty submariner Mike Myers. But new righty setup guy Matt Mantei, who appeared to twist an ankle in the same game in which Wells got hurt, has been wild at times with his 95 MPH heater.

There is a long way to go until October, but a lot of Sox followers are ready to throw this season away. The Orioles, who clubbed the Sox on Monday and Tuesday nights, have even more suspect pitching than do the Sox. The Yankees, who lost to the Angels tonight, are struggling, and have lost free agent pitcher Jaret Wright for what looks like about half a season. The Blue Jays are inconsistent, both at the plate and on the mound, and the Devil Rays bother nobody except Curt Schilling who called in to one of the local sports talk radio shows to put the mouth on the Rays and manager Lou Piniella. So there is plenty of time for the hurt guys to get healthy.


Trivia Answers

Since I'll be away from the keyboard for the next few days visiting family (who have no access to the Internets), and since it wouldn't be fair to make all four of my readers wait six days for my next update, I'll give the answers to the trivia questions from a few days ago.

1. Name the only player to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.

Eddie Mathews, Hall of Fame third baseman who came up to the Braves in 1952, their last year in Boston, played for the club all through the Milwaukee years (1953-1965), and ended his run with the team in 1966, their first year in Atlanta before being traded to the Astros in 1967.

2. What team had the lowest winning percentage of any league champion?

The 1973 New York Mets with 82 wins and 79 losses for a .509 winning percentage. The Mets won the NL East and defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS that year to advance to the World Series, which they lost to the Oakland A's.

3. Seven outfielders have won Gold Gloves while playing for the Red Sox. Who are they?

Jimmy Piersall - 1958
Jackie Jensen - 1959
Carl Yastrzemski - 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1977
Reggie Smith - 1968
Fred Lynn - 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980
Dwight Evans - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Ellis Burks - 1990