pedro martinez
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News Archive for June 16-30, 2001
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Saturday, June 30, 2001
Pedro pops in to visit his cousin
Joe Murphy, Eagle-Tribune Writer
Red Sox pitching ace Pedro Martinez was on hand for the Lowell Spinners-Utica Blue Sox game last night at LeLacheur Park. .. Martinez visited with his cousin and Utica pitcher Denny Bautista before the game. Bautista is, like Pedro, from the Dominican Republic. …
Pedro later watched the game from the Yawkey Suite, adjacent to the press box, with a couple of friends. Martinez wouldn’t make himself available to the media for interviews. As a matter of fact Spinner officials closed a window curtain so that he couldn’t been seen by members of the media.
Martinez out longer — He won’t pick up ball for 7-10 days
Gordon Edes and Bob Hohler, Boston Globe
Pedro Martinez will not pick up a ball for a week to 10 days, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said last night, ruling out any possibility he will return when his 15-day stay on the disabled list ends right after the All-Star break. Martinez would have been eligible to pitch July 12.
Where’s Pedro?
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal
There was no definitive report confirming that Pedro Martinez was either in Los Angeles or on his way to see Angels’ team physician Lewis Yocum for a second opinion on the original diagnosis of inflammation of the right rotator cuff. But there’s little doubt that Pedro will seek a second opinion, and Yocum, who performed surgery on his brother, would be the most logical doctor for him to turn to.
Red Sox Notebook
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald
A Red Sox spokesman said yesterday that Martinez hasn’t gone for a second opinion on his right rotator cuff yet, but a visit to see Anaheim Angels team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum hasn’t been ruled out. Martinez made a surprise stop at LeLacheur Park in Lowell last night to visit his cousin, Denny Bautista, who pitches for the Single-A Utica Blue Sox.
… Tour guides at SkyDome now point out the landing spot of Manny Ramirez’ mammoth, room-service homer on June 3. “Maybe some day they’ll mention me in Boston, too,” Ramirez said.
Injury epidemic sweeping the Sox — Martinez out 8 weeks?
Phil O’Neill, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The Red Sox list his injury as merely right shoulder inflammation, but Martinez reportedly has been told not to lift a ball for two weeks, and could be out as long as 6-8 weeks. Martinez was not with the team here yesterday.
Despite all the injuries, it’s too early to panic
Paul Izzo, Springfield Union-News
The Red Sox are in turmoil.
Ill Bambino
Jud Laghi, mcsweeneys.net
CNN was the first to break the story: legendary slugger Babe Ruth had been reincarnated by a group of scientists.
Friday, June 29, 2001
Pedro heads West for second opinion
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal
Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez will fly to California, perhaps as early as today, to get a second opinion on his ailing right shoulder from noted orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum [team doctor for the Anaheim Angels]. [Also: Boston Herald/AP and Boston Globe/AP.]
Red Sox begin life without Pedro
Paul C. Smith, redsox.com
Life without Pedro Martinez has begun for the Boston Red Sox, and they are trying to make the best of it.
Art’s Notebook — June 27
Art Martone, Providence Journal
We’ve been down this road — Pedro Martinez headed to the disabled list — enough times that relief, not panic, is the order of the day. Good, seems to be the prevailing sentiment; give him some rest and get him healthy and watch him come back stronger than ever.
Because he generally does. Take a look at Martinez’ pre-disabled list/post-disabled list stats in each of the last two years.
Medicine ball
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe
What’s next, a plague of locusts? The Red Sox’ injury epidemic approached biblical proportions last night as starter Frank Castillo abruptly departed with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle in the second inning, joining the likes of Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra, Carl Everett, Jason Varitek, Rich Garces, and John Valentin in sick bay. Suddenly, the story of the Sox’ centennial season is beginning to unfold like the Book of Job.
Florie makes emotional return to Fenway mound
Paul C. Smith, mlb.com
The last time Bryce Florie was on the mound in a game at Fenway Park, he saw the horror in his teammates’ eyes. Then he heard their gasps. Thursday night at Fenway, he heard nothing but applause.
El Guapo: Arriba, arriba!
Jim Caple, page 2/espn.com
I fear for Richard Garces. … To expect Guapo to reach the mound and complete his warmup tosses in less time than it takes to sing “Take Me out to the Ballgame” — especially when he’s pitching in Seattle where the bullpens are located just beyond the horizon — all I can say is baseball better have the paramedics ready at the mound and the lawyers preparing their briefs for another Supreme Court challenge.
Baseball Player Fatally Injured During Collision With Teammate
Associated Press
An 18-year-old baseball player died after colliding with a teammate as the two chased down a fly ball. Brendan Grant was playing left field when he ran into the center-fielder during a game in suburban Belmont on Wednesday. He was struck in the neck and chest.
Flight attendant claims former Dodger injured her
AP/sacbee.com
A flight attendant sued the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, claiming former pitcher Carlos Perez roughed her up and threatened to shoot her during a charter flight last year.
The Daily Prospectus: Defense [And Part 2]
Joe Sheehan, baseballprospectus.com
How to measure a player’s defensive performance–or even whether it can be done–is one of the great chasms separating outside analysts from the baseball mainstream. People within the game, and most major media sources, rely heavily on the word of scouts and people on the field, which can lead to a herd mentality and reputations that never change. [Two parts: June 21 and June 22.]
The Daily Prospectus: Pouting
Joe Sheehan, baseballprospectus.com
How many of you saw last night’s Red Sox/Devil Rays game? I hope you all did, because it was the most egregious example of a full managerial pout I have ever seen in my life.
Thursday, June 28, 2001
Condition red: Inflamed rotator cuff sends Martínez to DL
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal
Pedro Martínez, Boston’s injured pitching ace, was not at Fenway Park as his teammates took batting practice yesterday.
Instead, the three-time Cy Young Award winner was at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, where it was determined he has inflammation of his right rotator cuff. The condition was discovered after he underwent an arthrogram, an MRI and a CT scan. The prescribed course of treatment is rest and a progressive rehabilitation program. Martínez was said to be considering seeking a second opinion.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, with right-hander Bryce Florie taking his spot on the roster. Martínez will miss at least two starts, replaced by right-hander Rolando Arrojo, who is being rescued from the bullpen.
Rotator cuff puts Pedro on DL
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald
The arthrogram, MRI and CAT scan conducted on Martínez at UMass Medical Center in Worcester yesterday revealed no tear, according to the Sox. The mere mention of the “rotator cuff” – an area of the shoulder comprised of four muscles – is cause for concern, however, considering that to date, none of Martínez’ previous midseason breakdowns involved the rotator cuff. …
Sox veteran pitcher David Cone went through more than his share of arm injuries, including inflammation of the rotator cuff. While he would not and could not speculate on the specifics of Martínez’ injury, he raised the possibility that this injury could last longer than 15 days. “It’s tricky saying how long he will be out, the key is to get the inflammation out of there and to do that he will have to leave it alone. He can’t play catch, he can’t pick up a ball for a while. It could be 10 days, it could be three weeks.”
The fact that tests revealed no tear in the rotator cuff is a positive, said Cone, yet the inflammation raises a caution flag. “You have to be happy there was no structural damage, no tear. That’s the worst word to hear,” Cone said. “If the red flag is a torn rotator cuff, then when you get inflammation of the cuff, that’s when you’re susceptible to real serious injury. The next step is a serious injury.”
Martínez placed on DL — Inflammation in rotator cuff could be serious
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe
Asked if Martínez would require more than 15 days before returning, Duquette said: ”I don’t know. He’s probably going to get another opinion. He’ll probably need some rehab work and start a throwing program.” That would seem to indicate that Martínez could be out longer than his stints on the disabled list in each of the last two seasons.
Latest injury another sign of ‘wear and tear’
Larry Tye, Boston Globe
The injuries differ a bit each time. Two years ago it was a sore right shoulder. Last year it was soreness in his left oblique muscle. This time it’s the shoulder again with a rotator cuff that is aching and inflamed. The common denominator, the team’s longtime medical director points out, is that each injury is of the ”wear and tear” variety – and each happens smack in the middle of the season.
… ”Shoulder problems of throwing athletes still are something of a black box,” said Dr. Lyle Micheli, chief of sports medicine at Children’s Hospital in Boston and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. ”It’s a very unique joint. It’s the only one that depends for its function on muscles. When it comes to the shoulder, physicians often are making just an educated guess what is wrong.”
… His body type actually is at least as well-suited to holding up over time as that of giraffes like Randy Johnson and bears like Clemens. That’s because it is not height or weight that determine durability, the experts say, but relative size. … Also critical is a pitcher’s mechanics – or the chain of events that includes his stride toward home plate, rotation of his pelvis and upper trunk to face the batter, rotating his arm back at the shoulder, and finally thrusting his arm forward to throw the ball.
Mates say rest best for ace
Steve Buckley, Boston Herald
The Red Sox clubhouse was full of mixed emotions yesterday. The players were understandably concerned that ace right-hander Pedro Martínez was placed on the disabled list, but they were thrilled that right-hander Bryce Florie was added to the 25-man roster.
That Time Of Year: Pedro On DL
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant
“It wasn’t just one outing,” catcher Scott Hatteberg said. “He’s had a few now where he’s just not himself. He’s complained about I don’t know what, but something was bothering him in the shoulder.”
“I think we’ve got to shut him down now,” outfielder Dante Bichette said. “He’s got to be healthy in September and October. I think we can still get there without him. September and October, we’re going to need him.”
Pedro placed on disabled list
Ron Chimelis, Springfield Union-News
Having first tried to keep Pedro Martínez off the 15-day disabled list, the Boston Red Sox decided to shut down their ace pitcher until after the All-Star break, and were left to hope it wouldn’t be for even longer. “Fifteen days takes us through the break,” Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. “But that’s the minimum.”
On Baseball
Joe Murphy, Eagle Tribune
“Is this what they mean by ‘The Curse Of The Bambino,’ daddy?”
First, All-Star shortstop Normar Garciaparra went down with wrist surgery, and then it was near-All-Star catcher Jason Varitek out with a broken elbow. Now it’s Pedro Martínez.
Pedro Martínez placed on DL; Florie activated
Brita Meng, redsox.com
Martínez left Tuesday’s game against Tampa Bay after throwing 80 pitches in 4.2 innings. The right-hander recorded no-decisions in his last two starts — both against Tampa Bay. Before that, he skipped a start on June 15. Martínez’ ERA is above 2.00 for the first time since the end of the 1999 season.
Red Sox to sideline Pedro, activate Florie
espn.com
Pedro Martínez will be officially placed on the 15-day disabled list later tonight with a sore right shoulder. The Red Sox will activate reliever Bryce Florie to fill Martínez’s spot on the roster. [Also: Boston Globe, CNN/SI, MLB]
Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Get me a hot dog and calculus book
Jim Caple, espn.com
Stephen Ambrose doesn’t record history as precisely and reliably as those wonderful little boxes of agate. … As the New Yorker’s Roger Angell once said, reading a box score is “like reading a sheet of music. It’s like a musician who reads a piece of music and can hear all the instruments playing.”
Manny goes bat hunting: Grebeck’s model suits Sox slugger
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald
Frustrated by a string of splintered bats, Manny Ramirez asked Craig Grebeck if he could borrow a couple of his bats prior to Saturday’s game against Toronto. The results were unforgettable. Ramirez promptly hit a pair of tremendous home runs that traveled an estimated 964 feet.
Ramirez, who regularly uses a 34-ounce bat, had no problems adapting to Grebeck’s 32-ounce models. He was so impressed by the borrowed bats that he decided to stop using his brand and start using ones made by Grebeck’s supplier, Louisville Slugger.
“Grebeck gets the best wood, straight from Louisville,” Ramirez joked. “Mine are made out of paper.”
Valentin to rehab at Pawtucket — Red Sox notebook, June 25
Michael Teevan, redsox.com
Red Sox infielder John Valentin said on Monday that he has agreed to go to Triple-A Pawtucket for three days on a rehabilitation assignment before joining the team in Toronto on Friday. …
Also: Carl Everett, Pedro Martínez, Nomar Garciaparra and Bryce Florie.
It’s a grand night
Garry Brown, Springfield Union-News
Since Opening Day, it has been obvious to every fan, writer and talk-show host that Dante Bichette belongs in the Boston Red Sox lineup every day. Apparently, the Bichette vibes have gotten through to manager Jimy Williams. …
Pawtucket’s Izzy Alcantara continued his push for a promotion when he won International League batter of the week honors for June 18-14. For the week, he hit .467 with six homers and 15 RBIs.
Monday, June 25, 2001
Hope at Fenway: a Red Sox cap on Everest
Associated Press [June 20]
On the advice of a Tibetan holy man, a lifelong Red Sox fan placed a team cap on the top of Mount Everest. Paul Giorgio figured he had to try something.
Valentin may file grievance today
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald
Now in his fourth day of baseball limbo, John Valentin has come to the conclusion that it is time to force the Red Sox’ hand if he’s ever going to play for the team again.
Valentin standoff continues — Healthy veteran seems likely to file grievance
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe
On Day 3 of his standoff with the Red Sox, John Valentin yesterday was on the verge of filing a grievance with the commissioner’s office to force the club to return him to the active roster.
”I’ll do whatever I have to do to get myself back on the field,” Valentin said after sitting out his third straight game since he was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. ”If that is what I have to do, then they’re forcing my hand to do that. It’s unfortunate that’s the case.”
… There may be no more inexact science than estimating the distance of a home run that has its flight interrupted, as happened with the gargantuan blast that Manny Ramirez launched Saturday into the lights over the Coke bottles above the Green Monster, about nine stories above the warning track. The Sox, in apparent deference to Ted Williams, put the distance of Ramirez’s homer at 501 feet, or as one Sox official said, 501 7/8 feet. Williams is credited with hitting the longest homer at Fenway, a 502-foot shot, whose landing point is marked by a red seat in the right-field bleachers. In any case, Shea said Ramirez’s homer, if it had not hit the light tower, would have been the first Fenway bomb to land on the Mass Pike.
By and large, Red Sox manager is a savior
Mike Berardino, Sun Sentinel [June 22]
Baseball quote of the year? It just might have come from Boston Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette last weekend.
Cal Ripken’s Disease
Bryan Curtis, slate.com [June 19]
Cal Ripken announced his retirement Monday, and the Washington Post began its hagiography … the sanitized biography of a man who was selfish, aloof, and at times phenomenally shallow.
Md. Indians Seek Help To Change Team Names
Federal, State Officials Urged to Step In
Tracey A. Reeves and Manuel Perez-Rivas, Washington Post [June 24]
A Maryland advocacy group for Native Americans has asked federal and state officials for help in persuading local school officials to stop using offensive references to American Indians for mascots, logos and sports teams. Dixie Henry, administrator of the commission, said her group hoped to elevate what has been a steady but slow campaign to eliminate a practice that native people have long considered an affront.
“We didn’t seem to be getting anywhere on our own,” Henry said. “We talk to schools, and they tell us they don’t mean to be disrespectful. But think about it: People would scream if a school named their team the ‘New Orleans Negroes’ or the ‘Fighting Jews.’ “
Sunday, June 24, 2001
PawSox hope ‘longball’ a big hit
Tony Massarotti, Boston Herald [June 22]
It was a game that seemingly took 20 years to complete, and so tomorrow at McCoy Stadium, the Pawtucket Red Sox will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their participation in the longest game in the history of professional baseball.
Final score: Pawtucket 3, Rochester 2. In 33 unforgettable innings, of course.
Can’t rush greatness: Nomar won’t gauge return
Karen Guregian, Boston Herald [June 23]
He’s been lobbing tennis balls against the wall for about 10 minutes a day and air-swinging with a fungo bat with his surgically repaired right wrist. Next comes tossing lightly with a baseball, and maybe, making contact with the ball off a batter’s tee.
Sox are Chi Chi’s other passion
Karen Guregian, Boston Herald [June 21]
He hates the Yankees. Can’t stand Bucky “Bleeping” Dent. Curses John McNamara for leaving in Bill Buckner. Prefers Felipe Alou over Jimy Williams. Does this sound like anyone we know?
He loves Pedro. Can’t wait for Nomar to return. He even remembers Walt Dropo, Gene Conley and the first bonus baby, Billy Consolo.
Who knew Chi Chi Rodriguez was such a huge Red Sox fan?
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