Friday, July 15, 2005
If You Don’t Have Something Nice to Say…
I tried. I really did.
I tried to find one good thing to say about Tim Redding pitching against the Red Sox tonight in Fenway Park. And after looking at his game logs for this season, all I can muster is “He isn’t Darrell May.”
May of course was paired with Redding earlier this month in a trade from the Padres to the Yankees for Paul Quantrill. He was also racked around in a start (his only Yankee appearance to date) last Saturday against Cleveland: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 HR, 0 BB, 3 SO.
But back to Redding.
Two years ago, he was a solid member of the Astros’ starting rotation.
2003
He did not get off to a good start in ’04 and finished 5-7 with a 5.72 ERA (27 G, 17 GS). By the end of the second half of last season, he was banished to the bullpen and subsequently moved to the Padres before the start of this season.
His short time in San Diego was quite simply a train wreck.
In just under 30 innings of work (9 G, 6 GS), he allowed 40 hits, 35 runs (30 earned), walked 13 and struck out 17. It all added up to a 0-5 record and a 9.10 ERA.
Not counting that a 1.2 IP relief stint on June 29 against the Dodgers (0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K), Reddings last decent performance was on May 3 at home against the punchless Rockies. In a no-decision:
In addition to his decline in productivity, he has battled a bad shoulder for a good portion of this season already, spending a stint on the DL.
Now he finds himself in the middle of a bona fide pennant race between the two biggest rivals in the sport. It’s a great opportunity to revive a career that’s been heading towards the obscurity of single-tiered ballparks for the last season-and-a-half.
It’s also a chance to confirm what Yankee fans believe right now: the starting rotation is an absolute disaster.
A Scribe’s Scribe
Among the web writers, I’m under the impression that most people think that Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe is a hack. They think he’s spotty with the “objective” side of the game; they think he’s just a typical loud-pen columnist.
I see their points, but the Globe isn’t going to be hiring a columnist who espouses on the finer details of DIPS anytime soon. It’s a publication, like most of the major metropolitan newspapers in this country, geared towards a huge audience, and therefore will feature writers that will appeal to as much of that audience as possible.
And as a baseball fan, I realize I have to turn to The Hardball Times or even Baseball Musings for a particular brand of commentary I’m not going to find in a daily.
On the other hand, I turn to Shaughnessy’s columns when I simply want to read good writing. And if you don’t think today’s column is good writing, then we’re not spectators at the same game.
If you watched the drama at Fenway last night, the column doesn’t necessarily tell you anything you don’t already know, which is o.k. sometimes. Sometimes it’s enough to revel in the atmosphere of the night, how good the game was, how it reminded you why you invest so much time and so many thoughts and conversations on mere games.
And this column captured the essence of this particular park on this particular night. Ultimately, after a great game like that, that’s all I can ask for. All that I really need out of a sports column.
It was only a baseball game in July. From my seat in the universe, it just felt a little bit bigger than that. And this piece of writing reflected that.
Equal Time
Lupica’s column (a writer I’m much more hot-and-cold with) was top-notch as well.
I Don’t Got Rhythm
For some reason, yesterday was a bad music day. Just nothing happening for me.
I gave the last Guided by Voices record yet another chance, and again was left feeling uninspired and flat. After a good first impression late last summer, the album has steadily lost steam for me. Even the usually transcendent and wonderful “Everybody Thinks I’m a Raincloud (When I’m Not Looking),” one of Pollard’s best from the last half-decade, sounded more average than usual.
Despite what these folks on Disarm the Settlers say, “Sleep Over Jack” is not classic, only mildly amusing and not very rocking.
Some day something might click, and I'm still hopeful that it will. But for now, it is easily the most non-essential and forgettable album in the amazing GBV catalog.
I’ve also been given the new Stars album a few chances, having it recommended to me from a reliable source.
Some nice moments (track 3, "Ageless Beauty" is an energetic gem), but overall it hasn’t clicked. A lot of influences converging at once, which can be effective when done carefully. In this instance, it makes the proceedings feel a little schizophrenic, wandering, not really sure what it ultimately wants to be.
Haven’t given up on it yet, but not expecting too much from it at this point.
On Deck
The new Son Volt album. Can’t wait to hear this one. As I’ve gotten more into Uncle Tupelo over the last year or so (maybe to compensate for the increasing absence of ‘rock’ in Wilco?), I’ve gotten more into Jay Farrar’s work. The first Son Volt album (1995’s Trace) is outstanding, and although I haven’t listened to too much beyond that, I was excited to hear he’s resurrected that band’s moniker, which has been dormant since 1998 or '99. He's released several solo projects since then.
His supporting cast is totally different than Son Volt’s first incarnation, but assuming that the trademark Farrar delivery and sound is intact, it should be a worthwhile purchase.
As an aside, the band’s new bassist is Andrew Duplantis, who I saw on tour when he played bass for Bob Mould back in the later summer/early autumn of 1996.
Okemah and the Melody of Riot, whose title is a reference to Woody Guthrie's birthplace, was just released on Tuesday, and I’m hoping to pick it up tomorrow morning at my local independent record store.
Pitchfork put a review up of it here. But I'm waiting to here it myself before reading someone else's full-fledged opinion of it.
Talk Amongst Yourselves
For the first time I'm changed the setting to allow visitors comments. Don't know if it will make any difference whatsoever. Feel free to to share ideas, thoughts, reactions to what you see here, recommend a good brew, or a new band to check out. Please don't waste your time telling me how bad the site sucks and what a terrible writer I am. Save that for the big shots. The Shaughessy's of the world.
Ten minutes till first pitch.
Enjoy the games.
I tried. I really did.
I tried to find one good thing to say about Tim Redding pitching against the Red Sox tonight in Fenway Park. And after looking at his game logs for this season, all I can muster is “He isn’t Darrell May.”
May of course was paired with Redding earlier this month in a trade from the Padres to the Yankees for Paul Quantrill. He was also racked around in a start (his only Yankee appearance to date) last Saturday against Cleveland: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 HR, 0 BB, 3 SO.
But back to Redding.
Two years ago, he was a solid member of the Astros’ starting rotation.
2003
W L ERA IP H R ER BB SO
10 14 3.68 176 179 85 72 65 116
He did not get off to a good start in ’04 and finished 5-7 with a 5.72 ERA (27 G, 17 GS). By the end of the second half of last season, he was banished to the bullpen and subsequently moved to the Padres before the start of this season.
His short time in San Diego was quite simply a train wreck.
In just under 30 innings of work (9 G, 6 GS), he allowed 40 hits, 35 runs (30 earned), walked 13 and struck out 17. It all added up to a 0-5 record and a 9.10 ERA.
Not counting that a 1.2 IP relief stint on June 29 against the Dodgers (0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K), Reddings last decent performance was on May 3 at home against the punchless Rockies. In a no-decision:
IP H R ER BB K
7 4 1 1 1 5
In addition to his decline in productivity, he has battled a bad shoulder for a good portion of this season already, spending a stint on the DL.
Now he finds himself in the middle of a bona fide pennant race between the two biggest rivals in the sport. It’s a great opportunity to revive a career that’s been heading towards the obscurity of single-tiered ballparks for the last season-and-a-half.
It’s also a chance to confirm what Yankee fans believe right now: the starting rotation is an absolute disaster.
A Scribe’s Scribe
Among the web writers, I’m under the impression that most people think that Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe is a hack. They think he’s spotty with the “objective” side of the game; they think he’s just a typical loud-pen columnist.
I see their points, but the Globe isn’t going to be hiring a columnist who espouses on the finer details of DIPS anytime soon. It’s a publication, like most of the major metropolitan newspapers in this country, geared towards a huge audience, and therefore will feature writers that will appeal to as much of that audience as possible.
And as a baseball fan, I realize I have to turn to The Hardball Times or even Baseball Musings for a particular brand of commentary I’m not going to find in a daily.
On the other hand, I turn to Shaughnessy’s columns when I simply want to read good writing. And if you don’t think today’s column is good writing, then we’re not spectators at the same game.
If you watched the drama at Fenway last night, the column doesn’t necessarily tell you anything you don’t already know, which is o.k. sometimes. Sometimes it’s enough to revel in the atmosphere of the night, how good the game was, how it reminded you why you invest so much time and so many thoughts and conversations on mere games.
And this column captured the essence of this particular park on this particular night. Ultimately, after a great game like that, that’s all I can ask for. All that I really need out of a sports column.
It was only a baseball game in July. From my seat in the universe, it just felt a little bit bigger than that. And this piece of writing reflected that.
Equal Time
Lupica’s column (a writer I’m much more hot-and-cold with) was top-notch as well.
I Don’t Got Rhythm
For some reason, yesterday was a bad music day. Just nothing happening for me.
I gave the last Guided by Voices record yet another chance, and again was left feeling uninspired and flat. After a good first impression late last summer, the album has steadily lost steam for me. Even the usually transcendent and wonderful “Everybody Thinks I’m a Raincloud (When I’m Not Looking),” one of Pollard’s best from the last half-decade, sounded more average than usual.
Despite what these folks on Disarm the Settlers say, “Sleep Over Jack” is not classic, only mildly amusing and not very rocking.
Some day something might click, and I'm still hopeful that it will. But for now, it is easily the most non-essential and forgettable album in the amazing GBV catalog.
I’ve also been given the new Stars album a few chances, having it recommended to me from a reliable source.
Some nice moments (track 3, "Ageless Beauty" is an energetic gem), but overall it hasn’t clicked. A lot of influences converging at once, which can be effective when done carefully. In this instance, it makes the proceedings feel a little schizophrenic, wandering, not really sure what it ultimately wants to be.
Haven’t given up on it yet, but not expecting too much from it at this point.
On Deck
The new Son Volt album. Can’t wait to hear this one. As I’ve gotten more into Uncle Tupelo over the last year or so (maybe to compensate for the increasing absence of ‘rock’ in Wilco?), I’ve gotten more into Jay Farrar’s work. The first Son Volt album (1995’s Trace) is outstanding, and although I haven’t listened to too much beyond that, I was excited to hear he’s resurrected that band’s moniker, which has been dormant since 1998 or '99. He's released several solo projects since then.
His supporting cast is totally different than Son Volt’s first incarnation, but assuming that the trademark Farrar delivery and sound is intact, it should be a worthwhile purchase.
As an aside, the band’s new bassist is Andrew Duplantis, who I saw on tour when he played bass for Bob Mould back in the later summer/early autumn of 1996.
Okemah and the Melody of Riot, whose title is a reference to Woody Guthrie's birthplace, was just released on Tuesday, and I’m hoping to pick it up tomorrow morning at my local independent record store.
Pitchfork put a review up of it here. But I'm waiting to here it myself before reading someone else's full-fledged opinion of it.
Talk Amongst Yourselves
For the first time I'm changed the setting to allow visitors comments. Don't know if it will make any difference whatsoever. Feel free to to share ideas, thoughts, reactions to what you see here, recommend a good brew, or a new band to check out. Please don't waste your time telling me how bad the site sucks and what a terrible writer I am. Save that for the big shots. The Shaughessy's of the world.
Ten minutes till first pitch.
Enjoy the games.
