Go! Go! Red Sox!!!

BELLHORN去了NYY

这个结局真让人想象不到。

以前也有些人直接间接的从RED SOX去了YANKEES，Roger Clements表现越来越好, Alan Embree还不知道。当然，最早的一个是 BABY RUTH，那就不用说了。去年还有些离开的，今年表现也都不错，PEDRO, DEREK LOWE，这些人本来在RED SOX举足轻重，但也都被 认为表现不够好，薪水要的高而放弃。而在队里被视为珍宝的一些人表现却不尽人意，看看 KEITH FOULKE 今年吧，Schilling，难道真的都吃药了？

让EMBREE穿着洋基的球衣打红袜我还好接受，但让BELLHORN穿洋基打红袜我却觉得滋味难以形容。可惜BELLHORN过去在redsox.com 的ROSTER上的照片我没有存下来。那时候和mets说，Bellhorn 是波士顿的在地人，因为他的出生地就是Boston，还上了Auburn U，看到了他的生日，就是被宣布DFA后的几天，这个生日一定过得很糟糕。结果，就这样一个人，刮了胡子，去了洋基。

去年季后赛开始的时候 BELLHORN 打的那么差，教练都顶住压力让他一直先发，今年难道连 40 人的名单都装不下了吗？曾几何时，看BELLHORN打球成了我和吴凡的一大快乐，无论他被三振多少次，我们还是乐呵呵的看着。可今后要看他，只有等洋基做客了。

现在连 THEO EPSTEIN 都威胁要去洋基了。这个事情实在很残酷，阳关三叠贴的文章很感人，选最后一段贴上。

I hope Mark Bellhorn will shrug off this abuse and one day return to Fenway as a graying geezer for an Oldtimers' Game. And when he shuffles to the plate I hope he's given the standing ovation he so permanently deserves. Even though he probably will strike out.

Red Sox fans should remember Bellhorn's past
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Kevin Hench / FOXSports.com
Posted: 36 days ago

They say people who win the lottery usually end up more unhappy than they were before they scored the big dough.

Really? You were happier living in the double-wide without HBO?
I never believed it.

Until now.

Now that I've seen the behavior of my Red Sox Nation this summer, I understand how expecting too much from life makes some people miserable.

Apparently, winning the World Series — like winning the lottery — makes you expect too much from life. This explains how Yankee fans came to boo Derek Jeter during his April slump last year. And you would think if there's one thing a Red Sox fan would never want to emulate, it's a jaded Yankee fan.

Despite being given the greatest gift in the history of sports — a world championship achieved by leaping off the throats of the Yankees — instead of viewing 2005 as a joyous low-stakes victory lap, some Red Sox fans seem to be viewing it as the first faulty step in another agonizing drought. It took the team 86 years to win a World Series. But it only took Sox fans a couple of months to turn on one of the heroes of that team.

The target of their derision has been a soft-spoken second baseman that has been thumped mercilessly with the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately cudgel.

Look, I know that before going on the disabled list Mark Bellhorn had reached a point of futility where he no longer had any business starting for a contender. I get it. It's fine to acknowledge that fact to your friends, to the talk radio host, even to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein if you see him in a restaurant. You can even shout obscenities at the TV screen every time Bellhorn takes strike three with a runner on third and less than two out. Fine.

Here's what is not acceptable: booing Mark Bellhorn at the ballpark.

Are you kidding me? Your neighbor pulls your kid from out in front of a car and the next spring you're screaming at him for not trimming his hedges?

Hey, I was one of those guys calling for Terry Francona to bench Bellhorn in the ALCS and I don't need to ever see him flail at another pitch for the Red Sox, but the guy will never have to buy a drink in any bar I'm in as long as he lives. Why? Because without him we never would have won the World Series. And that trumps everything. (Even 109 strikeouts in 283 at bats.)

Even as the Red Sox came off the mat to win Games 4 and 5 against the Yankees, I was still bellowing for Terry Francona to bench Mark Bellhorn in favor of Pokey Reese prior to Game 6 in Yankee Stadium. I figured if Bellhorn can't get the ball out of the infield, shouldn't we at least upgrade defensively with Pokey?

In the first eight games of the 2004 playoffs, Bellhorn was 4-for-31 (.129) with a .194 slugging percentage and 14 strikeouts, including four in the 19-8 Game 3 massacre at Fenway. He was lost, bewildered, in a deeper funk than George Clinton doing an encore of Atomic Dog.

But Francona — true to his dance-with-who-brung-ya loyalty — stuck with the Whiffer. And, well, the rest is history.

Batting left-handed, the switch-hitting Bellhorn hit a three-run home run to left off Jon Lieber in Boston's 4-2 win in Game 6. Watching replays of the home run — which we saw a slew of after umpire Jim Joyce originally blew the call — it just seemed nuts that Bellhorn could hit a ball that far on a cold October night to the opposite field. (Maybe that's just what Joyce was thinking when he initially ruled the ball hadn't cleared the wall.)

While Games 4 and 5 went straight into the history books as perhaps the two greatest playoff games of all time, Game 6 is the sleeper, the game best remembered for Alex Rodriguez's girly karate chop. Unlike David Ortiz's heroics in Games 4 and 5, without which the score would have remained tied, Bellhorn's blast in Game 6 was the difference between winning and losing. Something the boo-prone Sox fan might want to consider.

Bellhorn's home run in Game 7 was only critical to pathologically nervous Red Sox fans. After Pedro Martinez got roughed up for two runs in the seventh to make the score 9-3, Bellhorn's solo shot off the right-field fair pole quieted the Stadium and capped the Greatest Comeback of All Time.

The 2004 World Series will be remembered as one of the most one-sided of all time, a sweep in which the victor never trailed. But when Bellhorn came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth in Game 1 against Julian Tavarez with the score tied 9-9, the Sox were on their way to another World Series calamity. They had led 7-2 in the fourth but Manny Ramirez's bizarre misplay in left — one of four Red Sox errors — had allowed the Cardinals to tie it.

Bellhorn hit a fly ball down the right field line that seemed so destined to be pushed foul by a howling wind that the Red Sox bench leaned forward only perfunctorily to watch its flight. Then the Clang Heard ‘Round the World reverberated throughout Red Sox Nation as the ball rattled into the fair pole.

Bellhorn had homered for the third straight game, twice providing the winning runs in doing so, and the Sox never looked back.

So how does a Red Sox fan ever cup his hands to his mouth and boo this guy?

Yes, as it turns out, Bellhorn is not a very good Major League baseball player. But that's what makes his October heroics so indescribably wonderful.

It's nice when a star like Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson or Mike Schmidt adds an amazing postseason performance to his Hall of Fame resume, but the better stories are the journeymen who found lightning in a bottle on the biggest stage.

Don Larsen pitching a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Donn Clendenon hitting .357 with three home runs in the '69 Series. Scott Spiezio driving in 19 runs in 16 postseason games for the Angels in 2002. (Forgive me if I can't wax nostalgic about Bucky Dent and Brian Doyle in 1978.)

Add Mark Bellhorn to that list.

When we look back at Bellhorn's career — which we may be doing fairly soon — he will be one of the most improbable players to be at the center of a championship run in Major League history.

Bellhorn is in his eighth big league season and six of them have been either empty cups of coffee or complete train wrecks. But his two good seasons — 2002 with the Cubs and 2004 with the Sox — were outstanding.

Coming into '02 with the Cubs, Bellhorn had hit .198 in parts of four seasons in Oakland with seven homers in 323 at bats. Then, out of nowhere, he went berserk with Chicago in 2002, hitting .258 with 27 home runs, a .374 OBP and .512 slugging percentage. The following year he crashed back to earth, flailing his way to a .221 season with a meager two home runs in 249 at bats for the Cubs and Rockies.

Still, Epstein was impressed by Bellhorn's patience at the plate and brought him to Boston for the 2004 season. The shaggy second baseman hit a career-high .264 and had 37 doubles, 17 home runs and 82 RBIs while drawing 88 walks. (He also led the A.L. with 177 strikeouts.) Then came those three huge swings in the playoffs.

Instant immortalization, right?

Apparently not. You're only supposed to boo immortals in Philadelphia.

When Bellhorn slipped back to the form he has shown for most of his career — few hits, tons of whiffs — Red Sox Nation turned on him. Other Sox postseason stalwarts stumbled badly this year — most notably Keith Foulke and Alan Embree — but Bellhorn has been treated most rudely.

I hope Mark Bellhorn will shrug off this abuse and one day return to Fenway as a graying geezer for an Oldtimers' Game. And when he shuffles to the plate I hope he's given the standing ovation he so permanently deserves. Even though he probably will strike out.

Posted by 阳关三叠 at August 30, 2005 03:11 PM

BTW, Red Sox pitchers did crappy job recently. And it is too late to retool. In retrospect, Schilling and Foulk's returning to their old forms in a short time was just too much to bet, So standing pat before trade deadline was a mistake. Even Craig Hansen is able to make big league, he is not an ace closer right now. Tough tough road ahead. We Sox fans must fasten our seat belts.
Posted by 阳关三叠 at August 30, 2005 03:32 PM

可怜的KKHORN

我会永远记住他的。他虽然打的差，但他仍然是我心目中的英雄。

Some second thoughts about Bellhorn

By Chris Snow, Globe Staff | August 6, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tony Graffanino arrived at the Metrodome yesterday batting .304, and yet to make an error in nine games since joining the Red Sox.

Mark Bellhorn, meanwhile, arrived at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse, N.Y., yesterday afternoon hitless in 12 at-bats since beginning a rehabilitation stint with Triple A Pawtucket. He'd struck out five times and had yet to walk, though he had been hit by a pitch, for an on-base percentage of .077.

The juxtaposition should not be highlighted without supplying some context. Bellhorn was making only his fourth minor league appearance last night since spraining his left thumb July 17 against the Yankees. But with Bellhorn slumping -- he's hitting .207 this season between Boston and Pawtucket -- and the Sox represented well at second base with the righthanded-hitting Graffanino and the lefthanded-hitting Alex Cora, what does the club do with Bellhorn?

It was a question posed in a number of forms to Terry Francona yesterday afternoon. But it's one he and the team are not yet prepared to answer.

''He was in a position that when he got hurt he was having a tough time," the manager said. ''Now we want him to not only be healthy but to find the approach that helped us win last year. We're trying to find two in one."

Bellhorn joined Pawtucket Monday, and the initial plan called for him to be with the PawSox through next Tuesday. But he's allowed to spend up to 20 days in the minor leagues, and the Sox don't appear to be in much of a hurry to summon him to Boston. Francona, meanwhile, sounds reluctant to give up on the second baseman, though it's not inconceivable that he's designated for assignment sometime this month.

''He meant so much to us with what he did last year, and he means so much to us this year, but his production, he's having a tough time," Francona said. ''He's a hard guy to know what to say to. Because even when he's going good there's a lot of swings and misses. There's a lot of swings where you say, 'How did he miss that? He's right there. He didn't seem to be ahead of it. Didn't seem to be behind it.' That's just his style.

''Last year what he did ended up being pretty damn good. A lot of good swings [in Pawtucket] is what we're looking for. We love the guy. We love what he does. The way he plays second. His ability to be a teammate."

Family matters

Graffanino was excused from playing Thursday against Kansas City. The reason? Graffanino's 5-year-old son, Nicholas, had surgery that morning at Children's Hospital to remove a lump on the side of his throat.

''They still don't know what he has," said Graffanino, who sounded confident that his son will be OK. ''We're still waiting on that. I got to see him during the surgery, after the game, and again [yesterday] morning. He's doing great."
The lump surfaced about five weeks ago, Graffanino said.

''We're glad we were in Boston when it got a lot worse the last couple of weeks," he said.

The second baseman went to the hospital, saw his son wheeled out of surgery, then headed for Fenway Park, even though Francona had told Graffanino, ''If you need to stay, stay."

''He raced to the ballpark, put a uniform on, was available in the second inning," Francona said. ''I appreciate that. He didn't have to do that."

Graffanino, despite his son's condition, went into last night hitting .333 (13 for 39) since being dealt to Boston by the Royals.

''I had my share of nights when I didn't sleep as much as I should have," he said. ''You get on the field and it's almost like an escape. You can only worry about something so much, and then you've got to get out and play baseball."

Business trip

Jon Papelbon, who fanned seven in his four-hit, two-run Sox debut Sunday against Minnesota, was scheduled to pitch in relief last night for Pawtucket, a role he hadn't occupied since spring 2003, when he was closing games at Mississippi State. His, and the club's, intention is for the righthander to return to Boston this season as a power arm out of the bullpen.

''For me, it's just like, hey, I feel I can help this team win a championship," Papelbon said by telephone. ''That's what it all boils down to for me. I feel I can get quality outs, not just outs in an 8-0 blowout. If I can help the ball club out, I'm willing."

Papelbon routinely worked at 93 to 94 miles per hour Sunday and peaked at 95. Francona suggested earlier in the week that Papelbon, pitching only one inning or to only a batter or two, probably could reach back for more.

''Yeah, but I don't think I'll be concentrating on that," said the 24-year-old Louisiana native. ''I'm going to concentrate on outs, not getting my velocity up. I know I can pitch effectively at 93-95. If I can be effective at that, why try to throw harder?"

Papelbon, who has averaged 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings in his professional career, won't pitch back-to-back games immediately, though when he does, that figures to be a telling task.

''The biggest challenge for me will be bouncing back the very next day," he said.

The winners are . . .

The Sox' minor league award winners for July, as chosen by the organization: Portland CF David Murphy (Offensive Player, Quality Plate Appearances), Portland LHP Jon Lester (Pitcher), Single A Greenville SS Christian Lara (Defensive Player), Gulf Coast League INF Luis Segovia (Base Runner), and short-season Single A Lowell OF Jacoby Ellsbury (Base Stealer). The 23-year-old Murphy, the Sox' top pick in 2003 (17th overall), hit .379 with 19 RBIs and 20 runs in 28 July games. Lester allowed only four runs in four July starts while limiting opponents to a .193 average. Ellsbury, the Sox' first pick (23d overall) this year, stole nine bases in nine July attempts . . . Rich Garces made his third Gulf Coast League appearance yesterday, pitching a 1-2-3 inning for the Sox' affiliate. El Guapo has now retired 9 of 10 hitters he's faced this year (the other homered). He again peaked at 89 miles per hour, throwing 9 of 14 pitches for strikes. But there were indications that the organization is alarmed by his weight . . . David Ortiz made a grand appearance in the Twins' clubhouse, a place he used to call home. At one point, just before 4 p.m., Ortiz dressed himself head to toe in Jacque Jones's road Twins uniform . . . John Halama, who was designated for assignment July 26, signed with the Washington Nationals . . . Kevin Millar buzzed Graffanino's hair yesterday. ''It's an infield thing," Graffanino said. Millar recently buzzed his head, and Bill Mueller followed suit. Cora and Edgar Renteria already lacked hair. Which makes one wonder: If he were here, what would the long-haired Bellhorn do?
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