The Fens

Geez, it's always fun when your team visits Fenway Park and the Green Monster, Yawkey Way, Pesky Pole, and if you are a good hitter, there's something inviting about the contours of the park. The Bermuda Triangle in left centre, and way the stands jut out down the third base line, where many a ball has steered into foul territory then ricocheted off the stands back into the outfield.

As I say, it's fun, unless you are a pitcher, and a pitcher with no control, intimidated by the short porch, it's pure hell. You'd have more fun feeding the bears at the zoo, dressed as a salmon than pitch here. Ask many a Yankee, Jay, Ray, Oriole or Tiger. Ask the Mariners, ask the A's, the White Sox, they'll all tell you, oh it's a historic park, but when you have a 5 run lead in the 7th, that lead ain't safe.

Back in 1984 , Jack Morris on his way to a World Series with the Tigers saw his 8 run lead dissipate in the bottom of the 8th with 6 home runs, and 3 doubles, and 3 walks. He served up fresh taters to Tony Armas, Jim Rice, and Dwight Evans. The bullpen was far worse. 8 runs gone faster than fresh doughnuts at a policy station.

I do remember even the Red Sox sitting on an 8 run cushion to your beloved Jays on June 3, 1989, the Jays overcoming a large Red Sox lead to come back and win 13 to 11 in 12 innings. No lead is safe and if the winds are swirling, all bets are off, and bet the "over".

Tonight the Jays are down after 4 and half 4- doughnut, but a lot can change.

Around the diamond and we find the San Diego Spendthrifts leading the NL West, and the Washington Nationals 4 games above .500. In May, you continue to see weird stats, and teams in unusual places. While the Cubs and LA Angels ( 2 bigger budget squads ) flounder, and sputter, the Rangers and Tigers are winning because of their pitching, and that was not expected. The Mets are well, the Mets, and the Dodgers cannot score with or without Manny in the line up.

I was hoping the Dodgers would add more offense because this is Vin Scully's last year at the microphone, and when he retires, that truly is the last of a bygone era..

So while Fenway invites pitchers into it's Venus Flytrap, and swallows up ERA's and spits out crooked numbers, runs are down in Yankee Land, and it Denver, and Seattle and in Pittsburgh, they are down and while we only have scant stats to theorize with, players are running more and banging less. Is it cold weather, better pitching or new drug testing, but it is noticeable so far.

But not in Fenway, Pythagoras would go nuts trying to visualize the vagaries of this baseball formula, it's like Vin Scully , a throwback, and thankfully we still have it. Unless you are a pitcher, then it's a Tim Burton nightmare.