August 6, 2006
SURE IS SLOWING DOWN, HUH?:
Numbers tell tale of 21: A lot has gone into RamÃrez's streak (Gordon Edes, August 6, 2006, Boston Globe)
Here's everything you'd want to know about the 21-game hitting streak Manny RamÃrez brings into today's game at Tropicana Field, which is the longest of his career (he hit in 20 straight in 2000, his last season with the Indians), is the longest in the American League this season, and is the longest current in the majors, Chase Utley's 35-game streak having ended Friday night:# The streak is the longest by a Red Sox player since Johnny Damon hit in 29 straight June 10-July 17, 2005.
RamÃrez is batting .395 (30 for 76) during the streak, which began July 15. Baltimore's Miguel Tejada is baseball's hottest hitter since that date, batting .437 going into yesterday. [...]
# Since June 18, when RamÃrez was batting .281, his lowest average since the end of April, he is batting .371 (59 for 159). In those 42 games, RamÃrez has 14 home runs and 47 RBIs, and, entering last night's game, had a .440 on-base percentage, .729 slugging percentage, and 1.169 OPS.
He's third in the League in both slugging and on-base percentage overall. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 6, 2006 8:46 AM
How do you feel about the fact that Boston sat on the sidelines as the non-waiver trade deadline passed?
I don't think it will hurt them. They did protect their farm system by doing so.
Posted by: Bartman at August 6, 2006 8:56 AMIf they could have gotten Andruw Jones, Miguel Tejada or Roy Oswalt it's a no-brainer. No one else who was talked about would have been worth giving up any of the young arms.
This year's team wasn't supposed to be this good--they're trying to transition to a more homegrown team. Chasing a ring in a situation like this is how team's destroy their futures, no?
Posted by: oj at August 6, 2006 9:22 AMIf I was a London bookmaker I probably would've paid out on the bet already -- I think they paid out on Chelsea winning the league last year in January.
However, I still hold out hope that come September 1st when the Sawx are 10 games behind the Yanks in the division and 5 or 6 back in the wild card Manny will pack in and an awful September will follow.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at August 6, 2006 12:50 PMoj: I agree. Those three would have been no-brainers. I am not an AL fan but I appreciate any team that doesn't take the Yankee route (and Marlin) of buying championships at the expense of the farm system. My respect for the Red Sox went up over the past week.
I just wish there was one NL team that could beat the AL in the world series.
Posted by: Bartman at August 6, 2006 8:04 PM