El Guapo's Ghost Rambles on about the Red Sox

TRIPLE PLAY

Health
In Joe Sheenan’s [pay-per-view] column yesterday,

Quite frankly, the Sox could use Gonzalez (0.96 ERA, 33 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings for Nashville) back

Those are sick numbers but who is Gonzalez and when did the Sox have him? The Gonzalez is Mike. The Sox had him as part of the original Scott Sour-suck deal with the Pirates last July. At the time, I wrote…

…Mike Gonzalez with his reported high 90's sinker and slider coming from the left side offers much more potential. He has the stuff to be a dominant relief pitcher; a starter if he can develop an off-speed pitch.

Then after Gonzalez was dealt back to Pitt, I wrote…

…I am disappointed that the minor leaguers went back to their original clubs. Gonzalez has more upside than a [Anastacio] Martinez…

I bring this up because I wonder if the Sox medical staff suffered any “consequences and repercussions” from misdiagnosing Brandon Lyon. How about Trot Nixon? I am assuming Nixon went through an extensive physical before the club signed him to a three-year extension. Did the examination not find an ailing back or did Theo ignore a medical report?

History
On the same day that an Arizona columnist suggested that the D'Backs trade the Big Unit, he makes history by throwing a perfect game. It was nice to witness history live on TBS. Finally, TBS is useful for something other than holiday marathons of Lethal Weapon or Rocky I - XXII. Congratulations, Randy Johnson - maybe he rejoins his former teammate at Fenway later this summer.

Technology
Mel Duvall of Baseline Magazine has an interesting article on what some have called the “Red Sox Way.” Thanks to Baseball Primer or Think Factory for the link.

With all of the technology in use by the Red Sox, why do they not have one-way radios in batting helmets like quarterbacks? It seems crazy why a hitter would get a sign wrong or a runner would miss the third base coach when we have the technology to virtually eliminate that possibility. It doesn’t seem to happen often but why chance it. The use of batting helmet radios would also eliminate the opportunity that your opponent could steal signs.