(portland sea dogs game thirty nine: malleable as clay.)

Forget about what the big leaguers did, especially since we all know, as the New York Post's George King told us, this was just a matter of good triumphing over evil...

"Before the Angels arrive Friday night, Andy Pettite will face Curt Schilling tonight in a battle of Good (Pettite) versus Evil (Schilling) in a game that has to be labeled a 'must win' for the Yankees..."

W, wait, what?? Annoyingly overloquacious (a hyperverbalist's way of saying "talks too much"), maybe, but evil? Even in the Post, out-and-out "evil" is usually reserved for Saddam, Osama, Hillary Clinton, or gay people. This was a matchup of Jesus v. Jesus. Obviously, Jesus loves Andy Pettite more because Pettite has more championships, just as God loves the Yankees as evidenced by the championships. That does not make Curt Schilling, the Boston Red Sox, or their fans evil, however. (Author excluded.)

Back to the Boston-New York game that mattered last night...Portland v. Trenton. That Clemens guy was pitching, but this younger kid pitched better.

“I would have more confidence in this kid (Buchholz) starting a major league game tomorrow than the other guy (Clemens),” said one American League scout in attendance for Clemens’ second minor league tune-up for the New York Yankees, a start for the Double-A Thunder in their 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Portland Sea Dogs. “We need one game to win the division and you’re giving me a choice between starting (Buchholz) or Clemens, I’m taking (Buchholz) off of what I saw tonight.”

Yeah, seriously, Clay Buchholz is that good.



One can withhold judgment on Clemens until he's in the majors: I choose not to do so in full, noting that his fastball is struggling to break 90, and when it comes to pitching with lesser stuff, Clemens isn't exactly latter-day Pedro Martinez, let alone Keith Foulke. The rest of the Herald article I pulled the scout's quote from is telling. The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be. (Ain't what she used to be.) (Ain't what she used to be.)

Nine and a half rounds up to ten, by the way. As expected, Curt isn't happy about yesterday either. "Craptastic," indeed.