Posted - Aug 5, 2006 - 9:05p
www.TheMeck.com - THE MECK REPORT
----- Original Message -----
From: The Meck
To: sbuckley@bostonherald.com
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 5:01 PM
Subject: Fw: BostonHerald.com - Herald Sports Columnists: Lopez forced to learn on the job in debut .. Aug 5, 2006 - 1:12a .. Steve Buckley
Excerpt from Steve Buckley Column
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After Lopez held his media session yesterday afternoon and walked down a hallway for a meeting with his new pitchers, I posed that very question to him: Could there be a scenario by which Varitek signals pitch selections to Lopez from the dugout?
“I really doubt it,” Lopez said.
Again, one has to admire the man’s confidence. Yet the question lingers: If the down-for-the-count, going-nowhere-fast, fourth-place-forever Baltimore Orioles decided they couldn’t afford to put Javy Lopez behind the plate, what does that say about the postseason-mandated Red Sox?
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Steve .. It says what most baseball fans and writers know and have known for many years.
The Orioles are losers on the field guided by the most dysfunctional front office in baseball.
The Red Sox are winners on the field working with a bright, aggressive front office.
All on the same page together led by Theo .. the best GM in the game.
You should know that Javy Lopez has a stellar resume at age 35.
- Javy was the Braves starting catcher for 9 straight years 1995 - 2003.
All Division Titles.
No catcher in ML History has ever accomplished that feat.
- A World Series title in 1995.
- Javy was the NLCS MVP in 1996 .. [ batting .542 with 6 RBI ]
- Javy Lopez - A Total of 60 Post-season games
7 Lg Division series
6 Lg Championship series
2 World Series
Total of 15 Postseason Series
278 batting avg. [in 60 games ] 205 AB - 10 Postseason HR's
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- 3 Time All-Star
- Battery Mate of 3 Cy Young Winners.
Javy caught Glavine's Cy Young winning season of 1998 [ 20 - 6]
and Smoltz's Cy Young Season of 1996 - 24 wins.
Plus Maddux's Cy Year of 1995 [ 19 wins]
That's 3 Cy Young Winners Javy has caught in his career.
- FOUR 20 Game Winners
Javy has been the battery mate of Four 20 game winners.
Smoltz in 1996
Denny Neagle in 1997
Glavine in 1998 and 2000
- In 2003, Javy hit 43 HR's .. [42 as a catcher ]
Setting the ML Record for HR's in a single season by a catcher.
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Steve .. Can you name a catcher [in the last 10 years]
who's caught more 20 game winners [ 4] and Cy Young winners [3] than Javy Lopez ??
Javy is second only to Jorge Posada in Post-season games caught [ last 10 years]
Posada with 88 .. Javy with 60. Varitek with 39.
Post-season Batting avgs? Javy is batting .278. Varitek is batting .254. Posada at .222
The career stats and record achievement speak LOUDER than anyone.
The Red Sox know, the fans know, and I can assure you Varitek knows ..
and you should also, Steve.
You should answer your question you posed to your readers with a follow up column ..
and let them know .. you know the real Javy Lopez.
Steve .. Do your readers a big favor and give them the facts.
I guarantee you .. Javy will be a big favorite with the players and the fans.
Just watch.
Thanks Steve
Meck [ in the real LA - Lower Al - Dothan]
The Proud Home of Haywood Sullivan
www.TheMeck.com
http://sports.bostonherald.com/sportsColumnists/view.bg?articleid=151476
