There was a tornado warning, out Hopkinton way, but the only threat to Fenway Park last night was, of course, rain.
This is how it is these days, heading to the park hoping to see a game, but wondering what Mother Nature - by the way, who the heck ticked her off? - had up her diabolical sleeve this time.
Anyway, if anyone bumps into summer, please call.
The players don't like the uncertainty of the elements either. "Pittsburgh has a lot of the same weather," said Jason Bay, but what we're getting around here is a bit much for the Red sox left fielder. "I'm an avid weather.com checker, but it changes so darn fast."
The weather might get stormy, but Bay is quintessentially calm under any circumstances. You may have noticed. Hit a homer, no expression. Strike out, no expression. Get upset at a questionable strike three call, Bay's already forgotten about it.
His teammates, his manager, the clubhouse guys, everybody's noticed how even-keel Bay is.
What they don't know is that he wasn't always like this. "When I was younger, like 13, I threw the bat," he says.
I'd like to see video of that. OK, the kid had a bit of a hot-head. His father, Dave, didn't like it. He read his son the riot act. The father didn't raise his voice. He wasn't the type. "It was like a scolding," said Bay. "He said when I throw a tantrum or pout, it reflects on me."
The kid eventually got it, and it's carried over to his big-league career. Bay is calm, collected. "I get it from my father." Bay's body language is never going to be revealing. Actually, he doesn't have any body language. It's to the point where "my dad says he wishes I'd show a little more emotion. But this is just who I am."
He's also the following: A very good hitter, underrated fielder, solid citizen and someone Red Sox fans want Theo Epstein to spread a new contract in front of, and nobody leaves the room until Bay signs on the dotted line.
Bay is headed to the All-Star Game in St. Louis this weekend. Maybe he can suck up to Roy Halladay in St. Louis. The Toronto Blue Jays ace has been deemed tradeable by general manager J.P. Ricciardi. "I don't think they'd trade him in the division," said Bay. "He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. He goes out and pitches eight innings and gives up a run or two."
Tim Wakefield's not that good, but close enough. The 42-year-old knuckleballer was at it again last night, tossing six-plus noble innings against the Athletics. He gave up 10 hits but only one earned run, and struck out eight in Boston's 5-4 win.
Wakefield pulled Houdini acts from the second inning through the sixth. In the second, Matt Holiday doubled, Kurt Suzuki reached on an infield hit and Jack Cust singled to left for a 1-0 lead. Runners on first and third, no out. No problem. Wakefield kept it right there, getting the next three hitters on a popup and two strikeouts.
In the third, Wakefield escaped a second and third, one-out dilemma. In the fourth, Oakland put runners on first and third with one out, and got nothing. In the fifth and sixth, Wakefield stranded two runners. Definitely a whew! game for Wakefield, but at the end of the night he had his 11th win, tops in the league.
"I couldn't have done it without the rest of the guys in the field," said Wakefield. "Great defense. The bullpen's been phenomenal all year. I've pitched well but I've gotten a lot of help."
Like a J.D. Drew homer in the fourth, and a three-run blast by David Ortiz in the same inning. Big Papi's shot cut through the wind.
"Wakefield pitched through a lot of hits," said manager Terry Francona. "He got into a couple of binds ... but he gave our offense a chance to get going."
So maybe Wakefield can aim for a 20-win season? "That'd be nice," he smiled.
And what would a win be without another Jonathan Papelbon heartstopping close-out job in the ninth. He walked two, gave up a hit and a run and threw 30 pitches. His tightrope walking hasn't gone unnoticed by the manager. "I think his velocity is still there," said Francona. "The thing I've noticed is his command. A leadoff walk is never what you're looking for."
Francona conceded that Papelbon has "set the bar high, but it's hard at times."
There was a Nomar Garciaparra footnote, when he pinch hit in the eighth, his last Fenway at bat ever perhaps. He popped out meekly to first base. On the first pitch, right on cue.
(Lenny Megliola's e-mail is lennymegs@aol.com)
