In Boston, Pete Abraham noted the Red Sox will play a split doubleheader against the A's on Saturday "to avoid Sunday's game being washed out by Hurricane Irene." Red Sox P and union rep Daniel Bard said that the team's front office "wanted to play two games" on Friday instead. But the Red Sox were not scheduled to arrive in Boston until 5:00am ET Friday, so the players "voted that down." Bard said, "That was their first thing. We can't do that. You can't ask guys to play 18 innings (after) getting in at 5 a.m. That was quickly shot down." The Red Sox and A's "have no mutual days off this season," so without "preemptive planning, a rainout on Sunday would have been scheduled for Sept 29, the day after the scheduled end of the regular season and one day before the start of the playoffs." Bard said, "We were trying to get creative and find another way to do it. But this was how it worked out" (BOSTON.com, 8/25).
EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS? In Ft. Worth, Gil LeBreton noted Tuesday's Red Sox-Rangers game drew just 25,705 fans at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington despite the fact the Rangers "began the night with a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL West." The team is "headed for a near-three-million home attendance this season," but with "one annoying exception, the Rangers have no better home draw." The temperature at gametime was 103 degrees, but fans have "notoriously been ignoring triple-digit temperatures all summer long." A crowd of 43,117 saw the Rangers play the Blue Jays on a Sunday night last month and 35,573 came out "the next night to watch the Rangers play the Twins" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/24).
WHICH WAY WILL THE WIND BLOW? In S.F., Susan Slusser reported there is "increasing thought among baseball people" that A's GM Billy Beane "might consider an offer if the Cubs do approach him about their GM vacancy, as expected." Within the A's organization, there is "concern that if the ownership group does not get approval to build a stadium in San Jose that the team might be sold and that Beane, who has a minority stake in the A's, would head elsewhere" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/25).
STANDING AT THE HOT CORNER: In Minneapolis, Michael Rand wonders what "might attendance be like at Target Field starting in Year 3 and beyond" with the Twins sporting a 55-75 through Thursday. Target Field "is no doubt a magical place -- near the top for many folks when making a list of the best ballparks in the majors." But with season-ticket renewals going out earlier this month, does the "novelty of eating, drinking, seeing and being seen wear off in year three and beyond?" Rand: "Our best guess -- even after hearing from disgruntled fans lately -- is Target Field isn't close to done with its Honeymoon Phase" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/26).
BIRD'S THE WORD: Marlins LF Logan Morrison, who returned to the MLB club this week after suggesting his demotion to Triple-A was related to his social media use, said that he "intends to remain active on Twitter and has no plans to temper his personality." But in Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis noted Morrison "was more subdued than usual when he addressed reporters" on Wednesday (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 8/24). MLB Network's Eric Byrnes said, "He is going to continue to be himself and I like that. But the thing is, you have just got to use your brain a little bit. Be conscious and be grateful of the opportunity that the Florida Marlins have given you. You are playing in the Major Leagues. You’ve been awarded this opportunity. Be respectful of that." MLB Network's Al Leiter asked, "What will you gain as a result of continuing to just say things I think are foolish?” ("MLB Tonight Live," MLB Network, 8/24).
