There are some sights that you come to expect on a Major League ballfield.\u00c2\u00a0 Albert Pujols blasting two homers in a game is a common sight, albeit an always spectacular one (especially when one of those bombs is of the grand slam variety, as happened against the Royals last Sunday).\u00c2\u00a0 Milton Bradley going nuts is a familiar firework show of a different kind, one that Cubs manager Lou Piniella finally tired of on Friday.<\/p>\n
But John Smoltz pitching in a Red Sox uniform?\u00c2\u00a0 You see the footage, do a double-take and still it doesn’t fully sink in.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Smoltz had worn the Atlanta Braves uniform with distinction for twenty years before this season.\u00c2\u00a0 He had excelled as a starter in an era-defining rotation with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and even though both of those pitchers moved elsewhere, Smoltz was a constant in Georgia.\u00c2\u00a0 When he switched to the full-time closer role between 2002 and 2004, his great stuff and bulldog character made him one of the best to ever take the ball in the ninth inning.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Smoltz seemed destined to join the increasingly rare list of top players who ended his career as a one-team man.\u00c2\u00a0 However injury concerns and the Red Sox’s cheque book resulted in the pitcher moving to a new team and a new league over the offseason.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boston’s failed attempt to sign Mark Teixeira focused their minds on creating depth in their pool of pitching talent.\u00c2\u00a0 Daisuke Matsuzaka’s struggles have reminded everyone of that old piece of baseball wisdom: you can never have enough good pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 Some people in Beantown seemed to be worrying about the number of pitchers their team had to pick from, but these things often find a way of working themselves out.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Red Sox’s plentiful pitching options and payroll flexibility allowed them to sign up Smoltz despite knowing that he would miss at least the first two months of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 His rehabilitation from right-shoulder surgery could be conducted at a considered pace so that when he did finally make his way back onto a Major League mound, he would have every chance of staying healthy for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n
The process also ensured that Smoltz’s 2009 debut was one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the season so far.\u00c2\u00a0 As so often happens, it didn’t quite live up to expectations.\u00c2\u00a0 The Washington Nationals tagged him for four runs<\/a> in the first inning on Thursday and the thirty-five pitches he was forced to throw in that opening frame contributed to his exit after five innings.<\/p>\n But the Red Sox won’t be worried. \u00c2\u00a0Smoltz recovered from that rusty start and ended on strong note by retiring the last eight batters he faced.\u00c2\u00a0 More importantly, Boston aren’t going to be too concerned about one game in June.\u00c2\u00a0 Smoltz was added to the Red Sox’s roster with the second half of the season and the postseason in mind.<\/p>\n Throughout all his great years in Atlanta, he only managed to win one World Series.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t bet against\u00c2\u00a0John Smoltz\u00c2\u00a0winning a second with his new team.<\/p>\n More fans able to watch more baseball<\/strong><\/p>\n British baseball fans found out how they would be able to access ESPN America for the foreseeable future after Setanta Sports’ demise was confirmed on Tuesday.\u00c2\u00a0 The impact of the new arrangements<\/a> for the only channel currently broadcasting MLB in the UK varies depending on your TV coverage supplier.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n Virgin Media customers are in a similar position to before.\u00c2\u00a0 They can now buy ESPN America as a standalone channel for \u00c2\u00a310 per month, which is basically what they were paying before for the package that also included channels such as Setanta Sports 1 and 2.<\/p>\n In contrast, Sky customers have really benefitted from the change.\u00c2\u00a0 The channel has been added to the News and Events pack for Sky customers.\u00c2\u00a0 Quite a few subscribers would already have that pack and they have therefore found that baseball (and other North American sports) has suddenly become available to them at no extra cost. For those that don’t have the News and Events pack, they can add it to their subscription for a painless \u00c2\u00a31 per month.<\/p>\n The switch on Sky puts MLB in front of a much larger potential audience, which can only be a good thing for the sport.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not free-to-air coverage and it doesn’t come with a British studio presence, but it does mean that people who wouldn’t initially pay specifically for MLB may stumble across it.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n