Tagged: Adrian Gonzalez
“The Trade”
Staying on our Dodger Blue theme…
I peiced this together from various sources, including Gordon Edes and ESPN Boston.
On August 25, 2012, the Dodgers and Red Sox completed a 9-player deal which sent past-present-and probably future All Stars Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and (indepensible utilityman) Nick Punto to Los Angeles for the (until then) forever underperforming James Loney and four minor leaguers.
Entering 2013, Gonzalez had $127 million remaining on his contract and Crawford had $102.5 million remaining. This was the first time in MLB history in which two players were involved in a trade with $100 million remaining on their contracts.
* Carl Crawford (via ESPNLA.com): “That was one of the toughest times in my life, ever, from when I was a little kid, 1 year old. It definitely was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life to be traded over here. You make $20 million, but it’s not like they’re begging me to hit a home run every time I go up there, you know what I’m saying? It’s not like I need to go 5-for-5 every at-bat and, if I don’t, I’m considered the worst player on the planet.”
Jonny Gomes was a teammate of Carl Crawford with the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Red Sox outfielder said he can’t relate to where Crawford is coming from when he talks about about how “bad” he wants to beat his former team, the Red Sox. “To tell you the truth, every team and organization and manager and GM I’ve left, I’ve left on good terms,’’ Gomes said. “I talk to ’em all, talk to a lot of ’em in the offseason, reach out to ’em all. No hard feelings against any of ’em. I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me. The last thing I want to do is ‘try harder’ against my [former] teams. I try hard every night.’’
* Josh Beckett (via WEEI.com): “It just got way too personal for me,” he said while rehabbing in the Dallas area. “It wasn’t just like, ‘Hey, you suck on the baseball field.’ It was now, ‘Hey, you’re a bad person.’ It was getting personal. It wasn’t even about baseball anymore. It was definitely time to make a change. I think everybody from the front office to the players recognized that, we’ve moved on and now here I am.”
The Red Sox are 84-80 since the deal (remember, part of that includes the Bobby Valentine regime), the Dodgers 91-70, with each in playoff position at the moment.
The financial impact
The Dodgers had a 2013 Opening Day payroll of $216.6M, the second-highest in MLB behind the Yankees ($228.8M). That was a significant increase from their 2012 Opening Day Payroll of $95.1M, which was 12th-highest in MLB.
The $121.5 million opening day payroll increase was easily the largest in baseball between the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Next on the list is the Toronto Blue Jays, who increased their payroll by $42 million.
There’s still quite a bit of money left over on the contracts of the players the Dodgers acquired. Gonzalez, Crawford and Beckett will be owed a combined $213 million after the 2013 season ends.
With those savings, the Red Sox were able to re-load in the offseason, spending more than $125M on impact free agents such as Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Ryan Dempster, David Ortiz, Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew, David Ross and Koji Uehara.
Victorino has posted 4.4 WAR this season, better than any player the Red Sox sent to the Dodgers has performed this season.
The star: Adrian Gonzalez
Of the five major-leaguers involved in the trade, Gonzalez has been the most valuable for his team this year, with 3.3 Wins Above Replacement. Gonzalez’s value has come in the form of big hits. He has six game-tying or go-ahead hits in the seventh inning or later, the most of anyone on the team. Gonzalez rates fourth in the majors and second in the National League in Win Probability Added, a stat that sums the value of every plate appearance (and stolen base/caught stealing, based on how much it adds to that team’s chance of winning). The only players who rate higher than Gonzalez are Chris Davis, Miguel Cabrera and Paul Goldschmidt.
Though Gonzalez has provided value, his power numbers are still not to the level that they were from 2009 to 2011 (and, by his own admittance after his arrival in L.A., probably never will be the same following his shoulder surgery while a member of the Padres). Gonzalez had a .536 slugging percentage and .231 isolated power (extra-bases per at-bat) over those three seasons. The last two seasons, those numbers are .460 and .162.
* Adrian Gonzalez (via ESPNLA.com): “For the most part, we underperformed last year in Boston and we didn’t win. The year before, we won. We just didn’t make it to the postseason at the end. I had a good time. The only things I had there weren’t really a big deal.”
Nick Punto
Both Crawford and 
Beckett have dealt with significant injuries that have been hindrances to their value. But another player has been a surprise contributor.Punto has been worth 1.9 Wins Above Replacement for the Dodgers this season. If that holds up, it would be the third-highest single-season total of his 13-year career, his highest since posting a 2.4 WAR in 2008.
Punto’s value stems from that he can play a pair of positions adequately. He’s contributed five Defensive Runs Saved at both shortstop and third base, two spots where he’s had to fill in due to injuries.
Punto may not be an imposing hitter, but he’s an annoying one for pitchers to face. His 4.29 pitches per plate appearance rank tied for fourth in the majors, among those with at least 250 plate appearances this season. In addition, in 13 games this month, Punto has a .475 on-base percentage (fifth in the NL among players with at least 30 plate appearances) and eight RBI.
* Nick Punto (via ESPNLA.com): “Pedroia is the heartbeat of that club, and when he’s not happy, it’s not a good thing. He was definitely not very happy.”
And the results have definitely shown for both teams.
The Red Sox are looking to become just the seventh team since the current divisional format began in 1995, and the first in the AL since the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, to go from worst-to-first in their division. This would be the first time in franchise history that the Red Sox won their division/league the year after finishing in last place.
“Two Captains, One Destiny”
That was the tagline from Star Trek: Generations. One of the lesser Trek films but definitely the one which brought most Trekkies war of words in the Kirk versus Picard battle to a zenith.
Hypothetically, till we hear otherwise, Jason Varitek is gone.
And hell, since were getting more questions than answers… let’s rock… I’m Bobby V., my first year at the helm, I’m psyched, nervous and in need of a team captain. Do I leave it to the veterans to guide the team? Do I not appoint, anoint or christen a new captain and just seize the role of Supreme Leader? Should I go with the highest paid perennial all-star and MVP candidate who works with a proven yet quiet determination? Do I look to the two-time World Series Champion, the most clutch Designated Hitter in the history of the team (who made a d!ck of himself during ‘the fallout’)? How do I not give a serious look at the stalwart, rugg
ed and unwavering 3B who always seems to be somewhere on the MVP ballot? Or I do take the risk of getting a no holds barred tell it like it is in your face pint-sized MVP who is the first to arrive, the last to leave and has been consistently reminded he’s just too damn small to be in the major leagues. In the words of Stone Cold Steve Austin, “Oh Hell Yeah!”. Dustin Pedroia. Pedey may in fact be the baseball equivalent of SCSA, or for a modern-day wrestler, C.M. Punk. Both are guys who let their personal lives, struggles and feelings permeate their ‘characters’ and both are the wrestling equivalent of Kevin Millar. I’ll go to war with either ‘One-Five’ any day of the week and a doubleheader on Sunda
ys. Pedey was the loudest voice following the destruction of Tito Francona and the first we heard from following the confirmation of Bobby V’s hiring. Like Varitek, he’s a proven warhorse on the field and his voice and opinion obviously counts for something off it. For as much as Valentine is going to take the ‘pressure’ off the boys and make it an atmosphere where they can play… let’s remember that he’s there because the last manager made it too comfortable. If we’re supposed to believe the reputation, Bobby is a diva… and should have a captain who can balance that image with one of his own.
Let’s look at the history of a few Boston Captains… Ted Williams was the best hitter of his and arguably any generation while also being a loud, foul-mouthed know it all with an ego the size of his home state and a hatred for the ‘Knights of the Keyboard’ to match. Captain Carl was a lifelong Red Sox who carried the respect of the ‘The Nation’ and quietly took the teams he was given on his Hall of Fame shoulders for a good deal of his twenty plus year career bridging the gap between Ted and Jim Ed. But, let’s look at a few other Bostonians to wear the ‘C’. Eddie Shore refused an anesthetic while a doctor sewed his ear back on. Bobby Orr, only the greatest hockey player to wear skates (sorry Wayne Gretzky lovers, but Wayne only played forward… Bobby played defense and dominated the all-around game) and he shared his captaincy with Bucyk and Espo for the most part. Ray Bourque was known simply as ‘The Captain’, a quiet yet powerful presence who led by example and had no problem putting himself before the team (except when he requested a trade due to his age and knowing the B’s weren’t going anywhere) nor did his alternate captain and Hall of Fame partner Cam Neely, a player of equal quiet ferocity who as president of the Bruins changed the landscape of the entire franchise and helped deliver the Stanley Cup. Big Z is in the same mold, with no fear of physically defending his teammates on the ice and setting the example in the locker room. Bill Russell, Hondo, Bird and Garnett… nuff’ said.
Sure, Varitek will in no way be an easy act to follow, but nor should he be. A team is a changing dynamic and requires someone who can change with it. That, if anything, would be the undertone of this off-season. Change and adaptation. Bobby Valentine is that change while Dustin Pedroia is the adaptation.
“No prize for 2nd place….”
But if there was, Jacoby Ellsbury definitely deserved it.
Sure, people will be debating this one for a while, but in the end, Justin Verlander had himself a fantastic season. But, so did Pedro Martinez in 1999. In fact, looking back at the various stats and research, Pedro had a better over all pitching season in 1999… but wasn’t voted the first starting pitcher since ‘The Rocket’ Roger Clemens in 1986 to win both the Cy Young and MVP awards in a single season.
That, I have a problem with.
- 1999 Pedro Martinez 2011 Justin Verlander
- ERA 2.07 2.40
- Wins 23 24
- Losses 4 5
- K’s 313 250
- WHIP .923 .920
- BB 37 57
- Innings 213.1 251
- WAR 8.3 8.5
Yes, Verlander threw his second career No-Hitter and was the American League’s answer to Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and eventually Clayton Kershaw. However, Pedro pitched a SABRmetric statistically stronger season in the midst of the steroid era, a season which again 
saw combined league home run totals reach new records, had that Hall of Fame inning in the All-Star Game at Fenway and was the American League’s answer to Randy Johnson.
Both won the American League pitching Triple Crown.
Both led their respective teams to 90 plus win seasons (and both made it to the ALCS)
Pedro finished 2nd in the BBWAA voting, with 8 First place votes (1 more than winner Ivan Rodriguez) and was intentionally left off 2 ballots cast.
Many of the ‘experts‘ who have spent weeks of expensive air-time on both radio and television debating the issue and who now proclaim “Well, now the precedent has been set” must be either retarded or just stupid. Verlander is one of several pitchers to win both awards including Kofax, Fingers, Blue (also the last switch-hitter to win an MVP), the aforementioned Clemens and most recently Dennis Eckersley. No, the precedent wasn’t set, it was just another salvo in the argument of ‘everyday’ players versus pitchers and the qualified standards of being ‘Most Valuable Player’. Of course, a lot of these experts are the same who contend that the award is not a popularity contest…. really? Ask Albert Bell about that… I’m sure he remembers who won the award in 1995.
1999 Nomar 1999 Ivan Rodriguez 1999 Manny 2011 Ellsbury 2011 Adrian Gonzalez 2011 Pedroia
AVG .357* .332 .333 .321 .338 .307
HR 27 35 44 32 27 21
RBI 104 113 165 105 117 91
OPS 1.002 .914 1.105 .928 .957 .861
SB 14 24 2 39 1 26
WAR 6.5 6.0 8.0 7.2 6.9 6.8
In ’99, Manny Ramirez, who had a statistically greater year with Cleveland than MVP winner Pudge Rodriguez did in Texas, finished third in the BBWAA voting behind Pedro. Nomar, winning the first of two consecutive batting titles, finished seventh while all played for 90 plus win playoff bound teams. This year, Ellsbury finished a solid second ahead of Toronto’s Jose Bautista (who’s 2nd half of the season really didn’t merit his finishing ahead of Granderson, Cabrera or perhaps even A-Gon) third place finish. Adrian Gonzalez in his first year with the Scarlett Hose finished seventh and I’m including Petey who came on strong in the 2nd half to accumulate a ninth place vote.
If anything, I think many will agree that the Red Sox collapse in September weighed like an anvil on Jacoby’s chances, which is unfortunate given he was one of the few players (Adrian’s ‘power outage’ but sustained average) who thrived during the season ending swoon. If the Sox had won just two more games, this blog post might just be moot.
With the age of Moneyball in what some have deemed its ‘twilight’ (especially under the terms of the new CBA) and the Bill James Sabermaticians now fully entrenched throughout MLB, more and more statistically curious tidbits of information continue to hit the mainstream. For example: Babe Ruth, arguably one of Baseball’s greatest players (as compared to marquee draw), won his only MVP award in 1923 (keep in mind it was a ‘league’ award as compared to the defunct Chalmers Aw
ard and pre-dated the current BBWAA MVP Award). Using todays metrics… Ruth should have taken the award 12 times. That’s eleven more times than he actually won it and all based on his actual factual numbers. Shout out to Brian Kenny on MLB Network’s Clubhouse Confidential for combing through the blinding historical numbers and keeping it entertaining. Would love to see his team take a look at Ted Williams lifetime stats.
“Gentlemen, start your engines…”
The clock is slowly ticking down to the start of September and the 2011 season is about to hit its stride. However, there is one helluva straightaway before we get to turn four.
Now granted, be it in NASCAR terms or whatever vehicular jargon you like, the Sox are in pit row. The pitching has since sputtered, the line-up is thumping over a blown tire and while the fuel has been fine, thinning the mix for the length of the race has been a problem. Luckily, at this point anyway, we’re not alone as our neighbors roughly 150 miles to the southwest have been in the same race.
Lackey has been anything but the ‘second ace’ we expected were getting when the ink dried on the contract. In fact, from one start to another, you’re not sure which version of the big hoss will show. Wakefield has been stuck, seemingly, in nuetra
l. However, in Wake’s defense, the Time Lord has pitched fairly well and kept opponents at bay as well Miller or the semi-Lackey but just hasn’t had the stability behind him. Lester is for a better word ‘back’ and Beckett is looking as if he’ll be completing a great ‘comeback’ year. Bedard, well, there is yet another question mark. Yeah, the ERA isn’t horrific but do we have time for a ‘work in progress’ we may only be renting anyway?
Youk, who’s been in and out of the line-up with various injuries (which to his credit he has attempted to play through) may have picked a ‘good’ time to go out on the DL. Big Papi was already riding the bench and should be back and well into getting his swing on by the time Youk returns. A-Gon has been hampered by a neck problem which has stolen his home run stroke and now Jacoby ‘The Machine’ Ellsbury is hitting a slight breakdown. Well, believe it or not, we should still be OK. Petey rode in the slow lane early and has picked up an MVP caliber season since while Crawford, extremely slow to adapt to his new surroundings, is again hitting his stride following the mid-season injury. Combine that with Marco, Reddick, Salty/Tek’ and the on and off mix n’ match pieces we’ve been plugging in… along with A-Gon’s ability to still hit for average if not power… we’re hanging in there.
But not by much.
Now comes the time of year where you need to take every series. Splitting a four game series won’t be enough. Now its three out of four or two of three. Sure, you can’t sweep every series, not should you expect to, but taking the series is without a doubt. So the question is… who do we need to line up in our sights and show no mercy..?
We open a four game set with the Rangers of Texas in Arlington who will obviously be no push-over and then return home for a month-ending home stand. First we see the Athletics, late of Philly and Kansas City (and possibly soon of Oakland), for a three game series and after an off day welcome the New York Highlanders for an all important AL East match-up (of course, we visit the Bronx Zoo in late September for the final weekend of the season, amidst a Baltimore sandwich series). We then open September with the final game of the Pinstripes series in the friendly confines and then welcome… guess who, the Texas Rangers for yet another volley of Defending AL Champs stew. The remainder of the month is as it should be, an AL East love-fest where we play what seems like 400 games against the Blue Jays and Rays (strangely, both teams having towns that begin with ‘T’ and names that end in ‘..’ays’) with the aforementioned Baltimore sandwich with Yankee filler.
Those same Pinstripes will be home for a series against the wandering A’s, a visit to the O’s and then have the aforementioned sleep-over at Fenway. There month however… isn’t as AL East lovey-dovey as ours. In fact, they have a West Coast road trip amidst the love-fest to visit Seattle and the Los Angeles Americans (as compared to the Los Angeles Nationals). The ‘Bombers also will play the final two weeks of the season with no day off as a one-game visit from the Twinkies will fill that date on the calendar.
So all we really need at this point is for the pitching woes to sure-up, the bullpen to get some new life and the hitting to get back on track while the opponents from the city so nice they named it twice to get some serious fatigue and jet lag, but with some of the seniors playing on their team, that might not be a problem.
That’s A Good Question….
With the Pinstripe Captain reaching his 3000th hit in such ‘Grand’ fashion (as any New York scripted Yankee milestone would be), there has been a lot of talk, blogging and general conversing on where he ranks all-time for the game’s most historic team.
This tidbit is lifted from www.thepostgame.com :
Where Does Derek Jeter Rank On The List of Greatest Yankees Ever?
Now there are six.
The greatest New York Yankees have long been counted on one hand. Babe Ruth is the unquestioned No. 1, after which the order is debatable but not the names: alphabetically, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle.
Add Derek Jeter to the mix.
Jeter became the first Yankee to accumulate 3,000 hits in pinstripes when he hit a solo home run off Tampa Bay lefty David Price in the third inning Saturday in the Bronx. Jeter, who just returned after spending three weeks on the disabled list with a calf injury, singled in the first inning for No. 2,999. In his next at-bat, Jeter ripped a full-count slider from Price into the leftfield seats. And despite the recent cyber-trend to disparage Jeter’s game and accomplishments, he deserves mention alongside the best to play for baseball’s most storied franchise.
Precisely where does he rank? From a poetic standpoint, No. 2 would be the perfect perch. Cue a tape of Bob Sheppard to make the announcement:
“The shortstop, number 2, Derek Jeter, number 2.”
But that’s a difficult case to make. To eclipse every Yankee except Ruth, Jeter would need to bounce back offensively through 2013. He’d need to change positions so his deficient range at shortstop recedes into memory. And the Yankees would need to win two more World Series with Jeter a driving force through those postseasons.
Today, though, Jeter has gained entry into the land of the elite. A Fab Five is now a Sparkling Six.
Here’s our list, in reverse order. Class, grace and a certain “Yankee-ness” count. So do stats. Only accomplishments with the Yankees are considered.
It all adds up to “greatness,” an admittedly imprecise blend of hard numbers and subjective notions.
6. Yogi BerraBerra was part of a major league record 10 World Series champion teams, was named American League Most Valuable Player three times and played the most demanding position on the field. He also developed an iconic oracle-like persona with his fractured speech and hilarious yet astute observations. And at 86, he’s not only the lone living member of the Sparkling Six besides Jeter, he still wears pinstripes. Berra anchored the team during its late-1940s and 1950s heyday, succeeding Hall-of-Famer Bill Dickey at catcher and playing alongside DiMaggio and Mantle. He has the fourth-highest Wins Above Replacement of any catcher in history.
5. Derek JeterJeter’s stature and leadership are unsurpassed. His production in the media hellfire of the Bronx has been phenomenally consistent. His five World Series titles and overall postseason excellence set him apart from other active players. In 2001, his flip of a relay throw to home plate and his walk-off home run in Game 4 of the World Series are among the most memorable moments in Yankees history. Of course he’s slipping at 37: Mantle, DiMaggio and Gehrig were retired at that age. Yes, he’s made more outs and hit into more double plays than any other Yankee and he’ll probably pass Mantle for most strikeouts. One milestone begets others for the player with the most plate appearances, official at-bats, hits and stolen bases. Each category speaks to longevity, durability, toughness and resilience.
4. Mickey MantleLike DiMaggio, Mantle retired at age 36. Like Jeter, his defensive skills eroded with age and — in Mantle’s case — injury. But like Berra, Mantle played 18 Yankee seasons because he broke in at age 19. He and Willie Mays vied for the title of best player on the planet through the 1950s and much of the ’60s. The switch-hitting Mantle was AL MVP three times and he led the Yankees to 12 World Series, winning seven titles. He might have had more natural ability than any player ever, but he frittered away some of his talent partying. Who knows the numbers he could have amassed had he not been such a carouser? That question need never be asked of Jeter, who by remaining productive for two more seasons could swap places with Mantle.
3. Joe DiMaggioThe Yankee Clipper was the team’s most majestic player, and only Gehrig and Jeter approach his stateliness. DiMaggio’s greatest accomplishment is his record 56-game hitting streak. A close second is his nine World Series titles, behind only Berra in Yankee history. DiMaggio’s offensive numbers across the board are exceptional per season, but his career totals are lacking because he retired after 13 seasons, at least four fewer than the others on the list, primarily because he missed three years serving in World War II. At age 35 in 1950 DiMaggio had a stellar season that mirrored his career numbers. A year later his performance declined because of nagging injuries and he hung ’em up after helping the Yankees to one more World Series championship.
2. Lou GehrigAs he was in the Yankees lineup from 1925 to 1934, Gehrig is immediately behind Ruth on the list of Yankee Greats. When the measure is a blend of batting statistics, World Series titles, impact on baseball, impact on New York, larger-than-life persona and unforgettable nickname, The Iron Horse noses out the rest of the pack. Gehrig’s greatness was perhaps best displayed after Ruth left the Yankees. Gehrig led the team to three more World Series titles for a total of six, and he batted .361 with a staggering 1.208 OPS in the postseason. His career was tragically cut short at 36 after 17 seasons because of the rare disease that bears his name.
1. Babe RuthBesides singlehandedly introducing home run power as the game’s most lethal weapon and gate attraction, Ruth also made the Yankees the greatest team in baseball. Before his arrival in New York in 1920, the franchise had a losing record. In Ruth’s 15 seasons with the Yankees, and for the next 30 years beyond his departure, they had only one losing season. His career offensive Wins Above Replacement of 143 is easily the franchise best and he holds the trifecta of highest batting average (.349), on-base percentage (.484) and slugging percentage (.690). Ruth won fewer World Series titles with the Yankees (four) than any of the others on this list. But he delivered, hitting 15 homers in 117 at-bats. .
Either through improved conditioning, different mental approach or as he has said, a bit of both combined with the surprising mentoring from A-Gon, Ortiz has reinvented himself as the premier DH in the League and once again one of the most feared clutch hitters, far different than the questionable talk from BoSox management to end last season. With this youthful resurgance, Papi & A-Gon could become a more historically feared tandem than Papi & Manny, giving the Sox yet another power driven throwback to Mantle & Maris.
balls, HBP, twisted ankles) and making an honest attempt to re-adjust to 3B while hbbling on and off the field… but he’s been doing it quietly and with his normal intense passion. Often overlooked by the majority of the League, having been surrounded by names such as Ramirez, Bay, Ortiz, Lowell, Pedroia, Lester, Beckett and Papelbon, he’s made top five in MVP voting a few times but is annually deserving of a trip to the Midsummer Classic.
Meanwhile, in The Hall of Justice….
(That’s a Super Friends reference by the way…)
Well, that’s the first Duckboat Parade down… and one to go. Josh Beckett apparently had that mind this evening down in Tampa, allowing just one hit and collecting his first complete game since 2009. Even sweeter coming against an AL East foe, dropping the Rays some 41/2 back in what will be a stretch where 14 of their next 30 some odd games come against the Scarlett Hose and The Pinstripes. The season is a marathon and this could be the lead in to Heartbreak Hill where we can create some distance. To me however, the best part is seeing a finally healthy, mentally focused Beckett looking like the Beckett we traded for oh so long ago and not the Beckett we were fairly hesitant to extend just a few off-seasons ago.
Meanwhile Kevin Youkilis has been nice enough to remind everyone that you just can’t pitch around this Boston Americans line-
up. Well, not anymore… the adjustment period is over. If you walk one, you still have to face another. And even when you walk the AL batting leader, you have to face a guy who is not exactly a slouch and is often forgotten for being in the top 5 of AL MVP voting for a few years… sure, you can walk him too.. but then you still have the ever rejuvenated Big Papi…. and should you go around him you have the fire-starting Crawford… of course this all contingent upon the fact you haven’t been initially torched by Ellsbury and Petey in the one two holes…
… Sh!t… we have a damned good line-up.
We’re getting hip deep into the season when the All-Star game is roughly a month away and the weather ain’t the only thing heating up (especially here in Vegas). The Red Sox were enjoying the longest winning streak in the Majors this season, having outscored opponents 83-36 during that span but hit the wall against the Floridians who have been a tough play for them to date.
But streaks are like that… streaky. When one ends, you might just start another.
Busy day… Busy day…
So let’s open with the Bruins… or as the press will have us call ’em, the “Killer B’s”.
I think we can all admit it.. when Nathan Horton was sent into limbo with that fairly questionable hit on open ice in Game 3, none of us knew how the home town team would respond. Double edged sword, 50/50.. so on and so forth… but they did
what was right and just as importantly, what was required when they took to the ice in the second period looking and acting like a team who not only deserved to be in the Stanley Cup Finals but could win it. Even more importantly, they carried it into Game 4. Minus the shenanigans, tomfoolery and for nearly 55 minutes, the theatrics, Game 4 for the Brown Bears was near perfect hockey. Not perfectly executed but perfectly played to a point where the teams shortcomings and failings were negated by team play and the play of Tim Thomas.
Now obviously the B’s need to carry this momentum into Vancouver for Game 5. But I can feel most confident in saying that if the Bruins can play two more games just as they played the last two… with dilligence, passion and imperfect perfection… the Duckboat parade will be on schedule.
Speaking of the last two games….
Really? 
No.. really? Joe Girardi needs to find something to b!tch about other than the play of his team so he singles out Big Papi for a bat flip (after having just been brushed back)… yes, really. Now obviously this was taken with a grain of salt by most except for David Ortiz who responded by saying “I’m a home run hitter, I flip my bat. I’m gonna’ hit another one tonight.” And on cue for Papi’s well scripted season to date… he did just that. No bat-flip, no drama… just the reality of another well hit home run from a home run hitter. Ortiz is continuing the rejuvenation of his career, or at least he’s just not sucking for the first quarter of the season in what is known as the ‘slow start’. David has credited A-Gon for his hot start and for making a personal impact that only Pedro has had on him previously. Some speculate if it’s a friendship, a kinship in lefties or just some tutelage that has led to it.. but what ever works. Big Papi has been impressive to start the season to say the least and is emerging as the Papi this team has needed since Manny decided to just be Manny.
So the rest of the evening wasn’t quite as pretty, that’s quite all right. The Timelord was on the mound and once again held everything together enough for his Companions to keep the momentum going defensively and offensively. The Pinstripes didn’t look old tonight but looking plain out-played is just as good. Now is definitely the time to strike and keep attacking the ‘Bombers as even the press corps are getting antsy with the expectation of many a move being made to bolster the NY bullpen, rotation and bench. San Diego is already falling out and they have some good young talent about to expire (Heath Bell among them). Let’s hope Jed Hoyer remembers who built his farm system in a single trade this offseason… that’s right his former employers and bestest’ buds back in Beantown. Of course, the Trolley-Dodgers and Metropolitans are singing what could be fire-sale songs of poverty….
Tomorrow is the ‘big’ one with Beckett versus Sabathia, but let’s get serious… for any real Member of The N
ation and any real (no, I mean real) fan of the Highlanders… they’re all ‘big’ games.
Petey has returned to Boston for tests on his knee (injured in Baltimore earlier in the season) and could require surgery. definitely explains the number fall-off, but if surgery is required it could keep him on the DL a minimum of a month. Cross your Sox.. I mean fingers.
Do we get a reach-around with that?
It’s pretty f*%$!n’ tough being a Boston fan this week..!
The Sox were nice enough to be swept (@ home) against the Bleached Hose in what should have a been a dominant signal to the rest of the AL East. Oops.
Meanwhile the Bruins, who played valiantly in Game 1 dropped it with less than two in the third. OK, I can live with that. But why in the name of Eddie Shore’s balls couldn’t Mike Murphy, the stand-in czar of discipline for the NHL, suspend that idiot Burrows for a very blatant for everyone in two North American nations to see bite on Patrice Bergeron? They say the NHL is a Man’s sport… yet at least two people (Murphy and Commissioner Bettman) lack genitals. For those of you under the baseball rock… Burrows scored two goalstonight in Gamr 2, including the OT game winner, in a game everyone in a public position to judge the sport (NHL Network, ESPN, NBC.. etc..) agreed he should have been watching at home during his one game suspension. Congrats, he earned his playoff bonus.
Now, onto the Sox.
Pap’ and ‘Tek getting tossed in the late innings? WoW! Rough one. Speaking of Varitek, does anyone remember the trade that bought him and Derek Lowe to Boston way back when? The trade Dan Duquette engineered from Seattle? For Heathcliff Slocumb… what did Peter Gammons call him, oh yeah… ‘Fasten Your Seatbelt Slocumb’. Perhaps Pap’ has now earned that unwanted and unlikely moniker. Ever wonder why the Brass have steered away from trading Bard and brought in Bobby Jenks? Could it be for that same fear in the back of the mind reason? I have to admit, I’ve lost faith in him. Beginning last season and carrying into this season, I get nervous every time I see him make his way out the pen. He’s lost a bit off his fastball and appears to just not want to adjust. The American League got over the ‘fishface’ intimidation and adjusted, but he hasn’t. Why? He’s got the talent and demeanor to be dominant… but scrapes by some of the time.
I remember the feathers he ruffled when he made the comments regarding the Bronx Bombers possibly signing him after Rivera retired… but would they really? At this point?
Beckett suffered through two plus years of oft-injured mediocrity and what may have been perceived as being too comforta
ble before this season (much like The Rocket back in the ’95-’96 seasons). He’s come around and is pitching like the Beckett we traded for. Is Papelbon too comfortable? Dice-K is gone (not just for the season but probably for good), Lackey is nearing a return as is Jenks and while the rest of the bullpen is in flux Pap’ needs to be the anchor. Period. Call the NESN offices and ask his majesty the Eck to give you some lessons on ‘Closing Composure’. You don’t have to be great everyday… but we can’t keep fastening our seatbelt every time we’re ‘Shipping Off to Boston’… even if the defense and Umpires seem to be working against you.
While the rest of the ‘East is West.. we need to get back in the saddle. Tonight was a hard-fought lesson in survival… let’s try to make it count. Salty is coming around, A-Gon is hitting what will be a massive Fenway stride, Papi is looking five years younger and Crawford is finding his stroke… everyone else will follow. We just need to try to get them all to follow on the same page at the same time… meanwhile, we’ll all just have a pint and chill out.
Back to the Future…. sort of…
I’d say it was a fairly productive weekend….
… Aside from the Bruins playing the role of the ‘Heart Attack Kids’ (I’m a lot happier after tonight’s win) and Saturdays wonderfully distasteful display of ineptitude in the 8th that is.
I honestly believe this Scarlett Hose / Baby Bears rivalry will endure to be a rather historic one, ya’ know… should MLB decide to keep interleague play. They beat us over the head with ‘Interleague’ and then once we get used to it,
And it was almost a flashback of sorts in another way. Just like 1918, the Sox are a recent multiple time champion, a mecca of baseball and looking like they’ll be competing at a championship caliber with pitching and power for years to come while the Cubs will forever continue to be the Cubs (which is like being the Yawkey Red Sox) with flashes of brilliance under good teams led by great field generals who just can’t carry the team with various holes. However, this isn’t about poking the caged bear (we here in Boston love baby bears.. right Tim Thomas?) as much as it is genuine fan appreciation.
But the season rolls on and we collapsed against Cleveland tonight. While Chief Wahoo’s Tribe has been the surprise hit of the season and the game was far from a blow-out and ‘collapse’ may be slightly overreacting.. I don’t care. Clay pitched well for the weather and Justin “Traded for Detroit’s Victor Martinez” Masterson did comparably well. Looking back, I hate the f^#%ing trade. V-Mart was a great player, an awesome spark plug and a very needed stop-gap playing C/1B/DH in the Big Papi power outages while Mike Lowell hit retirement age head-on due to injury and Varitek just began to hit the wall. I was sad to see him go but hurt worse by what we gave up in Masterson to get a ‘short-term’ blue chipper. And hearing the Sox Brass call Salty, who I very much like as a developing player, “The guy we’ve wanted for years”… didn’t help. Did the Brass have an idea they couldn’t sign him when they traded for him… I wonder. He was a slightly older centerpiece who couldn’t catch more than a 100 games a season and would soon be reliable DH/1B/C utility player at a centerpiece price and may have made it harder to keep a Papi, Youk and now A-Gon line-up together. Remember, they’ve been chasing Adrian Gonzalez for years and I have to believe in their eyes V-Mart, like Jason Bay, was a calculated risk. Obviously not Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson, but if Casey Kelly becomes an all-star caliber pitcher or even a reliable Number Two Guy in the Padres rotation, at least we know getting A-Gon long-term was a positive investment.
Of course, I’m the guy who was a bit more keen on the Sox entering the Prince Fielder sweepstakes over Adrian Gonzalez… so what do I know.
Hmmm… Is this what happened to the Empire following “Return of the Jedi”?
Last year about this time, following the big victory in the World Series, the MLB universe expected John Lackey to sign with the ‘Bombers and ensure another title.
Oops.
This year, many in that same universe figured the Yankees to swoop in and grab up Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth and maybe even a Cliff Lee a la the 2008 offseason of Sabathia-Burnett-Tex.
But while the Bronx Braintrust was for some reason attempting to make a villian of their single most recognizable player since Don Mattingly (of the now Los Angeles Mattingly’s by the way), the balance of power in the AL East wasn’t just shifted but left the Braintrust realizing there is a great disturbance in the Force.
With Adrian Gonzalez and his potential dominance of The Monstah’ in place, the Rebellion.. ahem, the Sox lanced the hearts of the Imperial egos by snatching up Carl Crawford. The same Carl Crawford who was speculated to be signing with either the Halos or the aformentioned ‘Bombers… because it was widely speculated the Scarlett Hose had shot their biggest salvo in trading for and silently kinda’ sorta’ extending Adrian’s contact for the next seven years or so.
Oops.
For the second straight year, Theo played his role so well, no one saw it coming. Oh wait, was it no one saw it coming or that no one believed it? Last year was a ‘bridging’ year… Yuck. This year it was made very clear, the team would be making a ‘significant trade and a significant signing’. Check and Check.
Are they done… probably. Aside from the bullpen and some bits, one would believe so. But, as Theo said only hours ago when asked by the media if he’d be looking to make another siginicant position player signing or trade “I wouldn’t count anything in but I wouldn’t count anything out.”…. so who the hell knows. Rumors for Dice-K, Marco and more continue to swirl so stay tuned on that front.
Now, to continue on the Imperial theme….. following ‘Reurn of the Jedi”, the Emperor is supposedly dead, his enforcer gone (having changed his faith once more and leaving the Dark Side behind) and the long believed lowly Rebellion having gotten ‘lucky’ again the galaxy is left in question….
Since King George the Only (a 1st title isn’t fitting since there will never be another) handed control over to the Boys there seems to be, I dunno’, something different about the Bronx Bombers. They’ve always had ego and believed it should be every players desire to wear pinstripes and every fans wish to be a player who desires to wear pinstripes and we are all aware of the massive ego Steinbrenner himself exuded over the team and the lengths he would go to prove it (How’s the Hall of Fame, Dave Winfield?) but making Derek Jeter a posterboy for greed? In New York? Sure, OK.
Could there be yet another wave in the anti-Empire movement? Could it be
from the players? Sure the Yankees payout for greatness, but could the new regime be sacrificing respect, integrity and common courtesy for ego? If they would turn on Jeter so quickly, a guy who never wanted to play elsewhere and really didn’t plan on free-agency to begin with, what might they do to someone who isn’t the team captain and currently representing ‘Mister Yankee’? Sure, they always say baseball is a business, but the Steinbrenner’s mean it. While the Sox are making ‘good faith’ agreements with players to complete trades, the ‘Bombers are attempting to make The Derek Jeter, the only respectable (in an RSN fashion) guy in Pinstripes (we here in the Nation just can’t learn to like Mariano Rivera or Andy Pettite no matter what) look like some decrepit hanger-on who was just looking for another big payday at their poor expense. Of course following up a few days later by saying “We have some money to spend…” Yeah, OK. Hideki Matsui wins the WS MVP and they basically tell him “We’ll get back to you when the important signings are done”… hello Halos. This season, they pretty much give word once Cliff Lee is settled, they’ll get to you and now both of the ‘big fish’ are off the market. So what happens if Lee retuns to Texas (the smarter choice for him if he can do with a few million less… after all, how much can you really spend once you’re making $10 million plus for a six month work schedule?) and they get ‘stuck with the ‘B’ level free agents? Will this be considered a massive failure on the new Co-Emperor’s part? How long could Cashman survive? How long will the most fickle fan-base keep paying for extras at a stadium where even the team doesn’t respect the fans or the players? I guess as long as the Mets continue to implode themselves all will work out fine in the New New York.
Besides it’s really fun to hear Brian Cashman have to say “That’s a great move. He’s a great player going to a great team…” Especially twice in one week.
But…. 2011 is looking like an awesome year for the old town team. With a line-up of
Jacoby Ellsbury #2 CF
Dustin Pedroia #15 2B
Carl Crawford #13 LF
Adrian Gonzalez #23 1B
Kevin Youkilis #20 3B
David Ortiz #34 DH
J.D. Drew #7 RF
Jarrod Saltalamachia #39 C
– Jason Varitek #33 C (welcome back, Captain)
Marco Sutaro #16
with Lowrie, Cameron, Reddick, Nava et al off the bench….
This has indeed been an early Christmas season.
Thank You Darth Santa.
Teddy's Ballgame 