tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18876018126006617852024-02-07T22:09:35.012-08:00Good Sports With GoodmanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-15826137457494802272015-10-12T20:21:00.000-07:002015-10-12T20:21:03.078-07:00Orsillo Will Be Missed<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s never a good thing to end a
season on a low note, but this year the Red Sox didn’t have much of a choice.
Sunday’s game—the final home game of the season—felt more than a little bit
like a somber event, and it was one of the Red Sox’s own making.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The game wasn’t just disheartening
because the Red Sox had an absolutely terrible season this year, but also
because this it marked the end of an era in the broadcast booth atop Fenway
Park. Unfortunately, the era didn’t end because one member of the team is
retiring, but instead because one of them was terminated by his employer. Don
Orsillo, the beloved TV voice of the team, won’t be returning in 2016 due to The
New England Sports Network not renewing his contract.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It can’t have taken more than a few
hours for NESN to realize just how bad of a decision this was. From the minute
the news was broken by WEEI’s Gerry Callahan, there was a tsunami of fan
pushback. Orsillo supporters flooded the comment sections of articles relating
to the story, and an online petition garnered more than 60,000 signatures
asking NESN to change their mind, and bring Orsillo back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of course, the TV home of the Red
Sox and the Boston Bruins did not opt to bring Don back, and the reasons for
that are beyond me. However, that won’t stop me from making a few guesses. I
have two theories as to why this might have happened. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first one is the idea that is
widely spread as the reason for his ouster, and it makes some sense. NESN
requires its baseball broadcasters to take a vacation in the middle of the
season. This seems like something that would be fairly popular with the
broadcasters, but that isn’t the case with Orsillo due to a certain catch in
the clause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An in-season vacation requires
Orsillo and his broadcast partner Jerry Remy to make their missed time up in
the offseason—something that is extremely unusual for a baseball play-by-play
man. The MLB season is a grueling one to cover. There are 162 games, 80 of
which are on the road. Forcing someone who has to cope with that calendar to
make up time that they didn’t want to take off is flat out ridiculous. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Having met him several times, I can
honestly say that Orsillo is one of the most mild-mannered, kind individuals in
the industry, but I can definitely see him putting up a stink about something
like that. After all, who wouldn’t? According to industry sources of The Boston
Globe’s Chad Finn, Orsillo “was never a favorite” of Joseph Maar, the Vice President
of Programing at NESN, and I think that the in-season vacation policy is the
reason why. Maar implemented the mandatory vacation at NESN when he signed on
as an executive, and has done the same at other regional sports networks that
he has worked at. According to other sources of Finn and the Globe, Orsillo was
“resistant” to the policy, and it makes a whole lot of sense that that
resistance may have played a role in his canning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Theory number two is, well, a
complete conspiracy. Eighty percent of NESN is owned by the Fenway Sports
Group, which effectively means that the Red Sox own a majority share of the
network. Nothing this big at any network would happen without the stamp of
approval of the owners, and in this case those owners just so happen to be the
owners of the Sox. There’s no evidence that I have found that indicates that
the ownership group didn’t like Orsillo, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of
them may have had it in for him. I know it’s crazy, because who would ever have
it in for Don Orsillo, but between Maar and one of the Red Sox owners, there
had to have been enough bad blood to want sack the most popular telecaster in
New England.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The last thing that should be
mentioned on this topic is the legacy that Orsillo leaves behind. And it’s a
damn good one. His professional on-air nature is something that all broadcasters
should strive for, and his ability to make big moments exciting will long be
missed on the airwaves in Boston. But in all honesty, those qualities aren’t
really what we’ll miss the most about Don Orsillo. It will be the funny moments
during games, like the infamous pizza throwing incident, and his everlasting
chemistry with Remy, that will be irreplaceable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong, Dave O’Brien,
his successor—who since 2007 has been doing the radio broadcasts on WEEI-FM—is
also great, but he just isn’t Orsillo. Like almost every Red Sox fan, I wish
him luck in what lies ahead, but his presence will be missed on summer nights
in my home, as it will countless others across New England. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 333.75pt;">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman at <a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</a>. Follow
him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-31196703711772501332015-10-12T20:19:00.002-07:002015-10-12T20:19:17.723-07:00Changes Likely With Dombrowski Taking Over<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Boston
Red Sox have been able to put on quite a show for us lately, at least
offensively, but lets be honest—This is nothing to be overly excited about. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can’t
imagine this is new news to anyone, but the 2015 season has been virtually over
for Boston since shortly after the All-Star Break. Instead of getting caught up
on what this year could have been had the Red Sox signed some real pitchers, I
think it’s more appropriate to start thinking about offseason priorities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MLB pennant
races haven’t even been decided yet, but the Sox have already made what is
likely to be the most important move of all regarding the 2016 team. That was
to bring in Dave Dombrowski, the new President of Baseball Operations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dombrowski
has an excellent track record. He started his career just north of us up in
Montreal, where he built the Expos’ farm system. Dombrowski then moved on and
worked as the General Manager of the Florida Marlins in the 1990s, and won them
the World Series in 1997. During that time, he worked under John Henry, who was
the owner of the Marlins at the time, and is currently the principle owner of the
Sox. After his time with in Florida, Dombrowski moved to Detroit, and built
what is now the baseball empire that is the Tigers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his time
in the Motor City, Dombrowski oversaw five playoff appearances and two
pennants. Everywhere Dombrowski has gone, success has gone with him, and I
don’t see any reason why it won’t be more of the same in Boston.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s no
question that Dombrowski will be making some big changes with the team, the
question is going to be who stays and who goes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Priority
number one for him in the offseason has to be the pitching staff. From the
bullpen to the rotation, there needs to be some drastic turnover. And when I
say drastic, I mean it. If you to go the Red Sox website right now and look at
the team’s depth chart, you’ll see that Rick Porcello is listed as their number
one starter. Porcello is 8-12 on the year with a 5.06 ERA. Those numbers don’t
sound to me like ones that can lead a starting rotation for an MLB contender,
and I suspect Dombrowski feels the same way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>David Price
will be a free agent at the end of the season, and I would be very surprised if
the Red Sox weren’t in contention for him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
bullpen, it is more of the same. The Sox are going to need a total revamp of
the ‘pen if they want to contend in ’16.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps the
most likely candidate to be traded at this point is outfielder and
soon-to-be-first baseman Hanley Ramirez. Hanley has ben nothing short of a
disaster defensively, and isn’t exactly tearing the cover off of the ball at
the plate. He’s hit .249 so far this year, which is well below is career mark
of .296. It’s a sure bet that Ramirez is being shopped around right now, but
with the contract that the Sox gave him in the offseason—$88 million over four
years—finding a home for him will be no easy task.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The other
question that remains up in the air right now is whether or not John Farrell
will remain the manager of the ball club in 2016. The past few seasons have
been ugly, and Farrell has made some very noticeable in-game mistakes. I’m not
saying that the demise of the Red Sox is his fault, but he certainly hasn’t
helped the cause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
Dombrowski coming in, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants his own guy to manage
the team. It may be a long shot, but Jim Leyland is the first person who comes
to mind. Leyland managed under Dombrowski in Florida and in Detroit. It’s hard
to picture, considering Leyland is 70 years old and a chain smoker, but I wouldn’t
count it out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While it’s
likely that the Red Sox are looking for other options to lead the team, this
isn’t an easy time for them to fire Farrell. The pitching-coach turned skipper,
who has one year left on his contract, is currently going through radiation
treatment for cancer. Firing someone who is in the middle of getting cancer
treatment is a horrible thing to do—in any industry—and the Red Sox are looking
at a potential public relations disaster if they do so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With that
factor playing against the fact from a win-at-all-costs perspective the Sox
probably need a managerial change; will make it very interesting to see what
they do. Dombrowski will have his hands full in fixing this team, but I’m
confident that with his experience and proven success, he can be the man for
the job.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-18430754897156470052015-08-21T13:25:00.003-07:002015-08-21T13:26:28.955-07:00Lucchino leaves with a mixed Legacy<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the word
came out on Saturday night that Larry Lucchino would be stepping down as the
Red Sox President and CEO, it brought about mixed emotions. After all, Lucchino
is the man who is ultimately responsible for bringing in the disaster that was
Bobby Valentine, who managed the Red Sox to a dismal 69-93 record in 2011. But
at the same time, he’s widely thought of as the man who was behind putting
together the World Series championship teams of 2004, 2007, and 2013.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ultimately,
Lucchino’s legacy will probably be remembered as a good one, but while he did
deliver three trophies, all in all, his results have varied, and he’s made some
very costly decisions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just this
year, Luchhino locked Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez into long-term deals,
and right now those deals aren’t making him look so good. Sandoval is currently
hitting .260, which shouldn’t a surprise. The Panda hasn’t hit for anything
better than .280 since 2012, and you should expect him to be producing much
more than he is. The Red Sox, however, seemed to think in the offseason that he
would be better, and locked him into a five-year, $95 million contract. It
seems clear now that Lucchino’s decision to sign Sandoval was based on a
knee-jerk reaction that was the result of his 2014 postseason performance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps Lucchino’s greatest failure
came in 2011, when he put together what seemed to be a World Series caliber
team, and somehow the squad finished in last place. If you’re not familiar with
the situation, it was basically the result of one man: Bobby Valentine. The Sox
hired Valentine, who, to put it mildly, is a complete idiot, in the offseason
per Lucchino’s orders. In fact, Lucchino even overruled newly named general
manager Ben Cherington, in the decision to hire Valentine, and has since taken
the blame for it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the past four years, it’s been
hard to claim that the Sox front office has really had a plan. While what they
did worked in 2013, they have been so bad in the surrounding seasons that you
have to put some blame on the folks up top.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With that said, Lucchino has done
some good things for the Red Sox. Principle owner John Henry even went so far
as to say in an interview with WBZ that Lucchino <span style="color: #363636; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">“is a Hall of Fame baseball executive who has left an
indelible mark on Fenway and the relationship between the Boston Red Sox and
New England.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="color: #363636; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>About that, he’s right. Lucchino is a marketing genius.
He’s the main reason why when you turn on NESN every night, you see a
chalk-full Fenway Park. In fact, he’s the reason why you see Fenway Park at
all. If Lucchino wasn’t at the helm, there’s a good chance that the Sox would
have torn down Fenway, and if that were the case, they’d be playing in some
spruced-up modern park right now. Lucchino has to get credit for that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="color: #363636; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The ownership has also used Lucchino has somewhat of a
punching bag for fans to use when things don’t go so well. Granted, a lot of
that may be warranted, but he’s the only one who seems to take the blame when
things aren’t going well for the team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #363636; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the local front, the Vermont
Mountaineers smothered the Laconia Muskrats yesterday afternoon in game one of
the opening-round best-of-three series of the NECBL playoffs. It was quite an
offensive showing from the Mountaineers, who notched 13 runs in the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Mountaineers look to be in great
shape going into game two of the series, but it hasn’t been an easy road for
the Mountaineers to get there. Almost 20 Mountaineers have come and gone due to
injuries and coach’s requests, but somehow the team has been able stay on top
of it, having to sign new players all the time. “Even though we’ve had so much
turnover, it’s been incredible chemistry in the dugout,” Mountaineers GM Brian
Gallagher said. “It’s been a roller-coaster season with guys leaving and
getting hurt. We were losing key players that I thought we’d never be able to
replace, and we’ve had guys come in and really fight hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gallagher also credits a lot of the
success to manager Joe Brown, who coaches a small-ball game that is difficult
for some players to pick up mid-season. “It’s been a challenging summer,” Brown
said. “I have a certain way that I like to coach the game so I’m not just
looking for bodies, I’m looking for the right bodies.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The success that the squad has had
is a major credit to the recruiting work that Brown and Gallagher put in
throughout the winter and into the summer. The ‘Neers look to do it again
tonight as they take on Muskrats in Laconia for game two of the series.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 235.2pt;">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. Follow Jasper on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-6728432993602467772015-08-21T13:24:00.001-07:002015-08-21T13:24:40.878-07:00Rose Deserves a Second Chance<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last week
Major League Baseball hosted one of the most successful and entertaining
all-star weeks in recent memory. Almost everything went right for them. Severe
weather held off, hometown Cincinnati heroes performed at their best, and a
Reds fan-base was engaged and energized.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Home
Run Derby was highlighted by a huge performance from Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier,
who hit 15 dingers in the final round of the Derby to take home the hardware.
In the past, the Home Run Derby dragged on a bit, and it didn’t always make for
great TV. But with an all-new format this year, that changed in a big way. The MLB
put together a head-to-head bracket that gave each player four minutes to hit
as many shots as they could. This added a whole new energy to the Derby, and it
made it so that players couldn’t take pitches, which is what made it lag
before. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The game
itself was also a success. The American League won 6-3, and AL stars Mike Trout
and Manny Machado both had big games. Cincinnati looked like a hopping baseball
town, and it was a great week for the sport. I think that much of this success
is a credit to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who is in his first year on the
job, but has taken big steps forward in order to make the game more appealing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As should
be expected, the ratings provided mixed results. Viewership of the Home Run
Derby was up 32% from 2014, and it came through with the highest rating since
2009. The numbers on All-Star Game, however, dropped from last year. The game
received a 12 share from Nielson, which means that 12% of televisions in use
were tuned into the event. That is down from a share of 13 last year, and the
total viewership numbers were also down from 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the
MLB had to come away from last week thinking it was a success, there was also a
much more complicated narrative behind the All-Star Game being in Cincinnati
that stirred up lots of controversy with executives, former players, and
especially fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since Pete
Rose was banned from baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 due to
gambling allegations, MLB executives haven’t said much at all about
re-instatement. But with the game being in Cincinnati, where fans are dying to
get Rose into the hall, it would have been impossible for Commissioner Manfred
to ignore the topic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Manfred
appears to be open to the idea of re-instating rose, but undoubtedly there are
a lot of negotiations that need to take place before he makes a decision. At
least for the time being, though, Rose supporters got what they wanted. Prior
to the game, Rose was honored as one of the four greatest Reds out on the
field, and he received a huge round of applause from the hometown crowd. Rose
served double-duty at the game, as he was also there as a pre and postgame
analyst for Fox, who hired him this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While Rose
made some huge mistakes, there is no denying that he is one of the greatest
ballplayers of all time, and for that reason, I think he deserves to be in the
Hall of Fame. There’s just no arguing with his numbers. He had a .303 career
batting average with 4,256 total hits, which is the most ever. He is a 17-time
all-star, a three-time World Series champion, an NL MVP, a World Series MVP, a
Rookie of the Year, and the list can go on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nobody
denies that Rose bet on baseball, which is one of the game’s highest crimes,
but you just can’t keep a guy like that out of the Hall of Fame. It is a place
where baseball’s best players are honored, and Rose is among the best of all
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With all of
the support behind him, I think Rose will eventually find himself in the Hall,
but at age 74, Manfred would need to act relatively quickly if he wants this to
happen within Rose’s lifetime.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-51797211317927591432015-07-13T08:16:00.000-07:002015-07-13T08:16:00.534-07:00Time For A Change<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Red Sox nation was tantalizingly
close to giving up entirely on the 2015 season. But just as we were about to
put our rally towels away and find something else to entertain ourselves with
for the rest of the summer, the not-so-loveable losers, also knows as the 2015
Red Sox, gave us hope. They gave us just a little bit of a glimpse as to what
this team <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be playing like.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Boston has
won seven of their last ten, and they’ve even gained some ground in the AL
East, as they now sit six games out of first place. I’m not saying this is a
warrant to jump on the bandwagon and start gearing up for a playoff run, but
even though I wouldn’t have told you this a week ago, this team may not be as
atrocious in the second half as they were in the first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If the Red
Sox are going to turn this around, they need to do a few things. First off, the
front office needs to decide if they are in it to win it. If this season is a
bust, then the front office needs to recognize that and they need to let go of
2015 and start making moves that will benefit the 2016 Red Sox.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However, if
they are going to make a serious run at the top of the division, they need to
make some changes. They need to fix the bullpen. That is the second thing they
have to change if they are going to make a run. To put it mildly, the Red Sox
bullpen is terrible. To manager John Farrell’s credit, he has done a fair job
at managing the bullpen, but when he fixes one problem, another one seems to
arise immediately. Reliever Matt Barnes has particularly bad. Opponents are
hitting .334 against Barnes and he owns a 5.14 ERA. Relievers Craig Breslow,
Robbie Ross Jr., and Stephen Wright also have ERAs above four. Wright hasn’t
been terrible for the Sox, but if Farrell puts any of the other guys on that
list out on the hill, you’re almost guaranteed to see a bad inning. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The most
obvious thing to do is to trade for some help out in the bullpen. Koji Uehara is
safe in his job as the closer, but if the Boston could add a solid middle
reliever, they would be in much better shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Other than
that, they can explore with moving a starter to the bullpen or something along
those lines, but right now things are looking pretty grim from the point when
the starter comes out of the game and beyond.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The third
thing they need to do in order to succeed in the long run is to win games
against other teams in the AL East. I don’t know if it is a mental pressure or
what, but the Red Sox have been awful in games against other eastern teams.
They are 16-25 against the AL East, and if they keep that up they are never
going to come close to the top of that division. The quickest way to gain
ground in your own division is to win games against other teams in your
division, and right now the Sox simply can’t do that. Only one game separates
the first place team from the fourth place team, which means that nobody is
running away with the crown. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The fourth
key to winning is scoring first. When the Sox score first they are 28-12. It
seems that when the offense gets going early in the game, they can stay hot,
but when they start cold, they tend to finish cold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can’t
begin to predict what is next for this team, but hopefully some time off at the
all-star break will benefit them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at <a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</a>.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-34130807402586462192015-07-08T12:36:00.000-07:002015-07-08T12:36:17.167-07:00 Injuries add to Boston's struggles<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Injuries has
now joined poor managing, lack of focus, and underperformance on the list of
things that have made the 2015 Red Sox season the painful-to-watch disaster
that it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Third
baseman Pablo Sandoval and catcher Blake Swihart both went down with injuries
over the weekend, digging the Red Sox’s hole to be even deeper, and adding two
more complicated problems to the already plagued 2015 Red Sox campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yes, the
Red Sox had a good weekend, taking two out of three from the defending AL
Champion Royals. But let’s face it, this team has had good weekends before, and
time and time again, they have continued to disappoint any fans who had any
sort of expectations at all for them. This season has turned into an
embarrassment for the Red Sox and their fans. They currently sit in last place
in the AL East, and are nine games out of first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s not so
much how bad they are, but more the way that they have handled how bad they
are. Whether it’s David Ortiz getting ejected for no reason, Wade Miley
throwing a hissy fit on his manager, or Pablo Sandoval going on Instagram in
the middle of a game, this team just doesn’t have the mental commitment to win
right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Off the
field, there are more than a handful of problems as well. In the dugout, we have
John Farrell, who has no clue how to manage a baseball game in a National
League ballpark. Upstairs in the front office, there is Ben Cherington, who has
epically failed three out of the four years that he has been General Manager of
the Red Sox at his job, which is to put together a winning baseball club, and
is currently driving this team even further into the ground. And sitting in the
luxurious owner’s box, being fanned by $100 bills, there is John Henry, who is
watching all of this happen, and yet still says, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The general manager (of the Red Sox) is going to be the general manager
of this club for a very long time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s start with the on-field
problems. The Red Sox just aren’t scoring enough runs. It’s a given that the
pitching staff isn’t going to be fantastic, and that is entirely the fault of the
front office, but this team still should be winning games with scores like 6-5,
and scoring enough runs to make up for a mediocre rotation. Their team batting
average is .256, and they just aren’t getting the production out of the middle
of the order from the guys who they need to, notably Mike Napoli, who is
hitting just .203.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mentally, they are even more of a
train-wreck. Things got to a boiling point for them in Saturday’s loss to Kansas
City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two starters had to leave that
game due to injuries, and DH David Ortiz was ejected for arguing balls and
strikes. Ortiz’s ejection stood more for his overwhelming frustration with his
team’s performance, and for that matter his own performance, than it did for
his anger towards the umpire. I understand how frustrating baseball can be, but
at the same time, Ortiz let his team down by getting thrown out of that game.
At the point where he was tossed, it was a close game, and for all he knew,
having his bat could have been essential later on in that game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the helm of this team is John
Farrell. I don’t blame him for all that has happened, but at this point, he has
proven himself to be a poor in-game manager. In the fourth inning of last
Wednesday’s game in Atlanta, which is a National League ballpark, Farrell
proved that he can’t execute basic strategy, and blew the Sox’s 1-0 lead. There
was a runner on second with two outs in the inning, and the number eight
hitter, Pedro Ciriaco, was coming to the plate, with the pitcher on deck. Any
manager should know that with first base open you walk the number eight hitter
to face the pitcher and get the third out in the inning. Instead, Farrell chose
to pitch to Ciriaco, who made him pay by singling home the run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over the weekend Farrell again
proved his incompetence as an in-game manager after Blake Swihart doubled with
nobody out. Mookie Betts, who has been the Sox’s hottest hitter as of late,
came to the plate and was told to bunt Swihart over to third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did so successfully, but it gave away an
out that shouldn’t have been given away after a leadoff double, especially with
Mookie Betts up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I also blame Farrell for Wednesday
night’s incident when Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval was caught ‘liking’ an
attractive young woman’s photos on Instagram in the middle of a game. Farrell
needs to have control over his team, and if he wants to win, which right now it
doesn’t really seem like he does, he can’t have his starting third-baseman
working on his post-game social life in the middle of a game. It’s an
embarrassment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Going forward, if they have to blow
up the team, this will be the third time in the last four years that they will
have done so. The blame for that lies on Ben Cherington, who doesn’t really
seem to have a plan for this club. Yes, they won the World Series in 2013, but
I’m starting to have questions about whether or not Cherington really has a
plan, or if he is just throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what will
stick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This week will be the Sox’s last
shot. I can’t see them turning this season around, but they have three straight
series against AL East teams, and if they can’t start winning now, the season
is as good as over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Contact Jasper Goodman at </span></i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">.
Follow Jasper on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-39484238704820333662015-06-22T20:36:00.000-07:002015-06-22T20:36:34.753-07:00Mixed Results From Sox<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After last
Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Angels, it looked as though the Red Sox had hit rock
bottom. Nothing was working for the club. In the three games prior to that
loss, the pitching staff had limited opposing offenses to just 8 total runs,
but the so-called “lethal” Red Sox offense was only able deliver a win in one
of those games. However, in the typical fashion of a Boston sports team, just
when their backs were up against the wall, the Sox clicked a switch, and came
through with two excellent wins over the Angels. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On Saturday,
starting pitcher Stephen Wright delivered the Sox a gem, tossing just 75
pitches over 6.1 innings of work in his club’s 8-3 win. This was great to see
for the Red Sox. Wright didn’t have a whole lot of experience pitching at Fenway
prior to that game, and to pitch as well as he did on national TV in front of a
big Saturday night crowd is an excellent sign of things to come for the young
knuckleballer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The offense
consisted mostly of one guy: Mike Napoli. Nap struggled mightily through the
month of April, hitting .162 with just one homer, but broke out of his slump in
a huge way this weekend, launching four homers, including the farthest hit ball
at Fenway all season. It was painful to see Napoli struggle the way he did
through the first month of the season, but I think it was worth the wait. When
he’s hot the way he is right now, he is as dangerous as any power hitter in
baseball.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s been
hard to predict exactly where the Red Sox struggles would be this year. Prior
to the season, everyone, including myself, said that this year’s club was going
to score a lot of runs, but the pitching staff would struggle. To start the
season, that proved to be true, and the Sox pitching staff had their fair share
of problems. However, in May, the pitching hasn’t been the problem. Sox
starters have had eight quality starts in their last 10 games, and Boston’s
pitchers have posted a 2.94 ERA since May 13<sup>th</sup>, which is the seventh
lowest mark in the MLB over that span of time. But just as the pitching staff
started to click, it became the offense’s turn to struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sox’s offense has averaged just 2.7 runs
per game in May, and has been held to two or fewer runs in 13 of their 21 games
in May. Those numbers are simply unacceptable for this team. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s been
quite clear that this team struggles against left handers, and it hasn’t helped
them that they’ve faced lefty starters in eight out of their last 13 games. But
that’s still no excuse for their struggles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even left
fielder Hanley Ramirez, who crushed the ball in April, has had a rough time as
of late. He hasn’t recorded an RBI in any of his last 17 games. That’s a bat
that the Sox need to have producing in the middle of the lineup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With all of
that said, though, the Sox’s struggles still haven’t been enough to bury them
deep down at the bottom of the division. The American League East, formerly
known as the best division in baseball, is terrible this year. Basically, if
you win eight out of ten, you are going to move up to one or two in the division.
The Yankees, who lost six straight going into this week, sit in second place in
the division. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the most
recent Baseball Prospectus playoff odds, the AL East division winner is
projected to win just 84 games. Prior to about two years ago, it was almost a
given that the AL East winner was going to have at least 90 wins. This is
extremely fortunate for the Red Sox, because if they can get hot late in the
season, they are going to be able to make a very serious playoff push.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-29915143998758752312015-06-22T20:35:00.002-07:002015-06-22T20:35:39.589-07:00Diversity Key For The Future of Baseball <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Rob
Manfred took over as the commissioner of baseball at the beginning of this
year, he made it clear that changes were on the horizon. It was a much-needed
difference from his predecessor, Bud Selig, who was at the helm of the MLB for
17 years, and did virtually nothing to improve the game as it was played on the
field. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Manfred has
made his priorities clear as commissioner, and thankfully one of them is pace
of play. In an open letter to Manfred prior to the season, I laid out my plan
to make baseball more appealing to the younger generation, and while he didn’t
take me on many of my suggestions, he has made changes to speed up the game,
and I think it’s worked. Now that batters are forced to keep at least one foot
in the box at all times, and there is a clock in-between innings, games seem to
be moving quicker. Though the average game time is down just eight minutes from
last year in the first month of the season, it feels like the game is moving
quicker.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While I
myself have pointed out long baseball games as a problem, it is now clear to me
that the actual time of game doesn’t matter as much as the speed at which the
game moves along. Most football games take upward of four hours, but you don’t
hear very many people complaining and saying that football is boring, and
that’s because the game moves quicker, and there is less wait-time between
plays. If baseball can do the same, it will become more appealing to people of
my generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While pace
of play is the issue that I’ve put most of my attention towards, it has been
made clear by comedian Chris Rock that baseball has another problem, and that
is getting black people interested in the game. Rock was featured on HBO’s Real
Sports with Byant Gumbel, and he pointed out the decline of blacks who are
interested in America’s national pastime. “I’m an endangered species,” the
popular comedian said. “A black baseball fan. Why don’t black people like
baseball anymore?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rock went
on to point out that neither team competing in the World Series last year had a
black player on their roster, and that crowds in St. Louis for the World Series
were more than 90% white. Almost every ratio you can find supports Rock’s
point. Blacks don’t like baseball. They make up just 8% of MLB rosters and that
number is falling fast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For me,
this boils down to one thing. The culture of Major League Baseball is southern
and white. Country music, chewing tobacco, hunting, and fishing are all things
that many, if not most, baseball players enjoy, but aren’t things that are
found in many black households.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A sport’s
culture defines who plays it and who enjoys it. Basketball, which is incredibly
popular with young people right now, is a sport that has a very black culture,
and even promotes itself that way. Basketball replaces country music with rap,
which resonates better with young people who don’t live in Southern America. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rock says
that in order to succeed, baseball needs to be more black, because “black
America decides what’s hot, and what people get excited about.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Undoubtedly
baseball needs to attract more young people, and if getting black people
interested will get young people more interested, then Chris Rock hit the nail
on the head.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-24273728776672769702015-05-02T13:11:00.001-07:002015-05-02T13:11:20.385-07:00Sox Get Plenty of Help<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Baseball is
a game of numbers. There are hundreds of statistical categories in the game,
and any one of those data points can define a team. Normally the stats that are
cited to make a point about how well, or poorly, a given team is doing are home
runs, runs batted in and earned run averages. However, this year, the
statistical category that best accounts for the success of the Red Sox thus far
is unearned runs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An unearned
run is a run that is not charged to the pitcher. It happens when a player scores
or reaches base on an error or a passed ball. The Red Sox have won several
games thanks to errors in the field. The Sox, who many said would have the best
offense in baseball going into Spring Training, have scored 95 runs so far this
season. That’s the fifth most runs scored by an offense so far this year—not
bad at all. But consider this: opposing teams have committed 26 errors while
playing the Sox, which has led to 23 unearned runs scored by the Boston
offense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s the
most unearned runs of any team in the MLB. By far. And it accounts for more
than 25% of the runs the Red Sox have put on the board this year. The inability
of the Red Sox to score runs on their own has been especially prominent of
late. In fact, the winning run in each of the last three Red Sox wins has been
unearned. And if all of that isn’t enough to convince you that the Red Sox
offense hasn’t lived up to what it should be, I’ll also point out that they
lead the league in walks, with 81.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t
mean to say that you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shouldn’t </i>capitalize
on other team’s blunders, because you absolutely should. Forcing errors is part
of the game. However, scoring a quarter of your runs because of errors by the
opposing team is something that any team should worry about. It’s not a winning
strategy in any sport to count on others to fail, giving you the opportunity to
succeed. Right now the team is on pace to cash in on more than 200 unearned
runs, which would be the most by a Major League team since 1955. This is Major
League Baseball that we’re talking about, and the Red Sox shouldn’t expect to
continue getting the uncanny amount of breaks that they’ve gotten from opposing
defenses so far this year. The Red Sox season has been filled with
unpredictability, and in my opinion, this team’s record should be nowhere near
.500 like it currently is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the
unearned runs have padded the offense’s struggles, there hasn’t been any sort
of a cushion to hide how atrocious the pitching is. Right now I look up and
down the roster and I see a bunch of pitchers who are unpredictable. This staff
features guys who are capable of putting together quality outings, but are also
in danger of getting rocked on any given day. Take Wade Miley for example. Two
starts ago the lefty tossed 5.2<sup> </sup>scoreless innings, but on Sunday in
Baltimore he got rocked as hard as any pitcher in the MLB this year. When he
came off in the third inning, he was probably hoping that most Bostonians were
tuned into the Celtics playoff game against the Cavaliers, and not to the Red
Sox game, because he looked like a Little League pitcher going up against the
Orioles that day. Over the 2.1 innings that he pitched, he allowed six earned
runs on five hits and two walks. Six runs over two innings? That’s just
embarrassing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the
Sox turned to their bullpen, it didn’t get much better. In fact it got even
worse. Heath Hembree allowed six earned runs over his just 1.1 innings of work.
No reliever went more than two innings, leading to an 18-7 Red Sox loss at
Camden Yards in Baltimore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There were
also some other controversies surrounding the Red Sox trip to Baltimore over
the weekend. It all started back in Boston last Sunday when Red Sox DH David
Ortiz was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in his team’s rain-shortened
7-1 win over the Birds. It seemed pretty harmless to most of Red Sox nation,
and it’s not like we’ve never seen Ortiz get hot with an umpire before.
However, for some reason, Orioles broadcaster and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim
Palmer took exception, and even though he didn’t make the trip to Boston, went
to Twitter to criticize the beloved slugger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“FINALLY Ortiz gets tossed #disrespectful,” he tweeted out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Palmer
later expanded on his criticism of Big Papi, telling ESPN.com’s Gordon Edes in
an email that <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">“(Ortiz is) entitled
to do it any way he wants, but when he throws his whole team under the bus, all
the fans who came out to Fenway Park, it’s kind of like a puppy -–
unconditional love -– but at the end of the day, if the puppy doesn’t do
the right things, you need to housebreak him.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Palmer also said that Ortiz should
apologize for his actions. While he has every right to criticize Ortiz, he is
dead wrong in what he said, and, it is hypocritical of him to go after Ortiz so
harshly. Based on what he said, it seems as though Palmer wants all baseball
players to act like perfect angels. However, I don’t see him putting up fits
when Orioles players act excessively. Manny Machado acted out several times by
throwing equipment around in Baltimore’s series against the Red Sox this
weekend, and though Palmer denounced the Oriole third baseman’s actions, he
didn’t put up any big stink about them like he did with Ortiz. And as Hall of
Famer and NESN Red Sox analyst Jim Rice pointed out on the Red Sox postgame
show, Palmer was no role model as a player. “Who cried more than Jim Palmer?”
Rice asked. “I mean, come on. Lets be honest…You cry just as good as anyone
else, so quit complaining, and let the guys go out and play.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Contact Jasper Goodman at </span></i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-87876764078264972832015-04-20T19:23:00.002-07:002015-04-20T19:23:26.032-07:00Long Wait Finally Over<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Spring is
finally here. Baseball is back, and temperatures are flirting with 70 degrees
for the first time in what seems like ages. This winter was the coldest one
I’ve ever lived through, and I’m glad to finally refer to it in the past tense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Red Sox
wrapped up their first two sets of the season with a record of 4-2. The Sox
looked exceptionally good on Opening Day, when they beat the Phillies 8-0. Clay
Buchholz pitched seven solid innings, which many fans thought proved he could
be a solid number one for the squad. However, six days later, it was clear that
those fans were mistaken. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Buchholz
pitched against the Yankees on Sunday night, and to say that it was a disaster
would be an understatement. The righty allowed seven runs in the bottom of the
first inning, washing away the Sox’s hope of sweeping their archrival in the
first meeting of the two teams in the 2015 season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whether it
was the pressure of being on national TV in Yankees Stadium on a Sunday night,
or just a terrible outing, Buchholz had absolutely nothing working for him. Not
only was his pitching dreadful, but he also wasn’t there mentally. As soon as
things started going south for Buch, he lost his head. That was clear not only
because of his appearance out on the mound, but also because he wasn’t carrying
out some of the basic fundamentals of the game that he should have learned in
high school. There were several times when Clay needed to be backing up a
throw, and he instead chose to just stand on the mound and watch, which is
inexcusable, and an embarrassment for the team.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in right 6.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can’t judge him by this one
start, but for him to go from throwing seven shutout innings in Philly to the
worst start of his career, to me shows that he’s going to be unpredictable this
year, which isn’t what you want out of your number one starter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in right 6.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While Buchholz was terrible in New
York, he didn’t get any help defensively either. Mike Napoli, who has generally
been pretty good defensively for the Sox, made a painful error at first base,
and the Sox didn’t look all that sharp in the field. Napoli has also struggled
quite a bit at the plate to start the season. He is 1-for-19 to start the
season, and went 0-for-8 in Friday night’s 19-inning marathon game against the
Yankees, which is an incredibly frustrating thing to do as a hitter. The Red
Sox need to find a way to get Napoli out of his slump at the plate, or else it
might be sensible to give Daniel Nava a shot as the starting first baseman.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in right 6.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even though there were rough spots,
overall the Red Sox have looked pretty good to start the season. Thirty-four
runs over six games is a pretty good number, and one that John Farrell has to
be happy with. Xander Bogaerts has looked really good at the plate so far, and
if he can keep that up, it will be huge for the Red Sox. It has long been a
struggle for the Red Sox to find a shortstop who is able to produce
offensively, and in my mind Bogaerts has the potential to change that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in right 6.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sox have also seen good pitching
from their other starters. Joe Kelly, who wasn’t even expected to make his
first start of the season due to an injury, threw seven solid innings on
Saturday, saving the Red Sox bullpen, which was forced to throw 13 innings
relief the night before. Kelly, like a lot of other guys on the Red Sox staff,
is somewhat of a question mark in my mind regarding how he’ll be able to
perform this year, but he looked really sharp on Saturday in New York. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sox look to keep on rolling this
week as they take on the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Fenway
Park.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman at <a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</a>. Follow
him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-56608998425799183952015-04-12T10:56:00.000-07:002015-04-12T10:56:00.746-07:00Red Sox Need to Rebound<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Opening
night is just six days away. That’s right, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">six</i>
days. The Red Sox open up on the road in Philadelphia, but if you have a hard
time believing that there’s going to be baseball being played in Boston next
month, you’re not alone. So now that the 2015 MLB season is upon us, lets have
an in depth look at the Red Sox roster, and what to look for on this year’s
team.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pitching staff<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>In my opinion, the Red Sox
simply did not do enough to their rotation. They have made not having an ace
seem way less important than it actually is. If the Red Sox didn’t have Jon
Lester to lead their rotation in 2013 there’s no way they would have ever been
able to win the World Series. This year, the Sox will rely on Clay Buchholz to
lead the rotation, which sounds like the makings for disaster to me. Buchholz
is injury-prone, at times unreliable, and in nobody’s opinion any sort of an
ace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is a
good chance that Joe Kelly, who could have some sort of a biceps injury, will
start the season on the disabled list, and if he does, knuckleballer Stephen
Wright will take his place. If not, here’s what I think the Red Sox rotation
will look like: 1. Clay Buchholz, 2. Rick Porcello, 3. Justin Masterson, 4.
Wade Miley, 5. Joe Kelly. Those five averaged a combined earned run average of
3.77 last year, so they don’t look terrible on paper. However, all of those
guys are prone to injury in a big way, which is extremely concerning. When a
starter goes down, it is a huge blow for a team, and by the looks of this
rotation, we could be seeing multiple starting pitchers going down at a time, which
can’t happen on a team that is competing for a playoff spot. The go-to guy if a
pitcher get hurt is going to be Stephen Wright. Wright is a knuckleballer who
has been in the Red Sox’s organization since 2012, and John Farrell seems to be
very high on him. If there’s one thing that’s going to keep the Sox from
winning the division it’s their pitching rotation, but they do have a group of
veterans who could be quite capable of surprising us pleasantly if they can
stay healthy. It is somewhat of the same situation out in the bullpen, where
the issue of health is just as prominent. Sox closer Koji Uehara simply isn’t
the pitcher that he was in 2013. He is older this year, and that means that
he’ll have to rely more on his cutter instead of his fastball, which is a big
problem for the Sox. At the end of last year, Koji’s cutter looked more like a
Tim Wakefield fastball than anything else. He’s probably put in a decent about
of work to fix that problem in the offseason, but I just don’t think he’s going
to last as the Red Sox closer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Offense<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the
pitching staff isn’t rebuilt the way I’d like it to be, the Sox did do a good
job putting together an offense that’s going to score a lot of runs. They added
the power bats of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez to the middle of their
lineup, giving David Ortiz a lot of protection and the Red Sox the chance to
contend in the AL East. If there’s one thing that was clear to me when I was
down at Spring Training in Fort Myers, FL, it was that Hanley Ramirez is an
absolute beast. CBS Sports reported in February that Ramirez had bulked up to
240 pounds now that he’s moving to left field, which is an enormous difference
from the scrawny little shortstop that showed up at Red Sox camp back in 2005.
Pablo Sandoval was criticized at the beginning of the spring that he didn’t
keep fit in the offseason, but I don’t see that being too much of a problem
considering how he’s played in Spring Training games. While Sandoval and his
191 career homers are a huge help offensively to the Sox, he’s also a good
defensive third baseman for his size. The notion that the Panda has no range is
false, and even though he’s big, he won’t be any sort of a liability for the
Red Sox defensively this year. The other guy who really impressed me down at
Spring Training was Mookie Betts. If you had to put together a highlight real
from Red Sox camp so far, Mookie would probably make up about half of it. He is
quick, powerful, and has a great baseball mind. At the beginning of Spring
Training I thought that Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo would be the Red Sox’s
starting center fielder come opening day, but it is clear now that Betts has
the job. He will likely bat leadoff for the BoSox, filling the much-needed roll
that Jacoby Ellsbury left empty when he departed last season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
prediction is that the Red Sox will finish second in the AL East, not getting
the wild card spot, and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. The
division is there for the taking, as it is as weak as I’ve ever seen it, but
the Red Sox don’t have the pitching to capitalize on the opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Contact Jasper Goodman
at </i><a href="mailto:jgoodman@radiovermont.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jgoodman@radiovermont.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.
Follow him on Twitter @Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-67573448811540127822015-04-12T10:55:00.000-07:002015-04-12T10:55:26.292-07:00Ortiz Being Ortiz<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today is the day we have all been
waiting for. Even though it may be below freezing outside, and you may find
this slightly hard to believe, the 2015 Red Sox season gets underway today. The
Sox will take on the Boston College Eagles and the Northeastern Huskies college
baseball teams today in the annual slugfest in which the Sox get to show off
some of their best new talent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last year the Red Sox beat Boston
College 11-1 and they modestly topped Northeastern 5-2. I’ve never had a chance
to take in one of these games, but I did talk to former Vermont Mountaineers
outfielder Aaron Barbosa, who played for Northeastern, about playing in the
game. Barbosa said that it was a very exciting experience to play against the
Red Sox, and one that he’ll never forget.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today the Sox are expected to send
Clay Buchholz out for the first game against the Huskies and then Wade Miley to
start the second game against BC.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There hasn’t been a whole lot of
action on the field so far at camp, but before the team starts playing games is
when the players sit down with all the different members of the media, and last
week David Ortiz made some harsh comments about the new rules that the MLB has
put into place to speed up the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It wasn’t surprising to me to hear
that David Ortiz hated the new pace of play rules, but what did catch me by
surprise was how aggressive he was in lashing out at the MLB for implementing
them. When Big Papi rolled into camp, he was in a great mood. He was back in
the Florida sunshine, his good friends, and now teammates Pablo Sandoval and
Hanley Ramirez was there with him, and he doesn’t have to worry about his
contract again until next year. However, when Boston Globe Red Sox beat writer
Peter Abraham told Ortiz about the new place of play rules (which require batters
to keep at least one foot throughout an at-bat), in a press conference last
week, things went south for the Red Sox DH.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Is that new this year?” Ortiz asked
Abraham after the reporter brought the new rules up in his question. “Yeah,”
Abraham responded. “I call that bull (explicit),” Ortiz said back. “They don’t
understand that when you come out of the box, you’re thinking about what the
(pitcher is) trying to do…I’m not walking around just because there are cameras
all over the place, and I want my buddies back home to see me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When asked if he understood the
concept of speeding the game up, Ortiz responded by saying that “It doesn’t
matter what they do, the game’s not going to speed up. That’s the bottom line.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After that, another reporter
explained to Papi that the MLB would fine him if he didn’t obey by the new
rule. “I might run out of money,” Ortiz said in response. “I’m not going to
change my game. I don’t care what they say.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So clearly Ortiz isn’t on board with
speeding up the game. However, in a one-on-one interview with Fox Sports’ Ken
Rosenthal this week, Ortiz backed off a bit. “I totally understand,” Ortiz said
when Rosenthal asked him if he understood where the MLB was coming from with
the new rules. “What I don’t understand is that it’s always related to batters,
and the other day what got me angry was that,” Ortiz continued. “When you look
around the game, the batter’s not the only one that wastes time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Papi also said later in that same
interview that he is “one of the faster (players) at getting in and out of the
box,” which is almost laughable, considering he steps out and spits on his batting
gloves after almost every pitch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While I agree with Ortiz that the
batters aren’t the only ones in the game who waste time, I don’t think that the
rules that the league is implementing are bad ones. I also hate the attitude
that because David Ortiz is David Ortiz, he doesn’t have to abide by the rules.
Papi may be a veteran and a very loveable guy, but he is also a player in the
MLB, which means that he needs to follow the rules that are put in place by the
league, no matter how long he’s been in the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 242.35pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With that said, Red Sox Nation loves
Papi because he’s Papi, and I don’t expect his personality to change any time
soon. It’s hard to believe, but there’s only 33 days until MLB opening day, and
like the rest of the baseball world, I can’t wait.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-15970385286129677392015-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:002015-02-24T13:03:42.210-08:00Speed up the Game<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the
2015 Major League Baseball season rapidly approaching, there are many questions
that are still up in the air. Most of those questions have to do with players
and trades to come, but many are wondering about the pace of game and whether
or not Major League Baseball should do something to speed it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s long
overdue, but the MLB, under the direction of new commissioner Rob Manfred, is
finally getting serious about speeding up the game, and making it more
appealing to my younger generation. Manfred has toyed with the idea in several
different interviews on national television, and has even established a page on
MLB.com to explain what they’ve done to experiment with speeding the game up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I give big
props to Manfred for being courageous enough to make this important issue a
priority. Manfred takes a risk by doing so because making changes to baseball
is never popular with the traditionalists, and as a new commissioner, he didn’t
have to put it on the front burner. Fortunately, he realizes that this is
incredibly important, and it looks to me like he is ready to do something about
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first
thing that the MLB has done is to experiment with changes to the game in the
Arizona Fall League (AFL). First, they began enforcing MLB rule 8.04, which
says that a pitcher must deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds of
receiving it when there are no runners on base. They also made it so that when
a team wishes to intentionally walk a batter, instead of throwing four pitches
out of the zone, the manager of that team just holds up four fingers and the
batter is awarded first base. It was also implemented in the AFL that there
could only be two minutes and thirty seconds in between innings, that a batter
must keep one foot in the box at all times, and that there can be no more than
three time outs (mound visits, player conferences, etc.) in an inning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The results
of these experiments were not as impressive as I would have hoped. The average
time of a game only dropped by 10 minutes, from 2 hours 52 minutes last year to
2:42 this fall. This isn’t enough, but if you were to take these changes to the
game and implement them in an MLB setting, I think you would see a much more
drastic drop in average game time. AFL games simply aren’t as competitive as
MLB games, which means there are fewer mound visits, pitching changes,
intentional walks, and small-ball. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The average
MLB game took 3 hours and 8 minutes in 2014. That number needs to come down
immediately. There are several smaller changes that the MLB could implement
that would speed the game up little by little, including limiting the length of
a mound visit and making it so that managers couldn’t take forever while
stalling to hear if they should request a replay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can’t
stress enough how important it is for the MLB to move ahead with some of these
ideas. Before I get into why, let me first start by saying that I want nothing
but the best for the game of baseball. Even though most traditionalists
disagree with me, I believe that these proposed changes won’t hurt the game,
but instead help it succeed in the long term. These changes really aren’t that
drastic. I don’t want baseball to be reinvented. This is the same game that was
played during the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War I and II, and it
will remain the same even as we implement these changes and grow the game’s
audience as a result.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Baseball’s
World Series has been a fixture on network television for a long time, but in
recent years the ratings have plummeted. This is a combination of two things:
For one, there is way more on TV than there used to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Secondly,
people don’t care about baseball the way that they used to. I always hear
stories of teachers putting on the World Series in the middle of the school
day, or of kids cutting class to go watch the Fall Classic. Well I can tell you
based on first hand experience, that would never happen in this day and age.
Not just because it is politically incorrect, but also because the people in my
generation simply don’t care about baseball. In fact, most don’t like it, and
mock it. Manfred probably isn’t going to turn those people into die hard fans,
but he may very well get their family to turn on the World Series, as long as
they aren’t committing to a four-hour affair that the game of baseball is right
now. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While this
is an unfortunate reality, it’s not unfixable. I truly appreciate what Manfred
has been doing in his first few months as commissioner, and I think that he is
a good new leader for the MLB. I look forward to hearing more of his ideas as
his tenure moves along. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-23049262542751307292015-02-05T15:56:00.000-08:002015-02-05T15:56:03.674-08:00Wrapping up Super Bowl XLIX<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Super Bowl 49
was one for the ages, and it was a game that no Patriots fan will ever forget.
The final two minutes of the Pats’ 28-24 win over the Seahawks put every
football fan in the country on the edge of their seat, and if you were a fan of
either of the two teams playing, then you were probably experiencing a high
amount of anxiety.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the
Patriots, this win has to feel as sweet as can be. That team went through a lot
in the 2014-15 NFL season and they deserved to win that game for one reason:
they are the best team in the NFL, regardless of what the air pressure in the
footballs they are playing with is. The 2014-15 Pats won’t go down as the team
that lost to Kansas City in week 4, or the team who cheated in the AFC
Championship game, but instead they will be remembered as the world champions,
which is as it should be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the
Seahawks, this is a very tough loss to live with. Seattle head coach Pete Caroll
will be haunted by this game for the rest of his life, and particularly his catastrophic
decision on the final play of the game. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you didn’t
see the game, here’s how it ended: Seattle had the ball on the half yard line
with 26 seconds left, needing to score a touchdown to win it. Every football
fan, coach, and player who is in his or her right mind gives the ball to
running back Marshawn Lynch on that play. When Lynch goes into Beast Mode, he
is unstoppable on pass rushes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carroll
decided to try and outsmart the Patriots. The coach said that he was planning
to throw the ball on second down, and then if the pass was incomplete, run it
on the third and fourth downs. Carroll didn’t take something into
consideration: the Patriots could intercept the ball, ending the game. And that’s
just what happened. Pats cornerback Malcom Butler jumped in front of Russell Wilson’s
pass to Ricardo Lockette and gave the Patriots possession with 20 seconds to
go. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Watching
helplessly as everything unraveled was Marshawn Lynch, who led the league in
touchdowns. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Super Bowl
49 turned out to be especially memorable for Patriots QB Tom Brady. I think
it’s fair to say that Brady is now in a league of his own, and the California
native who grew up rooting for Joe Montana, now has the same amount of rings as
his childhood hero. Brady brought his team back and led them through the biggest
fourth-quarter comeback in Super Bowl history, etching his name in the history
books. The fourth quarter was classic Tom Brady, and if there’s one game that
really sums up what his career has been all about, it’s this one. He never gave
up, he stayed calm, and he got the job done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The other
guy in that game who played incredibly all night long was Pats wide receiver
Julian Edelman. However, there’s some question as to whether or not Edelman
should have even been on the field at the end of the game. After receiving a
pass across the middle late in the fourth quarter, Edelman took a huge
helmet-to-helmet hit from Hawks defender Kam Chancellor. There was no penalty
called on the play, which was disturbing to many, but it was pretty clear that
Edleman was hurt, and probably concussed. The rule is that if you are diagnosed
with a concussion, you can’t come back onto the field at all, which would mean
that Edelman, who has contributed so much to this team, would have had to miss
a Super Bowl celebration. He wasn’t even taken of the field though, which is
concerning. I like what the NFL has done with their concussion policies, but it
is very disturbing to see Edelman stay out there for the remainder of a game
without even being tested after the hit that Chancellor put on him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m not
sure if any Super Bowl will really be able to top that one for me, but I look
forward to the many that lie ahead. It was an amazing season for the Patriots
and despite any allegations of cheating in the AFC championship, this team is
the best in the NFL, and they deserved to be crowned Super Bowl champions.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-19072123154248795652015-01-23T07:47:00.001-08:002015-01-23T07:47:08.664-08:00Strasburg Could be a Risk<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With
pitchers and catchers reporting exactly one month from today, it’s time to have
a look back at the 2015 offseason so far, and a look ahead what deals are still
to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because of
all that was going on in the NFL over the weekend, it probably blew by most New
Englanders that Max Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals, agreeing to
a seven-year deal on Sunday night. Scherzer will reportedly make $15 million
annually for the next 14 years, even though he will only pitch for seven of
those years. That adds up to $210 million over the next 14 years. This is a
huge move for not only the Nationals, but also multiple other teams across the
league, including the Boston Red Sox.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Nats
rotation already featured ace Stephen Strasburg, and the signing of Scherzer
means that Strasburg is now on the trading block. Stephen Strasburg could be
the ace that the Red Sox need, and, at this point, is the best option that the
Red Sox have. He finished last year at 14-11, with a 3.14 Earned Run Average. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though
bringing Strasburg to Boston sounds very enticing, there’s something about it
that signals a red flag for me. Fox Sports released a report citing multiple
sources saying that the Nats have been looking into trading Strasburg all
offseason, and there’s a few reasons as to why they might want to do that. For
one, they may want to trade for more offense, which makes plenty of sense. But
the second reason is that they may have been looking to get rid of, and then
replace Strasburg, and there’s only one reason why they would want to do that.
He’s hurt. Strasburg had Tommy John Surgery in 2010, and had a rough road to
recovery following that. Last year, Strasburg allowed more earned runs than
ever before in his career, and I fear that he is injured and that is the
reasoning for the Nats’ moves. If my conspiracy theory is correct, then what
the Nationals are doing makes perfect sense. Scherzer will virtually replace
Strasburg in the rotation if he is traded, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i>
the Nats will receive a player of significant value for Strasburg.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now that
Scherzer is off of the table, all of the teams who are in desperate,
last-minute need of a pitcher can now turn their attention to James Shields.
Because of his age and ability, he isn’t going to make anything close to what
Scherzer signed for, but he is still a very good pitcher who is capable of
leading several rotations. As much as I’d like to see the Sox go after Shields,
it is highly unlikely that the team will be willing to pony up the money to
sign him. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that MLB executives are expecting
Shields to sign somewhere in the range of $75 million over four years. At this
point the Sox are more likely to make a big trade for someone like Cole Hammels
of the Philadelphia Phillies to beef up the rotation, than to throw money like
that at a free agent. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The team
who I think is most likely to land Shields is the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays
feature an aging rotation, with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey at the front of it,
and they are in desperate need of pitching help. Granted Shields isn’t the
ideal age for your top-of-the-line starter, but he would definitely make that
rotation a lot better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On a local
note, the Vermont Mountaineers are getting set for their annual Hot Stove
Banquet, which is this Saturday night at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier.
This year’s banquet will feature a meet and greet with Red Sox legend Bernie
Carbo. The team will also be honoring several volunteers who have made a
difference to the organization over its 11 years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though snow
is coming out of the sky on a daily basis right now, there is warm weather to
come and believe it or not, opening day is less than three months away. I look
forward to what promises to be an exciting baseball season, locally and
nationally.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-9443187634908393782015-01-11T17:01:00.000-08:002015-01-11T17:01:28.591-08:00Worlds Collide in 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2014 brought lots of excitement, but with a big year in
sports also comes an important year in the sports media world. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Before
I get down to business, I think it’s appropriate to remember the late ESPN <i>SportsCenter
</i>anchor Stuart Scott. Scott died tragically on Sunday after a multi-year
battle with stomach cancer. Stuart was a trailblazer in the industry, helping
to build <i>SportsCenter </i>up to what it is today, and becoming one of the
best known faces at ESPN. Stuart Scott was a truly original sportscaster,
bringing terms like “booyah” and “hallah” to the airwaves at ESPN, and leaving
a golden legacy behind him, with shoes far too big for anyone else at that
network to ever fill. Scott’s death was national news on Sunday, and it
warranted remarks from a number of celebrities, including President Barack
Obama. Stuart won’t be with the Worldwide Leader anymore, but his brave legacy
should, and will live on.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scott not only brought a great style
to ESPN, but also brought diversity to a network that really didn’t have any.
He was among the first African American sports anchors when he started at ESPN
in 1993. Scott helped to build ESPN to become one of the most diverse newsrooms
anywhere, and made minorities feel welcome in the industry where they might not
have before.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Knowing that he was able to bring the hip-hop culture, that
urban feel, to television sports broadcasting, something that’s never been done
before,” ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson said. “(It) gave me the hope that
I didn’t have to be some corporate guy, to feel like I had to wear the white
shirt with the red tie, and sit there and talk a certain way.”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On a lighter note, 2014 brought a year of
changes and excitement to the sports media landscape. Fox made a big step
forward in 2013 when it launched Fox Sport 1, a 24-hour cable sports network
that was designed to compete with ESPN, NBC Sports Network, and the CBS Sports
Network. In order for a national sports network to succeed today, it needs to
have the big names—live games from national sports leagues that people want to
watch, and in 2013 FS1 simply did not have that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However, beginning this year, FS1
began carrying Major League Baseball, and in 2015 they will gain live broadcast
rights to NASCAR, US Open Golf, and Major League Soccer. Both the men’s and
women’s FIFA World Cups will also air on Fox and Fox Sports 1, which is a huge
gain for the network. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With all of their live sporting
events, I think that FS1 will continue to grow. However, it will be a long time
before they are able to even touch ESPN’s viewership numbers. ESPN was 2014’s
most viewed cable network, with FS1 finishing in 50<sup>th</sup>. That’s a huge
gap, and one that the network is unlikely to close anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>***</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2014 was also a year in which social
justice issues and sports converged, with athletes taking big public stands on
current issues that were appreciated by some, but angered others.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the athletes were taking stands,
so did bloggers, analysts, and other big names in sports media. Among them were
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A, who is a total blow-hard in my opinion,
said on his daily talk show <i>First Take</i> that he would tell women to make
sure that they weren’t “doing anything to provoke the actions.” His comments
created a Twitter explosion, and Smith took heat from several of his own
colleagues including ESPN anchor Michelle Beadle. ESPN then suspended Stephen
A. from going on ESPN or ESPN Radio for a week.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s important to note that Smith
comes from a conservative background. He is a frequent guest on <i>Hannity</i>,
a Fox News show hosted by Tea Party conservative Sean Hannity, and tends to
lean to the right when he chimes in on political issues. While what Stephen A.
said isn’t right, and I don’t agree with it on a number of levels, I’m not sure
ESPN made the right move by suspending him. <i>First Take</i> is an opinion
show hosted by two blowhards, Smith and Skip Bayless. All Stephen A. did was
express his opinion on the matter. That’s the format of the show, and he
shouldn’t be punished for doing his job.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There was also quite a bit of
controversy around how ESPN handled its coverage of the Ray Rice issue, in
which the Baltimore Ravens running back was captured on video beating his
fiancé in a hotel elevator. After ESPN analyst Bill Simmons called NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell a “liar” on his ESPN-based podcast—Simmons claimed
that Goodell had seen the video of Ray Rice before it was released by TMZ--ESPN
suspended Simmons for three weeks. Ironically enough, Simmons’ suspension was
longer than the one that Goodell gave to Ray Rice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is now much speculation about
whether Simmons might opt to leave ESPN, but I don’t see that happening, and he
would be crazy to do so. Simmons earns $5 million annually from ESPN, and I
doubt he will find another network out there that is willing to pick up that
tab. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much remains to be seen throughout
the sports media world, and the 2015 ratings could be a big factor in what the
sports media landscape will look like down the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
think that social issues will continue to get responses from the sports world,
but how that affects the players and the games still remains to be seen. Stay
tuned on one of your 35 cable sports networks that are fighting for your
attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-26492425208081009622015-01-03T10:21:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:06:10.932-08:00Red Sox Drop the Ball<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s almost
Christmas, and even though December 25<sup>th</sup> is usually a day of gifting
to family members, there are a few things that the Red Sox would like to see
under their tree this holiday season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The gift
that was number one on Sox General Manager Ben Cherington’s list for Santa was
a big hometown discount from Jon Lester, but that ship has long since sailed.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s time to accept reality Red Sox fans: Jon Lester is
gone to Chicago and he will never, ever wear a Red Sox uniform again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s now
time for the club to build for 2015 and though they have been busy this
offseason, the team still has several key needs. For one, they need an ace. Boston
has signed starters Rick Porcello, Justin Masterson, and Wade Miley, and as
enticing as that all sounds, it still leaves my stomach very unsettled. If the
Red Sox want to be an elite team, they need an ace, and right now they do not
have one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ben
Cherington told reporters on Saturday that the Sox are “not actively engaged
with anything right now” regarding the team’s starting pitching staff. “We like
the direction the team is headed in,” Cherington said. “I think it’s more
likely if we add anywhere, it’s the bullpen.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To hear the
General Manager of this club say that they aren’t in on an ace right now is
extremely disappointing. Does Ben Cherington think that his team can be a
winning ball club with Clay Buchholz at the top of the rotation? I sure don’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It also
shows that Cherington is ignorant to the state of Red Sox Nation right now. The
fans of this team are frustrated, and they have every right to be. Boston could
have signed Jon Lester last spring for a fraction of what the Cubs got him for
the offseason. Unfortunately, the Sox front office blew it, and threw a low-ball
offer at him. For them to say now that they aren’t perusing another ace at the
moment gives fans every right to be annoyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the
Red Sox signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandavol, I’ll admit I was excited, but
now that I’ve had some time to reflect, I can’t totally make sense of why they
felt the need to sign Hanley after already getting the Panda. See, both players
can play third base, and the Sox definitely needed a third baseman, but they
didn’t need two of them. The team’s response to that is to stick Hanley in the
outfield, but even after trading Yoenis Cespedes, the club already has an
excess of outfielders. Ramirez has also proven himself as being extremely injury-prone,
averaging just 103 games per season over his last six years in the MLB. If
Boston, had kept the money that they threw at Hanley Ramirez in their pocket,
well, they could have Jon Lester right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kansas City
Royals ace James Shields is the best available option right now who is in the
team’s price range. But based on Cherington’s comments, it doesn’t seem like
he’ll be walking into the team’s clubhouse anytime soon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in center 3.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In other news, President Barack
Obama introduced a new relationship with Cuba last Wednesday, which has
profound positive impacts on countless lives, but among those who were watching
the deal closely were the people who run MLB teams. Cuba is widely considered
to have some of the best baseball talent of anywhere in the world, but up until
now, the world’s most prestigious baseball league hasn’t been able to take many
of them in as players. Though we’ve seen some, such as Dodgers outfielder
Yasiel Puig, make it to the USA, most Cuban stars haven’t been willing to risk
their lives by getting smuggled out of the country and into the United States.
Fortunately, now they won’t have to. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in center 3.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The impacts that the renewed
relationship with Cuba is going to have on the game of baseball will be
remarkably positive. It means more superstars like Puig, new Red Sox outfielder
Rusney Castillo, and Tigers outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and White Sox rookie
sensation Jose Abreu, and an all-new crop of fans from a country of 11 million
people. As for the idea of an MLB team in Cuba? Well…that’s stretching it. But
the point is, the relationship is great for the people of Cuba, and great for
baseball.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in center 3.0in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One never knows what Santa will
bring until walking downstairs on Christmas morning, and there are MLB
surprises to come this offseason too. Only time will tell what lies ahead for
the Red Sox.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-33549740997918894172014-11-26T06:55:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:06:19.796-08:00The Hot Stove is Sizzling <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last year,
it took until the winter meetings for the hot stove to heat up, but this year
it’s already steaming with record-breaking contracts, rumors, and excitement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With all of
the rumors that fly around during the hot stove season, it makes it almost as
exciting to me as the regular season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>The first move of the offseason
was a big one—at least financially. Giancarlo Stanton cashed in huge, and even
though he might have liked to have seen what other options were out there—a
winning team perhaps—the Marlins made sure that was happening by luring him
back with a $325 million 13 year contract, making him the highest paid player
in the history of United States professional sports. Giancarlo has made less
than $10 million in his first five years in the big leagues, but that changed
in a big way for the 25 year-old slugger, who is now one of the highest-paid
athletes in the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s have
a look at just how filthy rich Stanton will become over the next 13 years.
Whether or not he gets traded after the 6<sup>th</sup> year of his contract
(which is when he can opt out of the no-trade clause), he is guaranteed to make
68,493 per <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">day</i> for the next 13 years.
That breaks down to $2,854 per hour and $48 per minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That $68,493 that he’ll earn per day is just
$1,328 less than the average United States annual income. Wow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
Giancarlo were to pay the property taxes for every single taxpayer in Miami he
would still have $85 million to burn. Stanton could buy the Miami Dolphins, he
could run for Governor in Florida twice, he could send 1,827 kids to the
University of Miami, he could take every single citizen of Miami out to lunch
at his favorite restaurant chain—In ‘N’ Out Burger—87 times, or he could even
buy over 40 minutes of advertising during a Super Bowl game. Giancarlo Stanton
can seemingly do anything he wants. He may not be on Bill Gates’ level (yet),
but he is darn rich, and what he’ll actually do with all that money, I have
absolutely no idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s a
huge problem with the distribution of wealth in the United States of America,
but that issue exists on a less visible scale in the game of baseball. Most
people probably look at baseball and think that everyone in the game is making
a ridiculous amount of money like Stanton is. But in face, players in Minor
League Baseball are making between just $3,000 and $7,500. The issue is getting
the attention that it deserves now that some former players are filing suing
the MLB, but minor leaguers have been making well below minimum wage for a long
time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anyway,
back to the offseason. The Red Sox front office staff had a very busy day on
Monday, as the team made two huge deals, signing shortstop Hanley Ramirez,
along with third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The Hanley deal comes exactly nine
years after the Red Sox traded the standout shortstop to the Marlins in
exchange for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported
that the Hanley deal is worth $88 million over four years with a fifth-year
vesting option valued at $22 million. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the
Panda deal, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported at about 4:30 AM EST that the Sox
and Sandoval had agreed to five years and close to $100 million. Pablo’s agent
then denied that rumor but at this point I think that it is safe to say that
Panda and Hanley will be the left side of the Red Sox infield in 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t
expect any other earth shattering deals to come later in the offseason that
will greatly affect the Red Sox offense. The pitching staff, on the other hand,
needs some serious help. The Sox need to either make a top-dollar signing or a
blockbuster trade if they want to be in contention in 2015. I am still
skeptical of the idea that Jon Lester may be coming back. That isn’t because I
don’t want to see him in a Red Sox uniform, but more because I don’t think that
the club is willing to pay him enough money to come back. I think there’s a
chance that Lester takes a hometown discount to stay in Boston but he probably
won’t leave too much money on the table to come back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many people
are saying that the Red Sox won the offseason in one day, and that may be true,
but Boston won’t be able to do anything in 2015 with out acquiring some
starting pitching. One idea that I have is to look at trade possibilities with
the Cincinnati Reds to try and bring in Johnny Cueto. It’s the final year of Cueto’s contract, which means that the Reds are willing to deal him. Cincinnati
shortstop Zack Cozart hit just .221 last year, and now that Boston has a
shortstop, they could look into trading Xander Bogaerts to the Reds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are
still big-market signings to be made, and surprises to come. The offseason is
by far the most unpredictable part of the game, and I look forward to seeing
what happens next.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-39833786555779764012014-11-26T06:52:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:06:27.334-08:00The World Series by the Numbers<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For me, the
World Series is huge. It is certainly on my TV every night that there’s a game.
Why? Well, it’s America’s national past time, and there’s nothing better than
the World Series. However, baseball is no longer the way that Americans pass
their time, not even during the World Series.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A big
ratings boost for World Series game seven made MLB executives breathe a sigh of
relief, as it ensured that the 2014 Fall Classic would not be the least watched
of all time. It came darn close though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This year’s
Series averaged 13.8 million viewers per game. An average of 8.2 percent of
U.S. households watched the game. Nielson calls that a rating of 8.2.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These are
atrocious numbers. Only two other World Series (2012 and 2008) averaged fewer viewers
per game than this year. Prior to 2000, not one World Series averaged less than
20 million viewers per game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Baseball’s
World Series has become a local affair, not a national one. In the Kansas City
market, 77 percent of televisions had the game on, so there was obviously huge
excitement for it there. But unlike the Super Bowl, it is no longer must-see
television across the nation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think that
there are multiple reasons for the declining viewership.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fox/the Fox broadcast
crew</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In World
Series where Fox’s Joe Buck is the lead play-by-play broadcaster, the average
viewership is 18 million onlookers per game. In Fall Classics where Buck isn’t
behind the microphone, the World Series averages 33.1 million viewers per game.
Coincidence? I’m afraid so. Even though the “Joe Buck Sucks” Facebook page has
over 33,000 likes, I don’t think that even any of even those likers, or haters
if you will, would go so far as to not watch a World Series simply because of
Buck. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The reason
that the numbers drop off so severely when Buck is calling games is because the
popularity of baseball today is a fraction of what it used to be, regardless of
who is calling it. If Joe Buck had been calling games in the 1980s, when his
dad Jack Buck was announcing the World Series, I think that the numbers would improve.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With that
said however, I think that Fox does a mediocre job at best with their baseball
coverage. From a production standpoint, they hit out of the park, and all of
the people who work behind the scenes for Fox Sports do an excellent job. It’s
the ones who are in front of the camera who are the problem. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lets first
start with Buck. The game of baseball struggles with popularity because it
isn’t exciting enough. It needs a play-by-play man who can make it exciting.
That’s the job of a broadcaster, and Joe Buck does not do his job. Red Sox fans
enjoy the excitement of play-by-play broadcasters Joe Castiglione, Don Orsillo,
and Dave O’Brien, whose voices convey the highs and lows of the game. Buck
speaks in a monotone, which leaves me aching for excitement. I think that there
are better options, such as MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian or ESPN’s Dan
Shulman, for the top broadcasting job in the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As for the
rest of the crew, Harold Reynolds talks way too much. So much so that Tom
Verducci, perhaps the most insightful of the trio, can hardly get a word in,
which is frustrating at times as a viewer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Speed of the game<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The speed
of the game is definitely a big part of why the game is so unpopular. I wrote a
column a few weeks ago explaining what the executives of the game of baseball
need to do to speed it up, and in a nutshell, they need to create new rules to
ensure that batters don’t step out of the box as much as they do, enforce their
rule that forces pitchers to deliver the ball within 12 seconds, and to limit
the number of pitchers on a team’s roster so that there are fewer pitching
changes and more offense. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Baseball is
a dying sport but it’s not dead yet, and there is still time to save it.
Speeding it up puts the MLB well on their way to doing so, but there also needs
to be more offense and more offensive stars for people to watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Length of season<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Each MLB
team plays 162 games in a season. Every NFL team plays 16. That is why the NFL
is way more popular than baseball. The number of games in a season means that
each game counts for less, and makes it so that there is very little excitement
generated for your average regular season game. When you watch the NFL, part of
the draw is that each game counts so much. I’m not suggesting that the MLB cuts
their season down by a lot, but they could do just fine with 102 regular season
games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">More on TV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According
to Nielsen, the average household receives 190 channels. Only one of those is
carrying the World Series. This is an unfixable problem. When the World Series
first came to TV, most people only got ABC, NBC, and CBS. Now if you want
sports you can turn to any of the 35 cable sports networks, or your local cable
sports network(s). There are so much more competition for out attention than
there used to be, which, I think, hurts the MLB’s ratings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is a
collection of all of those things that lead to the lower ratings that the MLB
has been getting for its World Series. It’s also interesting to note, however,
that even though the national ratings are poor, every team has a local cable
sports network that carries all of their games, with the exception of
blackouts, and the ratings for teams in their respective local markets are
fairly good. Baseball consistently does well on local cable TV, which means
that there is some popularity for the game in areas where there are teams—but
it’s important to remember that there are 30 teams in the MLB.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You can
enjoy the game of baseball, but as a fan, you can’t ignore these numbers. They
are too important to keeping the game alive and well, and if you don’t focus on
how to bring them up now, the MLB may never do so. When Commissioner-elect Rob
Manfred steps into office, he needs to take immediate action on the field, to
help generate excitement off the field.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-840028019829084762014-11-02T09:38:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:06:36.143-08:00World Series Wrap-Up<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This year it seemed like all the talk about the World Series was the ratings, and rightfully so because of how how horrifically bad they were, but lets just put that aside for a moment and talk about how incredible the 110th Fall Classic was from an on-field standpoint.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Start with game one. The build up in Kansas City, the host city, was enormous. It was the first time that a World Series had been held on those grounds since 1985, the year of George Brett. Fox’s pregame hosts were forced to yell into their hand-held microphones before game one just to be heard over the electric crowd behind them. However, once the game started, the hometown Royals didn’t give their team much to get up and yell about. Giants starter Madison Bumgarner was on his game from the first pitch that he threw in the seventh inning. The later-to-be-named World Series MVP allowed just one run on three hits in the outing, giving his team the early edge in the series with a 7-1 win.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though statistics show that game one winners in the World Series are more likely to win the series, I had a feeling that the Royals weren’t going to go down without a fight. My hunch was proven to be true in game two of the series. The KC kids’ offense came alive, tacking on seven runs on nine hits in the game to even the series at one. Royals second baseman Omar Infante came alive, batting in two runs on a two-run homer in the sixth inning. KC starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who, at age 23, is just nine years older than me, went five and a third innings, allowing just two runs in his first ever World Series outing. I can’t emphasize enough how much he did for his team throughout the year. The righty finished the regular season with a 3.20 ERA, and averaged just 1.8 runs per game in his last 10 outings outings of the year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The series shifted to San Francisco for game three, where, even though the Giants have won three World Series in the past five years, the crowd is alway energetic. Game three was an absolutely riveting pitchers duel between Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie and Giants veteran Tim Hudson. Both teams made an interesting decision, which proved to pay off, which was to take their starter out of the game in the fifth inning. Most teams would be hesitant to take their starter, who was pitching well at the time, out of the game in the fifth, but both the Giants and Royals have fantastic bullpens, and managers who know when and how to use them. Even though season awards are voted on before the Postseason, I think that KC manager Ned Yost is a clear choice for AL manager of the year. He actually led his team to the American League title, which is more than any Yankees manager can say for any of the 40 World Series teams that they managed. They were simply at the helm of an extremely well-funded ballclub. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Game four was an offensive explosion from the middle of the order of the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco scored 11 runs on 16 hits, leading them to an 11-4 win, and tying the series up. However, the Kansas City bats weren’t exactly quiet either. They chased Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong out of the game after just two and two third innings, scoring four runs in the top of the third inning. Game four wasn’t exactly pretty pitching like game three, but it was extremely exciting nonetheless due to how much offence there was.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Game five was all San Francisco offensively. The Royals were only able to squander four hits off of starter Madison Bumgarner, who didn’t allow a run and went the distance in his Giants’ 5-0 win.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was no way the the Royals were going to let the Giants come back to Kansas City and take the series in game six. With Ventura on the mound for KC, I knew right away that we were looking at a game seven. The Royals offense came back to life, as they beat the Giants 10-0 in a one-sided slugfest, forcing a game seven.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next day, the amount of work that got done in offices in the bay area and in Kansas City was at a bare minimum. Butterflies floated through the stomachs of baseball fans all across the country, as it was time for the most exciting thing in sports: a World Series game seven. Every game seven is special, but this year, the deciding game of the World Series was one for the ages. Tim Hudson started for the Giants, but he lasted just an inning and two thirds, giving way to Jeremy Affeldt who went two and a third, before manager Bruce Bochy handed the ball to the most popular guy in San Francisco: Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner threw five rock solid innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. Bumgarner was sensational, especially considering that he was only throwing on two-days rest, three days less than he is used too. San Francisco could not have asked any more MadBum.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bumgarner was nearly flawless until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Alex Gordon stepped up to the plate. Gordon knocked a single that got by Giants centerfielder Gregor Blanco, and Gordon took two bases on the error, advancing to third. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a situation that every young baseball fan dreams of being in...two outs, bottom of the ninth, game-tying run on third. Heck, Sal Perez probably dreamed about it when he was a kid, just the only difference between his difference between his dreams and reality are that he probably pictured himself hitting the base hit to tie it and send the game into extras instead of popping out to end the World Series. Perez got under a pitch and sent it a mile high before it came down in the glove of Pablo Sandoval to crown the Giants the 2014 world champions.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7ac3307b-7195-3076-d75c-2c0b6bf937b7"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my next column I’ll look into the ratings of the World Series and give a breakdown of the numbers to find out how much the sport of baseball really is struggling with popularity. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-46504374373991315542014-11-02T09:35:00.001-08:002014-11-02T09:46:25.053-08:00League Championship Series Preview<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So far, the
excitement level of the 2014 MLB Postseason has not disappointed. My
predictions from two weeks ago on the other hand…well, let’s not get into that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
American League, it has all come down to Royals and the Orioles, two underdogs
who both went up against two powerhouse teams in the divisional series. After
the trade deadline when the Tiger picked up starter David Price, and the
Athletics got Jon Lester, everyone thought that it was fairly safe to say they
would face off in the ALCS. That turned out not to be the case. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
incredible, when you look at what’s happening with Kansas City. Out of the
MLB’s 30 teams, only 11 have a lower payroll. Only three members of their
roster have ever even played in a postseason game before. They are last in the
league in home runs. Those facts alone would lead you to believe that Kansas
City is not a postseason contender. However, the young Royals have come alive
in October, winning the do-or-die wild card game, sweeping the Angels, who had
the best regular season record, and now beating up on the AL East Division
winners, the Baltimore Orioles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Going into
the postseason, Kansas City’s strong points were that they had good starting
pitching, speed, incredible relief pitching, great defense, and amped up fans.
However, you may have noticed that the Royals offense has been the thing that
has led them to their recent success. Prior to game three of the series, the Royals
had a slugging percentage of .429, while their opponent’s slugging percentage
has been limited to just .349. In fact, in every major offensive category
except for at bats, the Royals’ statistic tops their opponents statistic, which
is a credit to how good their pitching has been this postseason also.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the
other side, of the diamond, the Orioles pitching, and relief pitching in
particular, has not looked particularly impressive. Birds submarine reliever
Darren O’Day got the loss in the first two games in the series, allowing three
earned runs in just 1.1 innings pitched over the first two games of the ALCS.
The second man in the Birds’ supposed 1-2 punch, Zach Britton, has been
pathetic. He came on in game one of the series, pitched a third of an inning,
walked three batters to load the bases, cutting the path for O’Day to come in
and blow the game. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At this
point, I’m going to jump on the bandwagon and pick the Royals. KC has the upper
hand at this point with the series lead and the way they’ve been playing, I
don’t see Baltimore stopping them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
National League Championship Series, which is now tied up 1-1 between the
Giants and the Cardinals, we are going to see some hard fought baseball from
here on out. In tonight’s game, the Cards send John Lackey to the hill to face
off against Tim Hudson. If you’re St. Louis, Lackey is the guy who you want. He
has pitched more playoff innings than any other active pitcher, and last year
threw sensationally in the postseason for the Red Sox. However, Hudson is on
nine days rest going into tonight, and in his one outing against the Cards this
year, he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed just three hits. I like the
Cards in the game, but the Giants in the series. The next three games in the series
will be in San Francisco, and Giants fans are always pumped up, especially so
in the postseason. Tonight’s game starts at 4:00 PM on Fox Sports 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While the
Cards and Giants are both veterans to postseason play, Baltimore and KC are two
underdogs who haven’t had the chance to play for a World Series title in a long
time. Whatever happens in the NL, I think it’d be nice, and good for the sport
of baseball of either the Orioles or the Royals could come out on top for a
change.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-69265984081511355002014-11-02T09:34:00.001-08:002014-11-02T09:34:12.250-08:00Postseason Predictions<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It truly
did take 162 games to decide this year’s MLB season. It came right down to the
wire on Sunday before we knew what the 2014 MLB Postseason picture would look
like. At the risk of looking like a fool of before the ink is dry, here are my
predictions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Angles vs. AL Wild
Card</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The LA Angels
will face the winner of the one-game playoff Wild Card game between the Kansas
City Royals and the Oakland Athletics tonight. I think that regardless of who
wins the Wild Card, the Angels are in pretty good shape for the series. With a
lineup that features Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and David Freese,
LA gets it done with their star power. Pujols slugged 28 homers and drove in
105 runs this year and he’s hungry for another run deep into the postseason. I
predict the Angels to go to the ALCS.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Orioles vs. Tigers<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>This looks to be the best of the
American League divisional series. Detroit looked virtually unstoppable at the trade
deadline but they struggled out of the gate after picking up Rays ace David
Price. It’s time for Price, and starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin
Verlander to come around and start pitching up to the hype. Verlander won his
last three regular season starts but prior to that was not the pitcher that
Detroit will need him to be in the postseason. The Orioles waltzed their way to
the AL East division win, and the Tigers will be a wake up call to them. On
paper, Detroit wins this series, but Baltimore is full of passion and they
feature a middle of the order that can be very dangerous. With that said, I
don’t think that the Birds’ pitching will be able to hold up against the
Detroit staff that is full of postseason experience. I predict the Tigers to go
on to the ALCS.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nationals vs. NL Wild
Card<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>The NL Wild Card game on
Wednesday will be a battle. It features two teams who ended up with identical
records and will have to throw everything at that game to stay alive. That puts
a strain on the pitching staff of the Wild Card winner going into the NLCS. I
Like the Giants to win the game, but not the series. San Francisco will have to
throw ace Madison Bumgarner in the Wild Card game, which will leave Tim Hudson
to start the divisional series. Hudson has won just one of has past 10 starts,
and is not the guy who you want to start a series. The Nats on the other hand
are a well-rounded team who won 96 games in the regular season. Three of
Washington’s five starters finished the year with ERAs below 3.00, and they
also have one of the best bullpens in baseball. The Nationals also have an
outfield that is filled with offensive pop. Center fielder Denard Span finished
the year with a batting average of .302, and let’s not forget what corner
outfielders Bryce Harper and Jason Werth can do offensively. I predict the
Nationals to go on to the NLCS.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dodgers vs Cardinals<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>The Dodgers came up short last
year, losing to the Cards in the NLCS, and they will be as hungry as a lion
going into the divisional series. LA’s rotation is led by Clayton Kershaw, who
features the dirtiest curveball that I’ve ever seen, and who ended the season
with 21 wins and a remarkable 1.77 ERA. The offense includes Matt Kemp, who is
finally starting to look like his old self, and produced up to expectation
offensively for the Dodgers this year. Even though this may be hard for Red Sox
fans who remember the Boston version of Carl Crawford, the speedy outfielder
finished the season with an even .300 average, and has produced well in his
last 10 games. They are facing a Cardinals team that hasn’t seen a whole lot of
changes from last year and are still very dangerous, but I think that this
rematch will end differently than last time around. I predict the Dodgers to go
onto the NLCS. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you’re
picking one series to watch, this is it. It’s going to be some great baseball
and both teams are going to have to fight hard if they want to win.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Red Sox
fans can enjoy being world champions for a few more weeks. We can brag all we
want up until then, but it’s time to pass the glory on, as a new champion will
soon be crowned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
baseball fans, there is no time of the year that is more exciting than right
now. Lets enjoy it while we can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Also make
sure to tune in tonight at 6:30 on WDEV for The Kid & The Geezer Postseason
Special. The geezer Mal Boright and I will welcome your phone calls and give
our in-depth postseason analysis.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-62325640771558945292013-11-27T07:31:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:06:45.994-08:00Hot Stove Heats Up<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The 2013
MLB Hot Stove got off to a slow start but someone lit a match to it last Monday.
That’s when the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers shook things up trading first
baseman Prince Fielder to the Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler and cash.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This trade
looks to be a clear win for the Tigers as they get a .273 career hitter and
defensive wall in Kinsler while giving up someone who has widely underperformed
for Detroit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fielder is
a big name player and everyone expects a lot offensively out of him. While he
may look appealing offensively there are other problems with him. At a reported
275 pounds it is hard for Prince to move around in the field. He is a defensive
liability at first base. He’s found the position where he has to move the least
but even there, he has a bad stretch, he’s not quick enough to stop anything
down the line, and there are plays that make managers roll their eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
example of Prince’s struggles came just one month ago in the ALCS against the Red
Sox. Prince rounded third too hard and was caught in a pickle between third and
home. Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who’s not fast and had full catcher’s
gear on, chased Fielder back down the line to third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Fielder attempted to dive back to the
bag, he flopped onto the ground and was tagged out as Salty landed on top of
him. Many fans have laughed at this play but it is a perfect example of another
problem with Fielder. He can’t successfully do one of the most basic things in
baseball: the slide. With all that said though, Prince has good power numbers
and he gets on base a lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the
other side of the trade Ian Kinsler, who has played with Texas his entire
career, hit .277 in 2013 with 72 RBIs. He had a fielding percentage of .978
making just 13 errors in his 124 games at second base. The Tigers will be
replacing Omar Infante at second base. Kinsler is a three-time all AL all-star.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There was
some sadness with the trade as Miguel Cabrera expressed how much he will miss
his brother-like ex-teammate by posting pictures of him and Fielder walking
together and the translation of another tweet read: “Remembering a good friend,
(wish you) all the success in the world (with your) new team. And another one
read: “To remember is to live…what unforgettable moments, my brother.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This trade
is of local interest for Red Sox fans because many think that now that the
Rangers have Prince they won’t make a serious bid for outfielder Jacoby
Ellsbury. I find that hard to believe. The Rangers have dedicated owners who
may be willing to make a big investment. It will, however, make life harder
because anything that helps the Tigers essentially hurts the Sox. The Red Sox
and Tigers are arguably the two best teams in the American League and it looks
as though there is a well-established rivalry between them. This year’s ALCS
was an epic battle between two very closely matched teams. Small moves can make
a big difference and could easily shift the balance between these two teams. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On another
note, I was able to attend the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame dinner last Sunday
evening. It was a great event with a great induction class. The hall inducted
12 new members of VT sports royalty. That class included skiing gold-medalists
Barbra Cochran and Billy Kidd, basketball standout Keith Cieplicki, football
superstar Ollie Dunlap, Boston Bruins founder Charles Adams (who, believe it or
not, was actually a Vermonter), and many others. They also gave out a memorial
award in honor of their late board chair David K. Hakins. This first ever award
went to Ray Pecor, owner of the Vermont Lake Monsters. This year’s class is the
second to go into the Vermont Sports Hall. You can see the all the inductees at
this virtual hall at <a href="http://www.vermontsportshall.com/">www.VermontSportsHall.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 184.5pt; text-align: right; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Follow Jasper Goodman
on twitter:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>@Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-14454318337763214152013-11-27T07:28:00.004-08:002015-01-03T15:06:58.285-08:00Sox moving Forward<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The 2013
Boston Red Sox season was one for the ages. The Red Sox made one of the most
historical comebacks in their history: going from worst to first in the
American League East, and then going on to win the World Series.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>From day
one of spring training, the Red Sox recognized that they were terrible last
year and from then on called the 2013 season the “road to redemption.” I think
that spirit helped the team, sending out a positive vibe for this year but at
the same time, not trying to sugar coat how last year went.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Sox
took a chance bringing in a cast of characters that nobody thought would really
be able to do anything. In the end those guys, who fans were skeptical about;
Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, those were the guys who made the
clubhouse atmosphere positive, and in my mind, those were the guys who won them
the world series because of what they did on and off the field.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Red Sox free agent watch<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All of us
Red Sox fans want this World Series celebration to last a very long time, but
now that the season has cooled down, it’s time for the hot stove to heat up.
The Red Sox are now in a tough spot. They have a couple of free agents who a
lot of fans want back but it might not be the best move for the team to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jacoby Ellsbury:</b> Almost every
Red Sox fan wants to see Jacoby back in a Red Sox uniform for a long while, but
for the price that he is asking, I don’t see that happening. His agent is Scott
Boras. Boras is someone who won’t settle for less and with the postseason that
Ells just had, Boras is going to be laughing all the way to the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is looking at a likely $100 million
contract for Ellsbury. The Sox offered him $14.1 million contract as a
qualifying offer. For some fans it may seem like there’s not even any point in
taking the extra coin when he is already making an ungodly amount, and could
give a hometown discount and stay in Boston. For Ellsbury, it is all about the
money. He will take the most money that he can get and unlike second baseman
Dustin Pedroia, there won’t be a hometown discount.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mike Napoli:</b> I think that it is very
likely that you’ll see Mike Napoli back in a Red Sox uniform next year. Nap
loves Boston, has embraced the Boston strong spirit, and had strong numbers
this past year. I think that if the Sox can get him back at an affordable
price, which they most likely will be able to, he will be back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jarrod Saltalamacchia: </b>Salty appears to
be the most replaceable free agent that the Red Sox have to deal with this
offseason. The Sox need a short-term catcher, maybe three or four yeas, before
catching prospect Ryan Lavarnway can come up and be an everyday catcher at the
big-league level.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stephen Drew: </b>Drew is also a very
replaceable player but because of the Red Sox’s never-ending shortstop problem,
I think that they should keep Drew in Boston. Compared to some of the other
guys who we have seen come through Bean Town, Drew has been more-or-less
dependable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On another note, I had the chance to be down at World Series
parade. It was a great time. I was able to get into the park before the parade
to hear the Red Sox owners, players, front office members, media members, Mass.
Gov. Deval Patrick, Boston mayor Thomas Menino, and some others speak to the
fans. The fans were so happy to really start to see the tides change in the
Boston sports scene, watching the Red Sox win their third title in nine years.
Some might think that the parade wasn’t as special since it was the third time
that they’ve had one, but it was just the opposite. It may have been the best
time that I have had with the Red Sox this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1887601812600661785.post-28197100496423509842013-11-27T07:27:00.001-08:002015-01-03T15:07:07.681-08:00Sox in Series<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 283.5pt; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The 2013
Boston Red Sox have been described by many words: Resilient, relentless,
scrappy, the list can go on. But one thing that has jumped out to me throughout
this 2013 season is those who outfielder Johnny Gomes calls the 26<sup>th</sup>
man on their roster. The fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Especially
throughout the postseason, people who I never would’ve expected to be watching
the Red Sox have been glued to the games. This includes friends, family
members, teachers, and the millions of others who have gotten behind the Red
Sox this season.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Red Sox
haven’t always made it look pretty this season but they have found a way to get
it done nonetheless. This postseason and World Series have been one for the
ages. Maybe you’ve liked the crazy endings. Maybe it has put a little too much
pressure on your heart for games that are so late at night. Either way, it has
been one of the oddest and craziest World Series in my lifetime.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Outfielder
Jonny Gomes said in an ALDS press conference, “You play 162 games, a lot of
innings, a lot of pitches, a lot of runs. One thing you can guarantee in the
playoffs is that you are going to see something that you haven’t seen all
year.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That has
been an understatement. We’ve seen things this postseason that have never
happened before. A playoff game has never ended with a runner getting picked
off at first base, the way it did on Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A game has never ended on an obstruction call, with a runner being
awarded home the way it did on Saturday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And move over Babe (Ruth), the Red Sox have never
had a postseason starter as young as Xander Bogaerts, who is just 21 years old.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unlike the
NFL, which held its first official Super Bowl in 1967, baseball has had playoff
and World Series games since 1903.,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
first World Series, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coincidentally, was won
by the Boston Americans (now the Boston Red Sox). All those years of postseason
play means a lot of games to set records, and a lot of unusual plays. So to see
multiple record setting things in this World Series is really something
special.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THREE KEYS TO THE REST OF THE SERIES<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#1:</b> Managing:
John Farrell has been out-managed in this series. This is the first time that
he has had to put thought into managing against a National League team in the
postseason. Thankfully, the Red Sox won’t have any more games at Busch Stadium
where they can’t use David Ortiz as a designated hitter. But Farrell has to
start using the bunt more affectively, and maybe using the intentional walk
more too. The decision to leave pitcher Brandon Workman in to hit against Cardinals
closer Trevor Rosenthal in game 4 was a really bad one, and one that Farrell
would like to have back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#2:</b> Craig Breslow:
The Red Sox need relief pitcher Craig Breslow in the seventh inning. He was
perfect through the ALDS and the ALCS but has allowed three runs (two of them
earned) in the World Series prior to game five. If the Red Sox are going to
keep pointing to him out of the bullpen in the seventh inning, he needs to be
reliable. Breslow is a big fat question mark in my mind at this point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#3: </b>End of the
lineup: The bottom of the lineup has been dismal for the Red Sox so far this
World Series. It consists of Jonny Gomes/Daniel Nava, Jarrod
Saltalamacchia/David Ross, Stephen Drew, and Xander Bogaerts. I have wanted shortstop
Stephen Drew out of the lineup for a little while now but I can understand John
Farrell’s desire to keep him in. He is a wall for them at shortstop. Drew is
hitting .083 in the postseason and a devastatingly bad .085 in the Series.
Little Leaguers across the nation have had to cover their eyes trying to watch
Drew hit. He has been off balance at the plate, he has been finishing his swing
with only his top hand on the bat, and has contradicted many of the game’s
basic fundamentals with his at bats.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think
that the Red Sox will squeak out the win in the series. Game 6 of the 2013
World Series will be tomorrow night at Fenway Park in Boston.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Follow Jasper Goodman on Twitter:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">@Jasper_Goodman<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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