Opening Day 2011 posted by Greg Cunningham

Lou Gorman, General Manger of the Boston Red Sox from 1984 to 1993, was asked what he was going to do after negotiations with a player had just broken down.  He replied, “The sun will rise, the sun will set and I’ll have lunch.’’  Somehow, I can hear him saying the same line this week, after one of the worst opening weeks in Red Sox history.  Lou passed away last week, on the morning of the Sox season opener.  What a difference a week makes.  It was just one week ago Red Sox Nation was talking about 100 victories and the best team ever to take the field.  And today, just seven days later, we are looking at a team with a record well below the Mendoza line.

This, after so much optimism during the off-season.  As we watched with delight and glee, the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez, a name so often talked about in these parts, it seems he’s been part of the team for years .  And just when the celebration was winding down about Gonzalez, a late night deal put Carl Crawford in a Red Sox uniform.  Adding to the euphoria was Cliff Lee, sure to sign with the Yankees, until he chose to head to Philadelphia.  Get the duck boats ready!!  Everyone was excited and could not wait for April to arrive.

Just a week ago, all this optimism about the Olde Towne Team was enough to bring a smile to even the most pessimistic fan.  And somehow, now six games later, people are worried and scarred.  What if they don’t start hitting?  Maybe the pitching isn’t as good as we thought?  Could the word “Overrated” replace the famous “1918” chant that was finally put to rest seven years ago?    

Buyer or Seller? posted by David

With the Dog Days of August about to begin, now is the time for teams to decide whether they are buyers or sellers – that is, whether they should mortgage their future and go for it this year or trade away their veterans for up-and-coming prospects.  “Going for it” says to a team’s fans that the organization thinks it has a legitimate chance to win it all, but a more conservative approach can send just as strong a message.  While a middle-of-the-pack team may have to acknowledge that this isn’t the year, going out and building for the future – as long as it is not the distant future – can usually be taken to mean that the front office is willing to sacrifice an outside shot at the playoffs in order to increase its chances of winning in the long term.  Buyer or seller, every GM will be busy until tomorrow’s trade deadline.

How ‘bout that?

How about Buster Posey?  The 22-year-old rookie has been on fire since taking over as the Giants’ starting catcher when Bengie Molina was traded to the Rangers.  Though his 21-game hitting streak came to an end on Thursday, Posey has helped San Francisco go 17-8 in the month of July, in the process taking the lead in the Wild Card race.  It won’t be easy to edge Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg, but Posey has a legitimate chance to claim the National League Rookie of the Year award.

How about José Bautista?  Bautista leads the power-happy Blue Jays with 75 RBI and a .585 slugging percentage (teammate Vernon Wells, who is second, has driven in 55 and slugged .515), but more impressively, leads the majors in homers.  The journeyman played for Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh before finding a home in Toronto, and while he has always shown some pop, the Dominican native’s previous career highs were 16 homers (2006), 63 RBI (2007), and a .420 slugging percentage (2006).

Who's on first at the Midsummer Classic? posted by David

With All-Star rosters set to be announced this weekend, I’m hoping that fans made good decisions in for whom to cast their final ballots.  While voting began not long after spring training ended, the true All-Stars have revealed themselves over the entire first half of the season.

The race that I care most about is the one for American League first basemen, where the Royals’ Billy Butler deserves serious consideration but has tough competition.  There are three first basemen who have clearly earned a spot on the AL squad: Justin Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, and Kevin Youkilis.  Mark Teixeira (.232/.345/.408), however, belongs at home.  Butler (.322 batting average, .377 On-Base Percentage, 42 Runs Batted In) should be left off the roster only if Joe Girardi chooses to carry only three first basemen AND Kansas City is represented by outfielder David Dejesus (.331 average, .398 OBP, 35 RBIs).

How ‘bout that?

How about Josh Hamilton?  After hitting just .265 in April and .294 in May and combining for nine home runs and 27 RBIs in the first two months of the season, Hamilton caught fire in June.  His numbers for the month included a .454 average, nine homers, 31 Runs Batted In, and an absurd slugging percentage of .815 – not to mention the 23-game hitting streak he carried into July.  If he continues to hit this well, Hamilton has a real chance at winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

How about Adrian Beltre?  Coming off five disappointing years in Seattle, Beltre’s .349 batting average entering Friday was second in the majors only to Robinson Cano’s .353, and his 53 RBIs had him tied for seventh in the American League.  In 2009, Beltre drove in 44 runs ALL YEAR.  (He spent some time on the Disabled List but played in 111 of his team’s games.)  In roughly half a season (76 games) in 2010, he has 12 home run runs; last year he hit just eight.  Beltre’s signing is looking like the best of the offseason.

Nationals handle Strasburg’s schedule with brilliance posted by David

The hype over Washington Nationals’ phenom Stephen Strasburg has been followed by terrific pitching from the young right-hander, but the Nats’ front office also deserves a lot of credit.  In his first three starts, Strasburg has faced the Pirates, the Indians, and the White Sox, all of whom rank near the bottom offensively.  While I think Strasburg has a tremendous amount of talent and is going to be a great pitcher for quite some time, I’d like to see how he fares against the heavy-hitting lineups of the Yankees, Reds, and Red Sox.

How ‘bout that?

How about Mike Leake?  The Reds’ rookie pitcher finally took his first loss of the season this week, but still boasts a 3.02 ERA to go with his 5-1 record.  His most impressive stat, however, is that he has gone at least six innings in 12 of his 13 starts.  In addition to his contribution on the mound, Leake is hitting .385 – more than 100 points higher than the batting average of the hitters he has faced (.270).  Leake has been Cincinnati’s most consistent – and best – pitcher in 2010.

How about Carlos Peña?  After hitting just .120/.233./.250 with three home runs in the month of May, Peña homered in six straight games last week and is slugging .667 so far in June.  For a guy hitting just .197 on the season, Peña has been awfully productive.  The Rays’ first baseman leads his team in home runs (15), and his 46 RBIs are second only to Evan Longoria’s 51.

How about the Braves?  Atlanta won only nine of 23 games in April but is 31-14 since the beginning of May and leads the NL East by a half-game over the Mets, who have won eight in a row.  The Braves have been particularly strong at home, evidenced by a 22-7 record at Turner Field.

Junior hangs 'em up posted by David

Though it was overshadowed by Armando Galarraga’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on Wednesday, marking the end of a historic career.  Griffey’s various injuries over the last 10 years prevented him from breaking the all-time home run record, but The Kid will still go down as one of the very best of his era.  He was a 13-time All-Star (including 11 in a row) and totaled 2,781 career hits, 630 homers (good for 5th all-time) and 1836 Runs Batted In.  He won 7 Silver Sluggers and an MVP Award, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders; he won them in consecutive years.  Known for his sweet swing, tremendous defense in center field, and contagious smile, Griffey will take his place in Cooperstown before we know it.

How ‘bout that?

How about Justin Morneau?  The Twins’ first baseman is hitting .369 – over 100 points higher than he hit in 2009.  In addition to his improved batting average, Morneau’s slugging percentage of .674 is second in the majors to Miguel Cabrera’s .684.  Though his power numbers are better away from home (10 out of 12 home runs on the road), Morneau has fared well at Target Field, compiling a line of .378/.517/.567 in Minnesota’s brand-new open-air stadium.  Along with teammate Joe Mauer, Morneau is a major reason the Twins lead the AL Central by two and a half games over the Tigers.

How about Robinson Cano?  The Yankees’ second baseman is leading the big leagues with a .373 batting average, has 43 RBIs (third in the majors) and 30 extra-base hits (tied for fifth in the bigs), and is slugging an outstanding .632 (also third in MLB).  With Mark Teixeira struggling at the plate with a .220 batting average and A-Rod off to a slower start than usual, Cano has been the heart of the Yankee lineup, helping the Bronx Bombers lead the majors with a .288 average.  (The next-closest is Kansas City at .276.)

Real men don't need Brooms posted by Joe Franciosa, Jr.

Give the Magic credit, they didn't lay down, roll over, or get swept out of Boston.

 J.J. Redick redeemed himself in game 4. Without his three pointers the Magic never would have had a second chance in OT. Jameer Nelson also found his three-point stroke. Howard played to his strengths. He scores more points by being in position for offensive rebounds, and it seemed as though he was there to dunk with authority immediately after every missed shot. Just once I'd like to see Perkins gather a rebound and throw down with that type of authority.

 Now folks are going to be all over Pierce for losing his dribble in the final seconds of the game. Sadly, this is the problem with the Celtics team. If Pierce had been in the same position at the end of regulation I would have trusted him more to get to the basket or to draw a foul. In OT, I think Pierce's age and past injuries catch up with him, and he simply does not have the stamina to take on a team by himself. Ray Allen should have taken the final shot. Ah well.

 So now the series moves back to Orlando, and I'm willing to bet that Rondo is going to have a bounce-back game, and he will carry the team to the Finals. That is, assuming the SI cover curse doesn't smite him. Damn you SI!!!

 Red Sox! The Red Sox took two out of three from the Phillies (made Doc look like he was a Blue Jay again) and then Buckholz dominated the Rays last night at the Trop. It's a damn shame that the Rays are in 1st place in the most competitive division in the major leagues, and there are still more Sox fans at the field than Rays. For Shame Tampa Bay! For Shame for St. Pete!

Sox sweep Twins posted by Joe Franciosa, Jr.

Ok, so it was only a two game series. At this point in the season, the Sox's will take whatever sweeps they can.

 Lester was efficient. He threw just over 100 pitches by the 9th inning, and there was no sign that even that effort had taxed him. His fastball still registered at 96  in the 9th. Allowing just one earned run, Lester took it upon himself to ensure that the bullpen will now be very well rested for its trip to the National League.

 Beltre belted his third home run of the season. His throw on Pedroia's error could have been better, but I'm sure Pedroia will remind him of that himself.

 Youkilis had a 4 RBI night with a 3 run home run and an RBI double to drive in Martinez, who had a hot night himself.

 Lowell was sadly ineffective, but after riding the bench for so long, can you really blame him? It's a real tragedy that the 2007 World Series MVP no longer has a place on this team, but that does not give him the right to make distracting comments from that seat on the bench. I would pay the Sox 12 million to let me sit on the bench if I had it. Don't complain when they're still giving you the 12 million. I understand that players want to play, but why not make the most of your time on the bench? It's obvious that you're in the twilight of your career, even if you are released or traded. Why not use this time to become closer with the coaching staff? I would start looking ahead to your next career, and this would be an excellent opportunity to make the transition from player to player-coach. Continue to be a mentor for younger players, and stop complaining about your place on this team. Be grateful for having any place at all.

Celtics win close. Sox win closer. posted by Joe Franciosa, Jr.

I'll say it again. Since Easter and the very first game of the Sox season...when the Celtics win, the Sox win.

Now the Celtics game went down to the last seconds, so it was only fitting that Papelbon would then wait until 2 outs, a 3-2 count, and runners on Second and Third to finally get his first strike out of the 9th inning.

The Celtics made history by winning the first two games of a series on the road. It was also the first time the Magic had lost back to back games on their home court since the Finals last year. Paul Pierce came out with a purpose. Pierce fouled out in the 4th quarter and he still ended the game with 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists... the 20th time he's ended a game with more than 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his play-off career.

Meanwhile, Stan van Gundy admits in his post-game conference that there's no "magic" for coming back from 0-2. Pun intended? You make the call.

Howard played well in this game, but his elbow to Pierce's face was just wrong. Meanwhile, its becoming obvious that Hack-a-Shaq also works as Hack-a-Howard. Why are free-throws so hard when you're paid to play basketball?  And speaking of free-throws....

Vince Carter... Vince, I actually feel sorry for you. People thought you were a choke artist when you missed a game winning 3 with the Raptors in the play offs a few years ago. Now, you have a chance to bring your team within 1 in the final minute of a must-win game of the conference finals...and you missed BOTH free-throws. That's not exactly going to help your, err... legacy? Ah well.

Papelbon needs more coffee posted by Joe Franciosa, Jr.

I don't remember if it was Garciaparra or Boone who jinxed Pap with one of those, "A mistake over the plate could tie the game" comments, but as soon as they said it, I knew the next pitch was going out of the yard.

 Pap, you either need to do less commercials and work on restoring your arm strength... -94 mph fastballs just don't cut it against the Yankees- or you need to have that cannon from your commercial surgically attached permanently.

 Dice-man... your ERA is now above 7. Do you think you could maybe pitch past the first inning without giving up 4 or 5 runs? Starting you every fifth day is more of a gamble than Wake's knuckleball fluttering or not that day.

 I don't know what to say about this team right now. They've got heart. That's obvious. Just the same, they also find new ways to lose every day. When the pitching is good, the offense is attrocious. When the pitching is bad, and the offense picks up the slack, the bull pen goes and completely cuts the line. Every time we think the Sox have figured things out and are hitting their stride, they lose a game they should have won, and proceed to lose the next two or three as if for good measure. That's not good. That's horrible. That's ridiculous. I know its early, but by the end of May the Sox could be Double Digits out of the Wild Card, nevermind 1st place.

 The season is 1/4 the way over. Remember the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox mantra I kept repeating? Well now its Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays! Red Sox... I swear to the baseball gods that if the Orioles pass the Sox at any point this season, I will write hate mail to every Sox pitcher with an ERA above 5.00, and every batter with an average below .250

Farewell to a pair of the game's greats posted by David

The game of baseball lost two old-timers this week, as beloved Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away at the age of 92 and Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts died at 83.

Harwell is best known for his 42 years broadcasting Tiger games, but before his career in Detroit, Harwell made history.  For this, I turn to wikipedia: In 1948, Harwell became the only announcer in baseball history to be traded for a player when the Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, traded catcher Cliff Dapper to the Crackers in exchange for breaking Harwell's broadcasting contract.

In 1981, Harwell became the fifth broadcaster to receive the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Harwell was inducted into The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 1998, he was elected to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Radio Hall of Fame.  “The Voice of the Tigers” retired after the 2002 season.

Roberts spent the bulk of his career with the Phillies.  His best full season came in 1952, when he led the majors with 28 wins, 30 complete games, and 330 innings pitched, all of which would be considered absurd numbers in today’s game.  He won 20 games six years in a row, throwing 300 innings in each of those seasons as well.  Though he was a seven-time All-Star, Roberts never won a Cy Young Award, as the award was introduced in 1956, just after the peak of Roberts’s career.  He finished with 286 wins, 305 complete games, 2,357 strikeouts, and a 3.41 ERA.  Roberts also holds the record for surrendering the most home runs in major league history, with 505.  Jamie Moyer – still pitching (for the Phillies, no less) at age 47 – has allowed 498 and could pass Roberts some time this season.

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