Good starts in new homes

Interesting note after the big Manny-to-LA trade of last week: Every single offensive player involved has homered with their new clubs.

Jason Bay is off to an auspicious start, with a line of .364/.533/.818, and 2 runs in each of his three games played.

Manny has been even hotter, batting .615 with 2 homers and multiple hits in every game.

And then there are Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss, who have stepped up from their Triple A roles with the Dodgers and Red Sox respectively to be directly injected into teh 5th and 6th spots of the Pirates offense. Together, they've combined for a .375 OBP, .526 SLG and 2 HR.

High fives all around.

Twins Taste the Japenese Sushi (Live Blogging the Monday Night National Game)

Live Blogging the nationally televised game.

Live Blog- Phillies vs Bosox June 16

Or can the phillies score 20 on colon, and how funny will his swings be?

7:46- philles up 3-0 with rollins and shane on base in the 2nd, on pace for 20 runs so far

N.E. Sports Weekend Report

For days and days, well, six days actually, I envisioned myself writing about how incredible a sports weekend this was:  the Celtics remained undefeated at 9-0, as did the Patriots, and New England nation added a second championship on the year, as the Revolution finally captured the MLS cup.  Oh, and BC rolled into the ACC title game.  Unfortunately, these New England teams were a mere .500 on the weekend (wait, didn't the Bruins play?).  Still, I would have to give the weekend an A- for Boston sports.

Let's start with the Patriots.  Was anyone surprised that the Pats absolutely destroyed the Bills (again) last night?  Probably not many, if any.  I, for one, was surprised by two things.  First, the way the Patriots are playing does not surprise me: they are a stacked team, clearly the best in the NFL, quite possibly the most dominant team ever assembled in the history of the league.  What continues to amaze me, however, is the mere level of perfection the Pats play at.  What happens on Buffalo's first drive of the game?  A Gay interception (don't laugh...nothing is funny here) sets up Brady deep in Bills territory, which basically automatically translates into a touchdown, as long as the Pats have the ball past their own 40-yard line (seriously).  What do the Pats do on their first 7 offensive possessions?  That's right - march down the field essentially uncontested and score 7  touchdowns.  Amazingly, the Patriots were 8/11 on 3rd down conversion.  Also, they were 2/2 on 4th down.  Which leads me to my second "surprise."  For the first time this season, I finally thought Coach Bill would elect to kick a field goal instead of going for, as Bill Simmons would say, the "Eff You" TD.  How wrong I was.  Facing 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 10, I thought to myself, "Well, surely THIS time they will just kick the field goal."  After all, the score at this point was 42-10 late in the 3rd quarter.  To my utter disbelief, Brady stayed on the field and promptly completed a 3-yard pass to Moss for the first down.  The first play of the 4th quarter was, of course, the Patriots' seventh offensive TD.  Seriously?!  A 32-point lead apparently was not enough for the Pats, and they cashed in yet again, to the horror of the Buffalo crowd in the stands.  So they were 8/11 on 3rd and 2/2 on 4th - which means 2 of the 3 times they failed to convert on 3rd down, they simply converted on the next play.  And THAT means there was only 1 offensive possession, basically one play the entire game, that failed to produce a first down on a drive.  Incredible.

- Patriots Grade:  A+

I was really hoping the Celtics would beat Orlando just so that I could claim two Boston teams were 9-0 at the same time (the Pats would be in progress at the end of the Celtics game).  Unfortunately, that was not to be.  The C's finally faced a worthy opponent Sunday night, and it showed, as Boston struggled to get points on the board or find any offensive (or defensive) rhythm in the first half.  Remarkably, Boston trailed by 17 at the half, and STILL managed to storm all the way back to take a brief 1 point lead late in the 4th quarter.  If Tony Allen makes that uncontested driving layup in the final minute, the Celtics may well have won that game. Even as it was, the C's were in a position to win, but Pierce could not convert his 3 as time expired (still not really sure why he took that shot - there were still about 5 seconds on the clock, and he's so good at driving to the basket).  Still, 8-1 is not a bad start, and when your one loss is by 2 points to a formidable team after you've trailed by 20, it's hard to be too upset.

- Celtics Grade:  B+

I'm not going to pretend I watched the entire Revolution game on Sunday.  I actually watched maybe about 30 seconds of it as I lay bleary-eyed in bed.  Besides, the game started at noon, an ungodly hour to be awake for any college student on a Sunday, especially when the Patriots don't play for another 8 hours.  In any case, we are blessed by having ABC in awful black and white, fuzzy reception, so I could barely watch and keep my sanity even if I wanted to.  The Revs lost 2-1, but led 1-0 early.  I'm not too big on US soccer, but it is a shame that New England couldn't hold the lead, especially since they are now 0 for 4 in title games in the last several years.  Disappointing is probably the most fitting word, given the strong season they did have, and the potential for another championship landing in the region.

- Revolution Grade:  B-

I'm also not going to pretend I watched the entire BC Eagles game, although I did catch the last few minutes.  That final TD score, however, was simply sweet.  BC needed this win badly to redeem themselves for 2 straight losses.  It looked dicey towards the end, but Matt Ryan's Brady-like drive set up the winning score.  BC, now 9-2, jumped a few spots in the BCS rankings.

- Boston College Grade:  A

I realize I can't really leave without acknowledging that this is only my second post - and first since I praised Manny Ramirez for his game-winning bomb at Fenway in the ALDS.  I think I was just worried about jinxing the Sox if I wrote anything before the World Series was over.  Look for some winter baseball coverage in the next few weeks (I can't possibly jinx the offseason, can I?  It's not like Mike Lowell's going to end up as a Yankee....right?  Right.  Since writing this he has since agreed to a 3-year contract to return to the Red Sox).  I'll probably get to some Bonds bashing and A-Rod smashing, depending on the way the wind blows, if I can.  Until next time....

Red Sox Sweep

Photo by Flickr user sam.kronick used under a Creative Commons license.

Party like its 2004, 1918, 1916, 1915, 1912, or 1903.

World Series Primer

Since it's the only real reliable way of doing things, we're going to make a prediction for the World Series based on a position by position comparison of the two teams.

C: Jason Varitek vs. Yorvit Torrealba
Young Yorvit has been red hot as of late, while J V-tek's offensive prowess is dwindling. But a good catcher is more than just a good hitter (ask the Indians), he needs to know and love his pitchers, he needs to study the batters. I'm pretty sure every manager in the league, at this point in their respective careers, would take the Captain under the gun.
Advantage: RED SOX(1-0)

1B: Kevin Youkilis vs. Todd Helton
Youuuuk is a fan favorite (especially here at the Deis, for fairly obvious reasons) and scorched through the ALCS, .500 with 9 Runs, 3 HR, and 5 RBIs. Helton, on the other hand, did not have a great NLCS, but otherwise is busy reliving the days when he was a perennial MVP candidate. The stats say I should give this to Youk, while history says I should give it to Helton.
Advantage: PUSH (1-0)

2B: Dustin Pedroia vs. Kaz Matsui
These two players are so similar, it might be my hardest match-up of all. Pedroia is a light-hitting Rookie of the Year front runner who packs a big heart into his tiny 5-9, 180 lb frame. Matsui on the other hand, is a lighter-hitting speedster out of Japan who makes the most out of his 5-10, 185 lbs of pure drive. Both are above average (to say the least) defensively. Looking at playoff stats so far, Pedroia (.286, 10 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI) and Matsui (.310, 4 R, 1 HR, 8 RBI) are basally a wash. Overall, it's too close to call.
Advantage: PUSH (1-0)

SS: Julio Lugo vs. Troy Tulowitzki
I don't think anyone would debate the fact that Julio Lugo has been one of (more on this later) the biggest disappointments for the Red Sox this year. He is a blackhole on offense and is prone to defensive miscues as well. Tulowitzki is the winner of the NL not-Braun Rookie of the Year easily (Hunter Pence?) and a spark of energy for the Rockies. No contest here.
Advantage: ROCKIES (1-1)

3B: Mike Lowell vs. Garrett Atkins
After a slow start, Dr. Atkins pulled together a fine season, hitting .301 with 25 HR and 111 RBI. He has been a non-factor in the playoffs this year, but is a constant threat for an outburst. However, Mike Lowell, not David Ortiz, not Manny Ramirez, was the Red Sox clubhouse leader in RBIs and probably was the best third baseman this side of Alex Rodriguez in the American League, something that can't be said of Atkins (because he plays in the NL, for one).
Advantage: RED SOX (2-1)

LF: Manny Ramirez vs. Matt Holliday
Manny is on the tail-end (maybe not quite yet) of an illustrious career, but overall had a lackluster season this year. Coupled with his propensity for mental errors and also for just not caring, this is a hard match-up for Manny to win. Also, I don't know if I'd take anyone over Matt Holliday right now.
Advantage: ROCKIES (2-2)

CF: Crisp/Ellsbury vs. Willy Taveras
Ellsbury is clearly the center fielder of the future for the Red Sox and will probably will start against the Rockies. These three players combined are probably the fastest trio on the two teams. As much as I love Ellsbury, he is a rookie though, and given a wash in the stats, I'll take the veteran (Taveras is 26, does that count?).
Advantage: ROCKIES (3-2)

RF: JD Drew vs. Brad Hawpe
JD Drew has been on fire since winning back his starting spot, including a grand slam on Saturday. On the other hand, he was hardly worth his massive contract this year, batting .270 with 11 HRs overall. Brad Hawpe had an overall average season for him (which is pretty good for most people) and has had a decent postseason. If JD Drew continues his hot hitting, this might approach push territory, but that is a big if.
BIG Advantage: ROCKIES (4-2)

DH: David Ortiz vs. I don't really know
Um...
BIG Advantage: RED SOX (3-4)

Starting Pitchers:
Josh Beckett is a lock for the AL Cy, while Curt Schilling has a great postseason track record. Dice-K has proven to be serviceable if not quite decent. The Rockies throw out a trio of Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jiminez, and Josh Fogg, eliciting a collective response of "Who?" (alright the three all have at least SOME name recognition, but not as much as the triad from Boston). The Rockies did beat both Beckett and Schilling in Fenway this year, but overall I don't think it's much of a contest.
Advantage: RED SOX (4-4)

Relief Corps:
Going into September, I thought the Red Sox probably had the best group of relievers in the MLB. Papelbon was lights out, Oki was equally so, we had just acquired another shutdown guy in Gagne, and had Timlin, Vasquez, and Delcarmen to shore it up. Add Lester and Tavarez into the mix and you get more go-to guys than you can fit in a bullpen. Now I'm more than not-so sure. Colorado's guys, as usual, are much less flashy, but at least as effective. Brian Fuentes has bounced all the way back from his horrendous week in midseason and Manny Corpas has established himself as something more than "The guy with a funny profile picture on Yahoo!" On the other hand, Colorado's relievers have had a great postseason, but this is still Papelbon and Okajima we are talking about.
Advantage: PUSH (4-4)

At the end of the day, we have a tie. Meaning that, I really don't know who's going to win the World Series. I hope you enjoyed that (I didn't plan it).

Trite but true

With all 3 major sports teams rolling, it is a great time to be a sports fan in Boston.

As we all know by know, The Bosox completed the 1-3 comeback against the Indians last night by hammering their two aces, Sabathia and Carmona, and winning the 3 final games by a combined score of 30-5. Going into the postseason, the common sentiment was that the four AL teams (Boston, Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles) were all better than the four NL teams (Colorado, Arizona, Chicago, Philadelphia), but that was before the Rockies added 7 straight wins to their tear. Also, the Rockies took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox and were 5-1 in interleague play in general (they also swept the Yanks in a 3 game set). They have a good chance to keep things going if the Sox take them too lightly.

The Patriots are busy destroying all of their opponents while Tom Brady is putting an end to the debate about who is the best QB in the league. Yesterday they led Miami 42-7 (!!) at the half before changing the guard and putting in Matt Cassel. They put Brady back in in the 4th quarter (seemingly just to run up the score, some might beg to differ) and he responded by promptly throwing another touchdown, giving him a personal record of 6, in barely over alf f a game. His record for touchdowns in a single season is 28. He stands at 27 right now (through 7 games).

And we all know how good the Celtics are.

...And the Revolution have clinched home field in the playoffs? Great...

Manny is Back and God is Smiling

Are you kidding me, Manny?

Throughout much of Game 2, I told my cousin over and over, "This game feels so weird.  Lots of weird stuff has happened."  "You're right," he said.  "Or maybe it has to do with us not being sober."  For me, it was difficult to tell for a while as a strange, back and forth, seemingly endless 4+ hour game wore on.  Youkilis made both some fantastic and frustrating plays.  Dice-K looked great at times then shaky when his defense couldn't come up with outs.  Manny was being Manny all night in left.  And despite a hitless effort, the bullpen seemed to always be about to give up runs before nailing down the final out of each inning.  But it was earlier in the game, in the 7th, when good old Cousin Sam gave me some inspiration.  "I've got a good feeling about this game.  I'm gettin' good vibes."  I wasn't completely convinced, but I went with it.  And boy, did those vibes turn out to be good.  Or was I on E when Manny drilled, no, crushed, or better yet, OBLITERATED that K-rod offering somewhere into the Boston night.

Having said that, I would like to finally (yes, FINALLY, and I do sincerely apologize) introduce myself as Stro, who from now on will hopefully be a more reliable weekend editor.  Conveniently, it is now a weekend, and I am just a few hours fresh off what has to be about the most rewarding feeling from watching a baseball game of this nature that I can ever remember.  For the past two weeks I had been planning various columns about how dominating the Pats have been, and how lucky we are to be watching this team, but after a baseball game like tonight, not to even mention Game 1, I have no choice but to write about my true team - the Boston Red Sox - and their beautiful finish in Game 2.

And what a game it was.

From the start I tried to get a feel for how this game would progress.  About midway through the second inning I realized that would prove to be just about impossible.  The quick Sox lead, the quicker Angels comeback, the painful-to-watch play(s) by Manny in left when it appeared he just could not believe his hat was on the grass in front of him before jogging back to retrieve the baseball.  Then Dice-K settles down while the Sox  hitters go cold, and all of a sudden a near-spectacular grab by Youk and a "tsk tsk shake your head" at Dice-K has the Angels  threatening.  But really - can you blame the guy for not covering first?  The ball is smashed off the bat, then Dice-K looks over to see Youk sprawling out and almost nabbing it.  I can understand why Dice-K wasn't sprinting towards first in that situation.

Even though the bullpen pitched a brilliant 4 1/3 innings without giving up a hit, it somehow felt like the Angels were about to make something happen every inning.  I found myself just praying we'd get out of each inning so that somebody could step up in the bottom half for the Sox.  It almost felt like the Sox never even tied up the game.  There were enough bad turns and unlucky wind  currents to make one think this just might never straighten out into a Sox win. But my cousin's words held true.

I predicted Lugo would lead off the 9th inning with a walk.  When he lined the first pitch off of K-Rod into left, I was OK with it.  Suddenly every Sox fan thought the same thing:  "Could this be the start of some wild thriller of an ending?"  Pedroia moving Lugo to second was exciting as well - now just a base hit would do it.  But Youk looked bad striking out for the second time in the game, and now everyone knew a solid hit would need to bring home the run.  I don't think anyone could have expected the "solid hit" that was soon to follow.

Of course Ortiz was walked intentionally.  This move is about as obvious as it can get in managing a baseball game.  It's just unfortunate for the pitching team that a decent hitter named Manny Ramirez is lurking on deck.  But you take your chances and go with the righty-righty matchup every time.  And Manny was more than happy to stand and deliver.

As Manny entered the box I turned to my cousin and said, "Can't you envision the headlines tomorrow: 'Despite a couple of shaky plays in left, Manny proves why he's one of the greatest hitters of all time'."  I won't go as far as to say  I called it.  I certainly didn't.  And I know that I'm not alone when millions of Sox fans were surely thinking the same thing.  Just not quite like this.

Pitch 1:  Ball.

Pitch 2:  Gone.

Not just gone.  WAY gone.  Like "oh my sweet lord what in god's name did I just see happen" gone.  Like "jump out of your seat and scream and don't stop smiling for 15 minutes" gone.  I think I can honestly say that I was more happy with this home run than I was when Foulke and the Red Sox closed out Game 4 in the '04 World Series.  Strange, I know.  But I think it had to do with the way Manny stood there, hands raised, admiring all 1,692 feet of that ball he hammered.  (It had to be at least that many feet).  Or maybe it was just how swiftly that bat came down and attacked that ball, putting a stunning and jaw-dropping ending on a 4-hour marathon of a game.

The only game I can say I was more happy to see won was Mueller's walk-off homer against Rivera on July 24, 2004.  A game I was lucky enough to attend (kudos to a certain Sam Shaughnessy).  Of course, you can point to any game in the '04 Yankees ALCS.  And sweeping a World Series is nice, too.  Besides - that history is way in the past now.  And it's been a whole three years since the Sox won it all.  But seriously.  This game, like Beckett's gem in Game 1, will go down in EVERY Sox fan's memory for a very, very long time.  This game is tell-your-grandchildren-about material at the very least.

It's hard to get much happier after a night like this.  But perhaps Loren will get an extra kick out of finally seeing me post something here.  Hopefully this is the start of many more posts to come (seriously folks, I'll do my best).  And hopefully this Game 2 was the continuation of many more Red Sox post-season victories to come.  Let's just see how many more awesome ways they can find to win.

Saturday is a good day to call yourself a Red Sox fan.

Stompage

Sadly, it's not that a new video of the Oakland A's Elephant has arisen.

This past weekend (Friday included), our very own Boston Red Sox laid the smackdown (two words?) on the hapless Chicago White Sox. The BoSox swept the four-game series, scoring double digit runs in every contest (11-3, 10-1, 14-2, 11-1). ESPN tells me that it's the first time that has happened in a heckuva long time (Not really, St. Louis Browns in 1920 and 1922, Colorado Rockies in 1996.) After this series, the Red Sox are once again looking like the team to beat in the AL (Some people claim that they never lost that title). The White Sox, on the other hand... do not as they now have the second worst record in the majors, better only than the Devil Rays.

On a completely unrelated note, Team USA basketball cruised to an easy 113-76 victory over Brazil tonight. Prior to the tournament, many experts were pegging Brazil, complete with NBA'ers Nene and Leandrhino Barbosa as well as highly touted Spurs draftee Tiago Splitter on the roster, as the one team that could give Team USA a run for their money. Well, that's the end of that school of thought.

Team USA made it out of pool play with a 4-0 record with wins over Venezuela, the US Virgin Islands, Canada, and the aforementioned Brazil. Not only that, they did it in convincing fashion, winning by an average margin of 48.5 points. It looks like this team wants to put aside the disappointing showings in Athens and Japan and turn over a new leaf. I hope this continues, as these games are pretty entertaining, if nothing else.