MNF: Philadelphia vs. New Orleans

I need to live blog a game this week anyway, so I'll be blogging tonight's MNF match up between the Eagles and Saints.

8:22- Eight minutes to kick-off for Monday Night Football, with the Eagles and Saints both in a must-win situation.

8:28- The presidential candidates are being interviewed at halftime? Football really is America's sport.

8:31- Clearly Brees has been a better quarterback than Vick all year, but, unfortunately for the Saints, the Eagles have the edge in every other position.

8:33- Yes, Eagles are in a much better position than the Saints in their division, but the Saints are in the same division as the 8-0 Falcons...

8:40- No chance for Boykin to show off so far. I'm still unsure whether they should be using him or Jackson.

8:42- That 18-yard catch for Jackson said more about the New Orleans defense than it did about the Eagles offense. That defense looks awful.

8:46- Just like with every game this season, Vick is going to have to throw more quickly. Way too much pressure always on him, even with a bad defense like New Orleans.

8:49- BIG 14-yd pick up to Avant to convert that third down. More blitz pressure made Vick throw quick.

8:50- This challenge looks like it will go in the Saints favor. Big break for them in what looked like a 3rd down conversion.

8:52- Lucky for Avant, he may have used the ground as a third hand here. New Orleans gets the short stick for now.

8:54- McCoy NEEDS a big run. Needs to break out of his funk.

8:56- The Eagles' offensive line caused that fumble, not Vick. 

8:57- The Eagles were in field goal position a play ago. Now, they're punting.

9:03- Trent Cole's failed blitz leads to a 38-yard catch after the Saints seemed headed for a 3-and-out.

9:06- Hartley misses the 52-yard attempt. He made a 53-yard field goal earlier this season, but couldn't pull this one out. Tough break for the Saints.

9:09- Brown is now the Eagles the most productive back (of the game) following that 40-yard run.

9:10- If this interception gets overturned, the Eagles are incredibly lucky.

9:11- Touchdown for the Saints from that. The Eagles Achilles' Heal HAS been these turnovers. Vick threw the interception, made the foul that resulted in the touchdown.

9:19- Bryce Brown may get more looks than McCoy if he keeps this up.
9:25- HUGE run by McCoy at 4th and 1. He avoids seemingly all of the Saints defense, and even almost scores. Maybe that was what he needed.
9:27- Henery's 22-yard field goal attempt is good. 7-3 Saints.
9:34- 23-yard run for Mark Ingram. Eagles defense isn't looking good.
9:35- After another first down, this is looking like the Super Bowl offense the Saints had in the past.
9:35- And just like that, Ivory gets the Saints a touchdown. 14-3 Saints.
9:42- Vick runs for his own first down. Given a lack of pressure, he SHOULD do that.
9:42- Another first with Clay Harbor. Gotta keep it moving quickly if they want to be successful.
9:49- The Eagles are going to need to get into the end zone if they want to win this game. Clearly, the Saints offense is still firing, even if their defense isn't. But, the Saints defense is looking much better than expected, keeping the Eagles to just a field goal so far.
9:51- The Saints have done fine without Darren Sproles, as Ivory and Ingram and more than aptly filling in.
9:53- That's at least the second time Asomugha has failed to tackle Ivory. He's just too big for him. Over-matched.
9:54- Two-straight first downs pushes the Saints back into the red zone just in time for the Two minute warning. The Eagles need to hold them to a field goal if they don't want to let this game slip away from them.
9:57- Pierre Thomas to the 1. Eagles run defense has been awful. They need luck here.
9:58- Brees to Colston for the touchdown. Brees has now thrown touchdowns in 51 straight games. Unbelievable. 21-3. Chances are that Reid speaks with the defense at halftime.
10:03- A three-and-out for the Eagles. This team is not looking good. They need a huge second half.
10:06- Eagles make the stop for what seems like the first time all game. 11 seconds left in the half.
10:07- Eagles run it to end the half. 21-3 Saints.
10:14- Mitt Romney just took credit for the Patriots Super Bowl victories and the Red Sox World Series.
10:23- Nate Allen is missed as his replacement allows the Saints to convert with a pass to Graham.
10:25- Holding call saves the Eagles from another red zone danger.
10:28- Brees to Colston on a 3rd-and-6 puts the Saints back in the red zone. Eagles have not adjusted at all.
10:29- Brandon Graham strips the ball from Brees, Eagles end up with it.
10:32- 77-yard catch for DeSean Jackson for the score. This may have been just what the Eagles needed. 21-10 Saints.
10:37- On the kick return, Saints fumble, Eagles recover.
10:37- Vick runs for the first down, into the red zone. This game has been going the Eagles way the last 13-14 seconds.
10:38- Vick gets sacked yet again, with a loss of 11. The offensive line still doesn't have it together.
10:39- 37-yard field goal is good. 21-13 Saints. If only the Eagles can force more fumbles that result in scoring plays, they may get right back into this game. Being only a touchdown down is much more comfortable, but their defensive and offensive lines still need a lot of work.
10:45- David Sims makes a good play, on the other side of the line, taking down Ivory for a loss.
10:45- Brees converts again, this time to Lance Moore, in a pass that should have been intercepted, but Asomugha didn't get in the way.
10:47- Ingram is catching balls now, too. He's been a dynamic weapon against the Eagles today, as the Saints are knocking on the door again.
10:52- Touchdown to Jimmy Graham. 28-13 Saints. Single coverage was not enough to stop him.
10:56- Illegal forward pass on the return for a touchdown prevents the Eagles from scoring.
11:00- Pass to Maclin just short of the 30 for a fresh set of downs. End of the third quarter.
11:05- Vick sacked for the fifth time. Something needs to be done about this. Five sacks from this bad Saints defense is unacceptable. Eagles are forced to punt.
11:11- Brees is sacked by Babin, but the fumbled ball is bounced forward and Thomas falls on it. Saints still have to kick, though. Eagles start at the 26.
11:16- Jason Avant continues to be a nice option for Vick, who gives the Eagles a first down.
11:20- Into the red zone, the Eagles need to avoid the pressure of the blitz, and score seven here, or this game is over, with only five minutes left.
11:22- Crucial 3rd-and-five turns into a first-and-goal with a pass to Celek.
11:25- Two five yard penalties in a row against the Eagles push them back to 2nd-and-fifteen, which is promptly followed by a sack. 3rd-and-twenty-two now. They need a big one.
11:26- 15 yard pass to Celek, which he fumbles. This is messy. Eagles are done.
11:32- A three-and-out leads to the two minute warning. Even if the Eagles score quickly on this drive, they'd be forced to try something risky like an on-sides kick if they want to push this game to overtime.
11:36- The Eagles have quickly made their way down field, but their ability to even score here comes into question.
11:38- Clay Harbor drops a wide open pass, a fitting metaphor for this game.
11:38- 4th-and-ten with 14 seconds left. Vick pass incomplete. Eagles lose, 28-13. Saints' and Eagles' records both stand at 3-5 now.

Off Season Outlook: David Ortiz

The Boston Red Sox off season promises to be the most active one in years. The organization has a lot of work to do (and I mean A LOT), starting with their expiring contracts of David Ortiz and Cody Ross. Most significantly is Ortiz, who the Red Sox hope to lock up before their sole negotiating rights with him expire on Saturday, November 3.

David Ortiz is the face of the franchise. Without David Ortiz, there is no 2004 World Series Championship. 2007, too. Ortiz went into the last off season without a contract, too. He wanted a two-year deal, but the Red Sox were hesitant due to age (he was 36 at the time.) They signed him to just a one-year deal. Ortiz was not happy with the length, so he had a chip on his shoulder. A year later, Ortiz has proven to still be Big Papi, and although he missed a good portion of the season due to injury, Ortiz was one of, if not THE, most productive Red Sox in 2012. For that reason, the Red Sox MUST sign him.

There's also the issue of the Texas Rangers, who outed themselves as suitors for Ortiz on November 2. The Red Sox CANNOT allow Ortiz to end up in Texas. Texas is arguably the best team in the American League over the last three years, and David Ortiz would make them monstrous. That adds to why the Red Sox NEED to re-sign Ortiz.

Who hits for power if the Red Sox fail to sign Ortiz? The argument can be made for Cody Ross, Will Middlebrooks, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but no one is expecting any of them to hit 30 home runs. Heck, they could all struggle to hit 20. For years after Manny Ramirez's departure, Ortiz pleaded for another big bopper for the middle of the order. They had that in Adrian Gonzalez, but he's gone now. To lose Ortiz would make them pretty much without a power bat. And face it, the Red Sox are NOT going to get Josh Hamilton.

Guess what? Thanks to that enormous trade in August, the Red Sox have A LOT of salary space. What do they do with it, you ask? Well, they need pitching. Maybe acquiring Dan Haren is a good idea. Zach Greinke is always an option, too. But beyond that, they absolutely MUST re-sign David Ortiz. So, Ben Cherington, give Ortiz what he wants. Give him two years. Heck, give him a third year option. Give him the $14 million a year he wants. Give him $16. Do what it takes. Get him back. Do it. Do it now.

State of Red Sox Nation

Yes, here I am, commiserating the woe that is being a Red Sox fan. I hope you enjoy this, because you definitely can't enjoy the state of the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox are in trouble. No, this isn't news. They've been trouble since August 2011. The trouble with the Boston Red Sox is that they aren't going to win.

The Red Sox may have freed up upwards of $250 million in contract space by unloading the bad contracts of Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they aren't going to do anything big with that space. The loss of those enormous contracts wasn't just losing contracts or players, it was also losing a philosophy, a way of doing business. The Red Sox will not be offering huge contracts to keep stars in Boston for a decade any time soon. So you can forget about them signing Josh Hamilton to an eight year deal this off season. Not that he'd come to Boston, anyway.

This change in business model is not sustainable. Baseball is a business. The best players want to security of long-term contracts. If the Red Sox don't offer those types of deals, they won't get the best players. It's elementary, really. Sure, the Red Sox will be able to good players in their model of smaller deals, but not great players. Cody Ross seems poised to return, and he has done well in Boston. But is he a bona fide star? No.

Will the Red Sox make the playoffs in the next decade? Maybe. Every team has the ability to make the playoffs. Look at the Oakland Athletics. Or the Baltimore Orioles. Will the A's and O's make the playoffs regularly? Probably not. The Red Sox remain in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, one that features the New York Yankees, a team never afraid to dump buckets of money on stars.

Do the Red Sox have a core of up-and-coming prospects who could turn out to be great, and become bona fide stars? Perhaps. But it would be silly to have lofty expectations like that. In fact, if the Orioles can keep even being just a .500 team, the Red Sox could become perennial fourth place finishers, at least for a few more years.

Saying the Red Sox are in the rebuilding stage is putting it lightly. In the last 13 months, the team has been about as gutted as a baseball organization can be that is not the Florida Marlins following a World Series victory. A new General Manager, three different managers (one not chosen yet), and the dumping of two major contracts that were signed just before the 2011 season. There is no reason for optimism.

The Red Sox need to make a lot of changes this off season. They need a manager who commands respect, is effective and will be around for a while. They need a clearly defined left fielder. They need a first baseman who can hit. They need starting pitching. They need to decide whether they're okay with a soft-hitting shortstop who is a defensive wizard, because, face it, Jose Iglesias is never going to hit well. Plug him in or move on. They also need to decide whether to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury, or trade him for some quality pitching.

The Red Sox have made two good moves since the season ended: Firing Bobby Valentine, and bringing Jason Varitek back into the organization. These are good steps, but those were obvious ones. Brad Pitt would have made those decisions, even when not playing Billy Beane. Ben Cherington, it's time for you to make your impact.

The return to being a successful baseball team will take weeks, months, years. Fans may not see a World Series before 2020. Fans may never see another Boston Red Sox victory parade. The days of pain and suffering spouting from failures and shortcomings that defined Red Sox fans for 86 years are back.

MLB Regular Season Wrap-Up

It's over, it's done. We don't need to go through any (unscheduled) 1-game playoffs. The playoffs can begin. Now, all that's left is my season wrap-up. I will go through each major league team and briefly asses what their season was like, and what they need to do. Then, I will make my picks for the post-season awards (MVP, Cy Young, etc.). I will ignore making playoff picks, because that's a waste of time.

AL EAST

New York Yankees- 1st place. They're the Yankees. They're where they always are. No surprises here.

Baltimore Orioles- Wild Card. The Fightin' Showalters showed what they are made of this season, and a big props to them. It's a bunch of misfits that somehow came together and had a great season. Could they be like the 2004 Red Sox and somehow win it all? Probably not, which is sad because they will never do this well again. Not any time soon, at least.

Tampa Bay Rays- The Rays almost made the playoffs. And then they didn't. I have a feeling this will be a regular thing for them for the next few years. But, having a healthy Evan Longoria may be the one thing they need to get them back to the playoffs. That and David Price having Cy Young-worthy stats.

Toronto Blue Jays- If someone told you in April that the Blue Jays would finish in fourth, you would not expect it to be ahead of the Red Sox. But they were. Unfortunately for them, they're heading towards another Shea Hillenbrand "sinking ship," (see: malcontent Yunel Escobar). However, they DO have Jose Bautista, who is coming off his worst season since becoming a starter. Yes, he still hit almost 30 homers while spending 1/3 of the year on the DL, but that's not the point...And having Edwin Encarnacion fill in for him seemed to have worked out okay...

Boston Red Sox- I've been writing about them all year, so it's kind of unnecessary. As the Cubs/Mets always say, "Next year's gottta be better, right?" Right...?

AL CENTRAL

Detroit Tigers- 1st place. It's the Miguel Cabrera show in the Detroit, where the first-baseman-playing-third overcame adversity to become the first Triple Crown winner since Yaz in 1967. Good luck to them in the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox- Very impressive showing from a team that was expected to be blown away by the Tigers. Expect good things from them, as long as Dunn and Konerko don't retire and Chris Sale remains an absolute stud starter.

Kansas City Royals- Ask Keegan or my brother, as they both should be able to attest to the fact that I predicted they would finish in third. And finish in third they did. Props, youngins', keep up the good work. See you in the playoffs soon.

Cleveland Indians- It should be interesting to see who they pick at manager. Could very much determine the future of their organization.

Minnesota Twins- I miss the days when I could read a Sports Illustrated article about Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau living together. Those were the days...

AL WEST

Oakland Athletics- First place. Holy crap, these guys finished in first? And here we all were thinking the Angels and Rangers would be fighting for first. I think Jonah Hill summed it up best, "If the A's win it all this year, me and Pitt better get rings."

Texas Rangers- Wild Card. The Rangers, arguably the best team in baseball the last three years, and arguably the biggest chokers since the 2004 Yankees, may have just lost their post-season. By losing out on the division, they are forced into a 1-game playoff. Sure, it's against the O's, but the O's are good. Plus, beating them only pits them against the Yankees. It's an uphill battle. Plus, they will have to consider re-signing Josh Hamilton when the season is all over.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- Albert Pujols should have been enough. CJ Wilson should have been frosting. Mike Trout was the best story in baseball this year. Yet, they still didn't make the playoffs. Watch out, though...

Seattle Mariners- Hey M's fans, cheer up! You get to fight with the Astros next year, so you may not finish last!

NL EAST

Washington Nationals- First place. Finally, the Nats made the playoffs. They were the best team in baseball. It only took being the worst team in baseball for 22 years, changing cities, and five extra years of being almost the worst team, but you finally made. Now, if only you'd managed Strasburg better (started his season later, more time between starts, 6 man rotation, etc.) you would automatically be looking at a World Series trophy. Now, you'll have to fight for it.

Atlanta Braves- Wild Card. Congrats on having a great pitching staff. Your offense needs to come up big in the playoffs if you want to go anywhere, though. This is a team to watch in the future.

Philadelphia Phillies- The rebuilding process has begun. It'll be interesting to see how Amaro does it.

New York Mets- You didn't finish last. And Jose Reyes did. Happy?

Miami Marlins- Jeffrey Loria needs to sell this team. He is ruining everything. At the very least, get rid of Ozzie. That was a terrible idea.

NL CENTRAL

Cincinnati Reds- First place. Well done, Dusty. I like your team a lot, but I really don't see you getting any better than this. At least not without Billy Hamilton. About that...

St. Louis Cardinals- Wild Card. Thank you, Mike Matheny, for proving that a few-year-removed catcher with no managerial experience can be a good manager. Signed, Jason Varitek. Also, good luck trying to repeat without The Machine.

Milwaukee Brewers- The Brewers come out of every season being okay. It made sense while Prince was there. But now? Ryan Braun's steroids can't be that good...

Pittsburgh Pirates- Remember when the Pirates were in first place and had the likely NL MVP? That was a month ago. Now they only have one of those. Send help.

Chicago Cubs- This rebuilding might take a while...

Houston Astros- Remind me again why moving the worst team in the lesser league to the stronger league, and one of the strongest divisions, is a good idea, please.

NL WEST

San Francisco Giants- First place. The Giants very quietly put together a very nice season. They have some pretty good potential, especially with hitting-his-prime Buster Posey, who really is the next Joe Mauer.

Los Angeles Dodgers- Congrats on taking on $270 million worth of bad contracts in order to make the playoffs! Oh wait...Maybe next year. And Colletti says you're spending more money? Let's see if you can make the Yankees model work.

Arizona Diamondbacks- I really like this team. But I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because they may give the Red Sox Justin Upton...and I like their colors. And stadium.

San Diego Padres- They need to bring those walls in more! And wait a few years for Casey Kelly to develop. And Alonso. Then, they'll challenge.

Colorado Rockies- Unless they do something drastic, this team will be in the same spot next year.

AND NOW, FOR THE AWARDS!

American League

MVP: Mike Trout. Yes, yes, I know, Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown. Yes, I know, it has not been won since Yaz in 1967. Yes, I know, that was a very long time ago. But guess what? This award isn't called the Triple Crown. Miguel Cabrera won that. This is the MVP. Completely different. I am a firm believer that the three categories that are part of the Triple Crown are not at all indicative of value. Yes, they are impressive, and I am in complete awe that in my lifetime someone has led the league in these three distinct categories. BUT, in the land of baseball, there are always new stats. An important in determining a players value, ie. in a most valuable player award, would be WAR, Wins Above Replacement. This metric measures how many more wins this player have given their team, while compared to someone of average skill at their position. In this stat, Mike Trout leads all of baseball. His WAR is an absurd 10.7. The next closest is a full three wins less, held by the Yankees Robinson Cano (who will probably finish third in MVP voting) at 7.6. A lot of people argue for Cabrera, whose WAR is 6.9, which is only .3 games better than Adrian Beltre, who also plays third and will garner some MVP votes. Sure, Miggy got the Triple Crown. But did he run away with it? No. But Trout ran away with the statistic most relevant to the MVP award.

Cy Young: Jered Weaver. 20 wins (1st), .214 opponents' BA (1st), 1.02 WHIP (1st), 2.81 ERA (3rd). My vote is for him, but I would not be surprised to see it go to Justin Verlander. David Price will finish third.

Rookie of the Year: Did I not also mention that Trout is a rookie. Yeah, that happened. He won this award in July.

National League

MVP: Since the three top candidates (Braun, McCutchen and Posey) are so close in WAR (between 7.0-7.2), you need to dig deeper here. Posey's BA is 9 points higher than McCutchen's, and 17 higher than Brauns. But Braun annihilates the two above him in home runs, RBI, slugging and OPS. He also stole 10 more bases than McCutchen. I give the MVP to Braun (again), although the other two do make strong cases. And if you buy into the "can't be MVP if his team doesn't make the playoffs" nonsense, it obviously goes to Posey. We'll see.

Cy Young: RA Dickey. This is not up for discussion. He was an absolute animal. And he's a knuckleballer, which makes it all the more impressive. 

Rookie of the Year: Wilin Rosario. Out there in Denver, this rookie catcher quietly put up some great numbers. .270 BA, 28 home runs, and 71 RBI. Sure, take your Bryce Harpers and your Todd Frazier's, but this guys got my vote.

Sports: My next six months

This will be an odd post. I will just be talking in the simplest terms about where my sport allegiances will be in the next six months. If you don't care about my fandom, this is probably not a post for you. Next week I will have a post responding to an issue in one of these sports.

ALSO: check out my latest blog post on the Orange field hockey team, who are now NUMBER ONE in the nation.

So, the baseball season is basically over. At least the regular season. And sure, as a Red Sox fan, the season has been over for over a month. But, I am more of a baseball fan than I am a Red Sox fan, so I have kept watching, kept paying attention.

Yes, I will absolutely be watching the MLB Playoffs. Yes, I will get highly invested in the World Series hopes of one team (Tigers). But what I do about a team that I actually care about?

My second favorite Major 4 sport is the NHL. Unfortunately, they are currently in a lockout, and hopes are not high for there to be any season this year. That leaves the NBA for regular games.

I am a Boston Celtics fan. I am very excited about this years Celtics team, which is the best team since they won the NBA Finals in 2008. Jeff Green is back, Avery Bradley is going to be a monster (whenever he gets back), and their draft picks were phenomenal:

-Jared Sullinger's not-elite last season allowed him to fall all the way to the Celtics, which is phenomenal. Sullinger has the talent and ability to successful in the NBA. He may not be a star this season, but he will be in years to come, and will at least be a solid role player this year.

-The Boston Orange...I mean Celtics, also drafted two Syracuse Orange. No, they didn't get Dion Waiters, who was the highest draft pick to come from 'Cuse since some guy named Carmelo, but they DID get Kris Joseph and a 7-footer in Fab Melo. Joseph does not project to be much more than a role player at any point in his career, but I think he will surprise people, and possibly win a starting spot a few years down the line, a la Hakim Warrick.

Fab Melo, who cost the Orange a legitimate chance at a second NCAA Championship due to ambiguous off-court problems (I'm under the impression he stopped going to class), has no school obligations in the NBA. He will follow the Andrew Bynum route and not be particularly productive for a few years, but could be one of the best defensive centers in the game in just a few years. Also, if he and Rajon Rondo develop some good chemistry, the Celtics will have a scary inside presence.

All that said, I hate the NBA. It is the most obviously rigged major sport, and it is disgustingly frustrating to watch sometimes. It also usually is not necessary to watch the first half of a game. Unless it's a blow out, it's usually pretty close until the second half.

I like the NFL. The real refs are back, which is good, but football is, at most, only three days a week. I need more than that to get my sports fix! That being said, GO EAGLES!

My love for college basketball will never be higher. Going to Syracuse, I now get the chance to root, in person, for my all-time favorite basketball team, and be surrounded by like-minded fans. I plan on going to the Dome at least a few times, and I can't wait to even just watch the game in bars with other fans. GO ORANGE!

Quick hits: The State of the Red Sox, NewsHouse links

First off, I'd like to alert your attention to thenewshouse.com, a student publication I am now a member of at The Newhouse School. I have written an article and two blogs for them in the past week. The first is on Rolling Stone political journalist Matt Taibbi's lecture at the Maxwell School on September 12. Additionally, I have secured the field hockey beat, which is exciting because the Orange are currently ranked #2 nationally, and have actually beaten the #1 team (UNC). Links are below.

http://www.thenewshouse.com/story/rolling-stone-reporter-weighs-politics
http://www.thenewshouse.com/blog/orange-field-hockey-remains-unbeaten
http://www.thenewshouse.com/blog/orange-roll-over-kent-state

Now, for the State of the Red Sox. When I last spoke on the Red Sox, I spoke about how Bobby Valentine is almost definitely done in Boston. Or, at least, he should be. A controvery this past weekend proved this.

In Jon Lester's start on Sunday, in a 0-0 tie with Pedro Ciriaco having just stolen second, and shortstop-of-the-future Jose Iglesias at-bat with a 2-2 count, Bobby V used his genius to pinch hit for the soft-hitting Iglesias. Why would he pinch hit, in the middle of an at-bat, no less? His reasoning: He was trying to get a run for Lester, who had been "busting his butt out there."

Sure, Iglesias is hitting just .069. Sure, Daniel Nava is a much more proven MLB hitter than Iglesias. Sure, it'd be nice if Nava could drive a run across for Lester. But guess what else? The Red Sox are done. (They were officially eliminated following Sunday's loss). Bobby, are you aware what September is for for teams with no playoff chances? IT'S TO GET THE YOUNG PROSPECTS AS MUCH MLB EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE!

Jose Iglesias is a bad hitter, that much is true. But how do you expect him to gain any confidence if you embarrass him by REMOVING HIM FOR A PINCH HITTER IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS AT-BAT?!? How noble of you, Bobby, for trying to get a run for Jonny Lester! But, in the long run, don't you realize that the run is inconsequential compared to a young players future. Lester is a vet, he'll get over it. Iglesias? We'll have to wait to see. Daniel Nava grounded out, and ended the inning, so it was failed move, anyway, but that's neither here nor there.

See you on ESPN, Bobby.

2012 NFL Preview

With the first game of the season in the books, and the first weekend of games upon us, it is time for my predictions for the year. I will break down each division, first based on standings, and then on each team's season outlook. I will ignore records, because- honestly- what's the point?

AFC

East
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins

Not much changes here from last year. The Bills and Dolphins are pretty interchangeable in their ability to get completely over-matched most of the time. In all likelihood, the Patriots will run away with the division, once again, and will have one of the best records in the league. They are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Jets? Not so much. The Jets will vie for a playoff spot, but I'm not so sure they get it. Their future will very much be determined by how they play in the last weeks of the season.

North
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns

The Ravens are quickly becoming THE AFC North team. The Pittsburgh Steelers are falling apart with age, and they really are a shallow offense team. Hines Ward's retirement makes Mike Wallace the Steelers' main receiving threat, and teams with good corners will easily limit his action. The Ravens can only get better, and the rapport between Andy Dalton and AJ Green and Jermaine Gresham will be stronger. The addition of The Lawfirm (BenJarvis Green-Ellis) won't hurt, either. The Browns will be better than last year, thanks to Trent Richardson, but, they're still the Browns, and they're still in the North, which produced both Wild Card teams last season.

South
Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars

After the Texans, this is one of the weakest divisions in the league. The Colts were terrible last year without a legitimate QB, and with Andrew Luck they will definitely improve. But, that doesn't make them better than anyone except the Jaguars, whose only real addition is Justin Blackmon, another TO-type, but without as much talent. The Titans will remain middle of the road, occasionally challenging legitimate playoff teams.

West
Denver Broncos
San Diego Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders

The West will once again be the tightest division in the AFC. Once again, the Broncos will come out on top. The Chargers are better than they seem, especially with the addition of Robert Meacham. If Ryan Matthews stays healthy, they could legitimately contend for the playoffs. I expect them to get a Wild Card spot. The return Dwayne Bowe and the addition of Patrick Hillis improves their offense, but they're still not a playoff team. Maybe next year. Oakland? Carson Palmer may be the best QB they've had in a decade, but they're still a few pieces away from being a playoff team.

NFC

East
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Redskins

The Dream Team comes together as a team this year, and the Eagles walk away with the division. They improved their defense and offensive line, and seem to have all the right pieces in place. If Michael Vick stays healthy, Philly is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The defending champs, the Giants, won't struggle, but they didn't dominate until the last few weeks last year. They will still make the playoffs, but don't expect a repeat. The Cowboys DID improve their secondary, a crucial move for this division, but they still lack the most important piece; a QB who works well under pressure. The Redskins drafted RGIII, and got Pierre Garcon, but they still need help on offense. Good thing RGIII can run, because they're going to need him to.

North
Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings

Not much needs to be said here. The lack of Jahvid Best may hurt the Lions in the long-run, but they're in the   playoffs based on everybody else. This young team is only getting better; expect them to challenge for the division as soon as 2013. The Bears and Vikings will remain mostly irrelevant.

South
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The sanctions against the Saints will hurt. Jonathan Vilma was a big part of their illegal bounty program that made up their defense, so his loss will be major. The departure's of Pierre Garcon and Robert Meacham lower Brees number of previously used receivers, but, being Drew Brees, he will find new ones. The Falcons will take this opporunity to win the division, although the Saints will still make the playoffs. The Panthers didn't get better enough to make the playoffs, but they may challenge for a Wild Card by 2013. The Bucs are still a few years ago.

West
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
St. Louis Rams

There is no real description necessary for this division. The 49ers aren't Super Bowl contenders, but they're much better than every other team in the division. The Seahawks are on their way to being a playoff
challenge, but this year they won't make it.

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round
Broncos over Bengals
Ravens over Chargers

Divisional Round
Patriots over Broncos
Texans over Ravens

AFC Championship
Patriots over Ravens


NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round
Giants over 49ers
Falcons over Saints

Divisional Round
Eagles over Falcons
Packers over Giants

NFC Championship
Eagles over Packers


Super Bowl
Eagles over Patriots 27-24
 

The 2013 Manager of the Boston Red Sox

2012 has been an absolute disaster for the Red Sox. Following the dramatic collapse in September 2011, nothing has really gone well for the Red Sox, minus the Cody Ross signing. As is usual with good teams that fail, a lot of talk has been made about the coaching, specifically manager Bobby Valentine.

Bobby Valentine is a great manager, and I was pumped when the Red Sox decided to name him their manager last winter. He has gotten a lot of flack throughout the season, which hasn't necessarily been unwarranted. In April, he completely mismanaged the starting rotation, time and time again bringing pitchers back out for another inning, only to implode because they should have been done for the day. His excuse? He wanted the pitchers to know they could trust him, by showing he had trust in them. Not a bad argument, considering his situation as a new manager for the organization. But, facts are facts, and it was- more times than not- the wrong decision.

I work under the assertion that there is very little the manager can be held accountable for. There's the aforementioned removal of starting pitchers, the management of the bullpen (which the manager has the help of the pitching coaches for), and bringing in people off the bench. They also have the responsibility to fight for their team, and get ejected, which Bobby V did his fair share of. I in no way believe that it is Bobby Valentine's fault that the Red Sox suck. That being said, he should be let go.

Bobby V is a great baseball man. He's got great commentary, is a good manager, and is a scholar of the game, all of which make him a great man for baseball. But, he is not the right man for the Boston Red Sox organization, right now. The Sox are in the process of an organizational overhaul, evidenced by the mega-deal that gave them more than a quarter billion of cap space. There is a new direction that Red Sox are headed. This is a gradual process, and it will take a couple years before it all comes to fruition. Bobby Valentine never was the long-term solution at the helm, and he knew that coming in; everyone did.

Everyone in Red Sox Nation knows that plan all along was to make John Farrell manager. He was the best pitching coach the team ever had, and he was expected to take over once Tito retired. Of course, Farrell left the Sox to become the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, much to the Red Sox chagrin. This offseason, the Red Sox tried to lure Farrell back to Boston, but Toronto did not allow it, due to his contract. So, Bobby V was signed to a Farrell-friendly contract that would expire at the same time as Farrell's in Toronto.

Yes, Farrell is still one year away from joining the Red Sox staff, should that happen. So, what do they do in the meantime? They bring in a stopgap, of course! And who is that stopgap, in my opinion? Why, he's a man that knows the organization well, would perform well, and could ably manage for a while, should Farrell not come back. This man is named Brad Mills, and he is currently unemployed.

Mills was Terry Francona's bench coach until 2009, when he became the manager of the Houston Astros. I was happy for Mills to get the chance to manage, but sad that it would be for the terrible Astros. I knew it would only be a matter of time until he was fired, because that's what you do in baseball when you're a mid-level team that continues to not win. Mills was fired August 18. It wasn't his fault that the Astros were terrible, and it is not indicative of his managing ability.

If not Mills, who else would the Red Sox choose, should they let Bobby V go? Sure, they could go the rout that the White Sox and Cardinals went, and signed a former star player who is a few years removed from their playing days and bring back a Bill Mueller or a Trot Nixon. Some people are clamoring to make Jason Varitek the manager, as he clearly has major league coaching in his future. My take? Yeah, bring back Tek; but not as manager.

Jason Varitek wasn't a good catcher his last 2-3 years with the Red Sox. But they kept him around because of ability to put the pitchers at ease, make them comfortable. He was a great pitchers' catcher. That's why he should be the new pitching coach. Yes, I know, Jason Varitek is not a pitcher, but I don't think that matters. Tek understands pitchers, and knows when things aren't going right, and why. He could be bad, sure, but what's the harm in trying? Plus, there's no way the pitchers will perform as badly as they have this season. It's worth a shot.

So, Brad Mills at the helm, Jason Varitek at pitching coach. Heck, even make Tek bench coach. Bringing back Mills and Varitek would be great for organizational morale, if nothing else.

The biggest trade in the history of the world...or whatever

It's the talk of the sports world, and the culmination of 14 months of rough-going for the Boston Red Sox organization. The Red Sox have traded Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers for James Loney and prospects Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan De Jesus, and Jerry Sands.

When I first heard about this, my heart sank. This was the worst trade the Red Sox had made since trading Nomar Garciaparra in 2004. And this would not result in a World Series victory. The way I saw it originally, getting rid of Beckett was a great idea, and losing Crawford's gigantic contract (which has hardly worked out) was a good move. But Adrian Gonzalez? I couldn't understand that. I found myself asking whether giving up your best player was necessary to dump salary.

After thinking about it some, and looking into the deal, I am much more okay with it. I definitely do not love the trade, but it has the potential to be a great deal in the future. Here's why:

In addition to the enormous amount of salary coming off the books- freeing up space to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury long-term- the Red Sox receive a package of some highly touted prospects.

Let's take a look at each of them.

Allen Webster: Webster is a 22-year-old righty currently in Double-A. Prior to the 2012 season he was rated the #95 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America and named the Dodgers' #3 prospect by MLB.com. Primarily used as starting pitcher, Webster has a 6-8 record in 22 starts, with an ERA of 3.55 and 117 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings. He is still a few years away from contributing at a major league level, but when he does, he should be great. Webster was a piece of a proposed trade that would have brought Ryan Dempster to LA at the trade deadline, but Ned Colletti and co. balked at that idea.

Ivan De Jesus: De Jesus is a 25-year-old utility player, who has seen time at second base, third base, shortstop and has even seen time in the corner outfield positions this season. He has been called up to the majors in each of the last two seasons. De Jesus has no power whatsoever and average speed, at best. He does have a average, though, with a career .297 batting average in eight minor league seasons. He will most likely serve as organizational depth, for now.

Jerry Sands: Sands is a big (6'4", 225) 24-year-old 1B/3B/outfielder. He has big power and average speed. He has 24 homers and 101 RBI through 109 games at Triple-A Albuquerque this year and has 35 and 29 home runs over the past two seasons. Sands has been called a "Jason Bay Lite" type of player, and has the potential to fight for the starting first base spot in 2013. He as a .290 minor league career average and figures to play for Boston as soon as this season. Look for Sands to make an impact very soon.

Rubby De La Rosa: De La Rosa is 23-year-old righty. He is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but was seen hitting 95 on the radar gun as recently as last week. He has been known to throw over 100, but is still young. He was rated the #90 prospect pre-2011 by Baseball America. He is technically in Triple-A, but has never played a game above Double-A. If all goes according to plan, De La Rosa will compete for a spot in the rotation in 2013, but that is being optimistic. He has the stuff to be a legitimate fireballer. The question is when he will "arrive."

 The prospects Boston receives are definitely a good group to acquire, but are they worth the price? For the Dodgers, this trade was all about getting Gonzalez. For Boston, they were only able to dump Crawford and Beckett's bad contracts/attitudes by including Gonzalez. Gonzalez, arguably, also had a bad contract, and Boston may have realized the error of their (Theo's) ways. Those big contracts were bad for business and this trade cleans the books. Will Jerry Sands be as good as Adrian Gonzalez? Probably not, but the payroll reduction ($260 million) is a huge relief for the Red Sox, who now have the space to make moves. The Red Sox weren't winning after two seasons with Crawford and Gonzalez's contracts, so I understand the logic behind the deal. Beckett was a huge problem in the clubhouse and everyone can agree that he had to go. Would I have made this deal, were I Ben Cherington? No. But, it is most likely a step in the right direction given the turmoil in Boston over the past year. Bobby Valentine himself admitted that something needed to be done, and I agree with him (for a change). If this trade could have been made without Adrian Gonzalez, this would be a phenomenal trade. With him? The jury is out, at least until these prospects come up. Think of it this way: the Red Sox never had Adrian Gonzalez, and just traded Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo for four prospects who are probably better than either of them, as a whole.

I'm no longer on the verge of tears for losing Gonzalez, but he will be missed.

I give this trade, at this current juncture, a C. That may change for the positive or negative, neither which will be apparent until next season. Time will tell, as they say.

The Red Sox also got rid of Nick "Shredder" Punto, which saves the Red Sox money in the uniform department.

Quick post: Why last night's victory is great news

For those of you who didn't catch light nights exciting Sunday Night Baseball game between the Red Sox and the Yankees, you only missed the turn around in the Red Sox season. No big deal.

To begin with, taking two out of three games from the New York Yankees IN New York is a big deal on it's own. As is getting back to .500. As is doing it in extra innings. All of those compounded are a pretty big deal. Paired with the events of the exciting 10th inning, this victory will change the face of the Red Sox for the remainder of the season. Here's the run down:

Will Middlebrooks up to bat, one on. He shows bunt, but pulls back when realizes its coming inside. It hits him on the wrist and hits the ump. Both fall to the ground in pain. Does Middlebrooks get first base? Nope! Umps assert it hit the bat for strike two. Bobby V comes out to argue, and it's quite easy to see the ejection coming. But, being Bobby V and the Red Sox manager, he's got to get his money's worth. He starts back to the dugout still infuriated, sees Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett - among others - also enraged, shouting at the umps. Bobby V goes back for one more spat and then retires into the dugout, but not before throwing his gum at the dugout wall. He stays to give one last sign while Beckett continues his tirade and gets himself ejected, too.

Middlebrooks eventually got to first on a single, and Pedro Ciriaco hit the game-winning bloop single moments later. Very exciting!

Why does this matter? Managers getting ejected always fires up their team, and this is the perfect time to light a fire under the Red Sox, especially after some questionable comments from Orel Hershiser that were quickly repudiated. (Hershiser claimed Andrew Miller was non-chalant, jovial, and uninterested after leaving after putting the would-be go-ahead run on base. Miller told reporters that teammates were keeping things cool for him so he didn't get too upset with himself)

With Beckett, this is great for many reasons: 1. Any time a player gets ejected for arguing for a teammate they gain a lot of points. 2. Beckett has been under attack for not caring and having no intensity since Chicken & Beergate. This showed his fire that made him such a good pitcher. 3. With recent trade rumors - which Ben Cherington has said are false - it shows that Beckett wants to be there, or at least does care about being in Boston and his teammates.

The Red Sox needed something dramatic to keep their momentum moving forward. Reaching .500 again, winning against the Yankees, in extra innings, at Yankee Stadium, where your manager and embattled pitcher get ejected has got to be the perfect storm. It's up and up for the Red Sox now.

Zack Greinke trade reaction

This week, the inevitable happened. Zack Greinke was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for three prospects. This trade has been probably the biggest trade of the Trade Deadline 2012, beating out the Hanleywood deal. Greinke was the best pitcher on the market after Cole Hamels signed his humongous-big extension with the Phillies. (Ilya Bryzgalov reference there, for those not in the know) This is a seemingly huge move for the Angels, who are widely seen as a World Series contender, especially following this trade. However, this post will show how this may be a disaster in the waiting.

Zach Greinke has been a top pitcher for years. A former #1 draft pick in 2002, Donald Zachary Greinke (That's right, his name is Donald) was the lone bright spot on Kansas City's pitching staff for years. He's been the Brewers ace since they acquired him in late 2010. He's now headed to LA for some prospects. He will fail.

Greinke has had anxiety issues in the past. He has social anxiety disorder (SAD), and it has hurt him in the past. He took the 2006 season mostly off when the depression got bad and he alienated himself from the rest of the Royals clubhouse. This was following his sophomore campaign, where he lost 17 games. In 2007, Greinke eased back into a starting role, but spent the majority of the season in relief. Historically, Greinke has not performed well while being scrutinized or under pressure, a product of his anxiety. Kansas City is a small market, with about as little scrutiny as a player can get outside of Florida. Milwaukee is a larger market, but not by much. LA is a much, much larger market (one of the largest, actually) and the fans expect nothing less than success. They also spent their off-season throwing money at Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson, with the intention of being a perennial World Series contender. While it is not completely clear, it seems like Art Moreno and the Angels organization will try to sign Greinke to a long term extension, and make him part of their future.

Realistically, the Angels will make the playoffs. Sure, they may not win their division, but they will definitely take one of the wild card spots, barring unforeseen circumstances. That will mean Greinke will have to pitch in the playoffs. The playoffs are high pressure and therefore not Greinke's cup of tea. In Greinke's first foray into October baseball last season the pressure, yet again, beat him.

His first outing was not terrible, but it was not good. In five innings, Greinke was scorched by three home runs and eight hits for four earned runs. He also struck out seven. No thanks to Greinke, the Brewers went on to win the game 9-4.

The Brewers made it to the NLCS after a five game NLDS, leaving Greinke slated to start Game 1 against the Cardinals, the eventual World Series champions. Greinke did not fare much better than in his first playoff appearance. In six innings he gave up another eight hits, walked two and gave up SIX runs. He struck out six. That was enough to earn him the win, somehow.

In Game 5, Greinke had an odd game. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up five runs, two of which were earned. Seemingly, he had not pitched as badly as before. Yet, he kept up his average of giving up five runs per playoff start, even if only two were earned from his pitching, and not errors. He did not give up any home runs, but also didn't strike out anyone.

What does that suggest? It suggests that Greinke still does not deal well with pressure. Playoff pressure was the most pressure he's ever had, and that will only be compounded by pitching in LA. The intent in acquiring Greinke was for him to improve their team, but I'm unsure if that will happen.

Not only has Greinke been traded, which is stressful, but it is mid-season. He doesn't have time to adjust, like he did when he was traded during the winter two years ago. Greinke may need some time to adjust to a new, well, everything. It may take him the rest of the season. He could not pitch well again this year (he's only had one quality start since June 28) and may become a liability. I'm not saying this will definitely happen, but it is a legitimate possibility. Is he an improvement over Ervin Santana and Garrett Richards? On any normal day, yes. But, the argument I'm making is that there may not be another normal day this season for the temperamental Greinke.

While we're at it, let's take a look at Greinke's stats. He is having a pretty good season, posting a 3.44 ERA, the second lowest it has been in his career, the first being the ridiculous 2.16 Cy Young Award-winning 2009 season. Greinke averages a 3.79 ERA, which is nothing special. He is on pace for another 200 strikeout season. Bottom line is, if Greinke keeps up pitching the way he has this season (minus July) this will have been a great deal for the Angels, who will probably win the World Series, as long as Greinke doesn't bring them down with his inability to pitch in the playoffs. But, my assertion is that it is not as simple as that, and Greinke may struggle. Only time will tell.

Syracuse Chiefs vs. Norfolk Tides, July 20, 2012

Last night, July 20, the Newhouse School offered free tickets to the Syracuse Chiefs' game. The Chiefs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Of course, as an avid baseball fan I jumped at the opportunity, and decided to use the game as this week's blog post. If you follow me on Twitter (@markcvolain) you would also have noticed me live tweeting the game.

The original plan was to come home after the game and write the blog post that night, like a real game story, but this little move called The Dark Knight Rises got in the way of that. So, for your enjoyment, here is the game story for last night's Chiefs-Norfolk Tides game. I promise you, this is one of the most exciting games I have even blogged about.

The game was pitched by two guys people may actually know: Lefty Zach Duke took the mound for the Chiefs, a team that for some reason is represented by a train, while lefty Brian Matusz, of Baltimore Orioles fame, was on the Tide's bump.

Duke did not begin the game well, giving up a lead off single to LJ Hoes, who would advance to second on a fielder's choice. Hoes was then driven in by former Minnesota Twin Lew Ford, who hit a deep fly ball to center field for a ground rule double. Two batters later, Ford was driven in by former Pittsburgh Pirate Ronny Paulino. After half an inning, I'd learned that the Tides were made up of a lot of guys who had been in the majors. They led 2-0.

The next inning went six up, six down, and the inning following that was uneventful, at best. After two and half, the Tides still led 2-0.

Former Cubs backup catcher Koyie Hill led off the bottom of the third with a line drive sharply down the right field line. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. Josh Johnson (not the Marlins pitcher) then drove him in with an RBI double down the left field line. 2-1 Tides.

Corey Brown the undoubted 1st half MVP for the Chiefs (.301/21/58/13SB) singles Johnson in, and steals second before getting stranded. After 3, it's 2-2.

The Chiefs turned a nice double play to end the Tides' half of the fourth before coming up for some more runs.

Hill hit his first double of the season (at this level) to drive in former Marlin Brett Carroll, followed by Eury Perez's first Triple-A hit and RBI, as he was called up from Harrisburg prior to the game. 4-2 Cheifs after 4.

In the Tides' half of the fifth, the only excitement came from Zelous Wheeler (who is up for the Best Name in Sports Award) reached first when Zach Duke did not catch the flip from first baseman Carlos Rivero. Lucky for Duke, nothing came of it, and he escaped the inning.

Brown singles to lead off the Chiefs' fifth, and scored on a Jesus Valdez double. Valdez would later score after a fielder's choice sent him to third and Rivero hit a sac fly. After 5, 6-2 Chiefs.

The most exciting inning of the game had arrived. With one out in the top of the sixth, Ronny Paulino singled, setting up former Red Sox farmhand Luis Exposito to hit 2-run homer to deep center. 6-4 Chiefs. Jamie Hoffman hit a triple that Duke left right over the plate, but Duke was able to escape without giving up any more runs.

Let me preface the bottom of the sixth with a few notes: Carol M. Baldwin, the mother of the Baldwin Brother's, lives in the Syracuse area. Semi-regularly her sons are in the area for charity events and the like. Carol has a cancer foundation, and July 20th's game was a night where she hosted a fundraiser at the New Alliance Bank Stadium. There was word that Billy was in the building.

The bottom of the sixth began, and it became clear to me and my fellow Newhouser's that Billy Baldwin was in the aisle behind home plate, taking pictures with people. Sure enough, there he was, wearing a pink and black Chiefs uniform (the team wore them for the charity event), taking pictures with a few people. So, my friend Kristina and I got up, and went over to where Billy was, in an attempt to get a picture with him.

With one out, we had reached the level Billy was on when the fans got noisy. Luis Exposito and catcher Koyie Hill had begun fighting, with no obvious reason apparent to me or Kristina, who were focused on getting to Billy. In the end, Hill ended up wrestling Exposito to the ground, and then began pulling at his legs. Not sure why. Here is a picture of the cleared benches, reminiscent of Halloween.

Hill and Exposito were both ejected, and replaced with new catchers.

With the excitement of the skirmish over, it was Billy Baldwin time. Just before the fight, Billy rushed off down the first base line, but was expected back, as his handler was still over where we were. When Billy got back, I immediately approached him and asked for a picture. "Real quick, I gotta go," he responded. So, I met Billy Baldwin! 

So, after an exciting 6th inning, the Chiefs led 6-4.

After all the excitement, nothing really happened until the 8th, when Hassan Pena loaded the bases. Relieved by Christian Garcia, the Chiefs walked in a run, making it a one run game. Fortunately for the Chiefs, that would be the last run the Tides scored, and the Chiefs won, holding off a late Tides' rally to win 6-5!

Zach Duke earned his team leading 11th win, and Garcia earned his 4th save of the year. 

The Chiefs take on the Tides again tonight, with Mitch Atkins squaring off against Jake Arrieta, who was on my fantasy team fro 2 days earlier this season. 

The 2nd Half- The Boston Red Sox

Anxiety and giving up are hugely popular with fans of the Boston Red Sox lately, and for good reason. The pitching has been terrible, and the offense has been sub-par, at best. However, things are not as bad as they seem. Much like I did after last season's horrific end, I will explain why it is that Red Sox fans should be more like Obama in 2008 and have hope. Scratch that; they should be like Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan and Keep the Faith.

The Pitching
Well, well, the Red Sox, once again, have pitching problems. No doubt about it.
The "Ace," Jon Lester, has an ERA of about 4.50, a number expected for a #4 or 5 pitcher for a team like the Kansas City Royals, not a team that has one of the highest payrolls in baseball. 
Josh Beckett has been fighting and angry with the media since last September, and has not pitched particularly consistently.
Clay Buchholz started off the year like a train-wreck, got hurt, and came back as the lone bright spot in the rotation. Then he got hurt again.
Felix Doubront has been pretty good, but not great. Definitely not someone that could shoulder leading a pitching staff.
Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's been Dice-K. What more needs to be said?
Daniel Bard was a bona fide disaster and sits in Pawtucket trying to learn to be a reliever again. Don't expect to see him back up this year, and if he is, don't expect great things.

This all sounds pretty bleak, right? Right. BUT (this is a big 'but,' if you couldn't tell from the capitals and boldness) the rotation cannot continue to be this bad. They just can't. It would be a statistical anomaly for three very good pitchers (Buchholz, Beckett and Lester) to all, on the same, be bad for a whole year after being good for years. Buchholz was a fringe Cy Young candidate on the other side of last year, which he lost to injury. Beckett is tempermental and getting older, but he can still get the job done. Or at least should be getting the job done. For Lester, it is pretty inexplicable. He is the most likely to return to form. Watch out for a great second half from the Ford Truck Man.

It is not clear where he will be on Friday, but Franklin Morales has proven to be huge asset for the staff. His spot starts have been nothing short of impressive. Keeping him the starting rotation is a definite option, and not one that people would complain about.

Bottom line: The rotation can only get better.

The bullpen, aside from the first week or two of the season, has been one of the best in baseball. Alfredo Aceves has proven- as he always does- that he can pitch in any situation. It is quite possible that he will remain the closer for the res of the year, even when Andrew Bailey returns at the end of the month. Which is another good thing! The bullpen is in good shape!

The Offense
Fact: The Red Sox have the 5th best team batting average in the majors. They also have the 2nd most runs scored. Scary.
Fact: The Red Sox have once again faced the injury bug, including legitimate MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury, spark-plug Dustin Pedroia and Carl Crawford, who has yet to show what he did in Tampa in Boston.
Fact: Adrian Gonzalez has performed well under his ability.
Fact: Jacoby and Crawford will be back before the end of the month.
Fact: The Red Sox offense, when healthy, is one of the best, if not the best offense in the league (debatable point: The Texas Rangers).
If you think the Red Sox offense has underperformed, you would be correct. But, to suggest they have sucked is just downright incorrect. BUT, they're going to get much, much better over the rest of the season. So, sit down, chill out, and enjoy the show they will put on.

The second half of the Red Sox season will be absolutely the most exciting thing to witness. They have a lot of ground to cover, but I promise that they will make it fun, and come mid-September watch for the Red Sox to be fighting for a playoff spot. Sure, they're only a .500 team right now, but they are much, much better than that, and you all know it. AL East and the rest of the AL, be afraid, be very afraid.

Coming soon: Posts!

Hello all,

I will be getting back in to updating this blog, for your reading pleasure. I have begun grad school at Syracuse University's Newhouse School, where I will get a MA in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism. Now that the hectic-ness of Spring semester of senior year is over with, I have time to fit in at least one blog post per week. Expect to see a new blog post every Wednesday, at least for now. I will keep you posted!

First article for GoLocal Worcester

I just started interning at GoLocal Worcester and already have my first byline! It's about a basketball player from my own school that- incredibly- hit two buzzer beaters in one game! Check it out: http://www.golocalworcester.com/sports/curleys-two-buzzer-beaters-shake-up-hoop-world/

Red Sox Offseason (so far)

Following what some would call a disastrous end to the 2011 campaign, many in Red Sox Nation felt big changes needed to be made. I, for one, did not wholly agree, at least on the level of players. Sure, it was Tito's time to go, and sure, Ben Cherington deserved a chance, even at the expense of Theo. Beyond that, I didn't see much need to give the team a face lift. Yes, there were a few pieces missing, including a hole that would surely be left when Jonathan Papelbon ultimately left for the money down in Philly, right field, and the back end of the rotation, but I, along with the Sox Brass (so far) thought these could be solved relatively cheaply. The following is an exploration of the moves the front office has made, thus far.

Closer
With Jonathan Papelbon leaving to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies for $50,000,058 (the last two numbers to match his jersey number) over four years, a length and price I think the Red Sox were wise to not match, the Sox had a bit of a whole. With Daniel Bard, the longtime supposed 'Closer of the Future,' seemingly transitioning to a role in the rotation (solving the fifth starter issue, for now), the Sox had no clear closer. None of the current bullpen arms seemed like adequate replacements as the end of the game guy, with the exception of Alfredo Aceves, who would mostly likely prepare in Spring Training to be a starter or long reliever. So, to the trading block they went. Ryan Madson and other free agent closers would ask for too much money, and likely too many years, so the trading block was the best bet. The Red Sox then traded the oft-injured utility man Jed Lowrie and spot start call-up Kyle Weiland, who had little future in the Red Sox organization, to the Houston Astros for Mark Melancon, their closer who saved 20 games in 2011. I thought this was a wonderful deal. Houston is not the same type of atmosphere as Boston, and the Astros will never be as good as the Red Sox currently are, so this may be a big step for him. But, as would eventually become apparent, he was never going to be the closer. He was going to be the set up man, replacing Bard (who still could end up back in that role if the starting thing doesn't work out).

Andrew Bailey, former Rookie of the Year with the Oakland Athletics, had been on the Red Sox radar for a while. While not overpowering, Bailey has good stuff that he knows how to use. He is arguably one of the best young closers in the game. So, as the Red Sox do best, they went out and got him, for some low prospects and Josh Reddick, who was used quite a bit in 2011, due to the fact that he was much better than an ailing, aging, and (as always) under-performing JD Drew. But this was only at times. As far as outfield prospects the Red Sox had, Reddick and Ryan Kalish both appeared Major League-ready. Kalish suffered a major shoulder injury early in 2011 and missed most of the season, but is expected to be ready by June of this year. Kalish has more upside than Reddick, too, with more speed and potential for power. He's also a dirt dog, a trait Red Sox Nation, myself in particular, respect. So, the Red Sox had a new late innings pair with Bailey and Melancon, and I am excited by the prospect!

Shortstop
Now, wait a minute. Didn't the Red Sox just trade their backup SS (Lowrie) and don't they have a fairly competent incumbent in Marco Scutaro? Yes, yes they did. But then they traded Scutaro, too, seemingly inexplicably. Then, word came out he was being shipped to free up salary space to use on helping upgrade other positions (meaning RF and the rotation). So, as of right now, the Red Sox shortstop is a platoon of Mike Aviles and recently signed Nick Punto. This offense/defense pairing seemed alright, but it's not ideal; I, personally, think a single player is necessary at such a crucial position as short. However, the Red Sox do have defensive wizard Jose Iglesias waiting at AAA Pawtucket, working on his hitting. Realistically, the Red Sox could call him up and begin starting him at the position anytime this season, if they are comfortable basically sacrificing his spot in the lineup. With the high powered offense they have, this isn't out of the real of possibilities. Also of note, according to MLB.com's recent rankings of the top prospects at every position, Iglesias, who was at the top last year, is no longer even in the top 10. There is a Red Sox SS on that list, though, named Xander Bogaerts. However, he will begin his first full season at AA this year, but could progress quickly. He hits much better than Iglesias but does not field as well. Although he is projected to switch positions at some point, he may be a better bet than Iglesias, making Iglesias expendable as trade bait. We'll see. For now, the Punto/Aviles platoon stands. It'll be interesting to see who gets the starting nod on Opening Day, or if the platoon even holds up, withstanding any possible replacement.


Right Field
The Red Sox, in the Josh Reddick-Andrew Bailey deal, also got Ryan Sweeney from Oakland. Sure, Ryan Sweeney isn't really what scouts would call "good," but he is a fairly reasonable platoon who could benefit from the change of scenery and dimensions of Fenway. Realistically, he is not a long term solution and, once Kalish returns and proves himself healthy, Sweeney could be on his way out. A solid fourth or fifth outfielder, Sweeney was not acquired for his skill: He was acquired because of Bailey. There is also always the option of Darnell McDonald, whose stock in the organization and height in the Red Sox depth chart has been quickly plummeting, in my eyes, since he hit that one grand slam two summers ago. The Red Sox used some of the money saved by trading Scutaro to sign Cody Ross, a San Francisco Giants post season hero. Cody Ross is much better than McDonald and Sweeney, but it is unclear if he wins a starting job out of Spring Training. I am holding out until Kalish is healthy and takes over. Hopefully Ross and McDonald/Sweeney can keep the ship afloat until he returns.

Starting Rotation
Lastly, the part of the team that is perhaps the most important, the starting pitchers. The Red Sox have their two aces of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, plus up and coming star Clay Buchholz, who, after a stellar 2010, spent the majority of 2011 on the DL. He will hopefully bounce back and regain his former poise. Beyond that the Red Sox have a bunch of maybes. There's Daniel Bard, who will be transitioning to starter after spending his entire major league career in the bullpen. This will hopefully work out fine for him, and, even at his possible worst, would still make a solid #4 or #5 starter. Then, there is Alfredo Aceves, the most diverse pitcher on the staff. He very well could be a starter, and he's done his time to deserve it. I think he would make a great starter, but the Red Sox bullpen may still be the best use of him. The Red Sox have made several low-risk, high-reward moves by signing aging veterans to minor league deals. They will compete for a place in the rotation in Spring Training, but the bar is set low, so if they don't, it's off to Pawtucket for them, no harm done. These vets are longtime Rockie Aaron Cook, former contract-regret Carlos Silva, and Vincente Padilla. These pieces are all maybes, but they could be surprises, like Bartolo Colon was for the Yankees last year, after taking a mysterious injection. The Red Sox have also been linked to young pitchers on the trading block, like the Astros' Wandy Rodriguez, the White Sox' Gavin Floyd, and the Cubs' Matt Garza, who would come with a pretty steep cost. Regardless of what happens, the Red Sox have the door open for the back end of their rotation, and it is a fine position to be in at the tail-end of January.

The Red Sox 2012 season prospects are looking up, even if not all the pieces are sorted out. The coaching staff has been finalized, including an exciting new manager in Bobby Valentine, who is already making his rounds around the area, and with the players, having met with each and every returning member already. The Red Sox front office should be proud of the job they have done so far, especially considering the state of Red Sox Nation in October.