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.

2011 Boston Red Sox: It's not as bad as it seems!

Alright, alright, it's been long enough, enough has been settled: I can now talk about the season that was 2011.

Just today, it became official that Theo Epstein WOULD indeed be heading to Chicago to serve as the Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations, and Billy Goat #1, should the Cubs end up finishing third or worse in the NL Central, as they seem to have done every year since Steve Bartman. Have fun with that, Theo! While I am sad to see Theo go, it was clear with the fallout following the season that he would not be back. We have a great replacement in Ben Cherington, who, along Jed Hoyer (current Padres GM, who is set to become Theo's GM in Chicago) made one of the bigger trades in recent Red Sox history (getting Josh Beckett and Mike "World Series MVP" Lowell for Hanley "Bad Attitude" Ramirez.) while Theo was hiding in a Gorilla suit. (if you aren't familiar with this story: http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=51027) Cherington is an apt replacement and look forward to his tenure.

Theo's leaving came after it was announced that field manager Terry "Tito" Francona would not be returning next season. The move was made as a mutual agreement, but I believe it is more of Tito didn't want to come back, and the Sox brass were willing to let him go. To be fair, and I've been saying this for years, he was not that good of a manager. Sure, he led the Red Sox to their first two World Series championships in 86 years, but it's not like he was playing! I have consistently said over his years at the helm that he posses an inability to manage a bullpen, which has turned out to be quite an issue. His nickname of "Francoma" did not come without reasoning. I'm not sure who the next manager will end up being, but I sure as hell wish John Farrell hadn't left last year, for multiple reasons...

John Farrell was, hands down, the best pitching coach the Red Sox have ever had. I mean, at least in my lifetime. He showed signs of the makings of a great future manager, which he became last year for the pathetic Toronto Blue Jays. While he not only would be the answer to our current managerial problems, he also would've been great to have as our pitching coach, instead of the useless Curt Young. Sure, Curt Young had a great track record in Oakland (where he will be returning next year), but that could be wholly attributed to the fact that Oakland is a team that gets good draft picks, and has the pitchers while they are young and impressionable, before they are shipped out because Oakland won't be able to afford them. Well established pitchers like Josh Beckett and Jon Lester won't listen to a guy they don't really respect. With Young, this was apparently the case. This brings me to the next point: starting pitchers.

So, it turns out that Francoma was so lax in discipline that on off days starting pitchers would go back to the clubhouse and drink crappy beer (Bud Light) after the 6th inning. While I do not technically have a problem with players pitching on their off days, I think they probably should have remained with the team in the dugout, showing their support. Francoma was not a discipline man, and was very much a players manager, which is why this type of issue developed in the first place. Our next manager needs to be a good mix of fun and strict, an aspect that Francona was clearly heavy on the fun side of the spectrum. The guys I would most like to be the next manager are Joe Maddon and Buck Showalter, both of whom are unlikely to leave their posts (additonally, Showalter has shown distaste for the Red Sox organization, putting it lightly.)

I know that I have high hopes for Cherington and the Sox brass picking a new manager, and working out the drinking problems, and getting a good deal for getting rid of terrible signing John Lackey (unlikely), but I think things will work out because, really, things are not that bad. Sure, the Red Sox finished third and missed the playoffs. Sure, they have one of the highest payrolls in the league. But, it's not like they were terrible (with the exception of September). The Sox ALMOST made the playoffs, and only were eliminated from such hopes on the last day of the regular season. And it is not like they did not have some stiff AL East competition to deal with. Based on the fact that the Red Sox started off the season 2-10, went 7-20 in September and STILL managed to be in the playoff race until the very last day of the season should speak well of the team and their future, not negatively. Yes, this was the 2nd year in a row missing the playoffs and finishing 3rd, but I am not worried. The Sox consistently put out a great team that will compete for the playoffs until the very last day, and there is no reason to expect them not do so in 2012. Consider this: Jacoby Ellsbury had one of the best seasons in baseball, and he is poised to be at least half as good next year. And keep in mind, the Red Sox will get a much better year out of Carl Crawford next year (he can't possibly not bounce back). Additionally, the Red Sox still have Adrian Gonzalez. ADRIAN. GONZALEZ. Get excited for 2012.

Holy moley! I went to a playoff game!

Let me begin by apologizing for being a student. I know I promised myself, and you, that I would write two blog posts a week; one here, and one on http://markcyv.blogspot.com/. Unfortunately, I haven't been too great about that with this one. Much of this has to do with being busy, but also with the Red Sox epic fail in September. Next post will be about that, and the many changes the team has seen since then. Now, to the real reason you're reading: I WENT TO A PLAYOFF GAME!

On October 2 (yeah, yeah, two weeks ago, I know) I went to my first ever playoff game of any professional sport. Unfortunately, it did not include my beloved Red Sox, but that is of little or no consequence, because it was still PLAYOFF BASEBALL! It also had my Dad's favorite team, and my second favorite, the Detroit Tigers. It also included the dreaded Yankees losing at home, so it was pretty awesome. A-Fraud failing miserably, and receiving a heavy round of boos each time he failed (it happened at lot) was wonderful. Golden boy Derek Jeter striking out in a crucial at-bat in the 9th was great. Seeing Andy Pettitte at Yankee Stadium, and not pitching was also great (I bet most fans there wished he was still pitching for them). Hearing his wife sing the national anthem was not as terrible as it sounds. There was rain off an on the whole game, but our upper-upper deck seats were under the overhang, so we weren't bothered by it. It was impossible to find good parking (thanks to my own failures to wake up at the correct time) and I still feel really bad about it. I dealt with the deserved anger from my dad and brother, and made the best of the game, which was the best, most exciting game I'd been to, at least this season. There's just something about playoff baseball...

This was my first time in New Yankee Stadium, and to be honest, I was not super impressed. It's just like the old one, except newer, basically. Sure, it's a very nice ballpark, but it's really nothing special. It's nothing compared to the uncomfortable tiny seats that point you out towards center field from right like Fenway. Still, I was glad to have been to the new park of my most hated rivals.

I really enjoyed the obnoxious Yankee fan who told my dad, brother, and I to sit down when we were cheering for Miguel Cabrera's first inning homer. We'll cheer if we want, jerk!

I really enjoyed the Tigers winning in the dramatic fashion that they did. I was literally on the edge of my seat for all of the ninth.

Above is a picture from our seats, with a perfect view of all the (literally) fair weather fans the Yankees have, who left when a tiny bit of water began falling from the sky. IT'S PLAYOFF BASEBALL! Tough it out! I would never even consider leaving a game early that is not an absolute blowout, regardless of the weather. And this was the playoffs, so leaving in a tight game is just inexcusable. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Yankee fans.

Thanks for reading, make sure to check out my next post, where I may have an emotional breakdown halfway through, as I'll be talking about those guys the Yankees are now golfing with: The Boston Red Sox.