Let’s call it what it is- the Sox’s season is pretty much over. Yes, there are about 7 weeks left of the season. But, the chances for the Red Sox making the playoffs is 2.5%. I think it’s time for the Red Sox to stop pretending and start preparing for next year.
There’s been so much drama for a team that is below .500. I didn’t want to discuss the supposed article about the “Players Against Valentine” meeting that broke last week since the Red Sox hadn’t said too much about it. But, I feel like I need to give my opinion.
Yes, I have been critically of Valentine. There are some things I just don’t agree with (having a reliever pinch-hit in a non-interleague game, his lack of enthusiasm at times, being publically critical of his own players, etc.), but he is not the person playing the games. The players are. The players are the ones who go out every night and try or not to win. That’s that.
When I read that Pedroia and Gonzalez were the supposed “ring leaders” of the “Players Against Valentine” meeting, I was a little confused. First, I could see Pedroia possibly being critical of Valentine, but certainly not in this way. The two really seem to be getting along a lot better than I expected. Second, Gonzalez in the middle of controversy? I couldn’t see that at all. So, I had my suspicions of something else….
My first thought was Shoppach. Why? He was traded to the Mets the same day the article came out. Shoppach always seemed to have a good attitude on the field, and he was always pretty pleasant through his Twitter account. However, there was something off. I had known he had made comments about his playing time and how he thought he deserved to play more. Shoppach should have known he was signed as a platoon with Salty. I made my suspicions known to the Sox fans around me, and while some agreed, others did not.
Then, this weekend, the New York Daily, according to ESPN, reported that it was actually Shoppach who had leaked the story and was the ring leader behind the “Players Against Valentine.” Honestly, I don’t know how to react to this news. The whole things makes me a little sick in the stomach to know that there is/was that much animosity going on in the clubhouse.
Another thing is the story about John Lackey carrying around two beers in the clubhouse while in Cleveland. On the one hand, a player who is injured travelling with the team can be seen as a good thing, since it shows he is still wanting to be a part of the team, work, and is not seeing his injury as a vacation. On the other hand, this is John Lackey. Let’s face it- the fans can’t stand the guy. If he’s wanting to earn brownie points with the fans and have them stop booing him, he really shouldn’t be carrying around beer in the clubhouse, especially after last year. John Lackey needs some good PR, and I don’t know how many babies he’ll need to kiss or how much money he’ll need to donate to get
that sort of PR.
Lastly, the Sox are said to announce today whether or not Crawford will be ending his season and having Tommy John surgery. I think they should just have Crawford get the surgery now. It’ll take about 7-9 months to fully recover. Seven months will be March, which will mean Spring Training. Crawford has done a really great job since coming off the disabled list (.282 BA, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs, and a .785 OPS, all while playing inured).
The team needs to let Crawford have the surgery now; the team is not making the playoffs this season. Next year is a new chapter, and a fully-healthy Crawford is needed. If Crawford can put up the numbers he has in limited playing this season while injured, just imagine what he can do in a full season (and Spring Training to warm-up) while healthy.
I could go on and on with this team and the turmoil it’s going through, but I think you get the picture. Sox need to chalk up this year as a learning experience; a learning experience about adjustments, attitudes, passion, and respect. Next season, the Sox hopefully will try and forget 2012 and focus on being the team we, the fans, know they can and should be.
Showing posts with label Bobby Valentine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bobby Valentine. Show all posts
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Random Thoughts
* It pretty much goes without saying that the Red Sox are out of contention for the year. Yes, there is still a slight possibility. According to Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds Report, the Sox have a 6.7% chance to make the playoffs. The Yankees have a 99.2 % chance; the Rangers 99.9%.
* Will Middlebrooks is likely out for the rest of the season with a broken wrist. I watched the video of the pitch hitting his wrist, and it’s painful to even watch. It’s a shame that a rookie having such a great season has to go out this way, but as mentioned before, there’s only a slight chance the Sox will make the playoffs. Might as well let Middlebrooks fully heal from the injury and come back stronger next year.
* Speaking of injured wrists, Crawford came out of yesterday’s game in the bottom of the 5th inning due to his surgically repaired wrist being sore though he’s expected to possibly getting a cortisone shot and staying off the DL. He went 3-for-5 yesterday with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. He is currently hitting .280 for the season (25 games). Even in the limited sample sizes, the fans have to be happy with the way he’s playing.
* Valentine thought it was a good idea to have one of the relievers, Mortensen, bat yesterday. Mortensen struck out. I know the 14-1 win was a blow out, but with all the injuries this team has endured, is it really smart to have a pitcher bat in a non-need situation?
* On a related note, Saltalamacchia played first base yesterday. Okay…
* There’s a chance Bailey might be joining the Sox sometime this week. Would he be a reliever or closer? My guess is he’ll start in a set-up role and possibly get to closing out games sooner (if Aceves completely melts down) or later (last couple weeks of the season to get his feel back).
* Will Middlebrooks is likely out for the rest of the season with a broken wrist. I watched the video of the pitch hitting his wrist, and it’s painful to even watch. It’s a shame that a rookie having such a great season has to go out this way, but as mentioned before, there’s only a slight chance the Sox will make the playoffs. Might as well let Middlebrooks fully heal from the injury and come back stronger next year.
* Speaking of injured wrists, Crawford came out of yesterday’s game in the bottom of the 5th inning due to his surgically repaired wrist being sore though he’s expected to possibly getting a cortisone shot and staying off the DL. He went 3-for-5 yesterday with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. He is currently hitting .280 for the season (25 games). Even in the limited sample sizes, the fans have to be happy with the way he’s playing.
* Valentine thought it was a good idea to have one of the relievers, Mortensen, bat yesterday. Mortensen struck out. I know the 14-1 win was a blow out, but with all the injuries this team has endured, is it really smart to have a pitcher bat in a non-need situation?
* On a related note, Saltalamacchia played first base yesterday. Okay…
* There’s a chance Bailey might be joining the Sox sometime this week. Would he be a reliever or closer? My guess is he’ll start in a set-up role and possibly get to closing out games sooner (if Aceves completely melts down) or later (last couple weeks of the season to get his feel back).
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Ejected and Dejected
Disclaimer: I was not able to watch the last half of the game live, which means I only saw the yelling and ejection on replays.
Dustin Pedroia, the unofficial captain of this Red Sox team, was ejected last night. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Pedroia checked his swing, but first base umpire Paul Nauert called it a third strike. As much as Pedroia ranted and raved, he was not ejected until after he made comments in the top of the 9th inning. Pedroia was done, but his mouth wasn’t. Here’s the Twitter feed from Boston Globe writer Pete Abraham during the incident:
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe
Pedroia now yelling from the dugout at the 1B umpire, Paul Nauert, who rung him up.
Plenty of umps would have tossed him by now.
Pedroia at the far end of the dugout still yelling. Asking for it at this point.
Pedroia just said his favorite cartoon character was Buck Rogers. I might be wrong.
Calm rules as Pedroia goes out to play second. Not even a glance at the ump. Stay tuned for Expletive Deleted Theater afterward.
Pedroia is going to get run now. Nose to nose with Nauert.
Or at least Bobby will get run.
Pedroia got tossed. Valentine tried but didn’t.
Second ejection for Pedroia. First since 2008.
Back in high school this would have been worth a “Kick your dog, ump. He’s lying.”
As stated, this is only the second time in his career in which Pedroia was ejected, which is pretty impressive considering how passionate the second baseman is. Bobby Valentine tried his best to get ejected as well, but he was unsuccessful. Here are the comments Valentine made to the media after the game:
“It looked like he checked his swing from our vantage point. Can’t get it back…I was pretty angry and supporting my guy. Probably said more to him than I said other times and gotten thrown out. He wasn’t going to throw me out unless I made a complete fool of myself or punched him or something.”
(I could make a comment about how Valentine can’t even get ejected when he’s trying, but I won’t.) I think the important thing to point out is this team is angry, and they’re fighting. It was obvious the Red Sox were trying to win last night. Lester was great the first 6 innings of the game, but the 7th inning dragged him down and he gave up 4 runs. In my opinion, Lester should’ve been taken out after 6 innings. He was close to the magic “100 pitch” mark, and with the way he has been pitching as of late, it would’ve made more sense to bring in a reliever (not Melancon, like Valentine did though).
The Sox needed to win this game; they need to win every game really. Tonight is the return of Josh Beckett (5-9 4.54 ERA) versus Matt Harrison (13-6, 3.17 ERA). A series win and an winning homestead would be nice… and much needed.
Dustin Pedroia, the unofficial captain of this Red Sox team, was ejected last night. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Pedroia checked his swing, but first base umpire Paul Nauert called it a third strike. As much as Pedroia ranted and raved, he was not ejected until after he made comments in the top of the 9th inning. Pedroia was done, but his mouth wasn’t. Here’s the Twitter feed from Boston Globe writer Pete Abraham during the incident:
Pete Abraham @PeteAbe
Pedroia now yelling from the dugout at the 1B umpire, Paul Nauert, who rung him up.
Plenty of umps would have tossed him by now.
Pedroia at the far end of the dugout still yelling. Asking for it at this point.
Pedroia just said his favorite cartoon character was Buck Rogers. I might be wrong.
Calm rules as Pedroia goes out to play second. Not even a glance at the ump. Stay tuned for Expletive Deleted Theater afterward.
Pedroia is going to get run now. Nose to nose with Nauert.
Or at least Bobby will get run.
Pedroia got tossed. Valentine tried but didn’t.
Second ejection for Pedroia. First since 2008.
Back in high school this would have been worth a “Kick your dog, ump. He’s lying.”
As stated, this is only the second time in his career in which Pedroia was ejected, which is pretty impressive considering how passionate the second baseman is. Bobby Valentine tried his best to get ejected as well, but he was unsuccessful. Here are the comments Valentine made to the media after the game:
“It looked like he checked his swing from our vantage point. Can’t get it back…I was pretty angry and supporting my guy. Probably said more to him than I said other times and gotten thrown out. He wasn’t going to throw me out unless I made a complete fool of myself or punched him or something.”
(I could make a comment about how Valentine can’t even get ejected when he’s trying, but I won’t.) I think the important thing to point out is this team is angry, and they’re fighting. It was obvious the Red Sox were trying to win last night. Lester was great the first 6 innings of the game, but the 7th inning dragged him down and he gave up 4 runs. In my opinion, Lester should’ve been taken out after 6 innings. He was close to the magic “100 pitch” mark, and with the way he has been pitching as of late, it would’ve made more sense to bring in a reliever (not Melancon, like Valentine did though).
The Sox needed to win this game; they need to win every game really. Tonight is the return of Josh Beckett (5-9 4.54 ERA) versus Matt Harrison (13-6, 3.17 ERA). A series win and an winning homestead would be nice… and much needed.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Seriously, Valentine?
I've decided to start a series of posts called "Seriously, Valentine?" In these, I will question Valentine's decisions/comments/actions/etc. This is not to say that I don't think Bobby Valentine is doing a good job as manager (honestly, I still think it's too early to tell either way). I just thought it would be an interesting segment of posts.
In today's enstallment of "Seriously, Valentine?" is Valentine's decision to pinch-hit Darnell McDonald for Ryan Sweeny in the eighth inning. Yes, McDonald had a good game on Friday; and yes, Sweeney did not have a hit in today's game (for the record, there were only three Red Sox hits; no one was hitting). But, why would anyone pinch-hit someone who is batting .147 (McDonald) for someone who is hitting .373 on the season (Sweeney)? Pinch hitting a cold bat for a hot bat is not a good idea. McDonald struck out for Sweeney.
In today's enstallment of "Seriously, Valentine?" is Valentine's decision to pinch-hit Darnell McDonald for Ryan Sweeny in the eighth inning. Yes, McDonald had a good game on Friday; and yes, Sweeney did not have a hit in today's game (for the record, there were only three Red Sox hits; no one was hitting). But, why would anyone pinch-hit someone who is batting .147 (McDonald) for someone who is hitting .373 on the season (Sweeney)? Pinch hitting a cold bat for a hot bat is not a good idea. McDonald struck out for Sweeney.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Fire Out?
It seems that all the controversy with Valentine calling out Youkilis may appear to be over. According to The Boston Globe, Cherington, Valentine, Youkilis, and Pedroia all appear to be over the whole incident. It is interesting to point out that Cherington had to get involved.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look at the previous post under “The Ugly.” It sounded ugly, but how should we, the fans, take Valentine’s remarks? Was Valentine simply implying that Youkilis didn’t look like the player we’ve been accustomed to seeing over the years in the first two series of the young season? Maybe.
As a spectator, Youkilis didn’t look as locked in as he has in the past. This is not saying that he wasn’t “physically” or “emotionally” in the game. Youkilis has always been one of the most emotional players on the field. You can definitely tell when he’s upset and when he’s excited.
If Valentine was stating that Youkilis didn’t look as he has in the past, I agree with that. Of course, every player goes through slumps, and Youkilis just happened to start out in a slump. We’ve all seen our favorite players in those ruts that they don’t appear as engaged as they are when they’re hot. To me, that’s how Youkilis looked at the plate.
Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, the NESN commentators, were quick to note when Youkilis hadn’t had a hit in the first series and his strikeouts. This is their job; they’re supposed to point these things out. However, Valentine’s job is to be behind his players. He’s not supposed to say his player isn’t “physically or emotionally in the game.”
Valentine quickly clarified his statement and apologized, in person, to Youkilis. Youkilis replied after today’s 1-0 loss to the Rays that he and Valentine were “fine.” And what about Valentine’s relationship with the unofficial captain of the team, Pedroia? Valentine stated, “(Pedroia) said we’re cool.”
Valentine has made it very apparent in his short tenure with the Sox that he enjoys talking, which can get him into trouble. I was a little surprised that Cherington got involved, but I guess that’s his job as the GM. Cherington made some good points with his quotes in The Boston Globe, though it seemed to be a bit of a PR move:
I think as with many things in baseball and life, the more you get a chance to talk about it and understand what people mean were and how they perceived something, that’s what allows you to get past it. Kevin and Bobby spoke. I spoke to Bobby, I spoke to Kevin.
What needed to be said has been said and we’ll move forward. I was surprised to see the quote. I didn’t see the interview live, but I had it in that context. I was surprised because that’s not something Bobby had expressed to me. And we’ve all seen Kevin play for a long time and never wondered why he wasn’t into the game. He plays hard every day. That’s why it’s important to talk about it. I understood better what happened and we were able to talk through it.
[Valentine] hadn’t seen the same player on the field that we have all seen in the past. So he acknowledged that first of all, and said it was not the best way to express it. He told the same thing to Kevin and apologized. He had a chance to explain what he meant. I think we’ll all learn from it and handle it differently next time.
I’m hoping that the Red Sox can put this whole thing behind them and move on from this embarrassing situation. They almost swept the Tampa Bay Rays (taking 3 of 4), and Bard, their 5th starter, pitched a heck of a game today. I think Valentine may have kept Bard in for too long: Bard- 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts, 115 pitches. Bard gave up his run on a bases loaded walk to Evan Longoria in the 7th inning. He was pulled afterwards.
Bard’s outing today and the offensive beating the Red Sox gave to the Rays in the previous three games are definitely things to be happy about and build on. I see a lot of potential with this club. Hopefully, our manager can just let the players play and get behind them, not cause more problems.
** I don't know how much longer I will be continuing this blog. It was brought to my attention that I don't have any follows and the people I thought would read my blog are not. So, this week I'm going to take some inventory on how much time I spend on the blog, how many people are viewing it, and if it's doing what I hoped it would do. I plan on making a decision by this weekend.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look at the previous post under “The Ugly.” It sounded ugly, but how should we, the fans, take Valentine’s remarks? Was Valentine simply implying that Youkilis didn’t look like the player we’ve been accustomed to seeing over the years in the first two series of the young season? Maybe.
As a spectator, Youkilis didn’t look as locked in as he has in the past. This is not saying that he wasn’t “physically” or “emotionally” in the game. Youkilis has always been one of the most emotional players on the field. You can definitely tell when he’s upset and when he’s excited.
If Valentine was stating that Youkilis didn’t look as he has in the past, I agree with that. Of course, every player goes through slumps, and Youkilis just happened to start out in a slump. We’ve all seen our favorite players in those ruts that they don’t appear as engaged as they are when they’re hot. To me, that’s how Youkilis looked at the plate.
Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, the NESN commentators, were quick to note when Youkilis hadn’t had a hit in the first series and his strikeouts. This is their job; they’re supposed to point these things out. However, Valentine’s job is to be behind his players. He’s not supposed to say his player isn’t “physically or emotionally in the game.”
Valentine quickly clarified his statement and apologized, in person, to Youkilis. Youkilis replied after today’s 1-0 loss to the Rays that he and Valentine were “fine.” And what about Valentine’s relationship with the unofficial captain of the team, Pedroia? Valentine stated, “(Pedroia) said we’re cool.”
Valentine has made it very apparent in his short tenure with the Sox that he enjoys talking, which can get him into trouble. I was a little surprised that Cherington got involved, but I guess that’s his job as the GM. Cherington made some good points with his quotes in The Boston Globe, though it seemed to be a bit of a PR move:
I think as with many things in baseball and life, the more you get a chance to talk about it and understand what people mean were and how they perceived something, that’s what allows you to get past it. Kevin and Bobby spoke. I spoke to Bobby, I spoke to Kevin.
What needed to be said has been said and we’ll move forward. I was surprised to see the quote. I didn’t see the interview live, but I had it in that context. I was surprised because that’s not something Bobby had expressed to me. And we’ve all seen Kevin play for a long time and never wondered why he wasn’t into the game. He plays hard every day. That’s why it’s important to talk about it. I understood better what happened and we were able to talk through it.
[Valentine] hadn’t seen the same player on the field that we have all seen in the past. So he acknowledged that first of all, and said it was not the best way to express it. He told the same thing to Kevin and apologized. He had a chance to explain what he meant. I think we’ll all learn from it and handle it differently next time.
I’m hoping that the Red Sox can put this whole thing behind them and move on from this embarrassing situation. They almost swept the Tampa Bay Rays (taking 3 of 4), and Bard, their 5th starter, pitched a heck of a game today. I think Valentine may have kept Bard in for too long: Bard- 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 7 walks, 7 strikeouts, 115 pitches. Bard gave up his run on a bases loaded walk to Evan Longoria in the 7th inning. He was pulled afterwards.
Bard’s outing today and the offensive beating the Red Sox gave to the Rays in the previous three games are definitely things to be happy about and build on. I see a lot of potential with this club. Hopefully, our manager can just let the players play and get behind them, not cause more problems.
** I don't know how much longer I will be continuing this blog. It was brought to my attention that I don't have any follows and the people I thought would read my blog are not. So, this week I'm going to take some inventory on how much time I spend on the blog, how many people are viewing it, and if it's doing what I hoped it would do. I plan on making a decision by this weekend.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Red Sox are on a three-game winning streak heading into to their early (10:05 Central time) game for Patriots Day. Instead of recapping the three games, I thought I would give a few observations and tidbits from what transpired this weekend:
* The Red Sox owned Tampa Bay in the 8th inning. On Friday, they scored 8 runs, and on Saturday, the scored 5 runs
* The offense really started coming around these three games:
Ortiz: 9/13 with a home run, 4 doubles, and 8 RBIs
Ross: 3/10 with 2 home runs, a double and 8 RBIs
Aviles: 5/13 with 2 home runs, a double, and 2 RBIs
Shoppach: 4/7 with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, and a stolen base (his first attempt in the Majors… ever. It was nic-named “The Stop, Shop, and Roll” on Twitter).
* The bullpen was great (minus Melancon on Friday who gave up a home run):
Aceves: 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 BBs, 3Ks
Buchholz on Saturday: 7 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. (Also worth noting, that while I wasn’t able to watch most of this game, I did check the score in the 3rd inning. It was 5-0 Rays. Luckily for Buchholz, the offense clicked later in the game.)
* The Red Sox will be without Ellsbury an estimated 6-8 weeks because he has a subluxed right shoulder. A shoulder subluxation is when the shoulder doesn’t completely become dislocated. I wrote briefly about how the injury occurred on Friday. The word “surgery” hasn’t appeared associated to Ellsbury’s name as of yet, and it could just require rest and rehabbing.
I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason. But [on Saturday] it seemed, you know, he's seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he'll move on from there.
When Youkilis was asked about the comments this morning, he replied with:
When he told me that people called him and told him that I said things that he didn’t like, I totally apologized. I said the last thing in the world I want you to think is that I'm doing anything to criticize you. I was giving an answer to a question and I should've been more specific and said your physical was about your swing and your emotional was not being happy when you don't hit a ball off the wall.
I’m not sure how I want to read into this. I want to think that everything’s going great with the new manager, but it just may not be that way. Pedroia said it best, I think:
I don't know what Bobby's trying to do, but that's not the way we do things here. Maybe that stuff works in Japan.
Ugly indeed.
The Good
* The Red Sox are winning, so that’s the main good thing to come out of this weekend.
* Josh Beckett found his groove again. For Fridays game, he went 8 innings pitched, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 1.
* The Red Sox owned Tampa Bay in the 8th inning. On Friday, they scored 8 runs, and on Saturday, the scored 5 runs
* The offense really started coming around these three games:
Gonzalez: 5/13 with a double and an RBI
Youkilis: 4/10 with 3 RBIsOrtiz: 9/13 with a home run, 4 doubles, and 8 RBIs
Ross: 3/10 with 2 home runs, a double and 8 RBIs
Aviles: 5/13 with 2 home runs, a double, and 2 RBIs
Shoppach: 4/7 with 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, and a stolen base (his first attempt in the Majors… ever. It was nic-named “The Stop, Shop, and Roll” on Twitter).
* The bullpen was great (minus Melancon on Friday who gave up a home run):
Morales: 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 BBs, 1K
Atchinson: 1/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 1K
Padilla: 1 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 0 BBs, 2KsAceves: 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 BBs, 3Ks
The Bad
* For some reason, Valentine is not playing Sweeney, who, if memory serves me, has not gone a game he’s played without a hit. In the two games he played this weekend, he went 2/7 with 2RBIs.
* As much as I like McDonald, he’s cooled way off since Spring Training. This weekend, he was 1/9 with a double. With Ellsbury out (more on that in The Ugly section), I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of McDonald.
* While Beckett seemed to have found his groove, Buchholz and Doubront still have some work to do:
Buchholz on Saturday: 7 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. (Also worth noting, that while I wasn’t able to watch most of this game, I did check the score in the 3rd inning. It was 5-0 Rays. Luckily for Buchholz, the offense clicked later in the game.)
Doubront on Sunday: 5 IP, 9 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts (Doubront did great until the 5th inning, when he gave up all 4 runs).
The Ugly
* The Red Sox will be without Ellsbury an estimated 6-8 weeks because he has a subluxed right shoulder. A shoulder subluxation is when the shoulder doesn’t completely become dislocated. I wrote briefly about how the injury occurred on Friday. The word “surgery” hasn’t appeared associated to Ellsbury’s name as of yet, and it could just require rest and rehabbing.
* Valentine is causing controversy with Youkilis. Valentine made the following comment to WHDH’s Sports Xtra show Sunday night:
I don't think he's as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason. But [on Saturday] it seemed, you know, he's seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he'll move on from there.
When Youkilis was asked about the comments this morning, he replied with:
I’m more confused than anything because everyone knows I go out and play the game as hard as I can. It’s just my style of play. I was never blessed with the raw tools and I’ve always had to use playing the game hard and with full effort my whole life.
Valentine stated that he met with Youkilis and offered him a clarification and an apology. For what it’s worth, Youkilis was not in the line-up today for what Valentine called a “groin injury.” When asked about the clarification and apology, Valentine stated:
Kevin came in this morning and I thought it was about his groin. I thought he was going to tell me how his groin was, and I said, `Hey, how’s the groin?’ and he said, 'Well, all right, but what’s going on?'When he told me that people called him and told him that I said things that he didn’t like, I totally apologized. I said the last thing in the world I want you to think is that I'm doing anything to criticize you. I was giving an answer to a question and I should've been more specific and said your physical was about your swing and your emotional was not being happy when you don't hit a ball off the wall.
I don't know if he accepted my apology, but it was very sincere. The last thing in the world is that I didn't want him to think that this was anything but an answer to a question that seemed to be jabbing at him. I was just trying to smooth it over and I guess that I didn't.
I’m not sure how I want to read into this. I want to think that everything’s going great with the new manager, but it just may not be that way. Pedroia said it best, I think:
I don't know what Bobby's trying to do, but that's not the way we do things here. Maybe that stuff works in Japan.
Ugly indeed.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Red Sox Get First Win of Season, Beat Jays 4-2
Last night’s game may have been the game to switch the Red Sox’s losing ways. It was a come-from-behind win that featured great pitching, some clutch hitting, and a couple plays that made me scratch my head. Plus, the Sox are now 1-3, which means they won’t start the season 0-6, as they did last year.
I don’t know if it’s really fair to ask a 24-year-old Rookie to be the stopper to a pitching staff that has let the water run out over the past couple games, but that’s what the Red Sox essentially did with Doubront. Though Doubront didn’t have the most efficient of games (101 pitches, 62 for strikes, in 5 innings), he did a great job with what he brought with him. He gave up 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and stuck out 6. The Blue Jays starting pitcher, Henderson Alvarez, barely bested Doubront with 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 1 run (a home run by Pedroia), 1 walk, while striking out 2. It was a pitching duel.
After Doubront was taken out, Valentine put in Scott Atchinson. I admit, I was a little anxious to see how Atchinson would pitch in this game; last year, he seemed to be more of a mop-up guy when he wasn’t in Triple-A. Atchinson blew me, and the Blue Jays, away! In 3 innings, he only gave up 1 hit, a single, while striking out 3 and walking 0. He was also incredibly efficient by only throwing 31 pitches.
Though, both of these pitching performances wouldn’t have meant anything without the spark that is Dustin Pedroia. With the Sox down 2-0 in the top of the 6th, Pedroia took a high, inside pitch out to the bleachers. I need to stop being so amazed with things Pedroia does because he’s constantly doing things that don’t seem possible, but that home run was electric. Even Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, the NESN announcers, were shocked. So shocked, in fact, that they had to re-show the home run for Orsillo to shout “La Luna!” which I guess is what Pedroia wants said when he hits home runs. (I’m guessing this is supposed to be Spanish for “To the Moon!”)
Then, there was David Ortiz. Opposing teams have performed the shift on Ortiz for so long now, it just seems like second nature to see the infield play to the right side of the field. However, Ortiz took balls the opposite way for singles. Then, in the top of the 7th, Ortiz attempted to steal 2nd because the infield was playing so deep and no one was really covering the base. He was called out, but I think he was safe based on the angle I was looking at it.
When asked why he allowed Ortiz to attempt the steal in such a close game (it was 2-1 at this point), Valentine gave a great reason. If no one is going to play like Ortiz will steal, then he should attempt the steal. That way, when teams are in position that Ortiz is a steal-threat, it will open up a hole for the batter. For his part, Ortiz thought he was safe as well.
In the top of the 9th, Pedroia did his part again by hitting a double, taking third on a wild pitch, then scoring to tie the game on a sac fly by Gonzalez. Ortiz then hit another single, and McDonald pitch-ran for him. Ross hit a single, and Sweeney then hit a single to score McDonald and Ross. With a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th, Valentine called on his closer, Aceves.
Until this point, Aceves had two blown saves and had given up three runs without recording an out. He didn’t have an official ERA because of this. I was a bit hesitant as well, wishing that he wouldn’t blow another save. Aceves prevailed, striking out one and getting three outs without allowing a base-runner. The Sox won 4-2.
Last night’s game was really an entertaining game with great pitching and a come-from-behind win. I don’t know if it was the thought of losing another game, but I think I was more anxious watching last night’s game as I had been in a long time. My emotions were high, but it was all worth. Hopefully, this game proves to be the spark to ignite a winning streak for the Sox.
I don’t know if it’s really fair to ask a 24-year-old Rookie to be the stopper to a pitching staff that has let the water run out over the past couple games, but that’s what the Red Sox essentially did with Doubront. Though Doubront didn’t have the most efficient of games (101 pitches, 62 for strikes, in 5 innings), he did a great job with what he brought with him. He gave up 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and stuck out 6. The Blue Jays starting pitcher, Henderson Alvarez, barely bested Doubront with 6 innings pitched, 4 hits, 1 run (a home run by Pedroia), 1 walk, while striking out 2. It was a pitching duel.
After Doubront was taken out, Valentine put in Scott Atchinson. I admit, I was a little anxious to see how Atchinson would pitch in this game; last year, he seemed to be more of a mop-up guy when he wasn’t in Triple-A. Atchinson blew me, and the Blue Jays, away! In 3 innings, he only gave up 1 hit, a single, while striking out 3 and walking 0. He was also incredibly efficient by only throwing 31 pitches.
Though, both of these pitching performances wouldn’t have meant anything without the spark that is Dustin Pedroia. With the Sox down 2-0 in the top of the 6th, Pedroia took a high, inside pitch out to the bleachers. I need to stop being so amazed with things Pedroia does because he’s constantly doing things that don’t seem possible, but that home run was electric. Even Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, the NESN announcers, were shocked. So shocked, in fact, that they had to re-show the home run for Orsillo to shout “La Luna!” which I guess is what Pedroia wants said when he hits home runs. (I’m guessing this is supposed to be Spanish for “To the Moon!”)
Then, there was David Ortiz. Opposing teams have performed the shift on Ortiz for so long now, it just seems like second nature to see the infield play to the right side of the field. However, Ortiz took balls the opposite way for singles. Then, in the top of the 7th, Ortiz attempted to steal 2nd because the infield was playing so deep and no one was really covering the base. He was called out, but I think he was safe based on the angle I was looking at it.
When asked why he allowed Ortiz to attempt the steal in such a close game (it was 2-1 at this point), Valentine gave a great reason. If no one is going to play like Ortiz will steal, then he should attempt the steal. That way, when teams are in position that Ortiz is a steal-threat, it will open up a hole for the batter. For his part, Ortiz thought he was safe as well.
In the top of the 9th, Pedroia did his part again by hitting a double, taking third on a wild pitch, then scoring to tie the game on a sac fly by Gonzalez. Ortiz then hit another single, and McDonald pitch-ran for him. Ross hit a single, and Sweeney then hit a single to score McDonald and Ross. With a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th, Valentine called on his closer, Aceves.
Until this point, Aceves had two blown saves and had given up three runs without recording an out. He didn’t have an official ERA because of this. I was a bit hesitant as well, wishing that he wouldn’t blow another save. Aceves prevailed, striking out one and getting three outs without allowing a base-runner. The Sox won 4-2.
Last night’s game was really an entertaining game with great pitching and a come-from-behind win. I don’t know if it was the thought of losing another game, but I think I was more anxious watching last night’s game as I had been in a long time. My emotions were high, but it was all worth. Hopefully, this game proves to be the spark to ignite a winning streak for the Sox.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Schilling, "No Comment" Works Well Too
Picture from
http://thepaintedone.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/curt-schilling-2004solomon-
strohmeyer.jpg
Yesterday, it was announced that Curt Schilling was being inducted into this year’s Red Sox Hall of Fame, as I think he should. His bloody sock is a symbol of the hard work and determination that not only he, but the rest of the 2004 Red Sox team, endured to win the team’s first World Series in 86 years. He was a workhorse for the Red Sox and a leader for the pitching staff.
Curt Schilling was always known as one of the “mouths” of the Red Sox when he was on the team. He was always the guy who would talk to media. He is the guy I always picture soaked in champagne after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and saying “The greatest Red Sox team ever!”
Again, as a Red Sox fan, I can not thank Curt Schilling enough for what he did in both 2004 and 2007. But, I do wish he would stop discussing the Red Sox. I know, he works for ESPN now, and he has a right to his own opinion. I work in a Legal department; I hear these comments about everything from all types of people all the time. I do think that Curt Schilling overstepped some boundaries in an interview with WEII earlier this week though.
It is well-known that Schilling and Francona were close, probably closer than Pedroia and Francona were. I think most Red Sox fans know the story about how Theo Epstein flew to Arizona and met with Schilling over Thanksgiving to discuss Schilling’s trade from the Diamondbacks to the Red Sox. Francona had been Schilling’s manager in Philadelphia prior to them signing with the Red Sox. It appears that Schilling is taking Francona’s departure from the Red Sox personally, by his comments on WEII:
“I thought that the manager that managed the Mets that I was not a big fan of was now going to be a different manager, and I don’t think there’s anything different at all. And I don’t think that that is going to be conducive to doing well here. There’s a lot of things I think that are happening not just from his perspective, but when you talk to these guys — and I’m still talking to some of these guys — I don’t think this is going well. And I think it’s going bad quicker than I expected it to.”
(I found these comments in the following article: http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/ curt-schilling-red-sox-dont-like-bobby-valentine/126498. I’m not sure if I believe the writer’s viewpoints, so I’m not going to consider what he had to say about the incident.)
Schilling is known for saying these types of things before, and he never really seems to quote his sources. Whether this is to protect the people he considers friends or if he’s just making things up, I’m not sure. If these feelings are really going on by the Red Sox players, most people would think Beckett would be one of the people voicing these, right? No, Beckett’s response to Schilling’s allegations, according to a tweet (see, I am still following Twitter!) from Peter Abraham, was:
“I haven’t seen him (Schilling) around this year. Is he one of our pitchers?”
Such a perfect response from Beckett! He didn’t feed into the comments. Short, sweet, and a little humorous. I know Schilling’s just doing what Schilling does, making headlines by outrageous
comments. But, really, if you had any respect for the organization, wouldn’t you keep your opinions quiet until at least the start of the season? Then again, isn’t Schilling’s video game about to come out? He probably is looking for some publicity.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Some Random Thoughts...
* Carl Crawford has been shut down for the next 5-7 days because of inflammation in his wrist. As stated in a previous post, Crawford was trying to come back from wrist surgery by Opening Day. It seems that this won’t be happening; and currently, there is no timetable for Crawford’s return.
* I loved this exchange that Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wrote about regarding Youkilis:
The Red Sox infielders were taking grounders on Field 2 this morning when a kid who looked to be 10 or 11 yelled out, "Hey, Youk, give me a ball."
Kevin Youkilis looked up and said, "What's the right way to ask?"
Chagrined, the kid said, "Can I please have a ball?"
Youk tossed the kid a ball.
"Don't ever forget that for the rest of your life," he said.
"Thanks," said the kid.
It’s nice to see athletes being positive role models for children.
* Carlos Silva was scratched from his start tomorrow for “shoulder inflammation” and is no longer in the running for the fifth starter position. It’s supposedly a major issue too because his long-term future is “being discussed.”
* As I’ve mentioned before, Valentine seems to have more energy on the Red Sox, which is probably a good thing. In an article in The Boston Globe this morning, it was reported that Valentine wakes up around 5:00 every morning goes on fifteen-mile bike rides before reporting to field, and allows himself one cup of coffee. My only question is HOW? I also wake up at 5:00 in the morning and drink one cup of coffee before work, but there’s no way I could do that PLUS a FIFTEEN-MILE BIKE RIDE before reporting to work. And mind you, I sit at a desk pretty much all day.
* If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Android, I highly recommend the MLB.com At Bat app. If you already have MLB.TV Premium package (which I do), the app is free; otherwise, I think it’s like $14.99 for the season. Last night, I was able to watch the game on my iPhone while on the treadmill. Today, I listened to the commentary of the game on my way back to work at lunch. There’s also news, highlight reels, Gameday action, and a ton of other information.
* I loved this exchange that Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe wrote about regarding Youkilis:
The Red Sox infielders were taking grounders on Field 2 this morning when a kid who looked to be 10 or 11 yelled out, "Hey, Youk, give me a ball."
Kevin Youkilis looked up and said, "What's the right way to ask?"
Chagrined, the kid said, "Can I please have a ball?"
Youk tossed the kid a ball.
"Don't ever forget that for the rest of your life," he said.
"Thanks," said the kid.
It’s nice to see athletes being positive role models for children.
* Carlos Silva was scratched from his start tomorrow for “shoulder inflammation” and is no longer in the running for the fifth starter position. It’s supposedly a major issue too because his long-term future is “being discussed.”
* As I’ve mentioned before, Valentine seems to have more energy on the Red Sox, which is probably a good thing. In an article in The Boston Globe this morning, it was reported that Valentine wakes up around 5:00 every morning goes on fifteen-mile bike rides before reporting to field, and allows himself one cup of coffee. My only question is HOW? I also wake up at 5:00 in the morning and drink one cup of coffee before work, but there’s no way I could do that PLUS a FIFTEEN-MILE BIKE RIDE before reporting to work. And mind you, I sit at a desk pretty much all day.
* If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Android, I highly recommend the MLB.com At Bat app. If you already have MLB.TV Premium package (which I do), the app is free; otherwise, I think it’s like $14.99 for the season. Last night, I was able to watch the game on my iPhone while on the treadmill. Today, I listened to the commentary of the game on my way back to work at lunch. There’s also news, highlight reels, Gameday action, and a ton of other information.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Pot is Stirring
Do Red Sox fans hate the Yankees?
Do Yankees fans hate the Red Sox?
Do the two clubs hate each other?
These questions have been asked over and over (and over and over) again throughout the past almost one hundred years. The Red Sox- Yankee rivalry is considered the greatest rivalry in sports. Since I’m assuming that most people know the details in this rivalry, I’ll skip over the history lesson.
Yesterday, Valentine took a few jabs at the Yankees, specifically at Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Now, Valentine has said he “hates” the Yankees; he was the manager of the Mets at one time, after all. Did he say this to get the fans going? Probably. Is it a way for him to win over more Red Sox fans still bitter about the Francona situation? More than likely, since Francona never to cause problems between the two clubs (though, there were a few instances).
During Spring Training, Valentine has been having the players do more drills, like relays and cutoffs, than they had done in the past. It’s been mentioned a few times that the Red Sox had become accustomed to working out in the morning and golfing in the afternoon during Spring Training. Valentine’s trying to change that a bit, from what I could tell.
Anyway, Valentine was asked about Derek Jeter’s famous “flip play” in Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS. Valentine’s reply was:
“We’ll never practice that. We'll never practice that. I think (Jeter) was out of position. I think the ball gets him out if (Jeter) doesn’t touch it, personally… That was amazing that [Jeter] was there. I bet it’s more amazing to say they practiced it. I don’t believe it.’’
As a Red Sox fan, I have a lot of respect for Derek Jeter. I may criticize his playing from time to time, like his range at the shortstop position, and insist that Nomar was always a better Shortstop than Jeter ever was (Nomar just broke down before Jeter), but I have a lot of respect for the guy. Unless Jeter does completely outrageous (I’m still on the fence about the whole “pancake” thing), I will continue to have respect for Jeter.
With that said, I think Jeter’s response to questions regarding Valentine’s comments were very respectable but maybe with the slightest hint of bite:
"Yeah. I don’t flip it home when we practice it. I’m the cutoff guy. He’s the cutoff guy to get the runner at third. We do practice it, but not the flip home. Am I supposed to convince him (Valentine)? I don’t know Bobby well enough to tell you what he’s trying to do. I could care less; I guess that’s the best way to put it. I just don’t know why it’s being brought up. I don’t know what to tell you."
The fact that Derek Jeter needed to say “I just don’t know why it’s being brought up” is enough to show that Jeter has a little edge on him. Was this directed more to the reporters asking the questions? Maybe. But, maybe it was saying something about the Yankees captain. Maybe.
Now, Valentine also took a jab at Alex Rodriguez yesterday when he was discussing Varitek’s retirement. If you don’t want to scroll down to see exactly what Valentine said, here it is:
"From afar, he (Varitek) was everything that you want in a guy who wore a 'C' to be. He was a man's man. He was a big hitter when needed. He was the leader of the pitching staff. He was able to beat up Alex. All that stuff is good stuff. He was exactly what he was supposed to be.”
“He was able to beat up Alex.” Classic. Again, I’m not an Alex Rodriguez fan, never have been, never will be. I think Valentine brought this up because people not familiar with Varitek’s contributions to the Red Sox
probably know Tek most for his fight with A-Rod.
Rodriguez also had a reply to Valentine’s remark, in which he said:
"I'm not going to win many battles here when it comes to words -- especially against Bobby. I have my new press secretary that should be landing in the next couple days -- Reggie Jackson -- so I’ll let him handle that."
In my own fantasy land, I would like to think that Reggie Jackson wouldn’t defend Rodriguez. But, Jackson is a big part of the Yankees organization; and at this poin, so is Rodriguez. From people I’ve talked to and comments I’ve read, many Yankees fans do not like Alex Rodriguez. I’m not sure if they like the fact that Varitek “beat him up” though.
Is the pot stirring? I’m not sure. It appears to be that way, and from where I stand now, it appears Valentine is doing most of the stirring. In the past, I’ve tended to let most of the Yankees-hate stuff go by me without much thought, since again, I do respect many of the Yankees players (Jeter, Rivera, Cano, etc.). This year, however, it may be hard to let some things go by quietly.
UPDATE: Gary Tuck, the Red Sox bullpen coach and a former Yankees coach, informed Valentine that the Yankees do indeed work on the flip. Valentine owned up to his mistake:
"Total mistake on my part because they do practice it, that’s for sure. It’s hard to practice that because why are we going to practice a bad throw? That’s not what we’re doing here. But I get it. I get it... I want it on record that I love Derek Jeter as a player... It was not a slight towards him. I love him as a guy, too.”
Maybe the pot won’t be stirring so much now.
*Quotes from The Boston Globe
Do Yankees fans hate the Red Sox?
Do the two clubs hate each other?
These questions have been asked over and over (and over and over) again throughout the past almost one hundred years. The Red Sox- Yankee rivalry is considered the greatest rivalry in sports. Since I’m assuming that most people know the details in this rivalry, I’ll skip over the history lesson.
Yesterday, Valentine took a few jabs at the Yankees, specifically at Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Now, Valentine has said he “hates” the Yankees; he was the manager of the Mets at one time, after all. Did he say this to get the fans going? Probably. Is it a way for him to win over more Red Sox fans still bitter about the Francona situation? More than likely, since Francona never to cause problems between the two clubs (though, there were a few instances).
During Spring Training, Valentine has been having the players do more drills, like relays and cutoffs, than they had done in the past. It’s been mentioned a few times that the Red Sox had become accustomed to working out in the morning and golfing in the afternoon during Spring Training. Valentine’s trying to change that a bit, from what I could tell.
Anyway, Valentine was asked about Derek Jeter’s famous “flip play” in Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS. Valentine’s reply was:
“We’ll never practice that. We'll never practice that. I think (Jeter) was out of position. I think the ball gets him out if (Jeter) doesn’t touch it, personally… That was amazing that [Jeter] was there. I bet it’s more amazing to say they practiced it. I don’t believe it.’’
As a Red Sox fan, I have a lot of respect for Derek Jeter. I may criticize his playing from time to time, like his range at the shortstop position, and insist that Nomar was always a better Shortstop than Jeter ever was (Nomar just broke down before Jeter), but I have a lot of respect for the guy. Unless Jeter does completely outrageous (I’m still on the fence about the whole “pancake” thing), I will continue to have respect for Jeter.
With that said, I think Jeter’s response to questions regarding Valentine’s comments were very respectable but maybe with the slightest hint of bite:
"Yeah. I don’t flip it home when we practice it. I’m the cutoff guy. He’s the cutoff guy to get the runner at third. We do practice it, but not the flip home. Am I supposed to convince him (Valentine)? I don’t know Bobby well enough to tell you what he’s trying to do. I could care less; I guess that’s the best way to put it. I just don’t know why it’s being brought up. I don’t know what to tell you."
The fact that Derek Jeter needed to say “I just don’t know why it’s being brought up” is enough to show that Jeter has a little edge on him. Was this directed more to the reporters asking the questions? Maybe. But, maybe it was saying something about the Yankees captain. Maybe.
Now, Valentine also took a jab at Alex Rodriguez yesterday when he was discussing Varitek’s retirement. If you don’t want to scroll down to see exactly what Valentine said, here it is:
"From afar, he (Varitek) was everything that you want in a guy who wore a 'C' to be. He was a man's man. He was a big hitter when needed. He was the leader of the pitching staff. He was able to beat up Alex. All that stuff is good stuff. He was exactly what he was supposed to be.”
“He was able to beat up Alex.” Classic. Again, I’m not an Alex Rodriguez fan, never have been, never will be. I think Valentine brought this up because people not familiar with Varitek’s contributions to the Red Sox
probably know Tek most for his fight with A-Rod.
Rodriguez also had a reply to Valentine’s remark, in which he said:
"I'm not going to win many battles here when it comes to words -- especially against Bobby. I have my new press secretary that should be landing in the next couple days -- Reggie Jackson -- so I’ll let him handle that."
In my own fantasy land, I would like to think that Reggie Jackson wouldn’t defend Rodriguez. But, Jackson is a big part of the Yankees organization; and at this poin, so is Rodriguez. From people I’ve talked to and comments I’ve read, many Yankees fans do not like Alex Rodriguez. I’m not sure if they like the fact that Varitek “beat him up” though.
Is the pot stirring? I’m not sure. It appears to be that way, and from where I stand now, it appears Valentine is doing most of the stirring. In the past, I’ve tended to let most of the Yankees-hate stuff go by me without much thought, since again, I do respect many of the Yankees players (Jeter, Rivera, Cano, etc.). This year, however, it may be hard to let some things go by quietly.
UPDATE: Gary Tuck, the Red Sox bullpen coach and a former Yankees coach, informed Valentine that the Yankees do indeed work on the flip. Valentine owned up to his mistake:
"Total mistake on my part because they do practice it, that’s for sure. It’s hard to practice that because why are we going to practice a bad throw? That’s not what we’re doing here. But I get it. I get it... I want it on record that I love Derek Jeter as a player... It was not a slight towards him. I love him as a guy, too.”
Maybe the pot won’t be stirring so much now.
*Quotes from The Boston Globe
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Some Random Thoughts
*Alcohol- Two things: One- David Ortiz said he gave up alcohol for a diet and reportedly has lost seventeen pounds. Bobby Valentine said "Yeah, me too... until next dinner."
Two- Valentine has banned alcohol in the clubhouse, and he says it's what he's always done. The Red Sox certainly aren't the only team to ban alcohol either- they're actually the 19th. This means that over half the teams ban alcohol in the clubhouse, so it shouldn't be an issue. When asked about the players reaction, Valentine replied, "It was probably somewhere between (a standing ovation or booing)."
* John Henry has apologized to Carl Crawford for his remarks about Henry never wanting to sign Crawford. Henry made this comment during a radio interview and described the remark as "off-the-cuff." Crawford accepted the apology and said he doesn't hold it against the owner. Henry should've never have made that remark, regardless of how he feels. He needs to be rallying behind Crawford, who I'm sure will have a bounce-back year. It sort of reminds me of some people's remarks about Jacoby Ellsbury's injury-plagued season in 2010, and we all know Ellsbury made those people eat their words last year.
* Andrew Bailey is trying to decide on his walk-out music and said he's considering something rock and keeping in the Boston location, probably Aerosmith or Godsmack. As much as I would love to hear "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith, Steven Tyler is now a judge on American Idol and doesn't exactly strike fear into people (sorry, Aerosmith). While Godsmack's songs "Keep Away," Voodoo," and "Straight Out of Line," all seem like good walk-out music for a cloers, I suggest "Awake." It has a great intro, is one of their heaviest songs, and a "classic" Godsmack song. If would also suggest a Dropkick Murphy's song (like "Going Out in Style" or "State of Massachusetts"), but Bailey won't want to seem like he's copying Papelbon, who used Dropkick Murphy's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston."
* Bobby Valentine might want to reconsider is bicycle attire. That's all I'm going to say about that (do a websearch for a picture, if you must).
Well, that's it for now.
Two- Valentine has banned alcohol in the clubhouse, and he says it's what he's always done. The Red Sox certainly aren't the only team to ban alcohol either- they're actually the 19th. This means that over half the teams ban alcohol in the clubhouse, so it shouldn't be an issue. When asked about the players reaction, Valentine replied, "It was probably somewhere between (a standing ovation or booing)."
* John Henry has apologized to Carl Crawford for his remarks about Henry never wanting to sign Crawford. Henry made this comment during a radio interview and described the remark as "off-the-cuff." Crawford accepted the apology and said he doesn't hold it against the owner. Henry should've never have made that remark, regardless of how he feels. He needs to be rallying behind Crawford, who I'm sure will have a bounce-back year. It sort of reminds me of some people's remarks about Jacoby Ellsbury's injury-plagued season in 2010, and we all know Ellsbury made those people eat their words last year.
* Andrew Bailey is trying to decide on his walk-out music and said he's considering something rock and keeping in the Boston location, probably Aerosmith or Godsmack. As much as I would love to hear "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith, Steven Tyler is now a judge on American Idol and doesn't exactly strike fear into people (sorry, Aerosmith). While Godsmack's songs "Keep Away," Voodoo," and "Straight Out of Line," all seem like good walk-out music for a cloers, I suggest "Awake." It has a great intro, is one of their heaviest songs, and a "classic" Godsmack song. If would also suggest a Dropkick Murphy's song (like "Going Out in Style" or "State of Massachusetts"), but Bailey won't want to seem like he's copying Papelbon, who used Dropkick Murphy's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston."
* Bobby Valentine might want to reconsider is bicycle attire. That's all I'm going to say about that (do a websearch for a picture, if you must).
Well, that's it for now.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Bobby V
Bobby Valentine replaced Terry Francona as the Red Sox manager this off season, and many of the coaches that we fans have been accustomed to seeing year after year are also gone. It’s a strange feeling as we look at the “man who invented the sandwich wrap” as the leader of our beloved Red Sox. Before I get into my feelings on Bobby Valentine, I think it’s appropriate to discuss Terry Francona, quite possibly the best Red Sox manager there has ever been.
Terry Francona took over for the Red Sox after the heartbreaking 2003 season and ultimately, lead the Red Sox to two World Series Championships. He was a player’s manager, someone the players could come to for various reasons. Everyone knew the stories of the daily cribbage games between Francona and Pedroia and the proud look on Francona’s face when Lester threw his no-hitter after battling cancer. Over the years, we watched the familiar scene of Francona’s mouth filled with chew, then bubble gum, then chew, and finally bubble gum again (I’d hate to be the person who had to clean the dugouts after a Sox game).
But the September collapse happened. Chicken and beer- gate happened. As Sox fans, we were helpless as we watched our beloved team lose game after game. They seemed to play without any heart, and the sizeable play-off lead dwindled until the Sox missed the playoffs during the last game of the season. I don’t want to say it was Francona’s fault because he wasn’t one of the people playing, eating chicken, or drinking beer (sorry, had to have one last reference), but everyone knew there needed to be a change.
Whether Francona was forced out or decided to leave on his own, we may never know. But Francona left, Epstein jumped ship to the Cubs and left his replacement, Cherington, to clean up the mess that he created, no one wanted to talk to the media that was involved in the collapse (players like Pedroia, Scutaro, and Ellsbury, who still played well in September talked the media). After what seemed like endless searching, the Red Sox signed Bobby Valentine to a two-year deal to manager the Sox.
I am still not sure how I feel about this choice in manager. I don’t remember when he managed the Rangers, but a Rangers fan I work with said he was a great choice. All I know about Valentine was that he coached the Mets, had some antics, coached well in Japan, and was a commentator for ESPN.
I won’t get into my feelings on Valentine’s commentating on ESPN too much. To say the least, I wasn’t a fan. In general, I’m not a fan of ESPN’s coverage of MLB anyway (MLB Network is by far the best). I often found Valentine a bit annoying while watching games (I will put this bias behind me though since I don’t really pay attention to baseball commentary now that I watch a lot more games thanks to my MLB package on my computer).
In terms as a manager, Valentine has a decent record, an overall .510 W/L percentage, most of the wins coming from the Mets from 1996-2002. He managed the Mets to an NL pennant in 2000 as well, so he has experience. With the candidates the Red Sox were looking at, I think Bobby Valentine was the clear choice to manage this Red Sox team.
However, I also think Valentine is just a place-holder. The Red Sox original choice for replacing Francona was Blue Jays manager John Farrell, the Red Sox’s former pitching coach. But Farrell signed a three-year contract with the Jays last off-season, and the Jays wouldn’t let Farrell go. So, the Sox knew they needed someone for only two years, which is why Valentine’s contract is for the two-years.
This off-season, I think Valentine’s done a great job at taming the media; Boston media is tough. He’s said all the right things like “I just want to beat the Yankees,” he’s reached out to most if not all the players, he has made his appearances at charities; he’s slipped into the managerial role seamlessly. Valentine clearly likes being in front of the camera, but the question remains, what kind of manager will Valentine be?
Terry Francona took over for the Red Sox after the heartbreaking 2003 season and ultimately, lead the Red Sox to two World Series Championships. He was a player’s manager, someone the players could come to for various reasons. Everyone knew the stories of the daily cribbage games between Francona and Pedroia and the proud look on Francona’s face when Lester threw his no-hitter after battling cancer. Over the years, we watched the familiar scene of Francona’s mouth filled with chew, then bubble gum, then chew, and finally bubble gum again (I’d hate to be the person who had to clean the dugouts after a Sox game).
But the September collapse happened. Chicken and beer- gate happened. As Sox fans, we were helpless as we watched our beloved team lose game after game. They seemed to play without any heart, and the sizeable play-off lead dwindled until the Sox missed the playoffs during the last game of the season. I don’t want to say it was Francona’s fault because he wasn’t one of the people playing, eating chicken, or drinking beer (sorry, had to have one last reference), but everyone knew there needed to be a change.
Whether Francona was forced out or decided to leave on his own, we may never know. But Francona left, Epstein jumped ship to the Cubs and left his replacement, Cherington, to clean up the mess that he created, no one wanted to talk to the media that was involved in the collapse (players like Pedroia, Scutaro, and Ellsbury, who still played well in September talked the media). After what seemed like endless searching, the Red Sox signed Bobby Valentine to a two-year deal to manager the Sox.
I am still not sure how I feel about this choice in manager. I don’t remember when he managed the Rangers, but a Rangers fan I work with said he was a great choice. All I know about Valentine was that he coached the Mets, had some antics, coached well in Japan, and was a commentator for ESPN.
I won’t get into my feelings on Valentine’s commentating on ESPN too much. To say the least, I wasn’t a fan. In general, I’m not a fan of ESPN’s coverage of MLB anyway (MLB Network is by far the best). I often found Valentine a bit annoying while watching games (I will put this bias behind me though since I don’t really pay attention to baseball commentary now that I watch a lot more games thanks to my MLB package on my computer).
In terms as a manager, Valentine has a decent record, an overall .510 W/L percentage, most of the wins coming from the Mets from 1996-2002. He managed the Mets to an NL pennant in 2000 as well, so he has experience. With the candidates the Red Sox were looking at, I think Bobby Valentine was the clear choice to manage this Red Sox team.
However, I also think Valentine is just a place-holder. The Red Sox original choice for replacing Francona was Blue Jays manager John Farrell, the Red Sox’s former pitching coach. But Farrell signed a three-year contract with the Jays last off-season, and the Jays wouldn’t let Farrell go. So, the Sox knew they needed someone for only two years, which is why Valentine’s contract is for the two-years.
This off-season, I think Valentine’s done a great job at taming the media; Boston media is tough. He’s said all the right things like “I just want to beat the Yankees,” he’s reached out to most if not all the players, he has made his appearances at charities; he’s slipped into the managerial role seamlessly. Valentine clearly likes being in front of the camera, but the question remains, what kind of manager will Valentine be?
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