I was at the grocery store semi-early this morning, around nine o'clock. I was wearing my Nike, Red Sox dri-fit shorts and a Majestic Red Sox shirt (both had very minimal logos and representation on them). I wasn't thinking too much about my appearance because Sundays are truly my day of rest... meaning, I usually throw on shorts and a t-shirt and piddle-paddle around the house all day.
Anyway, I was in the produce section when a guy approached me. He looked at me and simply said "The Red Sox are killing me this year." He was with another guy who was wearing a Patriots jersey (I'm 99% sure there are less Pats fans in Iowa than Red Sox fans). I shook my head sadly at these two guys and agreed. We said a few choice things about the Red Sox and the game yesterday (notably losing Cook to the DL) and went on our ways.
When the Red Sox lost to the Yankees two weeks ago, 15-9, blowing a 9-run lead, Bobby Valentine said the team had hit rock bottom. They then went on to win 6 games in a row on the road. However, the troubles seem to be haunting the Red Sox again. In the 6-game homestand, they lost 5 to the A's and O's. In fact, they have now lost 5 in a row... and this was supposed to be the easy part of the schedule.
As my brother put it today, the Red Sox need to be shaken up. Something needs to happen to get the team cracking. Of course, his proposal wouldn't fly. He suggested that the Red Sox get beer after the games when they win. If they win three in a row, they get fried chicken.
Something needs to happen though. It's gotten to the point where it's almost painful to watch the games anymore. Today's game started out painful (Buchholz... again), had some great moments (Middlebrooks game-tying grand slam, some great defensive plays by Pedroia in extras), but it never looked like the team was having fun or enjoying themselves. They seem to get exciting about good things happening, but they need more.
I don't know if they're still in the adjustment periods with Valentine (who is on my list, let me tell you- he should've kept Miller and Aceves in longer today), they're carrying over from last year's problems, if there's a problem in the clubhouse, or what. Something needs to happen. I know I keep repeating that, but the Red Sox need to get going. We're more than a month into the season. They need to get going and play like the team everyone knows they can play.
I understand that there's many of the starters on the DL (Crawford, Ellsbury, Youkilis, Bailey), but the Red Sox had a much worse time in 2010 with injuries (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, Varitek, Drew). The 2010 team still played much better than the 2012 team. They had a sort of intensity and excitement to them. Even though they came in 3rd in the division, they still made it competitive and won 89 games. They were second only to the Yankees in runs scored, RBIs, and home runs.
Again, something needs to happen.
Showing posts with label chicken and beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken and beer. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
More on Alcohol
I’d really like to stop discussing alcohol in relationship to the Red Sox, but things just keep popping up. It seems that with Valentine imposing the alcohol ban in the clubhouse and on flights, more and more stories keep popping up. Since I write about the Red Sox and this is what is going on with the Red Sox, I need to discuss it. So, here it goes!
Beckett did a radio interview on WEEI and, of course, alcohol and the banning of alcohol came up. Since Beckett was seen as the “ring leader” in the whole “chicken and beer-gate,” he knew this was going to come up. I liked Beckett’s response though. He said, “I don’t get paid to make those decisions. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Now, whether or not it really matters to Beckett is up to him. As I’ve stated previously, I was just looking for an “I’m sorry,” and a moving on from him, and he’s done that, in his own way. I’m not a fan of “tweaking” this story to create new stories and drama.
I do have to say that I liked David Ortiz’s response to the whole banning alcohol drama. Ortiz said, “It doesn’t matter. We’re not here to drink; we’re here to play baseball. It ain’t no bar.” Short. Sweet. To the point.
Joe Maddon, the Rays manager, has come out and said that he will not be banning alcohol because “they aren’t the Boston Red Sox.” I like Maddon, and I know that his was said as a joke. Maddon had no control over the Red Sox or what happened, and I’m sure he knows how lucky his team was for making the playoffs last year. It wasn’t just because the Red Sox drank alcohol in the clubhouse; the Yankees blew a lead in game 162 that moved the Rays into the playoffs.
Now, the news today is that Terry Francona was on the “Mike and Mike Show” this morning on ESPN radio. Francona is now employed with ESPN, so this makes sense. However, his response to the banning of alcohol was as follows:
"I think it's a PR move. I think if a guy wants a beer, he can probably get one. You know, it's kind of the old rule ... If your coach in football says no hard liquor on the plane — I mean, you serve beer and wine — somebody's going to sneak liquor on the plane. If you furnish a little bit, it almost keeps it to a minimum.
"I don't think it's a surprise that they put this in effect, or the fact they announced it. It's probably more of a PR move just because, you know, the Red Sox (took) such a beating at the end of the year."
*(For the record, Valentine’s response to Francona’s comments: " "I don't really have a comment on that. That means that 20 teams were looking for PR and that's why they're making good decisions? I don't have a comment on that…You get paid (at ESPN) for saying stuff. You get paid here for doing stuff. I've done both.")
Nineteen other clubs have banned alcohol, and Valentine has come out and said that he’s previously had that policy in other clubs he’s managed. Does Francona know these players well enough that he knows the players will “bend” the rules and “sneak liquor on the plane?” I’d like to think that professional athletes being paid millions of dollars have enough decency to follow the rules their employer and manager have put into place.
I like Francona; I loved watching “Tito” manage the Red Sox. I’m really starting to come around to Valentine as well; he’ll definitely make the season entertaining! But I think Francona and Valentine are two, completely different managers. Valentine seems to be more hands on, while Francona trusted his players to make the right decisions.
I know part of Spring Training is to “figure out” what went wrong the previous season and “fix it,” but I’m ready for this to be done. Move on. Move forward.
* IT WILL NOT END! Now more details on Beckett’s interview with WEEI have come out, and he is not happy! In the interview, Beckett said:
"Somebody made that stuff up, just like somebody made up that we were doing stuff … This is stupid. I don't understand what the big deal is. Somebody was trying to save their own ass, and it probably cost a lot of people their asses. The snitching [expletive], that's [expletive]. It's not good.
"There's two things with the clubhouse thing that I have a problem with: If I'm going to say something about the clubhouse, my name is going to be on it. The second thing is you never want to be remembered as that guy because that will follow wherever you go. It's just mind-boggling to me."
Valentine’s response to Beckett’s outburst is pretty calm and fair, in my opinion:
"Teams are built on trust, right? And teamwork. They are probably the two most important things that championship teams have. If there is distrust, I think, it eventually would have to be addressed. In my experience, those things usually present themselves."
Again, I say: Move on. Move forward. However, I have a feeling I’ll be writing a few more posts on alcohol and the banning of alcohol before Spring Training is over.
Beckett did a radio interview on WEEI and, of course, alcohol and the banning of alcohol came up. Since Beckett was seen as the “ring leader” in the whole “chicken and beer-gate,” he knew this was going to come up. I liked Beckett’s response though. He said, “I don’t get paid to make those decisions. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Now, whether or not it really matters to Beckett is up to him. As I’ve stated previously, I was just looking for an “I’m sorry,” and a moving on from him, and he’s done that, in his own way. I’m not a fan of “tweaking” this story to create new stories and drama.
I do have to say that I liked David Ortiz’s response to the whole banning alcohol drama. Ortiz said, “It doesn’t matter. We’re not here to drink; we’re here to play baseball. It ain’t no bar.” Short. Sweet. To the point.
Joe Maddon, the Rays manager, has come out and said that he will not be banning alcohol because “they aren’t the Boston Red Sox.” I like Maddon, and I know that his was said as a joke. Maddon had no control over the Red Sox or what happened, and I’m sure he knows how lucky his team was for making the playoffs last year. It wasn’t just because the Red Sox drank alcohol in the clubhouse; the Yankees blew a lead in game 162 that moved the Rays into the playoffs.
Now, the news today is that Terry Francona was on the “Mike and Mike Show” this morning on ESPN radio. Francona is now employed with ESPN, so this makes sense. However, his response to the banning of alcohol was as follows:
"I think it's a PR move. I think if a guy wants a beer, he can probably get one. You know, it's kind of the old rule ... If your coach in football says no hard liquor on the plane — I mean, you serve beer and wine — somebody's going to sneak liquor on the plane. If you furnish a little bit, it almost keeps it to a minimum.
"I don't think it's a surprise that they put this in effect, or the fact they announced it. It's probably more of a PR move just because, you know, the Red Sox (took) such a beating at the end of the year."
*(For the record, Valentine’s response to Francona’s comments: " "I don't really have a comment on that. That means that 20 teams were looking for PR and that's why they're making good decisions? I don't have a comment on that…You get paid (at ESPN) for saying stuff. You get paid here for doing stuff. I've done both.")
Nineteen other clubs have banned alcohol, and Valentine has come out and said that he’s previously had that policy in other clubs he’s managed. Does Francona know these players well enough that he knows the players will “bend” the rules and “sneak liquor on the plane?” I’d like to think that professional athletes being paid millions of dollars have enough decency to follow the rules their employer and manager have put into place.
I like Francona; I loved watching “Tito” manage the Red Sox. I’m really starting to come around to Valentine as well; he’ll definitely make the season entertaining! But I think Francona and Valentine are two, completely different managers. Valentine seems to be more hands on, while Francona trusted his players to make the right decisions.
I know part of Spring Training is to “figure out” what went wrong the previous season and “fix it,” but I’m ready for this to be done. Move on. Move forward.
* IT WILL NOT END! Now more details on Beckett’s interview with WEEI have come out, and he is not happy! In the interview, Beckett said:
"Somebody made that stuff up, just like somebody made up that we were doing stuff … This is stupid. I don't understand what the big deal is. Somebody was trying to save their own ass, and it probably cost a lot of people their asses. The snitching [expletive], that's [expletive]. It's not good.
"There's two things with the clubhouse thing that I have a problem with: If I'm going to say something about the clubhouse, my name is going to be on it. The second thing is you never want to be remembered as that guy because that will follow wherever you go. It's just mind-boggling to me."
Valentine’s response to Beckett’s outburst is pretty calm and fair, in my opinion:
"Teams are built on trust, right? And teamwork. They are probably the two most important things that championship teams have. If there is distrust, I think, it eventually would have to be addressed. In my experience, those things usually present themselves."
Again, I say: Move on. Move forward. However, I have a feeling I’ll be writing a few more posts on alcohol and the banning of alcohol before Spring Training is over.
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, February 14, 2012
A Good Sign
I get most of my Red Sox information from The Boston Globe (I’ve tried the Boston Herald, but I like The Globe’s style more). There’s a running blog on The Globe’s website that I really enjoy called “Extra Bases;” and in an ideal world, updating that blog would be my job. Peter Abraham does a terrific job of reporting on all kinds of Red Sox stories from players to games to management to entertainment at Fenway Park to how John Henry’s European soccer team is having its own issues. Abraham has been in Ft. Myer’s since after the Super Bowl, and he’s noted a few early arrivals who have shown up to camp. Players who don’t have to report yet and who are there to start the season are always a good sign. It’s their job; and like most jobs, showing the boss you’re willing to show up earlier than required always looks impressive.
Some of the players who show up early are recovering from injury, like Rich Hill who looked really impressive last year before throwing out his arm. Other players are there to just work out without the microscope of tons of fans and media, which will be there in a week. Jon Lester fits into this category, and Abraham is reporting his stuff looks really impressive for this early in Spring Training.
The fact that Jon Lester has already arrived at Spring Training is another good sign. Lester was part of the “Chicken and Beer” club from last season, and while I try not to dwell on this issue since I don’t believe it caused the demise of the 2011 Red Sox, Lester is the leader of the pitchers (I could say co-leader since I still think Josh Beckett could fit into this category). Lester needed to be the one to show he was willing to work, work hard, work early, and work with the new manager (Valentine is reportedly going to be coming to Spring Training today).
Other early arrivals that also impressed me were Adrian Gonzalez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Gonzalez and Salty had great years last year, but there were still things they needed to work on. Gonzalez’s power numbers slid after the All-Star Break last year, and that could be attributed to numerous things from recovering from his shoulder surgery in 2010, participating in the Home Run Derby, or just natural fall-off. Salty’s production, while average for a catcher (let’s face it, not every catcher hits above .250 while still being good behind the plate), can and should improve. Salty’s 26, almost 27; he’s in his prime.
With a new manager in tow, players showing up early is great to see. It means they’re ready to work, focusing on the future and not the past. Last year, many people predicted the Red Sox to win the World Series based on their line-up and pitching. Not much as changed (though not having a set shortstop or right-fielder is still a mystery to me), so we shouldn’t count the Sox out this year.
UPDATE: I originally started writing this post yesterday. Today, it was reported that Josh Beckett had also shown up to Spring Training early. The fact that Beckett, who has made it known that he works at his own pace (flashbacks to Valentine’s comments on the August 7, 2011 game about how Beckett could drag out a game 8-9 hours come to mind). Beckett showing up early shows that he’s ready to put last year behind him and concentrate on improving this year (though it is worth noting that Beckett arguably had the best season out of the starting pitchers last year).
Some of the players who show up early are recovering from injury, like Rich Hill who looked really impressive last year before throwing out his arm. Other players are there to just work out without the microscope of tons of fans and media, which will be there in a week. Jon Lester fits into this category, and Abraham is reporting his stuff looks really impressive for this early in Spring Training.
The fact that Jon Lester has already arrived at Spring Training is another good sign. Lester was part of the “Chicken and Beer” club from last season, and while I try not to dwell on this issue since I don’t believe it caused the demise of the 2011 Red Sox, Lester is the leader of the pitchers (I could say co-leader since I still think Josh Beckett could fit into this category). Lester needed to be the one to show he was willing to work, work hard, work early, and work with the new manager (Valentine is reportedly going to be coming to Spring Training today).
Other early arrivals that also impressed me were Adrian Gonzalez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Gonzalez and Salty had great years last year, but there were still things they needed to work on. Gonzalez’s power numbers slid after the All-Star Break last year, and that could be attributed to numerous things from recovering from his shoulder surgery in 2010, participating in the Home Run Derby, or just natural fall-off. Salty’s production, while average for a catcher (let’s face it, not every catcher hits above .250 while still being good behind the plate), can and should improve. Salty’s 26, almost 27; he’s in his prime.
With a new manager in tow, players showing up early is great to see. It means they’re ready to work, focusing on the future and not the past. Last year, many people predicted the Red Sox to win the World Series based on their line-up and pitching. Not much as changed (though not having a set shortstop or right-fielder is still a mystery to me), so we shouldn’t count the Sox out this year.
UPDATE: I originally started writing this post yesterday. Today, it was reported that Josh Beckett had also shown up to Spring Training early. The fact that Beckett, who has made it known that he works at his own pace (flashbacks to Valentine’s comments on the August 7, 2011 game about how Beckett could drag out a game 8-9 hours come to mind). Beckett showing up early shows that he’s ready to put last year behind him and concentrate on improving this year (though it is worth noting that Beckett arguably had the best season out of the starting pitchers last year).
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