I hope everyone enjoys this post as it will be popping my Views from the Couch blogging cherry. Here’s the deal though. The NFL is awesome. It’s just absolutely phenomenal. With that being said, I’m not really feeling the rule change of the kick off spot…at all. Then again, who is? Kickoffs are possibly the best single play in football from a lot of standpoints. Football is not a contact sport; it’s a violent sport. Kickoffs used to highlight this, but now are as soft as Hugh Hefner off Viagra. Like honestly, college kicks off are from farther away. I want full speed collisions. I want to see who has the balls to stand there and block someone running full speed. For goodness' sake I want to see someone actually run a damn kick back. They might as well just spot the ball at the 20 yard line and call it a day. Not to mention where else does a bottom of the roster player get an opportunity to smack up a big name prima donna return guy. I want to see Mathew Slater knock the life out of Antonio Cromartie. That’s my shit right there. I mean it was bad enough that the NFL canned the three man wedge rule, but at least I could live with that. I understand safety is a concern, but what injuries are they basing this off of? It would seem that they just based it off of possibility. What major injuries have occurred on kickoffs recently? All I can think of off the top of my head is Kevin Everett, which I will admit was pretty horrid. However, that was kind of freakish from my eyes. I’m sure I’m missing a few but whatever. You get my point. Seriously, what are all those NFL players who just run really fast and suck dong at everything else going to do? Brandon Tate is probably going to be working with Delonte West at the furniture store in a year or two.
Let’s take a quick look at some numbers here. Last year Baltimore led the league in kickoff touchback percentage with a truly astounding 46%. This was about 15% higher than anyone else in the league. Even Sebastian “the drunk Polish brawler” Janikowski couldn’t top that. In fact, ten teams around the league averaged in the single digits. This year however, every team is double digits. The current low is around 11% from the Seahawks (insert a Pete Carroll sucks joke here). Over half the league is over 50% with ten teams over 60 goddamn percent. It’s completely absurd. Sure it’s a small sample size and those numbers will be slightly skewed by bad weather at the end of the year, but that won’t change the numbers that much. NFL, get your shit together.
This being a collaborative blog, I thought it best that you got the best of all viewpoints heading into baseball's postseason. So I will call onto my esteemed co-counsel for the most comprehensive batch of throwing shit up against a wall that you have seen. If October is "Where Legends Are Born" in baseball than Views from the Couch is where our bullshit can become your pearls of wisdom. Maybe we should get Jake Gyllenhall or Don Cheadle to give our mission statement as well.
St. Louis Cardinals (NL Wildcard Winner) vs Philadelphia Phillies (NL East Winner)
Pick: Phillies in 4
The Phillies have been a juggernaut for the better part of the year due to their heralded starting rotation and I don't see that changing much in the first round of the playoffs. The Phillies finished the season leading the league in ERA (3.02), quality starts (108), and WHIP (1.17). Not to mention they have two maybe three legitimate Cy Young contenders if you include Cole Hamels in with perennial contenders Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Roy Oswalt in the 4 hole isn't too shabby either. The biggest question with the Phillies for most of the year was their offense but after an 8 game losing streak in September the Fightin' Phils swept the Braves to close out the regular season and seem poised to mash. Expect Chase Utley, Hunter Pence, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, and company to hit in the clutch in the postseason.
The Cardinals have been hot in September and surged past the choking and in need of the Heimlich maneuver Braves (who surprisingly choked a month earlier then the franchise usually does) to snag the NL Wild Card on the final day of the season. The problem with having to wait until the last day of the season is that ace Chris Carpenter had to pitch on Wednesday night (threw a gem: CG, 2 H, 1 BB, 11 K's) to ensure that the Cardinals even made it this far thus forcing him to be able to only throw one game in the 5 game set. I doubt the Cards can steal 2 games, I would've given 'em a shot at stealing 1 but not 2, against a Phillies team that is loaded on talent (only team to win over 100 games this year) on the mound and at the dish. The Cards have some offensive firepower in Albert Pujols, Matt Holiday, and Lance Berkman but none of the three has ever really stepped up and carried a team throughout the playoffs except maybe Pujols in 2006. The Cardinals will make the series interesting but I expect that they'll only win game 3 when Carpenter pitches otherwise the Phillies will sail to the NLCS.
Geoff
Staff (and we use this term loosely) Picks:
Norton- Phillies
ZHawk- Phillies
JLang- Phillies
Arizona Diamondbacks (NL West Winner) vs Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central Winner)
Pick: Brewers in 3
The Diamondbacks have been the feel-good story of the National League this year but that will end in the first round. I also don't think it's going to be much of a series. Ian Kennedy, Justin Upton and their bullpen have all had a phenomenal year for the Snakes, but they don't have the offensive firepower to match Milwaukee's bats or the quality starting pitching to go toe-to-toe with their staff. One of the best stats to quantify a team is their run differential and Milwaukee's run differential at +83 is better than Arizona's +69.
Milwaukee has a better team ERA 3.63 to 3.80. Better OBP against .304 to .316. Better OPS against .689 to .725. WHIP of 1.24 to 1.29. Lastly in terms of pitching they dominated in strikeouts, 1257 to 1058.
Milwaukee also has a daunting middle of the order with Ryan Braun and an about to be free agent, Prince Fielder. Their team batting average .261 is better than Arizona's .250. Team OPS is also better at .750 compared to .736.
The only thing that Arizona seems to be better at than Milwaukee on paper is, their defense. Only 90 errors on the season to 111, of course, if you take away Yuniesky Betancourt's butchery of the Shortstop position (21 errors) you are dead even.
Last, but certainly not least, if you have a baseball nickname like Hammerin' Hebrew, you can't lose. Milwaukee in a cakewalk.
Norton
Staff Picks:
Geoff- Brewers
JLang- Brewers
ZHawk- Brewers
Tampa Bay Rays (AL Wildcard Winner) vs Texas Rangers (AL West Winner)
Pick: Rangers in 4
Now I may come across as a bitter Red Sox fan by saying this, but I don't see the Rays beating the Rangers in their ALDS matchup.
Here is why...
The Rangers' team as a whole is much too strong for the Rays to overtake. In my humble opinion, this is the sleeper team to go to the World Series from the American League. Former MVP, and my personal favorite Major Leaguer, Josh Hamilton and former Sock prospect David Murphy, plus Nelson Cruz, form a formidable outfield combination that brings a combination of power, speed, and defense that is nearly incomparable to many other teams. The hitting prowess of another former Sock, Adrian Beltre (.296/.331/.561, plus 32 dong shots and 105 RBIs), second sacker Ian Kinsler with much less flashy numbers (.255/.355/.477, with 32 and 77) provide the pomp and circumstance to the outfield's hail to the chief. CJ Wilson, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, and Colby Lewis form a solid, yet unspectacular, rotation, with Wilson leading the way at 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA.
The Rays, coming on strong as of late (obviously), have, for the most part, ridden a rocky road this season. Evan Longoria has finally regained the form that has been absent from his game for a lot of the year, but where is the rest of the team? The super tandem of Jaso-Shoppach behind the dish isn't exactly the baseball equivalent to Shaq and Kobe. Desmond Jennings has fallen off a cliff lately. Sean Rodriguez, Reed Brignac, and Ben Zobrist aren't exactly Jason and the Argonauts at the plate. Casey Kotchman is the starting first basemen. BJ Upton's attitude has begun to rear its ugly head. Who is carrying this team against the Rangers? Joe Maddon's bleached-blonde flowing locks are going to need some 1999 Pedro performances from David Price (looked like shit in game 162), James Shields (a HORSE on the bump if there ever was one), Matt Moore's Eyebrow (quite the eyebrow, I must say) and Jeremy Hellickson (where the hell did he fall off to?). That rotation, plus a bullpen anchored by Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth, makes me say just one thing...
Rangers in 4. Staff Picks:
Geoff- Rangers
Norton- Rays
ZHawk-Rangers
Detroit Tigers (AL Central Winner) vs New York Yankees (AL East Winner)
Pick: Tigers in 5
A battle of arguably the hottest team in Major League Baseball over the final two months of the season (38-16, .702%), the Detroit Tigers, and one of the most consistent teams in the league the New York Yankees, will undoubtedly prove to be a great series. Both teams have good starting pitching, good lineups and great bullpens. A big plus for the Tigers is that Justin Verlander and Doug Fister will be pitching 3 times in this series. Verlander is a virtual lock for the Cy Young award this season. Tossing one of the best seasons in recent history, Verlander posted a 24-5 record with a 2.40 ERA, 240 Ks and a .92 WHIP. To put it simply, the man has been downright filthy. Doug Fister has been hot as a pistol recently. In his last 8 outings, Fister has been even better than the Cy favorite in Verlander, going 7-0 with a 0.65 ERA. Combined the two were 14-0 with a 1.61 ERA since August. Delmon Young, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Alex Avila are a very solid 3 through 6 in their order as well. The Tigers can score runs with the best of them when things are clicking. A big X-factor in that lineup in my eyes is Ryan Raburn, when Raburn gets on a hot streak; he is a dynamic player for the Tigers offense. Say goodnight once you get to the eighth and ninth innings too because Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde are as good as it gets at shutting the door. Rookie reliever Al Alburqeurque is another name to watch out of the bullpen as he has been stellar all season.
The New York Yankees are the New York Yankees, as always, they are a force to be reckoned with. While in my eyes, they are weaker than in years past. They are still a great ball club. C.C Sabathia is the same horse of a pitcher as he has ever been. Ivan Nova has been a big surprise for them this year, having a great second half of the season. When the late innings roll around, don't bet on scoring any runs on this team either. David Robertson, Rafael Soriano and the greatest closer in major league baseball history A.K.A 'The Sandman' A.K.A Mariano Rivera form the pitching version of Murderer's Row in the seventh, eighth and ninth. They're lineup is better than any around as well. Two MVP candidates in Curtis Granderson ( .262 AVG 41 HR and 119 RBI), and newly minted number three hitter Robinson Cano (.302 AVG 28 HR and 118 RBI). They have past MVP candidates in Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. They also have a fantastic supporting cast, with guys like Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. The Yankees lineup doesn't have a single easy out in it. If there is any team in Major League Baseball that is going to give the Tigers rotation of Verlander, Fister and Scherzer a run for its money it is this Yankees ball club.
When it is all said and done, I don't see the Yankees being able to bash their way through the very strong Tigers pitching staff. The tone of the series will be set in game 1, with Verlander going blow for blow with C.C and Verlander coming out the victor. Fister wins game 2. Yankees beat Scherzer game 3. Yankees beat Rick Porcello in game 4. Verlander shuts the door on the Yankees in game 5. There you have it folks. That's how it's going down. You heard it here first.
The Red Sox, or Dead Sox, or Red Sux whatever you want to call them spit the bit last night. They spit the bit in such dramatic and gut-wrenching fashion that they actually overtook 1978 as the worst regular season loss in franchise history. The completion of the collapse was so theatrical that Scorsese couldn't have scripted it. The Rays come back from 7 runs down to force extra innings. The Red Sox are forced to watch it happen in the clubhouse during an ill-timed rain delay. Then Dan Johnson comes up with yet another homerun that bends the Red Sox over, dry. Papelbon blows a save. And within 3 minutes Longoria hits his 2nd homerun of the night to propel them into October. Here is what I took away from last night:
Dustin Pedroia is hands down the best second basemen in baseball, if this wasn't already established before the game. He couldn't have played better in the biggest game of the season. There's your cornerstone.
Jon Lester was clearly fighting himself to stay within the strike zone. But he found a way to be good. Only problem was the Red Sox needed him to be great. 2 runs over 6 innings definitely should have been enough to get a win. But the Sox needed someone to go out there and give them 8 innings 2 hit no-run ball and it just wasn't there. His start was admirable but not awe-inspiring.
Alfredo Aceves is a guy that I will have on my team any day.
Jonathan Papelbon's brilliant season will probably be forgotten because of the grotesque way that it ended. But I'll leave you with this, would you have any confidence with Bard as your closer right now? That's what I thought.
Daniel Bard needs to fix "it". Whatever it was that made his release point so inconsistent for the last month has to be fixed. If it's not fixed then he is no longer a strength and is basically Bobby Jenks or *gulp* Manny DelCarmen. He got out of the 8th inning last night but tell me you didn't pucker up when Vladdy hit that towering flyball to center.
Adrian Gonzalez didn't show up when you needed him to. The entire month of September, he didn't show up. If you're injured that's one thing, but if you are in the lineup, you are expected to produce. His season wasn't a bust, but the finish was an absolute disappointment. Also, for him to say, "God has a plan for us and it was to not make the playoffs" makes me want to backhand him. Even Kevin Costner knows you don't bring God between the lines. See the script from For Love of the Game, below:
Lord, I know that
I always said...
that I'd never involve You
in a baseball game.
It always seemed silly.
I mean, You got enough to do.
[ Exhales ]
But if there's any way
You could make this pain
in my shoulder go away...
for about ten minutes.
If the movies know not to involve the Higher Beings, why doesn't the highest paid player on the Red Sox?
The question going forward is can this team win as currently constituted. The answer is a resounding, no. There has to be changes and there will probably be multiple. Here's what I think happens and who goes and who stays.
Theo Epstein- He certainly has to take his share of the blame pie. The amount of bad contracts on this team and dead money on the books certainly doesn't look good on his resume. But how do you bring someone else into this and tell them to clean up a mess of this magnitude? I don't think you can, I think the Sox brass has to sit down with Theo and say, "We hate eating money, but we are businessmen and know when you have to cut losses, and we are going to be eating money this offseason." Theo has to figure out why he is so bad at evaluating free agents and he needs to turn it around, now.
Terry Francona- While I don't think this is entirely his fault. He seems to want to be done in Boston. When asked if he wanted to return he skated the question. Even the best managers run their course in different towns. His managerial style was perfect for 2004 with that group, but he has a bunch of guys outside of Pedroia and Ellsbury that needed a kick in the ass, and he didn't give it to them. That's where he needs to be accountable, and it may have cost him his job. He will most certainly be gone if another GM comes in. Most GM's want to start fresh with their manager. But if he wants to be in Boston he'll be back, but I do not think the Sox ultimately pick up his option.
John Lackey- There is no way unless he holds a press conference with a massive mea culpa vowing to be better that he and all his baggage, mouth breathing and horse facedness can come back to this town. He is an unaccountable cancer in the club house with diminishing stuff and a piss-poor attitude. His contract is an albatross and you will not be able to trade him for anything of value but the value of him not being on the team is FAR greater than him being on it. You will have to eat 60-75% or more of the contract to even think of trading him but another team would actually have to want to have him on his team. It was a failed signing. Write it off, you have the money. If you can't trade him you release him. You can't have that kind of poison in your clubhouse.
Carl Crawford- I have never seen such a self-pitying baseball player in my entire life. Most players when faced with adversity try and beat it back with their bat or arm and be a better player, this guy tucks his tail between his legs and turtles. During the final series of the year when you need to win out, he comes out and says, "I should be hitting second, I don't want to worry about trying to hit home runs". Well there's one problem with that, there's a better number 2 hitter already on the roster, his name is Dustin Pedroia. He doesn't have enough power to hit 3-6 and he causes a fit when asked to hit leadoff. His once heralded defense was so bad that it cost the Red Sox at least 2 games this year. He only stole 18 bases, 18 and didn't even get on base above a .290 clip for Christ sake. I'm not saying you should trade him, but I am saying where does he fit? He didn't fit when you signed him and after the first year it couldn't be more obvious that this player is not the player you thought you signed. I understand that 7 years and 142 million is a large commitment but if there is any way that you could swap him for Jayson Werth I would do it in a heartbeat despite Werth's down year.
Tim Bogar- He needs to go. The Red Sox ranked second this year in runners thrown out at the plate this year. There is no way that Marco Scutaro should be sent on Crawford's double after he stopped mid-way between 2nd and 3rd. If he doesn't go you will once again see more baserunning blunders than should happen on a team of this (supposed) caliber.
Jonathan Papelbon- He had a phenomenal season, which will be marred by the nasty taste of the final game in Baltimore. Papelbon has to come back. Daniel Bard is not ready to be the closer of this team. He is accountable when faced with adversity and one could argue he had his best statistical year in the big leagues. There will be a choice between Ortiz and Papelbon who will probably get around the same Average Annual Value contract. 3-4 years at 14 million per year.
David Ortiz- David Ortiz had a fantastic rebound season. That being said I think it's time you let him walk and collect the two compensatory draft picks for letting a Type A Free Agent go. We have seen what the decline looks like with Ortiz and it isn't pretty. I would bring him back if he took shorter years but he won't. This coupled with Kevin Youkilis getting older and the constant beating his body takes you will need to have the DH spot open to either rotate him in or give it to him permanently through the remainder of his contract.
Jason Varitek/Tim Wakefield- It's been a good run guys. But this team isn't getting any younger. The "game-calling" ability is invaluable, but when that is you're ONLY value it is not enough to keep on the roster. It is time to let Varitek walk. Tim Wakefield is a strange case. He should be let go. But with pitching being so volatile and injury-prone he could have a spot. Ultimately I don't think they want someone that is only good for a 5.00 ERA and he will retire.
JD Drew-Feels like this moment couldn't have come sooner didn't it? Basically he played good defense and hit a home run in the playoffs. That's the extent of JD's tenure in Boston. We will need a right fielder.
There are only a handful of players that I think have a cemented spot on next year's team. Dustin Pedroia, the captain and the best all-around player on your team. Jacoby Ellsbury, what a year this kid had. Jon Lester, despite his struggles in September he is still one of the preeminent lefties in the game. Clay Buchholz, You have to write the year off but affordable quality starting pitching is a commodity. Adrian Gonzalez, he'll learn to not be so passive and God-fearing.
The Red Sox are too left-handed. The did hit well against lefties, but late in the games versus "lefty specialists" they were vulnerable. They need to look at a Michael Cuddyer who mashes lefties and can play the outfield and has the versatility to play in the infield as well.
The one thing that sets the Red Sox apart from just about all the other playoff teams is their lack of an "Ace". They don't have a CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay. They need an impact arm. Especially when they get rid of John Lackey. They need to explore trades, names like Felix Hernandez, Johan Santana, James Shields and Tim Hudson all need to be discussed if someone will deal them.
The Red Sox season woefully underachieved and there has to be moves. If this team comes back in 2012 intact, with no major additions or more importantly subtractions they will continue to be maddening to watch. This team needs a hardnosed swagger back because right now they are playing "entitled baseball" when the only way to play baseball is to earn your spot in the postseason not have it handed to you.
A quick footnote before we roll along with this weeks edition of ‘The Quick Slant’ on Views from the Couch: I’m pissed about the final 45 minutes of football yesterday and may rant about it later…I’m not sure yet. Anywho back to the news and a few notes from the Patriots week 3 matchup with NFL darling Buffalo. With 15:00 left in the 2nd your New England Patriots were holding a 21-0 lead and appeared headed towards their 16 straight victory over the Buffalo Bills but not so fast folks the Bills got the last laugh and pulled out a 34-31 win in sunny Ralph Wilson Stadium. You read that right folks the Bills came back from 21 points down and stunned the Pats to gain sole possession of first place in the vaunted AFC East after the Jets lost to the Raiders, who might be better than anyone thought they’d be. Now that you’ve put up with my Leno style monologue to open ‘The Quick Slant’ lets get to what I saw in the Patriots debacle, I mean matchup, yesterday.
-Tom Brady statistical had another big day throwing for 387 yards and 4 TD’s on 30/45 passing but he also racked up 4 INT’s. Very un-Tom ‘Terrific’-like but hey everyone is prone to a few mistakes every once in a while and he still helped the team put 31 points up on the board. 2 of the 4 picks were fluky as well with one coming off a deflection off a Bills D-lineman’s helmet and the other coming off a poorly thrown ball behind Woodhead that he tipped in the air and it got snatched. The other 2 were all Tom’s fault though and he admitted that after the game. No gripes here though with the way he played.
-The running game disappeared though Steven Ridley the 3rd round pick out of LSU looked good on his 7 carries picking up 44 yards. Danny Woodhead managed 21 yards on 6 carries and BenJarvus Green-Ellis could only muster 16 measly yards on 9 carries. That’s not going to get it done later in the season when teams key in on the passing game and force the Patriots to run. For an example refer back to the divisional round of the 2011 playoffs against the Jets.
-Wes Welker was a (fantasy) beast hauling in a career high 16 receptions for a career high 216 yards and 2 scores. He was finding a way to get open against single and double coverage all day and Brady wasn’t afraid to throw him the rock. On the other side Chad Ochocinco, who I’ve been a staunch supporter of so far, watched a would be touchdown go right thru his arms. He finished the day with 2 receptions for 28 yards but you can see that Brady just doesn’t trust him to make the right reads and run crisp routes.
-Losing Aaron Hernandez hurt a whole bunch. In the first 2 weeks the Patriots ran out of a two tight end set 85% of the time. Yesterday? Only 4 plays were run out of the two tight end set and even that is misleading cause Rob Gronkowski (another huge game with 2 more show me your TD’s) was the only active TE listed on the roster. The Patriots offense is centered around the two tight end look now and as long as Hernandez is out the offense will have a different look to it.
-But enough about the offense that has shown and will continue to show that it’s one of the top 2 or 3 in football alongside the Green Bay Packers and N’Awlins Saints. Let’s talk about the defense. I’m going to focus on the bigger picture and long term aspirations of this unit in this section after watching the Patriots defense getting torched for the third straight week. First Chad Henne then Phillip Rivers and finally Ryan Fitzpatrick have all had their way with this defense. The defense. The defense. The defense. Allow me to rant here for a minute about how the Hoodie for years sold us on the simple premise that anyone is replaceable at any time and that it is his schemes not necessarily the players in them that produce wins. The first couple years this strategy held strong to the fans naked eye but a deeper look reveals that those defenses of the championship years weren’t so good because of the scheme only but rather because of a wealth of talent on that side of the ball that is no longer present. Let me list some of the players from those stalwart defenses that helped backstop the Patriots to 3 rings in the past decade: Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, Willie McGinest Lawyer Milloy, Roman Phifer, Bryan Cox, Tedy Bruschi, Asante Samuel, Ty Warren Ted Johnson, and Mike Vrabel. All of those players either appeared in a Pro Bowl or three or had their names on the All Pro teams. Those defenses were built on talent in the form of veteran playmakers and budding stars all over the field. This defense has maybe, maybe 3 big time players in Jerod Mayo (stud), Vince Wilfork (brick shithouse), and Devin McCourty (he’s good but for my money its too early to deem him a top flight corner). Note: I’m not including the best talent on the entire defense, Albert Haynesworth, cause he hasn’t proven himself healthy enough to make a major impact though we all know he can be the best player in football on this side of the ball if he chooses to be. Championship teams have championship defenses that have stars and playmakers all over the field COMBINED with a strong scheme. It’s not just one or the other though if you were going to pick which one would lead your team to the promise land wouldn’t you choose superior talent with the ability to change a game at the drop of a hat over a well implemented game plan run by below average players? The way I look at it the Hoodie needs to beef up on superior talent thru the draft, trades, or free agency (I prefer big time first round talent but hey that’s just me). With superior talent and the Hoodie’s well-planned schemes then the Patriots’ defense can return to the caliber it was during the Super Bowl years. The first 3 weeks of the season have only reinforced my theory that I’ve been running with for a few years now on the Patriots defense needing an upgrade in talent not just different players with the same talent level ‘filling holes’ in the system.
Next matchup on the docket for the Patriots is a trip out to the Black Hole to play the Raiders. The same Raiders who appear to be semi-legit after running all over the Jets vaunted defense and taking home a 34-24 victory. Disagree with my theories from the past week and we’ll talk about it again after week 4.
Make no mistake, I am not condoning the hot horseshit brand of baseball the Red Sox have been playing since August turned to September but I am going to say, embrace the race.
Payrolls aside, when did the Red Sox become the Yankees? And by this I mean pompous frontrunners. The Red Sox throughout history have been the "workman-like" team while the Yankees spent to excess and bought the best available talent year after year. The Sox were rolling over competition, not just rolling steamrolling everyone and everything that got in their path. The best team in baseball from May 1- August 31.
But when did the Northeast Region, and Red Sox Nation collectively become the type of fans that wanted a playoff spot handed to them. Baseball is a war of attrition, the most grueling of all of the 4 major sports schedules, it may not be the most physically demanding on a game to game basis but the mental fatigue is bar none the most taxing.
I'll be honest, I can't think of anything better to watch than a baseball game with playoff implications. To see different players will themselves and their teams to victory fills me with an orgasmic rush that Ron Jeremy would be proud of. Just think of all the exciting moments within the last 10 years in the last week of the season and 1 game playoffs. Matt Holliday face planting into home plate to propel the Rockies into the playoffs and eventually in the World Series. The 12 inning epic between the Tigers and Twins two years ago that had Carlos Gomez flying around third base into home. How about the 1978 Yankees versus Red Sox Bucky Dent round tripper heard round the world.
The last week of the season is where some Champions are made, and the hometown 9 will most likely be playing in one of these momentous games.
Players that have been underwhelming the entire year get a chance for atonement over the next 4-5 days. Carl Crawford, the 142 dollar mystery man, has been abysmal but he could drive in a run and clinch a spot in October. John Lackey has been the worst pitcher in Red Sox history but he has a chance to be a hero, or a goat.
The National League also has a race that is very much alive between St. Louis and Atlanta. Atlanta has been reeling, much like Boston and St. Louis is coming on like a house on fire.
This is exciting, this is where baseball lore is written, this is where players can make a name for themselves. What do you think of when you think of Dave Roberts? Kirk Gibson? Joe Carter?
Playoff baseball is here and the tournament hasn't even started yet.
Unless you've been living under the proverbial rock for the entire month of September or subscribe to 'Pink Hat Weekly' you know that your Boston Red Sox are now 2 games up on the Tampa Bay Rays (as I write this they are smoking the Yanks 12-0 with super phenom Matt Moore starting out with 7 K's in 3 IP) and 2.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (dumb name how'd the Dodgers let them get LA in their name?). On September 1st the Sox were up 11 games in the AL Wild Card, actually they were 2 games up in the AL East on the rival Bronx Bombers but hey who's counting, over the Rays with roughly 30 to play. Throw on the cruise control and head into the playoffs right? Negative, ghostrider the Sox starting rotation has decided to complete wilt and the Rays finally realized that they have dynamite starting pitching 1-5 and Johnny Damon has proven that right now he's a better player than Carl Crawford for literally 25% of the money in 2011. As unthinkable as it seemed at the beginning of the month the Red Sox are in shambles, grasping for playoff straws and if they do end up invited it to the dance they'll be more than backing in which leads to the question: is it worth it to make the playoffs and get trounced in the first round a la 2005 (Matt Clement in game 1 gave up 8 runs. Awesome) or for them to spare us and get caught by the Rays?
If anybody reading this blog can honestly tell me that the Red Sox deserve to make the playoffs more than the Rays after this past month and the overall organizational philosophy of 'Oh, don't worry about that loss guys we tried hard and Lackey's stuff was great I don't know what happened out there' or 'Hey, you slept on the plane wrong and your neck hurts and we are collapsing but you want a few games off? Sure, go for it!' I'd love to hear your rationale. From May 1st thru September 1st the Red Sox were the best team in baseball and in the words of the old timers hot as a pistol yet before May 1st and after September 1st they have been far below average and seem disinterested on most nights. A glance at the team on paper and it wasn't far-fetched to pencil in this years ballclub for 100 wins and a trip to the World Series to face off with the Fightin' Phils. The talk radio arguments were centered not on if the Red Sox had the best offense in baseball (they are 2nd in runs and damn good) but whether they had the best pitching in baseball. The staff that some were comparing to that of the Phillies headed by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt currently checks in with the 21st best ERA in baseball or if it's easier to digest the 10th worst in baseball.
Probably my favorite stat that I've heard recently about the Red Sox pitching staff centers around the one and only John Lackey. Since the Red Sox were founded in 1901 the worst ERA that any pitcher on their staff has accumulated while throwing at least 100 innings was 5.89....Lackey will set the record this year by chalking up a 6.49 ERA in 154 IP while leading the league in ER's given up at 111. This season will go down as the worst year a starter pitcher has EVER had in a Red Sox uniform. If the Red Sox make the playoffs this is probably the guy who's taking the ball in game 3 since Clay Buchholz won't be ready to go more than an inning or two, while typing this Erik Bedard just broke another toenail, and Alfredo Aceves (probably the teams most effective pitcher this year) hasn't been stretched out to go more than 4 or 5 innings. Are you sure you want the Red Sox to get into the playoffs so you can see them get torched by the Rangers or Tigers in 3...maybe 4 games?
The pitching is what has failed them over the past month more than anything else. The offense is still averaging close to 5.5 runs/game yet the teams record this month is 5-16. The Red Sox rotation currently looks like this: Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Tim Wakefield, Kyle Weiland or Andrew Miller - pick who you want to get lit up it doesn't really matter they both suck. Jon Lester hasn't picked like a 'Ace' in over a month and has done nothing to slow the teams steady free fall into 2nd maybe 3rd place in the AL Wild Card. Josh Beckett 'rolled' his ankle and missed 10 days or so came back last week and threw well against the Rays but when the Red Sox needed that game last night against the Orioles and he was handed a 4-1 lead going into the 6th he couldn't hold onto it. Big game pitchers win that game every day of the week whether they have to throw 100 pitches or 150 pitches they win that ballgame for their club. It pains me to say this but C.C. Sabathia wins that game for the Yankees without a doubt in my mind. Daniel Bard has also gone up into flames losing 5 games in this month alone while not being able to go an inning without giving up at least 2 walks and most nights a run. The truly only accountable pitcher on the staff lately has been Jonathan Papelbon.
The team is in disarray and the players faces show it every night before, during, and after the games. The attitude on the dugout sucks right now with everyone taking the whoa with me attitude that good teams who don't have the cahoonas to buck up and carry the team into the playoffs and beyond. If you've been watching any of the teams games this month you've seen just how unwatchable the games actually are. It's painful to watch most nights because before the game has even started the opposing team has been staked to a 2 or 3 run lead. Losing 3 out of 4 to the 2nd worst team in the majors Baltimore Orioles when you're in the middle of a dogfight is unacceptable and not what playoff teams do. Unless I see a dramatic change from the 2011 edition of the Boston Red Stockings I personally don't want to see them get into the playoffs and get hammered into the ground. It might do the organization some good to experience a collapse only eclipsed by the 1964 Phillies. Maybe then there will be more accountability in the locker room when players don't show up to the ballpark everyday ready to win and contribute. Maybe then players will play hurt and get the wins necessary to be an elite ballclub for 162 games, not 120 games but the full season.
The decisions all yours on what you want to see happen over the next week and a half of games leading up to the season finale but I know that right now from my perspective I'd rather not see the Red Sox get into the playoffs and by 1, 2, 3 and home playing golf. Ask yourselves this before making your decision though do the 2011 Boston Red Sox deserve to make the playoffs?
I'm going to make a bold statement and you're going to guffaw, and then you're slowly going to agree with it. Ready for the big embrace? After watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a save the other night, I decided that night was the exact reason why we need to resign him in the offseason.
Whoa, what did he say? Who is this jamoke?
Obviously, blowing a save is not the reason that I think we should resign him. But his comments after the game are precisely the reason why he should be the closer of the present and future for the Boston Red Sox.
"Whenever I'm called on, I have to do my job. Tonight boiled down to execution, I have to be able to put guys away 0-2. This game is on me. This team needed me and I didn't come through. I don't want to hear anything about Tito bringing guys in early, the lineup not coming through or anything else, this game is on me."
Talk about accountability! Talk about not making excuses or hanging your head. This is exactly the kind of attitude people should be having on a baseball team instead we've been getting this:
John Lackey always having great stuff out on the mound but somehow one bloop-hit seems to be the only reason he gives up 8 runs in 4 innings. Weird.
John Lester (ugh I hate smiting you) talks about the dimensions of Fenway Park doing him in. Get used to it you have another 5 years on your deal bud.
David Ortiz despite the great year, seems to blame the schedule for skids along the way. Everyone has a schedule last time I checked so play it out.
Carl Crawford deflecting reporters because he had yet another bad game. Sack up and own up to what's going on.
Jonathan Papelbon's attitude alone makes me want him as my closer for the next 4-5 years. He has the uncanny ability to forget about a bad outing and come back the next day and effectively get the job done. Despite the death stare that doesn't scare anyone on the mound, this guy's makeup is exactly what Boston needs in this market. The ability to get a job done and the accountability when one should falter is the only kind of player I want on a team that I root for.
Well, the Sox played well this weekend eh? It's not even sad, it's infuriating. It's infuriating because the lowly Rays are playing smarter than the Red Sox. The Red Sox are playing, to be frank, like a bunch of pussies. Let's look at the positives and negatives of this series:
Positives:
Josh Beckett is healthy. If by some stretch of the imagination the Sox stave off the surging Mantas from St. Pete, we at least have someone that we can throw in the fire and know that he's going to give a Texas-sized effort and impose his will on the outcome of the game.
Offensively Mike Aviles can swing the stick. He is a year removed from hitting .300 for the KC Royals and Fenway's atmosphere and ballpark dimensions really seem to suit him.
Jonathan Papelbon owns the Rays. That is all that needs to be said regarding that.
That's it. A 4-game series we have 3 goddamn positive points.
Negatives:
Jon Lester where art thou? Where is the guy that everyone said is the Ace of the Staff? Your stuff is undeniably excellent but when the Boston Red Sox need the cornerstone of their rotation to step up and pitch like an Ace you puke on your shoes. Yes, you got deeper into the ballgame than most of the other guys had done in the last 2 weeks but your offense didn't even get to hit before they were in a 2-0 hole. For the first time in your Big League career I do not have confidence in the Big Lefty, and that hurts.
The base running blunders are disgusting. What the hell is Jacoby Ellsbury doing? Why would you take the bat out of Pedroia's hands? You are the fastest guy on the field and will score on just about any single in the outfield. Giving away outs is unacceptable especially when your team is wilting like a September rose.
Adrian Gonzalez goes 0-12 in the biggest series of the year. He's a little nicked up in the shoulder which is robbing some power to the opposite field. You're the best hitter on the Red Sox and you go 0-12? You can have a bad series and go 2-12 but 0-12 is unacceptable. Jeremy Hellickson is a very good pitcher. But you KNOW he's throwing changeups in fastball counts, when does someone sit on a change-up for one pitch? I understand if you sit change-up it's impossible to hit a fastball but for one at-bat? Someone needs to adjust and right now no one is.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is not a good catcher. Wakefield's knuckleball is violent. Does anyone that has watched this team not know that? If you can't catch it let it hit you in the goddamn chest protector and keep it in front of you. He has a great arm but his accuracy is so erratic that it negates his arm when he's throwing 5-6 feet to the right and left of the bag. Watching him catch is laborious and exasperating, and it's to the point where I don't think you can go through another season with him as you're primary backstop.
The starting pitching not just in this series but for the last 2 weeks has been unacceptable. For a team with this payroll and postseason aspirations, consistently not getting through 5 innings is impermissible. Players need to be accountable for their performance and right now the performance is lackluster.
Terry Francona is the leader of this (sinking) ship and right now he may be the only one that can right the situation. It may be time for Terry Francona to either lose his cool with his team or get tossed out on the field. Joe Maddon wasn't afraid to let his team play without him for a game when he got tossed the other night. It may be time for Francona to do the same. LIGHT THE FIRE.
Defensively the Red Sox have been putrid, and there is one reason for it. They are playing tight. They know they have to make every play and some players aren't handling the pressure well. Cutoffs are there for a reason, HIT THEM. Back to the basics: throw the ball, catch the ball and hit the ball. Baseball is a simple game that gets made complex by people who think too much.
Why did the Red Sox sign Carl Crawford if they are going to sit him in the biggest series of the year? I honestly don't care if he is 0 for 200 against David Price you need to win (or lose) with your best players on the field and you just sat your 20 million dollar player for Connor Jackson. If you're going to do that you might as well deal this guy in the offseason. He is hitting .313 during day games this year and shouldn't be sitting because a lefty is on the mound. It doesn't make sense. You don't sit a 20 million dollar a year player, PERIOD. Any confidence he had is gone and will not be repaired this year and hopefully it can be fixed next year.
The Sox have 10 games left that start with a double-header today, with Kyle Weiland followed by John Lackey. Let's say the Sox go 5-5 to end the season the Rays would have to go 7-3 and that is including 2 series against the Yankees. The Yankees don't have much to play for with a playoff berth just about sewn up, and if they feel they can beat the Rays more handily than Boston in the postseason, it would behoove them to essentially tank the 2 series against them. Despite the record against the Sox this year, I think their best chance would be against the Red Sox and not the Rays in a 7 game series.
So basically it's a race to 6 games for Boston because the odds of the Rays winning 8 of the next 10 are going to be monumental. If the Sox only win 5 the Rays could very easily go and win the next 3 series and force a playoff game, especially with the Yankees not having any motivation to win any games.
All you can ask at the end of a season is to control your own destiny. The Red Sox have that luxury because of how well they played between May and August. But if the Red Sox can't pitch better, limit their errors, or stop running themselves into outs and out of innings they will be playing golf and the Greatest Team Ever Assembled will be the Choke Artists of the Century.
If you read the debut of the ‘The Quick Slant’ on Views from the Couch after week 1 then you’ve probably got an inkling on what is going to follow this opening sentence: my thoughts and notes after watching the Pats week 2 showdown with the San Diego (Super)Chargers. The same San Diego SuperChargers who Peter King picked to make it to the Super Bowl and lose to the Falcons (Falcons looked good last week. Not).The same San Diego Chargers who for the past 10 years it feels like are just waiting to reach their ‘potential’. It’ll happen one of these years they keep telling me yet I digress. A brief synopsis of the game shows that the Patriots won 35-21 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro with Tom ‘Terrific’ throwing for 423 yards, 3 TD’s on 31 completions. Another ho-hum day at the office for Tom though a subpar outing in comparison to the record setting week he accumulated against the Dolphins in week 1. But enough about Tom Brady here are my notes and thoughts from the Pats week 2 Sunday afternoon affair.
-The passing game looked unstoppable for the second straight week against another pair of good corners in Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason and safeties Eric Weddle and Bob Sanders (2 straight weeks for Sanders without getting hurt haven’t seen that in 3 or 4 years). As noted above Brady threw for 423 yards and 3 scores while only chalking up 9 incompletions. His love for Deion Branch was once again evident as the two connected 8 times for 129 yards. The TE’s (Gronk and Hernandez) also kept causing matchup problems for every opponent by finishing with 11 catches, 148 yards, and 3 TD’s combine.
-There was a wild Ochocinco sighting early in the 3rd quarter! The ‘Basketball Wives’ guest star Chad Ochocinco reeled in a Brady offering across the middle and turned it into a 30-yard gain. Not too shabby good work Chad you finished the game with 2 receptions for 45 yards. Maybe this week Tedy Bruschi won’t call you out for being one of the leaders in tweets per day…nah he’ll prob say you should’ve had 3 for 60.
-The line did a good job keeping Brady upright for most of the game against very strong SuperChargers pass rushers. Shaun Phillips did record a sack but he’s going to chalk up 10 or 11 this year so it’s nothing to sweat if you’re the Pats o-line. The line also had a stellar day considering starting center since 2004 Dan Koppen checked out last week with a snapped ankle. Give them their due for giving Brady a clean pocket (that shout outs for you Trent Dilfer) all day and paving the way for BenJarvus Green-Ellis (THE LAW FIRM! Someone always has to yell it) to rush for 70 yards and a score.
-The defense did give up 21 points, 372 net yards passing, and 98 rushing yards but give them credit they also had 4 takeaways (2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries). They played typical Patriots defense from their Super Bowl championship teams by bending but not breaking. At one point between the 2nd and 3rd quarters the Chargers made 4 trips into the Red Zone and came away with 2 turnovers, 1 turnover on downs and 1 touchdown. I’ll take that any day of the week if I’m the Hoodie. The only long-term problems came in the forms of Patrick Chung having to leave for a bit with a hand injury and Ras-I Dowling (damnit I jinxed him by throwing him some praise last week. My bad Ras-I.) limping off the field in the second half.
-Mark Anderson putting another sack on the board! That’s 2 sacks for the big fella in 2 games with the Patritos. Shaun Ellis doesn’t have a sack yet but no worries Mark Anderson will pick up the slack and get after the quarterback.
-Another note on the injury front: P Zoltan Mesko had to leave the game in the 3rd quarter after tweaking his knee. I know punters and kickers seem pretty easily replaced but if Mesko has to miss any length of time it will deal a blow the Patriots special teams unit. The guy can boom the ball when needed or Coffin corner (learned that one from Madden) it when duty calls. Belichick spent a 5th round pick on the Romanian born punter so you know he thinks pretty highly of him. He’s consistent which is a rarity for punters in the NFL and plus I don’t want to see Ken Walter come back out of retirement. It’s also fun to throw a ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’ Zoltan! reference everytime he walks on to the field.
-Overall the Patriots looked good for the second straight week and have started out the season strong. The defense might give up yards and points but the offense more than makes up for it. Today marked the 10th straight game the Pats have put up 35+ points. That takes a load of pressure off the defense knowing that they can grow and gel at their own leisurely pace because Brady and the bunch will put up points early and often.
-Finally on a pet peeve note something about the roughing the passer calls that are rampant around the league. I know the NFL is a quarterback-driven league and they go to great lengths to protect these franchise cornerstones, we as Pats fan see it every week with the treatment Brady gets from the refs…don’t deny it he gets babied, but some of these roughing the passer calls are ludicrous. The 15-yard personal foul penalty on Andre Carter in the 2nd quarter was asinine to say the least. Carter was flagged for ‘holding onto Philip Rivers midsection and driving him to the ground’. Oh, so you mean he tackled the quarterback? Yeah that makes sense flag the guy for doing what defense players are supposed to do…tackle people! It’s getting ridiculous and if it continues down the path its headed it’s only going to get worse here’s to hoping the lighten up and let defensive players get in a good pop every once in a while.
We’ll see you next week after your New England Patriots try to make it 15 straight wins against the 2-0 Buffalo Bills and take over sole position of first place in the AFC East.
During the Patriots and Dolphins season opener last night I jotted down some random thoughts and notes I took away from the game. Going into the game the Patriots were burdened with some heavy optimism stemming from the additions of WR Chad Ochochinco and a slew of DL’s, namely Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis, and Andre Carter. A spot to watch was also the safety position with 2 time Pro Bowl (as the 9th alternate safety but a pro bowler none the less) Brandon Meriweather getting cut after the preseason finale. In light of this optimism I tried to pay attention to a few key details. If you watched the game you know that in the end the Patriots shellacked the Dolphins to the tune of 38-24 with Tom Brady throwing for 517 yards (career high and franchise record not to mention 5th most all time) and 4 scores. Without further adieu here are the snippets:
-Tom ‘Terrific’ looked just that. He was in total control of the offense connection with weapons all over the field. It was opening night and yet the Pats were running a no huddle offense to perfection leaving the Dolphins gasping for air and unable to make any substitutes during the Patriots many scoring drives. The TE’s (namely Gronkowski and Hernandez…wait do I need to specify Rob now that his brother Dan is on the team?) torched the Dolphins DB’s and LB’s all night to the finally tally of 13 rec, 189 yards, and 2 scores combine.
-Chad Ochocinco is going to be fine but he’s just not caught up with the offensive lingo yet. He didn’t get much run and was only targeted 3 times making 1 catch for 14 yards. Check back later in the year when he’s on the same page as Brady and he’ll be the weapon we all hope and expect him to become.
-The acquistion of Deion Branch at the trade deadline last year is still paying dividends. Him and Brady have an uncanny connection. When Vontae Davis had to run off the field due to cramps Branch and Brady abused his replacement (Nolan Carroll) for a full drive. It got to the point where Brady wasn’t even calling plays but hiking the ball and just waiting for Branch to shake Carroll and grab 8 to 10 yards.
-Danny Woodhead looks just as good the second time around and BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a key goal line bruiser. Woodhead found a way to get to the edge and he ended up with a team high 14 carries for 69 yards. Green-Ellis is the team’s feature back but he only had 7 carries for 34 yards last night more due more to matchups and Woodhead’s effectivness than anything else. In the middle of the field though the Patriots still struggle to run up the gut and wear defenses down in the middle.
-The defense looks much improved against the pass and they put pressure on Chad Henne as the game progressed with Andre Carter and Mark Anderson racking up a sack each. The first drive the Dolphins marched down the field but they didn’t do it again until the game was seemingly out of reach. Albert Haynesworth was a beast in the middle in the 3rd and 4th quarters constantly beating up on rookie Mike Pouncey and wreaking havoc on Henne. Ninkovich also had a good game putting a good amount of pressure on the QB. Henne did finish with 416 yards on 30/49 passing but a decent amount of those yards came once the Patriots had pulled back and gone into a cover 2/3 shell. Don’t get me wrong though by no means does the defense look great but it does look better than it did at times last year holding the Fins to 2/14 on 3rd downs.
-They still struggle to stop the run as Reggie Bush gashed them early though they got stingier as the game went on and you could see how Haynesworth is going to have an impact. On the first drive Haynesworth didn’t play until late in the drive and the Dolphins had a field day. When he got in though on one play he plugged the gap, shed two blockers and hit Reggie Bush at the line taking him down with his free arm while the other arm occupied blockers. Star LB Jerod Mayo moving to the outside means that someone (Brandon Spikes) is going to have to step up and plug the gaps in the middle of the field. Towards the end of the game when Vince Wilfork and Haynesworth were playing side by side the Dolphins realized they couldn’t run up the middle anymore. If that duo gets in sync together it will greatly alter the other teams ability to gash the defense for long runs.
-The CB’s are big which is new for the Patriots. Rookie Ras-I Dowling and second-year man Devin McCourty are both big corners who can play with large receivers unlike their cornerman of the past (Darius Butler). Ras-I Dowling got some playing time and looked good stopping Marshall from making a TD catch at one point and defending Hartline on another 4th down and goal fade. He played much better than I anticipated he would being physical with the Dolphins. McCourty struggled a little bit getting beat on more than a few occasions by Brandon Marshall who racked up 139 yards on 7 catches. He’ll find his rhythm though and be fine he’s too good of a corner to get beat up on every game. At the safety position Patrick Chung is going to be able to fill the shoes Meriweather left and more. He’s a leader on that defense and Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett played all right alongside him. Chung was all over the field recording 9 solo tackles, a sack, and a pass defended.
Well there you have it folks that’s what I took away from the Monday night affair between the Patriots and Dolphins let me know what else you noticed or if you think that I’m totally off base.
When a baseball team is up 7 and ½ games with 22 games to play in order to clinch a playoff spot, mark that team down for October. If the Red Sox complete what they are on the verge of doing, you are talking about certainly the biggest choke job since 1978 in a Red Sox uniform.
You need to ask yourself a few questions.
Is this team capable of losing the lead and fail monumentally? Absolutely. Every person on the team is slumping right now wish the exception of Marco Scutaro and Jacoby Ellsbury. The pitching is in absolute disarray to the point where we have one established starter and then a myriad of has-been's and probably-won't-be's.
Is the team mentally strong enough to make the playoffs? I'm not entirely sure that this team has the "character" or "Heart of a Champion" as they say. Dustin Pedroia has it. He's in the lineup every day. Does anyone else? Erik Bedard? Clearly not. This is the first time he's pitched in September (I say that loosely because he's obviously not pitching right now) in about 5 years. I seem to recall someone getting their ankle sutured together just to get out on the mound for his teammates. Tape it up, be a leader. Carl Crawford? Not a chance. His mental approach to the game of baseball is garbage. When things don't go his way, or he's in a (season-long) slump he puts his head down and the tail goes between his legs. Some people are big fish in a small pond, but others are medium sized fish in a small pond, and when thrown into the ocean they drown spectacularly. John Lackey? He's about as useful right now as tits on a bull and I don't care if "I had great stuff", you need to go longer than 5 innings while not letting every runner that gets on base, cross home plate.
Does this team have the pitching? With a healthy Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett, they have the pitching. When it's just Jon Lester and the Lack-ettes they don't. The collapse can single-handedly be pointed to the starting pitching. Look at their last time through the rotation:
Sunday: Jon Lester, 4 IP, 4 ER
Saturday: Kyle Weiland, 4 IP, 3 ER
Friday: John Lackey, 3 IP, 5 ER
Thursday: Andrew Miller, 5 IP, 5 ER
Wednesday: Tim Wakefield, 5 IP, 4 ER
I'm not sure how you rectify the situation with John Lackey. It's as if he expects to throw a no-hitter every time out and as soon as a runner gets on he's origami, folds under pressure. The first batter of every game right now is hitting .435 against John Lackey. The leadoff hitter of every inning is hitting .321. And teams are hitting .333 against him with RISP and a gaudy .325 with 2 outs and RISP. The rest of these numbers are so mind-bogglingly bad, I'm wondering how you can even think of starting him in the playoffs regardless of salary.
For all intents and purposes, Weiland's start wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen. He showed a lot of sack just getting out of the first inning with 1 run, after walking the bases loaded. But, no one has gotten past the 5th inning the last 5 times out. The bullpen is on fumes and you can't expect them to actually bail you out EVERY day. There's a reason pitchers are in the bullpen, because they are failed starters, 'nuff said.
Jon Lester, although my personal binky, is not immune to criticism here. As an "Ace" when your team is on a losing streak or a tailspin in this case, it is your job to be a "stopper". His job was to stop the bleeding. Go deep into the game (7 innings minimum), stymie the opposition, and right the Red Sox ship when we needed him the most. On Sunday he pissed down his leg when his team needed him the most, and that was alarming. He needs to find his command, which has been spotty all season, and he has to find a way to be Roy Halladay or Justin Verlander for the 9 innings that he contributes. That is why Josh Beckett will start Game 1 if they get to the playoffs.
Is this team fundamentally ready to play down the stretch? Right now the Red Sox are playing sloppy. Carl Crawford is trying so hard to make a positive impact that he is actually becoming a detriment to the team both on defense and offense. One out, a man on first and a ball heads towards the gap, Crawford cuts it off and instead of hitting the cutoff man he throws directly to third base which gives the Rays' batter second base essentially erasing the double play. The Red Sox needed the double play still in order and trying to make an impact with his arm because he can't hit a lick, he put them in a worse place to finish the inning. How many times will Marco Scutaro and Jason Varitek be thrown out trying to take the extra base? Aggressive baserunning is permissible. But when you're down in the latter part of a game, a baserunner on first is a lot better than a guy going for a "hustle-double" and getting thrown out at second. If the team stops running themselves into outs and giving free bases to the opposition they are more than capable of winning the AL Wild Card but if they don't clean up the basic baseball principles they will lose.
There are 15 games left and the Red Sox hold a 3 game lead. They start a 9-game homestand 5 of which are against Baltimore and Toronto with Tampa Bay squished in the middle. Josh Beckett's side session puts him in line to be throwing one of the games against Tampa, which should add some sort of stability and hopefully leadership to a depleted starting staff.
For the people that say baseball isn't exciting this is as exciting as it gets. A team that's reeling and struggling to hang on to their lead, combined with a young underdog team trying to usurp the Wild Card spot. Big time players make big time plays and there is no bigger time than now for the Red Sox. Who is going to nut up and keep this team from one of the most monumental collapses in baseball history?
It’s time for a semi-radical overhaul of the National Basketball Association. There are a lot of problems, which we all can see are going on right now in real time. Billy King and The David cannot get along and come to an agreement over many things. The NBPA wants the moon, and the NBA see this as absolutely, 100% unfeasible (a platform which I agree with). The players currently receive 57% of basketball generated revenue (which includes literally every piece of revenue the league takes in, from jerseys to concessions to tickets), which means that the league is LOSING money every year, retaining only 43% of the money (which is spread out to employees league-wide). I will now fill you with my ideas of how the NBA can be changed to end up making money, rather than losing it.
1) Shorten Max Contracts, Lower Maximum Salaries
This is a step to ensure that an NBA team offering the likes of a Zach Randolph (pre-2010-11 season), Erick Dampier, or Eddy Curry a MASSIVE contract that is only outnumbered by their weight gain after signing on the dotted line. Paying anyone of those guys an obscene amount of money and constantly being over the cap can financially cripple a franchise to the point of a beloved (or even “liked”) owner selling. Or just a gigantic pile of disgusting contracts (a la the 1999-2010 Knicks) that have no value unless someone is trying to clear cap room for “Impact Free Agent X” for the next season.
2) Split the Basketball-related Revenue 50/50
It makes sense if you really think about it. The NFL makes 52% of football revenue, while the players garner a PALTRY 48%. That league made NINE BILLION dollars last season, which made their lockout look like two rich kids fist-fighting over the last Range Rover at the local dealership. I just cannot comprehend why this makes no sense to the players. Those guys who clean up the towels behind the bench and hand out the water need to get paid too.
3) Take over Multiple Franchises and put them up for Re-Sale
Exhibit A: Joel and Gavin Maloof
The Maloofs are broke. They are useless NBA owners at this point. They spend the bare-minimum on talent every season (relatively speaking; their payroll last year was a right around $29 million), and are forcing a move from Sacramento to Anaheim or making the bankrupt state pay for 100% of a new arena. Why not force a sale? It only makes sense for the betterment of the league. There have got to be owners itching to put their brand on a franchise (a la Mark Cuban, one of the greatest owners in sports).
Exhibit B: Donald Sterling
He is a detriment to his own cause. That Clippers team could thrive in the NBA, and create a fantastic rivalry with the Lakers … just not under Sterling. They already have the biggest young star in their front court (Blake Griffin), along with an emerging star guard (Eric Gordon), quality young role players/possible stars (Al-Farooq Aminu; Eric Bledsoe), and an future great in the post (DeAndre Jordan, who is a Restricted Free Agent). There is a cash cow waiting in the other end of the Staples Center, and it needs to be tapped sooner rather than later.
4) Merge Four Struggling Franchises
There can be some “contraction” that could be good for the league. The talent pool is rather watered down, and there are basketball hot beds that are an untapped source of basketball revenue. Let us dive right in with teams that could be merged…
a) Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats have been struggling to make money since their inception, and I do not see that turning around any time soon due to the lack of “star-power” that anyone other than Michael Jordan brings to that organization. Normally I would be satisfied with that statement, but Jordan has been retired since 2003 and is not walking onto the hardwood any time soon to play with the Bobcats. At 21st in the league in attendance at just under 16,000 fans per game, plus their short, unheralded history, makes the Bobcats a prime candidate for merger.
b) New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets are owned by the league, and there is no buyer in sight. They average 14,709 fans per game, which is good for 26th in the league, which is not good at all. They left Charlotte in 2002 due to dwindling attendance, and I can easily see them relocating to another city without much hullabaloo amongst their fan base.
c) Memphis Grizzlies
Yes, the Grizz were a surprise team last year, advancing to the second round as the eighth-seed after upsetting the Spurs. Yes, they gave the Thunder all they had before succumbing to the Durantula in seven games. Yes, they are ranked 27th in the league in attendance, which is not much better than they were in Vancouver, and they jumped from that sinking ship in 2001.
d) Sacramento Kings
This team has some pieces that can be put together with the right coach, right general manager, and right ownership group. Tyreke Evans could be a big star, albeit the fact that he is a ballhog. DeMarcus Cousins is one of the emerging star centers in the NBA, albeit the fact that he is a headcase. John Salmons is a good veteran point guard that can help distribute to both. Jimmer Fredette can come in and provide a JJ Redick-like deep threat off of the bench. Isaiah Thomas can provide a nice compliment to Jimmer off the bench to keep the defenses honest. At 29th in the league in attendance, drawing just under 14,000 fans to games, this franchise is in trouble and a change of scenery, or if former Phoenix Suns point guard and current mayor of Sacramento decides to pony up the dough, a new arena.
e) Toronto Raptors
The lone Canadian outpost of the NBA, this franchise draws the 19th most fans in the NBA at 16,566 per game. Toronto is and has been struggling to win basketball games and draw a fan base since the departure of Vince Carter (and to a lesser extent, Chris Bosh), and could be primed to leave. With Canada being a hockey country, the Raptors and Blue Jays both struggle to garner asses in the seats. We’re focusing on basketball here, so I will leave the thoughts on the Jays to Norton.
---
I feel that those five franchises are the most likely to be moved or merged, and doing so could benefit the owners and the league.
My Recommendation
Move the Hornets to Seattle
There was no reason that the Emerald City should’ve lost the Sonics in the first place. Finding an owner and moving them to Seattle would be a chance at a fresh start. Couple that with the construction of a new arena – or at least improvements to the existing Key Arena to bridge the gap – would make the deal complete.
Merge the Raptors and the Bobcats; Move team to Las Vegas
Two struggling franchises lacking to draw fans with no real stars. Just merge the two teams together and move them to Las Vegas and open an entirely new, awkward fan base. The move to Vegas would give the NBA the appeal and attention that it got from holding the 2007 All-Star Game at the Thomas & Mack Center. The previous decision was regarded as the league stepping into Sin City for the first time, and this could be the team to fill that gap.
Sell the Kings to Henry Samueli and Move them to Anaheim
Yes, this would give the greater Los Angeles-area three NBA franchises. You have to think that Samueli, who seems to give a damn about the Ducks, and wants to bring an NBA franchise to the Honda Center, would actually care about creating a competitive basketball team. All of that is more than the Maloofs can say at this juncture in their ownership.
Move the Grizzlies to Chicago
Yes, this is probably the most radical of the moves that I can put on this list with the teams I have chosen to write about. Think about it. The pair of teams in the Windy City has worked in baseball for over a hundred years now. It would also give the Bulls (an up-and-coming juggernaut) a local rival. They could create a better rivalry than the Clippers and Lakers have (I realize that is odd to say as these teams barely have a rivalry). Moving a second team into this market could drastically help the Grizzlies franchise, which has perennially struggled with attendance numbers dating back to its days in Vancouver.
---
Those are my preliminary thoughts on how to change the NBA for the better. Mind you, I do not have a law degree. I have never been in the same state as Billy Hunter (as far as I know), and I do not believe that any of these things could really happen aside from maybe the Kings moving to Anaheim, and possibly moving a team to Seattle. I think the possibility of a team ending up in Vegas has better odds than one might think, but who knows. I am just here to entertain.
When Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay woke up this morning he thought Kerry Collins was the teams seat warmer for a week or two while Peyton Manning fully recovered from his 2nd neck surgery in 19 months.Make that 3 neck surgeries in 19 months and one panic attack for Irsay. News broke today that Manning was forced to have a second neck surgery, this one a cervical neck fusion, after his May 23 surgery to repair a bulging disk. The Colts official statement said that the surgery was uneventful and there is no timetable for his return. He’s been listed under the dreaded category of “out-indefinitely”, never a good place to be on the injury report. The team will not put Manning on injured reserve officially ending his season so there is a possibility he’ll be back but it doesn’t look good.
This breaking news will have an immediate and far reaching impact on the AFC South and the conference as a whole. Being a New England Patriots lifer I tend to gravitate towards Tom Brady as the games best QB but Peyton Manning puts up quite an argument. The man is a an absolute horse having started 227 straight games (including the playoffs) and set an NFL record last year with 470 completions. A look at Petyon Manning’s career highlights side bar on his Wikipedia page shows just how good he’s been since being the first overall pick in 1998. He’s a 4 time MVP (NFL record), holds the NFL record for most consecutive 4,000 yard seasons (6 from 99-04 with a current streak of 5), is an 11 time pro bowler, Super Bowl MVP and champion, not to mention he was the fastest player to 50,000 yards passing and 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 completions. He is the Indianapolis Colts entire team without him they are a subpar team; I’m talking like 4-12 team maybe 3-13.
This past season he was asked to do basically everything for his team with no running game in sight (sorry Joseph ‘Live and Let’ Addai and Donald Brown you guys suck with Manning you’ll suck without him too) and a receiving corps consisting of Reggie Wayne, a bunch of undrafted white guys (I’m looking at you Blair White and Austin Collie), and the only guy with a French name in the whole league (Pierre Garcon). Once his ever-reliable TE Dallas Clark went down he didn’t flinch but rather turned Jacob Tamme into Dallas Clark causing a mass frenzy on the fantasy league waiver wires. He turned less than serviceable receivers into 1,000 yard guys and masked a defense that for years has been Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and scraps. Remember a few years back when he won a game against the Dolphins when he only controlled the ball for 15 minutes....15 minutes out of a 60 minute game! The guy was always a threat to score on you in a heartbeat, believe me I know as a Pats diehard. It was scary watching him pick apart your defense with precision and accuracy while you know in the back of your mind that you have zero chance of stopping him.The Colts have made 9 consecutive playoff trips the longest such streak in NFL history, expect that to change with this crushing news for Colts fans.
Every year the Colts asked more and more from Manning and every year he delivered while the talent around him got substantially worse. Yes, he played on some dynamite teams in the mid 2000’s (when Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Tarik Glenn, Ryan Diem, and Jeff Saturday anchored the offense) but in the past 3 or 4 years all of those guys have either seen a decline in their careers or been left as the lone soldier to produce (Reggie Wayne). Without Manning at the helm the Colts will have to rely on either the previously retired Kerry Collins (no way he’s in the mental state to be a full time starter after being retired he thought he was getting a short term gig) or Curtis Painter, he of the career stats of 2-8 for 83 yards, 0 TD, 2 INTs. Good luck with that Jim Caldwell we’ll see how good a coach you really are this year.
What’s this all mean for the AFC South? It means that had Jacksonville not just cut their starting QB and weren’t starting Josh McCown they might have had a good shot at taking down the division. The Titans with Matt Hasselback also now have a pretty good shot at surprising a lot of people and sneaking into the playoffs but the team affected the most is the Houston Texans. The Texans are a chic pick to make the playoffs due to their revamping on defense with the hiring of Wade Phillips (he was meant to be a DC not a HC) and drafting of stud pass rushers J.J. Watt (love the name) and Brooks Reed. With their high octane offense already in place and the Colts taking a major step backwards this might actually be the year that Gary Kubiak can get his Texans over that .500 hump and into the playoffs for the franchises first playoff berth.
The past few years the only thing standing in the Texans and the playoffs was Peyton Manning and his propensity for smoking them in a game down the stretch and sending them into a downward spiral that ended up costing them their season. Their defense had zero shot of ever stopping him and the Colts were going to make the playoffs over the Texans everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. Without their field general though the Texans look like a hot commodity right now and I think the defense will finally catch up to the offense and get them into the wild card round of the AFC playoffs.
As for the conference it’s obvious that a major heavyweight has been dealt a big body blow. The Jets, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens and Chargers (any else who thinks they are a contender in the AFC it’s time to grow up) are all silently jumping for joy at the fact that none of them will have to go through Peyton Manning and Lucas Oil Stadium to get to the AFC championship or Super Bowl. The field just lost one of its prize horses and as a Patriots I couldn’t be happier to know I’ll see #18 in blue on the sidelines during the yearly showdown between the two heavyweights of the AFC.
