Results tagged ‘ Red Sox ’
The Marathon Begins:Happy Baseball New Year!
After 141 years since the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was established as America’s first professional “major league”, America’s love affair with the sport has been rekindled once again for the start of the 2012 season. And with just a slew of games Thursday, it was great to be reminded once again why the game of baseball is great, especially when the new (old) look Toronto Blue Jays outlast the Cleveland Indians. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to watch this game, but judging from the highlights of the longest Opening Day game in the history of the sport (which is amazing in itself) it was a well played game. Indians ace Justin Masterson pitched like an ace by tossing 8 innings of 2 hit ball, 10 strike outs, while just giving up one earned run. Unfortunately for Masterson, Chris Perez was unable to protect the Indians three run lead as the Blue Jays put together a late game rally to tie the game. After a battle of the bullpens, JP Arencibia blasts a 3 run homer in the top of the 16th inning, giving the angry birds from the Great White North their first victory of the season.
Mets Win!
After all the gloom and doom I heard from Mets fans during the spring, the Mets opening day victory should be a reminder of every fan of the sport, not just Mets fans, that anything is possible this game. Although I don’t consider the Mets to be playoff contenders on the one hand, I don’t believe this team is as bad as some columnists and baseball pundits think it is on the other hand. Johan Santana’s first start since 2010 was encouraging to see. Although not vintage Johan, he was still good enough to hold the Atlanta Braves to only 2 hits in 5 innings of work and the Mets bullpen (which is a solid group) finish the job as Frank Francisco gets his first save as a member of the Metropolitans.
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
It’s a new season and Justin Verlander picks up where he left off by tossing 8 innings and striking out 7 Red Sox batters. Although he didn’t get the decision in the Tigers 3-2 win over the Red Sox, the reigning American League Cy Young Award and MVP winner made it clear that the Tigers will be one of the heavyweights in the American League this season.
As for the Red Sox, well…they pick up right where they left off last September by losing again in the latter stages of the ballgame. Not that I feel sorry for them as a Yankees fan, but I hope that their collapse continues right through June. It’s only fair!
Wild ending!
Back in early August ESPN radio blowhard Colin Cowherd complained that the Major League Baseball season was too long and that the schedule should be cut down to at least 150 to 130 games. He said, to paraphrase, ‘there is no need to have 162 games when most playoff spots were already decided.‘ Clearly not knowing or understanding baseball history, Cowherd thought all the teams leading their divisions and Wild Card races were basically a lock to make the postseason. Fortunately the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t get the memo and not only fought throughout August to put themselves in a position to make a postseason run, but both took advantage of the September collapses of the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox the respective leagues. Therefore, it came down to game 162 of the marathon to decide the Wild Card races and complete the postseason picture. Who said baseball needs less regular season games?
Historic collapse!
I have seen historic collapses in my 19 years of watching baseball, and some of the collapses that comes to mind right away when you think about them are the 1995 Angels collapse, along with the Mets 2007 collapse that unleashed the beast known as the current Philadelphia Phillies. And of course, probably the worst collapse in the history of baseball, the Yankees blowing a 3 game lead against the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS (one out away from continuing the Curse…I feel like puking). But to speak of historic regular season collapses, game 162 of the 2011 season saw the complete and historic crash of two teams that entered the month of September holding comfortable leads in their respective Wild Card races. On September 2, the Boston Red Sox held a 9 game lead in the American League Wild Card race; while the Atlanta Braves held a 8 1/2 game lead in the National League Wild Card race. The way both teams played this season, there was no way in the world they would collapse in late September and lose their leads. I mean just looking at both teams, the Red Sox either lead the Wild Card or American League east from May 24, while the Braves had a commanding Wild Card lead throughout the summer and at one point early in the season, were just 4 games behind the eventual NL East champions Phillies. There was just no conceivable way these two teams would miss the playoffs. Yet they did.
I have to do research in order to rank these two collapses, but the fact that they happened, once again shows the importance of the 162 game schedule. No one can sit and say in August that the playoff teams leading their divisions and wild card races, will be the same teams leading their races by the end of September. As far as I’m concerned, 162 games just isn’t enough!
Yankees face off against a desperate Red Sox team.
I’m sure the Red Sox 0-6 start (God I love the sound of that) was not what Theo Epstein, the Red Sox front office, and the rest of Red Sox Nation had in mind when the season began a week ago. But after a week worth of games, the Red Sox are still searching for their first win this season after making big moves over the winter to help this team return to the playoffs. The good news for the Red Sox is that it is still very early in the year and they have the talent to turn things around fast. The bad news for them however is that the American League East is vastly improved. Buck Showalter is performing a miracle down in Baltimore as he has managed his team to a quick 5-1 start to their year; to boot, the Toronto Blue Jays are also playing well as they are off to a 4-2 start to their year. And as far as the Yankees are concerned, so far, the Bombers pitching staff has gotten the job done, a pitching staff that came into the new season facing a lot of question marks. If things do not turn around fast, it could be a very long summer in Boston.
So what now for the Red Sox? Maybe their home opener against the New York Yankees is the type of motivation they need to turn things around. Even though I hate to write this, Boston is still the team to beat in the AL East and I’m sure every player in that Sox club house would like to remind the Bronx Bombers of that simple fact. Therefore, since the season is just a few days old there should be no reason for panic in Red Sox Nation. All the criticism in Boston of Terry Francona and the way he has managed his team so far this season is not ridiculous, it is very unfair. If the armchair managers think they can do a better job, maybe they should send their resumes’ to the Red Sox front office.
As for the series between the Yankees and Red Sox, all that I have to say is thank God is that time of the year again. Nothing is more exciting to me as a baseball fan when both these teams meet during the regular season, especially when the Yankees and Red Sox are favored to compete for a championship during the season. I know it’s April and the are over 156 games left in this baseball marathon, but how can anyone not feel excited when they hear Yankees/Red Sox? Hopefully the Yankees will take care of business and leave Boston with the Red Sox sporting a beautiful 0-9 record to start the year!
Quick American League Predictions..
Forgot to add my American League predictions, but now that the season started, I’ll just add my quick predictions..not much to explain, I think it will be self explanatory…so here it goes:
AL East Champions: Boston Red Sox…they have an advantage over the Yankees at the moment, and unless if the Yankees make a move, the Red Sox should win the division. They have a tough lineup that added power and speed and has returning injured players from last year. This is a very good team with a very solid rotation. Lester and Buchholz are prime to have a big season, and if Jose Reyes is available he will be a Red Sox.
AL Central: Minnesota Twins…They have the best team in the division and one of the best ballplayers in the game today. I’m not sold on Chicago and their talk of good pitching. Joe Mauer will again have a big year and will lead this team to a division crown. The key for the Twins success in the post season will rest not on its pitching staff, or Mauer, but on the health of first baseman Justin Morneau.
AL West: Texas Rangers…They will repeat as champions. CJ Wilson is ready to be the ace of this pitching staff, and his short time with Cliff Lee probably has provided him with much needed leadership help. Moreover, the Rangers have a solid bullpen with up coming talent. Josh Hamilton needs to be healthy all year however if the Rangers hope to repeat as West champs..
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees…the Yankees are good enough to win the Wild Card, but not the division..unless they make a move for another starting pitcher…like Felix Hernandez. The Yankees will score a lot of runs, but have deep question marks in their rotation..
Of course there are some teams to watch in the American League this year. The Oakland A’s are much improved and could end up beating out the Rangers if things go well for them. Another team to watch is the White Sox…although I’m not sold on their pitching, but if Peavy comes back from the DL and remains healthy this year and if John Danks duplicates and improves upon from last season, the White Sox could surprise many teams this year.
Predictions…..N.L
I’m not good at making predictions since it seems that every year I pick the Yankees to win the World Series (I know I’m biased). However, I have decided to put aside my bias for the moment and objectively look at the season that is almost upon us. So, as we bid farewell to the month long Spring Training interlude before the beginning of the marathon–and to the players who unfortunately will not be in the Show–it is time to make brief but objective prediction for the upcoming season.
After an exciting and surprising post-season, the off season had its share of excitement and surprises. The biggest surprise and excitement this past winter undoubtedly has to be Cliff Lee’s rejection of both the Yankees and Rangers in favor of the Philadelphia Phillies. By taking less money to be a member of the Phillies Lee joined a team that already had three legitimate aces. Now that Lee is part of the Phillies rotation the Four Horsemen (and Joe Blanton) made the Philadelphia the early winter favorites to win the National League and the World Series. In Boston, the signing of Carl Crawford and the trade for Adrian Gonzalez made the Red Sox the early winter favorites to win the American League and represent it in the World Series…of course losing to the Phillies in 7 games (when a Jimmy Rollins slow roller gets through the legs of Gonzalez, allowing Shane Victorino to score the game winning and Series ending run…hahaha).
But those were the few predictions of the winter. How do these predictions and among the others made but not mention above hold now that Spring Training is over? Well, time will tell. Here are now my National League predictions.
N.L East Champions: Atlanta Braves
Yes, I’ll admit it, it seems insane for me to pick the Braves over the Phillies especially when the later have the Four Horsemen at the top of their rotation. However, there is a method to my madness and I believe the reasons I am about to give will be correct by the end of the year. At the moment, the Braves lineup is a tad better than Phily’s lineup. The veteran Chipper Jones will be the anchor of this lineup and if he stays healthy, he could very well have a productive season since he will have protection in the lineup that will include Dan Uggla, Brian McCann and Jason Hayward. Although the Braves do not have the rotation that the Phillies possess, they still have a formidable rotation with Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe and Jair Jurjens. What will help these pitchers out will be Atlanta’s tough lineup. However, there is an achillies hill on this team and that is their defense. If they want to win the division, the Braves have to improve.
N.L Central Champions: Cincinnati Reds
Adam Wainwright’s season ending injury early this Spring has definately opened the door for the Reds to continue what they started last year, as they surprisingly took the Division title over the St. Louis Cardinals. And this year, I look for the same thing to happen. The core of this team is built around NL MVP Joey Votto. With Votto leading this team, the Reds didn’t do much this winter to improve, but they didn’t need to. The Reds pitching is also deep with no shortage of arms in the rotation and in the bullpen. However, don’t count out the Cardinals yet, or dismiss the Brewers. I think this will be a close three team race and in the end, the Reds will come out on top.
N.L West Champions: San Francisco Giants
This is an easy pick, but which other team in the NL West has the pitching rotation the Giants possess? It was the pitching of Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and especially Bumgarner that carried this team through the first two rounds of the playoffs and in the World Series. And it will be this rotation that will carry the Giants back to the post season and possibly back to the World Series. The Giants however need to improve their on their lineup since they could face a much tougher opposition in the post season this time around after the improvements made by the Braves and Phillies.
N.L Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies
They stole Cliff Lee away from the Yankees so the Baseball Gods will punish them this season. But to be serious, I think the Phillies will have the best rotation in the NL, but a substandard lineup that will struggle to score runs. The injury this Spring to Chase Utley doesn’t help and the fact that Jayson Werth left town for DC will have a major impact on the Phillies ability to score runs. Jimmy Rollins has to be the most overrated short stop in the league and since his MVP year (which he won on the strength of a Spring Training prediction..hmm), Rollins has been on the decline. In 2011 Rollins’ decline will continue. Moreover, will Ryan Howard’s power numbers decline again this year? If they do, how can this lineup score runs to support their pitchers?
The Phillies pitching staff looks great on paper, but in reality, there are some issues. Leave Roy Halladay aside, Cliff Lee is not a great regular season pitcher as he is in the post season. His only dominant regular season came in 2008 for a very poor Cleveland Indians club. Moreover, Lee is injury prone and it wouldn’t surprise me if he spent sometime in the DL this year. As for Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, I believe that both will have good years, but will only win 12 to 14 games each. The only pitcher in this rotation which could win more than 15 games is Roy Halladay.
NLCS: Giants over Phillies in 7 games: Giants have the younger pitching staff that has come a long long way after their success last year. With that experience and confidence, they will take down the Phillies again to earn another trip to the World Series.
Yankees losing confidence…
Just heard on ESPN 1050, that the Yankees are losing confidence in their ability to land Cliff Lee. After the Red Sox surprised everyone with excellent moves to revamp their team, the Yankees are now under even more pressure to respond. So it doesn’t bode well for the Yankees that they are stating publicly that they might in the end lose Cliff Lee. To that I say, great. As I said before, I don’t want Cliff Lee, I want the Yankees to beat him instead. A $160 million contract for seven years would be a reckless one. If people think that Carl Crawford and Jason Werth received ridiculously long contracts just wait until Cliff Lee, who is 32 and is injury prone, signs his contract.
If the Yankees do not sign Lee, so be it. Losing the offseason sweepstakes isn’t the end of the world, and the fact that the Yankees will have so many aging players in their lineup, potentially losing Cliff Lee could be a good thing for the organization as they might, I say might, concentrate on rebuilding the team through the farm system.
Red Sox Buying a Championship?
With the recent acquisitions of Adrian Gonzales and now signing of Carl Crawford to an enormous $142 million contract, is it fair to say that the Boston Red Sox are trying to buy a championship? If you are a cynical baseball fan that is upset at the economics of the game and the fact that big market clubs outspend their small market counterparts and are always stealing their homegrown talent, then the answer would definately be yes. Afterall, the Red Sox are taking their cue from the Yankees and are spending load buckets of money just to keep up with their arch-rivals. Like the Yankees, the Red Sox are stealing the talent of small market teams (San Diego and Tampa), who are now left with a void that can’t be filled through free agency, but through their farm system. Once that void is filled by the small market club through their system, that replacement player will likely be a productive player, but won’t be paid what he is truly worth. After six years, that replacement player will then also leave his original team to sign on with a big market club and earn what he is worth, thus continuing the vicious cycle of Baseball’s version of survival of the fittest. So, yes, the Red Sox are trying to buy a championship.
On the other hand, if you accept the economic realities of baseball and the division of labor between the big market clubs and small market ones, then what the Red Sox did was not only necessary for them, but necessary to the economic health of the league. Afterall, baseball clubs, since the beginning of the modern era have always tried to buy a championship. The idea that baseball franchises have never tried to buy a championship before free agency and the end of the reserve clause is a false one. Prior to the implementation of the first year player draft, the Major League clubs, especially the big market clubs, went out and signed the best prospects by dumping huge amounts of money on them (of course not the same amount of money that we see in today’s game, but the principle is still the same), while the small market teams were left with the average talents, that would someday develop to be good enough to compete with the best.
Of course, Major League Baseball tried to curb the monopolizing of prospects by the big market teams by introducing the Bonus rule, but even that in no way stopped the practices of the big market clubs. Instead, the Bonus Rule had a negative effect on players salaries, as these players were signed to smaller bonuses than what they were worth. The Bonus Rule came and went, but the monopolizing of prospects didn’t stop until the Rule 4 Draft came into effect in 1965. And once free agency began, big market teams like the Yankees, realized that the best way to rebuild a team isn’t through the slow process of grooming players in the minors, but to get the best talent from other teams.
Thus, free agency not only shed light into the business operations of small clubs and big clubs, it redefined it: Big market clubs now go out and sign free agents, while the small market teams go out and sign the best prospects. Hence we see a division of labor between the baseball teams that not only sustains the player’s salaries, but the increase the net worth of all baseball teams, especially the perennial contenders.
So, are the Red Sox trying to buy a championship? Of course…but that is what the game needs.
No urgency. I think it is time to be concerned.
I understand that the Yankees are 92-63 after 155 games and barring a complete collapse by the Bombers and a miraculous comeback by the Red Sox (more on them later), New York should find itself in the post season defending its World Series title. However, after the latest Yankee debacle yesterday afternoon, a 7-3 loss to Boston, I have to be honest and confess my many concerns I have about this club’s ability to defend its championship. Since August 1st, the Yankees have been just a .500 ballclub posting a mark of 26-26 during that stretch of games. During that time frame, they have been unable to make up any ground, or get some distance between themselves and the Tampa Bay Rays so much so that it isn’t a surprising that the Yankees are now 1.5 games behind.
So how does a club that was 35-17 coming into the month of August, all of the sudden become just a .500 team? Inconsistent pitching could be the answer. But if the inconsistent staff is the answer, how does that explain the fact the Yankees were above .500 in the first 4 months of the season with an inconsistent Burnett, Hughes and Vazquez. Is it the lack of offense these past month? There is no doubt that during the month the Yankees have left a ton of runners on base as their inability to hit in the clutch has reared its ugly head again. In 2009 one of the problems–if there were any–with the Yankees was their inconsistent situational hitting. The Yankees however, are good enough to overcome these problems, as they did last year when they won the title.
Yet whatever the problem is with this club, I don’t see them turning things around anytime soon. Where is the hunger the fans saw from this team last year? I know last season was last season, but you would think that the same sense of urgency from last year would carry unto this one. I know that not playing in the Fall Classic in six years for a franchise that expects to be in one every year, is enough to motivate a team to play with the urgency they had; but what about defending the title? Shouldn’t that help create that sense of urgency again? The Yankees nonchalant attitude these past few weeks will likely cost them the division, and if Boston had stayed healthy, it wouldve possibly cost the bombers a playoff spot. I know that there are parallels from the Yankees poor play this September and their poor play in the same month 10 years ago. But unlike 2000, in which the Yankees limped into the post season and defended their title successfully, I don’t see how this Yankee club could repeat as champions in 2010. Unlike 2000, the league is different, and there is now more competitive balance now than a decade ago. If they don’t turn things around starting tonight, it will be a very short post season in New York.
As for Boston. Boy do I really hate the Red Sox now. Not because I’m a Yankees fan, or for the fact that in 2004 they made a ridiculous comeback in the ALCS against my beloved team. No, I hate the Red Sox today for being injured most of the year. Had Boston stayed healthy and played consistent baseball, the AL East race would be so much more interesting than it is now. If the Red Sox were just 3 games behind the Yankees and Rays entering the week, the Yankee/Rays series would’ve created so much excitement for every baseball fan since the last true pennant race in 1993. Of course, unlike 1993, in which the Giants with 103 wins were eliminated from post-season play, two teams would get in this time. Yet, no baseball fan could deny the possible excitement a three team race would have created in the AL East. But unfortunately, thanks to the injuries suffered by Boston, there is little excitement about the race.
Yankees swept in Texas.
And what an unbelievable turn of events for the Yankees after their walk off win on Wednesday against the Orioles. It wasn’t as if the Rangers dominated the Yankees this weekend, it was more of the Yankees being their own worst enemies. I don’t have the numbers of the series, but in 2 of the three games, the Yankees left over 32 runners on base. The problem this Yankee team faced last year, even though they won the World Series, was their inability to hit in the clutch, especially with runners in scoring position. So far this year, the Yankees have done a good job at hitting in those situations, but this weekend they were right down abysmal. And give credit to the Rangers, they found a way to win all three games this weekend. The first game, it took over million relievers (I kid, but it seemed like a million) to keep the Yankees off the scoreboard. On Saturday night, after the Yankees rallied to take the lead, the Rangers came back in the bottom of the 9th and rallied against Mo, something they have done already this year, and won the game. And today, with Cliff Lee on the mound, after falling behind one run, the Rangers rallied and won the game.
And the way the won the game was amazing. After falling behind 1-0, Elvis Andrus (who had a good series this weekend) led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk. As it is always the case in baseball, the leadoff walk usually leads to a run, and in this case, the walk to Andrus led to the Rangers tying the game. After stealing second, Andrus moved to third on a fly ball by Michael Young, and came on to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of David Murphy. So, Mosley, who pitched rather well today, unfortunately gave up the lead after the Yankees got a hard earned run against Cliff Lee. Once the Rangers tied the game, there was no chance for the Yankees to win. In the top of the 7th, Lee had a one, two, three easy inning and now in the bottom of that inning, another lead off walk, this time to Kinsler, and the Rangers rallied to score 3 runs. Like the manufactured run by Andrus, Kinsler sparked the rally by going from first to third on two fly ball outs. And it was his run that sparked the rally that finished the Yankees.
What the Yankees need to do the next few weeks is to get healthy, and thank the Red Sox for not making the AL East a three team race. The Yankees will be in the playoffs, so the series in Tampa tomorrow is not as important as it would have been had Boston kept itself healthy. Another important thing is that the Rangers did not face the Yankees two best pitchers this year. CC did not pitch in this series, and Pettitte is still out with an injury. If both these teams meet again in the playoffs, and if Pettitte is healthy, the Yankees will have the advantage.
Yankees did it…..
I don’t know how they did it, but the Yankees won tonight. On the night in which Cliff Lee took to the mound, the Yankees won. On a night that saw Cliff Lee mow down Yankee after Yankee, New York found a way to win. What more could be said about this Yankee ballclub’s ability to get back into games, especially in the late innings? Just like the games in Arizona and Los Angeles, the Yankees found a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
And it wasn’t pretty. Rangers pitchers struck out 17 Yankee batters tonight. 17 out of the 27 outs recorded by the Rangers came because of the Yankees inability to put the ball in play. I know Cliff Lee is a tough pitcher, but the Yankees in the last three games have had many opportunities to put runs on the board only to see those opportunities wasted because the Yankees lineup couldn’t deliver in clutch situations.
But somehow, someway, the Yankees, down five runs, found a way to stratch runs late in the game, actually knocking Cliff Lee out of the game in the 7th and scoring 4 runs on the tough Rangers bullpen. To make things even better for the Yanks, the Rays lost their game against the Tigers, which means that New York once again has a 1.5 game lead on Tampa and continue to have a bigger lead on the Red Sox.
David Veloz
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