Replacing Mike Lowell

The Sox were delivered a huge blow today, losing starting third baseman and 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell to the disabled list with a right hip strain. Lowell, 35, is coming off pre-season hip surgery and wasn't expected to perform nearly as well as he has thus far (.282 AVG, .789 OPS). Nevertheless, hip strength and flexibility are absolutely crucial in the game of baseball, especially in hitting. Your hips generate most of the torque in your swing, thus healthy and powerful hips will result in more hits. Now that Lowell is experiencing the pain that most of us saw coming, I don't think we can completely rely on him to continue performing at this level for the rest of the season.

That being said, the Sox' brass has two options. They could test the trade market for a corner-infielder/utility type player to fill the void for the remainder of this season, or look internally and shuffle a platoon of Kevin Youkilis, Mark Kotsay and David Ortiz from 1B, 3B and DH; while having Nick Green, Jed Lowrie and possibly a healthy Mike Lowell manning third.

I feel Theo Epstein is one to look at matters internally first, before having to shell out the quality pitching it seems every team is after in order to land an every day player. If shuffling around the aforementioned players is not getting the job done, the Sox have a variety of options. Names that have popped up are Nick Johnson of the Nationals, a very good first baseman DH type that just plain gets on base. His OBP is hovering around .470, some 100+ points higher than the league average. Also Garrett Atkins of the Rockies, Mark Teahan of the Royals, and Bill Hall of the Brewers. All of these players would command mid-level pitching, probably a reliever along the lines of Takashi Saito or Manny Delcarmen.

With the Yankees and Rays in the rear view mirror but fast approaching, the front office needs to make a decision soon to secure another pennant for the hub.

Clean Pair of Sox

With the trade deadline approaching on July 31, what can the Red Sox do to improve their lineup? Pitching? Debatably the best starting rotation in all of baseball, a premier closer, and a middle relief with only one pitcher who has allowed more than 9 runs in a grand total of 153.7 innings. Batting? I guess Varitek isn't the best offensive catcher, but he's the smartest catcher in the game, and no one can replace that. At shortstop, Nick Green has performed unexpectedly well both in the field and at the plate, and let's not forget we have Jed Lowrie waiting to return from his left wrist surgery. There's a lot riding on Lowrie, but he's certainly capable of driving in 50+ runs, and batting at least .275 during the second half of the season And I'm not forgetting about Julio Lugo, who is costing the Sox over $9 million this year alone. But, at the same time, I am forgetting about J. Lugo. Then we have:

Lowell (4x All-Star and 2005 Gold Glove)
Pedroia (Rookie of the Year and MVP the past two seasons)
Youkilis (a puny $3 million a year for a Gold Glove first baseball and 2008 All-Star)
Ortiz (All-Star selection the past 5 years, and great in the clutch)
Bay (2004 Rookie of the Year, 2x All-Star, having a breakout 2009 season)
Ellsbury (finally batting for average (.298), most stolen bases in AL 2008, stole home this year, and future Gold Glover)
Drew (2nd overall draft pick-1997, his 2008 All-Star Game MVP shows he's finally reaching his star potential)

The Boston Red Sox bench players could be starters on virtually any other MLB team. Should any player need a day off, I feel more than comfortable giving him one. The results a rested Kevin Youkilis or Jacoby Ellsbury are worth more than giving Mark Kotsay or Rocco Baldelli a start every once in a while.
Rocco Baldelli (First round draft pick-2000, second in Rookie of the Year voting-2003, injury-plagued 2005-2007)
Mark Kotsay (First round draft pick-1996, Bronze Medal winner in 1996 Olympics)
George Kottaras has assumed the damn-near impossible role of Wakefield's designated catcher role rather well (.993 fielding percentage, T-13 in doubles, .289 OBP)

The one problem the Red Sox face as the season rolls on is how well our aging players will continue to perform. Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell are more than past their prime (37 and 35, respectively), and who knows when Tim Wakefield's back will give up on him again (last year, an inflammation of the back of his pitching shoulder kept him off the roster for some time in October). 'Tek already gets one out of five games off for Wakefield's start, but the more rest we can give Mike Lowell, the better. We have Clay Buchholz waiting in Pawtucket, and, should Wake go down, we'll have him to fall back on. The Red Sox are clearly a buyer this trading season, and what we should be looking for is a team way down in the standings, needing young talent rather than a good player already in his prime. If you think it looks like the Red Sox don't need anything to boost them the postseason, think again. Even a team as deep as the BoSox would benefit from a deadline move to rejuvenate a team that has surely grown lackluster over the course of 182 games.

Which Boston Outfielder Will Win The Triple Crown Before Pujols

Yesterday, the St. Louis Cardinals traded for Indians' infielder Mark DeRosa. The main purpose of this deal is to get some protection for slugger Albert Pujols, who is making a bid to become the first NL Triple Crown winner since 1937. He leads the NL in HR (28) and RBI (74), and is eighth in BA (.328). But the Cards' acquisition of DeRosa reveals the very problem that will keep Pujols from winning the Triple Crown any time soon: he has no help in the St. Louis lineup. Other than Pujols, there's really no one a decent pitcher should have any trouble dealing with. Only one batter (other than Albert) has double-digit home runs, two (other than Albert) have 30 RBI, and the highest slugging percentage (other than Albert) is .442. DeRosa will take third base from struggling Joe Thurston (.230 BA). However, I can't see DeRosa posing so much a threat to NL pitchers. With the Indians this year, he's been hitting .270 with 13 HR--just about what he's done his whole career. Sooner or later, NL pitchers will learn to pitch around The Machine in order to get to people like Chris Duncan, Cody Rasmus, Jason LaRue, and now, Mark DeRosa. They're simply not that good. Once pitchers figure out that giving Pujols the Bonds Treatment is the best solution, his RBI and HR numbers will drop. His average will likely remain high, but a batting title, for sure, is not the same as a Triple Crown.

Who we should really be thinking about as a Triple Crown candidate is Jason Bay. He has the protection that Pujols lacks; Boston is one of most prolific offenses in the MLB, scoring 390 runs through 74 games, and he's having a breakout year playing in Beantown. He leads the AL in RBI (69), is third in HR (19), and he does have some ground to cover in BA (.278, #40--not impossible). If you look at the HR leaders in the AL, though, they're sure to cool off before Bay does. Mark Texeira (20 HR) is on a hot streak after a dreadful start to the season, and who knows when he'll start to slump again. Carlos Pena of the Rays hadn't hit more than 27 HR until the 2007 season; with a batting average of .238 this season, it will be hard for him to continue to hit bombs at his current rate (23 so far). Jason Bay, on the other hand, is part of the best lineup in baseball: in the cleanup spot, he has reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury batting .301 this year, David Ortiz who is finally heating up, and AL OBP leader Kevin Youkilis batting around him. With that supporting cast, Bay won't have to bear the pressure of carrying his team, something Pujols faces on a daily basis. PItchers will also be forced to pitch to Bay--pick your poison of the venomous Sox batting order. Bay will keep driving in runs with Pedroia and Youk pretty much always on base, and he's been consistently hitting home runs throughout the year, so if he can work is average up to rival Ichiro's (easier said than done), he could very well become the first AL Triple Crown Winner since fellow Red Sock Carl Yazstremski.

Cheyenne Woods Misses Cut

Cheyenne Woods missed the cut at her first LPGA tournament in NY today. When darkness ended play after her tenth hole yesterday, she had moved herself to one over par. However, after completing her round today, she found herself at five shots over par, after shooting a 75 in her second round: four strokes over the 1+ cut line. I've noticed she's getting LOTS of media attention, simply because she's got good genes. I hope that won't mess with her career, like it did for Michelle Wie (who also shot a 75 in her second round of play at the Wegman's LPGA; she is tied for 21st after coming out strong in her opening round).

Notable MLB Players from Massachusetts

PLAYED FOR RED SOX
Mark Bellhorn-Boston
Tony Conigliaro-Revere
Billy Conigliaro-Revere
Lou Merloni-Framingham
Jerry Remy-Fall River
Wilbur Wood-Cambridge

ACTIVE PLAYERS
Jeff Bagwell-Boston (Houston Astros)
Manny Delcarmen-Boston (Boston Red Sox)
Sean Gallagher-Boston (Oakland A's)
Nick Gaureneault-Springfield (drafted by Texas Rangers)
Tom Glavine-Concord (Atlanta Braves)
Rich Hill-Milton (Baltimore Orioles)
Bryan LaHair-Worcester (Seattle Mariners)
Keith Reed-Yarmouth Port (drafted by Baltimore Orioles)
Tanyon Sturtze-Worcester (LA Dodgers)
Mark Sweeny-Framingham (LA Dodgers)

HALL OF FAME
Jack Chesbro-North Adams
John Clarkson-Cambridge
Mickey Cochrane-Bridgewater
Frank Grant-Pittsfield
Tim Keefe-Cambridge
Joe Kelly-Cambridge
Rabbit Marranville-Springfield
Connie Mack-East Brookfield
Tommy McCarthy-Boston

Stat of the Day: NFL Players Born in MA

Cambridge: 18 (627 games)
Everett: 14 (503 games)
Worcester: 12 (597 games)
Brockton: 10 (179)
Weymouth: 7 (319)
Dorchester: 6 (433)
Quincy: 5 (515)
Bridgewater: 4 (292)
Newton: 3 (144)
Needham: 3 (134)
Brookline: 3 (39)
Cohasset: 2 (182)
Milton: 1 (5 were named Milton)
Hingham: 1 (John Cronin)
Canton: 0
Scituate: 0
Randolph: 0
Braintree: 0
Boston: 82

Most games played by a Massachussets-ite: 218 by Defensive Tackle Joseph Nash from Boston (1982-1996)

One Big Cactus in Cleveland

Shaq was traded to the Cavaliers to join LeBron James in Cleveland yesterday. The deal that will put two of the biggest stars in the game on the same court was finalized around the time of the 2009 draft. Here’s the deal: Shaq will play the 2009-10 season for the Cavs, whereupon his contract will expire. The Phoenix Suns will receive second-string center Ben Wallace and backup forward Aleksandar Pavlovic, who, together averaged only 10.5 minutes a game, along with a 2010 second round draft choice and half a million dollars. Cleveland had tried to make a similar deal for O’Neal least season before the February deadline, and the failure to do so could have cost them a trip to the NBA finals when Zydrunas Ilgauskas could not hang with Dwight Howard in the Conference Finals. Cleveland was unwilling to let that happen again. For Phoenix, the deal was an attempt to get younger with 26-year old Pavlovic and an extra draft pick next year, but it also functioned as a salary dump. Shaq was costing them a lot of money ($20 million a year), and apparently the Suns have been hit pretty hard by the economic crisis.

For Cleveland, the purpose of the deal was a little more conspicuous: keep LeBron a Cav when his contract is up after this season. James has made it clear he would like to remain a Cavalier after this season, but no one would be surprised if he pulled a classic superstar move and signed a contract with a team that could afford to pay him a little more money—say, the Knicks? But if Cleveland could give Lebron an NBA title next season, the Akron native might be a little more tempted to stay in Cleveland. Shaq is 37 years old and is about to play his 17th year in the NBA. Cleveland is hoping he still has enough (diesel) gas in the tank to get Cleveland past the Celtics and Magic, by whom they have been eliminated in the playoffs the past two years. The Cavliers brass might be on to something too: O’Neal already has 4 rings, and there is something to be said for someone who has proven himself a champion. Even if the Cavs don’t bring home a title, this moves at least lets LeBron know that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get LeBron what he needs to win a championship. However, Cleveland does have one number off in the “Shaq + x = NBA champs” formula. In LA, there was Shaq, Kobe, and Phil Jackson; in Miami, there was Shaq, D-Wade, and Pat Riley. In Cleveland, there will be Shaq, LeBron, and…Mike Brown. He has the grade-A point guard that has helped him win championships in the past, but he doesn’t quite have the grade-A coach. (More like a grade-B rown coach).

One thing I know I’m looking forward too is watching Shaq join one of the most fun-loving teams in the NBA. He thinks there will be “a lot of fun, a lot of just having a good time and a lot of smiling, and a lot of winning.” Putting aside the winning part, I can’t imagine what Shaq will bring to the pre-game photo shoots and human bowling of the Cavs. Who can forget the 2007 All-Star game dance-off Shaq initiated between Dwight Howard, LeBron, and himself? To see the dance-off, click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfHeeQJhVQ. If nothing else, LeBron will have a fun season putting on a show for the fans of Cleveland playing alongside the biggest personality in all of sports, Shaquille O’Neal. Another thing we can count on: the Cavalier offense will no longer be get the ball to LeBron, and watch him do his thing. James’s numbers might drop off a bit with the addition of a 15-time All Star, but I don’t think he’ll care if it gets him a ring.

In the Same Neck of the Woods

Seventeen years ago, a young child named Woods took up an interest in golf. Cheyenne Woods, that is, Tiger's niece. In 1992, when she was a mere 19 months old, she went with her mom to watch the 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open and cheer on her uncle Tiger. At the time, Tiger was making his Tour Debut, and was heckled at the tee, as the spectators thought the 16 year old amatuer Tiger was far too young to compete. This was the first of two events that sealed Cheyenne Woods' fate of playing golf. When Cheyene was 8, Tiger's dad, the late Earl Woods, brought her to the course and made her chip some balls on the green. Before Earl had died, he was everything to Cheyenne. He listened to her, and she thought he was the wisest person in the world. Tiger has since filled his father's role, listening to everything she says, and mentoring her in the game of golf.

Over the course of Cheyenne's young career she has already won 30 amateur tournaments, as she prepares to enter her sophomore year at Wake Forest, which finished ranked #13 in the NCAA for women's golf. Her first year as a Demon Deacon, her teammates thought she was going to be a prima donna, a diva, but they have since changed their perspectives. They say she is "low maitenance" and has an "explosive laugh", making her easy to get along with. Cheyenne arrived at Wake Forest asking for no special treatment, and saying she has to earn everything.

Now, almost 19 years old, Cheyenne is currently playing her first professional tournament at the Wegmans LPGA in Pittsford, N.Y. In her LPGA debut on Thursday, she shot a 75 (+3), which was good enough to tie for 119th place. In her the second round of the tournament, she moved herself up to 63rd place, shooting -2 for the day. At +1 for the tournament, she sits one stroke above the expected +2 cut line. She's off to a good start, and perhaps one day we will see "Tigress Woods" atop the leaderboards for the LPGA.

R.I.P. the King of Pop, Michael Jackson

Guarding the Garden

When the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett after the 2006-2007 season, they traded away their first round draft pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. So, the Celtics had but one pick in this year's draft: the 58th overall, third to last in the whole draft. They picked senior shooting guard Lester Hudson out of Tennessee-Martin. Almost 25 years old, he was oldest player selected in this year's draft. (It's too bad that college prospects get penalized for staying in college for four years, e.g. Tyler Hansbrough: ACC's all-time leading scorer, dropped to the Pacers at the 13th pick. In the past three drafts, 17 seniors went in the first round, compared to 22 freshmen. This year, we saw the first American player to sidestep the new rule requiring one year of college before entering the draft by playing professionally in Europe: 10th overall pick, Brandon Jennings.) The UT Martin Skyhawks led the Ohio Valley Conference (D-1) with 22 wins last season. Lester Hudson made headlines last year as a junior when he recorded the OVC's first ever quadruple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds 10 assists, 10 steals). A talented all-around player, Hudson was the only player in the nation to average 5+ points, 4+ rebounds, 4+ assists, and 2+ steals per game. He led the OVC in scoring with 27.5 points per game, which was good enough for second-best in the nation, behind Davidson's Stephen Curry (7th overall in the Draft). During his two years at UT Martin, he received a number of significant honors: two-time AP All-American Honorable Mention, back-to-back OVC Player of the Year, 7-time OVC Player of the Week (single-season record). Flying under the radar in a conference that has seen only one player get drafted to the NBA since 2004, Hudson was projected by ESPN to go in the late first round to early second-round. He had good numbers in college, but he's already older than Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins, and I don't know how much better this guy is going to get. Furthermore, the Celtics still have two young guards, J.R. Giddens and Gabe Pruitt, waiting for their chance to play at the Garden. Giddens and Pruitt (2008 and 2007 draft picks, respectively) have a team option for next season. Drafting another guard could be Danny Ainge's way of telling them that they better work their tails off, or this newcomer is going to take their spot. Or, maybe Ainge really likes the athleticism and maturity of Hudson and expects him to get a little bit of playing time next season. Regardless, it's nice to see a kid who actually graduated from college get drafted to the NBA.

Smoltz: "Very Encouraged" Despite the Loss

What can we take away from John Smoltz’s debut with the Sox last night? Smoltz said himself that he was “very encouraged”, and Tito too seemed pleased after the game. That may seem a little odd when you look at the results of his first Major League since having shoulder surgery last June. He went five innings, and gave up five runs on seven hits, earning him a loss and an ERA of 9.00. But you can’t just look at the final box score. If you take away the first inning, Smoltz’s performance was rather good: four innings, one run, three hits, no walks, and four Ks. This was Smoltz’s first game ever not with the Atlanta Braves, and you can’t really blame him for maybe being a little rattled right off the bat. And it’s not the first time he’s struggled in his first appearance following a long layoff: in his first game as a closer in 2002, Smoltz gave up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning. In his first game returning t o the starter’s role in 2005, he went 1 2/3 innings and gave up six earned runs. Smoltz called this start “déjà vu…Three or four years ago, I heard he same doubt. It quickly changed, and that [first] game gets forgotten. The patience will be just from the nice little stretch here to get myself acclimated to this team, and you'll see what happens when I get in my groove.” It took one inning for him to get into the groove we’ll hope to see for the remainder of the season. He settled in after the first inning, and needed only 57 pitches to get through the next four. His command was solid, and his fastball averaged 91.7 mph. Keep in mind, Smoltz is 42 years old and coming off his second major surgery in his career (Tommy John surgery in 2000). No one knows how Smoltz will come back after his rough debut better than the man himself, and I too feel very encouraged about what is to come from this future Hall of Famer in a Boston uniform.

USA in FIFA Finals

The FIFA Confederations Cup is held every four years, in the year preceding the World Cup. Considered a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, the tournament is not as significant as the grand-daddy of them all, but it is important in establishing which countries will be the teams to watch in the following year’s World Cup, and is still good for international bragging rights. Whereas 32 teams participate in the World Cup, only eight can qualify for the Confederations Cup. Six spots are held for the winners of the six FIFA confederations: UEFA (Europe), CAF (Africa), CONMEBOL (South America), AFC (Asia), CONCACAF (North and Central America, Caribbean), and OFC (Oceania). The seventh spot is given to the reigning World Cup champion, and the eighth to the tournament’s host country. (The host of Confederations Cup is also the host of the following year’s World Cup).

This year’s Confederations Cup was held in South Africa, and was important for the USA because it was marked by surprising—albeit lucky—upsets on behalf the Americans. After early losses to Brazil and Italy in group play, only under the most unlikely circumstances could the US qualify for the semifinal round. In the third round of group play, the US played Egypt and Brazil faced Italy. The American team could not advance with only a win on their part; they had to win by three goals. They could not advance with only a three-goal victory over Egypt; Brazil had to defeat Italy. They could not advance with only a three-goal victory over Egypt and a Brazilian victory; Brazil had to win by at least three goals. As you can see, the US had their work cut out for them. Often, soccer games see less than three goals between each team!

Considered the underdogs against Egypt, the Americans had a surprising 1-0 lead when Brazil-Italy’s final score flashed on the scoreboard: 3-0, Brazil. If the US could score two more goals and keep Egypt scoreless, they would advance to the semifinals. In the 71st minute, Charlie Davies scored the goal that put USA through to the finals.

But this was just the beginning for the Americans. Spain, riding a 35 game unbeaten streak in international play, was waiting to eat the American team like tapas. The Spaniards had outscored opponents in the tournament 9-0 in three games of group play and controlled the ball for nearly 60% of the game each of the three games. Should, by some stroke of luck, the Americans beat the #1 team in the world, it would be their first finals appearance in a FIFA-sponsored tournament ever. The few, the proud—the soccer fans of America, prayed for a victory, and the FIFA gods listened over the buzz of the vevuzela trumpets that permeated all of South Africa this week. The United States defeated Spain 2-0, and advanced to the Confederations Cup finals.

This Sunday, they will face a deep Brazil team, to whom they lost seven days ago in their second tournament game. Since that match, however, the Americans are 2-0 and have not allowed a single goal. The Brazilians struggled to score against a valiant South Africa team, but finally did in the 88th minute in their semifinal round. Come Sunday, Brazil will have but two days of rest after their grueling match against the hometown favorites, and the US will be coming off a full three days of rest and preparation. That extra day of rest and the newfound confidence after beating the best team in the world could be what America needs to beat Brazil in the finals. I know I talk a lot about soccer and hockey trying to create a broader fanbase in America, but this animated tournament and unexpected success will go a long way in creating interest among casual soccer fans here in America.

Fenway to Host NHL Winter Classic

Reports confirm that the site for the 2010 Winter Classic has been decided by NHL's commissioner Gary Bettman: Fenway Park. Since 2008, the NHL has held one outdoor regular season game each year on New Year's Day. In the 2008 "Ice Bowl", the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in front of a NY crowd of more than 70,000. Last year, the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field. In 2010, the Classic will be a matchup between two of the Original Six hockey teams, the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. The annual event has been an attempt to spur more interest in hockey across America, so it's not surprising that the first three hosts will be New York, Chicago, and Boston--three large cities notorious for their enthusiasm for professional sports. Despite making the playoffs the past two seasons, the B's are still lagging behind the Pats, Sox, and Celts, as far as the average Bostonian's interest goes. Fenway's hosting of the 2010 Winter Classic could be what will put the Bruins back on the map.

Stat of the Day: Pretty Pitching

The Red Sox are the only team in all of MLB to have four pitchers with at least 6 wins. Some teams (Phillies, Nationals, A's, and Orioles) don't have any pitchers who have won 6 games.

Wakefield: 9-3 Beckett: 8-3
Penny: 6-2 Lester 6-6

This stat speaks not only to how well the starting rotation has performed, but it also demonstrates the success of our bullpen. Red Sox relievers have allowed a total of 87 runs this year. (Compare that to the Yanks: 101; and to the team with the best record in baseball, the Dodgers: 101. Our strong bullpen, anchored by Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, and Ramon Ramirez, has been able to hold the leads for that game's starter, allowing him to take the win.

Stat #2: Among the 13 NL pitchers who have at least 7 wins, you will find Bronson Arroyo (8-6, with Cincinnati) and Derek Lowe (7-5, with Atlanta)

On another note, John Smoltz will make his first start of the season tonight against the Nationals, and will hopefully keep the USS Fenway from rocking too much until Daisuke returns from the DL. When he does, Smoltz could be moved to the bullpen. After all, from 2001-2004, he picked up 154 saves for Atlanta, with an ERA of 3.02.

How did he Fehr?

Donald Fehr retired from his position as executive director of the MLB players association on Monday after 26 years of service. Fehr is one month away from turning 61. He will be most remembered for his undying dedication to the players, as opposed to his dedication to the integrity of the game. Baseball’s player’s association is the strongest in professional sports, and Fehr did nothing to jeopardize that reputation. Through his cutthroat negotiations with franchise owners, Fehr helped raise the average MLB salary from $289,000 to $2.9 million. He led the players on a strike in 1994 that resulted in the cancellation of that year’s World Series. The average player made almost $1.2 million that season—up 9% from the previous year. A World Series-canceling strike because of $1.2 mil. a year? Not Fehr's crowning achievement, to be sure. The strike was effective, nonetheless: average salaries more than doubled over the next ten years. Because of Fehr, selfish baseball players have been able to squeeze every last dollar out of their organization’s bank account.

Another thing Fehr has done to negatively affect the game of baseball is his handling of the steroid issue. Using the strength of the MLBPA, Fehr was able to keep any drug testing program out of baseball in 2003, 16 years after the NFL, and 4 years after the NBA. Michael Weiner, a skilled lawyer and No. 3 official in the players association, will succeed Fehr. Hopefully, a new face at the head of the MLBPA will clean up the mess that is drug abuse in the MLB. Maybe not though, because it was at the behest of Fehr that Weiner take his position, and it is likely that Weiner will have take all the same stands as his predecessor.

Stat of the Day: In the Top 5

Strikeout to walk ratio: 2.20 For every walk surrendered by Sox pitching, they strike out 2.20 batters
MLB rank: 3
AL rank: 3
Closest AL East team: NY (#14 in MLB)

Strikeouts per 9 innings: 7.68
MLB rank: 3
AL rank: 1
Closest AL East team: NY (#5)

Save percentage: 73%
MLB rank: 4
AL rank: 2
Closest AL East team: NY (#7)

Complete games: 5
MLB rank: T-3
AL rank: T-2
Closest AL East team: TOR (#T-6)

Slugging percentage: .453 Red Sox batters score .453 runs per at bat
MLB rank: 5
AL rank: 4
Closest AL East team: NY (#1)

Total walks: 298
MLB rank: 1
AL rank: 1
Closest AL East team: TB (#2)

Runs scored: 376
MLB rank: 3
AL rank: 3
Closest AL East team: TB (#1)

Doubles: 157
MLB rank: 1
AL rank: 1
Closest AL East team: TOR (#2)
**Stats up to Wednesday, June 24

Gonzo

This may be the last year in the MLB for former Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Currently with the Cincinnati Reds, Gonzalez had surgery to remove four bone chips in his right elbow, and is expected to miss four weeks. This is the last year on his 3-year contract with the Reds, and injuries have sidelined the 32 year-old for considerable amounts of time in the past two years. There isn’t much demand for an aging SS with a career batting average of .247. But Gonzalez has managed to make a career solely out of his outstanding defensive ability. The 10-year veteran played his 2006 season with the Sox, and healed the wound left by Edgar Renteria the year before: in 2005, while playing in Boston, Renteria led the Major Leagues in errors. Gonzalez has never had a season where he hit over .280 or drove in more than 80 runs, yet his knack the shortstop position made him an All-Star in 1999. Gonzalez, along with former Venezuelan Omar Vizquel, will be remembered as the two best defensive shortstops of the past decade.

The $103 Million Arm Losing Stock

We were all perplexed, looking at the bounty of pitching Sox GM Theo Epstein has been able to assemble, and we have wondered what to do, what to do. With the recent struggles of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Terry Francona’s proposed problem probably became much less of a predicament. He has put Daisuke, the ace of the 2008 season, on the 15-day DL. This will be Matsuzaka’s second stint on the DL this season: he was put on the DL early this year with “arm fatigue”. I just don’t understand what Dice-K’s problem is in American ballparks. The Red Sox spent $51 million just to enter negotiations with the Japanese star, and went on to sign this Scott Boras client to a six-year $52 million contract. Now, Daisuke doesn’t really seem to be worth the $103 million shelled out by the Boston front office. This season, he hasn’t pitched more than 5½ innings in a game, and has an 8.23 ERA. But at the time, it’s hard to blame Theo for thinking Matsuzaka might be the next Pedro. On the cover of Sports illustrated in March ’07, Tom Verducci wrote of the Japanese phenom,

“What strikes you now about Matsuzaka, once you get beyond the knowing countenance, is that after all that throwing, never did he bother to ice his arm or shoulder. In major league locker rooms, ice packs are ubiquitous appendages for pitchers, who wrap their shoulder or elbow or both, the better to calm muscles, ligaments and tendons that have been stressed by the unnatural act of throwing a baseball. Relievers are known to ice after facing only one batter in a game.

Not Matsuzaka. He didn't ice after he threw 103 pitches in the bullpen the second time he stepped on a mound in spring training in 2007, more than twice the number of even the heartiest of his fellow Red Sox pitchers. He didn't ice after one of his twice-weekly 20-minute long-toss sessions, when he throws from the rightfield foul pole to the leftfield wall -- a distance of about 300 feet -- while taking only one step to load his arm. (Most pitchers throw half that distance.) In past years with the Seibu Lions, he wouldn't ice even after his frequent 300-pitch bullpen sessions, a program that would have been grounds for dismissal for any major league pitching coach who allowed it.

Then you reflect on the 250 pitches he threw in a 17-inning complete game in high school -- the apex of a stretch in which he threw 54 innings in 11 days -- and the 189 pitches he threw on Opening Day in 2003, the 160 pitches in his second start of the '05 season, the 145 pitches in his penultimate start for the Lions, the 588 innings he threw for Seibu before he turned 21 (Oakland ace Rich Harden, 25, still hasn't logged that many big league innings) and the eight games last year in which he threw at least 130 pitches -- more such games than all major league pitchers combined.”
Not to mention, he’s been MVP of the previous two World Baseball Classics (2006 and 2009).

However, he hasn’t been able to duplicate the success he’s had pitching for Japan here in America. I bet it’s the conservativeness of Major League trainers and pitching coaches. Francona assumes Daisuke, like all other pitchers, tires right around 100 pitches, and so he feels the need to yank him when he gets near that number. The unfortunate thing is, with Daisuke’s tendency to nibble around the strike zone and throw gobs of pitches per inning, we see Terry jog out to pull him in the middle of the fifth inning, even if he’s pitching well. On June 2, Daisuke was pulled after 5 innings, even though he had only given up one run and had struck out 6, just because he had thrown 96 pitches. If he wants to go 9 innings and throw 200 pitches, let him, no matter how unorthodox and risky it seems. When Francona put Matsuzaka on the disabled list this week, he said, “this is not going to be a two-week DL”, hinting that it looks like it could be much longer than that. What worries the Sox isn’t anything structural, it’s arm weakness. The cause of this weakness is clear to me though, and rest won’t help. Daisuke isn’t accustomed to MLB’s unconditional limits on how much a pitcher can throw. He’s used to throwing all the time, and as much as he wants. Since he’s come to Boston, they’ve told him he can’t do that. It’s like telling a marathoner he can’t run more than one mile each day: he’s going to get out of shape. The Red Sox staff’s attempts to save Daisuke’s arm have been counterproductive, and have affected the weakness in his throwing arm. If the Sox want to help Daisuke find his form, they shouldn’t treat his arm like some antique Rolls Royce. They should treat it like a brand new Porsche, and push down on that throttle with all you’ve got.

The Future of Matt Cassel

Before I start, I'd like to point out the striking resemblance between Matt Cassel and Thayer Academy's own Sean Fernald. Now, here I go.

Last year, we thought Matt Cassel showed that he deserved a starting QB job in the NFL. When reigning MVP Tom Brady went down with a knee injury in the season opener, Cassel led the Patriots to a more-than-respectable 11-5 record. The Patriots went on to give Cassel the most expensive one-year contract for an offensive player in NFL history, and then trade him to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second round draft pick. But this year, I think Cassel will show that Tom Brady may very well have the easiest job in the NFL.

We were shocked when Cassel, the supposed breakout player of the year, was traded to the Chiefs along with Pro Bowl linebacker Mike Vrabel for a measly second round draft pick. Some passed off the seemingly one-sided trade by claiming the Pats were cutting their former GM Scott Pioli—now Kansas City GM—a little slack, knowing that he had very little to give the Patriots in return. Others pointed to the fact that Belichick prefers second-round picks because he can sidestep having to pay the enormous contract that first rounders are accustomed to getting. But really, it was because Matt Cassel simply isn’t worth much more than a second round draft pick.

Matt Cassel was drafted in the seventh round by the Pats in 2005 for a reason: USC coach Pete Carroll didn’t start Cassel for a single game during his four-year career in Southern Cal. Cassel didn’t get to start any games during his college career for a reason: he is a mediocre quarterback. The numbers he put up during his 2008 campaign were not all that special. What got him so much attention was that no one expected the Patriots to do well at all without their superstar quarterback. Cassel’s 89.4 QB rating was good enough for tenth in the league, behind, among others, Matt Schaub of the Texans, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, and Jeff Garcia of the Buccaneers. I don’t see teams licking their lips trying to sign 39 year-old Garcia to a $14 million, 1-year contract. Matt Cassel is a great story for sure. Having not started a single game since high school, he started all but one game for the Patriots, en route to a quality season. But how much of the team’s success was due to Cassel has been hugely over exaggerated.

The Patriots have the most QB-friendly team in the NFL; just about quarterback could find success with the New England O-line, WR corps, and passing game strategy. Three Patriots offensive linemen made the 2008 Pro Bowl, including two starters: Matt Light and Logan Mankins. No other team had more than one O-lineman make the roster. This brick wall of Pro-Bowlers gave Matt Cassel ample time in the pocket to find a wide receiver, one of whom is bound to get open at some point. Randy Moss is perhaps the best deep threat WR in the NFL. The fact that he drew a double team on almost every play created dream jobs for Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney, who seemed to always be open. Finally, the New England-style offense boils the passing game down to mostly short 7 or 8-yard passes—a high percentage game for any QB. This simple, yet effective passing strategy, combined with the above-average defense and rushing attack, the legendary O-line, and arguably the best coach in all sports today are responsible for the Pats’ 11-5 season—not Matt Cassel.

Next year, Cassel will play for the Chiefs and will find that not all teams are as easy to play for as the Patriots. Last year, Kansas City finished with a 2-14 record, and only four teams scored fewer points. Their WR corps is among the worst in the league: last year, only two players had more than 400 receiving yards—one was Tony Gonzalez, whom they proceeded to trade to the Atlanta Falcons. So Cassel will be forced to rely almost exclusively on one receiver, third year starter Dwayne Bowe out of Louisiana State. Another obstacle Cassel will encounter is an average offensive line. The Chiefs do have Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters, but, after Cassel’s time in New England, the pass rush will seem to be on top of him before he can even catch a glimpse of his wide receivers getting owned by opposing backfields. Last year, the Tyler Thigpen was the Chief’s QB, and he failed to throw for more than 2,750 yards over the course of the season, good enough for a 76.0 passer rating.

Here’s what I see happening this year: Cassel will be the starter in week 1, continue to start until mid-season, where he will have completed no more than 60% of his passes, and Larry Johnson will have been the chief (no pun intended) producer on offense. When KC continues to struggle, Cassel will start to share time with former Alabama-star Brodie Croyle. Kansas City will finish the season 5-11, and Cassel will go on to sign with a team desperate for a QB and hopeful that Cassel will miraculously reproduce his 2008-2009 season with New England, which he owes entirely to his supporting cast.

US Tennis: Out

In the Nineties, we had Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. The 60s and 70s were dominated by Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe. And in the early 1900s, Bill Larned, Bill Tilden, and Don Budge brought home a total of 23 Grand Slam titles for the USA. Now, of the top 50 international tennis players, there are four Americans, who have won a combined ONE Grand Slam. James Blake and Mardy Fish, ranked 17th and 25th in the world, respectively, have never made it past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. And then there’s Andy Roddick. He became the poster child for American tennis following his 2003 US Open victory; he was supposed to take the torch carried by Agassi and Sampras during the previous decade. He is a thrill to watch (big serves, hard forehand, vicious temper, and good looks) which as undoubtedly contributed to his somewhat underserved popularity. Yet, he’s faded since his 2003 triumphs (he was ranked No. 1 for 13 weeks), as he has appeared in only three more Grand Slam finals. I must acknowledge his Davis Cup success, however, as he has the 2nd most tournament wins among US players. Finally, ranked at 47 in the world, the fourth American in the ATP top 50 is Sam Querrey. He has a sub .500 singles record for his career, has never made it past the first round of a Grand Slam, and has but one minor title to his name. And it doesn’t look like any American will break through the forcefield at the top of the ATP rankings. The top four players—Nadal, Federer, Murray, and Djokovic—appear to be quite capable of fending off any and all challengers for the time being.

On the women's side, we have the Williams sisters to root for. Serena and Venus are #2 and #3, respectively, behind Russia's Dinara Safina. Since Serena's injuries bumped her out of the top 100 in 2006, she's had to prove herself once again, which she did by winning the 2007 Australian Open, despite entering the tournament ranked #81. Since then, she has fought her way back into the top 3 in the world. Venus too struggled with injuries for a few years leading up to her own comeback in 2007, when she won Wimbeldon. And the Williams sisters are a dream team as a doubles team. They won the gold medal for doubles at the 2008 Olympics in China, and are defending Wimbeldon and Australian Open champs. Then, there's...well...Bethanie Mattek (#57) and Jill Craybas (#90), who are more doubles specialists than anything else. In the end, when you turn on Wimbeldon this week, you'll see Serena and Venus mixed in with Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, and all sorts of other -ova's, -eva's, and -vic's. The women's tour is becoming the battle of the Eastern Europeans. Like men's tennis, the days of American supremacy in women's tennis--Billy Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova--seems to be at an end. Since 1991, not including Venus and Serena, only three women--Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, and Monica Seles (who played most of career for Yugoslavia)--have ever won a Grand Slam.

USTA general manager of elite development, Patrick McEnroe, attributes the lack of American success in tennis to the unending media hype that young stars face in America. Enormous expectations are heaped upon US tennis players from their teenage years; when they find themselves unable to live up to these expectations, their confidence plummets and they don’t know what to do with themselves. In 2005, at age 15, Donald Young was the #1 junior tennis player in the world. He was all the rave, and prematurely turned pro in 2004. After reaching the 3rd round of the 2007 US Open, Young has not made it past the first round in any Grand Slam, and has a career singles record of 10-33. In April 2008, Young was ranked #73 in the world, but has since fallen out of the top 100. Unfortunately, I see the story of Donald Young becoming more the rule than the exception for junior American phenoms. It will take a youngster not only with astonishing talent and skill, but also one with an extraordinary ability to endure the national spotlight to find himself playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of 24,000 for the US Open finals.

Stat of the Day: More W's

Tim Wakefield put up another W for the Sox last night, as he becomes the fifth pitcher in the Major Leagues to win 9 games this season. Only one player (injured Roy Halladay) has more wins than the knuckleballer this season. Who knows, he may even get a shot at his first All-Star game! Joe Madden of the Rays, who has never coached an All-Star game, will be the AL skipper in the mid-summer classic. Madden isn’t your cookie cutter manager, and he may very well consider putting a knuckleballer on his pitching staff over the typical power pitcher you usually see chosen by coaches.

The Red Sox have 23 games remaining before the All-Star break, of which Wakefield will likely start four. At the pace he’s at now, 3 wins to every 1 loss (9-3 record), he’ll finish 12-4 before the All-Star break. Last year, only two pitchers had 12 wins at mid-season—one was Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee. The average number of wins for all the pitchers selected for the 2009 All-Star game was 10.5, and the average number of innings pitched per game was under 6.8. Wakefield throws an average of 6.3 innings per start, and with the second-most wins in the AL, Madden would be foolish not to take a second look at him. In addition, most National Leaguers have never seen Wakefield, or any pitcher like him. How often does a batter not in the AL East see a 65 mph knuckler sail over their head, then find the catcher’s mitt in the middle of the strike zone? Having a pitcher like Wakefield on the AL pitching staff would be an advantage for the American League squad, as long as Joe Mauer can handle the erratic floater, that is. In the four starts Wake will have before the break, he’ll need to continue the path he’s on in order to make the team. He’ll probably face the Braves twice (interleague play), followed by the Orioles and A’s. Baltimore and Oakland are both last in their divisions, and the Braves are 6 games under .500. Look for Wake when the final All-Star rosters are released on July 9th.

Stop Acting So Surprised

You can add another name to list of convicted steroid abusers in the MLB: Sammy Sosa. The New York Times reported yesterday that Sosa had tested positive as part of an anonymous 2003 test. Yes, that list: the one that stained A-Rod’s reputation when his positive test was revealed by SI's Selena Roberts last February. I don’t know who’s to blame for the supposedly anonymous test becoming not-so-anonymous, but that’s beside the point. Many Hall of Fame voters have said that they will not vote for anyone that they suspect of steroid abuse. Last year, Mark McGuire received 118 votes, 287 shy of the 405 needed to be inducted. I think it’s fair to say that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark McGuire will never make it to the Hall of Fame. But steroids didn’t come out of nowhere in the mid 90s; they had been around long before then. The first anabolic steroid was marketed in the US in 1956, and was designed for Olympic weightlifters. But before long, athletes in other sports noticed the advantage they could obtain by taking the drug. In the 70s and 80s, steroid use was prevalent in the Olympics (19 athletes were disqualified from the 1983 Olympics for juicing), as well as in sports from the college level and up. A drug testing policy was not instituted in the Major Leagues until 2003. Are we to believe that prior to the beginning of testing, no one in baseball used steroids? Of the three players who hit 230 HRs in the decade from 1985 to 1995, two are known steroid users, Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire. The use of drugs to get an advantage over your opponents is nothing new. I mean, baseball players since the 1900s have been chewing tobacco to keep themselves from losing their mental focus. In football, former Broncos defensive lineman Lyle Alzado, a star of the late 70s, said that “I started taking anabolic steroids in 1969 and never stopped…ninety percent of the athletes I know are on the stuff”. Former NFL linebacker and coach, Jim Haslett, was quoted as saying that, during the 1980s, half of the players in the league used performance enhancing drugs, as did all defensive linemen. If anything close to these numbers is accurate, we have barely scratched the surface of how prevalent drug abuse is in professional sports. But back to baseball, I wouldn’t be surprised if some 1980s journeyman came out, and in a Canseco-type fashion, rattled off the names of Kent Hrbek, Dale Murphy, Kirby Puckett, and other stars of that generation, as being steroid users. What happens then? What if this Steroid Era of baseball has a past that we know nothing about? If a Hall of Famer like Kirby Puckett was discovered to have used steroids during his baseball career, do we remove him from the Hall of Fame? I don’t know the answer to these questions; what I do know, is that we need to stop acting so surprised when yet another star gets the steroid label tattooed to his oversized biceps.

No More Surprises

When I got wind of Sammy Sosa's recently unearthed positive test for PED's in 2003, I wouldn't describe my reaction as shocked, hurt, nor astounded. Nope, when it comes to this new steroid era in baseball that we are still knee deep in, I am officially numb to any use of performance enhancers, past or present, no matter the excuse. Sure, I was plenty hurt when I heard about Roger; and for a while even refused to believe that my favorite player, Manny Ramirez, was using. I came up with every possible excuse in my head; "a doctor could have prescribed it without him knowing", or "maybe it was for an injury", I even bought the woman's fertility drug alibi for a while. But after no real fight from Manny's camp regarding his suspension, I woke up and swallowed the sad, hard truth. My favorite player, the one guy that was supposed to be clean, the one guy that was born to hit home runs and drive people in, had cheated the game I love. Now, I no longer idolize players in that way, right now there isn't one player in baseball who I wholeheartedly believe has never used anything to gain an unfair edge. It isn't fair to the owners, the coaches, nor the fans shelling out outrageous amounts to see their "heroes" play. And above all, it's a slap in the face to the players of old who paved the way for our athletes today. Sure, it still hurts to see reliever Takashi Saito stroll out in that sacred 24 jersey, but I'll get over in due time. I still love the game of baseball, but until this steroid era ends, for me, there will be no more surprises.

Anything's Possible, Like a '10 Title for the Celts

Recently, the Big Ticket himself, Kevin Garnett told the fans to buy tickets, all to watch the Celtics' journey to a "guaranteed" title. Well, it has common sense lately to buy a ticket to a Celtics game, a franchise drenched with winning and culture. But Garnett has guaranteed a title for 2010. This is a huge possibility for a Celtics team with a healthy Garnett, a now-experienced Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, a fit Paul Pierce, and a healthy Ray Allen. Wait, did I just say "healthy" Ray Allen? Yes, I did. He actually admitted to the Boston Globe that he did indeed have a hamstring injury in the Conference semifinals against the Magic. He did not feel it was neccessarry to release the information because he did not think it was that serious. But he did say that it was something he, "had to deal with." And, when asked by the Globe if the injury hindered his performance in the sreies, Allen replied with a typical humble superstar statement, saying, "It wasn't anything that was going to keep me from playing." If you look back to the Celtics' championship team in '08, we were absurdly fortunate to have practically no injuries all season. This year, a battered Celtics team that faced injury after injury, especially late in the season, were one of three NBA teams to finish the season with more than 60 wins.

With everyone back and healthy in 2010, the Celtics have a great chance to win the NBA Finals, and according to Las Vegas, they have a 5-1 chance of winning, in 3rd place just behind Cleveland (2nd place with 3-1 odds) and Los Angeles Lakers (1st place with 5-2 odds).

Mute Tennis

Yes, that's right you blood-thirsty perverts who watch women's tennis for the sole satisfaction of their slightly-too-audible grunts. Tennis umpires may soon allow the opponent a point if the other player's grunts hinder their abilities to perform. However, this may change in the near future; umpires may force the offender to forfeit a whole match or game.

This spells trouble to the most famous, or infamous, offender: Maria Sharapova. According to comcast.net, her "grunt" sounds off at 101 decibels, louder than a snowmobile or motorcycle (100dB), and only 9 dB less than a chain saw (110 decibels). However, Maria claims, "Players grunt because it helps them release energy and keep focused." She also stated that, "it is something that they do naturally...[not] something that is done deliberately to hurt their opponents." Sharapova could have probably used that energy to beat Dominika Cibulcova, who hasn't ever advanced to the finals of a major, in this year's French Open. I mean, if a fan more than whispers in the middle of a point, he gets kicked out because it's distracting for the players. But as long as your on the court it's okay to rev up a chopper. Sometimes when I watch tennis, I cannot even concentrate on the match because of the unsolicited grunts. So, deservedly so, I say gruntng should be banned from tennis, and any offender should be punished by a forfeited match.

30 Days for Donte'

Boy, has the story shifted! From being the number 2 WR in the 2007 Pats' record-setting offense, Donte' Stallworth is about to face 30 days of jail time for DUI. He pleaded guilty Tuesday for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk in Miami. He also agreed to a confidential financial statement intended for his victim's family. Stallworth's attorney noted that Stallworth stopped immediately after the accident, called 911 and submitted to roadside alcohol testing, even knowing he would test posititve after a night of heavy drinking: actions that have undoubtedly helped his cause. Lawyer Christopher Lyons said of Stallworth, "He acted like a man, he remained at the scene, and he cooperated fully." During the trial, Stallworth stated that he hopes to get into drunk driving clinics, and to urge people not to make the same mistakes he did. As a punshment, Stallworth must undergo drug and alcohol testing, will have a lifetime driver's license suspension, and must perform 1,000 hours of community service, a pretty servable punishment considering his running over a man, allthewhile intoxicated.

I understand that his cooperation with authorities and lack of criminal record is saving him in court, but there's no question he's getting some special treatment. What Stallworth did is classified as criminally negligent manslaughter, which is defined by one legal dictionary as "a homicide resulting from the taking of an unreasonable and high degree of risk is usually considered criminally negligent manslaughter." The possible punishments for such a crime depends on the laws of the state in which the crime was committed. Aparently it also depends on how rich and famous the killer is.

Stat of the Day: Watch Wakefield Win

Tim Wakefield has quietly been one of the best starting pitchers in the American League this season. After the superhuman Roy Halladay (who has just landed himself a trip to the DL, probably because of all the pitching he’s pushed himself to do (he’s the only pitcher in the MLB to have thrown over 100 innings this season)), Wakefield has the most wins of any pitcher in the AL. With a record of 8-3 through twelve starts, only four pitchers have more wins than he does; three of them have the advantage of playing in the National League, where one in every nine batters is almost a guaranteed out, and the overall offense is weaker. And at age 42, he’s far and away the oldest of any pitcher with 8+ wins; Roy Halladay is closest, at age 32. Nevertheless, of the eight pitchers have at least 8 wins this season, only four, Wakefield being one of them, have thrown multiple complete games. Tonight, Wake goes up against Hanley Ramirez and the Florida Marlins, who are 3rd in the NL East, 6 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

I'd Rather Have Doc

Have you been watching Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson these playoffs? It’s pretty hard to catch a glimpse of him actually coaching. It seems like Kobe Bryant has mutinied the LA team, becoming the one in the middle of huddles, the one yelling at refs, the one telling his teammates where to be, and what to do. So what has Phil Jackson been doing? Apparently I’m the only one seeing him take a back-seat role to the self-proclaimed coach and basketball genius, Kobe Bryant; in yesterday’s SportsNation poll on ESPN, Phil Jackson won “greatest NBA coach of all time”, defeating Red Auerbach and Pat Reilly like brushing dirt off his shoulder. Since he started coaching in 1989, he’s made the playoffs every single year, and he’s won ten championships, in only 18 years. Without question, if you look solely at the numbers, Jackson has to be the greatest NBA coach of all time. But is he really?

Jackson got the head coaching job of the Chicago Bulls in 1989. That was Michael Jordan’s fifth year in the NBA: the prime of his life. It was also Scotty Pippen’s second year in the NBA, just long enough for him to get the hang of hanging with the stars of the NBA. One of the greatest dynamic duos of all time fell into Jackson’s lap, and he was able to lead (sit on the bench and watch MJ dominate) the Bulls to a three-peat from 1991-1993. Michael Jordan retired after the third finals victory, surprising Jackson and the rest of the NBA. Not surprisingly, however, Jackson was unable to continue winning without the team’s MVP: during Jordan’s short-lived baseball career, the Bulls had their worst two seasons ever while under Phil Jackson. Fortunately for the Bulls’ frustrated coach, Jordan came back and started the 1995 season, along with new acquisition, Dennis Rodman, winner of the past four rebounding titles. These three stars led the Bulls to another three consecutive NBA Finals victories from 1996-1998, with Jackson serving as the designated time-out-caller, as Jordan his three all-stars walked over competition, giants among men. Then, when Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman didn’t return to the Bulls during the ’98 offseason, neither did Phil Jackson. Possibly realizing his inability to coach a team that lacks the ridiculous talent he enjoyed throughout his tenure in Chicago, Jackson did not show any desire to continue coaching the franchise, and took a year off from basketball. Since the departure of Jackson, but more impmortantly the departure of that trio, Chicago Bulls are championship-less since 1998.

Meanwhile, in LA, the makings of a dynasty were in motion. In 1996, the Lakers acquired three talented young players, 4-year veteran Shaquille O’Neal along with rookies Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher. Phil Jackson wound up the coach of this absurdly talented Laker team in 1999, as both Kobe and Shaq were entering their prime. Can you guess what happened next? With another of the best dynamic duos of all time, the Lakers went back-to-back-to-back, winning three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002. Phil Jackson happened to be the coach at the time. Starting the following season, Shaq and Kobe showed signs of disunion, and the team struggled, and Jackson could not bring his team together. That year, the Lakers did not advance in the postseason further than the Conference Semifinals. Then, there was another year of Shaq-Kobe feuding, another year of Phil Jackson feeding off the talent of his superstars, another year without a championship. Faced with intra-team problems that Jackson could do nothing about, he did not return as the Lakers head coach in 2004. When he returned after a one-year “sabbatical”, for the first time in his career, Phil Jackson had to do some work of his own, as he was faced with the task of developing some young talent. He was so used to it being handed to him. I guess you could say he did a fine job, since he took his team to the NBA Finals this year and last year.

Jackson is unquestionably a good coach. Even when given all the talent in the world, it does take some ability to keep a team together (let’s forget about LA from 2003-2004 for a minute), and it does take some basketball knowledge to formulate a decent strategy, and it does take some suaveness to be NBA champions 10 times during an 18 year career. I’m just saying, you put Terry Francona in Phil Jackson’s shoes, and I bet he’d win a few titles. I don’t know how he’d respond to having to wear a suit though.

Man, U Hear About Ronaldo?

Manchester United has been called the Yankees of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) for several reasons. For one, Manchester United is one of the most celebrated club teams in European history—since 1986, at least, when Alex Ferguson became the team’s manager. In many ways, what George Steinbrenner is to the Yankees, Ferguson is to Manchester United. A member of England’s Premier League (England’s “division” of the UEFA) since its creation in 1992, Manchester United has won eleven of the seventeen Premier League Championships ever played. Many attribute this success to the managerial efforts of Ferguson, just as many attribute the Yankees’ success to the free spending of owner George Steinbrenner.

Next, their fanbase is one of the biggest in soccer. Since 1964, this club has had a higher average game attendance than other club in England. Rooting for Man-U is a tradition for just about everyone who lives anywhere near Manchester, England. But, like the Yankees, soccer fans from across the world support Manchester United. If you ever get a chance to visit Japan, or another non-American, baseball-playing nation, you’ll see Yankee merchandise everywhere. Similarly, outside England, even in America (if you can find a store selling soccer stuff), Manchester United products will crowd the shelves. It’s not uncommon to see a Yankee hat while walking the streets of LA, and it’s not uncommon to see a Man-U jersey while enjoying a pizza in Italy.

But, most importantly, Manchester United is worth more than other soccer team in the world. We all know that the stupidly-rich Yankees can afford to pay two players (A-Rod and CC) $369 million over the next seven years. But Manchester United is estimated to be worth more than any other franchise in all of sports! As of September 2008, the value of this club was approximated at $1.8 billion, compared to the Yankees’ 2006 estimate at just over $1 billion. Regardless of how much each is worth, both teams are just plain loaded. But on June 11, Planet Earth’s richest sporting team didn’t make news by acquiring a big-name player, like their trans-Atlantic counterpart normally does. Instead, they dealt their best player, Christiano Ronaldo to another club, Real Madrid for a sum of $129 million. The Yankees were involved in a similarly shocking maneuver that took place way back in 1919. But instead of selling their best player, the Yanks bought Babe Ruth from the Red Sox that year, and in the process cursed the BoSox for the following 86 years. This time, although the cards are reversed, I predict that Manchester United will be haunted by the curse of Christiano Ronaldo for the next 68 years.

NHL 2009: Anything-but-Plain Playoffs

Of the four major sports in America, I think it’s safe to say that the NHL is probably the least major. Since the lockout of 2004-2005, the league has struggled to find its way back to national prominence, as it is overshadowed by the NBA (whose schedule is virtually identical to that of hockey, start in October, end in June), the NFL playoffs, and early MLB action. There isn’t really a hockey season, where a Bruins-Canadians matchup is the top story on ESPN; there’s always something else going on in the world of sports. But these 2009 NHL playoffs that came to an end on Friday could be just what the doctor ordered to revive this league on life support.

One thing the NHL has done to broaden its audience come playoff time is allow a greater number of teams to qualify for the postseason. What’s a better way to get fans pumped up than to see their team compete for a championship? Of the 30 teams in the NHL, a whopping 16 qualify for the playoffs every year. In baseball and football, only 12 qualify. The NHL’s formula has certainly worked in Boston. Now that the Bruins have made the playoffs the past two years, the Black and Gold are finally getting the attention they deserve.

Now, let’s look at this year’s bracket. You can’t get much more thrilling. In the first round alone, there were two in-state series in the first round (Philly vs. Pittsburgh and Anaheim vs. San Jose), a classic Bruins-Canadians rivalry series, and a paradigmatic five of the Original Six hockey teams found their way to the playoffs. But round two is what really got Barry Melrose to slick back his mullet. Of the four series, three went to game seven, and the Chicago-Vancouver series was won by the Blackhawks in six. In the Bruins-Hurricanes series, each game was a toss-up—home-ice advantage meant as much to either team as looks do to Hurricanes’ captain Rod Brind’Amour. When the B’s were down 4-1 in the series, they battled back to force a game seven, which was decided in overtime—the second overtime game in the series. Then, there was Detroit and Anaheim. Game 2's triple OT win for Detroit foreshadowed the epic series that was to come. Twenty-seven goals were scored in the following five games, and a hard-hitting game seven was decided by a late (3 min to go) Detroit goal. The hockey gods were smiling as the Caps took on the Penguins in the dream matchup of the NHL: Sid the Kid, the best all-around player since Gretzky, against the most exciting player in all of hockey, Alexander Ovechkin. The rivalry between these two young stars could very well be what gets our generation away from the steroid-flooded MLB and the jailbirds of the NFL. The goal-scoring machine Ovechkin did not disappoint, scoring eleven goals in seven games, and Crosby had an incredible 29 points. However, emerging star Evgeni Malkin stole the show, accounting for 33points, far and away the most of either team. And Game 2 was a game no shorter than sublime. The two all-stars, a combined 44 years old, (3 years younger than Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios) battled back and forth, and the game ended with a hat-trick for both, the first double hat-trick playoff game in 13 years. The Caps won that game to put Pittsburgh down 2-0. The Penguins fought hard, winning the next three games. Washington forced a game seven by winning the series’ third overtime contest in four games. Pittsburgh won Game 7, and made it to the Conference Finals. In a less-than-stellar Detroit-Chicago and Carolina-Pittsburgh Round 3 (hard to duplicate the sheer stimulation of the conference semis), the Penguins and Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, generating a rematch of 2008’s Finals.

There wasn’t a whole lot of thrill in the series, although it did account for the fifth seven game series of the playoffs. Until Game 6, there were no 1-goal games, and the home team came out on top in every matchup. The goalies decided Games 1 and 2, as Chris Osgood brought his A-game, making 31 saves in each game, while Marc-Andre Fleury displayed some uncharacteristic jitters, allowing several soft goals, six in total. The home team continued to dominate through the series, winning every game until Game 7, which was won by Pittsburgh, despite being played Hockey Town. The Detroit fans were silenced as Fleury made a Brodeur-esque diving save as time expired, giving Pittsburgh its first Stanley Cup victory since Mario Lemieux led the team to a 1992 championship.

Could this be the postseason that puts the spotlight back on the NHL? Well, maybe. Hockey is no longer the punch line of jokes, and we don’t need Sherlock Holmes to find NHL coverage on the tube. Let’s wait and see if this was the post-lockout breakout season for the NHL.

Should K-Mack Go Pro?

In my recent post “Kyle McYankee”, I may have not emphasized the magnitude of McKenzie’s accomplishment. To have a chance to play in any professional sport is amazing. But personally, I think Kyle should play a few years at Tulane, gain some experience and confidence instead of joining the Yankees’ AA Trenton Thunder as a teenager. Moving up from way down in the farm system is no fun: pitching for maybe a hundred fans, with little media, and practically no life outside the team. Furthermore, if McKenzie decided to play at Tulane, a D-1 school that has made the NCAA regionals 12 of the past 16 years, he would undoubtedly be a regular part of the starting rotation, even as a freshman. Watching the 2009 College World Series in Omaha, second-seeded LSU sent out a reliever throwing a wee 92 mph in the all-important Game 1. McKenzie’s fastball has been clocked at 95 mph, not to mention his above-average off-speed pitches. Once Kyle has played a few seasons with the Green Wave, he’d likely be drafted in a higher round, get a chance at a bigger contract, and have a chance to skip the dreary early stages of the farm league. There must be something in that Louisiana water, anyway: this year, five Tulane baseball players were drafted in the first 25 rounds of the immense, 50-round MLB Draft. Not to mention, if Kyle signed with the Yankees now, he’d miss out on all the partying—I mean educational opportunities that Tulane has to offer. Plus, he’d have a chance to play for a team other than the Yanks.

What to do, What to do.

Come next week, the Red Sox will be faced with a very unique problem in this new era of major league baseball: an abundance of quality pitching. John Smoltz made presumably his final rehab start for Pawtucket last night, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk while fanning six through six innings. The grizzled veteran will most likely see a start sometime next week, whether the Sox' brass had figured out what to do with the remainder of the rotation or not. Josh Beckett, John Lester and Tim Wakefield have solidified themselves as dependable starters (at least for now) and will almost certainly stay in the rotation. Now, for the remaining two spots, the boys of summer have basically four options. They could keep things the way they are with the struggling Daisuke Matsuzaka and consistent (albeit erratic) Brad Penny, or shakeup the rotation and go with new acquisition John Smoltz and young stud Clay Buchholz.

My guess, they put Dice-K on the 15-day DL, (possibly longer) and let him figure out his stuff. By now, Sox fans know what Dice-K is; he's the best 5 2/3 inning pitcher in all of baseball. He won't dominate, he'll throw a lot of pitches, give up plenty of walks and hits, but get out of jams when need be. The World Baseball Classic has taken quite a toll on him; if you include the innings he threw for Japan this winter he's probably at the 100+ mark already. If Matsuzaka can find his form from last season, the Red Sox would have a lot less to worry about.

Now, as for Brad Penny, I feel the Sox will trade him. He is what he is, a hired gun looking to prove himself, and proven himself he has. Not every team has as much depth as the Red Sox, and Brad Penny would be quite attractive as a third or fourth starter for a National League team in the midst of a pennant race. Theo will most likely be looking for a shortstop if they decide to deal Penny, a name that has been mentioned is Jason Donald of the Phillies. Donald, 24, is a young star in the Phillies minor league organization, but is finding it tough to break into the show because he is buried under the all-star middle infield of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. The Sox are waiting to see what they can get from shortstop Jed Lowrie, recovering from a recent wrist surgery. If Lowrie is not up to par, the Red Sox will be forced to make a deal for a shortstop.

With Penny gone, the rotation should look something like this come later this summer: Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, Smoltz, Dice-K/Buchholz. Well, on that staff alone you have two pitchers who have thrown no-hitters (Lester and Buchholz), a world series MVP (Beckett), a pitcher who was 18-3 with a 2.90 era a year ago and two-time WBC MVP (Dice-K), one of the most consistent older pitchers in the game (Wake), and an eight time all-star and one-time Cy Young winner (Smoltz). Not bad at all.

Minicamp: Friday, June 13, 2009

Just thought I would let you now that Friday's minicamp practice was cancelled, due to weather. Training Camp starts July 30th, so all we can do now is look forward to a hard-hitting, intense Patriots training camp. The players will spend time with their families and work out, staying in peak NFL condition (yes, that includes you, Vince Wilfork), until that day.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good: The Philadelphia Eagles restructured veteran QB Donovan McNabb's contract-- well at least the final two years of it. Now, the final two years in the contract are worth a lucrivtive $24.5 million: a significant increase from the previous number of $19.2 million. This is a great move for the Eagles, a franchise that has struggled since their Super Bowl appearance after the 2004 season. Whatever success they have managed (conference chamionship runner-up las year), they undoubtedly owe to McNabb. What has been holding them back is their lack of a supporting cast. But, with this year's arrival of two big-play threats in RB Lesean McCoy (rookie out of Pitsburgh) and WR Jeremy Maclin (rookie out of Missourri), joining Pro Bowl WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia hopes to keep McNabb locked up as the leader of the potentially potent offense.

The Bad: The Texans and former Bears QB Rex Grossman signed a one-year, $620,000 deal. Grossman is a former first-round draft pick and Heisman Trophy runner-up, and even led Chicago to a Super Bowl appearance after his 2006 campaign. Yet, to me, Rex's style of play puts the "Gross" in "Grossman". Since his Super Bowl appearance, he has failed to maintain even the starting role with the Bears. Last year, he started but one game, and in 2007, he amassed only 122 completions (Brady had almost 400). Furthermore, he lacks dedication, as he has repeatedly skipped out on team film sessions, when the QB is typically the first one there. I consider this a bad move for the Texans, even though they are paying Rex barely the minimum wage for a seventh-year veteran, $595,000. Hopefully, last year's starter Matt Schaub will retain his spot from Grossman, who has struggled to play at an NFL-caliber level since 2006. Dan Orlovsky is a capable backup, so this move makes sense if they are trying to fill a roster spot.

The Ugly: Did anyone know that prior to this week, Michael Vick was still a Falcon? Today, the Atlanta Falcons released Vick, making him a free agent. Unlike the MLB, if an NFL player cannot participate in team activities, whether because of injury, or in this case imprisonment, they will not be paid. Up until today, the Falcons had been looking for a possible deal to trade Vick, and get something the first overall pick in the 2001 Draft. Vick is finishing his jail sentance in home confinement, and is still suspended by the NFL. He can still sign with any team, even while suspended. So, let the bidding for Michael Vick begin. Do I have any takers?

Rex Ryan vs. Bill Belichick

Rex Ryan, newly hired coach of the New York Jets, has recently made remarks that have ignited a new fire in the Patriots-Jets rivalry. He recently said, "I didn't come [to New York] to kiss Belichick's rings." He continued, "Do I recognize the fact that Belichick is a heck of a coach? Absolutely. My thing is, I'm not intimidated by him or anyone else in this business. Period. I don't care who it is. Our football team certainly isn't going to be intimidated either. If there are some issues with that, so be it." In typical Bill Belichick fashion, Bill replied matter-of-factly, "It doesn't matter, I'm just trying to get ready to play, and that's it." To me, this war means absolutely nothing. As usual, the Pats will stomp over the Jets twice in the upcoming season. Once the Jets win a playoff game against us, they have no credibility. Yeah, they beat us in OT last year, and yeah it was at Gillette. But seriously, they had Brett Favre, and we did not have our best player, Tom Brady. I am not here to make excuses for that loss, but seriously, the Pats have taken the last 13 of 17 against the Jets, and to me this is not a true rivalry. I would much rather watch the Pats battle the Colts or Steelers, because those are competitive games filled the brim with intensity, and since these teams are always vying for a playoff bid, they have real significance. Even though the Jets are in our division, and we fight them for the division title, a Patriot-Jet matchup just isn't as appealing as a Brady-Manning (Colts or Giants) contest. All things considered, New England probably never play the Jets in the playoffs. Either New England or New York will make the playoffs, not both. The chances that the AFC East will produce two playoff teams this year is unlikely. Top-heavy divisions like the AFC South (Colts, Titans) or AFC North (Steelers, Ravens) will take the Wild Card playoff spots. Thus, when the accomplished team of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick go up against rookie QB Mark Sanchez and first-year head coach Rex Ryan in week 2, I'll be watching the Detroit Lions pick up their first win in over a year, as they face the Minnesota Vikings.

I want a lot of discussion about this topic, so when you read this, please leave your thoughts (not a paragragh).

Minicamp: Thursday, June 11, 2009

Day 2 of 2009 Mini-camp has ended, and the story that had the media buzzing was veteran CB (first-year Patriot) Shawn Springs. To the wonder of the media, Shawn is a diligent note-taker--the Curt Schilling of the NFL, if you will. It takes more than just freakish athleticism in the NFL, you need to have your head on your shoulders and be a smart player. You're bound to lose the hop in your step that you had coming out of college, when you play your 13th pro football season, like Springs intends on doing this year. When asked about star WR and how the competition would be against him, Springs replied saying that he wouldn't know what to do even if "I could bring a notebook this thick on him," as he manipulated his fingers about 2 inches apart. When inquired further upon it, Springs added that he had been taking notes on star wideouts since high school. He kept explaing, "Man, these guys are too good to go out there and not know them, so, when I played Randy [Moss], I had a game plan against him. Whether it’s Marvin Harrison, or going way back to Jimmy Smith, or Chad Johnson. I’m a big note taker." This is oviously good news for Patriots fans, as this shows Springs' commitment to having a great year.

Another harbinger of light coming out of Foxborough on Thursday was about the progress of the tight ends (no, not Giselle Bundchen). Although Ben Watson and David Thomas are the projected starters, this year's training camp foretells an epic position battle, as veterans Chris Baker (from Jets) and Alex Smith (from Bucaneers) may be left out of a starting job. However, when asked about the competition, Smith held his head up, "Competition brings out the best in everybody. You never want to be scared of competition. When you see everybody else making plays, you want to step your game up as well. It makes it tough, but it makes me want to stay out here even more." We saw the benefits of an open competition for a given position last year, when Joe Flacco beat out two former first round draft picks, Troy Smith and Kyle Boller, for the Ravens' starting QB job, and went on to lead Baltimore to the playoffs. Look for a breakout year for whatever Pats TE gets the job, since he will always have another biting at his heels for a chance to take his spot.

First-string running back Sammy Morris arrived at camp today, a day late.

Minicamp: Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The first day of the Patriots' 2009 mini-camp has concluded, and there was a pleasant surprise, as Vince Wilfork, DT, finally showed up for the mandatory minicamp. He had skipped out on all of the previous Organized Team Activities because of contract disputes, now arriving late for training camp, pulling what I like to call "a Manny". Wilfork knows his duty to his team, as he stated on Wednesday, "Right now, the smart thing thing is to be here, playing football, what I do best...At the end of the day, I’m still a Patriot, and I want to be a Patriot. I’m looking forward to a great camp and to a great season. Hopefully we can move forward from here." Obviously, the pro bowl DT has true Patriot Pride, as he grinds out his final contract negotiations. I'm happy to see Wilfork sticking with the Pats, unlike former Super Bowl winners who deserted New England for the big bucks of free agency, such as Asante Samuel, Adam Vinatierri, and Deion Branch.

Also, the Patriots' special teams are looking sharp--well, at least the punters and kickers. First year punter Tom Malone has shown significant improvement from the beginning of OTA's. Also, fourth-year kicker Stephen Gostkoski has been impressing coaches. During the 2-minute drill, he and his unit rushed onto the field and promptly nailed a 60-yarder.

Overall, the team is heading in the right direction, and if this continues, look for a very successful 2009-2010 Patriots' campaign. Missing fom Wednesday's practice were: WRs Tyree Barnes, Shaun White, and Brandon Tate; DB Brandon Meriweather; RB Sammy Morris; CB Mike Richardson; WR/DB Ray Ventrone; safety Brandon McGowan; LBs Jerod Mayo and Tyrone McKenzie; OL Mark LeVoir; DLs Ty Warren and Jarvis Green.

"It's Pathetic and Disgusting"

Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez is having a breakout season, ranking second in the Major Leagues in RBIs and second HRs. He is on pace to set career-highs in batting average, hits, runs, RBI, steals, slugging percentage, and home runs. It is his breakout power at the plate that is eye-catching. Ibanez has 20 HRs and is on pace to hit 57, which would be more than his 2008 and his 2007 totals combined. He has never hit more than 33 in a single season, and his .671 slugging percentage is more than 100 points higher than his career high of .516. It’s a sad reality that any player who, out of nowhere, demonstrates huge power numbers will be suspected of juicing. This especially true for aging players: Ibanez has played fourteen seasons in his MLB career, and turned thirty-seven this month. The sudden spike in Ibanez’s offensive stats has put him under the sinister shadow of the Steroid Era. Ibanez reacted to these notions with comments as strong as his new homerun-swing: he said on Tuesday, “I’ll come after people who defame or slander me…it’s pathetic and disgusting. There should be some accountability for people who put that out there…You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool—anything you can test…I’ll give you back every dime I’ve ever made [if the test is positive]”. This violent outburst will go a long way for Ibanez, as he continues to hit more long-balls. Such a vigorous response is far more convincing than what most suspected steroid users come up with as they try to clear their name, e.g. Barry Bonds.

Kyle McYankee?

In the 30th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Thayer Academy’s own Kyle McKenzie was drafted by the NY Yankees. Out of Canton, McKenzie has helped lead Thayer Academy to back-to-back ISL Championships. After throwing a perfect game last year, he finished his senior season with a 7-0 record, 0.88 ERA, and 93 strikeouts in only 48 innings. He surrendered an average of .33 hits per inning (16 total). He throws his fastball in the mid-nineties, with a devastating curveball, as well as a changeup and a cutter. Not to take anything away from Kyle, but being drafted by the Yankees isn’t really as promising as is might sound. We all know the Yankees have been the most dominant franchise in the Major Leagues for the past decade, but that’s not because of their expert scouting and draft choices—more because their willing to shell out gobs for every free agent available. Since 2000, only nine of the forty-eight Yankee draftees to go in the top five rounds have any Major league experience, with only one (Joba Chamberlain) having much success. Me, I’d rather be drafted by the Red Sox, who have one of the most highly-touted farm systems in baseball, led by scouting director Jason McLeod. Since 2000, nineteen of the Red Sox forty-two picks in the first five rounds have played in the pros. Among these nineteen are Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jon Lester.

McKenzie’s situation is quite unlike most draft picks, however: in last year’s Draft, only 17 of the Yankees 51 draft choices were under the age of 20, and McKenzie is not even 19 yet. K-Mack still has a ways to go as he progresses through the minor leagues, where the average age of a rookie is 24.2 years old (according to the NY Times). Now, since McKenzie hasn’t entered college yet, he has the option of playing for Tulane this year and reentering the MLB draft next year, instead of signing with the Yankees. His other option is entering negotiations with NY and signing a contract, which, for early-round picks, can be worth over $1 million. If McKenzie decides to sign with the Yanks, he’ll have to do so by the August 15 deadline. Should K-Mack refuse to sign with the Evil Empire this year, and he enters the 2010 draft after a season in college, the Yankees will not be able to draft him for a second time.

Why Kobe Blew Game 3

Last night, the Magic were able to secure their first NBA Finals victory in franchise history not because of Dwight Howard’s 20th double-double in 21 playoff games, not because five Magic players scored at least eighteen points (the Lakers had two such players), but because of Kobe Bryant’s foolish play in the second half. He had a ridiculous first-quarter, scoring 17 points (7-10 shooting), and accounting for 23 of the Lakers’ 31 points. From then on, Kobe planned on continuing his first quarter barrage for the remaining 36 minutes; he was on-pace to score 68 points, 5 better than Jordan’s playoff record of 63. He tried to split double-teams, go right at Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, take threes with hands in his face, and he rarely passed the ball to his deserving teammates. Too often, double-teamed Kobe drove the lane, drew the entire Magic defense, and left wide-open Ariza, Farmar, or Fisher wondering why Kobe was trying to maneuver through the 33 feet and 1000 pounds that is the Magic starting lineup. Let’s look at what Kobe did after the first quarter: 4-15 field goals, 4 personal fouls, 4-9 free throw shooting, 3 turnovers, and a +/- of -7. In the fourth quarter, Kobe really blew it for the Lakers. Trying to be the hero he was in the first quarter, over-aggressive Kobe Bryant missed three 3-pointers in the final two minutes. Then, in a one-possession game with less than thirty seconds left, he tried to split yet another double-team, and got stripped by Mickael Pietrus, who went on to put the Magic up by five with two free-throws. But what really gets me is Kobe’s attitude on the court. After every Laker mishap, Bryant makes it out to be an astronomical cataclysm that won’t happen again on his watch. He comes off as an overly-didactic know-it-all, getting on his teammates’ case for something that either wasn’t their fault, or that they already understand how to correct. He’s not the coach. Phil Jackson is one of the most accomplished coaches in NBA history (most playoff wins, highest regular season winning percentage); he doesn’t need Kobe doing his job. Bryant is the best player on the Lakers hands-down, but he’s not the only player on the team. His supporting cast is far better than LeBron’s Cavs or Dwayne Wade’s Heat, and he should take advantage of that. I know he’s eager to prove he’s one of the NBA’s all-time best, that he doesn’t need Shaq to win a championship, but selfish play—no matter how spectacular—isn’t the way to do it.

Pats Minicamp

Minicamp: ironic that it is called "mini" because it truly plays a huge role in the success or failure of a professional team. Here, rookies learn the playbook and veterans scrap their rust. Since no contact is allowed, players can start to learn the system and execute plays without risking their bodies. Well, Organized Team Activities have crept up on us, and along with it, the June 10-12 minicamp.
Tom Brady has returned, bringing excitement and a feeling of expectancy none have felt since the release of the final Harry Potter. Matt Light showed that it's not just the fans who are excited when he told reporters, "We went to the charity golf tournament yesterday and a lot of the sponsors were telling us they’re ampped up for the guys we have here and the guys we brought in. It’s exciting as always. It’s the start of a new season. The new guys, and now getting a chance to install the new offense to see what these guys can do. I think it’ll be a lot of fun." This only shows his excitement and anxiousness to getting to the start of the new season.
The team has showed crispness and sharpness throughout the various OTA's, and we can only hope this will continue in minicamp and ultimately through the season. I will bring you updates from every practice through minicamp.