Title Town - Boston

It’s funny. You remember very few details about your own life. But as sports fans, you’ll always remember exactly where you were when your team won a championship.

I’ve had the pleasure of viewing a nice video from Mack Media Productions called “Title Town”.  It’s also a very nice refresher from some level-headed people, unlike the fellas over at ESPN who call Valdosta, Georgia as Titletown. We all know who the real title town is. Starting with the Cinderella Patriots in ‘01, reversing the curse with our Lansdowne 9 in ‘04, and culminating with our boys in Green taking down the Lakers in June, Boston IS Title Town.

As Boston sports fans, we’ve hit the jackpot in this decade.  We are on one helluva ride, and we won’t even realize it until its over. Thanks to the guys at Mack Media Productions, I took a couple minutes to smile and remember “damn, we’re lucky”.  Do the people in Valdosta say that?  Probably not.

Thanks again fellas.  Check out this great video….

I want to preface this blog by saying I think John Farrell is a great pitching coach, and could easily be a successful manager, but…..

Sunday night, Sox are winning big.  Lester seems to be struggling through the 5th inning, especially after giving up a soft chopper down the third base line to Derek Jeter.  Bases now loaded with Bobby Abreau coming up.  But wait, John Farrell steps out of the dugout to talk to his left hander.  It must have been a great pep talk, because Lester went ahead and walked in a run with 5 pitches.  What could he have possibly said to mess up his control that bad?  Hold that thought…

Monday night, Sox are down one, looking to escape a big inning.  The Halos have men on first and third, I believe, and Dice-K is starting to get rocked.  The righty Justin Masterson is warming in the pen, but instead of Tito making his way out to replace the Dice Man, its Farrell again.  Pacing towards the mound to ’settle his pitcher down’… Three pitches later, Torii Hunter cracks a back breaking three run bomb that landed somewhere near the Boulevard in Lowell.

2 nights.  2 failed mound visits.  Luckily, Lester was able to calm himself down and get out of the inning, securing the win for the Lansdowne 9.  Dice K, on the other hand, was not so lucky.  He picked up the loss after getting pulled in favor of Masterson once Torii Hunter did his trademark bat flip and crossed home.

Here’s my question to you… What could Farrell possibly be saying to make matters worse on the mound for an already struggling pitcher?!!  Please leave your comments below….

Sox dynamo prospect Michael Bowden was touched up last night in his AAA debut for the PawSox. In 4 innings of work, Bowden surrendered 3 earned on 7 hits (5 doubles) and struck out 4. He did not walk a batter. Michael seemed tentative, as the Clippers got to him early, scoring 2 in the first, and added another in the 2nd. Bowden began his AAA career by allowing three straight base hits, before striking out Columbus’ cleanup hitter Yurendell de Caster, who has homered 6 times off righties this year. The big righty ended up settling into the game in the 3rd and 4th, but gave up a long double to start the 5th, and thats when he got the hook.

Old friend Calvin ‘Pokey’ Reese started at second for the Clippers. He went 1-3 with a sac bunt that led to a run, kind of like the pass that leads to the assist. Pokey raised his average to a scorching .154 in AAA, granted its only 26 ABs.

Bowden toes the rubber again on Saturday, July 26 vs. Toledo, whom the first place PawSox recently split a series in Rhode Island against. Toledo as a team leads the International League with 147 homers on the season, but Toledo’s home field is statistically a pitchers park, allowing league lows in HR’s. The Mud Hens are led by Mike Hessman, who has jacked 30 bombs this year, ranking third in all of the minors this year. Gametime is @ 7:05 EST. See you there, prospect stalkers!

Well, looks like we’ll be without Julio for a month and a half.  I bet everyone in Red Sox Nation is really bummed to see him out.  They’re really bummed to miss his errant throws in clutch situations, his late game mishaps booting balls all around Yankee Stadium, and his oh-so-famous crotch grabs in the batter’s box and on base (when he got on base). So the real question now is: Do we just stick with Jed for the remainder of the season? 

Here’s the thing about Julio.  He came here as a potential leadoff guy, failed at that.  He came with the thought of providing a little pop, failed at that.  He came as a stolen base threat; he’s proven he’s a decent base stealer. 

But where he really can hurt the team is in the field.  Of the 30 starting Shortstops, Mr. Lugo has the worst fielding percentage by far (.945).  With a team that could really excel defensively, with a fast outfield, Youk and Lowell at the corners, and Tek behind the dish, Lugo has been a huge hole in the defense.  Lugo’s .270+ average does not make up for his lack of focus in the field…

Paging Mr. Lowrie!  The 2007 Baseball America AA All-Star, Jed comes up hitting .268 in Pawtucket this year, but has come up with a string of impressive games with the big club when he’s had the shot.  Last year, he provided some decent pop as well in Portland.  Waiting to break out, Jed has also proved himself in the field, even though he’s bounced from SS to third and second.

In this writer’s opinion, the team needs stability at Short.  Speed is not a necessity with Ellsbury at the top.  We need a guy that can sacrifice someone over, play hit and run, and have good chemistry with Dusty at 2nd turning two.  My vote is to keep Jed in the lineup, even when Julio comes back.

Well after digesting all the freakishly long athletes in the draft, it’s time to run down the worldwide leader’s performance, specifically Jay Bilas, who has plenty of upside.

I went ahead and tallied up all the times Bilas either said “Athlete/Athletic/Athleticism, Long or Length, or Freak”.  We definitely got treated to the grand prize “Freakishly Long Athlete”.  Here are the final numbers, and this was only through the lottery!:

Athlete/Athletic/Athleticism: 14 times

Long/Length: 7 times

Freak: 3 times

Here are some other Highlights of an eventful Thursday night…..

• O.J. Mayo’s suit: A terrific 3 piece suit. His outstanding eyewear and 2 tone dress shoes almost made me forget the fact that his high school agent probably gave him money for his apparel.
• Danilo Gallinari’s nickname: “The Rooster”. Or as my boss (a Knicks fan) calls him, The C*ck. Judging from the crowd’s reaction, I’d call him the “Booooooooo-ster”. The thing I liked most about him was Fran Fraschilla’s breakdown of him: “If you give him a couple years, I think he’ll be good”. Ladies and gentlemen, your New York Knickerbockers.
• Eric Gordon’s suit: The 7th pick of the draft, Gordon was wearing a white jacket with black pants. He looked like a waiter coming over to serve wine tableside. Also, my buddy Tas mentions that he looks like he’s 12. I guess the Clippers are a little lax on the child labor laws.
• 8:26 pm: Charlotte selects D.J. Augustin with the 9th pick. ESPN shows a quick shot of D.J., then pans immediately to Brook Lopez who is……crying? I honestly have never seen a draftee cry out of sadness, and not happiness. Thankfully, Brook gathered himself enough to walk on stage after the Nets immediately snatched him up with pick 10.
• 8:44 pm: Stuart Scott makes a horrible joke. The awesome part: it falls completely flat. Not one other panelist even smiles. I got a kick out of this.
• 9:03 pm: David Stern’s voice cracks announcing that the Sixers select Mar-EEEse Speights. High comedy for a man that is allowing the Sonics to be ripped out of Seattle.
• The amount of obligatory “Let’s show the last poor sap left in the Green Room, AKA the Rashard Lewis Memorial Winner (thanks BSG)” clips. I counted 7 shots on him, with one interview. The worst part is Andy Katz and Ric Bucher talking about a semi-confidential condition on Nat’l TV, and on the arena’s PA system. Um, hello… Darrell can hear everything you’re saying!

My draft winners and losers:

Winners:

1.  Portland.  They got the perfect point guard to go with their already stacked young team.

2.  Minnesota.  After picking up OJ Mayo, they spun him to Memphis for Mike Miller and Kevin Love, effectively ending Memphis’ Gay-Love Era.  McHale’s army also got rid of Jaric’s contract.  Great job by the T-Wolves.

Loser:

1.  Charlotte.  Michael strikes again.  He picks up an undersized point guard at #9, when he needed front court help.  Then he gets from court help from the likes of Alexis Aljinca?  Alexis only averaged 5 and 5 in the French league last year and is “years” away from contributing if he ever does develop…

Until next year, keep reading our freakishly long athletic articles with great upside and potential on www.ondeckfantasy.com. 

When you think about bad drafts of the past 10 years, two teams come to mind. The Celtics and the Clippers. Now that the Green are basking in all kinds of championship glory and the Clips are back in the lottery, slotted at number 7 of tomorrow’s draft, let’s take a look at how each team could field a team of stiffs over the past 10 to 15 years.

Center: Eric Montross vs. Michael Olowokandi

The Red Flags were up on both of these guys coming into draft night. Montross, a big, plodding white guy came out of UNC with very limited athleticism. Olowokandi was a young man who played against inferior competition at Pacific, and had only played basketball for a few years before he was drafted. The Kandi Man’s 8+ points per game takes it to Montross in this game: Advantage Clippers.

Power Forward: Jerome Moiso vs. Melvin Ely

Pitino loved Moiso’s athletic ability, only problem was that ability blinded the fact that Moiso had no basketball skills or intelligence. Moiso, the 11th pick of the 2000 draft never made a mark on the NBA, finishing his ho-hum career with the Sixers in 2005. Melvin Ely, the 12th pick in 2002, is still a serviceable backup in the league. He has averaged only 6 points and 3 rebounds in a forgettable stint with the Clips, Bobcats, Spurs, and Hornets. Ely would pound Moiso’s fragile frame on the block: Advantage Clippers.

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As July quickly approaches, the hot stove league is going to really heat up. The buyers and sellers will begin to separate themselves and make moves. What does that mean for the hometown 9? Here are some ideas crazy enough, they might just work. (Note: I am literally spit-balling here. These are not rumors I’ve seen or heard. If you’ve seen them before, it’s a coincidence, not fact).

3. Trade Coco Crisp to Atlanta for Mike Gonzalez.

Why the Sox do it: It’s pretty obvious that our 4 and 5 Outfield rotation is not going to stick. Coco has been given some playing time, has successfully showcased himself as a speedy, light-hitting, gold glove Centerfielder. If and when Papi returns to the lineup (we’ll revisit this in a minute), Coco is rendered useless on this team. The left handed bullpen help would come at a great time, with Okie’s recent struggles and the inconsistency to come from our young arms.

Why Atlanta does it: Mike Gonzalez has only pitched 2 games since coming off the DL. He picked up the save in his first outing, and then got lit up for 3 runs in 1 inning against Seattle in a blowout win for ATL. The Braves, sitting 4.5 back of first and 3 games below .500 could quickly become sellers if they go through a rough patch.

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The Red Sox have recently announced that they will be replacing the infamous wooden grandstand seats for their centennial. 100 years. What a ride. As generations of fans have come through the turnstiles, many have had their first experience from Fenway in these glorious grandstand seats. Sure, they might be old, wooden, cramped, and provide little to no leg room. But what they do have is history.

Where else in America can young men grow up to become fathers and grandfathers, passing down tales of the games they’ve been to, ballplayers they’ve witnessed, the most dramatic finishes in baseball history…

In the past few years, the Sox ownership has done a great job widening the concourse, providing more concession stands, vendors, and shops, all while protecting the historical integrity of the park. To me, these seats are a historical piece of the park. They represent everything that the Fens is all about.

One could argue that the remodeling of the grandstand seats represents change and progress. And that it will benefit the fans. This writer disagrees with that assertion. Removing these seats will just be another bullet point on the Fenway Park history timeline. Fans in our generation understand that this park has so much history, that even the seats were made for smaller people.

With so much change happening on the corner of Landsdowne and Yawkey, it would be nice to keep a nostalgic touch within the park. But starting sometime in 2012, one more piece of Fenway Park history will become just another fabled story we tell our kids.

It’s late in the game. High Drama. The crowd is going crazy, chanting all sorts of things. The runner on second is a tall, lanky outfielder. The big outfielder wearing a number in the teens hears the crack of the bat, and makes his way to third. The third base coach waves him around. The right fielder scoops up the ball and fires a frozen rope from medium-depth right to home.

The catcher gets the ball in plenty of time. The crowd knows what’s coming. The catcher braces himself for impact…..

Booooom.

Legs, elbows, helmets, and shoulders go hurdling to the ground. The catcher collects himself on the ground to show the umpire the ball.

The umpire yells: “YOU’RE OUT!”

Does this scene sound familiar to you? It sounds a lot like Chris “Don’t call me Shelly, or Dave for that matter” Duncan in extras yesterday trying to bowl over V-Tek. It also is a personal story of a game in which I was this tall, lanky outfielder rounding third and heading for home.

Each year in Burlington’s Little League, the kids from every team play, in what is called “Family Day” up at Simonds Park. This day is filled with 2 inning games with kids from Tee-Ball to Majors showcasing their skills. I was 9 years old. I played for the Phillies, and we were facing the White Sox on Family Day. It was the bottom of the 2nd, 2 outs, and I was standing on second; probably waving like an idiot to my parents and grandparents. As soon as I heard that ping, I knew that the catcher was going to be “standing on the tracks with the train coming through”. Running through a blatant stop sign from the coach, I continued down the third base line, knowing full-well what was to come of this.

After the catcher caught the ball, and I knew I was cooked, I took matters into my own hands. I railroaded the diminutive backstop like he wasn’t standing there. I got to give him credit, he held onto that ball like his life depended on it. Not only was I out, and lost the team the game by 1 run, but I had hushed the crowd and embarrassed the sh*t outta my family. I was totally that kid. The Centerfielder who wanted to be a ‘Lenny Dykstra/Ken Griffey Jr’ hybrid.

So next time you come across Family Day at a Little League field, just think of me. Ignoring repeated stop signs. Coming around third. Railroading the catcher.

Oh, and Mr. Duncan… Why would you even attempt to take on V-Tek? It’s not good for your health. Just ask Eric Byrnes.

Well, the magical run is over.  The parade was awesome yesterday, and Banner 17 will be hung from the rafters in early November.  This team was truly remarkable this season, and I’d like to congratulate them on their achievement.  With the pleasure of playing long into June, the Celtics staff, in particular Danny Ainge can now look at what needs to be address this offseason.  Here is what I’ve constructed as the five most important issues this summer.

1.  James Posey.  Big Game James has a player option that will pay him 3.5 million next year.  Almost everyone around the league expects him to decline the option and look for a multi-year deal from a number of teams.  One thing we know about James is, when he’s on the team; that team wins.  He’s been a winner since his days at Xavier and even helped Memphis win 50 games. The problem is when Posey opts out, and the Celtics try to re-sign him, the team is over the cap.  This means that anything they pay him (5 mil for example), will be doubled by luxury tax rules.  Primetime’s Outlook: Posey walks to a borderline team that overpays him (4 year, 30 mil type deal).

2.  Replacing PJ and Sam. With the anticipated retirements of PJ Brown and Sam Cassell, the Celtics will be searching for high intelligence guys to fill the void.  With PJ, Danny Ainge will probably look towards the draft to find a quality, athletic big man.  In Sam’s case, we might see a surprise return to the team, as a player or even as a coach… Doc Rivers has said that he believes Sam could step right in on his staff as an Assistant, guiding the point guards.  Sam to Rajon: “Hey Number 9! You know what you should do?  Post guys up!”… Primetime’s Outlook: PJ retires, Celtics draft DeVon Hardin from Cal, Sam re-signs for Vet’s minimum and splits time with Gabe Pruitt.

3.  Deciding what to do with Tony Allen. This is a no-brainer in my eyes.  You have to let Tony walk if he gets an offer from another team.  Turnover Tony has reached his proverbial ceiling, and we know what he is and what he’s not.  He’s not a sufficient ball handler, but he’s a great perimeter defender.  Unfortunately, a lot of guys (like Matt Barnes from Golden State), can defend and handle the ball.  Primetime’s Outlook: Tony gets an offer from a team like Denver, who is in desperate need of defense off the bench.

4.  Staying Hungry.  The glory of winning a title can last for over a year.  Some teams have a really hard time getting up for games in February when they know it doesn’t mean much.  This team can go two ways.  One, they could feel accomplished with what they’ve done and be happy with themselves.  Or two, they can re-dedicate themselves to the team in October and realize that they are getting older and probably will only make one more run at another title, and 2009 will be the year… Primetime’s Outlook: Kevin Garnett and his overwhelming intensity keep this team hungry through next year; Celts compete for another title.

5.  Developing the young guys.  Rajon, Perk,  Powe, Big Baby, Pruitt, potential draft pick need to keep developing their games.  Rajon has room to work on his jumper and free throws. Perk can work on his footwork and technique on the block (less fouls please).  Powe can work on his defensive awareness, rotation recognition, and mid range jumper.  Big Baby needs to work on his conditioning and post moves.  Pruitt should work on his conditioning, strength, and propensity for turning the ball over.  Personally, I’d like to see the starters make a larger contribution next year, and the bench to work its way into the rotation (Pruitt especially, check out his NBDL stats here: http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/index.jsp?player=gabe_pruitt).  It may be tougher to get these guys some run, since we do not have a Summer League team, but truthfully, they’ve been playing for half the summer already! 

The key to the offseason is rest, rehabilitation (Mr. Pierce), and conditioning.  Take some time to relax and enjoy your families (many of the C’s with newborn children).  Bask in the glory of Banner 17.  Stay out of trouble, the papers, and don’t listen to trade rumors.  Have a great summer, and we’ll see you in October for training camp.