Tag: Red Sox

Baseball: Temporary Allegiance

So I guess we can all agree that the Red Sox aren’t going to make the post season. It’s time to start thinking about which teams I want to root for during the playoffs. My allegiance will of course be temporary. It will only last until the World Series ends. Then it’s 100% Red Sox again.

I usually go for the A’s when they’re still in it. Right now they are in a three way tie for the two wild card spots in the AL, along with Kansas City and Detroit. I’m hoping Detroit is the odd man out of that race. I like Oakland and Kansas City. The Tigers? Not so much. There’s also the Angels, but I don’t think so. Too obvious, with Mike Trout and all. Baltimore? An AL East team? Oh hells no. I think in the American League I’ll go with the Oakland A’s for as long as they’re in it. Then when Jon Lester resigns with Boston over the summer it will be even nicer. (not going to happen though)

In the National League? San Diego! My second favorite city! But wait… they suck again? Oh yeah. So not them. Washington, maybe. Then when the Red Sox lure away their whole roster next year I’ll be more familiar with everyone. St. Louis is an option, but only in the World Series and only because their total World Series Championship count is second only to the Yankees. Any team that can knock the Yankees off of that perch is worth support (although they have a long, long, looooooong way to go) The Dodgers? Hell no. The Giants? Nope. Both teams are still too New York for me. Pittsburgh? Maybe. Atlanta or Milwaukee? Maybe and Maybe.

I guess when the Red Sox season ends I’ll throw most of my fanboydom over to Oakland, and maybe a little to St Louis. At least that’s how it would be if it all ended today. First things first, the A’s need to clinch one of those wild card spots and get themselves into the dance.

Jon Lester

Don’t act surprised.

Were you not paying attention?

The Red Sox are going to trade Jon Lester either today or tomorrow and it’s been pretty much a given that the deal would happen since the Red Sox tried to open contract negotiations with Lester prior to the start of this abysmal season.

Every pundit on the planet agreed that signing Lester would take at least 20 million dollars a year over at least five years, and that includes a home town discount. The Red Sox initial offer? Four years at a total of 70 million dollars. Not only did Lester’s people ignore it, but they were so floored by how completely unrealistic it was that they were never able to figure out how to counter it. The offer was so insulting that it effectively ended negotiations before they started.

After seeing that, how could you possibly expect that this would end with anything other than Lester getting traded at the deadline?

The question now becomes, if we trade him now will he sign with us in the off season?

My thought is: No.

If we weren’t going to put up the money to keep him last off season, why should anyone expect us to put up the money next off season?

The (two time World Series hero) Jon Lester era will be coming to an end within the next 31 hours or so.

Red Sox Check In

I haven’t posted about the Red Sox lately. Let’s check in and see what’s up.

The last 22 games:

Lost 10 in a row
Won seven in a row
Lost five in a row and counting.

It’s going to be a long, long year.

We’ll always have 2013, right? Right?

A Good Day for Boston

An American won the marathon? Cool!

Now if the Red Sox can pull off this come back, and my doctor can tell me that I don’t have Lyme Disease, this could be a pretty good day all over.

20140421-140621.jpg

Post script: as I was adding the picture the Red Sox made an awful boneheaded base running play that ended a rally. Let’s hope my doctor gets better results.

Big Day for Boston Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a big day for the city of Boston and the surrounding communities. Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon. My favorite place to be on Marathon Monday is generally here:
yawkey way edited

At least early. You go to the Sox game, then head over to Kenmore Square and watch the leaders run through. It’s a fun day even for a non-drinker like me.

After last year, it’s an even bigger deal. No body better be messing with my city.

Just Plain Jackie Bradley

The Red Sox have a rookie with a lot of potential. The future is bright. His name is Jackie Bradley. Just Jackie Bradley. He is universally referred to as Jackie Bradley, Jr.

Speaking as one whose full name includes the suffix Jr, can I please beg the baseball media to stop calling him Bradley, Jr and just call him Bradley?

Ken Griffey, Jr was called Griffey, Jr because his father, Ken Griffey, Sr, was also a major league baseball player. Cal Ripken, Jr was called Ripken, Jr because his father, Cal Ripken, Sr, was a major league baseball coach.

As far as I know, that is not the case for Jackie Bradley. His father, Jackie Bradley, Sr, is not on the Red Sox roster. Neither is he part of the Red Sox broadcast, nor does he work at Fenway Park in such a way as to be called by name by the general fandom. Because of this, there is no reason to have to add the Jr to the end of Jackie Bradley’s name in order to differentiate him from his father.

If his dad isn’t part of the conversation, you can lose the god damned Jr. Call the guy by his name, not by his suffix.

Happy Opening Day

There really shouldn’t be a debate about this. Opening day of the Major League Baseball season should be a national holiday in the United States. Sure, the National Football League brings in better television numbers and I believe generates more annual revenue league wide, but we are a nation of baseball people. It may be “America’s Pastime” in name only these days, but it is still America’s Pastime.

The Red Sox begin their World Series title defense against Baltimore today at 3:05. Last season was a miraculous worst-to-first turn around. They had no business winning it all, but somehow they did. This year I feel the same way. They have no business winning it all. I would not be surprised to see them finish third in their division.

Having said that…

REPEAT!
REPEAT!
REPEAT!

Not since 1916 have the Red Sox managed to win two consecutive World Series Championships. This is the year! The two-in-a-row curse will be broken!

(Damn it, did I just use the word, “curse”? Crud)

Go Red Sox