Bunting for a Hit: While getting back on track

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We’re back and 1-3 isn’t the end of the world Red Sox Nation. There are 158 more games to be played. Sure some apocalyptic signs look as if they are about to appear upon the horizon, but we haven’t seen the 4 horsemen yet or even heard the 7 trumpets, so we are sure don’t have to worry about the 7 seals of the season being broken, at least in April.

I am so happy a guy named Bubba won the Masters., its just awesome. While I’ve brought up Augusta, the private Augusta National Country Club, having no female members maybe antiquated and viewed as ignorant in many circles, but it is a freedom granted to them by the constitution. ZERO tax dollars support Augusta, they pay for themselves and the members know the extremely high costs and exactly what they get for those dollars. While many would like a club with their exposure and platform push their view of forward thinking, they don’t have to, so enjoy the golf.

I love Doc Rivers as a coach in my city. He knows his team and knows how to get performances when most desperately needed out of them. The does that bit about wanting to go see the Master’s highlights and cuts his press conference short. He is a true sportsman who is extremely knowledgeable and well versed in area’s other than the NBA and as I said about Francona we will all miss him when he is gone.

David “Big Papi” Ortiz has started off the year hitting well because he is driving the ball to the opposite field with authority. When he has double gap power to left center has always been when he is at his best at the plate. It is when he tries to hit through the shift that he sucks. Oh and David, STOP STEALING BASES ITS NOT CUTE, ITS DUMB!

I’d say with 2 9th inning rallies that this Red Sox team could become a group of cardiac kids, but they need to beat an elite closer first. Neither Valverde of Santos is an elite closer.

A true journalist would travel to the prisons (dungeons?) of South America and attempt to find out what truly happened to the only baseball player to ever have the initials U. U. U., Ugueth Urbina. I though am not a true journalist, I am an opinionated ass hole who doesn’t want to get that many shots or buy that much sun screen.

The NHL Playoffs start this week, Thursday for the Bruins specifically. I love the NHL playoffs more than any others sports playoffs even if my hockey knowledge is still questionable. Every games’s important and is evidenced with the player’s, crowd’s, announcer’s and coach’s reaction to each goal, penalty and neutral zone turnover. So enjoy the NHL at its best.

Red Sox Preview

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There is a certain poetic justice that on Red Sox opening day my family and I laid to rest our matriarchal Red Sox fan, my grandmother. She was a dire optimist in life and especially her Red Sox-Dom. It was in watching Sox games that I first heard her curse, and the only place she ever showed true exasperation. A patient, enthusiastic and optimistic soul she waited for and enjoyed Red Sox titles in her 75th and 79th years and while she derived amazing amounts of pleasure from 2 long awaited Sox Championships it never compared to the joy she received from seeing and being with her 9 children and 16 grandchildren and 6 great-grand children. Rest in peace Grammy, I wish I had better news about the 2012 Red Sox.

I’m late I understand that and apologize for it. Rest assured though I am on top of this Red Sox team more so than I have been since I was probably 12 years old. That being said it is a hard team to root for. Let’s go quickly through the lineup and I will quickly tell you why they are hard to root for each. I can’t fall in love with Ellsbury because he is a Scott Boras client and after the medical issues he will be out the door first chance he gets. Pedroia is the one definitive shining light, I love his game and not a whole lot could change that. A-Gon looks to be a keeper, but after just 1 season I can’t be sure of what A-Gon truly means to this team. I love jovial fun Papi, but we haven’t seen that Papi regularly in a long long time, all we seem to get is a pouty, called strike arguing Papi and I’ve had enough of that Papi these last few years. Youk is always hurt, and always looks mad about something. Crawford can’t be that bad again, can he? Ross had a great spring, but for his career he has been as streaky as Brian Daubach was. Salty should improve after playing more games last year than ever before, which helps to explain the September swoon. And Mike Aviles is your starting shortstop for the foreseeable future.

Lester and Beckett have to prove they aren’t drinking Bud Heavies and eating Popeyes.1 Bucholz has to prove he is healthy, Bard has to prove he can start and Doubront has to prove he is a major league pitcher. Bailey is out for a long time, Aceves is going to close, leaving Melancon to set up. Not exactly the master plan they drew up in the offseason.

Bobby V is the manager. Who hired him? What sort of say in roster moves does he have? So far it seems like very little. And with an already depleted pitching staff and reinforcements not due til June at the earliest can he keep it together for the Sox to make a serious second half run at one of the two wild cards? I don’t imagine so.

I hate to be all doom and gloom because this team could very well win 95 games. Their offense operating on all cylinders has the ability to score the most runs in baseball. Beckett and Lester for stretches of time have both been the “best” pitcher in the game. Bobby V has made it too a World Series and has won a championship in Japan and his knowledge of the game is unquestioned. So they have all the lions prepped to form Voltron, and Voltron is awesome, but Voltron is only as good as the Black Lion Headpiece operator, and our piece operator is Bobby V. After spring training I am fairly certain he is going to stick his lion head up Voltron’s ass, I’m just not sure when.

  1. sadly this story has become way overblown. [↩]

2012 Cleveland Indians

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Starting on Friday, February 24th I will be previewing each team in Major League Baseball. I will start with the San Diego Super Padres and end on April 5th1 with the Boston Red Sox.

I will tell you each team’s 2011 record and place in their division, along with my 2012 projected record and projected place in division. If they are lucky enough to make the playoffs I will tell you how far they will go.2 I will then briefly summarize the team’s overall talent.

Each preview will consist of the projected 2012 defensive line up, the top 3 starting pitchers and the top 2 relief pitchers.3 A comment about each player stating my view of whether they will be good, bad or the same.4

And now the 2012 Cleveland Indians.

Continue reading →

  1. Red Sox Opening Day [↩]
  2. These visions are still cloudy even though it is clear that the playoff format will consist of 2 wild card teams. So I will summarize them in total the final week of spring training. [↩]
  3. according rotochamp.com [↩]
  4. click the player name or picture and see their career stats at baseball-reference.com [↩]

Bunting for a Hit: While Cutting That Meat!

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Peyton Manning has selected the Denver Broncos. I’m going to be frank, its the worst case scenario.1 Its the worst case scenario for you and me because Peyton selecting Denver displaces Tim Tebow as the starting QB and that means now instead of hearing about Peyton everyday, we will now hear about Tebow everyday. 

Continue reading →

  1. Not for him, or the Broncos, its actually a pretty good match football wise and they should win a lot of games. [↩]

2012 Detroit Tigers

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Starting on Friday, February 24th I will be previewing each team in Major League Baseball. I will start with the San Diego Super Padres and end on April 5th1 with the Boston Red Sox.

I will tell you each team’s 2011 record and place in their division, along with my 2012 projected record and projected place in division. If they are lucky enough to make the playoffs I will tell you how far they will go.2 I will then briefly summarize the team’s overall talent.

Each preview will consist of the projected 2012 defensive line up, the top 3 starting pitchers and the top 2 relief pitchers.3 A comment about each player stating my view of whether they will be good, bad or the same.4

And now the 2012 Detroit Tigers.

Continue reading →

  1. Red Sox Opening Day [↩]
  2. These visions are still cloudy even though it is clear that the playoff format will consist of 2 wild card teams. So I will summarize them in total the final week of spring training. [↩]
  3. according rotochamp.com [↩]
  4. click the player name or picture and see their career stats at baseball-reference.com [↩]

2012 Kansas City Royals

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Starting on Friday, February 24th I will be previewing each team in Major League Baseball. I will start with the San Diego Super Padres and end on April 5th1 with the Boston Red Sox.

I will tell you each team’s 2011 record and place in their division, along with my 2012 projected record and projected place in division. If they are lucky enough to make the playoffs I will tell you how far they will go.2 I will then briefly summarize the team’s overall talent.

Each preview will consist of the projected 2012 defensive line up, the top 3 starting pitchers and the top 2 relief pitchers.3 A comment about each player stating my view of whether they will be good, bad or the same.4

And now the 2012 Kansas City Royals.

Continue reading →

  1. Red Sox Opening Day [↩]
  2. These visions are still cloudy even though it is clear that the playoff format will consist of 2 wild card teams. So I will summarize them in total the final week of spring training. [↩]
  3. according rotochamp.com [↩]
  4. click the player name or picture and see their career stats at baseball-reference.com [↩]

2012 New York Mets

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Starting on Friday, February 24th I will be previewing each team in Major League Baseball. I will start with the San Diego Super Padres and end on April 5th1 with the Boston Red Sox.

I will tell you each team’s 2011 record and place in their division, along with my 2012 projected record and projected place in division. If they are lucky enough to make the playoffs I will tell you how far they will go.2 I will then briefly summarize the team’s overall talent.

Each preview will consist of the projected 2012 defensive line up, the top 3 starting pitchers and the top 2 relief pitchers.3 A comment about each player stating my view of whether they will be good, bad or the same.4

And now the 2012 New York Mets.

Continue reading →

  1. Red Sox Opening Day [↩]
  2. These visions are still cloudy even though it is clear that the playoff format will consist of 2 wild card teams. So I will summarize them in total the final week of spring training. [↩]
  3. according rotochamp.com [↩]
  4. click the player name or picture and see their career stats at baseball-reference.com [↩]

2012 Miami Marlins

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Starting on Friday, February 24th I will be previewing each team in Major League Baseball. I will start with the San Diego Super Padres and end on April 5th1 with the Boston Red Sox.

I will tell you each team’s 2011 record and place in their division, along with my 2012 projected record and projected place in division. If they are lucky enough to make the playoffs I will tell you how far they will go.2 I will then briefly summarize the team’s overall talent.

Each preview will consist of the projected 2012 defensive line up, the top 3 starting pitchers and the top 2 relief pitchers.3 A comment about each player stating my view of whether they will be good, bad or the same.4

And now the 2012 Miami Marlins.

Continue reading →

  1. Red Sox Opening Day [↩]
  2. These visions are still cloudy even though it is clear that the playoff format will consist of 2 wild card teams. So I will summarize them in total the final week of spring training. [↩]
  3. according rotochamp.com [↩]
  4. click the player name or picture and see their career stats at baseball-reference.com [↩]