Time for Managers to Stop Wearing Uniforms

OK, I realize that MLB has a rule which states that any team representative on the filed of play must wear a uniform, however there is a better way. The days of the manager also being a player are long gone, it’s time to make a change. No one wants to see and out of shape 60 year old guy in droopy pants come out to the mound. The game is evolving ans so too should the appearance. Basketball and Hockey coaches wear suits which I would be fine with (thank you Connie Mack) but for the best solution we only need to turn to the NFL. The NFL markets everything that players and coaches wear and have strict restrictions on what a player or coach can wear while on the sidelines. The coach isn’t wearing the same uniform as the players but is still sporting team apparel. MLB could market a whole line of apparel for coaches that the common man could buy to show their support for their team. This opens the door to all kinds of possibilities. The traditionalists won’t have to worry about someone tinkering with their iconinc jersey but can still buy something other than the traditional road greys or home whites. MLB makes their money, the coaches look more professional and the fan gets a whole new line of apparel. Win-Win-Win!

Bay Departs Boston

Proving that it really is ‘only about the money,’ Jason Bay has signed with the New York Metropolitans for a reported $66 million for 4 years. The Red Sox had reportedly offered Bay $60 million for 4 years which he declined. I have a hard time believing that Jason Bay will put up similar numbers at a pitcher’s ballpark like Citi Field. Bay will no longer have the protection or see the same pitches that he saw while surrounded by guys like Ortiz, Youkilis, Drew and Martinez. The Mets were last in MLB in homeruns last year, while the Red Sox had 7 guys with the same or more homeruns than the Mets HR leader. The Red Sox hit more than 125 more homeruns and 200 more RBIs than the Mets last year. While the Sox did not fare well in the playoffs last season, they did, however, make it to the playoffs and appear to be poised to do so for the foreseeable future.

Is the Halladay Frenzy Over?

Roy Halladay appears to be headed to Philadelphia in a three-way trade with Toronto-Philly-Seattle. What does this mean for the Sox and Yanks? With the apparent signing of John Lackey to a 5-year deal, I think the Red Sox have one of the strongest rotations in baseball with Beckett-Lackey-Lester-Matsuzaka and Wakefield. With a healthy Matsuzaka and Wakefield providing double digit wins, this Red Sox rotation may even be better than their inter-division foe New York Yankees. The Yankees send the formidable trio of Sabathia-Burnett-Pettitte out at the front end of the rotation but then where do they turn? Joba has proven to be anything but reliable and who do you follow him up with? Sergio Mitre? Who? As a Sox fan, I’m ok with Halladay heading to the National League and out of the AL East. Although they won’t be facing Doc multiple times in the 19 games against the Jays, the Sox do make a trip to Philly in June. Now the Sox can focus on Mike Cameron to replace the soon to be departing (and therefore demonized) Jason Bay. Now what about third/first base?

Lackey in Talks with Red Sox

Reports say that John Lackey is taking a physical for the Red Sox which indicates that a deal must be close. Lackey would be a welcome addition to the Sox rotation however, he better be amazing in order to make up for the Sox’s losses in the lineup. With Lowell on his way to Texas and Jason Bay now likely to follow the money out of Beantown the Sox lineup will take a big hit. Talks between Boston and Adrian Beltre also seem to have hit a standstill leaving a huge hole in the outfield and at third. With the World Series Champion Yankees adding Curtis Granderson to an already stacked lineup and Boston appearing to be heading in the opposite direction, 2010 could be a long season. Hopefully Theo makes some big changes….and soon!

Red Sox All-Time 9

MLB.com is letting fans vote for their all-time 9 based on one year’s performance, not overall career. For the most part, this is pretty easy. You have probably the 5 guys that you associate with the name Red Sox with Jimmie Foxx at first base, Carlton Fisk at catcher, Wade Boggs at third, and Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski in the outfield. That leaves shortstop, which unfortunately hasn’t historically been a strong suit for the Sox. Although Johnny Pesky gave him a run for the spot, I went with Nomar Garciaparra for his 2000 numbers. At DH of course, is David Ortiz. Second base also gave me a struggle, but Bobby Doerr edged out current second baseman Dustin Pedroia. And the final outfield spot was the hardest to choose. Guys like Dwight Evans, Mike Greenwell, Fred Lynn, Manny Ramirez, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker gave Jim Rice a run for his money but ultimately succumb to Rice’s 1978 numbers. Rice belted 46 homeruns that year while driving in 139 and scoring 121 runs and hitting .315. Those are numbers anyone would call a career year. Go to MLB.com and pick your all-time 9.

Does Lowell Departure Make Room for Beltre?

The Red Sox dealt Mike Lowell to the Rangers for Max Ramirez (their third Ramirez in three days (Ramon and Ramon)). As it stands now it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense unless the talks with Adrian Beltre are going well. The Sox will be on the hook for the majority of Lowell’s $12 million that is owed to him in 2010 and currently don’t have a third baseman. Surely they don’t make this trade for an unknown Max Ramirez without having something lined up. Sources say that Beltre is looking for $13 million a year for 4 or 5 years. Although Lowell is 35 and starting to show his age, the Red Sox are giving up a lot. Only a few third basemen could fill the void that will be left with Lowell’s departure, Beltre could be one of them.

Bay Remains Top Priority

Jason Bay is still atop the Red Sox list of priorities this winter. With winter meetings ongoing, the Sox still keep a close eye to their current outfield. While names like Holliday are viable replacements, Bay proved worthy last year to hold down a position in the heart of the lineup for years to come. Jason belted 36 homeruns and drove in 119 while slugging .537. Throw in 94 walks, 142 hits and 103 runs and that’s tough production to replace. With Bay you’ve got a known commodity that can handle the fans in Boston and the hostilities in the Bronx. I think the Sox need to get this inked quickly so they can focus on other needs during the off-season.

Scutaro to Sox

Amid talks of switching all-star second baseman Dustin Pedroia to shortstop due to an abundance of free agent second basemen, the Sox snatch up Marco Scutaro from the Blue Jays. Scutaro is coming off a career year where he hit .282 with 12 HR, 6- RBI and scored 100 runs. This should be a welcome addition to the lineup. Is this just the beginning for the Sox this offseason?

Ramirez Returning to Boston?

It will be a cold day in hell before Manny Ramirez steps through the gates at Fenway but one-time Red Sox Hanley Ramirez is on the radar. Most fans won’t remember or even know that Hanley had 2 at bats for the Sox back in 2005 before being traded to the Marlins in the deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Hanley would be a huge boost to a lineup that hasn’t seen any productions from the SS since the departure of Nomar Garciaparra in 2004. Sure Edgar Renteria did his part and Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie held the position down for a while but with the departure of Julio Lugo, the Sox are looking to fill the void. Ramirez hit .342 with 24 HRs, 106 RBI and 101 runs scored. Numbers like this would have Red Sox faithful saying “Manny who?”

"The Voice of God" Officially Retiring

Bob Sheppard, "The Voice of God", as Reggie Jackson nicknamed him, is calling it "officially" done at 99 years young. Being a Yankee fan in Ohio, I didn't get the privilege of hearing him often, but I still can hear The Voice saying "Ladies and Gentleman...", whether it was the beginning of a game announcing the singer for "The Star Spangled Banner" or the seventh inning stretch getting ready for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Even though he hasn't been the public address announcer for a Yankee game since 2007 and has been going back and forth about retiring, I think all Yankee fans are finally feeling the end to a great announcer and friend. Of course I have to note his first game called was a home opener on April 17, 1951 against the Boston Red Sox. Announcing seven future HOF's (five from the Yankees and two from the Red Sox) the Yankees went on to win 5-0 as Whitey Ford throws out the first pitch and a boy named Mickey Mantle also makes his debut.

Two in a Row for Albert

Albert Pujols sweeps the first place voting and takes home the NL MVP for a second straight year. Pujola joined an elite crowd by winning his third overall MVP. Only Barry Bonds has more with seven. Subtract the steroids and Bonds would have three also. Pujols led the league in homeruns, was sixth in hits and third in RBI. He also finished with a .327 batting average. Albert also led the league in put outs and finished with a .992 fielding percentage. The race for second was much closer. While pujols received all the first place votes and earned 448 points, Hanley Ramirez beat out Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder by mere points with 233 compared to 217 and 203 respectively. Pujols continues to be a premiere player.

Mauer Takes AL MVP

Joe Mauer runs away with the AL MVP award. The best part is that he beat out Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter of the Yankees. Mauer put up some impressive numbers considering he was out for about a month and a half to start the season. Mauer finished the season with a .365 average, 28 homeruns, 96 RBI and 94 runs. Teixeira had slightly higher homerun and RBI numbers but did so in 86 more at-bats. Mauer propelled the Twins to an AL Central penant. Teixeira and Jeter both received ribbons for participation. Maybe next year pinstripers!

Lincecum Wins NL Cy……again

In one of the closest votes in NL Cy Young history, Tim Lincecum edges out Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals. Did they get it right? That’s a tough call. Lincecum dominated in strikeouts with 261 to Carpenter’s 144 and Wainwright’s 212. However, other stats tell a slightly different story. Lincecum lagged behind in overall record (perhaps an overrated stat as you need run support) with a 15-7 record while Carpenter ended the season 17-4 and Wainwright 19-8. Carpenter led the trio with a 2.24 ERA to Lincecum’s 2.48 and Wainwright’s 2.63. Personally I think the WHIP is a very telling stat and one that Carpenter edges out Lincecum with a 1.01 to Tim’s 1.05. Wainwright pales here with a 1.21. Lincecum also gave up many more walks than Carpenter (68 and 38 respectively). Lincecum also led the group in Batting Average Against with a .206. Carpenter was second with a .226 and Wainwright had a .244. While perhaps an argument could be made for Carpenter, there should be no denying that Lincecum is also worthy of the award. I only wonder if the results would have been the same had Carpenter’s teammate not been in the running as well.

Post Season Awards are being Handed Out!

Zack Greinke wins the AL Cy Young although voters don’t go the normal route of choosing the pitcher with the most wins. Greinke won the award easily over second place Felix Hernandez largely based on his domination. Greinke finished 16-8 on a less than stellar Kansas City Royals team that finished 65-97 and tied for last place in the weak AL Central. He failed to earn victories in six starts where he allowed one run or less and received no run support. Greinke finished the season with a major-league leading 2.16 ERA. Just another case of great talent with no support. Rounding out the top five were Justin Verlander of Detroit, CC Sabathia of New York and Roy Halladay of Toronto, respectively.

Rookies of the Year also handed out

The AL ROY went to the Oakland A’s Andrew Bailey who racked up 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA. Bailey led Elvis Andrus, Rick Porcello, Jeff Niemann and Gordon Beckham in voting. The NL ROY was given to Florida Marlin’s Chris Coghlan who hit .321 with nine home runs and 31 doubles in only 128 games. He scored 84 runs and had 47 RBI. Coghlan beat out J.A. Happ, Tommy Hanson, Andrew McCutchen and Casey McGehee for the award.

The Season if Over but Hot Stove Has Just Begun

The season didn’t go as planned and it definitely ended unfortunately with them damn Yankees winning the World Series but do not fret because hot stove is here! The Red Sox have extended their contract with Victor Martinez. Now, let the games begin with Roy Halladay.

Reds (78-84) 13 gb in NL Central
Red Sox (95-67) 8 gb in AL East (won wildcard berth)

Stumbling Into the Break

The Reds should be sure to enjoy the All-Star break. After losing 4 of their last 5 they now find themselves 5th in the NL Central with no sign of relief on the horizon. Today they start a 3 game series at the Mets before getting a little break for the All-Star game. Thursday, they jump right back into the thick of things with Brewers coming to town then off to the west coast to play the Dodgers who have MLB's best record and follow that up with 3 games in Chicago against the now 3rd place Cubs. Where has the pitching gone?

The Red Sox are playing .500 ball lately while the Yankees are 8-2 over their last 10 to catch up and tie the Sox atop the AL East. The Sox managed to lose to the lowly Royals last night and continue their 4 game series with them until the All-Star break. Thursday they travel to Toronto for 3 games and then to Texas, to face the AL West leading Rangers. Time to get it rolling again.

Reds (41-43) 4.5 gb in NL Central
Red Sox (51-34) tie for 1st in AL East

Baseball IS America

What is more American than Hot Dogs, Beer and Baseball? From upstart to present day, baseball reflects America as a whole. Issues like race, immigration, drugs and greed can be seen throughout the game today as it is in society. Throughout all this, America's resilience always comes through. Even with the game enthralled in a PED scandal and ticket prices ever increasing, attendance continues to rise. This 4th of July weekend take some time to enjoy what the game means to you personally and to the country as a whole. Remember those that fought and are still fighting for our freedom. And of course, experience America's Past time.

For much more insight and eloquence than I can offer, visit the American Museum of Natural History's website regarding baseball in America.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/baseball/spirit/index.html

Where Has the Pitching Gone? Ellsbury on Fire!

The Reds pitching, which kept them in the mix early in the season, has hit the skids. In 4 of the last 11 games, the starting pitcher had more earned runs than innings pitched. Starting pitchers are averaging 5.25 earned runs per game while the bats are only averaging 3.36 runs per game. Reds starting pitchers are also averaging 5.5 innings per start which leaves alot of work for the bullpen. The Reds fall to Toronto last night 5-7 and drop below .500. With the bats and the arms going cold, this could be a long summer.

Jacoby Ellsbury went 4 for 4 with 2 triples Tuesday night and the Red Sox beat the Nationals 11-3. Jacoby, a leadoff hitter in my mind, has thrived since moving to the number 7 spot. The Sox rallied for 6 in the 8th inning to put the game away. The Sox have won 3 in a row and 7 of their last 10 to go 5 games ahead of the second place Yankees.

Reds (34-35) 4.5 GB
Red Sox (43-27) 1st in AL East

Wake at the Fens; Not Your Father's Braves

Tim Wakefield is undefeated at home this year and continues his quest for his first All-Star appearance. Wake threw 6 innings last night giving up 6 hits and only 2 runs. Tim has been near masterful at home this season going 8 innings against Toronto and giving up only 1, 6 innings against Cleveland giving up 2 and 7 innings against Minnesota giving up only 1. David Ortiz helped lift the club to the victory last night with his fifth homerun of the season going 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs.

The Reds get back on the winning side against the Braves. However, this is not your father's Braves. Twenty years ago (1989) guys like John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and David Justice were just getting started at wouldn't hit their stride until the early nineties but the pieces were coming together. This year's Braves are 30-33 and 6.5 games back in the NL East. Nonetheless, the Reds won 7-2 in a game that saw two lengthy rain delays. The game was much closer than the score would indicate as the Reds were only up 3-2 in the middle of the eighth before scoring 4 in the bottom to seal the victory.

MLB note: Congratulations to Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez for tying Carlton Fisk's record for most games caught in MLB history.

Reds: (32-31) 3 gb
Red Sox: (39-25) 1st in AL East

SWEEPS!

A week of sweeps. One good and one not. The Red Sox continued their domination over the Yankees with yet another 3-game sweep running their streak this season to 8 over the Bronx Bums. The last time the Sox enjoyed such a feat, the team from New York was known as the Highlanders and Fenway Park was in its inaugural season. WOW!



The Reds are on the other end of the stick. After moving up to a tie for second in the central and only 1.5 games back, they drop the final game to the Nationals and get swept by the last place Royals. What happened? This was a great opportunity for the club to make a run and let other teams in the central know that they are for real. An opportunity wasted.



Reds (31-31) 3 GB
Red Sox (38-25) 1st in AL East

How Sweet it is!

The Red Sox shut down the Yankees (again) 7-0 on just 2 hits. Starting pitcher Josh Beckett allows only 1 hit over 6 innings and strikes out 8. Big Papi gets his third homerun of the season as the Red Sox extend this year's winning streak over the Yankees to 6 and moves them back in to a tie atop the AL East. Tonight Wake (7-3) goes up against Wang (0-3). How long can the streak last?

The Reds beat Washington 3-2 behind Johnny Cueto's 7IP allowing only 4 hits and 1 run. The win moves the Redlegs percentage points ahead of the struggling Cardinals into third place and only 2.5 GB. With the Reds continuing the series with the lowly Nationals and then heading the Kansas City for three games, this could be a great week for the club.

Reds (30-27) 2.5 GB
Red Sox (34-24) 1st in AL East

Cubs/Cards Rangers/Yankees

Well, this weekend wasn't great but all is not lost. The Reds and Sox both lost 2 of 3 this past weekend when some wins would have been nice. The good news for the Reds is that the Cardinals have lost 4 in a row and the next two series should go their way. Tuesday, Cueto(5-3) vs. Zimmerman(2-3) looks good for the Reds. The good news for the Sox is that the team ahead of them (the Bums from the Bronx) are coming to town so they can help themselves out. Tomorrow, Beckett(6-2) vs. Burnett(4-2) matches up nicely on paper.
Will Ellsbury play?

Reds: (29-27) 3.5 GB
Red Sox: (33-24) .5 GB

Mid Season Critical Game

With the win yesterday over the Cardinals, the Reds are guaranteed atleast a tie in this four game series with the chance to win it tonight. I'm not one to put more emphasis on one game over another, they all count as one, but as far as confidence goes, lastnights game was huge. The Redlegs take the momentum from this series into a series with the struggling Chicago Cubs followed by two bottom dwelling clubs in the Nationals and the Royals. Now is as good a time as any to make their move.

Josh Beckkett stuck it to the Detroit Tigers and the Red Sox have moved back into a tie with the Yankees at the top of the AL East. Their road ahoe is a bit tougher although they are playing some better ball. Tonight they face the D Train (Dontrelle Willis) who appears to be getting back on track. Then, although it's tough to say and hard to believe, the AL West LEADING Texas Rangers come to town for three games followed by a mid-week three game series against the Junkees. As if that isn't a tough enough schedule, the Sox then travel to defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, followed by two home series with the April NL East leading Florida Marlins and the perrenial powerhouse Atlanta Braves. By late June we should definately see the character of this team.

Damn Yankees

The Yankees have been on fire and have now been atop the AL East for about a week. The Sox trail by only a single game but the next meeting of the two perrenial powers is Tuesday, June 9th. The Bronx Bums have only lost 4 games since May 13th. Quite impressive. The Sox on the other hand have lost 10 in the same stretch. Every club has a rough patch or two throughout the season and to go through this one and only be back 1 game looks favorably on the Sox.

The Reds have had their fate in their hand with a 3 games series with the first place Brewers and now a 3 game series with the second place Cardinals. They were swept by the Brew Crew but have managed to take one of the first two games against the Cards to fall to only 2.5 back. A win tonight keeps them right in contention for the NL Central.

MLB Note: The All-Star voting seems to be coming around a little. I was a little worried at first when Raul Ibanez was sixth in NL outfielder voting although he may have had the best first half in all of baseball. He is currently in second. And despite an effort to expose the flaws of voting, Manny Ramirez has dropped back to fifth. I agree that the process could be tweeked but this is not the way to handle it.

Red All-Star Voting: Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto lead the way for the team but still need some help. Phillips is currently 5th among NL 2B and Votto is 4th among NL 1B.

Red Sox All-Star Voting: Jason Bay is getting rewarded for his outstanding first half performance and is leading all AL OF, Youk is atop AL 1B and Pedroia is 2nd for AL 2B. Mike Lowell is 4th among AL 3B and Tek is being rewarded for his first half as well and is currently 2nd in AL Catchers but could use your help to stay there.

4 in a Row

The Reds are on a 4 game winning streak that includes a sweep of the Astros in Cincy. Jay Bruce homered twice as Bronson Arroyo threw a complete game 4-hitter. Next up for the Redlegs are the Brew Crew who are currently a half game ahead of them in the Central. The Reds have a great opportunity here to make an early move back to the top of the division.

While the AL East ship has righted itself, the Sox are in first and the Yankees only percentage point behind now, the Red Sox have dropped two in a row to the Twins and have another one in Minnesota this afternoon. Youkilis is back and Ortiz has been dropped to 6th in the lineup. This weekend the Sox head up to Toronto for another series against the Jays. Let's hope they get things back on track in a hurry.

Inter-League Play

I have to admit, I was not a big proponent of interleague play when the idea was thrown around some years ago. The traditionalist in me thought for sure this would hurt the World Series and the All-Star game. Those thoughts have since gone out the window. Baseball used to be two leagues under one umbrella. The entire season was played without even a mention of the other league. There was a MLB and a MLB2 (you can designate which goes with which league). Other than the very last game of the season, they may have well been on different planets.

Interleague play has allowed fans of teams to see teams they wouldn't normally get to see right in their own park or better yet, you can now travel with your team to parks that you would normally never see. It's no longer a league comprised of our league and there league. Now you keep an eye on the standings for the other league as well as the league that your team is in so you know what to expect when interleague play rolls around.

I think MLB has managed it very well also. I would hate to see a team like the Reds have to play the Dodgers every year while the Cardinals got to play a team that doesn't necessarily have a winning season most years like the Nationals. What happens then at the end of the season when the Cardinals edge out the Reds in the Central division by 1 game. The way MLB has set it up to where every team from one division in the NL plays teams from one division in the AL is a great way to have interleague play and make it as fair as possible.

Interleague play has also allowed for some new rivalries and rivalries are good for any sport. Now teams like the Reds play their Ohio foe the Cleveland Indians and teams like the Mets get to play their cross town rival Yankees. Every fan has to enjoy the opportunity for their team to play for bragging rights for the year.

In my opinion, MLB has definately got this one right. Now let's work on the All-Star game.

Quarter Season Mark

The quarter season mark has reached us already. It seems like just yesterday we were watching the first pitch of the season and smelling the newly mown field for the first time. The two teams have taken different paths to their current standings. The Reds hiccuped out the gate before finding their stride in week 3. Behind some great pitching and surprising hitting the Reds pulled into a four way tie atop the NL Central just over a week ago. Unfortunately, the injury bugs has struck and performance has fallen off. After losing 5 of their last 6, the Redlegs now find themselves 21-19 and 4.5 back. Not to worry, there is plenty of season left. The good news about Votto is that it is just an inner ear infection causing his dizziness and he should be back soon. Now let's keep our fingers crossed for Edinson Volquez.

The Reds Sox started slow as well and took until the 4th week to get things going. They have swept the Yankees in their 5 games so far but struggled with Tampa and to some degree the lowly Indians. After finishing the sweep of the first place Blue Jays (who would have guessed that in March), the Sox have pulled to within a half game of the lead and have a 25-16 record. Big Papi hit his first HR of the season on Wednesday and Josh Beckett has struggled by his standards. Once they get those two headed in the right direction, look out!

MLB note: I personally think the All-Star balloting should not start until the quarter season mark. How can you honestly vote for the most deserving players when they haven't had a chance to prove themselves this season. I realize that this game is for the fans and they should be able to have the most popular players there, but I believe it should be a reward for the players that have proved themselves thus far. And if you are going to 'make it count', shouldn't you give your league/team the best chance possible by voting for the guys that are playing the best right now and desrve to be there.

Injury Updates

Injuries abound as the MLB season wraps up the first quarter of the season. Dice-K who has placed on the 15-day DL back on April 15th with a mild shoulder strain is slated to return for the Sox opener at Citi Field in New York on Friday. Kevin Youkilis had a short stint on the DL with a strained oblique as is due back today.

Edwin Encarnacion, out since April 28th with a wrist fracture, is expected back possibly by late May. Edinson Volquez, out with back spasm, is listed day-to-day. The Reds need him back quickly. Joey Votto has been undergoing exams to figure out why he is having dizziness and headaches. He is also liste4d day-to-day and is sorely missed.

Latest stat: The Reds are currently on a 4-game losing streak after being tied for first in the central only one week ago. They can ill afford these injuries.

Red Sox note: Tim Wakefield has been spectacular this season with a 5-2 record, a 3.59 ERA and 30 strikeouts including 2 complete games.

Manny and Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs)

I wanted to wait before ranting about Manny Ramirez testing positive for PEDs and the current state of PEDs in baseball. It's sad to say, but I expect to hear names come out almost daily now regarding steroids. In my opinion Manny should have been suspended for blatant lack of effort in his final days in Boston. Shoeless Joe 'supossedly' help throw a game in the World Series and was banned from baseball. What Manny did wasn't much different. Can athletes now decide when they are going to be traded by standing at the plate with the bat on their shoulder?

But anyway, I would never have thought that manny was using PEDs until I heard the news. I think it's great that MLB suspended him and I think they are heading in the right direction as far as punishment for the crime. My only problems with how MLB has handeled the situation are (1)why did it take Congress getting involved to get things done? MLB needs to police itself and (2) perhaps most importantly, how can MLB wait around and let the 2 greatest records in baseball and perhaps all of sport be broken before taking action (career HRs and single-season HRs)? This is a travesty for the sport. Don't tell me they didn't know about it. When a guy plays in Pittsburg and weighs 180 lbs then goes to San Francisco and his head gets twice as big and he ballons to 280 lbs, you know something is going on.

And although there may not have been anything specifically written in the rules of the game regarding steroids and PEDs, isn't it illegal in the U.S.? Should we include murder in the rules just in case?

I've never been a fan of the asterisk and perhaps since MLB allowed this to happen, they should just live with their mistakes but I suggest that everyone that played during the 'steroid era' (to be determined by the powers that be) should have an asterisk next to their name. The records will still go in the record book but will be noted that this person played during an era know as the 'steroid era'. It's unfortunate that it has come to this. Perhaps next time, MLB will jump on the situation berfore it gets out of hand.

Man of May

Brandon Phillips may have started out slow but since the calendar has changed to May, it's a different story. On Cinco de Mayo, Phillips busted out with 3 hits in 5 at-bats and 6 RBI. In his last 6 games he is hitting .480 with 12 hits, 5 runs and 11 RBI. For the month of may, Brandon is batting .386, has scored 8 times on 17 hits and batted in 15 runs....and the month is only 12 days old and he took 2 games off. Project those numbers over a full season and his numbers might look like this: .386 average, 130 runs scored, 275 hits and 243 RBI. I'd say that's a pretty nice season. Over the same time period the Reds are 6-4, that projects to a 97-65 season. I don't know a Reds fan that wouldn't take that and run. Postseason?

The Splendid Splinter

Ted Williams has to be the greatest hitter ever to play the game. First and foremeost, he did it cleanly. None of this steroids crap! Secondly, you have to remember that he missed nearly 5 seasons while serving his counrty in WWII and Korea. So the numbers that you know today that already put him in an elite class would actually be even better. I have done the math and here are the results. Obviously an average would remain the same so his career .344 batting average and his .634 slugging percentage would remain the 5th and 2nd best all time respectively. He would be 2nd in runs with 2247, 11th in hits with 3300, 8th in doubles with 655, 5th in HRs with 640, 2nd in RBI with 2276, 4th in total bases with 6054 and 2nd in walks with 2535. Toss out Bonds, like we'd all like to do, and he moves to 4th in HRs and 1st in walks. He is also the last player to hit .400+ in a season and 1 of only 2 people to win the triple crown twice-1942 and 1947 (Rogers Hornsby). And the icing on the cake, he hit a homerun in his last career at bat.

Keep Your Brooms Out!

The Sox continue their domination of the Yankees by taking both games of a two game series in their first visit to New Yankee stadium. Boston jumps out early with 4 runs in the first before being shut down by Joba Chamberlain who had 12 Ks in only 5 1/3 innings. The 7-3 victory last night and the 6-4 victory on Monday night ran Bostons' record against the Yankees this season to 5-0. On a side notes, Youk and Ellsbury are both ailing. Now we wait to see what the diagnoses is.

The Reds shut out the Marlins last night on another stellar performance by Edinson Volquez who pitched eight only giving up 3 hits and striking out 7. This runs his consecutive scoreless innings to 16. Brandon Phillips decided to get in on the action and provide 6 of the 7 RBI. Maybe thios will be the spark Phillips need to get his season on track. Volquez has given up a total of 1 run in 3 of his last 4 starts and struckout 20. Let's hope this trend continues.

Red Sox All Decade Team

Here is yet another All-'something' team that is just one guys opinion. I find it hard to be objective when it comes to guys that are still playing. We live in a 'what have you done for me lately' society, so recent accomplishments often weigh on our minds more so that things that happened only a few years ago. All that being said, here is my All-Decade Team for the Boston Red Sox.

The easiest of course is catcher. There has only been one (no offense to Doug Mirabelli) and that is Jason Varitek (Tek) the captain. At first, I'm going with Yooooouuuuuk! He may be a new comer, but he is lighting it up. Second goes to Dustin Pedroia and that is mainly because who else is there? Shortstop goes to Nomar. He put up good numbers in the late 90's and early 2000's. He was once considered one of the 3 best shortstops in the game. Third is tough. I gave the nod to Lowell, one major factor being that he has the best fielding percentage for a third baseman of all time. That's all time. Ever. Bill Mueller came in a close second for his accomplishments during the first championship season. Unfortunately, left field has to go to Manny. Aside from 'Manny being Manny' and his disrespect for the game, fans and teammates at the end of his tenure in Boston, he put up some amazing numbers. Center goes to another traitor in Johnny Damon. Who else are you going to give it to? You can't give it to Coco, all you can do is hope Jacoby sticks around and continues to improve. Right goes to Trot Nixon. The Designated hitter is another easy one, going to Big Papi David Ortiz. No explanation needed.

Pitching: I suppose the ace would be Pedro for what he did in the early part of the decade. Other starting pitchers include long-timer Tim Wakefield, bloody-sock Curt Schilling, Derek Lowe and current ace Josh Beckett. The closer role no doubtedly goes to Jonathan Paplebon.

How's this for a batting order:
Johnny Damon
Dustin Pedroia
Nomar Garciaparra
Manny Ramirez
David Ortiz
Kevin Youkilis
Trot Nixon
Mike Lowell
Jason Varitek

A Tale of Two Cities

The Reds have won 3 of their last 4 with 3 shutouts to improve their record to 13-11 overall and tied for second in the central while the Red Sox have lost 3 of their last 4 and were outscored in those games 24-5. While not as bad as last season, the two opponents are from opposite ends of the baseball spectrum. The Pirates, whom the Reds just took the series from, have been struggling for years although the '09 club appears to be making strides in the right direction. The Tampa Rays, the Sox newest divisional rival, have once again taken 2 of 3 and won the second series of the season. After sweeping the Yankees, the Sox have gone 3-4 and start a 2-game series in the Bronx today. Not good timing. The Reds pitching has been on fire as they head to Florida for a 2-game series with the Marlins.

Volquez Dazzles; Van Who?

Edison Volquez put an end to the Reds losing streak to Houston and wowed the fans on Wednesday. After allowing a double to Miguel Tejada in the first inning, Volquez pitched a no-hitter through the next seven. The bats produced 3 runs on 8 hits and Francisco Cordero closed it out in the ninth. The Reds improve to 11-10 on the season and end an 11-game losing streak to the Astros.

John Van Every, playing rightfield for JD Drew, propels Boston to a win over the Cleveland Indians. Van Every got his first Major League RBI in the eighth as part of a 3-run inning that tied the game. Then he put his glove to work. With the bases loaded, he makes a great tun-saving inning-ending catch on the run to squash the Tribe's rally. To top of his night, in the top of the tenth, Van Every hits his first Major League homerun to lift the Sox past the scrappy Indians and take the series 2-1.

My Childhood All-Time Reds Team ('82-'94)

I know everyone has a list of all-time this and all-time that and who really cares. I have found that they are great conversation starters and who doesn't like to argue why their guys is better than yours. I was a Reds fan before I was a Red Sox fan, so here is my childhood All-Time Reds Team (approx. 1982-1994):

Outfield: Eric Davis (no question, also my first favorite player), Paul O'Neil and since I am just doing outfield and not breaking it down into LF, CF, and RF my final choice is Dave Parker. On the infield I chose Hal Morris at first, Ron Oester at second, Barry Larkin at shortstop, Chris Sabo at third and Joe Oliver catching. Honorable mention goes to Dave Concepcion for the middle infield position, Nick Esasky for the corner infield position and of course Bo Diaz at catcher.

Now the pitching rotation: Number one starter is Tom Browning with Jose Rijo a close second. Third outright goes to Mario Soto. Fourth and fifth were tough but strictly going with more games played, I chose Norm Charlton fourth and Ted Powers fifth. The closer of course is the wild thing, Rob Dibble. I have to mention John Franco but wasn't sure whether to list him as a starter or a closer, so he gets his own spot. That's one team I would not have wanted to face in their prime.

Batting Order:
Ron Oester
Barry Larkin
Eric Davis
Dave Parker
Paul O'Neil
Hal Morris
Chris Sabo
Joe Oliver

Get Out Your Brooms!

What a weekend in Boston as the Red Sox sweep the 'Junkees'. Friday night's game took 11 innings before the Sox put away the Yanks. Jason Bay's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave Boston a stay of execution and "Yoooooouuuuuuuk!" sent the fans home happy with a walk off solo shot in the bottom of the 11th. Saturday's game didn't look so good early on. In a game where pitching was expected to rule, neither starter had anything. With almost identical boxscores, both pitcher lasted only 5 innings giving up 8 earned and 2 homeruns. After falling behind 6-0 in the fourth, Tek cranked a grand slam to bring the game back to within reach. Mike Lowell took over from there with a 3-run homer and a 3 RBI double to lead the Sox to a 16-11 victory. Sunday gave the Sox the chance for the sweep. In one of the greatest plays of the year so far, Jacoby Ellsbury steals home in the fifth and puts an exclamation mark on the series. The Sox extend their winning streak to 10 and head to Cleveland for a 3 game series against the struggling Tribe. I Love Baseball!!!

Let's Go Streaking!

After a less than stellar start to the season the Sox have caught fire. After sweeping Baltimore last week, the Red Sox have taken both games in a two game series with the Twins and are currently on a seven game winning streak. And the best part, the timing couldn't be any better as the Sox host the Bums from the Bronx in the first NY-Boston series of the season. Sweeping the "junkees" or even taking 2 and winning the series would do alot for the psychy of Red Sox Nation.

The Sox have scored 46 runs in the last six games and 6 Sox are batting over .300. Throw out Brad Penny's performance, and the Sox starting pitchers have allowed only 5 runs in 5 games. According to my math, the sox are outscoring their opponents 7.66 to 1. Not too shabby.

P.S. Yankees Suck!

Baseball This Week 4/12-4/19

Reds Beat:
The Reds got on a bit of a streak this week going 5-2 and running their record to 6-5 overall for 3rd in the division and only 1 game back of the leaders. They started the week with a win over the Pirates then took 2 of three from the Brewers and finished the week taking 2 of 3 from the Astros. Jay Bruce missed the last two games with an injured hand but hopes to return soon. Bruce got injured after being hit by a pitch on Monday.

Red Sox Report:
The Sox struggled out west to start the week but came back home to take the first 3 games of a 4 game series against the O's. Masterson will take the mound this morning in the Patriot game to try for the sweep. This will be Boston's first series win of the season. Jon Lester threw 7 shutout innings in yesterday's win of the O's and news came down that Beckett's suspension has been reduced to 5 games. Does that really make a difference? Either way he will still miss one start.

Stat of the week: Once again we turn to the Yankees as they got a royal beat down by the lowly Indians on Saturday. The tribe rang up 14 runs in the second inning and went on to win 22-4.

Surprise of the Season:
The Florida Marlins have only lost 1 game and have an overall record of 11-1

Some May Call Me A Traditionalist

I've been called a traditionalist and even an old-timer but I think of myself as a preservationist. I think traditions of the sport should be preserve while also preserving the game itself. I understand the fact that money drives everything these days, but at what cost? In this era of stadium naming rights and "this segment brought to you by...", I was quite pleased when the powers that be rejected the idea of advertisements on uniforms and bases. Having players running around looking like NASCAR drivers with their medley of patches all over their uniforms would have ruined the integrity of the game. Playing games at Great American Ball Park or Chase Field is fine, but keep the intrusions off the field.


However, the mighty dollar has taken it too far in some situations. For example, when ESPN changes opening day that has been traditionally started by having the Cincinnati Reds play the first game just to make an extra buck, that's unacceptable. Is ESPN hurting so much that they need that first game? While I'm on the subject, what happened to being able to watch a game on regular television? Exposure to the game has been all but eliminated in the inner city and poorer parts of the country where many people don't have cable. How can that be healthy for the sport? The Great American Pasttime has been taken away from America.


I do like the alternate jerseys though. I think this is a good way to bring in revenue while letting the fans feel like they are involved. Adding some color over the traditional grey or white uniforms is a nice touch.


The All-Star Game: Really, it isn't important enough to multi-million dollar players to play 1 exhibition game for the fans and try to win the game that we have to make it determine home field advantage for the World Series. That's ridiculous. So the representative for the last place Pirates helps decide whether the National League penant winner will get home field advantage. So the guy that's shelling out a hundred bucks to come see one of your games and pay your exhorbent salary isn't worth putting on your best performance in an All-Star game. Even though this same guy also voted you into the All-Star game. Joe Dimaggio once said he played his hardest everyday because that might be the day a kid sees him play for the first time and the kid deserves it. What happened to those days?

Robinson Honored; Kinsler Goes 6-6, Hits For Cycle

Every Major League team honored Jackie Robinson on Wednesday April 15, 2009. 62 years ago Robinson became the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. His courage was honored with his number 42 being worn throughout the league. For more on this story go to
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090414&content_id=4268752&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Ian Kinsler went 6 for 6 and hit for the cycle making him the first to do so since 1890. Kinsler had 5 runs and 4 rbi in the Rangers romp of the visiting Orioles 19-6.

Tim Wakefield threw a gem in Boston's 8-2 win over the A's. Wakefield pitched a complete game allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4. The bullpen got a much needed night of rest after Tuesday night's 12 inning loss to the A's. Mike Lowell and JD Drew both went yard in the win. Dice-K was placed on the 15-day DL with a shoulder strain.

Mika Owings made his debut for the Reds and looked a bit rusty, giving up 4 runs in 5 innings. The Reds did however take the series 2-1 and now head to Houston for a 4 game stay.

Beckett Receives and Appeals 6 Game Suspension

Josh Beckett was handed a six game suspension and an undisclosed fine for 'throwing at the head' of Bobby Abreu during Sunday's game in LA. Beckett immediately appealed the suspension allowing him to make his next scheduled start on Saturday. The incident occured after Abreu took exception to the time Beckett was taking on the mound and asked for and was permitted time as Beckett began his windup. Personally, I think the granting of time to batters is getting out of control. If the umpiring crew had felt that Beckett intentionally threw at Abreu, he would have been ejected from the game; however, that was not the case.

For more on this story, read Ian Browne's article at
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090414&content_id=4266542&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

The First Week of the Season is in the Books

The 2009 major league baseball season got off to a rocky start for our teams. The Reds and the Red Sox have struggled out of the gate but don't run up the white flag yet. There is plenty of baseball left to play. Even a bad start can't dampen my spirits this time of year. BASEBALL IS BACK!

Red Sox Report:

Toronto 5-1

Baltimore 4-1

New York 3-2
Boston 2-3

Tampa Bay 2-3

Your eyes are not deceiving you. The Red Sox dropped the first series to the Rays 1-2 then went out west to LA and dropped another to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Josh Beckett pitched a gem in his first outing giving up only 1 run and striking out 10 through 7 innings. Okijima gave up a couple of runs to make the game closer than it should have been then Papelbon slammed the door shut.

Out in LA, the mmod was somber after the Angels lost their new young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car accident hours after pitching a great game. Dice-K was a little rocky and Papelbon tried to blow the game by givimg up a leadoff solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth and loading the bases before recording his 2nd save of the season.

Reds Beat:

The Reds again got off to a slow start. Unfortunately on a cold day in Cincinnati, they had the priviledge of matching up with one of baseballs best pitchers in Johan Santana. Aaron Harang only gave up 1 run through 7 innings but the bats of the redlegs were silenced by the arm of Santana. Wednesday the bats heated up but the pitching let the team down. Seven runs on 9 hits weren't enough to overcome the 4 runs given up by Volquez in just 4 1/3 innings and the 4 given up by Lincoln in just 1 inning of work. Bronson Arroyo wasn't great on Thursday but the bats helped him get the win. Votto's 3 run shot in the 3rd propelled the Reds to their first win of the season. Saturday the Reds started thier second series of the season with a loss to the Pirates. These aren't your father's Pirates.

Cleveland Indians:

The Indians can't buy a win. They were swept by the Rangers in the opening series and then lost the first two to the Blue Jays. The games weren't even close. Cliff Lee gave up 7 runs in 5 innings on opening day while the bats fell silent only getting 5 hits and stranding 9 base runners. Game 2 wasn't any better. Although they managed 7 hits, they left 23 runners on as Carmona gave up 6 runs in 5 innings. The bats showed up for game three getting 8 runs on 11 hits but the pitching still wasn't there. Pavano never recorded an out in the second inning and was rung up for 9 runs on 6 hits including 2 HRs. So in 5 games, the Tribe left 81 runners on base while the pitching staff gave up 46 earned runs. That could make for a long season.

Stat of the Week: For the first time since 1987, the bums from the Bronx recorded 0 strikeouts by their hurlers in the first 2 games of the season.