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Red Sox Ready to Release Hanley Ramirez

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The Boston Globe – According to a major league source, the Red Sox informed Ramirez Friday morning that they will designate him for assignment in order to open a spot on the major league roster for Dustin Pedroia, who is returning from the disabled list after his rehab from offseason knee surgery.

The Red Sox are responsible for more than $15 million remaining on Ramirez’s salary through the duration of this season. They will have seven days to trade or release him.

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I did not expect Dealer Dave to drop this bomb the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Sure, Hanley’s had a tough week. He’s hitless in his last five games, but he did have a hit in ten of his last eleven games before this skid. How bad could things really be going for him?

Well, Hanley’s batting average for the month of May is .163. His batting average stood at .330 on April 30, but today stands at .254. His OPS on the season stands at .708. The only Red Sox regulars with a lower OPS are Eduardo Nunez, Jackie Bradley and whoever the hell the catcher is on a given night.

The Red Sox had the luxury of having three guys for two positions essentially. Hanley, Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez were sharing time at first base and DH. With Martinez locked in at the plate, and under contract for four more seasons, and Moreland playing better for much less money, Hanley was the man left standing when the music stopped in this game of musical chairs.

Sure, the Sox could play Martinez in the outfield more to get Bradley out of the lineup and to get Hanley in as the DH. But Jackie Bradley plays superb defense and is not 300 plate appearances away from $22 million next year. Bradley’s a younger, cheaper option with more upside.

The Red Sox have a week to trade or release Hanley. It’s hard to imagine any team trading for him, and taking on more salary than they need to. If they wait a week, they can pick him up for a lot cheaper and leave the Red Sox on the hook for most of his salary. And it’s hard to imagine that Hanley’s Red Sox career isn’t over. I don’t see him walking back into that clubhouse after being DFA’ed.

It’s another bold move by Dombrowski. Another one of Ben Cherington’s big signings has been shown the door. But let’s give credit to Dombrowski. As surprising as the move may be today, I’d rather pay $15 million for a problem to go away instead of $47 million for a year and half of a .708 OPS.

The 300s Reviews: Miller Park

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The 300s Reviews ballpark tour is back for 2018 and kicks off in the Upper Midwest at the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, Miller Park.

Miller Park opened in 2001 and replaced Milwaukee County Stadium as the home of the Brewers. Miller Park was the fifth Major League Baseball stadium to feature a retractable roof (not counting Olympic Stadium in Montreal), and in 2001 was the fourth retractable-roof stadium to open in as many years. The retractable-roof craze subsided after Miller Park opened, though, and only one more retractable-roof stadium (Marlins Park) has opened since. Globe Life Field will make it two retractable-roof stadiums since 2001 when the Texas Rangers start playing there in 2020.

The roof at Miller Park has a unique fan shape. Because of its shape, large shadows cover the field during day games when the roof is open (see above). That can make the retractable-roof stadium feel more like a dome with an opening (a la Texas Stadium). That’s not a concern for night games, and at night the stadium feels more like a typical open-air ballpark (see below). I’ve been to Miller Park three times, and the roof was open on all three occasions.

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Aside from the roof, the first thing I noticed when rolling up to Miller Park was its expansive parking lots. That made parking and getting into the ballpark relatively easy and affordable. It also made for perfect tailgating conditions.

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Milwaukee has long been known as one of the best (and few) tailgate cities in all of baseball. If you show up a few hours before the game you will see the parking lots filled with fans, tents, cornhole games, portable grills and empty cans of Miller Lite. [No lie, Miller Lite outnumbered Bud Light about 100 to 1 outside the ballpark.]

If you didn’t pack your portable grill and cooler, Miller Park has an impressive selection of food and beverages inside the park. As you’d expect at the home of the Sausage Race, they have a great selection of sausages, brats and dogs. I ordered a polish sausage and loaded it up with Secret Stadium Sauce. Secret Stadium Sauce is reportedly a ketchup and barbecue sauce hybrid, with a little mustard, smoked syrup and other ingredients mixed in.

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Made by Jeremy Jacobs’s company, so you know it’s gotta be good.

As you’d expect in Miller Park, High Life and Lite flow like wine.  If you want a craft beer instead there’s still plenty of options. Miller Park’s Local Brews stand offers two dozen craft brews from across the Badger State. If you’re looking for a mixed drink instead, try the Long Island Iced Tea at the TGI Fridays at the ballpark. Seriously.

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After figuring out what to eat and drink and getting back to my seat I was able to take in the game experience. I kept a close eye on Bernie’s Dugout (and slide) in left field. Bernie Brewer goes down the slide after every Brewers home run. Not into a vat of beer like the old days, but still cool. Definitely an underrated mascot.

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I made sure to be in my seat in the middle of the sixth inning to catch the famous Sausage Race. The Milwaukee Brewers might not be America’s Team, but most sports fans will be familiar with this in-game promotion, which has been copied by so many other teams since it started in the early ’90s. (see Nationals, Washington).

 

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And before the game was over I made sure to get a look at the Uecker Seats.

Miller Park can feel a bit like bizarro world for a Red Sox fan with it’s ample parking, wide concourses, and (more) reasonably priced beer, but it is a prime example of the retro-modern ballpark trend. The park can feel massive when your sitting in your seat, and the outfield dimensions are basically symmetrical, but those are minor quibbles. Everything else going on in (and around) the ballpark makes a trip to Miller Park an enjoyable and memorable experience. It also doesn’t hurt that I snagged giveaway items in two of my three visits.

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I wouldn’t rank Miller Park ahead of Fenway Park or Target Field (which will be the next stop on our tour), but I do prefer it to Camden Yards and Angel Stadium.

Big Z Ballpark Rating – 7.7

BU’s David Quinn Expected to Be Named Rangers Head Coach

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Boston University held its 145th commencement ceremony on Sunday and in addition to its 7,072 graduates it appears that its men’s hockey coach David Quinn will also be leaving campus. Quinn is reportedly set to become the next head coach of the New York Rangers, with a five-year deal worth $12 million.

Quinn, 51, has deep ties to Boston University. The Rhode Island native played at BU under Jack Parker from 1984-1988, served as Parker’s associate head coach at BU from 2004-2009, and took over as head coach at BU after Parker retired in 2013. Quinn likely could have coached at BU for as long as he wanted to. He reportedly rejected an offer from the Rangers earlier this month, but a five-year deal worth $12 million proved to be an offer he couldn’t refuse.

While Parker coached at BU for 40 years, Quinn’s situation is different. In 1997, Parker turned down the Bruins for a second time. At age 52, he had been head coach at BU for nearly 25 years and couldn’t be wrested from that position. Quinn has only been head coach at BU for five years, and at 51 might wonder if he’ll ever get an opportunity like this again. In addition to the money, this is an opportunity for him to coach an Original Six franchise in the largest media market in the country.

Quinn did a superb job as head coach at BU. In his five years as head coach, the Terriers went 105-68-21, won two regular season league championships, won two league tournaments, made four trips to the NCAA tournament, and made one trip to the NCAA National Championship game. The Terriers fell to Providence College in the 2015 National Championship game, but that loss can’t be pinned on Quinn.

When Parker retired in 2013, Quinn was the clear choice to take the helm. It doesn’t feel like there is a clear choice to take over the program this time around.

It’s a bittersweet moment for Terriers fans, but the Rangers are sure to gain some new fans in the heart of Red Sox Nation. No easy feat. Terriers fans will certainly be rooting for Quinn in his new endeavor.

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Pedro to Headline Red Sox Alumni Game

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NESN – The Red Sox announced Thursday they will host an alumni game at Fenway on Sunday, May 27, the club’s first such event in 25 years. The three-inning contest is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET before Boston’s 1:05 p.m. ET tilt with the Tampa Bay Rays.

So, who’s playing in this game? Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant will serve as managers for the two competing teams, which will be comprised of a total of 25 former Red Sox. Here’s the full list of expected attendees, in alphabetical order:

Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Cooper, Jim Corsi, Lenny DiNardo, Alan Embree, Rich Garces, Jonny Gomes, Mike Greenwell, Sam Horn, Chris Howard, Bill Lee, Darren Lewis, Steve Lomasney, Derek Lowe, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo, Steve Lyons, Keith MacWhorter, Pedro Martinez, Lou Merloni, Rick Miller, Mike Myers, Troy O’Leary

The roster for this game reads like a Deadspin “Let’s Remember Some Guys” blog post. Definitely a diverse group, with National Baseball Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Pedro Martinez, Red Sox Hall of Famers Mike Greenwell and Bill Lee, NESN fill-ins Jonny Gomes and Steve Lyons, and some guys like Steve Lomasney and Keith MacWhorter who would make more sense on a milk carton than in a Red Sox alumni game.

There’s also the guy the six-strikeout game is named after, Sam Horn. Luckily for Horn this game will only be three innings.

Regardless of who fills out the last few roster spots, though, this should be a fun event. The Red Sox haven’t hosted an alumni game since May 29, 1993, which was so long ago that Carl Yastrzemski played in it. It would be great to see Pedro replicate his performance from the 1999 All-Star Game, or Steve Lyons drop his drawers at first, but it would also be great just to see Bill Lee strike a guy or two out. Lee is 71 and still throwing darts. Just a few years ago he pitched a complete game for the independent San Rafael Pacifics, and got the win!

No word on whether or not this game will be broadcast, but why not bring back some former broadcasters? I doubt Don Orsillo or Sean McDonough would want to set foot in the Fenway press box for this event, but how about Jerry Trupiano? Just in case Troy O’Leary has one more grand slam left in him.

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[If you can find video of O’Leary’s 1999 ALDS grand slam Trup on the call, let us know.]

 

Red Sox vs. Yankees V and VI: Bullpen Blues

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Dave Dombrowski has worked in Major League Baseball for 40 years. He has yet to figure out how to put together a first-rate bullpen. This three-game series in the Bronx could be a microcosm for this Red Sox team’s season and potential postseason. The Red Sox are a very good team with good starting pitching and a deep lineup, but a team susceptible to late-inning bullpen meltdowns.

Game 1 of this series wasn’t a total disaster, but the bullpen took the loss nonetheless. In Games 2 and 3, the Red Sox lineup had its way against Yankees starters, but still had to sweat it out in the late innings. Game 2 was an unmitigated disaster with the Red Sox bullpen coughing up four runs in the eighth inning and Game 3 was headed down a similar path with the Red Sox bullpen coughing up four runs in the seventh inning. Thankfully JD Martinez was able to get the lead back for the Red Sox in the eighth inning of Game 3 and the Sox were able to hold on in Game 3 to salvage one game in this series.

In Game 2 Craig Kimbrel came into the game in the eighth inning and promptly allowed four runs to score on a triple and then a home run. In Game 3 he was brought into pitch a clean ninth inning and that’s exactly what he did, retiring the side in order on 13 pitches. It’s clear that the Red Sox need an eighth inning fireman so they can keep Kimbrel out of situations like the one he was brought into in Game 2.

Putting Kimbrel into the game in any situation other than a save situation to start the ninth inning is like getting a gremlin wet.

“This move baffles me every time we watch it. The instructions are very clear. Don’t put Kimbrel into the game before the ninth. How hard is that?”

I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but he clearly does not thrive in those situations. I’m not opposed to new-age baseball philosophy that says the save stat is overrated and overvalued, but don’t throw a guy into spots where he has demonstrated he is less likely to succeed! Do what works!

The Red Sox bullpen factored into all three decisions in this series, going 1-2. The bullpen recorded one save, blew two save opportunities, and allowed 9 runs in 8 2/3 innings. It’d be a shame to see this very good Red Sox team get taken down by bullpen issues. Pick up the phone, Dealer Dave, it’s time to make some moves!

The Red Sox and Yankees are now tied for first place in the AL East with the best record in the bigs, 26-11. They’re 3-3 against each other and don’t meet again until a three-game set in the Bronx at the end of June.

Blockbuster Alaska Not Going Down Without a Fight

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AP — A celebrity jockstrap that’s been the buzz of Alaska for nearly two weeks went on display Wednesday at one of the nation’s last Blockbuster video stores in an effort to ramp up business.

“I tell you, we’re going to get a lot of traffic, is what I’m expecting,” said Kevin Daymude, general manager of Blockbuster Alaska.

He expects the store to get a lot of calls: “Did you get it in? Can we go see it?” he said.

The jockstrap has a strange history since actor Russell Crowe wore it in the 2005 movie “Cinderella Man.”

When I think of some of the best promoters in America, I think of Vince McMahon, Don King and Dana White. Today I add Kevin Daymude to that list. Now that he’s got Russell Crowe’s jockstrap, I realize how badly I want need to visit Alaska.

I’ve been to the Warner Bros. Studio and the Sony Pictures Studio, but I’m not sure they can stand up to the showcase Daymude is putting up in his Anchorage Blockbuster these days. In addition to his jockstrap, Daymude is also putting Crowe’s robe and boxing shorts from Cinderella Man on display, as well as his vest from Les Misérables. Anchorage, Alaska, is quickly becoming the mecca for Russell Crowe aficionados.

Before I book my flight, though, I should probably check on their hours and make sure that they’re open and accessible year round. I recommend you do the same. They can be reached at (907) 338-3456. I can’t wait to go, though. I might have to rent a copy of The Net while I am up there too. I just hope my hotel room has a VCR.

 

¡Feliz Cinco de Cuatro!

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Arrested Development is back!

As someone who binged the first three seasons on Hulu during the Bush administration, I was pumped when season four hit Netflix in 2013. I won’t lie, though, season four was hard to follow and left me disappointed. I’ve been looking forward to a chronological cut of season four since I heard someone on reddit put one together nearly five years ago.

Hopefully the season four recut gets Arrested Development back on track with a new season five not too far away.

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Boston Movies 101

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Braxton Berrios, the senior wide receiver out of Miami who the Patriots drafted last week, has been billed as the next Wes Welker, Julian Edelman or Danny Amendola. Whether or not the 210th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft will have that kind of impact on the Patriots, or even make the team this year, is anyone’s guess. His tweet from yesterday brings up a good point, though. If you knew a guy who was moving to Boston, which movies would you recommend he watch to get a feel for the place?

[For this discussion I’m only going to consider movies released since Berrios was born in 1995. The Friends of Eddie Coyle and The Brink’s Job may have been great movies 40 years ago, but they don’t really help explain Boston to a 23-year-old today.]

Good Will Hunting Quintessential Boston movie that put two Boston stars – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – on the map. Robin Williams won an Academy Award for his performance in this film. Possibly responsible for a resurgence of Boston movies over the last 20 years.

21 Based on the book Bringing Down the House, 21 follows the exploits of the MIT blackjack team. I debated whether or not to include this one on the list as the college students aren’t necessarily from Boston and a lot of the action takes place outside of Boston, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to showcase the Hub as a beacon of higher education.

The Town Ben Affleck is back in Boston (Charlestown to be specific) as a career criminal bank robber. This movie makes this list instead of The Departed because it features better accents and because the city itself is a bigger part of this movie. I don’t remember Frank Costello trying to take down Fenway Park.

Ted  A Boston comedy for the Family Guy generation. Mark Wahlberg turns in a solid performance in another Boston movie (after The Perfect Storm, The Departed, and The Fighter). This movie always sucks me in when I see it on FX. Eminently quotable and rewatchable.

Manchester by the Sea Yeah, this one is definitely a downer, but I’ve never seen an actor portray a Bostonian better than Casey Affleck did in this film. Casey Affleck won an Oscar for his performance in this film. Subtle townie references, including  Affleck’s Dugout Cafe t-shirt, reinforce this film’s spot on this list.

And Braxton, if you don’t have time to choke down these five films fear not. Seth Meyers can catch you up on most of what you need to know about Boston in less than five minutes.

Sports Pope Coming Back

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New York Daily News – Unless there is a last-minute snag in the negotiations, Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa will soon return to WFAN, the Daily News has learned.

Francesa will be back in the 3 p.m.-7 p.m. slot, according to well-embedded Hudson Street (FAN Headquarters) rats…

Sources did not know Francesa’s exact starting date, but said it would be soon.

Francesa “retired” from WFAN four months ago. During his “farewell” tour, he repeatedly said “no more FAN.”

I don’t live in New York, I’m not from New York and I’m not a New York sports fan but this is good news.  This is good news for for anyone who consumes sports radio or sports media in general. There are so few people or programs in the sports media that matter any more. Look at ESPN, they couldn’t get anyone to watch SC6 with Michael and Jemele and Get Up! looks to be on the same path. Mike may have lost a little off his fastball, but at least he still matters. You don’t need to be a New Yorker to recognize that.

Is it a little awkward to go on an 18 month farewell tour, just to come back five months later? You bet, but let’s not pretend like this is unprecedented. Johnny Carson is the gold standard of retirement. He signed off at age 66 in 1992 and was on screen for less than 90 seconds the rest of his life. He’s also the exception. Michael Jordan and Brett Favre each made multiple comebacks. Jay Leno (in)famously returned to The Tonight Show. Francesa will be in a similar situation as Leno. If you didn’t like him before, this will be another thing to jab him about. Otherwise, what’s the big deal?

Underrated in all of this may be the fact that Francesa is coming back almost entirely out of spite. Here’s what he said to the New York Post:

“This is for those who started this campaign in recent days. I didn’t decide to go back to WFAN until I was told I better not go back,” Francesa told the paper. “For those behind it, that was the moment I decided to return.

I love a good grudge. Makes for must-listen radio, too.

RIP Gil Santos

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Sad news last night with the passing of Gil Santos. It’s hard to believe his last season in the broadcast booth was 2012. It doesn’t feel that long ago that Gil and Gino were calling the action from high above Gillette Stadium.

Gil Santos was the best Boston sports radio play-by-play man of my lifetime. Even with all of the success Boston sports teams have enjoyed over the past 17 years, it is Santos’s call of the tuck rule review (and reversal) that remains one of my favorites.

The Super Bowl that year wasn’t bad either.

We’ll miss you, Gil.