Category: MLB

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.]

 

Former Top Prospect Blake Swihart Has Asked the Red Sox to Trade Him

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NBC Sports Boston – Blake Swihart has spent all season in a virtually non-existent role, one that Alex Cora and Dave Dombrowski both indicated on Tuesday will not change barring injury to Sandy Leon or Christian Vazquez. Swihart’s agent, Brodie Scoffield of The Legacy Agency, sees a situation that’s been unproductive for both the player and the team, and has asked the Red Sox to trade Swihart…Swihart earlier in May said he would leave the trade topic to Scoffield. Scoffield declined to comment at the time. Now, with more than a quarter of the season completed and Swihart still serving no purpose other than “protection for us as a third catcher,” as Dombrowski put it Tuesday, Scoffield is pushing for change.

“With Dustin Pedroia returning, it seems now would be the time to make a move with Blake,” Scoffield said.

I can’t say I’m surprised and I absolutely don’t blame the guy. He was once the top rated catching prospect in all of baseball and then the Red Sox stuck him in left field where he jacked up his ankle and derailed his career.

Here’s what MLB.com had to say about Swihart in January 2015:

“Catcher Blake Swihart, who continues to impress with his consistent approach at the plate and his skills on the defensive side, is ranked No. 18. Though he didn’t become a regular catcher until 2010, Swihart is now the game’s top prospect at the position, reminding many of a young Buster Posey.”

Now he’s the 3rd catcher and the 25th man on a Red Sox team that rarely even plays him. Since he’s out of options the Sox can’t send him down to Pawtucket without the risk of another team claiming him and the Sox aren’t going to risk losing him for nothing so here we are. Blake is stuck in no man’s land. A trade is probably the best result for both sides. As much as I’d like to just see the team start playing him, Christian Vazquez is dynamite defensively and Sandy Leone seems to have settled in as Chris Sale’s personal catcher so there’s not a lot of playing time to go around. Those two have been positively radioactive offensively though so why Swihart hasn’t gotten really any playing time is beyond me.

You would think playing outfield is completely out of the question after what happened last time and with Dustin Pedroia coming back from the DL soon there will be even less room in the infield. He could DH but he’s definitely third in line behind mashers like JD Martinez and Hanley Ramirez for that role.

So we may be seeing the final days of Blake Swihart in Boston. I hope he goes somewhere and gets the opportunity to play because the Red Sox have royally fucked up his career to this point. Who knows if he goes the way of other former top catching prospects like Jared Saltalamacchia (spelled that right on the first try, NBD) and sucks or if he goes on to be an excellent catcher for the next decade. But lets see the guy play somewhere else if not here. Because a 3rd string catcher who doesn’t really play any other position well is not a great depth option on a major league roster. The 25th man on a roster should be a super utility player who can play basically anywhere on any night. Maybe the Sox get a decent reliever in return for Swihart and kill two birds with one stone. Either way, it seems like its probably time to cut bait. We hardly knew ye, Blake.

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.

Hero Helps His Wife Prep for Her MLB Broadcasting Debut by Playing Video Games

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Yahoo – Jenny Cavnar didn’t have long to prep before providing Colorado Rockies play-by-play. She found out she would have to fill the role the day before the game, so she didn’t have a lot of options to get in some last-minute practice before her play-by-play debut. That’s when her husband hatched a plan, according to Joon Lee of Bleacher Report. He would play “MLB: The Show” and she would call his game..They fired up the game, selected the San Diego Padres as the Rockies’ opponent — since that was the matchup Cavnar would call the next day — and gave it a shot.

Shoutout to this guy for getting massive brownie points for helping his wife prep for the biggest day of her career while ALSO playing PS4 at the same time. His wife is getting called up to the big leagues, literally, to not only call a professional baseball game which is huge, but also be one of the first women to ever do it. Pressure cooker like you read about.

So what does my man do? Johnny on the spot here with the idea to have his wife simply call his game of The Show. He gets to do absolutely nothing while not even really having to talk to his wife while also appearing to be the most helpful husband in America.
This guy is bred for greatness. I feel like this should be a Miller Lite commercial or better yet Dave Chappelle should re-enact this scenario for an episode of Great Moments in Hookup History.

PS – I’ve bought two baseball games in the 13 years since the MVP Baseball franchise breathed its last breath in 2005 because every game since then is hot garbage. If I ever run for public office that will be my platform. #MakeMVPBaseballAgain

Red Sox Looking to Temper Red Hot Yankees in the Bronx Tonight

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Starting tonight the Red Sox head into the Bronx to take on the Yankees while currently holding a 1 game lead in the AL East. After taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees in the first series of the year the Yanks have gone on an absolute heater winning 15 of 16…. all while leaning on rookies. So the Yankees lineup that was absolutely stacked with power hitters now has a rookie in Gleyber Torres who is hitting a cool .327/.357/.857 ?? Cool. I look forward to hating you soon enough Mr. Torres.

Thankfully the Sox have been taking care of business on their end as well with Mookie Betts merely becoming the best player in baseball. No big deal. And before you try and shut me down hear me out. Mookie is leading the MLB in Batting Average, Slugging Percentage, OPS, Runs Scored, Home Runs, Total Bases, and Extra Base Hits.

These two teams are FINALLY both great at the same time. We’ve said it ad nauseam but over the past decade these two teams kept missing each other, which is why they haven’t faced off in the playoffs in years. Now both are a legitimate threat to win 100 games this year. The last time I could find two teams in the same division that won 100 games was the 2001 AL West when the Mariners won 116 games and the Athletics won 102 so this division race has the potential to be historic.

JD Martinez has actually been playing great as well hitting .349/.396/1.015 with 8 Home Runs and 27 RBIs on the year. The surprise in my voice in response to how well JD is playing is a sad reflection of how badly the Sox have botched big money free agent signings in recent years. David Price (too soon?), Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo, Carl Crawford etc.  So Just Dingers Martinez actually living up to the hype thus far has been a pleasant surprise on Yawkey Way Jersey Street.

There’s 16 more rounds of this left and after a benches clearing brawl in the 2nd game of the year between them this is the earliest I’ve been jacked up for a Sox Yanks game. The rivalry is back, the two teams legitimately don’t like each other, and most importantly we are each other’s biggest threat and direct competition on the path to a World Series. Hey, ESPN might even finally benefit from having them on national TV every other week.

Tonight we have Drew Pomeranz (1-1) 6.14 ERA vs Luis Severino (5-1) 2.11 ERA so that is mismatch city. The Sox beat the hell out of Severino for 5 runs in 5 innings last time around, but since then he’s sporting a 1.24 ERA with 32 Ks and 5 walks in 29 IP. This will be Pomeranz’s 4th start back from the DL so I’m not super confident, but he does have a 3-2 record and a 3.12 ERA in his career at Yankee Stadium. All things considered I’ve gotta go with Severino tonight as the guy is on a roll and is unlikely to lay an egg against the Sox twice in a row. With that being said if you gamble on individual baseball games you are a sick degenerate and I cannot help you.

Joe Kelly Watches Red Sox Game from the Bleachers, Continues His Rocket to the Top of My Favorite Athletes List

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I don’t know many Boston athletes that have had a more prolific rise in my rankings than Joe Kelly. Kelly was always fine. He’s a flamethrower on the mound, which always adds bonus points, but he’s never really had any defining moments on the Red Sox. He also hasn’t really lived up to the hype surrounding him when the Sox acquired a young power arm from the Cardinals. So I never had anything against the guy, he was just kind of there.

First we had the rise of Good Guy Joe Kelly. The dude goes out of his way to not only visit sick kids in the hospital, but he legit goes full costume to make a kid’s day. Dressed from head to toe as Green Lantern simply because it would make a kid happy. You don’t see a lot of that in professional sports.

Then of course we had the benches clearing brawl he incited by beaning that mouth breather Tyler Austin. Not only did he jumpstart the Sox Yankees rivalry, but he also was itching to fist fight the guy. Most pitchers will bean the guy then if he charges the mound they want no part of it. You often see the pitcher throw his glove at the charging batter much like a purse, until the first baseman or catcher can intervene. Not Joe Kelly, that guy wanted blood.

And now, while serving a 6 game suspension for the aforementioned beaning incident, he’s literally watching the game in the bleachers with the fans. This dude just gets it. A down to earth guy that visits sick kids in the hospital, lays the wood on the Yankees, and now is self aware enough to joke about taking in a Sox game while sitting where the real fans sit.

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Keep it up and I might have to invest $34.99 into a freshly printed Joe Kelly t-shirt jersey after a bakers dozens beers at Who’s On First.

PS – Who’s On First on Yawkey Way is now a goddamn trivia question as that bar, after incidents, fights, and shootings was forced to sell off and change its name. As did the street itself with all the well known issues surrounding the Yawkey name. So now when people ask how to get to The Bullpen on Jersey Street, you know where to direct them.

Is Shohei Ohtani Charmin Soft for Asking Fans to Be Quiet When He Hits?

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Yahoo – USA Today reported that three women who were sitting behind the visitors’ dugout at Kauffman Stadium on Friday night for the Angels game against the Kansas City Royals were asked by stadium security to stop cheering so loudly during Shohei Ohtani’s at-bats. The message reportedly came from the Angels dugout.. The women, who were Japanese exchange students, had no problem quieting down. And they didn’t just quiet down, they fell completely silent during Ohtani’s next at-bat. After the game, a 5-4 for the Angels in which Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double, Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara shed a little light on the situation to USA Today. “He heard it, he’s thankful for the cheers,’’ said Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s interpreter, “but at the plate, he likes to focus and block out the noise.” Ohtani, as is his way, focused on the effect it had on the team as a whole. “I was aware of that,’’ Ohtani said, “but I wasn’t the one that asked for that. (The Angels) just did it so everyone could focus at the plate. “I was thankful for that.”

If I’m an Angels fan I would be RATTLED by this story. You mean the guy that of all the places he could have signed with he chose the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? The guy that dodged every single big market. That guy is now complaining that fans are CHEERING too loud for him? Ohtani said he didn’t actually request it, but he appreciated it. Ya sure thing buddy. I’m sure Mike Trout knows how tough cheering fans can be so he made security tell these 3 college kids to pipe down.

Now Ohtani has been incredible to start his career so this isn’t really a huge story. Yet. But if and when he hits some turbulence I will be fascinated to see how he responds. Does he block it all out and get back on track without issue? Or does he crumble because everyone is yelling at him?

This was at a home game by the way. Just wait until he plays a big game on the road. Red Sox and Yankees fans are going to have a field day with this. Just imagine trying to tell these boozed up degenerates they need to be quiet so Shohei can concentrate at the plate. Good. Luck.