Category: MLB

COUNTERPOINT: Red Sox to Participate in UCLA Cosplay

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Gonna have to go ahead and disagree with Red on this one. To paraphrase Roger Ebert, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, I hate these uniforms. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate these uniforms.

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Red and Big Z weigh in on the newest Red Sox uniform.

The one constant through all the years, Red, has been baseball. For the past 90 years, the Red Sox uniforms have been nearly as constant. Sure, the Bosox font on the front of the jerseys and on the cap has been tweaked a bit since the days of Ted Williams, they wore red hats for a few years in the ’70s, and refreshed the road unis in the early ’90s. But you could watch any Red Sox game since World War II and immediately recognize them. This uniform feels like a stunt. A stunt better left to the Astros, Brewers and Rays of Major League Baseball.

This design just doesn’t do it for me. I understand the reference to the Boston Marathon (even though it won’t be run on Patriots Day this year), but couldn’t they use a little more, um, red for the Red Sox uniform? This looks like a random Boston shirt you could buy above Park Street. It’s a Boston Marathon softball uniform, not a Red Sox uniform.

What’s even more irksome is that this uniform feels like it is trying to one up the most significant addition to the Red Sox wardrobe since they ditched the pullovers after the Bucky Dent game. The original (This is Our Fucking) City Connect jersey:

Boston Waves Goodbye to David Ortiz: 3 Reasons We'll Never Forget Big Papi - The Prompt Magazine

No word if UCLA and/or Adidas will try to block this obvious copyright infringement:

UCLA Baseball: Bruins are the #1 team in the country

I know the Sox are trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold again this year. Hopefully they can sell a few of these jerseys at the souvenir store to raise a few more bucks. I know times are tough for John Henry and company. Maybe they could have a bake sale next.

Rovell says six more teams will unveil similar City Connect uniforms this season. Let me know when teams like the Dodgers, Yankees and Tigers participate in these shenanigans.

Fire Flames Jersey Alert: Red Sox Unveil Boston Marathon Jerseys

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I’m not going to overthink it and get too verbose. These are sick, plain and simple. Granted if you’re not from Boston these probably look like some failed Easter Peeps yellow cross promotion. But hey, if you know you know. What’s more, the Red Sox never do stuff like this, which is fair considering the logo and the team colors comprise one of the most recognizable and historic brands in the world. It is nice to switch it up every once in a while though and for better or for worse that’s exactly what a partnership with Nike will deliver.

Obviously these are an homage to the Boston Marathon, which is a legitimate holiday around here turned fierce display of local pride after the Marathon bombings back in 2013.

I was a huge fan of the BOSTON B-Strong jerseys the Sox wore, immortalized by David Ortiz’ “This is our fucking city” speech, when they returned to play after that tragedy.

So it’s cool to see the Sox tapping into a huge part of the Boston culture for a new alternate. A lot of these City Edition jerseys in the NBA have already become kind of forced, but I would say Nike hit the nail on the head with the first of its City Connect MLB jerseys.

The stenciled lettering on the chest is a slick callback to the Marathon finish line and I love the pinned bib on the sleeve too, real nice touch there.

Now the Boston Marathon may not be happening on Patriots Day again this year due to Covid, but the Sox are still playing at 11:05 am so we can all still down some Bud Lattes before noon as we slowly resume some semblance of normalcy.

Desperately Needing a Quick Start, Red Sox Go 0-3 Against Orioles

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Just like that the Red Sox fall to 0-3 and are already chasing a losing record less than a week into the 2021 season.

Nathan Eovaldi and Tanner Houck looked great in the Red Sox first two games of the season, which was super encouraging to see. Eovaldi struck out 4 in 5.1 innings giving up just 1 run and only got pulled because of the analytics (rather than his performance) and the fact that you don’t want your injury prone 1A starter throwing 120 pitches on Opening Day. Houck was also dynamite as he struck out 8 in 5 innings and surrendered just 2 earned runs. Obviously Eovaldi is an injury waiting to happen and Houck has thrown 22 innings in his entire career so the optimism here is fragile. Oh and in the last game of the opening series Garrett Richards did exactly what we all knew he would do and got shelled giving up 6 earned runs in just 2 innings.

I’m not about to freak out but getting off to a fast start is more important than you think. Just about every time the Sox have had a losing record in April over the past decade they’ve missed the playoffs. Do you realized that despite their massive achievements (two World Series titles since 2013) the Red Sox have missed the playoffs 7 out of the last 11 seasons?? This is no time to start slow because the Sox have shown they cannot dig themselves out down the stretch.

Now there is reason for some optimism here. If Eovaldi (injury prone) and Houck (young and unproven) can be a solid No. 2 and No. 3 and if Eduardo Rodriguez can come back and be the ace the Red Sox expect him to be, then the team’s pitching staff could be…I’m gonna say it…pretty good. At least in the sense that you only need 3 starters to get through a playoff series. Now, I say ace with a small “A” until E-Rod shows he can return to and improve upon his 2019 form (19-6, 3.81 ERA) after a year plus missed due to Covid and now dead arm etc.

That’s before you even start to think about Chris Sale coming back from Tommy John. The team has been very tight lipped about the time table for his return, but mid-late summer would make sense based on when he got the surgery. I’m not pinning my hopes on another guy coming off Tommy John, but if the Sox are in contention by late summer then the return of Sale could be a huge shot in the arm for this team.

The biggest disappointment of this young season though has without a doubt been the offense. Say what you will about the absolute disaster of historic proportions the 2020 Red Sox were, but they still finished 2nd in Hits, 5th in Total Bases, 3rd in batting average, and 8th in Slugging Percentage in all of baseball last season. So we know if nothing else this team can hit. So to get swept by the Orioles with little to no production from the lineup was ugly. Sure it was the first series of the year with temperatures just above freezing at times, but to score just 5 runs in 3 games against the Orioles and the corpse of Matt Harvey is concerning.

The Sox have no time to dwell as they’re right back at it tonight against the defending AL champs, Tampa Bay. With Nick Pivetta and Martin Perez starting the first two games of the series though the Sox will need to finally get the offense going if they want to avoid really falling into an early season hole.

The Red Sox Just Destroyed Me With This Opening Day Video Narrated by Dustin Pedroia

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Hope everyone was prepared to ugly cry on this Good Friday Opening Day because Dustin Pedroia just made it super dusty up in here. This isn’t just another mindless hype video; this is a guy who is talking from the heart about never taking the game for granted. Go out there and bust your ass and play like a champion because the game can be taken from you at any moment. Nobody know that better than Dustin Pedroia.

With that being said, Opening Day is here baby!

That’s the beauty of baseball. It’s something about Opening Day taking place in the beginning of spring as winter is finally beginning to thaw and flowers are starting to slowly blossom. Sure it’s 34 degrees right now, but we all know it’ll be sunny and 70 before too long. Not to mention the cold dark hell we’ve all gone through over the last year, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. This is exactly why people say baseball is more romanticized than any other sport. I know the Red Sox in all likelihood are going to suck this year, but after another miserable Boston winter I have hope for better days ahead.

Red Sox Tried to Give Jason Varitek’s Number 33 to Martin Perez, Who Said Hell No

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Yahoo – No Boston Red Sox player has worn Jason Varitek’s No. 33 jersey since the former captain retired in 2011. So when the Red Sox appeared to give the number away on Tuesday, it sparked some drama.

Red Sox Stats noted on Twitter that the Red Sox official roster changed Perez’s number from 54 to 33, which the 29-year-old wore with the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins. Varitek’s wife, Catherine, caught wind of the news and did not take kindly to it.

Apparently, it was news to Perez too. The Red Sox left-hander, who re-signed with the team last month, made it clear he has no desire to take Varitek’s No. 33 and will stick with 54.

I know Jason Varitek probably isn’t a candidate for having his number retired as a career.256 hitter, but he was just the 4th team captain since 1923 (the only one since Jim Rice) and the Red Sox nearly gave away Tek’s No. 33 WHILE HE IS WORKING FOR THE TEAM! I’m not here to argue that Varitek should have his number up next to Big Papi and Pedro, but he was a foundational piece of the most successful era in Red Sox history, is the only catcher to call four no-hitters, wore the red “C” for 7 years, and kicked A-Rod’s ass in the most famous fight in team history. So how about we don’t just hand out his number to random pitchers? This is even more insulting than the time the Sox finally gave away Nomar’s No. 5 to Rocco Baldelli.

Shoutout to Martin Perez though for having the self awareness to immediately say no shot in hell am I wearing No. 33 at Fenway Park.

Listen, the team doesn’t have to officially retire Varitek’s number to properly honor his legacy. The man is in the Red Sox Hall of Fame and is currently being groomed by the franchise for a potential future manager role, even if it’s not here, but don’t just give away 33 while he’s literally still in the building.

Red Sox Trade Former Top Prospect Andrew Benintendi to the Royals

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I know using “former top prospect” to describe a 26-year-old that just got dumped by his current team is a tale as old as time, but I’m pretty down on this move considering the return. Just a year after signing Andrew Benintendi to a relatively inexpensive 2-year $10M extension, the Sox decided to part ways with the former No. 7 overall pick. Granted, I have not been studying my Baseball Prospectus manual so I know nothing about the guys they got in return except that they are also underperforming castoffs from their previous teams.

In return for Benintendi the Red Sox received OF Franchy Cordero and pitcher Josh Winckowski, both of whom I’m not too familiar with. It kiiiind of seems like the Sox are just throwing shit against the wall though hoping they can catch lightning in a bottle with another team’s failed projects.

“I guess you never know, but the odds seem slim that the tools will ever come together. Maybe the Red Sox see something they believe they can fix, but the scouting reports on Cordero have always mentioned that he simply scores low in his natural baseball instincts.” – David Schoenfield, ESPN

Tony Mazz was not very fond of the return either.

“In fairness to the Red Sox, Winckowski sounds like he has a chance. And let me emphasize – a CHANCE. He won’t be 23 until June. He’s 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds. In 54 career minor-league games – 53 starts – he has a 3.35 ERA with 237 strikeouts and 86 walks in 263 innings. But he’s also been traded twice already…Cordero doesn’t sound like much of a baseball player. When I read his profile, the first name I thought of was Wily Mo Pena, a physically imposing power hitter whom the Red Sox acquired in 2006. He basically lasted a year here before they became the second team to give up on his “potential,” which is a dirty word in sports. It’s a euphemism for “underachiever.” There’s nothing worse than a great athlete who doesn’t have the skills to play baseball. And Cordero doesn’t feel like much of a ball player.“

Not to mention this deal happened one year to the day of the Mookie Betts trade. This franchise really should just teach a PR masterclass because there’s always drama surrounding every single move they make.

Maybe it’s elite foresight from Chaim Bloom and he’s seeing what nobody else sees…which is exactly why John Henry hired him. BUT, Benintendi is literally less than a full season removed from being a pretty good and promising young player. In fairness that was two years ago, but with a Covid shortened 2020 season shortened even further due to injuries + the 2019 season Benintendi is only 152 games removed from finishing 2018 hitting .290/.366/.465 with 16 HR, 41 doubles, and 21 Stolen Bases. You can’t tell me that guy just forgot how to play ball.

To make matters worse the Sox are even paying a little over $2M of Benintendi’s salary just for the Royals to take him. Making a little over $6 million this season, Benintendi would be arbitration eligible in 2022 and become a free agent in 2023. It would appear Bloom saw no future for Benny with the Sox so decided to get something in return while he still could.

If you’re feeling a bit, well, underwhelmed by this offseason then you my friend are not alone. When the biggest moves of the offseason are signing OF Hunter Renfroe to a 1-year $3M deal, Kike Hernandez (a nice utility player) to a 2-year $14M deal and RHP Garrett Richards (who is always hurt) to a one year $10M deal, fans have a right to be less than enthused. With Chris Sale out until at least mid-season while he recovers from Tommy John, the Sox have done almost nothing to improve the roster that finished with one of the worst records in team history last season.

Obviously the Red Sox are looking at 2021 as a bridge year while they try to get as far under the luxury tax as possible. Even Dustin Pedroia’s $13.75M AAV still counts against the luxury tax despite retiring so Bloom appears to be resetting the roster before hopefully jumping back into free agency next offseason. This is the kind of stuff that Theo Epstein used to preach, you can’t compete for a World Series and spend big in free agency, and trade prospects every year. It’s just not sustainable. So I understand that, but this franchise does feel a little rudderless. Especially for a franchise that changes its organizational philosophy every 2 years. I can take a down year or two if the team has a legitimate plan in place, but that blueprint remains to be seen if we’re being honest. At the start of next season the Sox will have their two best players in Xander Bogaerts entering his age-29 season and Rafael Devers entering his age-25 season so both guys will be in their prime. Now all Bloom has to do is build an entire roster of players around them in the next 15 months. No pressure.

Say what you want about Benintendi, but he still has the potential to be an All-Star and let us never forget him saving the ALCS for the Red Sox against Houston en route to the 2018 championship. Best of luck to ya in KC, Benny.

Dustin Pedroia Announces His Retirement

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NESN – Dustin Pedroia is calling it a career. The Boston Red Sox second baseman announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Monday. Pedroia, who dealt with knee injuries over the latter part of his career, played in just nine games over the last three seasons. He did not play in 2020.

“Dustin is so much more than his American League Most Valuable Player award, his All-Star Game selections, and the Gold Gloves he amassed throughout his impressive 17-year career in our organization,” Red Sox owner John Henry said in a press release.

“Dustin came to represent the kind of grit, passion, and competitive drive that resonates with baseball fans everywhere and especially with Red Sox fans. He played the game he loves in service to our club, its principles and in pursuit of championships. Most of all we are forever grateful to him for what he brought to our club and to our region as an important role model showing all of us how much one can accomplish with determination and hard work.”

We all knew this day was coming and is something that had been discussed more openly in the last couple of years as Pedroia battled debilitating knee injuries. Once I heard Jerry Remy during a game tell the story of Pedroia asking him what kind of flooring he had in his house because the hardwood was killing his knees I knew his playing days were likely over. He is one of the greatest players in Red Sox history and will almost certainly have his number 15 retired as a 4x All-Star, 4x Gold Glove winner, 1x Silver Slugger, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, an MVP award, and three World Series rings.

As a career .299 career hitter with all the aforementioned hardware, Pedroia’s retirement is bittersweet because it’s another Nomar “what could’ve been” story. Like Nomar a decade before him, if Pedroia didn’t get hurt and have his career derailed by constant injuries he could’ve been a legitimate Hall of Famer. If you ask me I will forever say fuck Manny Machado for the dirty slide that basically ended Pedroia’s career, but Pedey has never (publicly) faulted Machado and has even been quite open about how he’d rather play his ass off and risk his body than half ass it just to add a few years to his career.

It all started with the Machado dirtbag slide in Pedroia’s already surgically repaired left knee in April 2017, but there was also the Jose Abreu collision in May 2017 that sent him to the DL, when he went back on the DL in August 2017 I was spooked, then he had another knee surgery in October 2017, he returned in 2018 but was back on the DL by June, in July 2018 we asked Is This the End for Dustin Pedroia, he then returned for Opening Day in 2019, and then by September 2019 it was pretty clear Pedroia was done.

But I don’t want you to leave this blog pissed off lamenting the past because I want to celebrate not only his greatness on the field, but how genuinely awesome a dude Dustin Pedroia is so here are a few of my favorite stories.

The Brady Quinn Ping Pong Story

“Yeah, he’s one of a kind,” Roberts says. “He and I work out at the same place in Arizona in the off-season, and I’ve seen him call out NFL players during Ping-Pong games, asking them when they’re starting Jenny Craig. He told Brady Quinn, who is a monster, a physical specimen, ‘I’m going to rip this ball right off your throat.’ He’s a piece of work.”

“Ask Jeff Fucking Francis who I am!”

But clearly he is a player that is not only beloved by fans, but he is revered by teammates including the all-time greats like Big Papi.

And in a statement from former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon comes a quote that I may just have to slap on a t-shirt: “Diamonds are forever and so is Dustin Pedroia.”

Above all Dustin Pedroia was a hilarious, hard working, regular ass dude which is why he was beloved in the city of Boston. In a career full of A+ soundbites, I leave you with just a few of his classic stories.

The 300s Top 10 Blogs of 2020

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2020 was a weird year to say the least. Remember when we literally had no sports to watch except for Korean baseball at 5 AM? Thankfully the sports leagues figured it out as some simply removed fans and resumed play as normal like the PGA Tour whereas others created full on bubbles like the NBA and NHL. We also had some tasty pop culture blogs sprinkled in throughout the quarantine so buckle up you’re in for a treat. Without further ado, I present The 300s Top 10 Blogs of 2020.

10.) Must Watch SNL Skit: Pete Davidson Raps a “Stan” Remix for Santa Clause

9.) Blog Favorite Comedian Daniel Sloss is Doing a Live “Day Drink With Dan” This Saturday and It’s Exactly What It Sounds Like

8.) Billy Beane is Reportedly Finally Coming to Work at Fenway…to Build John Henry’s Soccer Empire

7.) The XFL is Recruiting a Massive Free Agent: Guy Fieri

6.) A List of the Top Tom Brady Documentaries, Cameos, and Skits to Watch While Self Quarantining

5.) Dale Arnold Just Got Bagged Dressing Like a Mannequin On Live TV

4.) The Bruins Drunken Zoom Call With the 2011 Team is the Quarantine Content We All Needed

3.) Celtics Top Pick Aaron Nesmith and His Vanderbilt Track Star Girlfriend Immediately Become Most Athletic Couple in Boston

2.) Joe Kelly Picked His Top 5 Teammates for a Fight Club. Who Ya Got?

1.) Celtics Fail to Close Out the Raptors and the Refs as They Force a Game 7

Man Wearing a Red Sox Hat Somehow Doesn’t Recognize Manny Ramirez in Painfully Awkward Video

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My first thought is to call this guy a gigantic asshole for not recognizing one of the greatest Red Sox players of all time, while wearing a Red Sox hat.

That’s the 2004 World Series MVP!

That’s a 12x All-Star!

That’s a guy who hit 30/100 for the Sox in six straight seasons!

On the other hand, I am also a huge hat guy and thus a fan of random caps from all kinds of teams. One time I was wearing a Tennessee Vols snapback that I bought for $3 because it was a sweet hat. I shit you not the first time I wore it some guy ran up to me while I was waiting for the T absolutely beaming. This guy was PUMPED that he ran into another Volunteer in downtown Boston…until I had to break his heart and tell him I just liked the hat and that I’d never even been to Tennessee. It was like telling a kid Santa Clause doesn’t exist.

Then again, it’s Manny fucking Ramirez, so this guy is indeed a giant asshole. If not for failing to recognize Manny, then definitely for refusing to give someone else the time of day because a stranger dared bother him in public.

20% OFF The 300s Store for Cyber Monday. Get Your Merch for Cheap!

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20% OFF The 300s Store for Cyber Monday! Use code: DEALS2020

Whether you’re looking for a new C’s shirt now that Tatum has signed a long term extension, some Pats gear, Bear Force One swag, or just shirts that generally mock the Red Sox, we’ve got you covered. We also have plenty of The 300s merch too if you want to rep the brand around town. So grab your shirts, stickers, hoodies and more today and save 20% with code DEALS2020. Shop now!