Realtor.com – Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is hoping to tag a buyer for his luxury residence in Chestnut Hill, MA, an upscale enclave outside Boston.
The two-time World Champ quietly snapped up the home in 2013—the year he helped lead the Sox to a World Series victory. Pedroia’s red-brick Colonial, listed for $8.95 million, is less than a mile from the compound of departing NFL star Tom Brady, which is also still on the market, for $33.9 million.
With 8,500 square feet, the light-filled layout includes seven bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms spread across three levels.
Follow. The. Real Estate.
We literally just saw a very similar situation play out over the last year with another Boston legend. Despite denials from some local media guys that Tom Brady putting his Brookline house on the market had anything to do with him intending to leave New England; he ended up doing just that. So while it doesn’t necessarily mean anything imminent because all of these guys have multiple houses, can afford to buy a new mansion tomorrow, oh and theres no sports going on anytime soon anyways, but pay attention to this.
I don’t think anyone realistically expects Dustin Pedroia to play for the Red Sox again, but I always held out hope maybe he could get healthy enough to suit up as a part-time DH or something. Well this move makes it seem like Pedroia may be ready to call it a career and retire somewhere else. Maybe thats back in California where he grew up, out in Arizona where he dominated in college, or down south just to escape these bullshit winters. I despise Boston winters and I haven’t had multiple grueling knee surgeries so I can’t imagine Pedroia wanting to stick around post-playing career.
Lets not retire his number just yet, but I can’t imagine this is a positive development for the possibility of Pedroia playing again. Retiring as an athlete sucks, being forced into retirement early and having a potential Hall of Fame career derailed because of injuries is just cruel.
So while I think Pedroia may want to lay low for a while, I can’t imagine him not getting back into baseball in some fashion. He has always been positively obsessed with baseball, going so far as to take grounders at second from his knees while rehabbing. Someone with that type of passion and knowledge of the game could absolutely manage or work in a front office, but I think it would be a disservice to the entire country if Pedroia didn’t go into broadcasting. He was never at a loss for words, routinely talked shit to anyone and everyone (including Brady Quinn over ping pong), and was just a blast to listen to so I hope to see Dustin Pedroia in the booth one day.
Quarantining for weeks on end to help slow the spread of a global pandemic does not offer too many unique benefits. Especially in a time without the normalcy of the sports world and the much-needed escape it always provides. HOWEVER (Stephen A. Smith voice) you can’t help but discover classic sports games being shown all over your TV right now, ranging from every sport over the past 30 years or so. And re-watching some of these games obviously is not equivalent to enjoying the 2020 Sweet Sixteen/Elite Eight of March Madness or Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, but alas it’s something! Last weekend, for example, I found myself glued to watching the entire classic 1992 regional final game between Kentucky and Duke for the first time. And then Friday afternoon on MLB Network I stumbled across Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS between my beloved New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Being that it was one of my favorite games in 30 years of being a Yankees fan and nearly 17 years since I’d seen all 13 innings in full, needless to say I was locked in on my couch for the next three and a half hours. And for all my fellow Yankees fans who read The 300’s… so can you!
To quickly bring us all back to October 2003, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was at a fever pitch (no pun intended) and the ALCS had already included one of the more surreal moments I’ll ever remember as a sports fan (please don’t click the below clip if you have difficulty watching senior citizens being assaulted).
I still remember 13-year-old me being FUMING mad at Pedro Martinez as he pointed to his head while Jorge Posada was screaming at him from the steps of the dugout. Pedro had just drilled Karim Garcia in the back and following a Manny Ramirez over-reaction to a Clemens high pitch the next thing you knew the benches were cleared and a 72 year old Don Zimmer was charging at and taking a swing at none other than Pedro himself. Pedro proceeded to casually toss him to the ground. Just an insane scene all around. God, I miss hating a team as much as I hated that Boston Red Sox team. What a rivalry man. As good as both teams were from 2017-2018, Tyler Austin charging the mound against Joe Kelly just wasn’t quite the same as those ’03-’05 days.
So that brings us to October 16, 2003 and Game 7 of the ALCS. The Red Sox had just won Game 6 in the Bronx to force a decisive Game 7 and to try and continue their run to win their first World Series in 85 years. The starting pitching match up? Some guys named Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez; not too shabby. The setting? The old Yankee Stadium (RIP). Now obviously 17 years later that game is mainly remembered for its last pitch and how Aaron F. Boone earned his middle name in Boston. But the beauty of re-watching some of these old games is all of the great stuff and critical plays in between that even some of the more die-hard Yankees and Sox fans would be hard pressed to remember. All of that was a long way of saying this game was deemed the sixth greatest game in the history of baseball by MLB Network for a reason…
First observation in re-watching is that unmistakable big-game feeling back in the old Yankee Stadium which was second to none and you could feel it through the screen big time as the game started. The early years of the new Yankee Stadium felt like a morgue in comparison. There was something about the old place on 161st Street and River avenue.
The palpable buzz in the Stadium didn’t last too long as Trot Nixon, a long-time notorious Yankee killer in those days, crushed a two-run homer off Clemens into the right field bleachers in the top of the second inning. A Kevin Millar blast to lead off the fourth gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead and left a silent Stadium and a bleak outlook for the Yanks World Series chances. That Pedro guy was pretty good and he was absolutely dealing to that point.
I had completely forgotten that Roger Clemens had said that 2003 was going to be his last season pitching. Until it wasn’t and he ended up being Brett Favre before Brett Favre when it came to his retirement. Anyways, in what was thought at the time to very possibly be his last professional start, Clemens was pulled by Joe Torre in the top of the fourth inning with base runners on first and third and nobody out. Enter Mike Mussina. Making his very first relief appearance of his 13-year career. Mussina was already 0-2 in that ALCS and was being asked to keep the deficit right there at 4-0. And that’s exactly what he did, and then some.
The Class of 2019 Hall of Famer kept his team alive and in the game at a time when they needed it the most. But coming back from four runs down against the greatest starting pitcher of his generation remained a pretty daunting task. A couple of solo homeruns by Mike Francesa’s favorite Yankee Jason Giambi brought the Yankees to within two entering the 8th inning. That was until David Ortiz stepped to the plate against David Wells and sent a hanging curveball to the moon. An absolute back-breaking homerun that extended the Red Sox lead to 5-2. Little did Yankees fan know at the time but 2003 was just a preview of the endless seasons that David Ortiz would torture our lives by hitting clutch home run after clutch home run. That season, his first in Boston, Ortiz hit eight home runs against the Yankees (regular season and post) and he didn’t stop doing just that until the day he retired in 2016.
But that brings us to the bottom of the eighth (also known as my favorite half inning in all my years of being a Yankees fan) and thanks to Grady Little, Pedro was still on the mound.
The Fox broadcast showed a sign in the crowd at the beginning of the inning that said “Mystique Don’t Fail me Now’. It’s hard to describe (or remember for younger Yankees fans) but at this point in 2003, coming off the dynasty of winning four championships in five years from ’96-‘00 and even winning all three home games in the epic 2001 World Series, Yankee Stadium mystique was very much a thing and it was the ONLY thing giving me hope down three runs and five outs away from losing to our biggest rival.
To be fair to Grady Little, high pitch counts were not as much of a death sentence for a starter back in 2003 and Pedro’s was right around 100 entering the inning. Especially in a do or die Game 7 in which you’re attempting to break an 85-year drought. Also, from a Yankees fan perspective, I remember wanting Little to take the ball from the future first ballot Hall of Famer and hand it to the likes of Alan Embree or Mike Timlin. But no matter where you stood on whether or not Pedro should’ve started the inning, there’s absolutely no defending leaving him in after he consecutively gave up a one-out double to Jeter and line drive single to Bernie Williams, cutting the lead to 5-3. Thankfully he did just that and Hideki Matsui proceeded to rip a double down the line to set up second and third before Jorge Posada hit a bloop double to tie the game at five and send Yankee Stadium into an absolute euphoric frenzy.
We all know how the game ends but this would be the worst 2003 ALCS Game 7 blog of all time if I didn’t mention or include the first pitch of the top of the 13th inning…
It really couldn’t have been a more unlikely player to hit one of the biggest and most memorable home runs in Yankee history. The Yankees acquired Boone at the trade deadline and he hit a pedestrian .254 for the Yanks in the regular season before going 2-16 in the ALCS prior to that at-bat. Believe it or not he didn’t even start the game! The starting third basemen that night was of course the immortal (and proclaimed ‘Pedro killer’) Enrique Wilson. And then who could forget following the ’03 season Boone famously broke his leg in a pickup basketball game and would never again put on the Yankee pinstripes (as a player anyways).
The epilogue to this classic of a championship series game was the Yankees losing to the Marlins in six games. I’d love to delve further into breaking down that World Series but this blog is solely a Game 7 ALCS recap. Sorry folks!
Final Re-watch thoughts: Looking back 17 years later it was nice to watch a game during a time when the Yankees still dominated the rivalry with the Red Sox. If you were lucky enough to live under a rock during the next 17 years of the rivalry, let’s just say things have changed a bit in who has had the upper hand and let’s leave it at that. But there were definitely worse ways to spend three plus hours in the midst of a Coronavirus quarantine world than to re-watch the last game when the Yankees were on top of the rivalry and “1918” chants were still a thing.
In a serious case of you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, today should have been Opening Day for the Red Sox. The team we’ve all ripped to shreds over the last several months for having worse managerial skills than a Chili’s GM isn’t playing on Opening Day and that is sobering.
I know it’s out of MLB’s hands because we have much more dire issues to face as a country, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like Will Smith wondering when his dad is coming back.
In the absence of real baseball I have resorted to treating MLB The Show more seriously than I probably should. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Hell, Raffy Devers may become the first player in baseball history to win MVP while committing triple digit errors in the field!
To be honest though, a shortened season would most likely benefit a team like the Red Sox, who have a rotation consisting of one legitimate pitcher and a bunch of injury concerns, journeymen, and should be Triple-A lifers. But if baseball doesn’t come back until July like I fear, you could squeeze a bit more out of workhorses like Eduardo Rodriguez (assuming he doesn’t slip on a roll of stockpiled toilet paper and dislocate his knee cap). Granted baseball would like to maintain a regular schedule, if not pack more games in with doubleheaders. Manfred said exactly that on SportsCenter the other night while embellishing just a bit.
"I also think that we need to be creative in terms of what the schedule looks like, what the postseason format looks like."
“Obviously, our fans love a 162 game-season and the postseason format we have.“
Then you have the absolutely moronic suggestion from Scott Boras to play 144 or 162 games depending on when the season starts and just extend the postseason all the way into December with a Christmas World Series at a neutral site. Really? Imagine the Yankees hosting an ALCS game in the middle of December?
In all likelihood though Rodriguez wouldn’t need to make 30+ starts. You obviously can’t have him making multiple starts per week, but you could eliminate the concern of innings counts and managing guy’s workload in preparation hopes of a postseason run. Same goes for Nathan Eovaldi. It also gives guys like Dustin Pedroia a few more months to recover from injuries and potentially get right for the season.
Glass half full bullshit optimism? Yup, but with no baseball on Opening Day and no games coming anytime soon I think we all could use a little optimism right now.
The Roni strikes again. This now makes the NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, XFL, Fast and the Furious, March Madness, the Boston Marathon, and now the biggest golf tournament in the world all postponed and/or cancelled. I literally prayed to the golf gods and the twitter gods yesterday when a commercial for The Masters came on…while I worked from home amid mass hysteria.
What the hell are we all going to watch now? Everybody better start enjoying books real quick because there’s not much else left. I’m not a doctor or a scientist so I’m not going to question the decision because there is obviously a massive health crisis happening in this country right now. It’s probably for the best to just punt on the spring and we’ll all regroup for the greatest summer of TV programming ever created. Imagine the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, The Masters, MLB, and NFL Training Camp all going on at the same exact time? It will make Sweeps Week look like public access television in comparison.
With that being said I am left here to twiddle my thumbs and scroll through twitter all day and night. Theres only so many World Star videos a man can watch and I’m already pretty over the Toilet Paper heist stories. My advice is to watch *everything* in your Netflix queue, even that shit you don’t actually care about, but tell yourself you do because you’re cultured. Like that documentary on yoga thats been sitting in my queue for months. I’ve done yoga once in my life so why did I save a documentary on yoga in my queue? Because I had zero intention of watching it unless oh ya know the entire country shut down and every sports league ceased to exist for the foreseeable future.
So that and mass amounts of video games will be played. The big guns at EA, Sony, Activision, Microsoft, Nintendo, Rockstar etc. would be wise to offer some discounts on their titles because I am liable to buy half a dozen vidyagames right now.
This is like the reckoning for all of our short attention spans. We’ve all been constantly stimulated by TV, internet, sports, and our phones 24/7 for the past decade and now we’re all being forced to entertain ourselves for the first time. Godspeed boys.
ESPN – Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale is having an MRI on Tuesday after experiencing soreness in his elbow following his first live batting practice session.
Manager Ron Roenicke acknowledged concern as the team awaits the results, which will be sent to Dr. James Andrews for evaluation.
It was pretty absurd for the Red Sox to tell everybody that Chris Sale was getting pushed back to start the season because he had pneumonia, not because his elbow is apparently a train wreck. Then again thats par for the course with this ownership group who seem to think we’re all stupid. Tell me you don’t like my firm. Tell me don’t like my idea. Tell me don’t like my fucking necktie. But don’t tell me that Chris Sale is going to miss Opening Day because he had a bad cold.
It was his first time throwing to live batters since last August and after throwing just 15 pitches he felt soreness in his elbow the next day. Now he’s going to see Dr. James Andrews who hands out Tommy John surgery recommendations like they’re candy so prepare for the worst, Sox fans. In fairness he did go see Andrews last year and avoided surgery after opting for a PRP injection…but he didn’t pitch again until this week. Not good.
So this obviously begs the question of was the Chris Sale extension a good idea or an unmitigated disaster? Well considering the 5 year extension didn’t even kick in until this season and Sale missed huge chunks of time last year and won’t be ready to start the 2020 season….then yes this is problematic. In the interest of transparency, I was all for this extension when Sale signed it because it offered a steep discount for an ace at $30 million per year. The cost of pitching only continues to go up as Sale’s 2020 salary is still behind Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke, Stephen Strasburg, Justin Verlander, David Price, and Clayton Kershaw. However, my enthusiasm for the extension was based on the Red Sox medical staff being pretty confident that whatever injuries Sale had before didn’t pose long term issues. Well, it would seem that was a swing and a miss because he’s had nothing but health concerns since the ink was dry on that deal.
We’ll wait to see what comes out of Sale’s MRI, but this does not seem like it’s going to end well. Welp, the 2020 Red Sox continue to be the biggest shit show in town and they don’t even play a game at Fenway for another month.
FrontOfficeSports – In the best-selling “Moneyball,” author Michael Lewis portrayed the Oakland A’s as famously willing to abandon old ways of doing business. The A’s are at it again, becoming the first MLB club to ditch terrestrial radio in favor of internet streaming audio.
The A’s made headlines last week announcing they’ll exclusively stream all of their games in the Oakland/San Francisco market for free on TuneIn this season – while cutting ties with local radio station KTRB. “Fans are consuming media differently and we have to adapt to meet those needs,” A’s President Dave Kaval said in a statement.
The A’s and TuneIn launched a 24/7 channel dubbed “A’s Cast” last season. It grew into MLB’s No. 1 team podcast, with 650,000 downloads, and marked the first time the A’s boasted the league’s most popular and downloaded property.
During the off-season, TuneIn met with the ballclub to discuss testing exclusive streams of A’s games this season. The two sides were so impressed by the 2019 results they agreed to bypass the test phase – and name TuneIn the club’s exclusive audio distributor for the 2020 season.
This is a fascinating move by the A’s and to be perfectly frank it’s about time they did something radical because you can only lean on “Moneyball” as your sole contribution to society for so many years.
This will be a challenge for older fans who don’t know their ass from their elbow when it comes to technology, but if baseball is going to avoid the fate of prize fighting and horse racing it’s going to have to start adopting radical new ideas.
For anyone under the age of 40 though this is not that crazy of a change at all. You know how often I listen to a Red Sox game on the radio? Almost never except for when I’m sitting in traffic. I don’t even own an actual radio so anytime I’m listening to sports talk outside of my car is either on my iPhone or streaming over my Google Home at my house. A free streaming service is long overdue for baseball because if you don’t actually own a radio like me you’re shit out of luck unless you’re in front of the TV, in your car, or a paying MLB.TV subscriber. There is always the workaround of streaming on your laptop through your TV provider, but thats not exactly easy to access for anyone let alone a digital nomad.
If you’re a cynic you could argue this frees the A’s up from any local contractual obligations aside from their dump of a stadium, which could make it even easier for them to leave town. It’s like someone cutting the cord and signing up for YouTube TV as their main cable provider. No contracts and take it with you anywhere you go. Fair point.
The money they lose from licensing their broadcast rights to a radio station is a valid argument, but I’m sure TuneIn isn’t getting this for free so that’s not a huge deal. If your argument is the team will lose visibility and awareness because they’re no longer on terrestrial radio, well then pardon my french but you’re fucking out to lunch. I would say more than half of the time I’m in my car I’m listening to music or a podcast on my phone. Add in the fact that we are all constantly connected via text, twitter, Instagram, Facebook, ESPN push notifications etc. and there is almost nothing I become aware of because of the radio. The A’s will do just fine without being on an AM dial.
Not to mention the broadcast quality is going to sound world’s better. I was kind of joking about how the A’s will be fine not being on the AM dial, but their former radio broadcast partner KTRB is literally 860 AM in Oakland. That is preposterous in 2020. WEEI in Boston made the jump from 850 AM to 93.7 FM back in 2013 and the improvement in audio quality was titanic. AM signals usually sound like you’re broadcasting from a truck stop bathroom so digital streaming will be a slight upgrade over that.
The A’s could once again be paving the way for other teams to take their idea and achieve much greater success running with it if Moneyball is any indication. So I applaud the A’s for trying something new in a sport so averse to change.
The 300s series previewing the best giveaways on tap across Major League Baseball this season continues today as we take a look around the American League Central.
The AL Central and NL Central are great for summer baseball road trips. There are 10 teams in the central divisions, and every team has at least one opponent within a five hour drive. If you’re in Chicago this summer, you could try to take in a Cubs game and a White Sox game if the schedule allows. If that doesn’t work, though, Milwaukee is less than two hours up Interstate 94. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are only about two hours apart, and Cleveland and Detroit are less than three hours apart.
If you time things right, it’s possible you could cross off three ballparks or more in just one week traveling around the Great Midwest this summer. If you’re ready to roll and just don’t know where to start, maybe one these giveaways will help you make your decision.
MINNESOTA TWINS
Giveaway items go to the first 10,000 fans at Target Field unless otherwise noted.
At their home opener on Thursday, April 2, the Twins will be handing out quarter-zip pullovers to the first 30,000 fans. An extra layer could come in handy in Minneapolis on an early April afternoon.
Former Twin and 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau was elected to the Twins Hall of Fame this offseason. To celebrate, the team will hand out Morneau Hall of Fame collectors pins to the first 5,000 fans on Friday, May 22.
The next day, Saturday, May 23, the Twins will hand out Morneau bobbleheads before his on-field induction ceremony that afternoon.
New Twin Josh Donaldson will get the bobblehead treatment on Tuesday, June 16.
The Twins are bringing back baby blue this season and on Friday, July 31, fans will receive a baby blue Twins replica jersey as the Twins host the Astros that evening.
On Friday, September 18, the Twins will give out stocking caps to the first 30,000 fans at they open their last home series of the season.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
On Saturday, May 2, the first 10,000 fans to the ballpark formerly known as The Jake will receive an Indians sweatshirt blanket as the Indians host the Giants.
On Saturday, May 30, the first 12,500 fans in attendance will don red Mike Clevinger jerseys for that night’s game against the Royals.
On Saturday, July 4th, the first 15,000 fans will receive a 1940 Bob Feller jersey.
Shane Bieber gets the bobblehead treatment on Saturday, July 11. The first 15,000 fans will take home an All-Star Game MVP bobblehead.
On Friday, July 31, the first 10,000 fans will take home a 1920 cap.
The next night, Saturday, August 1, 12,500 fans will take home a 1920 home jersey.
The first 12,500 fans on Saturday, August 15, will receive a Franmil Reyes home white jersey as the Indians host the Mariners.
A Jose Ramirez “Home Run Pitch” talking bobblehead goes to the first 12,500 fans on Saturday, August 29.
A FIFTH jersey giveaway happens on Saturday, September 12, when Oscar Mercado red jerseys will be handed out to the first 12,500 fans.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Opening Day, Thursday, March 26, will be the first Free T-Shirt Thursday of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field. The first 20,00 fans on Opening Day will grab a long-sleeve tee. [Subsequent Free T-Shirt Thursdays will be for the first 10,000 fans.]
The first 15,000 fans through the gates on Saturday, March 28, will get to keep warm with a White Sox puffy vest.
The first 15,000 fans on Saturday, April 11, will keep warm with a White Sox hoodie.
Yoan Moncada will get his bobblehead on Saturday, April 18. The first 20,000 fans will get one as well.
The first 15,000 fans on Saturday, May 3, will take home a Los White Sox soccer jersey.
For the Saturday, May 16, game against the Blue Jays, the White Sox will give away a 1960 replica scoreboard to the first 15,000 fans.
A Tim Anderson bat flip bobblehead will go to the first 20,000 fans on Saturday, May 30.
Saturday, June 6, will be Margaritaville at the Park. The first 20,000 fans that night will get to celebrate in a free White Sox Hawaiian shirt.
The first 20,000 fans on Saturday, June 27, will get a White Sox basketball jersey.
Even though the White Sox will be home on September 17, they’ll celebrate halfway to St. Patrick’s Day on August 29 as they host the Astros.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
SAVE THE DATE: Our annual Salute to the Negro Leagues game will be held on Sunday, May 17 vs. LAD. First 10k fans will receive a Jackie Robinson Monarchs Tee.
On Saturday, June 6, Hunter “Bull-Dozier” bobbleheads will be given out to the first 15,000 fans.
The first 10,000 fans to The K on Friday, June 12, will walk out wearing a 1970 Royals away jersey.
On Saturday, June 13, 15,000 fans will receive a Whit Merrifield “Hit Counter” bobblehead.
On Friday, June 26, the first 10,000 fans 21 and older will receive a Hawaiian shirt from Miller Lite.
The first 10,000 fans on Saturday, June 27, will receive a bullpen cart. No further details at this time, but this could be a good one.
Saturday, July 25, will be Christmas in July at Kauffman Stadium and the first 15,000 fans will receive a Whitey Herzog bobblehead.
The first 15,000 fans on Saturday, August 8, will take home a George Brett MVP bobblehead.
In case it’s chilly in late September, the Royals will hand out lightweight hoodies to the first 10,000 fans on Saturday, September 26.
DETROIT TIGERS
All items presented to the first 10,000 fans at Comerica Park unless otherwise noted.
On Saturday, April 25, fans will receive a Tigers scarf as the Tigers host the Padres.
On Friday, May 22, fans will receive a Tigers chip and dip bowl courtesy of Frito-Lay.
On Saturday, May 23, the Tigers will be giving away Tigers Hawaiian shirts.
On Wednesday, June 17, fans will take home a home plate welcome mat.
Friday, July 17, will be Niko Goodrum desk mate bobblehead night when the Tigers host the White Sox.
On Saturday, July 18, fans will receive a Detroit Stars fedora.
Friday, July 31, will be Ron Gardenhire bobblehead night as the Tigers take on the Royals.
On Saturday, August 15, the first 10,000 fans 21 and older will receive a Fiesta Tigres replica joursey courtesy of Miller Lite.
Saturday, August 29, will be Lou Whitaker replica jersey giveaway night.
Highlights of the AL Central giveaway schedule include a baby blue Twins replica jersey, a 1940 Bob Feller jersey, a 1960 Comiskey Park replica scoreboard, a George Brett bobblehead, and a Lou Whitaker jersey. The sweet Lou Whitaker Tigers road jersey gets the top spot on my list, but the top team spot is reserved for the Indians. With five jersey giveaways planned for this summer, maybe this is finally the year I explore Drew Carey’s hometown.
Brock Holt was your classic overachiever; a super utility guy that turned into a legitimate All-Star for the Red Sox. I think he gets a little overrated by Boston fans as most fan favorite dirt dog type players do, but he was a solid contributor and great clubhouse guy. Well the Sox let him walk over what amounts to peanuts as the details of his contract with the Brewers finally came out.
Brock Holt contract with #Brewers, per source: One year, $3.25M. Guarantee includes $750K buyout if team does not exercise $5M club option for 2021. Also: $250K each for 400, 425 and 450 plate appearances.
So for a team that doesn’t have a proven every day second baseman, 4th outfielder, and is cobbling together first base just let it’s best utility guy go for nothing. I don’t get it.
Red Sox signed Jose Peraza for $3M. We could have had Brock Holt back for an extra $250K.
Not to mention the Sox could use a little good PR after this tumultuous offseason so maybe giving Brock Holt $3 million would have been worth the good will it would have garnered with fans. I mean the guy all but said he hates Milwaukee in his first interview wearing a Brewers hat.
I honestly never expected to wear any other uniform but a #RedSox uniform. I loved it there."
Brock Holt admits it is very difficult leaving Boston, but that he "couldn't be more excited" to join the #Brewers clubhouse. pic.twitter.com/KWI4ZJJLIc
So you can’t tell me the guy wouldn’t been open to coming back if the Sox offer was even remotely close.
The team’s top 3 outfielders currently are Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and JD Martinez, who cannot play outfield every day. Then you have Kevin Pillar ($4.25M), who’s fine, and Alex Verdugo as your 4th OF except he has a little thing called a broken back so it might be hard for him to patrol Fenway in the near future.
Is this a move thats going to make or break the season? Of course not, but after trading Mookie Betts and David Price in salary dumps, taking Eduardo Rodriguez to salary arbitration over $600K, and Dustin Pedroia all but certain to announce his retirement sooner than later, the Red Sox probably could have ponied up the $3M to re-sign a fan favorite.
AUDIO of @Keefe21#Scoop on the Red Sox contacting social media influencers in and around Boston about promoting the Red Sox… two days after the Mookie Betts trade 😱 pic.twitter.com/Hmtl4QDmRI
Hey Red Sox, where was my offer? I’m out here defending the Mookie Betts trade for the price of on the house and now I hear about this? What exactly does something like that even go for these days?
So another glowing story in the news for the Sox who are batting a thousand this offseason. Red Sox CMO Adam Grossman spoke to WEEI in response to that report down in Fort Myers on Wednesday morning.
“We started probably about seven years ago. In some ways, it has always been there. Celebrity-driven marketing … We have fans like Matt Damon or Cardi B, we want to attach ourselves to those. But also as social has taken off these individuals who have become influencers have become more important. What we started to do about seven years ago was connect more to parents. With parent bloggers and influencers. We have had meetings with them about seven years ago when we created this Red Sox Mom’s Group. That was at it’s early stages about seven years and it has expanded. Again, as we look at all of the assets we have influencers are a channel in that.”
Normally I would just chalk this up to typical bubbly PR speak, except he repeats the words “seven years ago” four different times in the span of one paragraph. Hmmmm
Grossman’s right, influencer marketing is a strategy thats been around for a long time so this is nothing new, but if the team really was out there asking local influencer’s to spin the Mookie trade then that is hilarious. I mean the team literally owns a freaking newspaper so they could always use the State Sponsored Media, but even John Henry probably knows the kids aren’t checking boxscores in the paper anymore.
Any time your team is getting compared to the Fyre Festival on it’s own flagship network though means maybe it’s time to reassess your public perception.
With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, and the dog days of the NHL and NBA seasons upon us, it’s time to look forward to baseball season. Long summer days will be here before we know it, so now is the time to take a look at the schedules, put in those summer vacation requests, map out the road trips and book some flights.
If you’re going to make the trek to a new ballpark this season, why not get a free souvenir while you’re there? I planned my first trip to Kauffman Stadium around a Royals 50th season hat giveaway. I drove to Milwaukee a few summers ago specifically to add a powder blue Paul Molitor Brewers jersey to my collection. I once scheduled a California vacation around around Angels Oktoberfest to snag a free glass boot mug. Maybe that free powder blue Cardinals jersey is the incentive I need to finally get to Busch Stadium this summer.
With just over five weeks to go until Opening Day, The 300s will take a look at some of the best giveaways on the docket for the upcoming the 2020 MLB season. You won’t find details on schedule magnets here. We’re on the lookout for jerseys, bobbleheads, and other unique knickknacks. Stuff you can put on the shelves of your own Adam Shefter office at home. So let us help you pick out the dates to circle on your calendars, and let the Quest For 30 continue.
Today, we kick off this series by taking a look at the promotions and giveaways on tap in the American League East in 2020.
NEW YORK YANKEES
All items presented to the first 18,000 fans at Yankee Stadium unless otherwise noted.
Friday, April 24, will be Don Mattingly Bobblehead Night.
Sunday, May 10, will be Mother’s Day and before the Yankees take on the Red Sox that night they will hand out Yankees purses to the first 18,000 fans 18 and older.
On Friday, May 22, the first 18,000 fans 21 and older will receive a 2000 World Champions Commemorative Beer Stein from Budweiser.
Aaron Judge will get the bobblehead treatment on Friday, July 10.
On Saturday, July 11, the first 18,000 fans 21 and older will receive a Yankees Camo Cap from Budweiser for Military Appreciation Day.
Tuesday, July 21, will be another cap night. No further details yet on what type of cap will be offered this evening.
Thursday, August 6, will be Andy Pettite Bobblehead Night.
While not a giveaway day, Old-Timers’ Day 2020 will be Sunday, August 9.
August the 21st be with you. The Yankees will be giving out Gleyber Torres Mandalorian bobbleheads on that night.
Friday, September 25, could be a cool night in the Bronx so the Yanks will be handing out Yankees knit caps that night.
TAMPA BAY RAYS
Mostly bobbleheads in our highlights of Rays 2020 promotions. Bobbleheads go to “all fans, while supplies last.”
On Saturday, May 9, the Rays host the Rangers and will give out Charlie Morton audio bobbleheads.
On Saturday, May 30, the Rays host the Brewers and will give out Willy Adames audio bobbleheads.
Tyler Glasnow will get the audio bobblehead treatment on Saturday, June 13, as the Rays host the O’s.
Saturday, June 27, will see the Rays hand out Ji-Man Choi audio bobbleheads as they host the Mariners.
Tuesday, July 28, will see Blake Snell get the audio bobblehead treatment as the Rays host the Marlins.
Saturday, August 29, will be Austin Meadows audio bobblehead night as the Rays host the Twins.
BOSTON RED SOX
No details yet on how many fans will receive each item. We’ll update this post as that information becomes available.
David Ortiz will be inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in April, and on Tuesday, April 7, fans at Fenway will receive a Big Papi Red Sox Hall of Fame Series bobblehead.
Also getting inducted into the Sox Hall in April is Manny Ramirez. He gets his Red Sox Hall of Fame Series bobblehead on Tuesday, May 19.
On Tuesday, May 26, Red Sox fans can receieve a Red Sox bucket hat.
Rafael Devers bobbleheads will be given out on Tuesday, June 16.
A hat designed by Xander Bogaerts will be given out on Tuesday, June 30. No further details are available at this time, but it has to be better than this year’s Sox spring training hat.
On Tuesday, September 22, Fenway fans will receive a Pedro Martinez Funk Pop.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
All items presented to the first 15,000 fans at Rogers Centre unless otherwise noted.
On Opening Day, Thursday, March 26, the first 45,000 fans will receive a Blue Jays t-shirt as the Jays open up against the Red Sox.
On Saturday, March 28, the Blue Jays will be giving away Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Home Run Counter bobbleheads.
Tuesday, March 31, will be the first dollar dog night of the season in Toronto, known as “Loonie Dogs Night” north of the border.
Monday, May 18, will be Cavan Biggio “Hit For The Cycle” Bobblehead Giveaway Day.
Saturday, May 23, will be Blue Jays Country Day and the Jays will be handing out army green Blue Jays hats to mark the occasion.
On Saturday, June 6, fans will receive a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Piña Power Beach Shirt.
On Friday, June 26, the Blue Jays will hand out Hyun-jin Ryu blue replica jerseys.
Wednesday, July 1, will be Canada Day and fans can receive a Vlad & Dad dual bobblehead to celebrate.
On Friday, July 31, the Blue Jays will hand out Randal Grichuk #NEWBLUE replica jerseys.
On Saturday, August 1, fans will receive a Blue Jays floppy (bucket) hat.
“Bo Flow” Bobblehead Giveaway Day will be Monday, August 3.
A hat designed by Hyun-jin Ryu will be given out on Saturday, August 29.
On Saturday, September 19, some chilly fans could walk home in a Blue Jays vest.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Most giveaways listed below go to fans 15 and over, unless otherwise noted.
For Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, the first 10,000 female fans 18 and over will receive an Orioles infinity scarf.
On Monday, May 25, the first 15,000 fans will take home an Orioles beach towel.
On Saturday, May 30, the first 20,000 fans will taken home a Jim Palmer bobblehead.
On Sunday, May 31, the first 20,000 fans will receive an Orioles cap.
The first 20,000 fans 21 and over at Oriole Park on Friday, June 19, will take home an Orioles floppy hat, thanks to Miller Lite.
On Saturday, June 20, the first 20,000 fans will take home an Oriole Bird Hall of Fame bobblehead.
The Orioles will hand out Orioles soccer jerseys to the first 20,000 fans on Saturday, June 27.
Birdland Hawaiian shirts will be given out to the first 20,000 fans on Saturday, July 18.
The Orioles will hand out 1970 World Series Brooks Robinson replica jerseys to the first 20,000 fans on Saturday, August 8, as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1970 World Series.
Saturday, August 22, will be Boog Powell bobblehead day for the first 20,000 fans as the O’s host the Red Sox.
Sunday, September 6, will be Cal Ripken, Jr. bobblehead day for the first 25,000 fans as the O’s host the Yankees.
Highlights of the A.L. East slate include the Yankees 2000 World Champions Commemorative Beer Stein, Big Papi and Manny Ramirez Red Sox Hall of Fame bobbles, a Blue Jays powder blue jersey, and a 1970 World Series Brooks Robinson jersey.
The Blues Jays look to have the most promising giveaway slate in the division, while the Rays could stand to add some variety. The O’s have a promising slate planned as well but lose points for limiting many giveaways to fans 15 and older. Understandably, alcohol sponsored givewaways are limited to fans 21 and older by most teams, but good luck to the Baltimore retiree working at Camden Yards on June 20 trying to explain why little Timmy doesn’t get an Oriole Bird bobblehead.
The 300s 