Tag: Boston

Celtics Lock Up Home Court in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs

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Despite losing to the Magic, the Celtics have backed their way into the 4 seed thanks to a loss by the Pacers last night.

I know I’ve been slacking on the Celtics content lately, but I have my reasons. Firstly, there really hasn’t been much to comment on over the last two weeks. They’ve played pretty much the way I’ve expected: some stupid, disappointing losses mixed in with solid wins. Secondly, it has been harder for me to watch games. As you’d expect for someone living on the VA-DC line, the Celtics don’t get a lot of airtime at the bar, even when the hometown team is a red hot piece of trash that just fired their GM. Lastly, and this is the bigger reason why I haven’t been writing much, I’ve done a lot of drinking since I moved to Virginia.

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Maybe I’m just out of the loop because I’m from Massachusetts, but they have real happy hours down here. They’re amazing and probably my favorite thing in the world right now (unless my wife is reading this). From at least 5-7 at just about every bar, and with extended hours at a lot of them, you can get seriously discounted drinks and small plates in half the city. It’s incredible. Mass has a rip off happy hour where you get $1 off of nachos or some shit you can make at your house, but this shit is legit. And rest assured I’ve been taking full advantage of it.

As for the Celtics, although they had a 4-game losing streak in the middle of March, including a pathetic showing against the Hornets in Charlotte, they were able to come away with wins in the two most important games down the stretch: a home and away against the Pacers that has left me 100% sure we will make it to the second round. Although the game at the Garden was a close one, this last win in Indy without Brown and Morris proved that we are a legit force. With multiple games against the Pacers and a home-and-away mini-series against the Heat, the Celtics have actually had a little taste of the playoff format already. Al Horford said having games like this were good practice for the playoffs, and I’m in full agreement.

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This guy is going to be an X-factor in the playoffs.

The biggest factor in getting this team playoff ready for me is moving Morris to the bench and replacing him with All of Australia. Baynes brings toughness in the paint and relegates more scoring the to second unit, two things that were much needed. Playoff basketball is very different than regular season basketball, and something the Celtics have lacked since the days of KP43 is a force in the paint. Baynes, in the two games against the Pacers, put up 13 and 13 at home at 11 and 11 on the road with a few blocks mixed in. He’s also done it without fouling, something isn’t always able to avoid.

boston celtics lol GIF by NBA
Consistent scoring from Hayward is the key to a deep playoff run.

Another great sign in the blowout the other night was the perfect game (9-9 from the field, 3-3 from the line) from Gordon Hayward. This was the best such performance since Kevin McHale had 25 in a perfect game back in 1986. It was also the first time this season Gordon put up 20+ in consecutive games, pushing the Celtics to 6-0 when he hits that scoring mark. He’s been more physical and aggressive every game, and I think he’s really starting to show that confidence that was missing for the first several months of the season. I mean shit, he played 38 minutes last night. He may not have lit up the scoreboard, but he was very efficient. The more consistent he can be, the deeper we’ll go in the playoffs. If Gordon and Baynes play at a high level, and Kyrie, Brown and Al continue to play the way they have been, that will open up the floor for everyone else. Tatum looked to be back on track against Indy as well, leading the team in minutes and scoring.

Health will be a concern for sure, especially after last night. However, I don’t expect the shin contusion Tatum suffered to be all that serious. We’ll see about the hip injury to Marcus Smart, but he’s a tough bastard that will fight through it. I would expect Tatum, Smart and Irving at the very least to be out for tomorrow’s matchup against the Wizards, but only for a little extra rest. The only disappointing part about the rest is I will be at the game tomorrow rooting on….idk, Yabu I guess? I really don’t expect many people to play, and wouldn’t be surprised if those three I named aren’t the only ones missing time. Oh well. If all of the pieces fall where they should, this team can be the title contender that we all thought they’d be at the start of the season. I can’t wait to watch what they can do and find my hopes rising every day for this team.

If the Red Sox Got Into Giant Headed Mascot Racing, Who Are Your Top Choices?

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GREAT question here, Joe. Now lets not just leave this to former Red Sox players though; thats too narrow. While I get what Joe is saying about Cheers, I am throwing that idea in the trash, respectfully of course. So any former Sox player or famous Bostonian is up for grabs in this poll. Here are some of the top Boston guys that I think would be A+ giant headed mascots

  • Trot Nixon

I cannot picture anything funnier than one of those abominations running around Fenway with the dirtiest gigantic hat ever made.

  • Kevin Youkilis

Youk would probably be the most easily recognizable giant headed mascot in the game with a 3 foot tall goatee.

  • Nomar Garciaparra

Once the sports book opens at the Wynn in Everett (lets go Mayor Walsh) I would HAMMER the moneyline on Nomah winning this race 5 nights a week.

  • Pedro Martinez

He would have a slight disadvantage though because a giant headed Pedro mascot would need to be taped to a poll as part of the costume.

  • Luis Tiant

El Tiante with a cigar the size of a pool noodle would be a dark horse candidate in every race.

  • Bill Burr

The angriest giant headed mascot you’ll ever see. Would never win shit because he is a comedian, not a track star, but Old Billy Red Balls would be a fan favorite for sure.

  • Ben Affleck/Matt Damon

They can’t have one without the other. Would be required they run the race as a three legged man.

  • Doug Flutie

The man is a damn legend. Forget the hail mary TD, the guy completed a drop kick in a live NFL game. My family literally has a framed picture of that shit in the basement. True story.

Who ya got? Tweet your best answers to me @The300sBoston so I can debate you on mascots instead of being productive in the cube.

Red Sox Going With Closer by Committee to Start the Season

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WEEI – Matt Barnes. Ryan Brasier. Heath Hembree. Brandon Workman. Brian Johnson, Colten Brewer. Hector Velazquez. Tyler Thornburg.

Thornburg is the highest-paid member of the group at $1.7 million despite not proving to be an effective big leaguer since 2016. Two guys the mix to close games — Barnes and Brasier — have a combined two career saves to their credit. Hembree has never been relied on as a consistent late-inning guy. Workman has never seen a full season in the majors. Johnson and Velazquez are more perceived as long men/spot starters than high-leverage options. And Brewer’s major league debut last season with San Diego resulted in 11 appearances in which he gave up 10 runs on 15 hits and seven walks.

And you know what? Alex Cora genuinely remains really optimistic about what he has to work with.

Closer. By. Committee. The three most feared words in all of baseball. Seriously, it’s NEVER a good idea and I am still scarred by the mere mention of it after the disaster that was the 2003 Red Sox. Byung-Hyun Kim, anyone? Kim, Brandon Lyon, Chad Fox, Mike Timlin, Tim Wakefield, Casey Fossum, Alan Embree, Jason Shiell (who?), Bronson Arroyo, and Robert Person all had saves for the Boston Red Sox in 2003. Thats TEN dudes that got the ball in the 9th inning. There’s a reason they went out and paid boatloads of money for Keith Foulke that offseason and then actually won the World Series the following season.

Lets just take a look at the Red Sox recent championship history as it relates to the closer position.

  • In 2018, there were four guys that recorded a save, with Craig Kimbrel racking up 42/46.
  • In 2013, there were three guys that recorded a save, with Koji Uehara racking up 21/33.
  • In 2007, there were five guys that recorded a save, with Jonathan Papelbon racking up 37/45.
  • In 2004, there were four guys that recorded a save, with Keith Foulke racking up 32/36.

Have I made my point clear enough?

Don’t get it twisted, I am not the guy campaigning to give Kimbrel and his wildly inconsistent performances $100M, but I do prefer to give the job to one guy until he proves he cannot handle the job. None of this closer by committee junk that 100,000% will fail spectacularly.

The manager added, “One thing we found out towards the end, that although the people outside our world think we’re short on pitching, we’re not, and we’re going to be fine.”

I understand that there isn’t a young stud closer waiting the wings. There isn’t a Papelbon pushing Foulke out the door on this roster, but what worries me about the Sox is how they went about this. And I knew they would the second they won the World Series too. All summer we railed against the team for not making any big trades to shore up the bullpen and how it would be the end of them. Naturally they fell ass backwards into Ryan Brasier and Joe Kelly turned into 2003 Eric Gagne for a month and the Sox cruised to another title. Now Dave Dombrowski is pointing to what the team did last year and their philosophy on the position and the results they got. Except the only problem is that shit ain’t normal. Joe Kelly will never pitch that well for that long again. Ryan Brasier could be an absolute diamond in the rough, but he could also revert to the guy that was pitching in Japan before the Sox signed him last year.

So to not only double down on that devil may care attitude with the bullpen, but then to also make no moves while guys like Kelly and (probably) Kimbrel walked is not ideal.

But hey did you hear that Tyler Thornburg is close to returning from injury for the third consecutive year??

Oh man, I hope this Durbin Feltman kid really does fly through the minor leagues this year and is ready for prime time because this could get ugly quick. Hopefully he’s more Papelbon than Craig Hansen though.

It’s not that I’m down on all of the individual relievers themselves because they’ve all proved they can be more than effective…in certain roles. If we are looking to go the 2003 route where the Sox had 10 guys vying for saves, then I think this team is in big trouble.

Red Sox Are Nearing Extension With Chris Sale

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I love this move for the Red Sox. Granted Chris Sale has had his injury concerns the past two seasons, he has still been hands down the best pitcher on the roster and a Cy Young front runner the past two seasons. David Price turned things around last year and was excellent in the ALCS and World Series, but I would still feel a whole lot more comfortable with a savage like Chris Sale as my ace on the mound. 5 years $150 Million is a bargain at this point too, which speaks to Sale preferring comfort over maximizing every last dollar, which is even more impressive having been on team friendly deals his whole career. Sale hasn’t been shy about telling people how much he loves playing in Boston so this deal makes a ton of sense for both sides. Assuming he stays healthy its a steal for the Sox, but if he does get hurt a 5 year contract won’t totally sink the team like an 8 or 10 year deal would.

Just 8 days shy of his 30th birthday too so the Red Sox can stick to their “we don’t sign pitchers over 30” shtick too if they want, which as we all know lost them Jon Lester. Win win for everyone!

I do think this brings us one step closer to the end of the Mookie Betts era in Boston though. The timing is just too perfect. Maybe the Sox saw the recent deals signed by Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, made one last pitch to Mookie, got rejected and turned to the next guy in line due to get paid; Chris Sale. If you believe the reports the Sox have tried to negotiate long term deals with Betts in the past including an 8 year $200 Million offer last year that he turned down. Now with Trout signing a 12 year $430 Million extension just the other day you would think thats what Mookie will be looking for, assuming he keeps up his MVP-level performance over the next two seasons.

I would think the Red Sox could realistically have three $30 Million players on their roster. David Price is one (albeit the first year of Mookie’s new deal would be the last year of Price’s contract), this new contract would make Chris Sale two, and then the Sox would likely need to pick between Mookie and Xander Bogaerts. I just don’t see this team paying Xander $200+ Million and then Mookie $400+ Million.

So the Sox can go one of two ways: double down on the next two years and maximize your time with Mookie, Xander, Chris Sale, David Price, JD Martinez and co. or privately admit that you have no intentions of paying Mookie half a billion dollars in the near future and sell high for a boatload of prospects. This is the Boston Red Sox though so I can’t see them trading away a homegrown MVP player in his prime because they’re worried about footing the bill. And its not my checkbook so I’ll be fine if they extend him tomorrow, but I would probably be wary of signing a 5’9″ 180 lbs guy with two 30 HR seasons under his belt to a $400+ Million contract. He’d still only be 28 when he hits free agency in two years, but a 12 year deal puts him into his Age 40 season and I don’t want any part of the back-9 on that deal for any player.

I think we all know which direction Dave “trade every prospect who ever sniffed a Top 100 list” Dombrowski is going to lean though. We’re riding this baby into the ground so hopefully the Sox can reel off another World Series or two before Dealer Dave rides off into the sunset.

 

JIMMER FREDETTE IS BACK IN THE NBA BABY!

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SI – The Suns will sign guard Jimmer Fredette through the rest of the 2018-19 season, according to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro. Phoenix will have a team option on Fredette’s contract for 2019-20.

Fredette will join the Suns following a stint with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association. Fredette led the league in scoring with 36.9 points per game in 2018-19.

For anyone thats been following this blog for the past two years you know full well that I am a Jimmer Fredette super fan. I’ve written all about him dominating in China, and of course the absolute fire flames shoe line he dropped.

The guy was so fun to watch in college because he played like a game of NBA 2K just pulling up for threes barely past half court.

Now obviously that didn’t translate to the NBA all that well as he only averaged 6 points a game over the course of 5 seasons. However the league has evolved into an all out air raid with every team shooting more 3’s than ever before so it could be Jimmer’s time to shine. Granted its not the best competition in the world, but he’s been averaging nearly 40 a game in China so thats gotta count for something right?

It’s a shame the Celtics didn’t sign him, but hey at least Jimmer Fredette is back in our lives. Either way I may have to get NBA League Pass just to watch Jimmer jack 3’s from 28 feet in Phoenix now.

The PawSox Just Changed the Game Forever With This A-Rod J Lo Promo

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The Pawtucket Red Sox, ever in favor of love, will celebrate the engagement of Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez with a Red Sox-themed party Friday, April 12 at McCoy Stadium, to inaugurate the club’s Legendary Fridays series this year.

For those who recall the events of Saturday afternoon, July 24, 2004, which may have been the most important and most pivotal regular season game in the long and storied history of the Boston Red Sox

The PawSox just changed the game with this promo! As much as I used to hate A-Rod with the passion of a thousand suns, I kinda like him now. I think it’s a direct correlation to when Yankees fans turned on him at the end. He became a flawed human who just wanted to be liked that I think we can all relate to. It just didn’t feel right hating a guy that Yankees fans hated. Plus he is a true A+ talent in the broadcast booth and he charmed my socks off when he appeared at the HubSpot convention last year.

With that being said, times were different in 2004. The Red Sox were still the most popular team in town despite the Pats having won 2 of the past 3 Super Bowls. They were still the team everyone lived and died by whether it was April or October. So everything was magnified by 1,000%.

The Sox had just lost an absolute heartbreaker of an ALCS Game 7 that I will take to my grave. And to top it all off the Yankees had gotten even better. A-Rod was the new despised enemy after a failed arranged marriage was nixed by the MLBPA the winter before. So naturally the Yanks swooped in like the snakes they are and worked out a trade for the slugger. (If you’ve never watched the 30 for 30 short on what if the A-Rod Red Sox trade had gone through that is appointment viewing) A-Rod was a perennial MVP candidate, but he was also a loudmouth, whiny pretty boy who’d never won a damn thing. So when he started talking shit to 135 lbs Bronson Arroyo after getting beaned I think we had all had enough. I still vividly remember standing in my parents living room and shouting FIGHT once Varitek got in A-Rod’s face and served him a piece of catcher’s mitt pie.

And this wasn’t just some heat of the moment thing. There was genuine animosity between the two sides…or at least from Varitek. Seriously Varitek still hates the fucking guy and made A-Rod legitimately uncomfortable on the World Series broadcast last season.

So for the PawSox to honor this legendary moment in Red Sox history is an incredible promotion. Just look at some of what they have going on!

  • Fans wearing Bronson Arroyo or Jason Varitek jerseys will be admitted free to Pawtucket’s April 12th game against the New York Mets’ Syracuse affiliate.
  • Fans by the name of Jennifer will also be admitted for free (Yes… All “Jenny’s from the block” showing valid RI identification will be granted free admission at the PawSox ticket office).
  • Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who is expected to be playing with the Syracuse Mets, will walk up to Mariah Carey’s greatest hits for the duration of his series at McCoy Stadium as a salute to one of J.Lo’s greatest rivals.
  • Long-time Red Sox fan and Cambridge, MA native Ben Affleck has been cordially invited to throw out the game’s Ceremonial First Pitch-for obvious reasons.

I will have my Bronson Arroyo t-shirt jersey ready. to. go. for this game. T-shirt jerseys count, right?

Isaiah Thomas Was Playing Pickup Ball With Random Kids at Emerson

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Just a true man of the people. It really is crazy when you see Isaiah Thomas in a situation like this with some regular folks because he doesn’t look out of place at all. In fact it makes it look even more preposterous that this 5’8″ guy even made the NBA, let alone was in the running for MVP a couple years back. I’m still bummed about the way Isaiah’s post-Celtics career has gone since the trade, but the guy puts in the work (both with the pros and the normies) and is positive AF so here’s to hoping he gets back to that level we’ve all seen so often around here.

Celtics Go 3-1 on West Coast Road Trip to Keep Their Title Hopes Alive

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The C’s finished off their tour of Cali with a dud against a red hot Clippers team after an otherwise successful trip. I said after that Warriors game that if they could rattle off 5-6 wins, I’d be pacified. Well that didn’t happen, but I do have more confidence in this team thanks to the way they performed throughout the trip. This team is going to have issues throughout the rest of the season, and unless they sweep through the rest of the season, I’m always going to have doubts about their chances at winning a title. After all, before all the mayhem that this season has brought, I was convinced this team was going to win it all this year. However, I saw enough on this trip to think that this team is still capable of a title run, despite what all the doubters may say.

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Did they beat an undermanned Warriors team? Yes. Did the defense take an early flight home from LA and forget they still had to play the Clippers? Absolutely. But here’s what I saw outside of that Clippers game. I saw a team that was finally playing together, with key guys stepping up when starters were out. Against the Kings, everyone stepped up down the stretch and fought hard in Kyrie’s absence. People were hustling, diving for balls, making the extra pass, and playing four quarters of basketball. The energy was there.

I understand the middle two games we won weren’t against great teams. The Lakers have been devastated by injuries and an awful GM, but if LeBron is on the court you can’t mail it in. We all know he’s good enough to win games on his own. The Kings would be competing for the 5 seed right now if they were in the East, and have one of the best young backcourts in basketball (De’Aaron Fox is fast as fuck; I didn’t realize just how fast until watching this game). But the Celtics seemed to gain a little swagger back, and it seems like the guys are finally starting to come around on each other. Gordon Hayward seemed to find his shot again. There was a lot to feel positive about. At even with the stinker last night, 3-1 is pretty good. Seriously, who actually thought we’d go 4-0 on this trip? If I remember correctly, we’d only be the fourth team in history to go sweep a California road trip 4-0.

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That having been said, we need to figure out what’s going on with this defense. There are games where they look great, and then there are games where nobody rotates, everyone looks slow, and people like Lou Williams (all 32 years and 6’1″ of him) get to the hoop with ease. That kind of shit can’t happen when you’re playing the Sixers, Bucks or any of the other top teams in the league. We’d play well enough offensively, but 140 points? Ouch. The Celtics somehow rank 5th in the league in Defensive Rating on the season, but over the past 15 games they’re down to a mediocre 16th.

Image result for kyrie irving apology“For me, I think because of how fixated I was on trying to prove other people wrong, I got into a lot of habits that were bad, like reading stuff and reacting emotionally. That’s just not who I am.” – Kyrie Irving

As a fan, this interview with Yahoo Sports was just as important as a winning record on the road trip. Don’t get me wrong, the W’s are great, but Kyrie holding himself accountable is a major step forward to giving me faith in the Celtics as a team. Hopefully the younger guys feel the same way. It’s not easy being Kyrie, and this is exactly the response I wanted after my initial post. Now it’s time for the media to do their part and cut him a little more slack and not take his words out of context (I’m still salty about that “can’t wait to be done with this” nonsense). As Al Horford said in reference to Kyrie and the team bonding on the plane ride:

“He’s the one who got that ball rolling…We spent a good amount of time together, we talked, we laughed, stuff like that. It just happened to be extended. As opposed to an hour or two hours, almost seven hours. You’d think we’d get sick of each other but, actually, it made the plane ride go quicker. We were just hanging out and talking.”

There’s only 14 games left. Time for the final push. Let’s go Green!

PS. Stop shooting Marcus Morris, ya big mook.

The 300s Podcast: Celtics Rise Like a Phoenix on the West Coast, Red Sox Opening Day Nears, and Patriots Attack the Offseason

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The 300s boys are back in the podcast studio discussing everything from the manic Celtics to the Red Sox inching closer to Opening Day, some good old fashioned Vegas gambling stories, and the Pats are jumping right into the offseason. Lets goo!

– Celtics Rise Like a Phoenix from the Ashes on the West Coast

– What is up with Kyrie? Miserable malcontent one day and then all happy go lucky after the Lakers game.

– Red Sox inching closer to Opening Day

– Best sporting events to bet on? March madness? Just betting 10 football games every Sunday?

– Red Sox Going With a Closer by Committee?

– Steven Wright suspension

– WEEI 8 man radio rotation

– Patriots Offseason/Free Agency

– Michael Bennett in, Trey Flowers out?

– Danny Amendola Reunion?

Steven Wright Popped for PEDs. If You Thought That Body Was All Natural You’re Crazy

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ESPN – Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright was suspended 80 games on Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Major League Baseball said Wright tested positive for growth-hormone-releasing peptide 2 (GHRP-2)..

The suspension will begin at the start of the 2019 season. It also means Wright is ineligible to play in any postseason games this year.

I can deeply relate to Steven Wright taking PEDs. He’s 34, the golden days of his careless youth are long gone, his career is stagnant, and he’s just trying to move the needle a bit in his life.

Just a doughy dude with a dad bod desperately trying whatever he can to pump his fastball up over 60 mph. So do I judge Steven Wright for taking some Jack3d over the offseason? No, not really. After I read Juiced in high school I realized that everyone was on something. I think if you still care about steroids you’re either a holier than thou baseball writer or you’re 8-years-old.

The silver lining here is it takes the decision of potentially making Wright the closer out of Cora and Dombrowski’s hands. Thank god. We joked on The 300s Podcast recently how hilariously bad of a decision that would be. Just chucking wiffleballs up there with 2 men on in the bottom of the 9th inning and praying the knuckleball was floating on any any given night. Pass.

At least he’ll have a lot of time to reflect on things again as he’s starting his second straight season with a sweet suspension.

PS – Never forget John Farrell wrecked this guys career because he thought it’d be funny to pinch run for someone with a fucking knuckleball pitcher.