Tag: New York

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.

Julian Edelman is NOT Retiring. Here’s the Top 3 Key Factors

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There has been rampant speculation the last week or so that Julian Edelman may be calling it a career after a rather innocuous tweet, but hey the Patriots aren’t playing in January for the first time in forever so people are bored and reading more into things than they normally would. Despite missing the last 10 games of the season due to knee surgery, Edelman came out today and squashed any rumors of him retiring just yet. If you’ve been paying attention over the last decade or so, it’s hard to imagine him going out on Injured Reserve. With that being said, that time is coming sooner than later, so let’s take a look at some of the key factors that led to his return.

1.) Edelman has 1 year left on his contract

Despite being beat to all hell over the years, the guy just loves to ball. So with at least one year left where a team wants him to play football for them, I can’t see Edelman saying no to that. Whether he probably should retire or not with his long term health in mind is a different question. I know he’s pretty far behind Stanley Morgan in terms of Touchdowns and Receiving Yards (and games played), but with his 3 Super Bowl rings, his reliability on the field, his Jerry Rice-esque playoff stats, and his laundry list of clutch plays, Edelman is already the greatest receiver in Patriots history if you ask me. He’s also only 52 receptions behind Wes Welker for the all-time Patriots record so that could factor into him playing another season or two.

2.) Does Edelman want to retire a Patriot or rejoin Tom Brady?

In what seems to be a popular move these days a lot of former Patriots are finding their way down to Tampa. Whether thats through a pseudo-retirement like Gronk, which still doesn’t sit well with me, or even guys who only had a cup of coffee, albeit a wildly successful cup, with the Pats like Antonio Brown. There’s also speculation that more could join him like impending free agent James White, who would be an oh so perfect fit in Tampa. So with Edelman announcing he’ll be back that would seem to confirm he’s not going to try and force his way out of town to rejoin Tom in Florida. Now if he’s healthy and Tom is still playing, he could link up with him after *next* season, but those are two big ifs. Mostly because Edelman’s health is never a certainty, but also because Brady only signed a 2-year contract so he could actually, finally, be retired at that point.

But I think this is missing the entire point.

While Julian Edelman clearly reveres Tom Brady, people seem to forget how much he genuinely loves playing for Bill Belichick. If you’ve seen Edelman’s documentary or read any of his life story then you know Edelman’s dad was a Hall of Fame hard ass who worked Jules’ to the bone growing up and helped mold him into the guy he is today. And I genuinely believe that is something that Edelman not only appreciates, but he craves it. Not to mention Belichick is the only guy that gave Edelman a shot coming out of college and again putting him in a position to succeed in the NFL.

Plus few people have embraced living in Boston more than Edelman has. The guy still lives in the Back Bay, rides his skateboard around town, and is known to pop into random spots like Hojoko in Fenway for a burger. So yes the Pats were a dumpster fire last year while the Bucs are still playing for a Super Bowl berth, but with everything I just rattled off I truly think Edelman wants to retire as a Patriot.

3.) Slot Receiver History

Edelman will be 35 before the start of training camp with 11 seasons already under his belt and a litany of injuries over the years, but I can’t imagine a guy with a self produced documentary called “100%” and a biography called “Relentless” wanting to go out this way. Keep in mind, statistically he had literally his best game EVER in Week 2 against Seattle going off for 8 catches and 179 yards before nagging injuries caught up to him and the wheels fell off the Cam Newton experiment. So as of just a few months ago he still had elite production. However he is already past the expiration date we see on just about every slot receiver, who all take an inhumane level of abuse throughout their careers. Wes Welker retired at the age of 34, but had his last 50+ reception season at 32. The Jets’ all-time slot guy Wayne Chrebet retired at the age of 32. Troy Brown is probably the best Edelman comparison at this point as he caught his last pass at the age of 35 when he had 43 receptions for 384 yards and 4 Touchdowns. Obviously the talent devoid Patriots will need more from a 35-year-old Edelman than 43/384/4 if they’re going to be successful, but thats the measuring stick for 35-year-old slot receivers. Clearly it’s not fair to expect 100 receptions from a guy going into his 12 season, but that just goes to show you the situation the Pats have put themselves in with poor personnel moves (trading a 2nd for Mohamed Sanu) and even worst drafting (1st round WR N’Keal Harry).

While I have no idea if Belichick will do what I hope he does and execute Order 66 this offseason to get the Patriots back to where they need to be, I am glad we get to watch at least one more year of Julian Edelman.

The Patriots Could Be in for a Bit of Rebuild…

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This really has just been a disaster of a season. The Patriots just got dunked on by the Buffalo Bills after going 29-3 against them between 2001-2019 with Tom Brady under center. It was a blowout, it was a changing of the guard, but to say it was embarrassing would imply that the end result was surprising. It was not. In the infamous words of Trent Dilfer, the Patriots aren’t good anymore. It’s the first time the Patriots have been swept in a season by a divisional opponent in 20 years, they are dead last in the NFL in passing TDs with 8 (one of which came from WR Jakobi Meyers), and the team is uncharacteristically undisciplined, which was only exacerbated by that head scratching challenge flag Belichick threw on what was clearly a catch directly in front of him and his son.

Someone clearly told Bill to throw the red flag though so Ernie must be going blind up in that fucking lighthouse.

#RushHourRap – 21 Savage – A Lot

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I pray for Markelle ’cause they fucked up his shot,
Just want you to know that you got it
Though I never met you, I know that you special
And that the Lord blessed you, don’t doubt it
Dennis Smith Jr., stay solid

With the NBA Draft today I was looking for a relevant #RushHourRap (we already did Draft Day) so what better excuse for some more J. Cole? On last year’s Grammy winning 21 Savage track “A Lot,” Cole swoops in with one of the best features of his career as he gives life advice to everyone, including Orlando Magic point guard (and friend of The 300s) Markelle Fultz.

Fultz promptly unliked our tweet after all the blowback his twitter activity got. We miss ya, Markelle

Check out just how impactful that J. Cole line was for a struggling Fultz in this interview with NBA.com:

A verse written by J. Cole in that song helped inspire Magic guard Markelle Fultz and let the former No. 1 overall Draft pick know that not everyone had given up on his struggling basketball career.

Here’s the backstory: J. Cole and Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. are both from Fayetteville, N.C., and have known each other for years. Smith is also close to Fultz from NBA Summer League and the two refer to each other as brothers. Roughly a year ago, Smith described how his “brother” was hurting to the five-time Grammy nominee.

Less than a year after being chosen by the Sixers in 2017, Fultz suffered from a shoulder injury and was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which robbed him of his full-range shooting motion and jeopardized his future. Fultz played only 33 games his first two seasons and the Sixers virtually gave him to the Magic last February.

“He was going through a situation and it was a tough situation for someone mentally,” Smith Jr. said. “Cole said, ‘Let me holla at him.’ They just locked in. Cole chopped it up with him and one thing led to another. Crazy.”

Billboard Magazine rated “A Lot” by 21 Savage and J. Cole as the No. 6 song of 2019. It has gone platinum three times and Cole’s lyrics were hailed by critics. Fultz was nearly moved to tears the first time he heard it.

“It was dope,” Fultz said. “Him shouting me out on a song really showed the love and the person he is. I play it a lot, all the time. I love it. To get put in a song is like, dope, an honor.”

Gridiron Tales: NFL Week 9 Picks

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Folks, let me introduce myself. I have gone by many names: Big Game, G-Smooth, Jimmy Lips, etc. But for these exercises, I’m just the dude who researches sports information and makes educated guesses on the outcomes of player performances. There will be facts. There will be jokes. And hopefully, there will be success. 

Let’s start out west in the Raiders and Chargers game.

Justin Herbert O270.5 pass yds (-115)

Co-Rookie of the Year favorite, Justin Herbert has been money both on the field and for fantasy owners this season. He has passed for over 271 yards in five of his six starts and the only time he didn’t was in his MNF showdown in Nola, when he finished with 264.

Over the past four games, the Raiders have allowed the following passing yard totals: 

  • Josh Allen – 288
  • Patrick Mahomes – 340
  • Tom Brady – 369 
  • Baker Mayfield – 122

Context is needed for the Mayfield outlier and it should be noted that the winds were howling and it was raining the entire game last Sunday.

DJ Chark O50.5 rec yds (-112)

Jaguars WR DJ Chark was not originally going to make the cut, but sometimes you have to wait (5 days) for good things to happen. 

Texans CB Bradley Roby is out on Sunday due to disciplinary reasons. 

“So what, James?!”

Well, that’s significant because that frees up Chark to roam a bit more comfortably. You’ll recall that Davante Adams just torched the Texans in Week 7 for 13-196-2. I am in no way implying that DJ Chark doo doo doo doo doo doo is Adams, but that Week 7 performance came with Roby on the field. 

Over the past 5 weeks, the Texans have allowed just under 200 rec yds per game to WRs and the 2nd-most TDs to that position over that span (9).

Sterling Shepard O4.5 catches (-118) and O54.5 rec yds (-112)

I know what you’re thinking: “James, I don’t even know you, and yet I can tell this is a homer pick.”

Hear me out with these quick facts, though:

-Shepard has 18 targets over the past two games

-Shepard has has gone over 54 in each of those contests

-Shepard has 6+ catches in three of his four games this season

-WFT has allowed 3 WRs (Kupp, Woods & Cooper) to go over 54 yds in the last 3 gms

So this may very well be a homer pick, but it's a well-researched pick.

The Jets Gave Up On Le’Veon Bell. Are the Patriots Interested in the Former All-Pro?

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ESPN – The New York Jets’ rocky relationship with Le’Veon Bell came to an abrupt end Tuesday when the team announced it had released the running back.

The move concluded a 19-month tenure that was filled with disappointment and broken promises. Bell, who arrived as a marquee free agent in 2019, never clicked with coach Adam Gase, who opposed the signing from the outset.

That Jets contract (4 years $52.5 million) was a disaster from Day 1, but imagine picking Adam Gase over Le’Veon Bell?? It’s hard to tell if after 1 year + 4 games in New York if he is already washed up or if the Jets are just sucking the life out of him. I mean he’s only 28 years old, granted it’s an old 28 considering his monumental workload at Michigan State. But you’d have to think he still has a couple good years left in him. Adam Gase, the offensive guru responsible for (read: worked in the same building as) Peyton Manning’s record setting 56 TD season in Denver, has now traded, released, and generally made the Jets’ best players worse. All-Pro Jamal Adams. Former All-Pro Le’Veon Bell. First Round QB Sam Darnold. All three were seemingly key building blocks for a rebuilding team. Two of them are now gone and Darnold, despite flashes of the potential that made him the third overall pick two years ago, looks to be stuck in neutral.

So Patriots fans do you want Le’Veon Bell? He officially becomes a free agent at 4 pm on Wednesday. It’s basically become a cliche around here to say the Pats are in on Veteran X whether it’s Calvin Johnson, or Larry Fitzgerald, or AJ Green. The Pats are in on all of these guys and then nothing happens. Now the Pats are rumored to be in on Le’Veon Bell. Except, this time it’s the Jets. The Jets bought HIGH on Bell and sold LOW, getting absolutely nothing in return and releasing the former All-Pro running back. The Patriots absolutely do not need another running back with James White, Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, and eventually Sony Michel already in the mix. But Bill Belichick is nothing if not a man who enjoys stomping on the graves of his enemies. I cannot even imagine the size of the grin on Belichick’s face as he thinks about picking the latest failed experiment of his rival off the scrap heap and turning him into a weapon for the Patriots as they fight for another Super Bowl title.

The Pats absolutely do not need him, but there are few teams out there that could utilize Bell better than New England. Now let’s look at Bell’s side of it. He legit sat out an entire season in Pittsburgh because he wanted a new deal and didn’t want to risk blowing out his knee right before his one big pay day.

Like LeBron or Sebastian, high school graduates
Straight to the league, I ain’t waitin’ for my knee to blow
Yesterday I was needin’ this dough

Then he signs a gargantuan contract with New York to be their bellcow back and take the Jets back to prominence. Only for the new head coach in town, aforementioned offensive guru and recently fired Dolphins coach Adam Gase, to immediately shit all over the move.

Hows that for a welcoming party? Bell drastically underperformed and battled injuries, but even when he was healthy the team around him was getting worse and the rift between him and the head coach was getting wider. You think that guy is motivated at all to stick it to his former boss?

What better way than to sign on with their biggest rival and beat the Jets’ brains in and win a ring in New England? It’s a win win for both sides as Bell signs on with a competent team that will utilize his talents, reestablishes his value, and helps him try to get that elusive Super Bowl ring before signing another big deal somewhere else this offseason. It’s the playbook that Darrelle Revis and Trent Brown perfected in recent years.

Not to mention that every player we thought was a bum while playing for Gase has THRIVED since getting away from him. Just look at Ryan Tannehill. Under Joe Philbin for the first three years of his career in Miami, Tannehill improved every. single. year. Touchdowns, Yards, Yards per Game, Completion Percentage, Quarterback Rating, even his total Rushing Yards ALL improved every single year. Enter Adam Gase. Tannehill played a mixed bag of two seasons under Gase (he missed 2017 due to injury) as the Dolphins floundered and the coach publicly threw his QB under the bus. Both got 86’d by the Dolphins as Gase went on to do Gase things in New York, while Tannehill won Comeback Player of the Year with the Titans.

And don’t even get me started on Kenyan Drake. After 3+ seasons in Miami where Drake failed to top 644 rushing yards in a year, Drake rushed for 633 yards in 8 games with the Cardinals last year. After never rushing for more than 4 touchdowns in Miami, Drake rushed for 8 touchdowns in 8 games in Arizona last year. Drake is also more than DOUBLING his yards per game in Arizona compared to Miami as he has turned into a stud away from Adam Gase.

These turnarounds from Tannehill and Drake post-Gase legitimately offend me as a football fan. The clock is ticking on that man’s head coaching career as the Jets continue to be the worst team in football.

He’ll probably latch on somewhere else pretty quickly because the NFL is incestuous with former coaches just being recycled all across the league, but if I’m running the Jets the next move I make is the same Gase made with Le’Veon Bell, send him packing.

Mookie Betts Close to MASSIVE Deal With Dodgers. Here’s 5 Reasons Why I’m Still OK With It

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  1. I am kind of shocked of the size of this deal if the reports saying it’ll be $350-$400 million are true. That number, while absurd, sounded completely likely 6 months ago, but then when COVID cancelled sports for half the year a lot of people like baseball Hall of Famer Peter Gammons speculated this could tank the Free Agent market. A lot of teams are eating a lot of money and with no fans in attendance for the foreseeable future they will be eating a lot more. So a $400m deal seemed unlikely even for a free agent of Mookie’s stature. But then again it’s the Dodgers so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The Dodgers don’t know the meaning of fiscal responsibility. They are the Yankees of the mid 2000s without the actual success.
  2. I am still OK with the Mookie trade. I saw a ton of sad Sox fans on Twitter this morning as the rumors of the deal spread like wildfire, going so far as to compare it to losing Jon Lester. The Lester comparison is lazy and not even close to the same thing. Lester was an excellent, home grown, fan favorite and a reasonable guy by all accounts yet the Sox still lowballed the shit out of him with a $70m contract offer. He would rightfully so be insulted by the offer, get traded to Oakland, and then sign a 6-year $155 million deal with the Cubs. Thats the definition of misreading the market. With Mookie he is looking to reset the market and become the top 2 or 3 highest paid player of all-time. And the Sox have been offering him deals north of $200m for years, but the former MVP doesn’t want to take a penny less than top dollar. And thats fine! Get your money dude, but that doesn’t mean it makes sense for the Sox to just give Mookie a blank check.
  3. I seem to be in the minority around here, but I don’t think there is a shot in hell a $400m Mookie deal ages well. I love Mookie, I own a Mookie shirt, and he’s arguably the best homegrown prospect the Sox have produced since Roger Clemens. But, he’s also a 5’9″ 180 pound guy with massive up and down seasons on his resume. Over the last four seasons Mookie’s batting avg has been .318, .264, .346, .295. I know batting avg is an old guard stat, but even his WAR has been all over the place (9.5, 6.3, 10.6, 6.9). Those are still great numbers (Betts finished No. 8 in WAR for position players in 2019), but those variances would give me concern if I’m writing the check.
  4. For $400m you need to produce power consistently and to be honest you need to be built like a linebacker so I won’t worry about your body breaking down. Obviously you can never predict injuries and big guys are just as likely to break down (Mo Vaughn, A-Rod), but I have more faith in a big guy continuing to hit for power than I do in a 180 pounder hitting 30+ home runs a year into his late 30s. Mookie’s true value is in being a five tool player. He hits for average, power, steals bases, throws well, and plays elite defense, but 5 tool players rarely age well so while I love Mookie I’m not banking $400m on him being the same player in 2032 (!) that he is today.
  5. I’m not going to give John Henry and the Sox credit for this because they fell ass backwards into it, but with a 60 game season this year the Mookie trade looks even better. You’re essentially trading 2 months of a guy who was not going to resign here for promising big leaguer Alex Verdugo and a top prospect in Jeter Downs.

    I know Big Z accuses me of being a prospect hoarder, but I’m playing the odds here and with arguably the worst pitching staff of my lifetime I don’t think the Sox were a threat to win it all this year anyways. Theo Epstein stepped on a hornets nest when he coined the term “bridge year,” but its true you can’t just pay everyone all the time without taking a step back every one in a while to retool and reload.

Remembering ‘Linsanity’ and Just How Insanely Awesome It Truly Was

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The New York Knicks have made me smile a lot this week and that’s not something I’ve been able to say very often in three decades of cheering for the team. They deemed this week #LinsanityWeek on social media and have been playing two games every night on MSG Network back from those magical couple of weeks in February of 2012. If you’re not very familiar with the story of Jeremy Lin, the undrafted Harvard point guard who became the talk of the entire sports world, boy do I have a tale for you.

Now 50-plus days into the suspension of all the major sports leagues, it was nice to look back fondly on one of the most spontaneous and genuinely fun stretches I’ve had in being a sports fan. When I commiserate with fellow tortured Knicks fans, the refrain “the last time I had fun watching this team was Linsanity” is exchanged with alarming regularity for it being the year 2020. One can argue that a LARGE reason for that is the depressing fact that the Knicks have won a grand total of one playoff series since the start of the 2000-2001 season. But honestly, another reason was that ‘Linsanity’ was really fucking cool.

We love sports for a million reasons (and boy will I appreciate them all so much more when they finally resume!) and one of them is the classic story of the underdog athlete emerging and succeeding against all odds. In early February of 2012, it was enter, stage right for Jeremy Lin to become the next athlete to fit that classic mold. Lin was an undrafted point guard from Harvard who, in the midst of his second NBA season, had already been cut by the Warriors and Rockets before the Knicks signed him to be their fourth point guard and an insurance policy. Oh and I probably should mention Lin is the son of two Taiwanese parents and in 2010 became the first Asian-American to play in the modern NBA.

Now it’s time to set the stage. Like I mentioned, the Knicks had signed Lin to be nothing more than an injury insurance policy but on February 4, 2012, they found themselves 8-15 and in the midst of having lost 11 of their previous 13 games. Their biggest problem? Led by the corpses of veterans Baron Davis and Mike Bibby the Knicks had by far the worst production at the point guard position in the league. At their current rate of losing head coach Mike D’Antoni was not long for his job, that’s for sure. During a Saturday night home game against the Nets, the Knicks were once again trailing early and D’Antoni was ready to start throwing shit against the wall to try and spark the team and save his job. He brought in Lin off the bench. Now keep in mind, up until that point Lin had scored a total of 76 points in his entire NBA career. But on that night he’d go on to torch opposing point guard Deron Williams and the Nets to the tune of 25 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in a much needed Knicks win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIo6GNW70k

Because his Knicks contract wasn’t guaranteed for the entire season, Lin had not even rented a place in Manhattan but instead was sleeping on his older brother’s couch on the Lower East Side. The night before his career game against the Nets he spent the night sleeping on his teammate Landry Field’s tiny love-seat of a couch because his brother was having a party that night. 24 hours later Jeremy Lin would have a sold out Madison Square Garden chanting his name in the fourth quarter. Sports, man.

Lin started at point guard for the first time in his NBA career the next game and he casually dropped 28 points and 7 assists on the Utah Jazz in another Knicks win. What made that performance even more significant was that forward Amare Stoudamire missed that game and the star of the team Carmelo Anthony injured himself in the first half and would go on to miss the next seven games. So now the Knicks were without their two best players (and perennial all stars) and it did not matter one bit.

Three wins in and Jeremy Lin had quickly become the talk of New York sports and owned the back-pages of all the newspapers on a daily basis. But the upcoming fourth game of this saga would come against the vaunted LA Lakers led by none other than Kobe Bryant, who at this point was still the biggest star the NBA had to offer. The game would be at home at the Garden and would be broadcast nationally so it would be the first time that the country got their chance to see what all the hype was about. Pundits around the league acknowledged that this was a neat story but that the big stage and bright lights of this match-up with Kobe was probably the night where the clock struck midnight. When asked pregame about Lin’s recent play and all the hype, Kobe scoffed at reporters explaining that he hadn’t been following “the kid” at all and didn’t know what they were all talking about. A career high 38 points later by Lin, resulting in a seven point loss to the Knicks (still without Carmelo and Amare), and Kobe would quickly very much learn about what those reporters were talking about.

I remember permanently having a huge smile on my face throughout that game because of how insanely fun this whole ride was and thinking of the absurdity of it all. One week prior the guy was crashing on his brother’s couch and fully expecting to be cut from his third team in six weeks and now he’s out-dueling one of the greatest players in NBA history. It was the definition of the cliched sports story script that Hollywood would throw out because it wasn’t the least bit realistic. But even better, it was actually happening and overnight Lin and the Knicks became the lead on SportsCenter every game.

The 89 points that he had totaled over his first three professional starts was an NBA record dating back to the ABA merger (’76-’77). After the 38 point explosion against the Lakers, Lin had grown to become a nationwide and even an international star. Fans in Taiwan were packing bars at 8:00 am local time to watch each and every Knicks game. Lin donned the cover of Sports Illustrated not once but TWO weeks in a row, a feat that had very rarely ever been done before in the magazine’s long history. He also quickly became a role-model and beacon of hope for young Asian-American fans across the country whose dreams of one day playing in the NBA just got a little more plausible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIHTi7cz3Qo

On Valentine’s Day Lin hit a game winning three pointer to beat the Raptors in Toronto and hand the Knicks their sixth win in a row (remember when they had lost 11 out of 13 games before he entered the lineup?). After finally losing a game, the Knicks had another big test on national TV hosting the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on a Sunday afternoon. As we had already learned, Lin relished the bright lights during this run and he did not disappoint in this game either. He finished with 28 points, a season high 14 assists, and 5 steals in a 104-97 win.

Sadly the clock did eventually strike midnight on Jeremy Lin’s magical Cinderella story in 2012 when he tore his meniscus and missed the rest of the season. And looking back eight years later, the rest of Lin’s NBA career didn’t quite go to plan as he never fulfilled the promise and success of that ‘Linsanity’ stretch (although don’t cry too much for him as he earned nearly $66 million over the course of his nine season NBA career). But for a three week stretch in February of 2012, Jeremy Lin was the brightest star of them all and put together a run that will make Knicks fans smile for many many years to come. Man, I miss sports!

I’m So Starved for Red Sox Content That I Watched Fever Pitch Last Night

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The movie we’ve all mocked for the past 15 years and cringe whenever it comes on TV is actually surprisingly delightful right now. This movie just hits different when sports are banned.

I openly admit that this is a sign of Quarantine SZN starting to take its toll on my sanity more so than this movie actually aging gracefully. But when nobody has been able to drink a beer on Jersey Street in nearly eight months you take what you can get.

Watching this last night I legitimately started to feel like I had moved out of Boston and hadn’t seen Fenway, Cask n Flagon, Landsdowne Street etc. in YEARS.

You do start to notice little things though when you rewatch old movies, especially ones filmed in your backyard. Lets forget for a second that Jimmy Fallon is supposed to be some broke ass school teacher that has a sweet apartment in the North End and season tickets to the Red Sox. The thing that really stuck out to me was the bar that Jason Varitek, Johnny Damon, and Trot Nixon are having dinner at after the game just a few feet away from Fallon and his buddies.

Really? Had anyone involved in the writing, filming, or production of this movie ever actually been on Landsdowne Street?

Hey don’t get me wrong it’s a fine establishment to knock back a few Bud Lattes, but it’s not exactly the lap of luxury that the players would be having dinner at. But, I digress.

Fever Pitch is loosely based on an old Nick Hornby story about his obsession with an English soccer team. Rejiggered to focus on the Red Sox, the original script just kind of assumed the Sox would lose yet again in some brutal fashion, which really sticks out like a sore thumb when the movie peaks just before Dave Roberts’ steal in Game 4 of the 04 ALCS. Then they slap on a 30 second ending explaining the greatest comeback in baseball history and the Sox actually winning the World Series capped off with the most cringeworthy memory of the entire thing; Fallon and Drew Barrymore celebrating on the field with the players.

But hey I’ll take whatever Red Sox content I can get at this point, which is why one of the principals of marketing is that nostalgia is a powerful weapon. I haven’t been to a Sox game in slightly longer than usual and my body is already starting to go through withdrawals. And the team wasn’t even going to be good this year!

John Henry has us by the balls and he knows it. Now I’m not going to be the first guy there when the quarantine is lifted, but when the dust settles on all this I will be more than happy to buy a few a dozen $11 beers at 4 Jersey Street.

Man, do I miss sports.

The 300s Previews 2020 MLB Giveaways: The AL East

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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.
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  • 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.