After the Chicago White Sox were awarded a waiver claim on Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers will simply hand him and his $4.3 million obligation to Chicago Monday, according to baseball sources. Ramirez was reportedly looking for a contract extension in exchange for waiving his no trade clause, but withdrew that demand when he was benched for the last four games.

In Ramirez’ last act as a Dodger Sunday, he was ejected after arguing a strike call that was clearly a ball (while pinch hitting in the 6th with the bases loaded). You can check out what happened here. Ramirez is expected to get much more playing time as a DH, which will allow him to better audition with clubs for a new contract next season. Ramirez could join the White Sox as early as Monday’s 7:05pm game in Cleveland.

The White Sox visit Fenway park September 3-5 and host the Red Sox September 27-30. With the drama surrounding Ramirez’ departure from the Red Sox, those two series will be filled with tension. And assuming the Red Sox still have a shred of confidence in their ability to contend for a 2010 playoff spot, they may play extra hard, or if not, not at all.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

After being placed on waivers by the Dodgers, the White Sox have successfully placed a claim on the slugger. The teams now have until Tuesday (the playoff-eligible deadline for new teams) to work out a trade or to simply hand Ramirez and his $4 million+ remaining salary to Chicago. Ramirez does have a no-trade clause, which he reportedly has been looking for a contract extension to agree to waive.

The Dodgers are in Colorado for the rest of the weekend, then host Philadelphia beginning on Monday. If they believe there is any shot that they might make the playoffs, they’ll pull Ramirez back off waivers and go for broke. Their division elimination number is 25 and their wild card elimination number is 30, with 33 games left to play.

With a non-waiver offer from the White Sox too low, Ramirez’ salary might also be a tad bit prohibitive for the White Sox; John Danks will make about a million less for the whole year than Ramirez’ pro-rated remaining salary. But without having to run the outfield on his 38-year old knees, Ramirez would do well in a DH role, and if he does well enough, he might get another contract offer from another team to do that anyway. And the White Sox could recoup some of the amount through increased sales, much like the Nationals did with Stephen Strasburg.

The White Sox host Ramirez’ old team, the Boston Red Sox, for four games, from September 27-30. The teams also meet at Fenway for a three-game set from September 3-5. With all the hype that would surround such a meeting, the potential for fireworks and a revenue stream is great.

But first, we have to wait and see how the next three days play out.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

So much for that thunderous roar back into the standings. While a sweep would have been the nail in the proverbial coffin for your 2010 Boston Red Sox, the best that this team can hope for at this point is a split of the series. Doesn’t it taste just as bitter?

As Josh Beckett and the Red Sox dropped another crucial game to the New York Yankees, 7-2 in New York on Sunday night, the Sox dropped another game in the standings, and squandered a dual set of opportunities that came with a head-to-head matchup with the Yanks and the Tampa Bay Rays being swept in memorable fashion in Toronto; they struck out 17 times and were one out away from being no-hit (again!). A split will keep the Red Sox afloat, but is by no means acceptable as this race finds Boston chasing the two best teams in baseball.

While two ill-advised throws resulting in key errors take the blame from being squarely on Beckett’s shoulders, the ace of this staff has already lost this season to injury, and apparently lost his mojo against the Yankees. It’s a far-cry from his epic 2003 postseason performance against the Bronx Bombers, and this loss did little to foster encouragement in the righty’s outlook this season and beyond into his contract extension; Beckett dropped to 3-2 on the season with a 6.21 ERA (we can throw out good-looking performances against the Seattle Mariners and Triple-A roster of the Cleveland Indians, can’t we?).

As news came down about three hours before game time that Yankees starter A.J. Burnett would be scratched due to back spasms (this is the second Sox-Yanks series he’s bowed out of this season), journeyman right-hander Dustin Moseley would be moved up a day to start against Beckett on the national stage of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The Red Sox probably would have preferred Burnett. Moseley worked 6 1/3 impressive innings, scattering six hits and two runs while striking out five against a Red Sox offense that is sorely missing Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.

The loss of those two just clearly illustrates how badly Boston needs it’s starting rotation. While this team has done a more-than-credible job to stay in the race with an offense that ranks higher in it’s respective categories than does the pitching staff, both Youkilis and Pedroia are the unspoken co-captains of this team, and Youk has been arguably the team’s best offensive player since the departure of one Manny Ramirez. His loss looks to be too much for this team to overcome.

On To The Game…

That makes the performance by Beckett all that much more disconcerting. He was on his heels almost from the get-go, giving up two hits in the first inning but worked out of trouble with a strikeout of A-Rod and a pop-up of current A.L. MVP favorite Robinson Cano. The second inning kicked off a Lance Berkman sighting, as he doubled with one out (cue the collective sigh of relief from Yankees fans). Berkman looked to be held at third after a nice diving play by Bill Hall kept a single by Brett Gardner in the infield, but Hall inexplicably fired an off-line throw to first that got past a stumbling Victor Martinez (whose odd footwork showed obvious rust at the position) and allowed Berkman to score. A good throw would not have had Gardner at first anyways, whose speed was on display. He stole second and worked with Derek Jeter to manufacture a run on Jeter’s single, which placed him ahead of Babe Ruth on the all-time hits list at 2,874.

Bill Hall cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, but things got worse for Josh Beckett and the Red Sox after that. Mark Texeira answered right back with a 417-foot bomb of his own, and Beckett’s night was soon over after another Berkman double and a bad throwing decision (this time by Kevin Cash) doomed the righty. Beckett had struck out Gardner, and Cash fired a pick-off throw down the third base line that looked as though it would have had Cano for an inning-ending double play, but the ball glanced off Cano’s helmet and down the left field line. Beckett’s final line on the evening: 4 2/3 innings, 11 hits, seven earned runs and six strikeouts.

To state the obvious, 11 hits against New York in Yankee Stadium is not going to get it done. The Red Sox are now tied with the Minnesota Twins for second place in the wild card race with a record of 63-49, which places them 4 1/2 games behind the Rays. It’s already enough to have to worry about chasing two juggernauts in your own division, but it is by no means a give-in that the Wild Card will come out of the A.L. East. Give Theo, Francona and the boys credit for hanging in there and not alluding to the crippling amount of injuries they’ve had to endure, but if the starting rotation cannot perform up to capabilities, the calendar will be turning to October and the Red Sox will find themselves on the outside looking in.

Sox Stud of the Game: Adrian Beltre

There was slim pickens in this category, so Beltre was chosen because his double continues his fantastic offensive run with the Red Sox. He should play out a contract year every year.

Sox Dud of the Game: Josh Beckett

See his pitching line above. Enough said.

Game Notes

W: Dustin Moseley (2-1)
L: Josh Beckett (3-2)

© Mike Martyniak for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

During the 2008 Presidential election, we heard both Barack Obama and John McCain use the rhetorical expression “you can’t put lipstick on a pig” multiple times as their respective campaigns waged on towards election day. One of my friends from across the pond has a different way of saying the same thing… “you can’t polish a turd.” I’m here to tell you that this weekend on TV… frankly, it’s a pig without make-up and a turd with no shine.

To say that the pickings for sports on TV this weekend are slim would be a gross understatement. When choosing which events to highlight this week, I had to sift through the likes of women’s softball, men’s volleyball, WWE wrestling, and the frickin’ WNBA. I even came close to making NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 event one of my top 5 this weekend, which if you’ve read previous “C.P.R.’s” before, you know of my intense hatred for all things auto racing. So while putting this article together each week has become a painstaking effort as we sit in the midst of the sporting world’s “dead zone,” I’ve made my best attempt at bringing you the best of what the television sporting world has to offer this weekend.

Ladies and gentlemen, I deliver to you this week’s edition of “The Couch Potato Report,” C.P.R. for your sports-lovin’ hearts. I hope your hearts are in good working condition, because really, there’s just not a lot of C.P.R. to go around this week. Here goes…

#1 Red Sox vs. Mariners

When Is It On & Where Can I Find It?

Friday @ 10pm, Saturday @ 10pm, and Sunday @ 4pm, all on NESN

Why Should I Watch?

Because I just told you, there’s nothing else on, that’s why!!! Anyway, the Sox are starting to get healthy again, so maybe if you watch, you’ll actually recognize the guys in the lineup now. Josh Beckett made his return to the hill Friday night after missing time, Clay Buchholz, Jeremy Hermida and Jed Lowrie have rejoined the team after extended stays at “Hotel Disabled List,” and Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez, and even Jacoby Ellsbury are beginning their rehab assignments in the coming days, hoping to make their returns soon. So while the Sox find themselves seven games behind the division-leading Yanks in the AL East, all hopes shouldn’t be lost for Sox Nation. Plus, if you needed another reason to watch this series, Jerry Remy, arguably baseball’s best color analyst, will broadcast his 3,000th game for NESN on Sunday. That’s historic… and don’t we all love history!?!

#2 National League Baseball

When & Where?

Saturday @ 4pm on FOX, Sunday @ 1:30pm on TBS and 8pm on ESPN

Why?

MLB’s “senior circuit” takes center stage this weekend, as all three national broadcasts this weekend will feature matchups from the National League. Saturday on FOX we’ll see a few teams that feature former Sox left fielders, as the Manny’s Dodgers take on Jason Bay’s Mets. Sunday afternoon, the National League’s last two World Series representatives face off in Philly, with the Phillies hosting the Rockies. Then on Sunday night baseball on ESPN, we get to watch the Midwest’s version of “the greatest rivalry in baseball,” as the Cardinals take on the Cubs at Wrigley. So tune in for the best in DH-less baseball.

#3 Men’s Slow Pitch Softball – “The Border Battle,” Canada vs. USA

When & Where?

Saturday @ 4pm on ESPN

Why?

Oklahoma City is the sight for this year’s “Border Battle,” featuring the best balding, overweight, “past their prime” guys from the United States and Canada, duking it out in a slow pitch softball game for all the marbles. While the women’s national team is busy playing in the World Cup of Softball (which can also be seen on ESPN all weekend long), the men will slug it out in this exhibition game against our neighbors to the north. I’m sure many of us out there play softball or have played softball back in the day, so tune in to watch grown men try to take a 30 mph lollipop pitch over the wall and feel manly about it.

#4 PGA’s Canadian Open

When & Where?

Friday @ 3pm on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday at 3pm on CBS

Why?

Canada is all over the tube this weekend, eh? Heck, if you want to see some Canadian Football League action too, on NFL Network you could tune in Saturday night to catch the Edmonton Eskimos take on Winnipeg. But if 110-yard football fields aren’t your thing, and Canadians are, tune in to watch countryman Mike Weir and dozens of other golfing greats try their hand at St. George’s Country Club in Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open. Americans are dominating the leaderboard after Thursday’s opening round, led by no-name Brent Delahoussaye, who shot a 62, earning him a two-shot lead over fellow Americans Vance Veazey and Brock Mackenzie. Ok, so you know how I called these guys “golfing greats” earlier? I consider myself to be a pretty big golf fan, but I have honestly never heard of the three guys I just mentioned… like, never. So maybe 110-yard football fields aren’t so bad.

#5 Tour de France

When & Where?

All weekend long on Versus, with final stage same-day taped coverage on CBS at 1pm on Sunday

Why?

Because it’s finally almost over! The final stages of the annual Tour de France will wrap up this weekend and for the first time in a long time, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis aren’t the story. At last check, Spain’s Alberto Contador enjoyed a slim lead over his closest competition, Andy Schleck from Luxemburg. Chris Horner is the highest American in the standings, currently ranked tenth, just over ten seconds behind the leader. Armstrong, who used to just own this event year after year, is back in the pack at 23rd, but still less than a minute behind Contador. So it all sounds like it’s shaping up to be a race that comes down to the wire… the race might not be won “by a nose,” but maybe “by a bike streamer” or by a “My Little Pony bike basket” instead.

This Weekend’s “Off the Field” Pick: Two Popular Shows Return This Week; “Mad Men” and “Jersey Shore”

When & Where?

Mad Men premieres Sunday @ 10pm on AMC; Jersey Shore returns Thursday @ 10pm on MTV

Why?

These two shows may be at the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of classiness, but they run neck and neck when it comes to their level of popularity. “Mad Men,” the critically acclaimed, Emmy award-winning drama on AMC, returns to begin its fourth season, led by talented actor Jon Hamm and the beautiful January Jones. The show, set in 1960s New York, follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, focused on Hamm’s character, Don Draper, who while successful in the boardroom, is even more successful in the bedroom luring in the lovelies. Now all of that sounds all well and good, right? Well it might be interesting to some, but instead, I’m gearing up for the bigger season premiere of the week, the return of “Jersey Shore!” It might not be on this weekend, but hey, I’m excited about it so the hype must begin this weekend. Season 2 of the breakout sensation sends Snooki, J-Woww, “The Situation,” and the rest of the guidos and guidettes to South Beach, to see what kind of new levels of embarrassment they can push Italians everywhere to. So if you want to pretend you’re a classy dude with taste and sophistication, go ahead and tune in to “Mad Men” on Sunday night. But if you’re the kind of guy who’d rather throw sophistication out the window in favor of spray tans, poofy hair, and tramp stamps, start the countdown to Thursday night now, as we are just days away from the hilarity that will ensue when “Jersey Shore” returns to MTV.

© Brian Kintz for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Top Story.

Manny was Manny again at Fenway Saturday. The same chorus of cheers and boos greeted him, he played DH, and he lost, 5-4 on a walk-off single. But more on that later. After six straight outs, Manny led off the 2nd inning with a single, then stole 2nd base when James Loney struck out. Victor Martinez and Tim Wakefield are the easiest tandem on the easiest team to steal against, and Manny Ramirez pulled it off. He later scored on an RBI single.

Bill Hall and Daniel Nava singled and doubled (respectively) in succession in the bottom half of the frame to knot the score at one, after Victor Martinez walked. Speaking of Martinez, he added two more in the 4th with a shot over the wall in right, taking advantage of a Kevin Youkilis single in the last at bat. Not to be out-done, Manny Ramirez homered over the Green Monster in the 6th. As long as he’s not going into the Monster during innings for secret meetings with Lex Luthor, we’re happy.

Fear not, because the Sox regained the insurance run in the bottom of the 6th, on a homer from Youk to left-center. Though Wakefield did show why he can’t be fully trusted immediately after. After a ground-rule double and a ground-out that advanced the runner, Blake DeWitt doubled home the run, and advanced to 3rd on a fielding error by Bill Hall in right. The way the wall is set up, the ball bounces off some crazy angles out there. Manny Delcarmen came in and immediately allowed the run to score on a sac fly, officially earning himself his second blown save of the season.

With the score still tied 4-4 going into the 9th, Jonathan Papelbon came into the game in order to rest Daniel Bard. A lead-off single (and sacrifice bunt) did nothing to hurt Pap, though, and he got out of the inning completely fine, except for his 1.00 WHIP for the day. Bill Hall singled to lead off the bottom of the inning, but when Daniel Nava tried a sacrifice bunt of his own, he didn’t hit it hard enough (still green, kid), and Russell Martin, the Dodgers’ catcher, was able to throw out Hall. Following a strikeout and walk, it was Dustin Pedroia’s turn, against Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers’ closer. Four pitches later, bada bing, bada boom, Pedroia lined the ball into right field, which allowed Daniel Nava to round 3rd and beat out the off-line throw home.

Sox Stud of the Game: Dustin Pedroia

There were some good options, but finishing the action after a two-out walk was the most important moment, not just for the win, but also for giving the rest of the bullpen some more time off.

Sox Dud of the Game: Tim Wakefield and Victor Martinez

Again, there are some (not so) great candidates, but when you give up stolen bases to practically everyone that gets on the bases, that’s not part of the winning formula.

Lil Jon’s “WHAT?!” Discussion Thread:

The Fox announcers brought up the subject that from 2004 to 2008, the Dodgers’ payroll included a physicist named Vladamir Shpunt. Shpunt’s job was to enhance the Dodgers’ winning ability by sending positive energy waves to them. And he only appeared at Dodgers Stadium once; the rest of the time he watched at home on TV. I know I’m not Stephen Colbert and I know this isn’t “The Colbert Report,” but to quote the title of a popular segment, “That’s the Craziest F***ing Thing I’ve Ever Heard.”

Game Notes:

W: Jonathan Papelbon (2-3)
L: Ronald Belisario (1-1)

• Manny Ramirez finished 2-4 with a single, homer, two runs scored, and an RBI.
• Manny Ramirez stole 2nd in the 2nd, Russell Martin stole it in the 3rd, and Jamey Carroll stole it in the 5th. Matt Kemp was caught stealing right before Martin’s steal.
• Manny Ramirez‘ stolen base was his first of the year, first since August 29, 2008, and 38th all time.
• Bill Hall committed fielding errors in the 2nd and 7th (third and fourth on the year). Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro committed throwing errors on successive plays in the 3rd. They were Beltre’s twelfth and Scutaro’s ninth on the year.
• Only three Dodgers’ hitters had hits on the day; the third guy to get a hit didn’t do so until the 7th.
• Dustin Pedroia came up with his first career walk-off.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

No one really knows what to expect from Red Sox fans this Friday night. With the Red Sox hosting a three-game interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend, every fan in Red Sox nation is trying to decide how to react when they see Manny Ramirez in Fenway Park again.

We’ll probably see a lot of old-timers and Red Sox purists in the stands, some booing, some folding their arms and treating his presence as they would any anonymous player on the Dodgers’ roster.

Then again, we’ll probably see a lot of 20-somethings give him a steady round of applause for the guy they grew up watching as the team’s best hitter during the team’s best decade any fan has seen.

We’ll even see a handful of drunken college kids wearing No. 24 Sox jerseys and “Don’t worry, be Manny” t-shirts, cheering on the return of the guy they wish had never left.

What will the fans do?

Because Manny’s departure from the Red Sox was unlike that of any other superstar, his return will be too. Pedro Martinez’s departure stung, but it was strictly financial, after a smart move by the Mets took away Pedro’s chance to retire in Boston. And now, six years later, Martinez was hailed as a hero, throwing out the first pitch of the season in Fenway.

The same can be said about the separation of Roger Clemens and the Boston Red Sox. He had a legendary start to his career with the Sox, and left amidst contract difficulties, ultimately to become the ace for the New York Yankees. And what happened when he made his final career start in Boston while wearing pinstripes? Fans in Fenway gave him a standing ovation as he walked off the mound, and didn’t stop cheering until he came out for a curtain call, tipping his Yankees hat to a crowd of Red Sox fans.

The trade of Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers almost two years ago is one of the most controversial divorces between the Red Sox and a superstar in the team’s history.

Everyone remembers Manny’s antics in Boston: bringing sunflower seeds and headphones into left field, taking a pee-break in the Green Monster during a pitching change, or slapping high-five with a fan while making a running catch.

Everyone remembers Manny’s heroics in Boston. He had walk-off home runs in the post-season, joined the 500-HR club, held down the clean-up spot for the best third and fourth hitter combination of the decade, and invented the saying that made everyone in the city love him: “When you don’t feel good and you still get hits, that’s when you know you are a bad man.”

Everyone, also, remembers Manny’s downfall in Boston. Faking injuries, watching three easy strikes cross the plate as a pinch hitter in a key series against the Yankees, fighting with Kevin Youkilis in the dugout during a game, fighting with a 61-year-old Red Sox employee over a ticket mishap, and saying the magic words that’ll get any athlete kicked out of the city: “Boston doesn’t deserve me.”

The big question is which Manny Ramirez Sox fans will remember when he shows up in Fenway Park wearing a Dodgers uniform. It has been two years, and while he did do a lot to build a legacy for the team, he also did a lot to disrespect it, and it’ll be interesting to see which is more important to ticket holders on Friday night.

What will Manny do?

What might be more interesting is what the always-unpredictable Manny does on the field when he comes back. We all know he’s going to give David Ortiz a big hug, and maybe shake hands with Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and Terry Francona (all class-act guys).

But what else will he do? When he hears boos and trash talk from the crowd, will he respond? If he gets hit by a pitch, will he start a bench-clearing brawl? When he sees Kevin Youkilis, will he swing at him again? Will he seek out that clubhouse employee, and swing at him again?

More importantly, will he come back and swing the bat like we remember him hitting in Boston?

With a division leading Dodgers team that is showing up with young sluggers like Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, along with young pitching powerhouses Clayton Kershaw and Jonathan Broxton, we hope Manny doesn’t remember how to hit in Fenway. Expect an exciting, tough series between two playoff-caliber teams that are both capable of winning close games.

As for Manny Ramirez, expect him to play DH (as the Dodgers will be glad to put one of their capable fielders in left, for once), expect at least half of the fans to boo him for at least the beginning of the game, and expect the door to the Green Monster to be locked if Manny suddenly has to use the bathroom.

© Colin Neagle for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox.

We’re down in the dumps. We’re beaten. We’re depressed.

Bostonians over the last five weeks have had to suffer through not one, but two epic defeats, after Thursday night’s disappointing loss by the Celtics out at Staples Center in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, at the hands of bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Couple that with the shocking collapse of the Bruins just over a month ago, and one could argue that these are the darkest days the Boston sports scene has seen in a long while.

But don’t fret too much sports fans! Simply grab your remote and flip your TV on, as this weekend is filled with big time sporting events that will lift your spirits and turn that frown upside down in a jiffy.

It’s time for this week’s Couch Potato Report, C.P.R. for your sports-lovin’ heart… and if there’s any week your heart needs a little TLC, this has to be the week.

Let’s turn our attention to highlighting some of the bigger “must see TV moments” coming up this weekend…

#1 “Manny Returns,” Red Sox vs. Dodgers

When & Where Will I Find It?

Friday at 7pm on NESN; Saturday at 4pm on FOX; Sunday at 8pm on ESPN

Why Should I Watch?

As if we’re not tired of facing L.A. already, the baseball version of the Boston-L.A. rivalry heats up at Fenway this weekend with the long awaited return of Dodgers left fielder and former Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, as the Dodgers come to town to continue MLB’s interleague play. The Sox are coming off a relatively easy sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks this week, while the Dodgers are looking to climb up the N.L. West ranks to catch the surprising Padres, who sit atop the division. But all that aside, this series is all about Manny: do you boo or do you cheer?

#2 World Cup Soccer

When & Where?

7:30am, 10:00am, & 2:30pm, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, on ESPN and ABC

Why?

Highlighted by Friday morning’s U.S.-Slovenia match (2-2 draw), World Cup’s opening round play continues this weekend with a full slate of games starring the sport’s best and brightest stars, as they vie for soccer’s most important prize. Watch at your own risk however, as your ears may bleed from the incessant honking of the now famous vuvuzelas, the horns that fans have blared from beginning to end of each match in this tournament. Don’t adjust your set fans, that annoying noise is there on purpose.

#3 PGA’s U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach

When & Where?

Friday 1-3pm on ESPN, 3-5pm on NBC, 5-10pm on ESPN; Saturday 4:30-10pm on NBC; Sunday 3-9pm on NBC

Why?

Tiger’s off to a rough start, shooting a +3 in his opening round Thursday at Pebble Beach, but that only puts him five shots back of the early leaders, Shaun Micheel, Brendon de Jonge, and Paul Casey, as the entire field only features nine golfers who should rounds under par on Thursday. The field is wide open heading into Friday’s play, and the weekend is shaping up to be anyone’s game, as golf takes its place in prime time on NBC, which in my mind is pretty darn cool.

#4 College World Series

When & Where?

Saturday and Sunday, 2pm and 7pm, on ESPN and ESPN2

Why?

Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska will host its 60th and final College World Series starting Saturday, with eight teams vying for the title. In Saturday’s games, the surprising TCU Frogs take on Florida State, followed by the Florida Gators taking on UCLA. Sunday’s pair of games feature the Sooners of Oklahoma matching up against South Carolina, then the top-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils facing Clemson. Look, the bottom line is, hockey’s over, basketball’s now over, baseball is all we’ve got left until NFL training camps begin. If you’re not going to get out of your house and enjoy the summer weather, you’re left with watching either baseball or summer reality TV like “So You Think You Can Dance” or “The Bachelorette.” I think your choice is easy… Play Ball!

#5 AVP Volleyball, Virginia Beach Open Women’s Championship

When & Where?

Sunday at 2:00 on ESPN2

Why?

Look, my plan was to make #5 be the Celtics’ victory parade, but I don’t think Mayor Menino will get his chance to host a “rolling rally” this weekend. But on the flip side, do you really need a reason to watch women’s volleyball? Athletic girls wearing next to nothing, sweating under the hot Virginia sun, bumping and spiking balls at each other. Did you hear all that? Girls handling balls, wearing next to nothing! ‘Nuff said.

This Week’s “Off the Field” Pick: Several Good Movies, Sports or Not

When & Where?

All weekend long on a ton of stations up and down the dial

Why?

Sometimes, when you’re fresh off a major disappointment in the sports world like Thursday’s Celtics loss, you need to not only get away from hoops, but the hurt is so overwhelming that you need to escape sports altogether. That’s understandable, I mean, we’re only human, right? So to escape the pain, turn to the world of film to perk up your weekend. There are seemingly hundreds of movies on TV this weekend, and some are even related to sports. At the top of my list would be “Caddyshack”… at the bottom of my list, “Caddyshack II.” In between, you have “Remember the Titans,” “Blades of Glory,” or for the kids, one of my all-time favorites, “MVP: Most Valuable Primate.” Come on, what’s more enjoyable than a lighthearted monkey movie, right? If “MVP” doesn’t break your Celtics-induced depression, then there’s just no cure for you!

© Brian Kintz for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!.

In case any of you Sox fans have noticed, and judging by the votes, you haven’t, the 2010 MLB All Star game is fast approaching. But for anyone expecting to see a Red Sox player jog out of the dugout in Anaheim for the start of this year’s Midsummer Classic, be prepare to be anywhere from slightly to marginally disappointed (depending on how little you care about the game).

Unless the Red Sox PR team pulls off a ballot box stuffing campaign of Tammany Hall like proportions, the MLB All Star game will not have a starter from Boston for the first time since 2000, way back when Manny Ramirez was still wearing a Cleveland Indians uniform.

Since the turn of the millennium, Sox players like Ramirez, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek had been perennial All Star game starters. Now, no Boston player is even close to being voted into the top spot at his respective position. Kevin Youkilis currently sits in 4^th place, with not even half the amount of votes of leader Mark Teixera. Dustin Pedroia is the closest of any Sox player, ranking 2^nd amongst 2^nd basemen, but still over 300,000 votes behind leader Robinson Cano. Adrian Beltre is nearly 700,000 votes behind the leader at 3^rd base. Victor Martinez is nearly a million votes behind Minnesota’s golden boy, Joe Mauer. Not one Boston outfielder cracked the top 15, which isn’t all too surprising considering that Ellsbury and Cameron have been hurt most of the season and that J.D. Drew is probably the most disliked baseball player in Boston that hasn’t worn Yankee pinstripes.

Even Ortiz, who’s recently re-discovered his swing (or the benefits of using performance enhancing drugs) still ranks 4^th in votes among AL designated hitters behind Vlad Guerrero, Hideki Matsui and get this…Ken Griffey Jr.  Yes—that is correct—that Ken Griffey, not his kid or anything. The Ken Griffey who had his own N64 videogame back in like 1998. The Ken Griffey who was in a deep slumber in the clubhouse when he was needed to pinch-hit this season. The Ken Griffey who is so washed up that he pulled the rare, “I suck so bad now that I’m not even going to bother finishing the season” move when he announced his immediate retirement in a team statement Wednesday night. Yup, that is the guy who is beating perhaps the most beloved Red Sox player in the past decade by about 10,000 votes.

And yes, I am fully aware that All-Star voting is more of a popularity contest than it is a referendum on the season’s best performers. But doesn’t that make the count even more perplexing? Aren’t we the Boston Red Sox? One of baseball’s most popular teams? A team with a PR and media reach second to none? Home of the mighty Red Sox Nation, the most rabid baseball fans in all the land? We’re supposed to send two or three starters to the All-Star game with regularity.

Hell, we voted Mark Loretta to a starting spot in ’06. Yes, Mark Loretta. Remember him? Of course you don’t—because he’s Mark Loretta. But because he happened to play for the Sox in ’06 and had a decent year, we made him an All-Star starter. And how about Varitek in ’08? Christ, the guy barely hit north of the Mendoza line that year and we still sent him to the game.

So why are guys from smaller market teams like Minnesota, Detroit, Tampa and Texas, teams with fan bases nowhere close to that of Boston’s, beating out our guys? It could be because Boston fans have been preoccupied with the playoff runs of the Bruins and Celtics to the point where baseball took a backseat for a while. Perhaps it’s because online voting requires you to enter your email address and opens the floodgates for a torrent of irritating emails from MLB.com promoting their sales on batting practice hats, MLB.tv, fantasy camps and asinine contests. The Sox slow start could have contributed to it. Or maybe it could be that some of the Sox players have been hurt or seen limited playing time.

But more often than not, the best answer is the simplest answer. So when you wonder why Red Sox players aren’t doing well in a popularity contest, the reason is probably because they just aren’t that popular. Which is odd. Guys like Youk, Pedi and Ellsbury, while perhaps not as admired to the extent Manny, Ortiz and V-Tek were in their prime, are still viewed as baseball gods in these parts. We voted in short term players like Jason Bay and the aforementioned Loretta. So why haven’t we rallied behind Adrian Beltre, a guy who has played well and met (or in my case exceeded) most expectations?

Do we not care as much about baseball as before? Are we not supporting our team as much as we use to? Well…yeah, I think so.

The presence Sox fans have at road games, while still fairly strong in places like Tampa and Baltimore, isn’t nearly the home-like atmosphere many road games have had in recent years. I’ve noticed that the seats in Fenway aren’t always filled. There have even been whispers that our long-standing home sellout streak is at risk of ending in the near future. And now our fans aren’t even spending a couple minutes to ensure that their guys will start the All Star game. All signs are pointing towards the honeymoon and amorous infatuation some people had with the Sox following the ’04 and ’07 title runs is now coming to an end.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I’m viewing this wane in popularity as a way of cleansing our team of all the extraneous, non-baseball fat we’ve feasted on since winning the World Series in ’04—a franchise colonic if you will, which, while uncomfortable, will ultimately rid us of crap such as pink hats, bandwagon jumpers, Fever Pitch, Red Sox themed musicals, shows like Sox Appeal, hard-to-acquire tickets and disdain from non-Yankees fans. And trust me, we’re much better without that crap in our system.

© Fudge for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox.

Over the past week or so, it’s been made abundantly clear that Mike Lowell is no longer happy in Boston.  It’s sad, but who can blame him?  Lowell has been fighting injury and giving his all to the Red Sox since 2006, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed.  There’s a reason Red Sox Nation relentlessly chanted “Re-sign Lowell,” during the 2007 World Series when he proved to be one of the strongest links on the team.

But it’s not 2007 anymore, it’s 2010, and three years in the majors can take a toll on a player, as we’ve seen with Lowell and his ongoing health issues.  Now, instead of standing strong at third base, he’s rotting away in the dugout watching his team trudge through the season largely without him.  He’s become bitter, and he’s quickly gaining the title of a clubhouse lawyer, as is the case with most veterans when they realize they can’t keep up with the brisk pace of a regular starting position.

I can’t imagine anyone anyone having a good feeling sitting in the dugout knowing that their General Manager tried desperately to trade them during the off-season but was unsuccessful.  There’s no doubting how much Lowell loves Boston either. He made that perfectly clear when he opted to take a contract that was one year and $12 million short of  a 4-year, 48-million dollar deal that the Phillies offered him in 2007.

Still, there’s a reason that Theo is one of the best GMs in the sport, and that’s because he’s bloodless.  He’s able to separate his emotions from his business, and as a result, he’s fearless when it comes to letting some of his major players go. His ability to maintain such a blase attitude when it comes to letting his players go has given him a winning team year after year.  Derek Lowe, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Pedro Martinez are just a few names that come to mind when thinking Theo’s ruthless contract and trading  tactics.

We love Lowell because he’s a fighter.  He wasn’t brought to Boston to be a superstar, but has worked to earn our love and respect. We’ve seen that as he’s overcome cancer, injuries and surgery to try and maintain his spot on the team.  Your heart goes out to a guy like that.  I feel bad that David Ortiz, even after being outed for steroid usage, is given the benefit of the doubt more often than Lowell.

As much as I’d like to see Lowell play on a regular basis, I have to agree with Theo on this one.

Besides moral support, I don’t see a role for Lowell on this year’s team.  Lowell sports a “phone booth” range where he is unable to cover enough ground at third base and his speed has drastically slowed down.  And with  Ortiz climbing out of his slump, there’s really no need for Lowell at the plate besides the occasional start at DH to face the left-handed pitchers.

The Sox are desperately trying to make up some ground to keep themselves alive in the AL East and they are clinging to any sort of consistency they can find at this point, even if it means benching #25.

© Katy Fitzpatrick for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

The iconic hair. The infuriating day-to-day lassiez-faire attitude that belies the great performances. The unending indifference toward coaches, management, and the media.  The bipolarity of a loner who can still be counted on to carry a team at times.

Am I speaking of Manny Ramirez? One very well could be but the one I speak of is the rejuvenated, no scratch that, the reborn Rasheed Wallace, whose transformation from regular season roadkill to playoff warrior is the second greatest resurrection on record.

Regular Season Woes

Wallace approached the regular season with all the joy of a guy who cleans port-o-johns for a living. He was clearly going through the motions. Save for his league leading 17 technical fouls, and you could have missed him if you blinked.

Seeming to encapsulate the entire attitude of the Celtics team, especially in the second half of the regular season, Wallace played so poorly and so dispassionately that objective observers failed to see how he and his mates could simply “turn in on” during the playoffs.

It was off for so long we thought it was broken. For example, a career .471 shooter coming into the season, Wallace lollygagged his way to a scintillating .409 shooting percentage for the Celtics.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t brought to Boston to work the low block. He was out of position for put backs and other garbage baskets. His ken is beyond the three-point line, you say?

If any small children are reading this, please click on another page as the following numbers are only for mature audiences.

From his debut with the Washington Wizards, nee Bullets (why did they change the greatest team name in sports history?), in the 95-96 season until the commencement of the 08-09 campaign, Wallace drained 34.6% of his threes. This year? 28.3%. Ugh.

Quite a contradiction.

Candy or Boredom?

A couple of years ago, Lamar Odom was maddening the Los Angeles Lakers’ with his inconsistent play during games. A doctor discovered it was because of Odom’s habit of constantly eating candy. Right up until game time he was sucking down Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers.

The result was he would have a sugar crash in the middle of the game, affecting his motor and cognitive skills. You kind of need both of those working in concert to play basketball at the highest level.

I often thought of Odom while watching Wallace this year. Wallace would float aimlessly for long stretches. Take lazy, contested shots. Swipe nonchalantly at ball handlers. Go for blocks from behind rather than get a body on his man and D him up.

It was as if Wallace’s head was somewhere else, but his body had enough of the muscle memory to comport himself with a little basketball dignity, just like Odom.

What made this player, someone whose game was built on being fiery, loud and over the top at times, lose all his expeditiousness?

Was he inhaling Gobstoppers and Fun Dip during timeouts? Or was he just, you know, bored?

I think the regular season just bored Rasheed Wallace which, when you think about it, is unacceptable. In any other workplace in America, Wallace would have been disciplined and possibly terminated. He was the Celtics very own Homer Simpson this season. He didn’t like his job, so he didn’t quit, he just went in a half-assed it until the playoffs.

On the other hand, it is quite remarkable that a man can be so stubborn, if that is the word. In the face of rabid fans, talk-radio blowhards, a screaming, gravelly voiced Doc Rivers and constant print media pressure, Wallace would not yield. He was in second gear and would not kick into third or fourth until the playoffs.

The mere fact that he could pull this off without inciting a full-scale clubhouse riot at some point speaks to his stature in the locker room. But there had to be moments when Kevin Garnett and/or Paul Pierce gave Wallace a sideways glance and thought to themselves “this is the guy we put on a recruiting push for?”

Rasheed Being Manny

Wallace has “The White Spot.”  Manny had his unending Dreadlocks. Wallace is most famous for his “both teams played hard” utterances. Manny will always have the “Manny Being Manny” tag following him.

Unique and iconic, these men don’t just march to the beat of a different drummer, they have their own multifaceted percussion sections. Congas, djembes, triangles, guiros, trash can lids, those bucket kids outside the TD Garden. It’s a whole different rhythm pattern with these two.

As is normal with eccentrics, these two seemed to get more quirky with each passing year. For Wallace, his greatest “Sheed” moment, as far as I’m concerned, is when he handed out WWE-style championship belts to his Detroit Pistons teammates after winning the 2004 NBA championship.

This was classic Wallace.  He hands out individual awards to the entire team. Kind of sends a mixed message, no? Deep down, I think Wallace just wanted a belt for himself.

Manny was the ultimate loner on the Red Sox. Has ever man so goofy and lackadaisical-looking been so praised for his work ethic and dedication?

Wallace and Manny are two peas in a pod. Contradictions, they are, and in today’s label-everything, black-and-white society, they get branded as weirdos and malcontents in the public consciousness.

Public figures are rarely what we want them to be. The reality is often not as fun as the perception. With Manny and Wallace, though, the reality is the perception. They are mysterious and sometimes fun-loving and sometimes angry and altogether great at what they do. I’ll take these two over a prepackaged Joe Mauer or LeBron James everyday of the week.

Playoffs?

You want to talk about playoffs? Wallace obviously does, as he has thrived coming off the bench. The Celtics were supposed to beat the Miami Heat, but they were most definitely were not supposed to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, right Tim Donaghy?

The two biggest reasons the Celtics not only beat the Heat but are now up two games to none against the Orlando Magic has been a re-commitment to defense and the improved play of the bench. Wallace has led the bench charge.

He upped his three-point accuracy to .429 in the playoffs, which would have been good for a top ten finish in the regular season, and has even begun, gasp, rebounding in the playoffs.

At this point in his career, the bright lights of a deep playoff run may be the only thing that can properly motivate Wallace. Basketball players are human after all, no matter how many lame, embarrassing and downright uncomfortable halftime Superman skits ABC produces.

Remember the way the 07-08 Celtics started their playoff run? They basically played the Atlanta Hawks as if they were a team of regular season Rasheed Wallaces. It took the team one round, much the same it took Wallace the regular season, to kick into sniper mode and start picking teams off.

The mysteries of human motivation and behavior are beyond me, but it seems that once players feel they are backed against a wall, they strike out. Wallace knew that the Celtics were making the playoffs and that they were just as good as any other team in the Eastern Conference. If that is the case, why kill yourself in the regular season?

The 07-08 Celtics needed to get backed into a wall by the Hawks before they properly learned how to strike back at a team. Ray Allen’s performance in that Hawks series can be compared to Wallace’s entire regular season. The main difference is that Ray Allen was, you know, trying, while Wallace was just time-biding.

It is almost as if Wallace needed to create the obstacle of a thrown away regular season to produce an air of tension. Wallace seems to thrive in chaos on the basketball court, which is quite different than his home life, as he is a dedicated family man with four children. Contradiction.

The Celtics were not going anywhere in these playoffs without Rasheed Wallace. He is the second unit ballast and the other bench players follow his lead. It is not a coincidence that Glen Davis and Tony Allen have been submitting stellar performances off the bench right alongside Wallace.

Wallace is a dynamic character and a leader when he wants to be. A leader who marches to his own rhythm section?

Contradiction.

© Dave D for Sports of Boston, 2010. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Opinion, Top Story.