Save Terry

Do not get rid of Terry Francona. I repeat, do not get rid of Terry Francona. At least not yet.

The worst collapse in Major League history just came to its horrible conclusion less than 36 hours ago. The wound is still fresh. Gangrene hasn’t even set in yet. Of course, since this is Boston, a lot of idiot media members demand a scape goat. In order to fight through all the bull shit, they have to come up with sensational solutions. Whoever yells the loudest, or comes up with the stupidest shit will ultimately be the one to get the most notoriety.

Through the Beer Goggles: My Facebook conversation with myself

Why is Lester still throwing cutters to J.J. Hardy after he already crushed a double and a homer off the same pitch?

 ·  · Share · 17 hours ago

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    Marple Jameson Scutaroooooooooooooo
    

    17 hours ago · 
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    Remove CommentMark as Spam

    Lucia Scott I like that you're having a conversation with yourself.
    

    17 hours ago · 
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    Marple Jameson Sarah's watching a movie in the other room, I only have me
    

    17 hours ago · 
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    Marple Jameson Maybe I'll go full on insane and continue this
    

    17 hours ago · 
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    Marple Jameson Something is not right with Lester, I doubt we see Curt Young back next year
    

How do you react to the unfathomable?

I am devastated. I really don’t know what else to say. This hurts. I don’t care that they won the World Series just 4 years ago. I don’t care that they were a really good team this year and I am sure they will contend next year. This just sucks balls.

I have about 30 different posts I plan to write about this collapse. I’ve already started 5 different ones. I just can’t collect my thoughts and feelings coherently enough for a full on reaction just yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

If you want some thoughts for now, go check out Bill Simmons’running diary of the game last night.

Until then, you can find me drunk and crying on my living room floor if you want to talk about what happened. At least basketball will be starting… oh ya.

The Streak Rolls On: Game 3 at Buffalo

A very lazily prepared preview for today's game, a surprising battle for first place in the AFC East vs. little brother Buffalo

New England Offense vs. Buffalo Defense

Running Game:
Despite having one of the most underrated interior D-lineman in the league in NT Kyle Williams, Buffalo's run D is anemic at best. The Pats gained over 200 yards on the ground in both games last year against the Bills, and will feature the run game with Aaron Hernandez missing the game today. Watch Williams vs. Connolly as a great test of how Connolly will fair at Center for the rest of the season; and I'm interested in seeing what kind of impact rookie Marcell Dareus will have.
Advantage - Patriots

Random Sox Thoughts

ONE REASON to feel good today is the number of games remaining this season. The Red Sox play 6 more games while the Rays and Angels play 7 each. If the Red Sox win all 6 games, the Rays and Angels are out. If the Red Sox are 5-1 in these games, the Rays and Angels are out. If the Red Sox go 4-2 in these games, the Rays or Angels would have to win all 7 remaining games just to force a tie. If the Red Sox play .500 ball the rest of the way (3-3), the Rays or Angels would have to go 6-1 just to force a tie. If the Red Sox only win 2 more games (2-4), and with 3 more Beckett/Lester starts you have to think this is a good chance, the Rays or Angels have to go 5-2 just to force a tie. Even if the Sox can only muster 1 measly win the rest of the season, the Rays or Angels would have to go 4-3 just to force a tie. In other words, I still think the Red Sox will pull this off...

Leave Theo Epstein Alone!

October 17, 2004, Boston, MA - It is the bottom of the ninth in Game 4 of the ALCS. The Red Sox are down 3-0 in the series and 4-3 in the game. A loss sends the team home for the 87th straight year without a World Series Championship. On the mound for the hated Yankees is Mariano "GOAT" Rivera. At the dish is Kevin Millar, the player that general manager Theo Epstein bent the rules for to sign away from a Japanese team. Millar works the count to 3-1, but alas, succumbs to Rivera's patented cutter for strikes 2 and 3. 1 out. Next up is Bill Mueller, a glorified role player until Epstein signed him in 2003 after which he won the AL batting title. On a 1-1 count he smacks a ball up the middle, but the cat-like Rivera snags it and throws him out at first. 2 outs. Finally, Doug Mientkiewicz, a player acquired at the deadline as a defensive first baseman, steps to the plate. He tries to bunt his way on, but is thrown out. 3 outs. Season over. Curse lives.

Heart Shaped Box

Some people in the Red Sox media (I won't name names in case one of my good friends was actually able to get them to read my humble little sports blog) have attributed this September to Not Remember to a lack of something that every living, breathing human has smack dab in the middle of their chest: heart. Of course this is ridiculous. Despite being the walking wounded, this current Boston team is not the walking dead. Zombies only exist in the minds of George Romero, Simon Pegg and Baltimore corner boys. So clearly staking the claim that Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford et al. have no heart makes these unnamed columnists clinically insane, right?

Doctors Orders

Sir yes sir Tom

Some last minute thoughts for today's game vs. San Diego
New England Offense vs. San Diego Defense

Running Game:
Watching NFL Live this past week, there was some hoopla about how the Chargers managed to hold Adrian Peterson under 100 yards rushing last weekend. While this is a rare and certainly admirable accomplishment, lets take a closer look. Yes, the Chargers did indeed hold Peterson under 100 yards. He gained 98. Meaning he could have laid down to gain that necessary 6 feet to hit the century mark. While 98 yards rushing for Peterson is a low total in respect to what we've come to expect from him; he managed to do so on only 16 carries -which averages out to be oh just 6.8 yards per carry. 6.8!! Did San Diego only have 8 guys on defense? While Takeo Spikes is a tackling machine in the middle of San Diego's 3-4, their D-line is suspect at best. Meanwhile, (justifiably) lost in last weeks offensive explosion was the fact that the Pats gained 108 yards on 22 carries (a respectable 4.8 YPC) against a much stouter Miami run D.
Advantage - Patriots

Back to the future with Tim Wakefield

His first Red Sox start came on May 27, 1995, exactly one month after the start of the strike delayed season. He was picked off the minor league scrap heap on that first day of the season, released by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that had drafted him as an infielder and converted him to a knuckleball pitcher, just a week before. He had already won 14 games in his short career, but he was already 28 years old. You wouldn’t have called him a prospect or a major free agent signing. You wouldn’t have called him a lottery ticket or a building block. He was none of those things. Before his first start, he just was.

And So It Begins: Game 1 at Miami

A breakdown of key match-ups, players to watch and various ramblings on tonight's season opener at Miami

New England Offense vs. Miami Defense

Running Game:
The Dolphins have one of the most underrated defenses in the NFL. The front seven features two 2010 Pro Bowlers (Cameron Wake and Randy Starks), top tier MLB Karlos Dansby and an offensive line eating Nose Tackle in Paul Soliai. Given the Pats health concerns on the offensive line as well as newly acquired RG Brian Waters being thrust into action, this one goes:
Advantage - Dolphins.

Are you ready for some...September baseball?

Last night kicked off the 2011 NFL season. And...I...don't...care. You know what I was doing while two titans of the NFC were having a good old fashioned shoot out? That's right, I was watching game number 143 of the Red Sox season (actually I was at a 1-year-old's birthday party, but that's not important right now). And you know why? Because baseball is better than football. Let me count the ways...

1) 90 feet to first base. There are few things in this world that are more perfect than 90 feet to first base. It's like Stonehenge. It's unfathomable to think some dude in the 1800's decided on this exact length. Besides Eagles cheerleaders, what does football have that even approaches this perfection?

The Greatest Lefty In Red Sox History

Without argument the greatest left handed pitcher in Red Sox history is Lefty Grove. In his career, Grove is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He is a 300 game winner. He has the 7^th highest wins above replacement (WAR) for any pitcher all time. He is in the Hall of Fame. He even won the very first American League MVP award ever given in 1931.

Grove did most of his work with the Philadelphia Athletics before the Red Sox acquired the star pitcher in 1934 at the age of 34 in one of A’s owner Connie Mack’s notorious talent dumps (the Sox sent below average pitcher Bob Kline and below average short stop Rabbit Warstler and $125,000 cash to the A’s for Grove). His first season in Boston was a great disappointment as he appeared in only 22 games and posted an ERA of 6.50. But from 1935-1939, Grove had one of the two greatest runs of any pitcher ever from the ages of 35-39. In this span he won 67% of his games and posted an ERA 73% better than average. The only pitcher with a better ERA relative to average in that age range was Randy Johnson at 75% better than league average (the next closest was Dazzy Vance at 46% better). In this five year period, Johnson won 4 straight Cy Young awards. Had the award existed during Grove’s career, he may have matched this feat.