Have you ever been in a workplace where one person was promoted while another was passed over? Have you ever lost out to someone else when pursuing the same romantic connection? Have you ever worried about your future? The impending deadline for many Red Sox contracts is the elephant in the room. Here are the dynamics.
Chris Sale
Chris Sale got a hefty 5 year $150 Million extension. In the abstract this is a great deal. Sale is an all time pitcher for many reasons, and it’s only the 37th ranked deal in major league history. Considering how good Sale has been, and how most of the top deals are happening now, it was a nice job by Dombrowski.
If everything was going well, if the team was even .500, Sale’s slow start would be no big deal. He’s taking it slow. He’s really just had his third spring training start. He’ll be throwing 99 in September and October.
But things are not going well. Which opens the door for 2nd guessing. And not just by the media and fans.
Xander Bogaerts
Again, in a vacuum, a great deal. He’s only tied for #62 on the all time list. And he’s four years younger than Sale, and repped by Scott Boras. He’s a two time champ playing a premium position and one of the top Shortstops in the game. Record contracts are being handed out, and Dombrowski got him for 6 years, $120 Million. That’s actually a bargain.
He’s playing fine. He’s hitting .280 with an .899 OPS. That’s more than fine. But if he’s not worried about living up to his (underpaid but life changing) contract, does he run on Roman Laureano the second time?
Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts
Bradley and Betts both have one year of arbitration left. But beyond Bogaerts and Sale, players all over baseball are getting contracts, including buying out the last year of arbitration. A lot of those players don’t have World Series rings on their resume.
Both of them are stubborn in their own way. Last year Jackie would brush away changing his swing due to shifts, and Mookie is turning down $200 Million deals because he thinks he’s worth more. Xander $120, Mookie $200 looks about right from here. But Mookie is looking at Mike Trout’s $426 Million.
Are they thinking about their contracts when they are not once, but twice, not communicating in the outfield? Were they questioning turning down contracts or how they deserve more? The first time they banged into each other, but the ball was caught. The second time it bounced between them for a two run double while they stood there. Somewhere in the Statcast universe there was a machine screaming that there was an 89% chance that ball would be caught.
And did Betts have his head on straight when he challenged the clearly greatest outfield defender of our generation Roman Laureno in the 9th inning?
Porcello has been the perfect #3 starter for this team. Yes, he won a Cy Young when everything went perfectly, but he’s the steady guy who’s going to make 30 plus starts and never go on the Injured List.
One secret to his success is control. When do we loose control? When we are worried and anxious and unsure of our future. When things are uncertain. Porcello is up after 2019. He’s practically begged to be signed, saying he would give a hometown discount. And couldn’t Porcello say to himself that he’s never had to go on the Injured List. He’s actually won a Cy Young. Couldn’t he be looking sideways at Chris Sale and saying to himself “This guy gets paid but I don’t?” Don’t quote me on this, but I believe Porcello was one of the few pitchers not in the room when Sale’s extension was announced.
Yesterday was the first time since he was a young pup of 23 in 2012 that Porcello has walked at least 3 batters in back to back games. That’s one way of loosing control. Here’s another:
Some say this is a 2018 World Series hangover. From here this is a mass of confusion, worrying and anxiety about contracts.
It can be fixed. These guys have to have some pride right? It’s a 4.5 game deficit to first in the AL East right now. That’s not insurmountable, and so far the guys are healthy. But they better wake up soon.
“Random Red Sox of the Day” is a new series of articles I will be periodically writing. This one is the first installment in the series. Random doesn’t mean they weren’t good, just that they aren’t names you will hear come up often in this day and age. Tim Naehring, for instance, was a good player for the Red Sox who seemingly adding to his game every season until an elbow injury ended his career prematurely. Read about him more below.
The Early Days
Tim Naehring was drafted by the Red Sox in 1988 out of Miami of Ohio as a shortstop. The Red Sox had also selected a shortstop in the 5th round named John Valentin. Naehring jumped ahead of Valentin in development as Valentin battled an injury shortly after being drafted.
By 1989, Naehring had made the leap to AAA Pawtucket, passing over AA during his midseason callup. Naehring held his own and found himself back in Pawtucket for the 1990 season. After swatting 15 home runs, he got the call to the big leagues in July.
By his third Major League start, Naehring had hit his first career home run. Two weeks later he had his first three-hit game, which he followed up with another three-hit game which included a home run and four runs batted in. He added a four-hit game a few days later before an injury ended his season, something he dealt with often in his early playing days.
Naehring would miss almost the entire 1991 season. He would spend most of the 1992 season on the big league team, serving as a utility player for the Red Sox. Naehring didn’t hit much, but played shortstop, second base and third base. He did win a game with a two-run homer in the top of the 19th in Cleveland in April of that season.
Tim Naehring during his early playing days.
The Beginnings of a Breakout
Tim Naehring was back in AAA for much of 1993, but was showing improvement. He batted .307 with an .873 OPS over 55 games at Pawtucket. After a bit of a sluggish start following his callup, Naehring found regular at-bats in September with the team out of the postseason race and picked up where he left off in Pawtucket. From September 10th through the end of the season, Naehring batted .420 with a 1.047 OPS. He had six hits during a doubleheader on the 10th and wound up with five straight multi-hit games.
Naehring was up for good in 1994 and continued showing the promise from his 1993 season. He played his usual infield positions, but was mostly at second base with Scott Fletcher struggling at the plate. Forming a timeshare with Fletcher while filling in periodically around the infield, Naehring batted .276 with 7 home runs over 297 at-bats. He enjoyed his first multi-homer game on April 19th against Oakland, a game in which he went 4-4 at the dish.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Tim Naehring stands at the plate during game against the Oakland Athletics.
Starting Third Baseman
Before the 1995 season, the Red Sox traded away two-time All-Star Scott Cooper. With the move, Tim Naehring would be taking over as their full-time third baseman. Naehring would not let the opportunity go to waste. Naehring was leading the American League in hitting as late as June of 1995.
He was still batting over .320 into early September of that season before fading a bit down the stretch. Still, Naehring batted .307 with a career high .863 OPS. He got on base at a .415 clip, leading the Red Sox and finishing eighth in the American League MVP race. When the Sox bats went cold in the postseason series with the Indians, Naehring picked up four hits and homered.
Naehring would set career highs in a couple more categories in 1996. He had an 18 game hitting streak early in the season. In June, he hit his first career walk-off home run against the Indians. With the game tied in the 15th inning, Naehring hit a 2-run homer off future Red Sox reliever Alan Embree. He would go on to hit 17 home runs that season, a personal best. His 65 runs batted in and 77 runs scored were also career highs. Those highs may not have held up if it weren’t for injury.
Tim Naehring was always giving it his all out on the field. Here he is colliding with Yankees catcher Mike Stanley on a play at the plate.
The Injury
Tim Naehring may have surpassed some of those career highs in 1997 if not for an elbow injury that ended his season, and ultimately, his career. Injured in late June, Naehring had 9 home runs and 40 RBI, and the team had yet to reach the mid-point of the season. He was batting .286 on 74 base hits with an .843 OPS. He likely would have surpassed his personal bests for both hits and RBI, and might have reached 20 home runs for the first time.
On June 23rd, in a win up in Toronto, Tim Naehring collected three base hits and homered. It would be the final game of his career. Naehring blew out his elbow, and with modern medicine probably would have made it back late the next season. As it was, Naehring held out hopes of making a comeback through 1998, but ultimately had to call it quits. He was 30 years old when he played his final game.
Naehring faced many injuries during his playing days, but some of that likely stemmed from his style of play. He was always diving for ground balls and going all out in the field. He was a good fielder and a good hitter. Naehring had only committed three errors on the 1997 season when he got hurt. At the plate, he seemingly kept improving as well, batting .295/.387/.451/.837 over his final three seasons.
Tim Naehring was always sporting a pair of very stylish shades.
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
Going into Thursday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Reign, the Boston Uprising looked to come out strong in the first week of stage 2. On the other side of the country, Boston Uprising’s staff were similarly looking to come out strong with their first watch party in Worcester, MA. While the team had hosted two standing room only watch parties in downtown Boston (and one in Foxboro) – Worcester was the team’s first foray outside of the Boston metropolitan area. Would Uprising fans come out hyped to support their team outside of Boston?
Their was certainly an eclectic mix of characters at the Compass Tavern in Worcester, MA. College students rubbed shoulders with a dad and his teenage son. A young man, clearly dragging his girlfriend to the event, donned a custom Uprising jersey for the night’s festivities. A young woman, clad in a bright DVa sweatshirt, sat awestruck as the broadcast began. But why does the Uprising organize these events and try to get fans to come out for something they can watch at home?
I spoke with Julia Pagliarulo, Media Relations Coordinator for the Kraft Group (owners of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Boston Uprising). For the organization, these watch parties serve as both marketing and community development. “We’re a new team and we’re trying to spread brand awareness and let people know about the team” she said. Watch parties have an added benefit of getting fans more engaged with the team. Looking at the fans that had turned out, Julia said, “fans having the opportunity to come out and support the team fosters a strong fan community and means a lot to the team themselves.” Nearly every attendee sported an Uprising hat, shirt, or other apparel. The night had clearly drawn fans that were all dialed in.
Fans got plenty for themselves coming out for the event, too. A banner being sent straight to the team was available for fans to sign. Plenty of posters, sunglasses, and stickers were free for attendees. Lastly, fans had a diverse array of standees and cutouts to use at a free selfie station. If that wasn’t enough, the night’s national broadcast cut to the party just before halftime.
So why did the Kraft Group pick Worcester to host an event?
“We thought having several colleges in the area – WPI, Worcester State, Clark, and being easily accessible made it a great spot” Julia said. While New England is rife with college towns, expanding into western MA was the Uprising’s first priority. Not that the Kraft Group isn’t interested in towns outside Massachusetts. “We don’t want anyone to be too far from a watch party” she said.
What role do watch parties play in fostering a fan base that the Kraft group hopes will turn out for a 14-game regular season home schedule?
“We really want to support the fan’s engagement and hope by giving opportunities like this more and more fans will commit to supporting the team” Julia said. Boston, like every other team in the league, has to foster a fan base they hope will fill whatever arena the Uprising play in. Getting the fans out, meeting each other, and interacting with the players and staff is a great start.
Fans who came out Thursday night were treated with an exciting match against the Atlanta Reign. After going down 0-2, the Uprising came out of halftime and pushed it to a fifth map. Coming out to meet up with other fans, with the rest of the place emptied out, on a weekday night, and the clock hitting 10:30pm, the Uprising faithful were rewarded. Boston completed the reverse sweep and started Stage 2 with a perfect record. With that type of momentum, the future looks bright for both the Uprising and their fan community.
On the way out, I spoke with a father I had seen all night having the game thoroughly explained to him by his teenage son. I asked him – what did you think of the night?
“I don’t completely understand everything that happened, but it was exciting. [My son] had a great time and it was nice being a part of it with him” he told me.
Would you come out again?
“Oh yeah. He wants to go to a home game next year and after tonight, I told him I’d go with him” he replied.
After Boston’s fans turned out for a well-received watch party, it’s hard not to think something special is happening. The team has the fan community to do something special, especially once home matches start.
The New England Revolution went in to the 2019 MLS season with high expectations. After a very disappointing 2018 season where the side failed to make the playoffs in Friedel’s first year in charge, all the expectations are that he will have the side playing playoffs this season. Unfortunately for Revs fans, the season hasn’t started the way I’m sure they all expected it to. Because of this the pressure from the fans, is Brad Friedel on the hot seat already?
New England Revolution head coach Brad Friedel already feeling the pressure after slow start. Photo Credit; Yahoo Sports.com
Through the first 5 games of the season the Revs have only one win. After starting the season with a draw at FC Dallas, they followed that with three straight defeats to Columbus, Toronto and Cincinnati. Of those three games were two home defeats where Brad Friedel’s side failed to score. However, in their last home game they managed to grab a 2-1 win over Minnesota, which the fans are hoping is the turning point for the season.
Last season the top 6 got in the playoffs, and the Revs finished 9 points out. The way the playoffs are structured in 2019, the top 7 from each conference make the playoffs. Finishing 5 points off 7th last year shows not a massive improvement is needed to make the playoffs this year. However, they have not started the 2019 season well, and already find themselves behind the eight ball.
In 2018 scoring was a great concern for the revs, and in the off season the side worked to address that issue. They brought in Juan Fernando Caicedo and Carles Gil on international contracts to bolster the attacking ranks in the squad. They also exercised the transfer option on Luis Caicedo to bring him to the squad permanently. They strengthened the defense as well by bringing in Edgar Castillo, and with Michael Mancienne having a full off season with the squad, I think he will bring more stability to the back 4 in 2019.
Photo Credit; revolutionsoccer.net
Considering the moves the side made in the off season, it’s not hard to see why Brad Friedel is on the hot seat already in the 2019. One win in five games, a disappointing start at home leading to reduced fan turnouts, players brought in to help the side score more and thus win more games, and yet the results aren’t there.
He’s not the only coach already on the hot seat this early in the season. Frank De Boer, the new head coach of defending champions Atlanta FC is also under pressure from fans and media. The new Atlanta coach has no wins through his first four in charge and after the season they had last year under Gerado Martino you can understand why he’s feeling the pressure already.
The difference between the two is, however, Friedel is into his 2nd season as head coach, while de Boer is in his first season so may have more leniency from management. Friedel has had a full season and preseason to develop the squad to his playing style and has also brought in players to match the style he wants to play. De Boer has largely inherited a squad (all be it championship winning squad) so he may be given more time to develop the squad to his style.
The good news for Friedel is the patience the Kraft ownership group show towards coaches. Obviously, they have had the same head coach of their Football team the New England Patriots for nearly 20 years now, and don’t tend to sack coaches of their MLS teams too frequently. Jay Heaps served as head coach for 6 years. Despite a horrible 2012 season kept the job until 2017, when he was eventually fired. Steve Nicol was given 9 years in the top job, and is arguably the club’s greatest ever head coach. But after his success between 2002 and 2007 the squad fell off during the 2008 season. But they kept him in charge until the end of the 2011 season.
I personally think he will be safe this season despite their poor start this year. This could be a great thing for the team. Consistency in the coaching ranks breeds success. Who knows, in 3 or 4 years time we could witness the New England Revolution back at the top of the MLS under Brad Friedel. We as fans just need to be patient.
Tom Brady theory’s or “myths” claiming he’s not a great QB make me laugh, so I’ve compiled the first edition of Tom vs Truth. I am a fan, yet I am using facts to end these ridiculous claims.
They Love you Until they Don’t
Once upon a time Tom Brady was America’s golden child, beating the greatest show on turf put him on the map. Fast forward to the present day and many things have changed. Six Super Bowl wins, multiple MVPs and a supermodel wife has had the country turned against the GOAT. Let’s start with these theory’s about TB12.
“Tom Is A Product of the Patriots System”
Haters across the country can’t stop calling Brady a system QB. While every team has a system, and 3/4s of the teams using the same style. Why aren’t they playing in February? The answer is Tom Brady. We know his skill, so let’s look deeper. Brady has had numerous Offensive Coordinators. In the beginning it was Charlie Weiss. Charlie’s offenses in NY and NE before Tom Brady were ranked 12th, 5th, 19th and 25th. Compare those numbers with a very green, backup QB in Tom Brady. Charlie’s 4 years with Tom his offenses ranked 6th, 10th, 12th and 4th. This is what I call the Brady difference. Weiss left after 4 years with Brady to coach Notre Dame, ending with a record of 41-49.
McDaniels Makes Brady
Josh McDaniels makes Tom Brady Great. Well no, not at all. He has had success with Tom just like Weiss, but without Brady his numbers declined drastically. Working with Brady, Josh McDaniels offenses have been incredible. The worst those two finished was 10th in points and 11th in yards. Every other season with Brady, New England’s Offense was ranked top 3 in points, with one top 5 finish. McDaniels in St.Louis and Denver running the same system, ranked 20th, 19th and dead last at 32nd. (Brady Difference.)
Bill O’Brien in 2011 must’ve been the reason Brady and the offense was 3rd in points scored right? I don’t think so, since leaving the Pats O’Brien’s offenses in points scored rank 14th, 21st, 28th, 17th and 11th. Quite the drop off without Brady under Center. So if you say “System QB”, I say it’s the Brady difference.
Well What About Bill Belichick? “He makes Tom Brady”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands alone as the greatest HC, he must be why Brady’s so great
First let me say that while Bill is the best coach of all time, that didn’t really start until Brady came into the mix. In Cleveland Bill went 35-55, along with 5-11 his first year in NE without Tom. There’s that Tom Brady difference again.
2008 Same Team No Brady
But Matt Cassel went 11-5 when Brady was hurt
This argument often made by haters really grinds my gears: “If Brady is so good then how did Matt Cassel go 11-5?”
Well let’s break it down. The 2007 and 2008 teams had the same roster minus Donte Stallworth on offense. In 2007 Tom Brady and his offense set records for TDs, Rec TDs and points scored. The team went 18-0 only to lose the SB just missing the perfect season. The 2007 offense with Tom had a 315 point differential, compared to Cassel’s team dropping 214 points all the way down to a 101 point differential. So the same team, with different QBs went from the best offense ever, to average and missing the playoffs.
2007 Brady- 4,806 yards, 50 TD/8 INTs with a 117 Passer rating along with MVP honors.
2008 Cassel- 3,693 yards, 21 TD/11 INTs with an 89 passer rating with the same offense. (Brady Difference)
In 2010 Matt Cassel made the playoffs and the Pro Bowl with KC. He was no stiff, throwing 27 TDs to just 7 INTs, which was the second best ratio in the league that year. Who could’ve been number 1 I wonder? Tom Brady of course, as he won the only unanimous MVP in league history. Sorry to say again but the Brady Difference is quite obvious in this popular theory among haters.
“Tom Isn’t Good without a Great Defense”
The Patriots had a very good defense in Tom’s early years, and certainly was a huge factor in the first 3 Super Bowls. People say Brady was carried by his defenses, which is not the case. From 2001-2004, with Brady coming in as a backup, he put together 10 4th quarter comebacks and 15 game winning drives. The numbers seem to show he did his part and then some, but that’s not what the haters want you to think.
Brady led the NFL in TD passes in 2002, so it’s not a reach at all to say the Patriots may have not won those Super Bowls without Tom Brady. For example, in Super Bowl 38 the Pats defense gave up 29 points to the Panthers. A young QB named Tom Brady going up against a fierce defense threw for 354 yards, 3 TDs and his second clutch SB game winning drive. Without Brady things could’ve been a lot different that day.
Jumping ahead to Patriots Defenses that weren’t as talented. The four year stretch from 2010-2013, New England’s defense was never better than 25th in total yards allowed. But again Brady in 2010 won MVP and got the #1 seed. 2011 the Pats were back in the Super Bowl despite being 31st in yards against, and that’s due to Tom Brady. In 2012 and 2013, Brady and the Pats went back to the AFC Championship but lost. Some people think going as far as possible in sports and losing is worse than not making the championship game at all. Ridiculous.
In 2017 the defense was ranked 29th. Brady and the offense once again were back in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick shocked Pats nation by benching Malcolm Butler. The defense got shredded by a backup QB, giving up 41 points. Even in defeat Brady put up historic numbers, throwing for 505 yards with 3 TDs with no INTs.
My conclusion on this theory about his Defenses is that Brady always has done his part to win games and make it to the AFC Championship or Super Bowl. I don’t see him being carried by anything, like the haters do. Another interesting stat: In 17 seasons the Pats Defense was statistically better than the offense only 3 times. In 9 of those 17 seasons with Brady as the starter, the defense was ranked 20th or worse in yards allowed. Defensive “myth” shut down with facts.
“Joe Montana Never Lost in the Super Bowl”
Key Number here is 4
The debate over Montana and Brady has many factors. Joe Montana was the Greatest ever in my eyes, up until Brady’s comeback in Super Bowl 49 against the Seahawks. Since Brady tied Montana with 4 Super Bowl wins, he has gone to 3 straight Super Bowls and won 2. The real crime here is the loss to the eagles. Brady had the best Super Bowl performance of all time.
Some people say Brady can’t be better than Montana because Joe cool never lost in his 4 chances. The fact of the matter is that every athlete would tell you getting to the Championship and losing is better than not making it there at all. As we all know, Brady’s been to 9 Super Bowls with 6 wins. Let’s not forget the amount of Hall Of Fame players Montana had on both sides of the ball. He also had a coach in Bill Walsh who came up with an offense no one had ever seen before. It took years for teams to adjust to this new style of football, a great coach and system that Montana thrived in.
Brady on the other hand did not, and still doesn’t have anywhere close to the number of Hall Of Fame players Joe had. The comebacks alone in Super Bowls favor Brady, having 6 in 6 wins. And did his part in the losses too, by getting the lead, only for the defense to break at the end.
Montana has been bounced twice in the divisional round, twice in the Wild Card and three times in the NFC Championship. Montana in 11 seasons has gone one and done in the playoffs 4 times.
The GOAT Tom Brady in 16 playoff runs is 13-2 in the divisional round, 2-1 in the WC round and 9-4 in the AFC Championship. Brady in 16 seasons has gone one and done just twice in the playoffs.
Is 4-0 better than 6-3 in the Super Bowl? If you’ve never played sports then maybe you’d say yes. The ultimate goal of any athlete is to go as far as you can. That is something Brady’s done better than Montana. Doing so with less talent, an offense that has been seen before (unlike the 49ers), all while getting better with age. Brady wins this round, the numbers don’t lie.
“Montana Played in a Tougher and Better Era”
Again, not taking anything away from Joe Montana, I’m just telling it how it is. Sure the rules for QBs have changed over the years, but Brady played in a tough era of football himself. Rule changes to help offenses didn’t make an ounce of a difference until 2011. QB numbers didn’t go up or benefit Brady for an entire decade. From 2000-2011 only two players had a season with great numbers, Brady in 2007 and Manning in 2004. Since 2011 pretty much every QBs numbers are inflated like never before.
Defining the toughness of different eras contains a few different things:
Free Agency -Montana played when teams didn’t change and Hall Of Fame players typically stayed together. Brady has had a revolving door of players throughout his entire career, mostly castaways who were turned into Champions.
Defensive players -Tom Brady has played and shredded some of the best defenders and all time defensive units and coaches. The 2000 Steelers and Ravens, 2003 Buccaneers, The LOB Seahawks were no match in the Super Bowl, 2015 Broncos, 2017 Jags, the two Giants Super Bowl teams and the 2018 Rams. Just think of the players on those teams, and how if it weren’t for Brady most of them would have Super Bowl rings.
Geography – Joe Montana Played in a sunny warm climate, while Brady’s been playing in the Northeast. Freezing temperatures, snow and rain in a division where he plays in Boston and New York. No problem for #12.
This is the first of my 3 part Myth Busting Brady Hate. Next up will be topics like “The AFC Least”, “Deflategate, “Brady has no records” and my personal favorite: QBs like Rodgers, Marino, Brees and Manning being on Tom Brady’s level. Starting to feel like I’m writing a book, so these next topics plus more will be coming out soon. Hope you Pats fans can use some of these facts when arguing with Brady hating friends.
Recently a story came to light about a woman originally from Western Australia, who moved to North Queensland with a dream of becoming a jockey. Of course, back in her time that definitely wasn’t allowed, so for the rest of her life, she masqueraded as a man and managed to have quite a successful racing career without anyone discovering her secret.
Her name was Wilhemena “Bill” Smith, also known as Bill “Girlie” Smith throughout her racing career. Her secret was only discovered upon her recent death at the age of 88.
During the 1970s when women were allowed to race professionally, initially they could only race in horse races designated for female jockeys. It wasn’t until the very late 70s that they were finally allowed to compete against the men in professional racing. Linda Jones and Pam O’Neil were the first women jockeys to be given professional licenses.
In the modern world female jockeys are now competing with the men in a big way, and the number of female jockeys competing at the highest level in Australia is only going to rise.
In fact, regional race meets are now being somewhat dominated by women riders, likely a precursor to them also dominating at the major race meets around the country. In 2015 Michelle J. Payne made history in Australian sport by beating the field and winning the coveted Melbourne Cup.
However, she wasn’t the first Australian female jockey to compete in the race that stops the nation. That crown belongs to Clare Lindop, who competed in the race in 2003 riding Debben. Clare is now rated as one of Australia’s most successful female jockeys, with over 700 victories in Australia and overseas. She has lifted the SA Metropolitan Jockey Premiership trophy twice in her distinguished career.
Since her inspirational performance there’s truly been a surge in female riders not only taking up the sport and career, but competing in more and more major races, and winning them too.
When you think about it, it only makes sense that women should be heavily involved in this career. For a man to be a jockey he has to be of small stature and light weight. He also has to strictly maintain that weight or he’ll be too heavy to ride.
Generally a male jockey needs to maintain a total weight between 50kg and 60kg at the very maximum. That’s a figure that’s really hard to achieve for most guys.
In comparison, most women on average, are naturally smaller than men, slighter in build and it’s far easier to find women who are the right size and weight for horse racing. This fact alone ensures a very bright future for women in racing; not only within the boundaries of Australian racing, but all around the world. And that’s a good thing.
In fact, many “punters” firmly believe female riders are the future of Australian racing. Experts and veterans claim that men are actually becoming too tall and heavy to remain competitive enough to dominate the racing circuit as they have in the past. Women definitely have an edge in this sport and they’re taking full advantage of it.
At the moment, out of all the jockeys registered in Australia, women still only comprise 30% of the field, but that number is sure to rise as more and more women are signing on for jockey apprenticeships. Already women are dominating the regional meets, particularly in Western Australia, and it’s a fair bet we’ll see female riders dominating Group 1 racing more and more over the next decade or two.
To list details of all the champion and up and coming female jockeys competing in Australia would likely take up way more space than this article is allotted, but rest assured, female jockeys are on the rise and look set to dominate major Australian racing in years to come.
With another tough series in the rear view mirror the Boston Red Sox head to Arizona. They have a three game slate scheduled to finish off their 11 game road trip.
PITCHING MATCHUPS/SCHEDULE (TV)
4/5 Rick Porcello vs. Zack Godley (R) 7:10pm NESN
4/6 David Price vs. Luke Weaver (R) 8:10pm NESN
4/7 Undecided vs. Merrill Kelly (R) 4:10pm NESN
NOTABLE NUMBERS
Rick Porcello comes into his second start of the season with a 13.5 ERA. Meanwhile, David Price has a 6.00 ERA after his first start. Porcello was unable to get out of the first innings against the Mariners. Price at least managed to go six innings, but gave up four earned runs, including three home runs in the process. The Red Sox desperately need two of their veteran pitchers to correct what has been a worrying opening week for the rotation.
The Arizona Diamondbacks offense is crushing it in 2019 so far. Prior to Wednesday’s games they ranked third in the majors in batting average, runs, home runs and slugging percentage. The 14 home runs the Diamondbacks have hit will be a particular concern for a Red Sox staff. The Sox pitchers have given up 17 home runs, which is last in the AL.
Offensively the Red Sox have been slow out of the gate, ranking 20th in on base percentage and 17th in both batting average and slugging percentage. So far they have relied on home runs to fuel their offense, hitting seven long balls to help them rank ninth in the majors in runs scored with 30.
J.D. Martinez returns to the face the team that helped propel him onto the national stage. In 62 games with the Diamondbacks in 2017, Martinez hit 29 home runs in 232 AB, with an incredible .741 slugging percentage. Hopefully he can find some form after a series in Oakland in which he has registered just three hits through his first three games.
The Red Sox will see a long time foe in Adam Jones in this series. Jones, who has three home runs for the Diamondbacks already this season, has a career .279 batting average with 28 home runs when facing the Red Sox. The only team he has hit more home runs against is the Toronto Blue Jays.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The Rotation: There are a couple of fascinating rotation questions in this series. Firstly, who will the Red Sox choose to fill the final starting spot of the series? With Chris Sale likely to be saved for the home opener the Red Sox need a sixth starter to fill out their rotation for one start. They could call up someone from Triple-A, but there are no obvious candidates. The other option is that they could have a bullpen day to fill that spot. However, that depends on how much use the ‘pen gets in the opening two games.
The Red Sox will also be extremely keen to see the results when Price and Porcello take the mound this week. With Nathan Eovaldi struggling through two starts and Eduardo Rodriguez being shelled in his first start, at least one of these two needs to step up and provide some stability.
Hitting Depth: Xander Bogaerts returned to the lineup Wednesday, which will be a relief for the Sox. If Bogaerts had needed longer out of the lineup then there would have been some questions. Both Eduardo and Nunez and Brock Holt of struggled out of the gate, and the Red Sox may have considered activating Dustin Pedroia earlier than planned.
EXPECTATIONS
This has been an incredibly tough start for the Red Sox and frankly we just want to get them home now. Entering Wednesdays game they had a 2-5 record, and will enter the Diamondbacks series without a series win to their name. After 11 straight days they will also have Monday off to regroup, get home and prepare for the home opener. That doesn’t make winning this series any less important. However, if they can escape this series with even just a single win it is not the end of the world. 3-8 or 4-7 is not a disaster, especially with the Yankees also having stumbled out of the gate (2-4).
A series win would be great but if it doesn’t happen it is not the end of the world. This will be one of the toughest stretches of the season, and it is out of the way early. It may not have gone entirely to plan but the Red Sox can recover in the coming weeks.
1996 was the last time the Patriots drafted a receiver in the first round.
Terry Glenn, a 5’11, 195 pound, Ohio State prospect, was selected with the seventh pick in the 1996 draft and went on to catch 90 passes for 1132 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Mutual Interest
Now, the Patriots are reportedly eyeing an Ole Miss prospect and he is eyeing them right back.
AJ Brown, a 6’0, 226 pound receiver of Ole Miss has already met with the Patriots and has briefly referenced his wish to land in New England on his Twitter account.
Brown communicating his interest in playing in New England with none other than Tom Brady himself.
Combine and Traits
Brown ran a 4.49 forty-yard dash, benched 19 reps on the bench and had a 36.5 inch vertical leap in the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
His good athletic ability and good size is just a small part of the picture with AJ Brown.
Brown demonstrated that he is not only a talented big slot receiver at Ole Miss but also an excellent playmaker.
When watching AJ play, it is not hard to realize that he was actually the best receiver at Ole Miss.
However, he constantly found himself overshadowed by this mystical creature of sorts named DK Metcalf.
Metcalf will be long gone before our 32nd pick in the draft, however, Brown should be available.
If this is the case, the Patriots should immediately jump to pick a receiver in the first round for the first time in 23 years.
The Kind of Player He Is
He may not exactly be the best at getting separation at the next level, which is something Belichick looks for. However, Brown’s physicality and pretty good speed allow him to win battles for the ball when covered.
Brown is a quick processor, has a high football IQ, and should have the smarts to grasp a playbook that others have struggled with in the past.
Could Help Heal Some Wounds Caused By Gronk’s Departure
Having a smart target on the field will be beneficial to the Patriots offense with Gronk leaving for retirement. Gronk’s smarts was one of his most valuable traits and drafting a young, big, chain-mover would help alleviate that pain.
Best Receiver in the Draft
After extensive research, I am convinced that AJ Brown has the potential to be the best receiver in this draft.
AJ’s real competition will be Hakeem Butler out of Iowa State. A familiar face to Brown, DK Metcalf out of Ole Miss, will also challenge this title.
Evaluation
Brown has a proven track record to as a powerful runner with great vision, great blocking, and good elusiveness.
Brown can easily adjust to the football on the ground or in the air. He can catch in traffic. He can run good routes.
Brown really does not possess many weaknesses in game film.
Besides the questions of being able to consistently separate, Brown is a very strong prospect.
He could end up being either the second or third receiver in the Patriots offense. A trio of Edelman, Brown and hopefully Josh Gordon would be very strong.
Boldin Comparison
Comparisons to Anquan Boldin are pretty reasonable and realistic. Those who have said so made sure every knew Brown has more speed than Boldin ever did.
AJ Brown is a safe pick. He can be a leader for the team and a primary target for Brady and predecessor quarterbacks. Cross your fingers that AJ Brown slips to the 32nd spot in this month’s draft.
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Thursday, April 4th @ 11 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Atlanta Reign
After a whirlwind Tuesday it’s become even more unclear what to expect this opening week of Stage 2. First, Persia becomes the team’s fourth support player. Second, Note has been shipped off to Dallas in exchange for rCk. Lastly, Overwatch’s next balance patch continues to distort what the meta will be. In short, the tea leaves ain’t any easier to read. Here’s a shot in the dark.
The first roster change this week that Boston pulled off was signing off-support Persia. A peculiar move. Boston already has Kellex, Aimgod, and Alemao. Aimgod has earned several player of the matches (or at least been in the running). Kellex has mained Lucio nearly all Stage 1. Lastly, Alemao has had little stage time. It’s a bit strange to pick up another support. Not out of line – many teams have a full compliment of two whole 6 player squads on their roster. But knowing Huk, you see a move like this and start counting the days till some former diamond in the rough he bought low on gets sold high at top dollar.
Note
One of the Uprising’s few remaining OGs, Note was having by all accounts a great season. His nose for sniffing out supports amidst team fights has been mentioned by many casters. While I’ve taken issue a bit with the zoning and pick off efficacy of his Self Destructs, the Canadien has proven he play at a pro level. Sure, his inability to flex to a Sombra like other DVa players league wide may have limited Boston’s team comps. But, his coordination with Fusions and peeling for the back line made him an effective player.
Trying to read into Huk’s thinking on this move is a fool’s errand. Clearly, the man has some balls. Note is probably the biggest fan favorite outside of Fusions. After trading away Gamsu earlier this season, Huk is showing no one is indispensable. It seems to me Note’s inability to flex onto Sombra limited Boston throughout Stage 1 and that was enough to force a move.
Note’s one-note hero useage in Stage 1 (I know, horrible pun)
Personally, I’ll miss Note. You could tell the kid had such an upbeat energy to him. Boston seemed to be a great fit for the off-tank. Thinking back, his leadership was a big part of the Uprising’s undefeated stage last year as the dive comps played around him. I hope to see him continue to pop off down in Dallas.
rCk
Well, what did we get for everyone’s favorite Canuck? Enter rCk, last seen hitting Uprising players with EMPs like fish in a barrel. Huk must be thinking if you can’t beat em, join em. I imagine the week 5 contest that went to a fifth map impressed Huk enough to seek a trade.
rCk’s stats headed into his match against BU in week 5
Obviously we should all expect some Sombra comps this stage and beyond. rCk is an impressive Sombra player and a more than serviceable DVa. Boston may have gotten the better end of the deal if he can play as effectively in both roles.
rCk nearly split time perfectly between DVa & Sombra in Stage 1
Meta changes
No one knows for sure what teams comps we’ll see in Stage 2 until it starts. But, the news of GOATs death is greatly exaggerated. Lucio’s speed nerf may reduce Rein to specific map comps, but there’s no reason to think Winston 3-3 comps won’t pick up the slack. Additionally, none of the dps nerfs make them more viable than a high hp, shield boosting, stun disbursing Brigitte.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t see some exciting team comps out there. Everyone loved it when we saw a Widow or Tracwr last stage, and expect to see a more diverse array of heroes picked. I just think metas die slow in the face of small buffs, and nerfs handed out across all heroes. Players and coaches are risk averse and more likely to stick with what they’re comfortable with. Boston hasn’t been known for their experimentation either – so expect some 3-3 from the Uprising.
But let’s not forget the new hero Baptiste. His Immortality Field is a potential game changer. Will we see him deployed early or will he be a map and situational dependent hero? Look for the teams eager to experiment and shake up the meta to give the new hero his first pro level appearance.
Matchups
Thursday – Atlanta Reign
While Boston has arguably the most last minute roster moves of anyone, don’t ignore what’s happening with Atlanta. Famous Overwatch streamer turned pro Dafran…. is returning to streaming. Despite being the top seller in player jerseys, and making the most pog play of the season, it’s likely the stress of the pro life that drove him away.
Well, Atlanta didn’t waste anytime. They picked up Baby Bay from SF. Shock’s former stud DPS player has been riding the bench all season, so predicting what he can do given his time off and the new meta is difficult enough. Additionally, just as this column was going to print Atlanta tweeted out they signing frd, a tank player from the LA Gladiator’s Contenders team. Why not have even more last minute changes? What could go wrong!
Sunday – Toronto Defiant
Boston’s second matchup of the week is against Toronto. You’ll recall the last time these two played, Neko, Boston’s former off-support, was spraying the Uprising logo every pick he got. He and Bumper – archvillains of the Uprising. Well, nothing would be more satisfying than seeing Boston steamroll the fellow Stage 1 playoff team.
Public enemy #1
Last time Boston was trounced 3-1. There were some bright spots. Boston pulled a C9 on Anubis. They pushed it to a map 4 down 2-0 at halftime. Toronto got full held on offense. That was fun. But generally, Toronto had their way with the Uprising that match. That was then and this is now. There’s a new meta out there. New players. New stage. The past is not the present.
Also, Toronto didn’t want to be left behind in the last second roster changes. On Tuesday, Toronto’s coach Don left the team and on Wednesday their DPS starter Stellar retired. Hey if everyone’s doing, why not them? Of course, Stellar was the Defiant’s Brigitte main, posting a 27/28 KD in his match against Boston. That leaves Toronto with just 7 active players on the roster – good luck with that.
Thoughts
We’re not sure where Persia fits into the team, so let’s just pretend that didn’t happen for now eh? But let’s look at the Note and rCk trade. First, let’s look at the data. Note played on DVa nearly twice as long as rCk, but many of the per 10 minute stats are close. You can see some symmetry in that Note has the edge in FK (First Kills – 12% vs. 10%) but drops in FD (First Deaths – 3% vs. 2.8%). That slight discrepancy gets a bit more spread out when you look at F3K (First Three Kills) and F3D (First Three Deaths). Note may be getting more of those first 3 kills, but he pays for it in dying in one of the first 3 spots.
What the data shows to me is these two are comprable DVas. There’s no case to be made that one is supremely better than the other. But, one can swap to the Sombra and the other can’t. That is an entirely different weapon in the arsenal of the Uprising. Why wouldn’t Boston want to equip themselves with as many tools as possible?
Not that the rCk and Note switch is all that there is to worry about. Given the rumors that have swirled the last few weeks about Fusions, it’s likely we’re going to see a change in the tank line. Axxiom, better known as a Winston main, is likely to get some additional playtime this Stage. Whether he’ll trade off/on with Fusions/Rein based on matchup or map remains to be seen. It’ll be an interesting storyline going into the first week.
There are roster changes across the league, with Boston, and both their opponents this week. A meta change will shift the landscape of the league. Questions abound again whether Huk just traded away the team’s best player. Sounds familiar. And so we have a familiar response.
With two games left to the regular season, and a guaranteed spot in the Playoffs, the Boston Bruins brought some fire last night in Columbus as they defeated the Blue Jackets 6-4. In a win that certainly felt like a Playoff game, the boys in Black and Gold were back to form after dropping their last two games. And for one particular player, last night would be one to remember as teammates swarmed number 63.
HITTING 100
After scoring a goal and tallying up an assist, Marchand reached
a personal milestone: he would become the 10th Bruin to net 100
points, joining a list with likes of:
Phil Esposito
Johnny Bucyk
Ken Hodge
Joe Juneau
Rick Middleton
Bobby Orr
Adam Oates
Barry Pederson
Joe Thornton
Fellow teammates as well as the coach had glowing remarks following Marchand hitting that record:
“Couldn’t be prouder..He’s a kid that came through Providence a long time ago-we were both much younger people. He’s worked really, really hard. I’m gonna guess he’s worked as hard as anyone in the National Hockey League to round his shot, his puck play. We’ve incorporate him more on the power play and he’s grabbed it…he’s bought into it, he’s done what we’ve asked…when he’s on the ice, he’s deadly.”
Coach Bruce Cassidy
“Any time you have a 100-point producer on our team, it’s pretty special..he’s an amazing player on the ice, he sees things that other guys don’t see. But off ice, his preparation-him and (Bergeron) ad all the leaders here are pretty similar in that. I think it’s something that as young guys you want to be like them…it’s a pretty special milestone and it was cool to be part of.”
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 3, 2019
STARTING AT HOME
With the win over the Jackets, the Boston Bruins have now clinched home ice in the First Round of the Playoffs when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost last night to Carolina 4-1. Jake DeBrusk netted two goals, Marcus Johansson scored his first goal as a Bruins, David Pastrnak scored a goal and Marchand scored-leading to his 100th point of the season. Torey Krug and David Krejci also had career highs in assists.
(Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
DeBrusk has scored four goals in his last four games, and has tallied up 27 goals so far this season. He also picked up an assist on Karson Kuhlman’s goal. DeBrusk’s first goal was credited to him after a lucky bounce got past Sergei Bobrovsky. Johansson scored off a rebound that was set up by Charlie Coyle. Krejci notched his 52nd assist last night, while Krug accumulated his 47th assist. David Pastrnak scored off an assist by Patrice Bergeron.
SLOWING THE JACKETS
The Boston Bruins were able to snap Columbus’s five-game winning streak last night. Bobrovsky was pulled from goal after Boston scored their fourth goal. Joonas Korpisalo took over and allowed two goals. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the third, putting the Jackets on board with their first goal of the night. Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal off a pass by Artemi Panarin (who has eight points in his last six games).
The Bruins continue with their road trip as they face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday with an 8:00 pm. start time.
Columbus will look to clinch a Playoff berth when they face the New York Rangers this Friday.
.@JDebrusk scored twice and @Bmarch63 reached the 100-point mark as the #NHLBruins got back on track and clinched home ice in Columbus.
