Celtics Beat Bucks 117-113 in Eastern Conference Showdown

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Kyrie Irving had a team-high 28 points and the Celtics drilled a franchise record 24 threes to hand the Bucks their first loss of the season on Thursday night. A few quick thoughts on last night’s wild win coming up right after I stop smiling like a doofus at this video…

Gordon Hayward Heating Up

The Celtics are still being careful with Hayward, with good reason. The star forward has been understandably inconsistent in his first 7 games, as he shakes off rust and continues to make his way back from last season’s gruesome injury. However, last night he showed flashes of why he was such a highly sought after free agent two summers ago. Hayward scored a season-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. He drilled three triples as well, and is shooting 40.7% from downtown so far this year.

Hayward’s most encouraging moment came early in the 1st quarter:

That play is a microcosm of what a healthy Hayward brings to the table. Smart defense (and the athleticism to execute), the ability to go coast to coast, and finish strong in traffic. Hayward has now attempted double-digit shots in three straight games, a sure sign that his game is beginning to round into form.

Greek Freak: Definitively Good

Milwaukee’s MVP candidate was lights out again last night. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in a 33-11-2 game, and added three steals to boot. He was also out there traversing time and space like William S. Preston Esq. and Theodore Logan:

I mean COME ON. He’s doing up-and-unders now?

The Celtics still have as good a chance as anyone to make the Finals this year. But they’ll likely have to go through Giannis and Kawhi Leonard to do it, making things a taller task than expected a couple of months ago.

Get ‘Em Mook!

Marcus Morris has been huge this season. With Gordon Hayward working his way back to form, the C’s have needed one of their top role players to step up. He’s done that, and more. After last night’s 17 point, 5 rebound performance, Morris is averaging 14.8 points and 7.1 boards in only 25.3 minutes per game. It helps that he’s been on fire from beyond the arc. He’s drilling threes at a 51.3% clip, including a 5-for-8 performance from downtown on Thursday.

There was some question entering the season whether or not Morris would have a defined role with the return of Hayward and the continued progression of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. As fate would have it, he’s been more important than ever.

Shot Selection Struggles

On one hand, last night was an improvement in this area. 55 attempted three pointers is better than the bevy of long twos we had seen through the first 7 games. It also helps when you make 24 of those shots.

Yet, despite nearly setting an NBA record with made threes, the Celtics nearly coughed this one away late. They’ll continue to find themselves in that position as long as they remain allergic to attacking the rim and getting in the paint. Boston is dead last in field goals attempted within 8 feet. They’re also only 13th in field goal percentage within that range. For comparison’s sake, Golden State has attempted the second fewest shots inside 8 feet, but is 1st in field goal percentage. It’s really difficult to build a championship level offense around that combination of lack of volume and middle of the road efficiency, especially when you aren’t getting to the line either (C’s are 26th in free throws attempted per game). The numbers bear that out: the Celtics currently rank 27th in ORtg.

Simply making more threes like they did against Milwaukee will be helpful towards rectifying things. But not being able to get easy buckets late was an issue last night. The Celtics missed their last 6 field goal attempts (4 threes and 2 mid-range jumpers). That gave the Bucks an opening which they couldn’t take advantage of. It’s absolutely something to keep an eye on going forward.

Don’t look now, but after a sluggish 2-2 start the C’s are 6-2 (a 61.5 win pace). They’ll take their 4 game winning streak on the road for the next 5 games, starting on Saturday night in Indiana vs. the Pacers.

Comparing Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers

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A Good Sunday Night Match-up This Week

VIA NBC Sports

Sunday Night Football this week should be entertaining. The Green Bay Packers travel to Foxborough to take on the Patriots. The Patriots are coming off a win over Buffalo where they didn’t really get things going until the second half. The Packers are coming off a loss to the Rams and fell to 3-3-1. Comparing Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers is interesting. Brady is so far ahead of him in pretty much everything. He’s won five Super Bowls while Rodgers has only won one Super Bowl. Brady has thrown 504 touchdown passes while Rodgers has only thrown 326. Brady’s thrown for 68,359 yards and Rodgers has thrown for 40,785. Brady clearly is the better quarterback and it’s not even close.

Brady Is So Much Better Than Rodgers

Rodgers falls into the Drew Brees category in my opinion until he wins more Super Bowls. Brady does more with less talent than any quarterback ever. Brady did have some nice things to say about Rodgers on WEEI “Even for me, I watch his game and it makes me want to get out there and practice and improve because I think he’s so phenomenal with how he manages himself in the pocket. His ability to throw the football is unlike anyone in probably the history of the league. So it’s just pretty awesome to watch.” He is a great quarterback like Drew Brees but he’ll never be on Tom Brady’s level without championships.

Brady takes his game to another level. From the way, he prepares to the way he performs on the field. There is so much work that goes into being the best at the position which Brady has nailed. Brady isn’t going to answer who he thinks the greatest quarterback of all time is because he has too much class for that. He will though give credit to every player he faces. He is no Peyton Manning either until he at least wins another Super Bowl. But Brady? There’s no way Rodgers will ever catch up to Brady.

Finding Ease, Efficiency and Fun on a Scooter

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Scooters are becoming popular day by day mainly because people are finding ease, efficiency, and fun on a scooter. Scooters are becoming popular in Asian and European region day by day. Currently, India is the largest scooter market in the world. But why are they so popular? Today in this content we shall discuss finding ease, efficiency, and fun on a scooter and why scooters are becoming popular. Let’s begin.

The Reason Why a Person will be Finding Ease, Efficiency and Fun on a Scooter

Scooters are light two-wheeled vehicles which are a little different from motorbikes. This is easy to control and a great vehicle for shorter trips. An e-scooter can speed up your daily short activities. It can you time and save you from getting tired. After finishing your ride, you don’t even need to worry about parking your scooter, just fold it then you put it in your bag pack.

Scooters are light weighted and save you from worrying about fuels for your scooter. Scooters are gaining popularity among the delivery man across the state. Scooters are easy to ride and control. You can use scooters on shortest of the road. A scooter is one of the great companions to ease your city road riding experience. For city commuters, e-scooter is a great vehicle to complete their daily errands.

Scooter Efficiency

Scooters are always a great vehicle for speeding up your short trips. Well, e-scooters do not offer automatic transmission or manual transmission. So, it’s hard to tell if they are efficient or not. But as far as rider experiences tell us, scooters are efficient.

You don’t use scooters for long rides. If you are a city dweller and need to go to the shopping mall or going to school or college, you can use the scooter. A scooter can make its way through narrow roads. If you can balance, surely you can propel the vehicle easily. It’s all on you.

Scooters are becoming efficient day by day. The manufacturers are trying to increase their efficiency with many features. So, scooters are efficient for city roads. Even I was satisfied with this fact and decided to pick my scooter.

Some Final Thoughts about Scooters

Finding ease, efficiency, and fun on a scooter is not the hardest nut to crack. Scooters are gaining popularity day by day. They are easy to carry anywhere, you don’t need to worry about parking it and there is no need to worry about fuel cost. It’s a great companion for city dwellers to complete their daily errands. It truly saves you time. If you are riding a scooter daily, the “Finding ease, efficiency, and fun on a scooter” fact will become crystal clear.

Some important FAQ

Are Scooters Legal?

E-scooters are not legal on some states such as NY. But in some states, they are legal with some strict rules.

Can I Ride My Scooter on the Highway?

No. E-scooters are not legal on the highway at all. Some of the states claim it to be illegal. If they catch you, you might have to pay penalty. Anyway, you need to use your foot to propel the vehicle. But as far as highway goes, scooters are not efficient enough to ride on the highways.

Recalling Thunderstorm: Best 5 From The Last Year’s Breeders Cup

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Good news for the horse lovers from all over the world- Breeders Cup is back. This year Breeders Cup will shine between 2nd and 3rd November from the Churchill Downs, Kentucky, Louisville. The world is looking forward for the finest Thoroughbred out of various muscles chasing each other to get the crown. Breeders cup with $30 million in its pocket is marked for the 14 World Championship races.

Here is the list of top races with the champions who run like a big barrel of belief in front of the theit believers and haters:

1). Classic 2017:

Hall of Fame- Gun Runner

Trainer Steven M Asmussen can’t believe his eyes after watching Gun Runner defeating chasers by 2 ÂŒ length distance. This day of joy was heaven for the people keeping their eye on Gun Runner for $6 million Grade 1 Classic at Del Mar. This strong muscle has earned $15,988,500 with 12 winnings out of 19 starts in all his lifetime career. Gun Runner is also considered as the Expert Picks for this year’s championship due to its unstoppable speed.

2). Filly and Mare Sprint 2017:

Hall of Fame: Bar of Gold

Chester’s Bar of Gold shocked the audience at Del Mar with its outstanding performance giving the second biggest winning price in Breeder’s Cup history last year after the Arcangues in 1993. Trainer John C Kimmel was the man behind the curtains who influenced this five year old muscle that covered seven furlongs in just 1.22.63.

3). Juvenile Fillies Turf 2017:

Hall of Fame: Rushing Fall

The 10th running of the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is marked for the two years old Rushing Fall trained by Chad Brown. This outstanding performer has a very good track record with 6 winnings out of 7 starts earning total $1,308,000. The year 2018 was very lucky for this finest muscle where he achieved 3 winnings out of 4 starts with total years earning of $623,000. Trainer Brown was also very lucky as it was the fourth victory for him.

4). Juvenile Turf 2017:

Hall of Fame: Mendelssohn

Named on the 80s’ German composer Mendelssohn thrilled everyone cheering up for Juvenile Turf 2017 at Del Mar. It was the day of joy for the one of the world’s best trainer Aidan O’Brien. Son of Scat Daddy and owned by Irish powerhouse Coolmore, Mendelssohn has achieved four wins in his eleven starts career with overall earnings of $1,317,137. The year 1018 is also very lucky for this champion as he has collected two winnings out of six starts with $1,6104,85 earnings. Everyone is keeping their eyes on this strong muscle for his upcoming performance in Breeders Cup 2018.

5). Longines Distaff 2017:

Hall of Fame: Forever Unbridled

In all over her lifetime career of 8 winnings in 18 starts, this muscular Thoroughbred has not registered any winning in this year where it has participated in just one start. The year 2017 was very fantastic for both Forever Unbridled and her trainer Dallas Stewart. At Del Mar racetrack, everyone gets shocked when Unbridled marked 3 winnings in out of 3 starts. It has participated in just one race this year, maybe the Churchill Hill will turn on its light for the winning of this incredible bred again.  

These were the top races in Breeders Cup championship last year. Don’t worry, this year sun is going to shine again in Louisville. The only difference is there will be the sound of horses chasing each other at unlimited speed to prove themselves. I hope this year will also bring prosperity for all the bidders and horse lovers hoping for their best.

Reference:- https://www.tvg.com/promos/breeders-cup/

James White does it all

Patriots Running Back James White At J.P. Licks for Boston Medical Center

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James White hosted an event at J.P. Licks in Dorchester on Tuesday afternoon. From 4-5PM White served ice cream and the money was then sent to benefit the kids at the Boston Medical Center. It was a quick turnaround for White after just beating the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo the night before. But he was glad to be there to talk to the kids and fans. White holds an event called Sweet Feet for Strikes that also benefits the Boston Medical Center. It was formerly known as the Mayo Bowl until he passed the hosting responsibilities to White.

Boston Sports Extra Was There

Boston Sports Extra was at J.P. Licks in Dorchester yesterday and was able to ask him a couple of questions. With the Patriots playing the night before and the Sox winning the World Series BSE were the only ones there. Yesterday was also the NFL trade deadline which the Patriots did nothing. White wasn’t going to answer any football-related questions. Yesterday at J.P. Licks it was all about the kids from the Boston Medical Center.

This was the second year White hosted the bowling tournament which he did in September. White said at the time ” it’s good to have teammates come out here, have fans come out here and have just everybody come together and have a good time and try to raise a lot of money. That’s what it’s all about, trying to raise as much money as possible for Boston Medical Center.” White also told BSE yesterday that it is great to have his teammates go to the bowling tournament to support a great cause. It’s great what White does on the field being the best running back he can for the Patriots. But it’s also great what he does off the field for charity.

Celtics Edge Pistons 108-105: Three Takeaways

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Tuesday night’s action was a welcome sight to sore eyes in Boston. The wait for Kyrie Irving, the Celtics star point guard, to score a lot of points and shake the monkey off of his back is finally over.

Irving scored 31, his highest point total of the season thus far, and added 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal to his game totals as well. Irving, with a freshly shaven head, seems to have moved on from his horrid start to the season that saw him averaging just 14 points per game through the first six games, and a stretch where he eclipsed 20 points just twice, an scored a career low, 3 points in 23 minutes, against the Pistons on October 27th.

Let’s jump into this game and see what we can takeaway from it.

Kyrie looked like his old self again

Photo courtesy of @BCelticNews

Kyrie Irving started this season with an Afro. It was a new look for Kyrie, and he didn’t perform well. Hours before the game, he posted on Instagram that he had shaved the Afro away to his more traditional look.

Kyrie has really struggled this season to get going, and it must have been really frustrating for him. To finally shake (er, rather, shave) the monkey off of his back and have a solid game must feel great, and hopefully he can continue with that.

His shot chart looked better too, as you can observe for yourself down below. The most encouraging thing that we saw from Kyrie last night is he had his step back. Check out the video I attached that’s blowing up #NBATwitter.

Kyrie Irving’s shot chart 10/30/2018 Vs Detriot. Courtesy of basketballreference.com

What’s going on with Kyrie?

Kyrie’s game has always been his ability to score at the basket, and then come back down the court and knock down a pull up three. He’s always been an offensive weapon more than anything else.

Yesterday, he struggled in his usual game, the mid range. As you can see, he missed everything from the high post. Still, despite that, Kyrie looked smooth on the court. We’ve wanted to see that for a while now, where Kyrie can just settle into his game. He did so, and in a beautiful fashion.

Another crazy stat: Kyrie scored the same amount of points alone in the third quarter than the entire Pistons team scored (13). This speaks volumes on the defense that the Celtics are capable of playing.

Seeing Kyrie shoot 10 of 16 from the floor (4 of 7 from behind the line) is extremely encouraging as a Celtics fan. With his struggles from the floor all season, we all love that he has gotten back into things with a special game in a crunch-time moment.

The Celtics have had an answer for Blake Griffin

Photo courtesty @celticsblog

When the Celtics beat the Pistons on Saturday Night, 109-89, they held Blake Griffin to just 7 points. Not so much the case in this game, as Griffin led his team with a bruising 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Griffin had been pretty effective from beyond the three point line so far this year before his couple of games against the Celtics. Going into last nights game, he was 15 of 27 on the season from that range, getting basically any shot he wanted.

Griffin had never been that kind of a player, until last year, when he started taking more three’s. He still wasn’t a great three point shooter, but apparently it’s something he’s working very diligently at adding to his arsenal. This season, he’s been shooting lights out.

Part of the equation for Blake so far this year is no one has known how to defend him.  They can’t cover him like an above ground pool cover pump. He’s hitting three’s and driving to the basket. If you try to defend his three point shot, he drives around you to get the uncontested lay-up. What do you do as a defender?

The Celtics switched to Zone Defense.

The Celtics spent a lot of their time last night in a 3-2 zone. They know that Detroit really doesn’t have any serious perimeter shooting threats, and decided that they could place their four and five defending the low post. Because Jaylen Brown is an over-sized guard who can play forward, he could contest Griffin on any three he might try to take. If Griffin tried to drive around him, he would run into Jayson Tatum or Al Horford on the low post.

The Celtics are the first team so far this year who had an answer for Griffin, and held him to his two lowest point totals this season. In Griffin’s 3rd quarter shift, Detroit was -15 on the floor.  It’s truly special that Boston held him to 31 points in two games.

 Aron Baynes is a better player this year

Photo courtesy of @BostonSportsBSJ

We really weren’t sure what to expect from Aron Baynes this season. Last season, he was certainly a valuable defender, but I certainly didn’t expect to see the offensive output that Baynes has added to the bench.

To put into perspective, Baynes averaged 6 points per game last season. He was a board guy, took a three once every 3 games, and only hit 14.3% from that range.

This season, he’s hitting 40% from that range, and is averaging 8 points per game. I don’t think there is a game he hasn’t hit a 3 point shot in yet this season. He’s on fire from deep.

Baynes has been missed the last couple of games as he dealt with a hamstring injury. When Daniel Theis went down injured, Baynes was brought back to the active roster.

What a welcome addition, too. He scored 9 last night, 2nd most off the bench, and grabbed 5 boards, shooting 3 of 5 from the floor. Good to have you back on the court, Aron.

Overall…

Despite this ball game being a good bit closer than any of us wanted to see, the Celtics got the win, extended their win streak to 3, and get ready for an All Saints Day match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks on TNT, Thursday, November 1st. It should be a good one folks. Stay tuned.

One Huge Move the Sox Have to Make

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Well, we did it. The team we all knew would eventually flourish as champions, did. With the rings from 2018 secured, it is time for us all to start looking ahead at the possibility of repeating. There won’t be a huge roster overhaul, but there are some key players likely departing. For general manager Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox, they’ll have to pick and choose who they want to move forward with, and who they’re okay with losing. Big names like Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Ian Kinsler and Steve Pearce all face pending free agency. There is a good chance one or two of those guys return but the likelihood of all four is bleak. There’s another big name from this championship winning team that I believe is the most crucial than any other in resigining.

Throughout the postseason, and into the World Series, there were many heroes for this team. On both sides of the ball, the stars to the bench players all played a role. One of the largest heroes that came from almost nowhere, ended up being Nathan Eovaldi. Whether it be a big start against New York or Houston, or a dominant effort out of the bullpen against Los Angeles, Eovaldi did it all this October. Every single time he came onto the mound, he effortlessly finessed through the brute opposing lineups.

A 1.61 ERA over 22 innings is a fairly good postseason if you ask me. No matter the scenario, Nate wanted the ball. He threw 97 pitches in game 3, and came in the next day begging manager Alex Cora to let him pitch out of the bullpen. This is a guy you want on your team no matter what, no matter the price. This is the guy that the front office needs to keep around. He has the attitude and mentality to pitch in Boston, and has already shown he has the clutch gene. Regardless of whether the team wants him as a starter or as a reliever, they must resign Eovaldi at all costs.

$$

A couple players come to mind that commanded contracts of similar length and value to what Eovaldi is bound to get. Alex Cobb was 30 last winter when Baltimore gave him a four year deal, with 57 million being earned over that contract. Tyler Chatwood was 28 last winter when he earned a 3 year, 38 million dollar deal with the Cubs. I see Eovaldi falling somewhere in in the mix with these players, possibly earning a little more than either simply due to his performance this October. Whether it is 3 or 4 years, it will end being around 15 million a year. To me, that’s a price you have to pay for a stud like Nasty Nate.

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The 2019 Red Sox Bullpen: The Craig Kimbrel Question

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There are changes coming to the 2019 Red Sox Bullpen.  Yesterday I took a look at Joe Kelly.  The biggest piece, closer Craig Kimbrel, is today’s focus..  Is he worth paying to keep and what are some options out there?

Craig Kimbrel

In 2017 Craig Kimbrel was the 800 lb gorilla of all time Red Sox closers.  5-0 with 35 saves and a 1.43 ERA.  If he had been given more opportunity I’m sure he would’ve had even more saves.

Using a 3 year average is an attempt to have some perspective, but in Kimbrel’s case the 2017 season has a massive effect.  Because Kimbrel’s three year stats are, frankly, amazing: 14.8 K/9 and a 2.52 ERA.

Even then though, the walks show through: 3.8 per 9 innings.  That’s a lot of base runners.  When he’s on his game and striking out the world, it works.  When he’s not, let’s just say Alex Cora going with Chris Sale to close out game five says a ton.  And Kimbrel giving up a two run home run to Kiki Hernandez of all people in game four brought back all those non save situation failures from prior years.

All of this is to say Kimbrel’s not a guarantee to bring back as the 2019 Red Sox closer.  But who is out there who could be a good fit?  Closers who have working in the American League and have postseason experience.

Kelvin Herrera

Kelvin Herrera will undoubtedly be the least expensive option.  He suffered a torn Lisranc ligament in his left foot and had surgery for it on 8/30/2018.  The recovery for that encompasses around six months and requires vigilance.  That means he’ll be available a few weeks into spring training if all goes well.

There’s a lot to like about Herrera.  He is the youngest of this group at 29 on Opening Day 2019.  He also he walks the fewest batters.  His 3 year average is 2.17 walks per 9 is the lowest of all the comparisons I’ve found in the top tier group.  It is that low walk number than allows him to rival Kimbrel in the walk per strikeout stat.  Herrera is 4.6 BB/K, Kimbrel is 4.97 BB/K.

His three year ERA is 3.15 and the Red Sox tried to trade for him at the trade deadline this year.  His injuries were bad luck.  This year was his first extended time on the DL.

Because of his injury there are questions about Herrera, but that will also make him less expensive.  He very well could big the biggest relief Ace bargain of 2019.

Cody Allen

This former Cleveland Indians closer fell out of favor due to an off year in 2018.  While Kimbrel will be 31, Cody Allen will be 30 on opening day 2019.

Even with a bad 2018 he can stand next to Kimbrel at 3.8 BB/9 (Kimbrel is at 3.8) and he’s tantalizing because he will be cheaper than Kimbrel and has had a lot of success.  In 2016 and 2017 he averaged a 2.73 ERA and 31 saves a year with almost 12 K/9.  That is dominant.

Because of 4.70 ERA in 2018 and corresponding difficulties he’s a question.  But a worthy gamble due to the potential of prior years and no obvious injury.

Conclusion

Ultimately I believe Kimbrel will come back if he’s asking for a reasonable salary.  But if he’s pushing $20 Million like Mark Melancon I see a few appealing options out there that have pitched in the American League, in the playoffs, and are at reasonable age.

DeBrusk

The Perks of NHL betting Online

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Betting is dependent upon opinions and predictions from the tipsters. Traditionally, there were certain places where people used to sit and bet but now the trend has become more private as betting in several countries are prohibited. Playing online betting on ice hockey via expert’s excellence through calculating performances and statistics of the gaming strategies helps you to attain victorious betting experiences. Yet, when you go for online, betting you require getting follow certain tips and tricks to get stronger opportunities of betting with the rich information sources. Ice hockey is one of the popular sports when it comes to NHL i.e. National Hockey League and KHL i.e. Kontinental Hockey League. The NHL betting is highly played along some international tournaments were outsourcing the opposing team is the ultimate objective of this game.

How to bet on online ice hockey sport efficiently

The NHL starts in October up to July of the next year. In ice hockey, there are two teams with containing 6 players and 5 skaters and 1 goaltender. The main criteria of this game are to let the team your support win and get higher points in contrast to the other team. The online hockey squad is 20 players, as the nature of this game requires mores substitutions during the match. So to understand the basics of this game, you require to have some details whether where the players are positioned initially:

  • A goaltender has Two defensemen and three on the forwards
  • A left defense-men and the right defensemen
  • 3 The forward position has left a wing
  • One is right wing

Betting tips and Tricks

Doxxbet enables NHL betting where the expert bookies are on-set to explain the sports betting world with the best ranges from money line bets, total bets, future bets, prop bets etc and much more.

  • Money line bets

Picking the team that will win from the opponent depending on its consistency and excellence in the game. When you choose money line betting you will be opting for the team, which plays better than the opponent team. Depending on the scores obtained one can choose the team easily.

  • Total betting line

The goal line picked in total betting line plays a vital role. It is exactly the same thing as over and under betting where one of the two teams can score more than the total goal like picked. It depends on the odds on a total bet that stays around the same. As it shows, whether how heavily the bet incredibly is moving towards.

  • Money line Betting on periods

In online hockey, the betting is done on each period of the game as there are three periods in this game. Two times, you can bet on the winning team and at the third, you can go for regular betting on the money line.

There are ample NHL betting essentials in the market, yet sticking to the one keeps your focus intact. But when you choose all the ways of betting it won’t give you the results that you expected. Begin with the one session betting from a smaller amount. Only with the help of an authentic bookie, you can bet for the winning team perspective. Thus, betting requires focus, speculations, predictions, and assumptions that work according to your luck or thinking and hence give you the estimate results of each league. Making some predictions and winning the games with real rewards and bonuses try Doxxbet that is an authentic online hockey-betting platform that caters every enthusiastic sport by supporting the positive attitudes of winning the game eventually.

The 2019 Red Sox Bullpen: Joe Kelly or David Robertson

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There are changes coming to the 2019 Red Sox Bullpen.  Two big pieces, closer Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly, are both free agents.  Who is worth paying to keep and what are some options out there?

Today is the beginning of our deep dive into those questions.  We start with Joe Kelly.

Joe Kelly

Kelly had an indelible stamp on the 2018 team.  He started the year by blowing game 1.  He became Jim Buchanon and started a Joe Kelly Fight Club faze when he called out Tyler Austin of the Yankees.  Then he became an afterthought and albatross around the neck of the bullpen as the summer dragged on.

But then, in the playoffs, the mid-bullpen became a strength, because he became a strength.  In six innings in the World Series he had a 0.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts.  That is domination.

However, is that the Joe Kelly we know for any other stretch of time?  His ERA over the past three years has been 4.12 during the regular season.  His fastball has averaged 97.8 MPH over that same time.  How is that?

It has been noted frequently that his fastball is straight, and he could not get his breaking ball over for strikes.  This lead to walks, a lot of them.  Almost 5 per 9 innings, 4.67 to be exact.

It feels like instead of only relying on his gifted arm that can throw gas with ease, he finally starting pitching in this postseason.  Because he threw his breaking ball for strikes, it was almost that simple.

It’s at least a question whether he can repeat it.  Will he continue to work after winning the World Series?  Is he worth betting on?  History says no.  How about an alternative?

David Robertson

One name is David Robertson.  He has spent the past year and a half toiling in the mid to late innings for the New York Yankees.  Before that he was the Chicago White Sox closer.  Unlike Craig Kimbrel, Robertson has proven he can work in different innings and different game situations.

He throws a lot softer than Joe Kelly, averaging 91.9 MPH over the same 3 year period.  But his ERA weighs in at 2.85, about 30% better than Kelly.   He also strikes out 25% more batters.  How can this be?

Because he throws more strikes, and he pitches rather than throws.  He walks a batter less than Kelly.  Less runners on base leads to fewer runs allowed.

Conclusion

It’s not perfect.  Robertson still walks 3.7 per 9 innings, that’s high for a reliever.  Robertson is also 3 years older than Kelly.

But Kelly was not given the 8th inning with a lead until game 5 of the World Series.  This was not an accident, Cora didn’t trust him there.  Robertson can work the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, whatever you want.

Robertson will command north of what he’s making now, $13 Million per year.  Kelly probably much less.  But a team could bid up Kelly and make him expensive.

The choice here is Robertson, if you can convince him.  He’s representing himself in free agent negotiations and probably looking for closing opportunities.

The Red Sox might have an opening at closer.  More on that tomorrow.