MLB Al and Nl All Star Ballot Update

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In the first of three ballot updates before the big all star game, let’s see who holds the edge, and who gets snubbed after update 1.

In the National league’s first ballot update, the Atlanta Braves stood out by far. Having three players leading in the votes thus far. Here’s how the ballot is shaping up after the first ballot update.

First Base: Freddie Freeman ( 633,342 votes)                                                                                                                                Second Base: Ozzie Albies ( 398,816 votes)                                                                                                                                    Third Base: Nolan Arenado (527,863 votes)                                                                                                                                    Shortstop: Brandon Crawford ( 466,021 votes)                                                                                                                              Catcher: Buster Posey ( 281,331 votes)                                                                                                                                            Outfielder 1:  Bryce Harper (  496,189 votes)                                                                                                                                  Outfielder 2:  Nick Markakis ( 494,206 votes)                                                                                                                                 Outfielder 3: Matt Kemp ( 351,780 votes) 

 New to this year, the manager for the national league team will select the designated hitter for that team, the fans cannot vote for it.                                                                                                                                                                                 

For the american league squad, the powerful duo of Betts and Martinez are no doubters thus far.

First base: Jose Abreu ( 267,812 votes)                                                                                                                                          Second base: Jose Altuve ( 701,236 votes)                                                                                                                                    Third Base: Jose Ramirez ( 443,234 votes)                                                                                                                                    Shortstop: Manny Machado (321,887 votes)                                                                                                                                  Catcher: Gary Sanchez ( 336,280 votes)                                                                                                                                          Outfielder 1: Mookie Betts ( 748,872 votes Leads all players)                                                                                                    Outfielder 2: Mike Trout ( 639,882 votes)                                                                                                                                        Outfielder 3: Aaron Judge ( 541,993 votes)                                                                                                                                    Designated Hitter: J.D Martinez ( 513,415 votes) 

The american league race is shaping up as a lot of people thought it would. The next two ballot updates are announced on June 18 and 19! Stay tuned to how it all unfolds right here as the all star races continue to heat up.

Bourque Family Foundation 7.7K

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We all have that memory of Ray Bourque helping Normand Leveille around the Boston Garden ice for one last skate. Now off the ice, the NHL Hall of Famer and Bruins legend and his family launched their own charity to help others as he did that special night.

Throughout Bourque‘s time in the NHL, he became not only an accomplished athlete, but also a leader in the community. He has contributed over $20 million to over 1,000 different organizations.
In 2017, Ray, Christiane, Melissa, Christopher, and Ryan founded their own public charity: the Bourque Family Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Bourque Family Foundation.

In its inaugural year, the Bourque Family Foundation held a 7.7K race at the Ferncroft Country Club. This year, the race was June 9th, and was also set on the 17th year anniversary of Bourque hoisting the Stanley Cup. Bourque made the race 7.7K to match his retired jersey number.

Photo courtesy of Bourque Family Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Bourque Family Foundation.

The Boston Bruins Foundation was the presenting sponsor for the event.

More Events to Come

Ray stated that the foundation’s plan is to do three events a year. He has the 7.7K race, and on August 30th they will have an event at the Golf Club of New England in Stratham, NH. After that, the there will be a curling competition in the winter.
Follow the Bourque Family Foundation on Instagram , Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on events.

Kyrie Irving Readdresses Future with Celtics

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It’s been just a day since Kyrie Irving caused a storm of rumors centered around his future with the Celtics. On Monday, he spoke once more on the topic. In an interview with Boston Sports Journal, Irving expressed his excitement to get back on the court next season and play with a completely healthy group.

“I’m just excited to see what that looks like, really getting that experience with (Hayward) and seeing what other pieces we have going forward,” Irving told BSJ’s Brian Robb. “I think that’s the exciting part about all this is that when you’re shaping up to gear up to be a championship-caliber team for years to come- which I think (Danny Ainge) has echoed for a little bit. I’m just appreciative to be a part of it and see where my career can take off as well. I’m excited.”

It’s safe to presume that Kyrie Irving is excited about next season and what the future has in store. While this statement does expand upon his earlier quote published by NY Times’ Sopan Deb, it still leaves a bit of ambiguity in the air for further interpretation on his long-term future with the team.

Esoteric Kyrie

Anyone who knows Kyrie Irving should expect this level of vagueness out of him in response to such a question. Irving has always been the ‘live in the present type’ of guy. He is famous for his obscure statements about topics such as the flat Earth theory, diet preferences, faked moon landings, and the nonexistence of dinosaurs.

Kyrie Irving is either a major conspiracy theorist, or one of the NBA’s biggest trolls. He tends to take long-winded routes to his response to even the simplest questions. Take this post game interview with Jaylen Brown for instance.

If Kyrie Irving was asked about what he was going to eat for dinner later, he would probably tell you that he needs to focus on lunch first. He would follow that up with another two or three sentence response about why he feels that way. Expecting Kyrie to commit his future to the Celtics with a year left on his contract just isn’t realistic.

Kyrie In the Present

What the world knows now is that in the present Kyrie Irving is happy. He is excited to get back to basketball and play with a good young group of guys. Kyrie cannot wait to see fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward back at full health. He’s also ecstatic about the direction the organization is heading in, and he is excited to be a part of it.

The Celtics will have to wait another year before Kyrie Irving makes a decision on his future with the franchise. Until that day arrives, Celtics fans should relax and enjoy the ride. Oh, and definitely some more of this.

Contract Dispute with Gronk

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The Problem

Is there a contract dispute brewing on the fields of Foxboro? After the eruptions following mini camp from Reddit “journalists” and other media members who should know better, the alarms have calmed down to their natural levels of halfway to panic. Reports out of Patriot Place say that while the team and their star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, work towards a contract extension, nothing is imminent. This is not surprising. The Patriots move very slowly with these high-visibility negotiations. Couple that with Gronk’s extensive injury history and multiple years left on his deal and you have the perfect recipe for contentious rumors floating around. It reminds me of the Wilfork years when there were constant starts and stops for a franchise icon looking to maximize his earnings and stay with a team that he loves.

Market Forces

The market is forcing this constant “will he or won’t he” dialogue.  Gronk is grossly underpaid given his on-field production. In 2012 he signed a six-year, $54M dollar deal, the richest at that time for a tight end. Since then, free agency has yielded several contracts that have equaled or his surpassed number 87’s. Contracts for players that don’t equal his offensive statistics, and don’t bring his exceptional blocking ability to the table. Still, the team took a chance on a young prospect with back troubles. They have not been too tough on him despite the numerous missed games and seasons as well as the antics off the field from the well-known reveler.

The Resolution

This deal will likely produce many more rumors and reports of displeasure from one side or the other. The alternative would be for the team to trade away a once-in-a-generation player and one of the most feared weapons in the game. R-E-L-A-X and breathe. This is how the Patriots conduct business. Business that has so far yielded returns of five Superbowl rings.

Lots of Fake Reporting Going on in Foxborough

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Some False Reporting Going on in Foxborough

Friday was an off day at Gillette Stadium. The team didn’t have practice and Belichick was enjoying the off day in New York City. According to Barstool Sports, however, there were reports that Rob Gronkowski was no longer going to be a Patriot by the end of the day. Another “reliable” source reported that Belichick had a meeting with Kraft about trading Gronkowski. Brady stepped in and threatened to retire if they traded Gronkowski. Needless to say, that was all fake and the meeting never happened.

Gronkowski was going to be possibly be traded in the offseason, according to Tom E Curran of NBC Sports Boston. All of the fake reporting Friday was quickly shut down. The real reporting comes from the beat reporters and people that cover the team. When I said in April Belichick was retiring at the end of the season, I found out from an insider at Patriot Place. There is tension there is drama, but Friday was all nonsense and believing some guy from Attleboro because he has a blue check mark on Twitter. Pathetic.

Tom Brady Wasn’t Going to Retire

Tom Brady wasn’t going to retire after this season. He might have threatened it in the offseason if they traded Gronkowski, however, he wasn’t going anywhere. Why should he retire when Josh McDaniels was returning? There was no meeting on Friday. Maybe there was in the offseason, and Barstool just wanted to break something big. Then other “reporters” wanted to join in on the fun.

As for Tom Brady, he’ll be skipping the rest of OTAs. Don’t expect to see him until Training Camp which begins in July. Brady will probably spend the next month with his family, doing fundraisers, and be traveling the world. He’ll also prepare at TB12. Enjoy all the gossip talk on the radio this week on how Friday was a fake news day in Foxborough.

J.D. Martinez Is the Opposite of Pablo Sandoval

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Boston is a place with high expectations. When it comes to sports, you can’t ever just go take your money and not play your hardest. That won’t fly. Unfortunately, there have been some cases of this very problem within the last few years. Big money free agents have signed with the Red Sox, and didn’t play near to their expectations. There are a number of reasons for this. Boston could have signed players at the start of their decline. Maybe a few players just didn’t care, or didn’t understand passionate us fans are.

You have to realize that these players aren’t robots and are humans with feelings and emotions, just like us. Some just can’t handle the pressure the way others feed off of it. We get that. So a lot of the blame can also be on the front office on a lot of these deals.

We’ve learned over the years that money is mostly what these free agents care about. Whoever gives them the highest paycheck is whose jersey they’ll put on. No matter the city or market. With situations like that, they almost can never end well. Sometimes you can get out of it like the Red Sox did with Carl Crawford (thank you LA). Sometimes you just can’t shake them (ahem, Sandoval). What this can do is scar some fans and make them not want to see any free agent go anywhere near their team, understandably. Now yes, of course many contracts don’t end well. But that’s not to say some don’t NOT end well, either. 

J.D. Isn’t like That

When J.D. Martinez was a free agent, many Sox fans didn’t want him. Especially after his agent, Scott Boras, said the price tag on his client was $200 million. Well, really nobody wanted him after that. Dave Dombrowski talked for most of the offseason about how he was comfortable with what we already had. Was he 100% out on J.D.? No. Why give the fans any hope if it could just end up not happening?

The waiting game lasted the whole offseason and into Spring Training. Eventually it ended, and on February 26, 2018 it became official. JD Martinez was the newest member on the Red Sox. The best part about it was the fact that the contract was such a steal. 

With the recent failures of Crawford and Sandoval, it’s still understandable for the Red Sox fan base to worry. It makes sense. But there was just a feeling that I and many Sox fans had that this one was going to be different. It was the same feeling I had with Chris Sale last year. I just knew he’d be great. He’s been beyond that since. And he has grown to be one of the most beloved players on this team. J.D. is joining him. J.D. Martinez has been unbelievable since he signed here. He has a .314/.374/.646 so far with an OPS over a thousand. Not bad! One of the things missing from last year’s team was power. He’s brought the power alright.

Through 60 games, he has 21 home runs. We’re still over a month away from the All-Star break. J.D. has been everything we’ve asked for and beyond, working extra hard to stay as good as he’s been. It’s crazy to see after witnessing Pablo Sandoval do literally nothing for this team for 2 1/2 years. Martinez works on his swing all the time, taking videos of his swings during batting practice and seeing what he can do to improve. He goes up to the plate every night expecting to do well and nothing else. This sounds like a robot in a lab who’s made FOR playing in Boston. So far from what we’ve seen when it’s all said and done, J.D. Martinez may end up being one of the best free agent signings, ever. 

Now yes, as exciting as it has been, I along with everyone can’t get ahead of ourselves. It’s only June. There is still a lot ahead of us. It will take a lot for J.D. to be as great as guys like Papi and Pedro were to Boston. But so far he’s shown he’s capable of building himself to be a legend. He is the perfect free agent signing for the Red Sox. 

David Price is Back

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The Red Sox have been on a tear to start the season, sitting behind the Yankees by mere percentage points while owning the most wins in baseball. Offense has been the talk of the town for this Sox team, as the team leads the majors in runs, hits, and batting average. They are second in home runs and RBIs, trailing only the Yankees. As fantastic as MLB’s top offense has been through 65 games, they have received a lot of help from their All-Star pitching core in Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and David Price.

Price’s Hot Streak

No pitcher on the team has been hotter than Price as of late. Last night Price delivered the team a fifth win in his last six outings. He pitched for six innings and gave up only two runs on five hits. This is Price’s second longest winning streak of his career.

“I’m throwing the baseball better and I’m throwing better strikes,” said Price. “I’m throwing it better when I have two outs and that has kind of been my Achilles’ heel this year, giving up that big hit with two outs and runners in scoring position. That is something that has hurt me a lot.”

In Price’s last six starts, he owns a 2.89 ERA, 1.1 whip, and 9.64 K/9 innings. His velocity is up and his confidence is back.

Playoff Demons

After appearing in only 16 games in the 2017 season (five of which came out of the bullpen), people started to become concerned about his future. Boston gave Price the largest pitching contract in MLB history in 2016 (7-years, $217 million). He responded with a 17-9 record in his debut season, but failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs as his team was swept handily by the Indians.

In his lone playoff start, Price gave up five runs in only 3.5 innings before being pulled from the game. Playoff demons have haunted Price throughout his career, demons Boston hoped to eliminate when they signed him on.

Now it looks as if Price will be given a second chance to right the ship and prove he can step up in October. He is pitching with a purpose, like a man on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. When asked about Price’s recent stretch of success, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “There’s purpose behind every pitch”. With his team holding the second best record in baseball, all indications point to a long playoff run for the Red Sox.

David Price is Back

In a season full of purpose for the Sox, Price is delivering all the right things at the right time. He holds a 4.0 ERA on the season and has a 7-4 record. He has recorded 72 strikeouts in just 74.1 innings played thus far. As long as he can continue delivering for the team Boston will continue to roll.

Now is the time for Price to earn his record-breaking contract and show the world why the Red Sox invested so much into him only a few short years ago.

You can find me on Twitter @Celtichottakes

Boston Harbor to the Big Apple?

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If you’ve never been, New England weather is crazy. Multiple blizzards in a week, snow showers in April, and trade winds all year. You can’t Google a sports team around here and not see a headline surrounding controversy, especially lately. Recently, Kyrie Irving’s name has come up as speculation that he may leave TD Garden for Madison Square’s next year with his upcoming pending free agency.

There’s been reported concern, said Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports/NBC Sports Boston on Thursday during his podcast, that the New York Knicks are a ‘real threat’. And it holds weight. Not only had Uncle Drew openly stated desire to break ankles in front of Spike Lee, but he’s been non-committal to Danny and the gang, which doesn’t always appease Ainge. You thought this year was funky? The fun hasn’t even started for Boston. For now, let’s examine some reasons Kyrie could be playing with a unicorn instead of a leprechaun.

The Grass Isn’t Always ‘Greener’

From the time Kyrie hit the court in Boston, he dazzled the crowd with shifty ball handling and magican-like passing. Scoring at a high level with 24.4 PPG, he’s the prototype PG you’d want on your team. Never selfish and always supportive, he proved himself the leader he sought to be when he forced his way from LeBron’s shadow in Cleavland. That shadow has seemed to eclipse what the Celtics had accomplished all year, and Kyrie’s future with a team, once again though.

Having ‘witnessed’ LBJ suffer a sweep in quest for #4 last night, and with a third decision coming for who he will play with next, Boston was cited as a team that James said he would be looking to “have a conversion” with. That’s not really a good thing if you’re Kyrie Irving. It touches on the underlying distaste Kyrie has for James. Adding LBJ to a team Irving made his own would unequivocally demolish the relationship he formed with Celtics brass.

Let’s not forget, Kyrie never wanted to play with LeBron in the first place. At the time when he signed a max deal in Cleveland, he was under the impression the Cavs were trying to build around him. Reported by ESPNs Brian Windhorst, it was said KI wanted out of Cleavland – for years. He especially didn’t want to be second banana to James. He was also tired of the lectures and drama that came with being his teammate. It’s just something Kyrie never signed up for. Why would Danny consider meeting with LeBron knowing the life Kyrie came from? Even the possibility of James coming to Boston could be enough for Irving to go where he really wants to play, for the New York Knicks.

Kyrie Irving “very badly” wants to be a Knick, he “wants to come home”

When rumors hit the internet, it leaves open an endless discussion of what if’s and how so’s. A breeding ground for trade scenarios and a platform for fans to express their hatred or likeness for one move or another. Enter Celtics fans. For months, it’s been speculated what Boston might do with Smart, Rozier, Horford, Brown, Lucky the Leprechaun, and the janitor who sweeps the court. Enter Kyrie. True, rumors are just that, but when a player outwardly expresses a desire to join a team (ex. Carmelo Anthony, Paul George?), you have to take it as truth. Players sign with who they want and for their reasons. Boston has important choices to make that would either continue their path to glory or slow the process. Enter Danny Ainge.

There was open conversation back when DA robbed the state of Ohio that Kyrie originally wanted to play for the Knicks. ESPNs Pablo Torre reported on ‘First Take’ last year that Kyrie “very badly wants to play for New York .. wants to come home” Why? A franchise that’s ended the careers of endless players, it’s team you went to die (i.e. also Melo). The players that go to New York seem to never be the same. Why in the world would Kyrie want to go there? Because it’s not that anymore.

Sure, the Knicks have been the laughing-stock of the NBA, but who hasn’t? With Kristaps Porzingis, aka the Unicorn, jumping over rainbows and defenders, the Knicks seemingly have some things cooking at MSG now with the hire of David Fizdale and a top-10 draft pick. Kyrie wants to be apart of that. And Boston is a lot further to New Jersey, Irving’s hometown, than Manhattan. New York is the place where the heart of basketball resides, and the orange is in Kyrie’s blood. Fifty major sports teams championships to 35 instead a bad touch, either.

Doesn’t he have all that in Boston, minus being only a little further from home and a few less rings? Can’t Irving help increase that number? Sure, but the NBA is an unforgiving mistress. Just ask IT. A business over all, Danny has things to think about in search of banner #18. Smart wants to come back, LeBron wants to find an easier way to a championship, and Kyrie’s knee is on its last legs (pun intended). Brown and Tatum are the future, and who better to mold both than Tatum’s idol, LBJ.

Trading Irving would rid a contract and make room for LeBron. It’s unlikely, but we’ve seen Danny pull rabbits out of hats before. Plus, DA isn’t fond of injuries or players who suffer from them, something Kyrie has a history of. He also took a page out of Belichick’s book and sheds players who speak loudly or are non-committal. Below is quote from today that shows Kyrie dodging a question on his future with the Celtics. He did this same sort of thing before leaving Cleveland. Remember when IT wanted the Brinks truck? That quickly turned into the ambulance. Kyrie says all the right things, but does he mean them?

Doesn’t know his astrology but knows where, and who, he wants to play with

In Kyrie’s mind, LeBron is the Joker to his Batman, the Earth is flat, and he wants to play in New York. The potential for NY getting back to being the ‘Mecca’ is premature, but adding a player who already wants to play for you in Kyrie could make him something of a ‘prophet’. Plus, the New York market for a 25-year-old with a sneaker line could have Kyrie seeing a different kind of green.

Kyrie has always wanted to be the one of, if not the main focal point for his team. With the emergence of young talent Boston’s been able to produce and Hayward coming off injury, would it be plausible to assume Kyrie might take a smidge of a backseat? He also wants no part of an LBJ reunion. In New York, he’d be top dog alongside Porzingis in a PG heavy, dish and drive Fizdale offense. Something Kyrie made an All-Star career out of. Check out this headline back in February, around the time KP suffered his season ending knee injury.

Point of interests, New York would have the money to sign Kyrie come 2019. They may also have a well established core in Frank Ntlikina and Emmanuel Mudiay, tied with a strong draft and free agency. That could be enticing enough to suit up in front Walt Frazier nightly. For now, as it’s been, this is speculation. And who knows, Kyrie also mentioned he wanted to join the Spurs, Timberwolves and Heat. They could also be on the radar but don’t look to deep into that. His shot total would see a hike if with NY. It might decrease with Boston at full strength, and so would his PPG. Again, Kyrie wants to be alpha of the group. With the pups in Boston growing into the big dogs, where would that leave room for Kyrie in an already Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown fan mindset?

Say ‘Uncle’

Earlier this morning when @SopanDeb tweeted, reports of “real fear” within the Celtics organization regarding Kyrie and his open desire to play in New York were alive. With the Celtics needing minimal roster improvements and the face of the franchise hating your biggest free agent target, what will Boston do that keeps Irving in the South Shore? Rather, what will Irving do to force DA to choose; the NBA’s prodigal son, or its Heavily Father?

Danny has the basketball mind of legends, with tales of his roster moves heard far and wide. Alas, heard just as wide are his exiles. Kyrie isn’t a stranger though to his own general manager moves, forcing a trade within days of the story breaking from a winning Cleveland team. A player of his caliber could certainly demand it, as he’s crossed up defenders on his way to a five-time All-Star and NBA Champion career so far. All while still taking you to the hole and finishing off glass. He has leverage, especially since helping Boston to a #2 seed in the East.

Not an easy one for DA, and might sting more than most former moves for Boston fans if he’s traded or goes elsewhere. It might hurt a little more if he leaves willingly to a divisional team like the Knicks, being in the same conference as well. Could KI be in NY sooner than he know it? The writing seems to be on the wall, so let’s get Ainge on board to NOT book a flight for LeBron to TF Green anytime soon. Kyrie is too valuable at his position, and Boston doesn’t have a Kyrie Irving talent in the wings. The C’s are on the brink of bringing back that ‘dynasty’ reputation but have their plate full with question marks. If Kyrie decides New York’s pizza is better than Boston’s, he could leave Boston hungry. Bon appetite.

Please make sure to follow me on Twitter @JaxBrown725

Down on the Farm 6/2-6/8

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*Every weekend I will be updating you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), the Greenville Drive (A), and Salem Red Sox (High A). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, I will have a prospect of the week section at the end.

Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 3-3 over the week, and they are now 27-31 on the season. The Sox started off the week with a 5-3 loss at the hands of Durham. Chandler Shepherd only gave up one run over six innings, but Austin Maddox gave up three runs in relief. They bounced back from the loss with a 4-2 win. Justin Haley gave up one run over 5.1 innings to pick up the win. Cole Sturgeon hit two solo home runs, his first since his promotion. Louisville knocked them off 7-4 after an off day on the 4th.

Adam Lind went deep, but Fernando Rodriguez Jr. gave up three runs in three innings of relief. The Sox bounced back and won 8-1 the next day. Aneury Tavarez and Dan Butler knocked in three runs apiece to lead the offense. They continued their momentum and beat the Bats 5-1. Chandler Shepherd did not allow a run over six innings and Rusney Castillo knocked in two runs, including a solo home run. The Sox closed out the week with a tough 8-1 loss against Indiana. The offense was quiet and starter Teddy Stankiewicz gave up six runs in two innings.

Portland Sea Dogs

Portland went 3-3 over the week, and they are now 21-38. The Sea Dogs started off the week with a dominating 14-5 win over the Senators. Matthew Kent picked up the win over 6.1 innings and Jantzen Witte knocked in five runs. They continued their momentum with a 6-2 win the next day. Teddy Stankiewicz got the win by giving up two runs in six innings. They had an off day on the 4th, then were defeated by the Baysox on the 5th, 7-1. Dedgar Jimenez took the loss, giving up four runs in six innings and the offense was stifled.

Portland rebounded from the loss with a 5-1 win the next day. Kyle Hart was dominant, allowing just one run in seven innings. Luke Tendler led the offense by driving in three runs. Their late comeback was not enough as they lost 7-5 the following day. The Baysox scored six runs in the sixth. The staff only gave up one earned run, and the defense committed three errors. They closed out the week with an 8-2 loss against the RubberDucks. Durin O’Linger gave up six runs in 2.1 innings, and the offense was quiet.

Greenville Drive

The Drive went 6-1 on the week, and they are now 20-39 on the season. Greenville started off the week with a 13-5 blowout win over the Tourists. Tanner Nishioka knocked in three runs, and Frankie Rios and Marino Campana knocked in two apiece. They had a comeback win in the ninth, by the score of 7-6. Victor Acosta tied the game and Tanner Nishioka won it with a single. They had an off day on the 4th and a doubleheader on the 5th.

They dropped the first game 2-0 and won the second game 5-2. The Drive defeated the GreenJackets 2-0, because of Jhonathan Diaz’s seven innings of shutout baseball. They continued their momentum and won 5-4 the following day. Victor Acosta led the team by driving in two runs. They closed out the week with another walk-off win, this time in ten innings. Kevin Suarez walked to win the game.

 

Salem Red Sox

The Sox went 2-4 over the week and are now 28-29 on the year. Salem started off the week with a 7-5 loss at the hands of the Blue Rocks. The game was tied in the ninth, but Durin O’Linger gave up two runs in the ninth to lose the game. They lost another tough game the next day by the score of 5-4. Roniel Raudes was mediocre in his start, giving up four runs over six innings. They had an off day on the 4th and lost again on the 5th, 6-5. Salem lost on a walk-off single given up by Daniel Gonzalez. They rebounded from the tough losses with a 9-4 win against the Dash. Both Chris Madera and Santiago Espinal knocked in three runs. They continued their momentum and won 7-3. The Sox were down 3-2 but rallied to score five runs in the final three innings to win. They were walked off in ten innings to close out the week. Taylor Ahearn gave up a single to lose the game.

Prospect of the Week- Tristian Casas

Position- 1B

Team- Just drafted in the first round this week, will most likely report to Lowell

Bats left but throws right

A 50 on the 20-80 scouting scale, according to MLB.com

Jacob Hollister’s Opportunity

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“That’s where a lot of players, I’d say almost all players make a big jump—whether that is reflective in their status on the field, that’s another question. But just from a development as a football player, that second year is a big year. It’s a great opportunity for them to take that first-year knowledge that they don’t have as a rookie and be able to apply it in their job now.”

Bill Belichick.

 

The head coach of the New England Patriots often stresses the importance of making sure that a player is constantly progressing in his skill set and evolving his talents. A player’s biggest jump will be from year one to year two, BB is credited with saying. Many reasons factor into this. Familiarity in the system, a normal player off-season, NFL quality nutrition and strength training, among others.

Opportunity

On the Patriots there is one individual poised to make the most of his opportunity. He is part of a future trivia question: what team had not one, but two sets of twins on its roster and what season? The answer is the New England Patriots and the 2018 offseason. Time will tell if all four of them make the team. But Devin McCourty is a lock, and his brother Jason is not too far behind him. The other twins are a little more obscure. Cody Hollister is a wide receiver who spent his rookie year on the practice squad. His roster spot is always tenuous. The competition for the wide receivers will be fierce during training camp. His brother has a much clearer path.

Making the Most of It

Jacob Hollister already beat out one NFLer for a roster spot his rookie season. Late in camp last year, Jacob won the third tight end spot after the team cut James O’Shaughnessy. Hollister saw action sparingly as Gronk stayed healthy and Dwayne Allen contributed as a good blocker all season long. Tallying only 4 catches for 42 yards, his rookie season was still a valuable learning experience. He is showing up in offseason activities ready to compete.

The Skill Set

The Patriots have him listed at 239 pounds and 6’4″. The reviews from around the latest mini camp are that he has added some really good weight. He worked with Kevin Boss in Oregon to increase his skills as an in-line blocker. The increased familiarity of the system will aid him in his quest for a covered NFL roster spot. He seemed to take advantage of Gronk’s decision to sit out voluntary activities and put himself at the head of the pack heading into training camp.

“I think it’s just becoming reliable and earn the trust of your teammates,” Hollister said. “Obviously, you’ve got to earn the trust of your quarterback and earn the trust of everyone on the team, really.”

And he’s obviously been reading the Patriots manual on talking to the media as well.

The Mission

Carving a role for Hollister is key to making the roster for his sophomore season. Backing up Gronk and being a viable option for three TE sets will go a long way in keeping the offense balanced and the formations complex. The key to this is his blocking ability. If he proves that he can hold his own against the professionals on defense, he’s a lock for the third tight end spot at least. And should Gronk or Allen miss extended time at all, we could hearing his name a lot more this season.