Red Sox Lose Their First Series

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Red Sox Couldn’t Hit Saturday and Sunday

Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts celebrates his home run with Andrew Benintendi, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Anaheim Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)The 17-4 Red Sox lost their first series of the season. The Red Sox went without a hit on Saturday for the first time since 1993. On Friday night, though, the Red Sox beat the Athletics 7-3. The Red Sox had 11 hits in the win and Oakland had ten. Drew Pomeranz took the mound and really didn’t pitch well Friday night, only pitching 3.2 innings. Pomeranz gave up three runs, walked two, and had seven strikeouts. Hector Velazquez pitched three innings, giving up just four hits and one strikeout.

No-Hit Red Sox

Via NBC Sports

On Saturday Chris Sale was pitching, so easy win right? Wrong. Sean Manaea pitched a no-hitter, striking out ten batters. Manaea said after the game that he didn’t realize he was pitching a no-hitter until the eighth inning. Manaea had been bad against Boston in his earlier three starts, going 1-2 with a 13.50 ERA. Hanley Ramirez Tweeted after the game saying “Congratulations Sean Manaea, you were really good tonight bro”. Chris Sale struck out ten batters, but gave up three runs on six hits and one walk in seven innings.

Sunday brought a question that maybe Alex Cora left David Price in too long in the eighth inning. Price had already thrown 90 pitches. The score was tied 1-1 and Price was facing Khris Davis. The first pitch Price threw to Davis crushed a three-run homer. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez didn’t play on Sunday for rest, so the team had trouble with A’s pitcher Daniel Mengden. Red Sox didn’t really get the bats going until the seventh inning yesterday. Price stuck out six and threw 96 pitches.

The Toronto Blue Jays Are Next

Now the Red Sox had a day off and travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are 17-4 and are four games up on the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as 5.5 games up on the New York Yankees. There’s still a lot of baseball left it’s a long season, but so far this team has been great.

No Need to Panic After Sox Lose Twice in a Row

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Sox Drop Two in a Row

After an incredible start to the season at 17-2, the Red Sox finally looked human. Over the weekend they dropped two straight games to the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum. The first one was just the offense flat-out taking a nap. Well, maybe the second one too, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Sean Manea of the Oakland A’s had one hell of a performance on Saturday night throwing a no hitter that was not cheap by any standards. Some may say the Leon pop up was a hit, that maybe Benintendi stayed in the baseline, but whatever. That was a no hitter in my eyes. He just flat-out shut our offense down. An offense that was red-hot and the best in the league. So a tip of the cap to Sean Manea.

The second loss might have been a little more frustrating as the offense once again struggled up until the 7th. At that point Brock Holt came on with men on first and second with one out. He ripped a double to right, scoring a run and putting runners on second and third. Vasquez popped up on the first pitch and Tzu Wei Lin struck out on three pitches (although the umpire made some iffy strike calls on that one). This was the turning point in the game. They really could have benefited bringing in an extra run or two for the lead. But they just couldn’t do it.

David Price was pitching great up until the bottom of the eighth, when he got into a jam. With runners of first and second and only one down, he struck out Jed Lowrie. He then gave up a three run homer to Khris Davis on the very next pitch to give the A’s a 4-1 lead. That ended up being the final score. Many will blame Alex Cora for leaving Price in, but I had no problem with it. Price is your horse, a guy who’s supposed to go deep into games and get out of his jams. The fact that he was only at 92 pitches at that point was a good reason to keep him in as well.

The only questionable thing today from I saw today from Cora was the lineup. I didn’t understand why Mookie and Hanley were getting the day off. I know that he plans these days off days ahead of time. But why give them a rest when the next day is a day off for the whole team? Nonetheless, the Red Sox lost two tough games in a row. But if you’re panicking, don’t, because you know what? Despite losing two in a row, this team has still won eight of their last ten games and are 17-4 on the season. 17-4 isn’t that bad of a record last I checked. You also have to remember that this is baseball season, the best of the best lose at least 50-70 games. It happens. It’s a long year, and it’s only April.

The Red Sox also ran into a hot Oakland A team. Ever since being 5-10 last week, Oakland now has won five of their last six and are 11-11 on the year.

Boston got a day off today to recharge before heading to Rogers Centre on Tuesday to take on the Blue Jays for a three game series. Rick Porcello will take the mound and try to get the Sox back into the win column against J.A Happ in game one.

If you have worries after these last two games, just remember that this team has a 17-4 record. It’s going to be okay. We just have to shake these losses off, go into Toronto and win the series before going back home.

The 100 Year Anniversary of the 1918 World Series Red Sox

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Anniversary of the 1918 Red Sox

1918 was a year that was host to many pivotal moments in history. In November, World War I ended. It was also the year of the Spanish Flu breakout, that would ended up infecting approximately 500 million people around the world.

On a lighter note, however, 1918 saw the Boston Red Sox win the World Series against the Chicago Cubs in six games. The Red Sox finished the regular season with a 76-50 record, a .603 winning percentage.  The 1918 regular season was cut short because of the WWI “Work or Fight” order. This was the only World Series to be played entirely in September, as well as one of three Fall Classics to not feature a home run from either team. This also marked the first time the Star Spangled Banner was performed at a major league baseball game.

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Lineup

Jumping into the actual team itself, the most popular player from this team was obviously Babe Ruth. There was only one other Hall of Famer on this ball club, Harry Hooper. Hooper was a 30 year old right fielder in 1918, in which he batted .298 and had a .796 OPS. Ruth, on the other hand led the league in Slugging (.555) and OPS (.966).

Also, the 23 year old compiled a 2.22 ERA with a 13-7 record and a 1.046 WHIP. He was about as valuable to a team as a player could possibly be. Other noteworthy pitchers include Carl Mays, who pitched in 35 games compiling a 2.21 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, Sam Jones with a 2.25 ERA in 24 games pitched, and “Bullet” Joe Bush who in 36 games compiled a 2.11 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. In fact, as a team, the Sox achieved a 2.31 ERA. This could be attributed to the low scoring qualities teams had in the dead-ball era.

star-spangledbanner-1918

The Series

The first three games were played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ironically, Comiskey Park was the home of the White Sox for 80 years (1910-1990). It was the better choice of venue over Weeghman Park because it had a second deck for viewers and held twice as many people. The Sox took two out of three in as many consecutive days in Chicago, and then took the series to Fenway Park.

The Red Sox won two out of three in Fenway as well, resulting in a series win. Babe Ruth went 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA between Games 1 and 4. This would be the last time the Sox won a World Series until 2004, when the curse was finally broken. Also, this marked the last time the Sox won a World Series on their own field until 2013. Meanwhile, it took the Cubs another 98 years before they would go on to win their next World Series as well. If history truly repeats itself, this could be the last year the Red Sox could win a World Series before another 86 year drought.

Hopefully one comes sooner than that, of course.

@ELJGON

Reds’ Firing of Bryan Price Impact on the Red Sox

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(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

On Wednesday, April 18, the Cincinnati Reds announced the firing of manager Bryan Price. He was fired after only 18 games in the 2018 season. This is a sign for Reds fans that they are in for a long season. The Reds were a dreadful 3-15 at the time of the firing, which puts them at a meager 0.167 winning percentage. This is the worst start in franchise history since 1931, when the Reds started 2-16. Now, how would this impact the Red Sox? Aren’t the Reds in a different league and division?

This firing sends a message to the rest of league. The message reads, “We are giving up. We are throwing in the towel, and we are ready to start tanking”. Well, this strategy of roster management is becoming popular in the MLB. This strategy is also proven to work. There is no need to look back too far, for the 2017 Astros and 2016 Cubs are prime examples.

The Astros sold off many of their assets at the 2010 trade deadline, therefore starting the tanking. Because of their poor records, they were able to get high draft picks, which they used to draft George Springer in 2011, Carlos Correa in 2012, and Lance McCullers Jr. in 2012. The Cubs also were sellers at the 2012 deadline, and again, because of bad performance, they were able to draft Kris Bryant in 2013 and Kyle Schwarber in 2014.

We could see the Cincinnati Reds as major sellers at the trade deadline this year.

Trade Targets

One of the main criticisms of the offseason for the Red Sox was the inability to acquire another quality reliever. Well, look no further than 28-year old right-hander Raisel Iglesias. Iglesias is a bit of a late bloomer, but he is becoming an elite closer for the Reds.

(USA Today Sports Images)

In 2017, Raisel Iglesias had a 2.49 ERA in 76 innings pitched, while recording 28 saves in 30 save opportunities. We wouldn’t be looking for him to close games, since we already have Craig Kimbrel, but he would be a quality 8th inning man. Iglesias is already off to a great start in 2018, posting a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched. The Red Sox would probably have to give up close to what they gave up for Addison Reed in 2018, so we’re looking at 3 or 4 mid-level prospects.

A minor transaction the Sox could look at possibly doing is a trade for 26-year old left-hander Wandy Peralta. One of the main criticisms of the offseason was not acquiring a left-handed reliever, and this deal would correct that.

While the Red Sox are already getting acceptable performances out of Bobby Poyner, it would be great to have two left handers in the bullpen. Peralta recorded a 3.75 ERA in 81.2 innings for the Reds last season. So far this year, has not given up a run in 9.2 innings pitched. The value for Wandy Peralta would be very low, for the Red Sox would only have to give up no more than one low-level prospect or just cash.

One Other Firing to Think About

One thing that has been talked about endlessly on MLB Network is who would replace Bryan Price. Well, since he’s already a scout in their organization, it would not be surprising if the Reds hired former Red Sox manager, John Farrell. We may have bad memories of Farrell, but he was not a bad manager record-wise. John Farrell had a record of 432-378 in 5 years as the skipper for the Red Sox, and won a World Series in 2013 with the team. To other teams, that resume doesn’t look too bad.

Giancarlo Stanton Can’t Handle the Pressure of New York

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It wasn’t long ago that Red Sox Nation was collectively brought to its hands and knees, begging for Giancarlo Stanton. He has the power that the Sox need, and one can only imagine the damage he’d do at Fenway Park.  He hit 59 home runs last season in Miami, which could translate to 70+ in Boston. It could’ve been a great fit, but this selling point wasn’t enough.  Following in the footsteps of Alex Rodriguez, Stanton is now a New York Yankee.  Missing out on Stanton is tough, but he isn’t looking like the $25,000,000 man he’s made out to be.

DISSECTING THE NUMBERS

Through 20 games and 91 plate appearances, Stanton has racked up a grand total of 15 hits. This accumulates to a .185 batting average, and his home run production doesn’t made him look any better. He has four home runs on the season, which puts him on pace for 32 by year’s end. This would be a 46% decrease from his total a year ago. It’s not a good look for the reigning home run champion.  He has the potential to tear the cover off the ball, but it isn’t happening yet in New York.  Hitting for power is his forte, so this is surely frustrating for the Yankees.

Stanton’s stats at home are particularly atrocious.  As if things could get even worse, he has a dismal .100 average in front of his home fans.  This is the last thing that the Yankees envisioned, but going 0 for 5 and 0 for 7 in the same week isn’t going to help the numbers.  The strikeouts are also an issue.  He’s currently averaging 1.6 strikeouts per game with a total of 32 K’s.  This is way up from his 1.05 strikeouts per game through eight years in Miami.  He really just seems out of sync from the player he’s been his whole career.

These aren’t numbers you’d expect out of Stanton, but he just seems uncomfortable all around.  Striking out five times is in two separate games is unprecedented for a player of this caliber.   This just goes to show how much he’s in his own head.  His confidence is at rock bottom, and this isn’t helping anything.

ADAPTING TO THE CULTURE

If Stanton were to continue on this trajectory, he would finish his first season in New York hitting .185 with 32 home runs, 97 RBI’s, and 259 strikeouts.  This isn’t what the Yankees are paying him to do.  He is yet to earn a dime of his $25,000,000 salary, and the fans are letting him hear it.  He’s been consistently showered with boos and as a result his production has declined even more.  This is all part of playing in a New York, and Stanton needs to learn how to block out the noise.

The Yankees have a passionate fan base and Stanton needs to produce to get on their good side.  If you don’t play up to your capabilities, the fans will be tough on you.  It’s that simple.  The same thing applies to Boston and the other major sports cities around the country.  Nobody gets a free pass because of who they once were.  You’re only as good as your last game, and Stanton is starting to figure that out.  Things might be different once he gives the fans a real reason to cheer.  Until then, he just has to roll with the punches.

He’ll snap out of it eventually, but Stanton has yet to prove than he can handle playing in a bigger market.

The Red Sox Should Not Underestimate the Oakland A’s

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It is safe to say that the Red Sox are red hot right now heading into Oakland. They are coming off three game sweep against the Anaheim Angels, who were also hot going into the series. The offense and pitching did everything right, as they won the first game 10-1, the second game 9-0, and the final game of the series, 8-2. The Red Sox outscored the Angels 27-3 in this series. Pretty amazing. They now begin a three game set against the Athletics at the O.Co Coliseum.

There is one thing for certain. Although the A’s currently sit in fourth place in the AL West, they are not a team to take lightly. There are many things to talk about as far as the bullpen and the rotation go, but we’re going to talk about this lineup they have over in Oakland. To start, this lineup is extremely underrated. It might very well be the most underrated offense in the game, a big reason being that there are lots of overlooked hitters alone in that lineup. They can really kill you with the long ball, as they are third in the majors in home runs. Khris Davis, and Jed Lowrie, who is one of the hottest hitter on the planet right now, are two of the bigger power threats in that lineup.

Don’t Sleep on Oakland

Matt Chapman, who broke onto the scene last year, has had a monster start to 2018. So far, in 82 plate appearances, he is riding a .296/.390/.563 slash line with a .954 OPS. Not only is he producing greatly at the plate, but he has one of the best gloves in the game, along with one of the best arms in the game over at the hot corner. Matt Chapman is one of the more underrated players in baseball. He has shown that he can hit for power along with getting on base at a good rate, something that he’s done much better this year. He will certainly be someone to look out for.

Now back to Jed Lowrie, who I mentioned before. Lowrie, who was on two very good Oakland teams back in 2013 and 2014, went to Houston for a year. After a down year in 2016, he came back strong in 2017. He has come back even stronger in 2018. His bat is on fire right now, as he is hitting .346/.404/.605 with an OPS over 1.000. He leads all of baseball with 21 RBIs, if you’re into that sort of stat, and is tied for third in all of baseball for home runs at six.

Lowrie vs. Mookie

Who is he tied with? Mookie Betts. Pretty cool coincidence that the two possibly hottest hitters in baseball will be facing off. After a huge series against the Angels, the A’s will have to be careful pitching to Mookie. It will also be the same with the Red Sox pitching staff with Jed Lowrie. The way those two hitters are going right now, if you leave a ball over the plate to one of them, you better be praying to the heavens.

The last but not least of the honorable mentions of the scariest hitters in this underrated lineup, Khris Davis. Davis, one of the more impressive power hitters in the game, is tied with 13 people (it’s very early) with five home runs. What makes him so impressive is he plays half his games in a park that’s meant for football, and still hits 40 a year. Most of his home runs also go to left and right center as well. It’s pretty incredible.

Team Rankings

As a team, the A’s are fourth in batting average, third in On base, and second in slugging. Who else is in the top four of those three stats? Boston. The Red Sox are first in average, first in on base, and first in slugging. This is going to be another exciting series against an Oakland Athletics team that is much better than most would assume. Two very talented offenses will be facing off as the Sox will be looking to keep it rolling.

Remembering a Legend: Gil Santos

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Gil Santos Is a Legend

Via New England PatriotsIt’s a sad day for not only Patriots Nation, but also the whole football world. Gil Santos passed away last night on his 80th birthday and 57th wedding anniversary. Gil Santos will always be remembered as the ‘Voice of the Patriots’ as he called games for 36 wonderful years. At the beginning of his career the Patriots weren’t that good, especially in the 1990s. They had winning seasons and losing seasons, but he always made the game enjoyable no matter what the outcome was.

Gil’s call at the end of the Patriots’ first Super Bowl win in 2002 still gives me chills to this day. He was very fortunate to call four more Super Bowls after that before his retirement in January of  2013 after the AFC Championship game. Scott Zolak took over on color and Bob Socci assumed the play-by-play role. Santos never saw calling Patriots game as a job. He enjoyed doing it and his legacy will live on.

Gil Santos Will Be Remembered for His Voice and so Much More

Santos was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013. Robert Kraft said in a team statement “It was my privilege to honor Gil with his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013 His legacy and most memorable calls will live there for future generations of Patriots fans to enjoy.” Santos also called games for the Boston Celtics and Providence Friars, Penn State Football, Boston College Eagles football, and Brown. Santos called a total of 743 career Patriots games.

Not only was Santos a great broadcaster, he was a great family man. He loved Benjamin’s Restaurant in Taunton, Massachusetts. Santos started broadcasting Patriots’ games for WBZ in 1966 as a color analyst. He took over the play-by-play duties in 1971 when the Patriots moved to Foxborough. Bill Belichick also said in a statement “Gil Santos’ bond with anyone who ever met or heard him is timeless, He will forever remain a special figure in the lives of generations of players, coaches, and fans who knew him and in the lives of those who will hear his legendary voice in the future. Gil was a great friend and he will be missed. His family is in my thoughts and prayers.”

 

Series Review – Red Sox @ Angels

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Game 1 – Shohei Ohtani vs. David Price

This game had a lot of hype going into it. MLB Network was broadcasting this game, and many in Japan were watching, for baseball’s new phenom was pitching for the Halos. Shohei Ohtani, before this game had pitched two games, both being against the Athletics. He had a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings pitched in those two starts. The latter of the two starts, Ohtani had a perfect game through 6 ⅓ innings. Furthermore, if you add in the three home runs and the .367 batting average, that is a recipe for national attention.

Image result for shohei ohtani blister Courtesy: USA Today

This game didn’t go so well…. for Ohtani. The Japanese Babe Ruth pitched two innings, while giving up three earned runs on four hits. Apparently, Ohtani had a blister, and in addition to the terrible pitch count after two innings (66 pitches), that is why he didn’t pitch long. 

It was a different story for David Price. After pitching one inning and giving up four earned runs on three hits, Price looked for redemption in the better weather. He was typical David Price, as he pitched five innings, giving up only one earned run on three hits. He could’ve gone longer, but with Alex Cora’s approach to keeping starters fresh, he pulled Price after 78 pitches. Also, the bullpen looked great, with Brian Johnson going three strong innings and Marcus Walden pitching the 9th.

Certainly, the story of this game was offense. The Red Sox scored ten runs in the game on six home runs. These home runs came from Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Rafael Devers. But the star of this game was Mookie Betts. Betts hit three home runs in this game, one of them coming off Shohei Ohtani in the first at-bat of the game, further lengthening his record of 12 leadoff home runs (at the time). Mookie also tied Ted Williams’ franchise record of three career 3-home run games.

Final Score – Red Sox 10 Angels 1

Game 2 – Tyler Skaggs vs. Rick Porcello

This game had nowhere near the hype that game one did, but this was an important game nevertheless. If the Red Sox won the game, they would remain among the few teams to not lose a series yet this season. The Angels wanted to win this game in order to give them a chance to win the series the next day. Tyler Skaggs had gotten off to a good start this season before this series, having three starts, with a 1.69 ERA through 16 innings of work. Rick Porcello was having the best start of his career through three starts. He was 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19 ⅔  innings.

Porcello continued his amazing start of the year, pitching six innings, and gave up zero earned runs. Tyler Skaggs couldn’t say the same, as he pitched 4 ⅓ innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits. The Red Sox bullpen continued their great work, with Carson Smith, Marcus Walden, and Craig Kimbrel all pitching scoreless innings. The Red Sox continued their hot offensive streak, scoring nine runs total. Two hitters accounted for eight of the runs, as Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam, and Mitch Moreland, my player of the game, also had RBIs. Two of the RBIs were on base hits in the first and third innings, and the other two were on a 2-run homer in the ninth inning. JD Martinez also hit a homer in the seventh inning.

Final Score – Red Sox 9 Angels 0

Game 3 – Nick Tropeano vs. Eduardo Rodriguez

This pitching matchup had no excitement around it, as Nick Tropeano isn’t quite a household name, and Eduardo Rodriguez is at most the fourth-best starter in the Red Sox rotation. Rodriguez had come off a great start against his former team, the Orioles, where he pitched six innings, giving up one earned run on five hits. Tropeano’s first start of the year was against the Royals, where he pitched 6 ⅔ innings of shutout ball.

Eduardo Rodriguez had a good start in this one, working six innings, giving up only two earned runs. On the other side of things, Nick Tropeano was probably the best starter for the Angels this series, but this doesn’t mean much. Tropeano pitched 5 ⅓ innings, and gave up four earned runs on seven hits.

The Red Sox offense continued their hot streak in this one. Remember that leadoff home run record Mookie Betts added to in Game 1 off of Shohei Ohtani? Well, he did it AGAIN. Make that 13 career leadoff home runs. Mookie Betts is off to a ridiculous start, and should be a serious MVP candidate this season. Then, Andrew Benintendi finally got his first home run of the year. On top of that, he had a two-RBI knock in the ninth inning. JD Martinez had a RBI, Mitch Moreland had a RBI flyout, and Rafael Devers had two RBIs.

Final Score – Red Sox 8 Angels 2

 

Cover image courtesy of Jae C. Hong, AP

Can the Red Sox Sweep the Athletics?

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Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are 17-2 with the best record in the MLB. They have yet to lose a series and are on another win streak. The Sox have hit more grand slams in the past three weeks than they have in two years. After Xander Bogaerts was placed on the DL, there was a question of whether or not the Sox would continue their win streak. They did and hit more grand slams (and even more runs). Mookie Betts came back after missing a game due to his bruised ankle. His hot bat never went away and he became the king of Anaheim. He hit at least one home run every game while playing the Angels. The Red Sox also shut down Shohei Ohtani quick in the second inning on Tuesday to prove that they were no one to be taken lightly. Drew Pomeranz also made his season debut Friday after spending time playing in Pawtucket and Portland.

Oakland Athletics

The A’s are 9-11 and fourth in the AL West. They recently swept Chicago in a series. Oakland also brought in bullpen reinforcements to prepare for the series against the Red Sox. Oakland has lost every series except one against the White Sox earlier this week. Lou Trevino made his Major League debut on Tuesday and pitched his first scoreless inning. He has not given up a run yet. Stephen Piscotty seems to be the A’s number one hitter, and the most reliable.

Will the Sox Sweep?

The Red Sox are off to the best start in franchise history, they have hit more grand slams than they have over a two year time span. After taking game one against Oakland yesterday, can the Red Sox sweep yet another series this early into the season?

Sources

BJ Weiss

Boston Red Sox

Oakland Athletics

MLB

Tom Brady Planning a Passing Camp

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Tom Brady Is Doing a Passing Camp in July

(Foxborough, MA, 01/13/16) Wide receiver #11, tight end #87 Rob Gronkowski, and quarterback #12 Tom Brady warm up for Patriots practice at Gillette. Wednesday, January 13, 2016. Staff photo by John Wilcox.Tom Brady will be holding a passing camp in July in Montana with Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and other receivers. That does not sound like someone who is going to retire this season. Brady and Gronkowski are not participating in the offseason workout program, which is voluntary. If you remember in Tom Vs. Time, Brady was in Montana with Edelman and Danny Amendola last season working on drills.

It seems Gronkowski wants a new deal and also wants the Patriots to show him the money. Secondly, I’m not sure Brady wants a contract extension. I think he wants to play this one out and retire. His reason for not be a part of the offseason workout program is because he wants to spend more time with his family. He said all of this in the last episode of ‘Tom Vs Time’. All these reports from ESPN and NFL Network are true to some extent. Yes, he may be holding a passing clinic, but I really doubt he wants a contract extension.

Gisele Wants Him to Retire

His wife and family want him to retire. Gisele has been wanting him to hang it up for a long time. It’s really been known to be true in ‘Tom Vs Time’. Tom wants to feel appreciated and have fun. He doesn’t feel appreciated because Belichick wanted to get rid of him and move on to Jimmy Garoppolo. Now that Garoppolo is no longer a threat, Brady is playing out his contract and feed the media that he wants more money. That is what I think.

Him holding a passing camp pretty much says also he wants things done his way. He really doesn’t want Belichick telling him what to do and cramping his style of getting prepared for games. So Brady will be doing it his way because he has Robert’s support and support from Josh McDaniels, the next head coach for the Patriots starting next season.