The First Series Between the Red Sox and Yankees of 2018 Was a Good One

It looks like Red Sox vs Yankees in 2018 is off to a hot start. This past series between the two teams at Fenway Park was everything we were anticipating. Maybe even more.

Game 1

It all started with absolute onslaught of the Yankees on Tuesday night. Chris Sale went six strong, allowing only one run. Mookie Betts had the game of his life. He racked up four hits and a walk, including a grand slam that would put the cherry on top to make the score 14-1.

The second game was even crazier. It opened up with David Price allowing four runs in the first, and coming out with an apparent “sensation in his fingertips.” He ended up being okay and is planning to make his next scheduled start. In came the bullpen, which did great. Throwing eight innings of two run ball. Both runs? Courtesy of Matt Barnes. Of course.

Game 2

But the craziness started in the top of the third. Tyler Wade bunted to Rafael Devers, who threw to Brock Holt at second to start a double play. The only problem was the double play wasn’t able to be turned, as Holt got spiked in his calf by Tyler Austin, sparking a bench-clearing argument. If you thought that would be the end of that, you were wrong. Skip ahead to the top of the seventh, Austin was up with one out and nobody on. Joe Kelly was on the mound and drilled Austin in the back. Consequently, Austin slammed his bat to the ground, looked at Kelly as he said, “Let’s go”, and charged the mound. An epic brawl broke out, and Kelly and Austin were both ejected. The Red Sox would end up losing the game, 10-6.

All of the players seemed pretty upset about what happened. Everyone voiced their displeasure, including some of the coaches on each team, along with each manager. This will certainly linger throughout the whole year.

Game 3

With a huge game on Thursday, Rick Porcello took the mound. He came through, taking a no hitter into the seventh inning, allowing two hits and no runs. The offense scored six runs off the Yankees’ starter Sony Gray, and won the game 6-3. Kimbrel got the save at the end of the game. The Red Sox won the series, taking 2 out of 3 games.

To recap? Four words: The rivalry is back. All this time, everyone has been trying to force the rivalry back. It’s been going on for years now. The problem is that the Red Sox and Yankees haven’t really been good at the same time for a while. The last time these two went at it in the Postseason was 2004. That was 14 years ago.

When the Yankees got Giancarlo Stanton in the offseason, the Red Sox’ Twitter account quote tweeted a tweet about the news saying “Rivalry???.” Everyone took it as a stupid joke. But it won’t be anymore. With the Red Sox getting J.D. Martinez in the offseason, many predicted the rivalry can only get stronger in the years to come. We can now confirm this is true. And every single Red Sox and Yankee fan should be excited for what’s ahead.

It sure was a fun first series as we saw a whole lot of action. Home runs, good pitching, and just like old times, brawls. These are two very talented teams in the AL East, and they are not fond of each other. The rivalry isn’t a joke anymore. The rivalry is back, folks.

Marchand Ends Playoff Drought

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Starting Strong

Brad Marchand crushed the perception that he can’t perform in the playoffs with a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 5-1 win against Toronto. The performance earned him NBCSN’s first star of the game. His first goal came just five and a half minutes into the game. He caught a pass from Torey Krug, who had drawn both Toronto defenders with a charge across the blue line. With space behind the D, he pulled the puck across his body to flip a backhand over Frederik Andersen. Then, as the second period drew to a close, Marchand shook off Kasperi Kapanen with a deceptive head fake along the corner boards. This gave him space to set up David Pastrnak for a goal from the high slot, the B’s third of the night.

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Making His Case

Marchand came into the game amidst questions about his ability to perform in the postseason. The Canadian left winger had put up just one goal in his last 18 playoff appearances (2014-17). Additionally, he accumulated 24 penalty minutes and averaged half a point per game in the same span. And while Thursday’s points are a good start to the Cup run, Game 1 was Marchand’s 69th game of the 2017-18 campaign. He still has to prove that he can play at the same caliber in game 70, game 75, game 80, and so on. With 53 points and a +20 rating in his last 40 games, Marchand has added momentum from the regular season. There’s no guarantee that the goals will keep coming as the season drags on, but number 63 has given his critics something to think about. Marchand’s Bruins will take the ice again Saturday night at 8 pm for Game 2 against the Maple Leafs.

(Elise Amendola/Associated Press)

On This Day in Red Sox History: Scott Cooper Goes Cycling

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On April 12, 1994, the Red Sox and Royals played the second game of a three game series at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. The Red Sox had won the previous game 8-5 to improve to 5-2 on the season. This game, they would match up 38 year old Danny Darwin with the Royals ace, Kevin Appier. No one would have expected the onslaught that was about to occur.

Red Sox Jump All Over Appier

Kevin Appier was coming off a season which saw him place third in the American League Cy Young vote. His record had been 18-8 and he posted a league leading 2.56 ERA. In three of his four full seasons to this point he had pitched to a sub-3.00 ERA. He was an ace, no doubt about it. But Appier did not have his stuff on this night.

Speedster Otis Nixon started things off with a bunt single. After a walk to Billy Hatcher, Mike Greenwell doubled to right, scoring Nixon for the game’s first run. Mo Vaughn then crushed a pitch down the right field line that resulted in a triple, scoring two runs. Andre Dawson made it five consecutive baserunners when he singled home Mo. The 39 year old Dawson then stole second base, one of only two steals he would record that season, and the last stolen bases of his Hall of Fame career. A Tim Naehring walk brought Scott Cooper to the plate for the first time. Cooper’s double to right scored both baserunners, extending the lead to 6-0 without even one out being recorded. Appier actually set down the next three guys in order to keep the score at 6-0.

The Red Sox tacked on another run in the second when Billy Hatcher homered to left leading off the inning. This was Hatcher’s only home run for the Red Sox that season before being traded on May 31st for Wes Chamberlain. The Royals scratched out a run in the bottom of the inning and it was a 7-1 ballgame after two.

Cooper Provides the Fireworks

Scott Cooper came to bat again in the third. This time his hit to right cleared the wall for a home run, his first of the young season. Two batters later, catcher Dave Valle hit the only home run of his Red Sox career. Valle would be traded in the middle of June for old friend Tom Brunansky. Appier would finish out the inning and call it a night, surrendering nine runs in just three innings of work.

The Royals showed a little fight in the bottom half of the third, getting two men on base for a Dave Henderson three-run home run. But the Red Sox still held a 9-4 lead.

Scott Cooper batted again in the fifth, with two outs and the bases empty. Cooper lined one the other way down into the left field corner. When Vince Coleman went to play it, the ball squirted past him along the fence. Cooper had slowed down, but sped back up on his way to third. He again slowed going around third, but got waved home with two outs. Cooper was meat at the plate, but it gave him the triple, leaving him just a single shy of the cycle.

Red Sox Offense Explodes

Sidearmer and future Red Sox Stan Belinda took the mound for the Royals in the sixth. For some reason he pitched the whole inning. The Red Sox sent 12 men to the plate, scoring eight runs, although just two were earned. Belinda walked four men in the inning and two errors were committed. John Valentin led off the inning with a walk, then later in the inning hit a three-run homer to left-center.

Up 17-4 entering the seventh, the Red Sox still weren’t finished. Facing the Royals closer, the Red Sox expanded their lead to 21-4. Mo Vaughn hit a two-run homer, giving him a triple and a home run on the night. Then, with two men on and needing a single for the cycle, Cooper ripped one to right, scoring both runners. Not being selfish for the cycle, Cooper continued on to second for his second double of the night. Cooper now had 11 total bases and five runs batted in.

Cooper Caps Off the Cycle

Scott Cooper got one more shot to complete the cycle. With the Red Sox now up 22-8, the Royals sent infielder David Howard to the mound to finish the game. Scott Cooper led off the inning against him and hit a sharp ground ball into center field for his fifth hit of the game and to cap off his cycle. This was the first cycle for a Red Sox player since Mike Greenwell completed the feat in 1988.

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the inning but did no more scoring. The Royals got three meaningless runs before the game finished, giving the Red Sox a 22-11 victory. This was the most runs the Sox had scored in a game since they scored 24 against the Cleveland Indians on August 21, 1986. Cooper would go on to be the Red Sox representative in the All-Star Game for the second straight season in 1994. This was the best game of the two time All-Stars career; 12 total bases, 5 runs batted in and the cycle.

Who Will the Patriots Draft at Quarterback?

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Tom Brady Endorsing Lamar Jackson

Tom Brady will go into this season being 41. Belichick knows he has to draft a quarterback this upcoming draft to be realistic. There is no way that Belichick won’t go into this season without drafting a quarterback. It looks like Tom Brady is all in on Lamar Jackson.

On NFL Network’s Instagram, there’s a post which is what you see in the picture below. Tom Brady comments “He’s a beast!!!!” with a thumbs up emoji. Moreover, you can take this one or two ways. One, that’s who Brady wants to be his successor. Or two, he thinks the Patriots defense is horrible and Jackson would run all over the Patriots defense. Personally, I think it’s the first reason.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhcvXfilJ-_/?hl=en&taken-by=nflnetwork

Lamar Jackson is a 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and can tear defense’s apart with his running game. Also, with Brady endorsing the Instagram post, it seems like he wants the Patriots to draft him. Jackson’s response on Twitter shows he’s excited when the GOAT spoke.

The🐐 Spoke 😈 https://t.co/Woo9c2IMH2

— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 12, 2018

The Options at the Quarterback Position

The second option the Patriots could have is Sam Darnold out of USC. Furthermore, could the Patriots trade with the Cleveland Browns to take Sam Darnold number one or four overall? Belichick wants to give Josh McDaniels the best team possible when he takes over next season. Finally, there is no way Tom Brady will sign an extension. He’s done after his contract is up. If he wasn’t done, why would he be endorsing a quarterback on Instagram? Seems like Brady doesn’t know Belichick is leaving, but he realizes that it’s almost time for him to hang it up.

In addition, it would be a slap in the face to Robert Kraft and fans that thought he was going to play till 45. However, there’s no way he’s playing till he’s 45. The end of “Tom VS. Time” told you that. So who will the Patriots draft? Almost certain that remains to be seen but it will be either Lamar Jackson or Sam Darnold. Consequently, you have Nick Caserio going to all these private workouts because he knows Belichick is gone in a year. He wants to make sure who they draft will be a good fit for the Patriots’ system post-Belichick.

Cover image courtesy of Daily Snark.

The Pursuit of Renewing the Rivalry

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On a cold Wednesday night in April, the Red Sox faced off against the Yankees in what seemed to have the hallmarks of an epic clash. Both teams have a long history of mutual hate and a few years of idle feelings. However, things boiled over in Fenway Park, and thus the pursuit of a rekindled rivalry was not hard to find. Rob Manfred wants to push the evolution of baseball further? Not if these two teams have anything to say about it.

The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has been quite “cold war-ish” for the last few years. The last incident that I can remember off the top of my head that included these two teams in a heated way was when Ryan Dempster plunked Alex Rodriguez in 2013, after MLB announced their 2014 season long suspension for Rodriguez. Dempster had a reason, I suppose, to hit Alex. But the latter is the one who got the last laugh when he belted a home run later in that game and lead his team to a 9-6 win. After that, the two teams seemed to go their separate ways, but always keeping each other in the back of their minds.

Wednesday night in Fenway proved to be something in the works for a while now. And frankly, nobody is surprised. The Yankees seemed to be seeking revenge after losing the night before to a massive score of 14-1. What really started the fire, however, was a less than textbook slide by Tyler Austin, a 6’2″ first baseman from Georgia.

The Rivalry Renewed

There is speculation between many people as to the intentions of Austin, but it really does not matter his intention. The fact is that he slid into second base with his cleats up, not aiming for the base, and endangered Brock Holt, who was on the receiving end of the first part of a potential double play. Holt shared his displeasure and Austin, (for whatever reason) took exception. An Umpire got between them and all of a sudden everybody lost their minds. Bullpens clear, dugouts clear, people on Twitter are going nuts over something that two ball players were taking care of themselves.

Things Heat Up

On to the top of the seventh inning and Tyler Austin is up to bat. Guess what? Austin gets hit by a fastball square in the back by Joe Kelly for obvious reasons. This was a necessary move by someone on the Sox. Kelly decided that he would be the one to carry on the unwritten rules of the game. To make it short: if you do something wrong to a player on the opposing team, you will be hit by a pitch at your next at bat. That’s just how things go in baseball. The fact that Austin decided that Kelly was out of bounds by doing so is just asinine.

As an example dating back to about 39 years ago when Wayne Gross hit a home run off of reliever Ed Farmer. Gross took his time rounding the bases. Consequently, Farmer was furious and never had the chance for redemption. Four years later he got him back, when they were on the same team. During a batting practice session, Farmer beaned Gross with a fastball in the back with the first pitch.

“What was that for!” Gross screamed.

“That was for four years ago!” Farmer screamed back.

“OK,” Gross said. “We’re even!”

Gross took his lump and life continued. Austin was in the wrong twice on Wednesday night for sliding incorrectly (regardless of intention or not), and charging the mound after what everybody knew what was coming. Except for himself, apparently.

Alas, we have finally reached the point to where baseball can be baseball and boys can be boys again. The Red Sox and Yankees have bad blood towards each other, and the world seems to be normal again. But be forewarned fans of both teams: this is going to be a very long season. The hope for some baseball to break out in between these fights should be high. The sports world has been waiting for this rivalry to renew, and they are about to get their money’s worth.

Julian Edelman’s Instagram Story

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Julian Edelman’s Shot at Bill Belichick

In the video above, you see Julian Edelman being worked on by Alex Guerrero. Edelman by the sound of his voice sounds like he’s really doing this on purpose to stick it to Belichick. By making this video, Edelman is really sticking up for his teammates Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. As I said before: don’t be surprised if you see Edelman start saying he isn’t happy with Belichick’s style either. This is the first sign of it.

Edelman and Brady were throwing inside the practice field the other day. Edelman is coming off ACL surgery and needs to get back on top of his game. As for Belichick, this just proves my point that he’s just sick of Brady going over his head and thinking he has the answers. Which is why Belichick will be leaving after this season.

Edelman Getting Ready for the Season

Edelman is going to the extreme by posting this video to his Instagram story. Again, I’m not sure if the players, especially Brady or Gronk, know this will be Belichick’s last season. I’m pretty sure they are trying to keep that in-house or so they thought. Edelman and Brady are best friends. When Brady came out with TB12, Edelman started JE11. If Edelman or Gronkowski get hurt this season Belichick will be upset. But he also might call them out again for training at TB12. Belichick will walk away with his head held high from everything he’s accomplished.

Everyone knows this video will make Belichick upset, just like Gronk telling Amendola to ‘BE FREE, BE HAPPY’. But he can give an I told you so to Robert Kraft at the end of this season about trading the next guy when Brady will be gone at the end of his contract. Consequently, the Patriot Way is starting to be the player’s way.

The Sizzling 2018 Start for Mookie Betts

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Betts’s 2017 Season

At age 23 following a monster 2016 season, it seemed as if Mookie Betts was ready to take over baseball. Last year, Mookie had a down year compared to his 2016 season. His average dropped by fifty four points. He was still able to drive in over a hundred runs, which for most players would be considered a very good year. For the Red Sox right fielder it was a disappointing year by his standards, but through this season’s first ten games he has been on fire.

Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

2018 Season for Betts so Far

Over the offseason, new Red Sox manager Alex Cora changed Bett’s hitting approach. Mookie is not your conventional leadoff hitter due to his power ability. Over the offseason, Cora told his right fielder to be more aggressive at the plate. So far it’s worked out well. In Spring Training, Mookie struggled, but he has erased all concern through the season’s first ten games. Last night in the Red Sox’ 14-1 victory over the Yankees, Mookie went 4-4, including a grand slam. He has been a spark plug for this Red Sox team from the top of the lineup, and last night he reminded people how he can impact a game in many different ways.

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson USA TODAY Sports

Expectations for Betts Going Forward

Mookie’s hot start has shown that this season could be a big year for him. If the Red Sox are going to contend for a championship, he will be key. He has a rare combination of power and speed. So far this year Cora has been able to maximize that and bring the best out in Mookie. In 37 at bats this year, Mookie has 16 hits including seven extra base hits. One of the reasons the Red Sox offense struggled last year was because Betts had a down year. When Mookie is at his best he is one of the best in baseball. He is projected to only drive in ninety runs this year. If he continues hitting like this he could very well pass that projection.

Photo Credit: Kevin Skiver

Why He Could Win MVP

Betts will not hit .423 all season. He is capable of hitting over .300 as he did two years ago. So far he is off to an impressive start. In 2018 he has looked more like his 2016 self. A season in which he was in the conversation, along with Trout, as the best player in baseball, and started in the All-Star game. It is still early, but 2018 could be his best season yet.

The History of the New England Patriots by Jersey Number #31-#32

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NUMBER THIRTY-ONE

Fred Marion was a mainstay at safety throughout the 1980’s for the Pats. He had a phenomenal season in 1985 with seven interceptions for an incredible 189 yards. His success continued in the postseason, where he picked off three more balls for 69 additional yards. He was right at home in the Orange Bowl for the AFC Championship game. He played his college ball for the University of Miami and made a key interception off Dan Marino in the 31-14 victory.

Jimmy Hitchcock wore #31 during his first stint as a member of the Patriots. He played nickel back for Coach Parcells and Coach Belichick for the 1996 AFC champion Patriots. Hitchcock got a lot more playing time and a 100-yard interception return in 1997. His best season by a landslide, though, occurred in 1998 when Hitchcock played for the 15-1 Minnesota Vikings. He piled up 242 yards and three touchdowns on interceptions. He played one more uneventful season late in his career with New England wearing #37.

Pro Bowl Safety

Brandon Meriweather was a very talented safety for New England from 2007-10. In fact, he made the AFC Pro Bowl team in 2009 and 2010. Meriweather was a bright spot on an inconsistent defense in ’09, as he picked off five passes for 149 yards. He played five more seasons with three different teams, but never got back to the Pro Bowl and never even played another full season after his time in New England.

Future Hall of Famer?

Aqib Talib had kind of a strange tenure with New England. When he was on the field, he was lights out on the corner. The bad news for the Pats is he was knocked out early in consecutive AFC Championship game defeats. In the second of those contests, it was Wes Welker that delivered the shot that eliminated Talib from the contest. Talib has recorded an unreal ten lifetime interception return touchdowns and owns a Super Bowl ring with the 2015 Broncos.

Larry Centers was a long time member of the Cardinals and one of the all-time leaders in receptions by a running back in NFL history. Centers earned a Super Bowl ring in his last pro season with the 2003 Pats. His play of the season was a 28-yard reception versus the Colts in the AFC championship game. The Super Bowl XXXVIII victory over Carolina was Centers’ last game in an excellent 14-year career.

Jamie Squire

NUMBER THIRTY-TWO

Georgia-alum Andy Johnson was drafted by the Patriots in 1974 and played his entire nine-year career in New England. He had a fine 1976 season in which he scored 10 touchdowns and gained over 1,000 yards all-purpose.

Craig James was the next #32 worthy of mention. James came out of SMU highly touted as Eric Dickerson’s backfield mate in the “Pony Express.” James had his standout season in 1985 as he rushed for over 1,200 yards. In the Super Bowl, James was humiliated as was the rest of the Pats that night. One of the iconic plays from that Super Bowl was James getting smashed by Richard Dent, fumbling the ball and unable to retrieve it as he was being mauled by half the defense.

James became far better known as a college football analyst with ESPN.

Lost Classics

Leonard Russell was a throwback runner for the Patriots from 1991-1993. He only averaged 3.4 yards per rush during his time with the Patriots, but carried the ball some 700 times in 43 career games so he was a workhorse. He was really good at getting touchdowns at the goal line.

Respect if you remember that Willie Clay was New England’s starting free safety in Super Bowl XXXI. His best season with the Patriots came in 1997 when he intercepted six passes for 109 yards.

Super Bowl Champs

Antowain Smith was a very important contributor for the Patriots’ first two Super Bowl-winning teams. In 2001, his power rushes helped young Tom Brady keep the offense on the field just long enough to score a few points. In Super Bowl XXXVIII, Smith smashed home for a huge fourth quarter TD in a win over the Panthers. He was let go after 2003 and replaced with Corey Dillon.

Our last #32 will retire as the best of the bunch. Devon McCourty came on to the scene as a rookie cornerback in 2010 and made the Pro Bowl right off the bat. In addition to playing corner well early in his career, McCourty was a solid kick returner. McCourty eventually made the move to safety where he has been one of the NFL’s best over the past 5 seasons. He has gone 2-2 in Super Bowl appearances and was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2016 season.

Getty

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_bills

Q&A with Lou Merloni

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2018 Boston Red Sox Q&A with Lou Merloni (@LouMerloni)

photo credit- www.americaninno.com

I’d like to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to the man himself, Lou Merloni. Lou and I follow one another on Twitter and when I asked him if he would be interested in a quick Q&A for our site, he could have easily ignored me, said no, or said he is too busy. Instead, Lou answered right away and took time out of his day between shows and broadcasts to do me a solid. I have been a Sox fan my entire life and always thought it was cool a guy playing baseball for Providence College wound up playing for our boys in Boston. Lou is one of the better on-air personalities in New England when it comes to talking sports, and brings great insight when talking baseball. Especially Red Sox baseball.

Once again Lou, thank you for doing this….

Now, let’s get this Q&A started, shall we?

Q: How do you see Alex Cora doing with this team and as a first time manager? Do you see him being the long-term solution at the helm?

A(Lou): Breath of fresh air and they needed it. I just think he can relate to the players in a way that John Farrell was incapable of. Communication is key. I also love that Ron Roenicke is his bench coach. His experience will help Alex out especially early in the year.

Q: Which position player and which pitcher will be the key to the success of this ball club in 2018?

A (Lou): It really does come down to David Price. Lost in all the chaos surrounding Price, we forget that he is one the best pitchers in the league. If he can get back to that, The Sox will have the best 1-2 punch in the AL. Offensively, its Hanley Ramirez. The addition of JD Martinez is nice but they need Hanley to be a force in the middle of that lineup like he was in 2016

Q: With the Sox off to a fast start (9-1), which area of the team are you most surprised with out of the gate, and do you think the Sox have this potential all season long and when it comes to facing a more dangerous opponent?

A(Lou): Starting pitching has been outstanding, but I’ve been most impressed with their ability to come back in games and win the 1 run games. It’s tough in April when the weather is brutal. It’s really easy to give up on a game in the cold and move onto the next one. They don’t. My biggest concern continues to be getting the ball to Kimbrel. They don’t have a shutdown 8^th inning guy so they will continue to go with matchups late in games. That puts Alex in a tough spot because no matter who he goes with, if it doesn’t work out, he will be criticized. The difference between he and Farrell is that I believe he will explain his reasoning better than John postgame.

Q: Do you see the Sox making a move this year to possibly acquire a more solidified set-up man to get to Kimbrel in the 9^th?

A(Lou): They are going to have to. They have guys out there but who do you trust? Smith, Kelly, Barnes and Hembree are all “good” pieces but when you watch the post season and you see the high pressure spots late in games, do you trust any of them?

Q: With Bogey going down with what looks to be a significant ankle injury, who do you see filling in for the time being at SS? Holt, Nunez, Lin (AAA), or do the Sox make a move to grab a veteran to fill in.

A(Lou): We’re not sure how long Bogaerts is out, but short term I think you’ll see Holt at SS with Lin eventually taking over at SS. Unfortunately, you can’t get what Bogey gives you offensively so you need to make sure you put out the best defensive SS to replace him. I think we are a ways off before we start talking about needing to trade for help.

Q: How do you think J.D. Martinez will fare hitting in Fenway? (Let’s keep him off the defensive side by the way)

A(Lou): He’ll be fine and once the weather warms up a bit, you’ll see that RF can’t hold him. He has monster power the other way which will make it difficult for teams to pitch to him at that park. Pitcher’s keep the ball away from most right handed hitters to take advantage of that big RF and to keep them away from the Green Monster. They won’t be able to do that with JD at Fenway.

Q: What is the most memorable/historic moment you witnessed playing in Fenway?

A(Lou): I’ll never forget that 2003 ALCS. Game 3 especially. Roger vs Pedro. Pedro drills Karim Garcia and we all were waiting for Roger to retaliate and he never did. He just poured in strike one and went on to beat us. It was also the game where Pedro tossed Don Zimmer to the ground. It was crazy. We all respected the hell out of Zim. I know he was embarrassed for going after Pedro but honestly, that’s why we all loved him. He cared. He was passionate and he showed it.

(One of my favorite moments as well, nice to hear the insight of someone who was on the field for it)

Q: Your Prediction: Where do the Sox finish, and if you have them making the playoffs, how deep could their playoff run be with a healthy roster?

A(Lou): I had them for 96 wins and I’ll stay with it. But I could see Yanks right there with them. ALCS is a reasonable expectation. They need to win a round in the post season. Not just for this fan base to believe in them but also for themselves. They have a lot of guys on this roster that need to prove they can win in October

That wraps up my Q&A with Lou Merloni on the 2018 Boston Red Sox! HUGE thank you to Lou again, make sure you give him a follow on twitter @LouMerloni and tune in M-F from 10 AM-2 PM on WEEI (103.7 or 93.7).

Embed from Getty Images

LETS GO SOX!

Robert Kraft Knows the End Is near for Tom Brady

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It Seems Kraft Regrets the Decision to Trade Jimmy Garoppolo

Via NBC SportsAfter everything that has come out regarding the Patriots, Kraft is coming to a realization. The end is near for Tom Brady, and even Bill Belichick too. As for Brady, it seems like he’s going to play out his contract and retire. This would mean one more year with Belichick and one year with Josh McDaniels as head coach.

Kraft Doesn’t Have Any Problems with Brady’s Contract

Via CNBCRobert Kraft told Jeff Howe of the Athletic that he doesn’t have any problems with Brady’s contract. If it becomes an issue then they will figure it out. A year ago in March, Kraft talked about how he just talked to Brady and he wants to play till he’s 45. Now with Garoppolo gone, Brady’s referencing how he needs to spend more time with his family. It’s getting Kraft thinking that he’s losing his coach and quarterback in these next two years.

Now Kraft has to be upset with Brady when they just traded Garoppolo. At least the coach is all set and Belichick is realistic. Brady, however, is kind of being selfish. Kraft also said, “I don’t think anyone would have believed 10 years ago that he would have played this year, gone to the Super Bowl and been MVP of the league at 40 years old. It’s just unbelievable. It speaks to the way he takes care of himself, the way he trains, how much film he watches, one of the hardest working guys. He is driven to excel. I think as long as he feels he is like that, he’ll keep playing. We’re so lucky to have him in our system.”

The Patriots will draft a quarterback this draft. You have one year to groom him with Brady Belichick and McDaniels. Then one year with Brady and McDaniels. Three years from now we’ll be looking at a completely new Patriots team.