Growing up at McCoy Stadium

McCoy Stadium, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, is a great place to go see a game. They have cheap tickets only $11 and parking is free. Furthermore, it’s also home of baseball’s longest game (33 innings) in 1980. McCoy Stadium had some renovations done in 1992 and in 1999. In addition, it’s also home of the 2004 Triple A All-Star Game. Ben Mondor was the owner and after he died a few years ago his wife took over the team.

What Will They Do with McCoy?

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff (business)

In 2017 it was found that renovations for the ballpark would cost about $68 million dollars. The stadium structure is 75 years old. Demolishing the old one and building a new one would cost $75 million. The team’s goal, according to the Boston Globe, is getting an $83 million dollar ballpark closer to Pawtucket. The team will seek $15 million from Pawtucket to cover land costs.

My Grandfather Loved Working There

Via Steve Atkinson

My grandfather worked there for ten years, from 1990-2000 as the clubhouse security guard. Going to McCoy was always fun seeing the players from Boston down in Pawtucket for rehab. Or Just waiting to get called up. It would always be a great tradition in the summer going to the games. Sitting in Section 7, right behind home plate, having a doughboy in the fourth inning. Finally after going into the clubhouse and as a result seeing players. Trot Nixon, Nomar Garciaparra, Mo Vaughn and so on it was always fun.

Leading the Charge- Bruce Cassidy

Leave a reply

Bruce Cassidy- a New Coach for a New Era

The Bruins were down 2-1 in their recent game against the Calgary Flames Tuesday night at the Garden. Boston was on a power play when forward David Pastrnak got called on a slashing penalty and with their power play cut short, the Bruins knew something had to change. For Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, that meant changing up the lines. This was a move that needed to be done. And boy, did it work.

Veteran David Backes joined Bergeron and Marchand with Pastrnak playing alongside Riley Nash and Danton Heinen. For the rest of the night, the B’s controlled most of the game to come back and win 5-2 over the Flames. Decisions like this demonstrate just how well Cassidy knows his team and why he is exactly what Boston needed.

Out with the Old, in with the New

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

There’s been so many stories and media hoopla over the firing and return of Claude Julien. Along with some strong sentiments from a few disgruntled loyal Julian fans, Sweeney and Co. held their ground, knowing it was time for change. Enter Bruce Cassidy, former head coach of the Providence Bruins. The Bruins were on the brink of not making it into the playoffs and Cassidy had to salvage what was left of a mediocre season.

He did.

The Bruins began to win. They hustled, they picked up speed. Out went the old “dump and chase” game and in came the speed drills. Because Boston lost some of their key players to injuries during their playoff series against the Ottawa Senators, Cassidy did something that Julian hadn’t done. He give adequate ice time to the rookies. For some, like Charlie McAvoy and Sean Kuraly, it would be their NHL debut. Even though the Bruins lost that fought series, it was clear that Bruce would be the man for the job.

Growing Pains

Sometimes you have to learn from your mistakes and for Cassidy; it’s just something that comes with the territory. In a game against the Ducks, a goal by David Pastrnak was called off sides and after a coach’s challenge, the call was upheld. The Bruins had lost their time out and the Ducks would score an offside goal, however Boston couldn’t do anything. It was an unfortunate scenario that placed Cassidy in the awkward position of admitting his mistake.

“It’s disappointing because clearly that was a good foot offside. It’s a tough way to give up a goal, but that was a decision I made, and it was the wrong one.”

After winning his first four games with Boston, this would be his first loss as new interim coach. The season would be far from over and, as we all know, this was just the taste of things to come.

Here Come the Bruins

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Young, fast, and red-hot. These are a few words sports analysts are using to describe this season’s Bruins team. After a shaky start this season, Boston lost many top players to injuries; it was time for the young guys to step up. The Bruins have been steam rolling over their competition and unlike his predecessor, Cassidy isn’t afraid to put players in vital positions.

“We expect that every night out of these guys. We also have other guys that can pick them up, so it’s like they have to carry the team. But they are making their contributions”.

As a result of Cassidy’s coaching, the Bruins are now second to the Lightning in the division and the league, yet this was a much different story in the beginning of the season. As the team began to bond and build their chemistry, something special happened; the Bruins were winning. Most importantly, this team was starting to have fun.

For players like Pastrnak, Cassidy had to send a subtle message reminding him to handle the puck better. And it worked as the right winger came out of the penalty box ready to go and netting a shot on goal.

Cassidy is making good decisions and with tough match-ups coming up, is it possible for this Bruins team to win the Stanley Cup? With a new coach that isn’t afraid to make changes, chances are looking pretty good for the black and gold.

Red Sox Resign Eduardo Nunez

Leave a reply

The former utility man will resign a one year contract, with an option for 2019. Pending a physical, Red Sox Nation will welcome back Eduardo Nunez!

According to Ian Brown of MLB.com and Buster Olney of ESPN, the utility man will resign a one year contract pending a physical. There has been talks from both sides since the offseason began, but it was safe for him to say that his home is in Boston. Between 114 games with the Red Sox and Giants, the infielder hit .313 with 12 home runs and 58 rbis.

The deal also contains an option for 2019, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. While rumors spun around this offseason with the Braves, Yankees, Blue Jays, and Twins contacting him for his services, it was the Sox who won the “bidding war”.

He gives the team exceptional depth with Dustin Pedroia likely out to start the season. In addition to the shaky defense of Rafael Devers at third. This move likely makes utility man Brock Holt the odd man out. With Deven Marrero the more team friendly contract, the former All-Star might be headed on the trade block.

Adding a talented righty back into the lineup helps even a left-dominant roster. Even once Pedroia becomes stable and healthy, his versatility that was shown last year can be deemed helpful. Last season, he played games at second,third,shortstop,and left field.

More details are soon to come. Make sure you check out @bostonsportsextra on Twitter for all the latest rumors, news, and highlights!

Eduardo Nunez Is a Safe Sign

Leave a reply

Eduardo Nunez Is a Safe Sign

This whole offseason we have been waiting for the day when JD or our “Plan B” Logan Morrison signs. We seemed to forget about a free agent who’s a familiar face and can be a HUGE help for the club. Yeah, that Eduardo Nunez guy, that’s who I’m talking about. Nunez and the Sox reportedly have signed a one-year deal with a second year option. The 30 year-old infielder is back, and to be honest I would be fine with Eduardo if we don’t get either Martinez or Morrison.

Nunez came to Boston last season in a deal with San Francisco. He spent the second half in Boston doing what he does best: balling out. At the time of the deal he was hitting .308 with four ding dongs and 31 RBI’s. He finished the year hitting .313 with twelve dingers and fifty-eight RBI’s.

Compared to JD and Lo-Mo

Now you can say, “Well JD and Lo-Mo get on base more and drive in more runs!” Well yeah, you can say that, but the hits and average matter. In the situation the Sox are in right now, it’s time to just play it safe, they’ve signed Eduardo, and now we can go from there. With Pedroia out for the start of the season it would only make sense that in a time were you are getting no deals done, you needed to go forward with fixing the needed gaps on the field. After coming to Boston he hit .321 with eight homers and twenty-seven RBI’s. Adding on his speed and fielding ability, Nunez brings the pioneer baseball talent and knowledge that can help the Sox not only in the beginning of the season, but in the long run.

Nunez finished the season in a poor way by injuring his knee during the ALDS against Houston. I personally didn’t agree with the decision to play him and I can say almost every knowledgeable Red Sox fan can attest to as well. It’s alright, because John Farrell’s gone so we don’t have to worry about that happening again. I love the signing and everything about it. Eduardo is a straight up baller and it’s a solid move regardless if we get JD or Lo-Mo.

Celtics Lose Another, 129-119

Leave a reply

Thank God for the All-Star break, because the Celtics need it. Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers was their third straight, and it’s the second straight game in which they gave up 120+ points. They’re really going to have to regroup here.

Where’s the Defense?

Although they still lead the league in defensive rating, Boston’s defense has been suspect. This team has just not been able to make any defensive stops. LeBron and his shiny new toys stepped into the Garden on Sunday and the Celtics had no answer. On Wednesday night, they allowed DeAndre Jordan and the Clips to penetrate the paint all night. Jordan had 30 points— a season high I’m pretty sure. If you’re allowing your opponent 56 points in the paint, you are clearly not playing hard enough on defense. What they were doing tough, is playing silly. There were a number of bad fouls committed by the Cs, which put them into an even deeper hole. I know they’re missing defensive warrior Marcus Smart, but they’ve got to be able to adjust.

Celtics Shaking Things Up?

It appears coach Brad Stevens has thought about switching the lineup. This loss will for sure solidify that decision. Defensively, I don’t know if it’s so much a line up issue. It just feels like lackluster effort on the part of the Celtics, which is odd. But the offensive production has been and still is a huge concern. The rookies stepped up big when Irving, Morris, Larkin and Smart were out. But since Morris and Irving’s return, Nader’s minutes have dramatically decreased. Meanwhile, Ojeleye is on this wild roller coaster of either 20 minutes or no playing time at all. I’m no coach, but let them play on a consistent basis. It takes some weight off the starters and their minutes can be spread out more evenly. I don’t know, but hopefully we can see some sort of turnaround when Smart and Larkin get back. I feel some experiments coming. Is there a world where Jaylen Brown DOESN’T start? Or where Greg Monroe DOES? Maybe even taking some perceived pressure off of Tatum and making him apart of the second unit? Decisions, decisions.

I really hope they can use this break as a time to reflect and get on the same page. But I also hope they use it to relax and have fun Congrats to Al and Kyrie on being All-Stars and to Jayson and Jaylen on being in the Rising Stars game. It’s about to be lit!

Cover image courtesy of CelticsLife.com.

The Top Shortstops Long-Term

Leave a reply

The shortstop position has become increasingly talented in recent seasons. The position is now the best, and deepest, arguably since Nomar, A-Rod, and Jeter were reigning supreme nearly two decades ago. The top five is loaded, and the position has great depth. The shortstops near the bottom of my top ten list would have threatened the top five a few years ago. Shortstops not making the list would have been safely included. With all this competition, it was hard to leave a few guys off.

1. Carlos Correa

Correa is coming off a season with an OPS 65 points higher than Manny Machado has ever posted. With all of Machado’s fanfare and his big home run seasons, this was a surprising revelation. Just 22 years old last season and having posted a .941 OPS, Correa is the top shortstop to own for the long haul in the Majors.

Correa burst onto the scene in 2015, winning Rookie of the Year in a little more than half a season. Over his three seasons, aged 20-22, he has batted .288 with an .863 OPS. There is only room for improvement as he enters his age 23 season. Correa missed time last year, hitting 24 home runs in only 109 games. Assuming he stays healthy, I foresee his first 30 homer, 100 RBI season this year. Correa has also proved himself on the big stage at such a young age, homering five times during the postseason last year.

Correa is also fairly polished at shortstop at his young age. He has a solid .978 fielding percentage in each of the last two seasons and has a positive dWAR in all three. According to baseball reference’s total zone runs, Correa was worth eight defensive runs above average this past season.

2. Manny Machado

Primarily known as a third baseman, and a fine defensive one at that, Machado is moving to shortstop full time for this coming season. He started 43 games at the position last year, performing adequately but posting a negative zone rating. With a full offseason to prepare, maybe he will be a little better in 2018. After all, Machado was a two time Gold Glove winner at third base.

He also needs to rebound at the plate, coming off his worst season since 2014. That’s not to say he was bad, he did hit 33 homers after all. However, Machado’s average fell from .290 over the previous two seasons down to .259. His OPS also dropped nearly 100 points. I would expect a bit of a rebound, he did finish in the top five in back-to-back MVP votes before last season. Machado has also homered 105 times over the past three years. If there is one place where his skill set lags a bit behind, it’s in taking pitches and drawing walks. Machado has drawn a total of 49 walks over the past two seasons and posted a disappointing .310 on-base percentage last year.

3. Corey Seager

Seager was my favorite prospect in baseball after batting .349 with 20 home runs in 2014. He came in 5th in Baseball America’s prospect rankings heading into 2015, and his performance catapulted him to the top of their list for 2016. Two full seasons into his Major League career and he has not disappointed. Seager has batted .305 during his short career while posting an .876 OPS. He already has a Rookie of the Year, two Silver Sluggers and a third place MVP finish.

Seager has a beautiful, level swing, leading to a lot of hard contact. Despite hitting only 22 home runs, Seager had a top 25 average exit velocity in all of baseball last season. His 25% line drive rate was in the top ten. This leads me to believe that Seager will improve upon both his 22 home runs and his 33 doubles from a year ago. Two years ago he had 26 homers and 40 doubles, and it wouldn’t even be a surprise to see him eclipse those. Even if he doesn’t, Seager is an excellent, well-rounded hitter. He has a .374 career on-base percentage with a .502 slugging percentage.

Seager made some strides in the field last year, which makes sense given he was still only 23 years old. He cut his errors down from 18 to 11 while improving his fielding percentage to .979. Seager also went from two runs saved below average in 2016 to 11 runs above average last year. He might not wow in any one category, but Seager looks like an across the board producer for years to come.

4. Francisco Lindor

Lindor turned into a very different player from the one that he was expected to be last year. Coming through the minors, he was projected to be a high contact hitter who would play excellent defense. That’s exactly what happened his first two years, batting over .300 both seasons with moderate pop. Last year, his average dropped down to .273 while his home runs more than doubled to 33. His doubles also skyrocketed, going from 30 to 44. Lindor seemed to sell out a bit for power, which wasn’t necessary given his excellent performance to that point. It leaves me curious to find out which Lindor we will see moving forward. Either way, both are excellent players.

Lindor is an excellent defender, posting a 5.7 dWAR in less than three full seasons. He has posted a 49 defensive runs saved above average during that time and has a .981 fielding percentage. His glove work netted him the Gold Glove in 2016.

Francisco Lindor average launch angle by year:
2017: 13.2° – 31 HR
2016: 7.7° – 15 HR
2015: 3.8° – 12 HR pic.twitter.com/KSJ5q76QME

— Daren Willman (@darenw) September 21, 2017

5. Trea Turner

After being a top prospect, Trea Turner has been electric since getting the call to the big leagues. After getting a chance in 2016, Turner was one of the very best hitters in baseball. He batted .342 with a .937 OPS. Trea Turner is also a burner on the basepaths and stole 33 bases that season. Last year, his numbers dropped off a bit, as they almost had to. Turner batted .284 with a .789 OPS while missing some time with injury. He again showed off his wheels, stealing 46 bases in only 98 games.

I don’t think Turner is as good as he was two years ago, but is probably better than last year. When you combine the two seasons, you get a .304 hitter with an .840 OPS. With his gap power and his speed, Turner gets a lot of extra-base hits, averaging 32 doubles and 11 triples over 162 games for his career. He seems to be capable of hitting .300 with 15-20 home runs while hitting a lot of doubles and triples. All of this and he is also capable of stealing 50 bags.

Turner falls well behind the rest of the pack in the field though. Despite being relatively sure-handed, Turner does not have the range for the position. He had a decent .979 fielding percentage last year, yet his total zone rating gave him 11 defensive runs below average last season. His range factor, at 3.91, was easily below the average of 4.15. Second base could be in Trea’s future.

Brad Mills – USA Today Sports

6. Didi Gregorious

Remember when Didi was a glove first prospect? Coming through the minors, he was supposed to be a light-hitting, glove first shortstop. His defense has been decent, but nothing special to this point. However, his bat has carried him. Gregorious is one of the better hitting shortstops in baseball, hitting 45 home runs over the past two seasons. This is after he homered 26 times in over 2000 minor league at-bats. It isn’t just Yankee Stadium either, as Gregorious posted far better stats on the road last year.

One thing that holds Gregorious back some at the plate is his lack of walks. Gregorious has only drawn 44 walks over the past two seasons combined. This has led to a sub-par .311 on-base percentage despite a good .281 batting average. He doesn’t strike out much though, making consistent contact requiring fielders to make a play on the ball. Take the good with the bad and I actually think this Yankee is a little underrated.

7. Paul DeJong

DeJong is a player who wasn’t on the radar of many people last year. He never made any top 100 prospect lists, so he wasn’t well known outside of the St. Louis organization. That’s not to say there isn’t some pedigree to his performance though. DeJong was a fourth round pick in 2015 and hit 22 home runs in AA the following year. Last year he had an OPS over .900 in AAA when he got the call-up to the Cardinals.

DeJong mashed the ball at the big league level, hitting 25 home runs in 108 games. He had a .285 average for the season, so it wasn’t a power or nothing approach. Despite him not cracking any prospect lists, I think based on his high draft position and his performance in the minor leagues that DeJong’s bat is for real. His glove was relatively average based upon every metric, but that kind of bat coupled with an average glove is a heck of a shortstop.

8. Andrelton Simmons

Simmons is on here for one reason; he is one of the best defensive shortstops you will ever see. Simmons routinely makes the highlight reels for the plays he makes in the field. He has a .982 career fielding percentage which doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. Simmons tends to get to a lot of balls others wouldn’t, which can lead to a few more errors. His range is in a class by itself.

Simmons bat took a step forward last year, so it will be interesting to see if the juiced balls helped aid that or if he is making progress. After posting just a .664 OPS over the previous four seasons, Simmons had a career high .752 OPS last year. He hit .278 with 14 home runs a year after batting .281 in his first season with the Angels. He kept his average up from his Atlanta days while adding a little more pop.

9. Xander Bogaerts

Bogaerts is still only 25 despite being a part of the Red Sox World Series team in 2013. There is a pretty good chance I am underselling Bogaerts in this spot, as he was a huge prospect who has proven capable of hitting well in the majors. Bogaerts was twice a top 10 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America, topping out at second in 2014. He also has a season in which he batted .320 and another during which he homered 21 times. Bogaerts was off to a good start last year, batting .303 in the first half. A wrist injury caused his hitting ability to fall off in the second half and leave him with a .273 average. A healthy Bogaerts could hit .300 with 20 home runs.

If Bogaerts does rebound at the plate, his glove is still likely to hold him back some. He has a negative dWAR in three of his four seasons and negative defensive runs saved in all four. His .977 career fielding percentage at the position isn’t bad, but his range is well below average.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts hits a ground-rule double to right in the ninth inning of the ALCS, Game 4 at Comerica Park against the Tigers in 2013. Staff Photo by Matt Stone

10. Elvis Andrus

Andrus is someone I considered the most overrated shortstop in baseball for a few years. Given a big contract, Andrus batted just .264 with a very weak .657 OPS from 2015-2017. However, Andrus now has two consecutive years of good play at the plate in addition to his defense. After seven years in the league, Andrus batted a career high .302 while also hitting a career high eight home runs in 2016. Yes, eight was his career high after eight seasons and he somehow hit 20 home runs last year. A little change in his approach may have helped, but I am a little skeptical of him repeating that. Even still, he batted .297 a year after hitting .302. He also saved 23 runs above average on defense according to the total zone rating on baseballreference.com.

Honorable Mentions:

Jean Segura, Dansby Swanson, Addison Russell, Zack Cozart, Orlando Arcia, Trevor Story

Featured picture from the Sporting News

Steven Wright Speaks Publicly About Domestic Assault Arrest

Leave a reply

Steven Wright Speaks

In case you either forgot or didn’t know, Steven Wright got arrested for domestic assault back in December. It was probably the most significant thing to happen this offseason for the Red Sox.

It wasn’t your usual domestic assault though. Wright’s lawyer says he apparently never touched his wife during an argument they had. What I had heard from before is he knocked a door down, which probably prompted the call.

Wright told reporters today the same thing: about how it was a verbal argument and no physical assault was involved.

“It’s tough because I really want to at least tell my side of the story. Because when it comes out you obviously think of the worst, but it wasn’t that bad. Especially on a personal level especially because I never touched her, that’s probably the hardest thing for me to like sit there and see people like talk about being a wife beater and all that stuff when I didn’t even make physical contact. But that’s pretty much all I’m allowed to really say right now”

MLB still can suspend Wright even though he hasn’t yet been charged guilty. Back in 2015, Aroldis Chapman had a similar charge and was never charged guilty. However still was suspended for the first 30 games of the season.

As far as Wright possibly getting suspended goes, it’s not that huge a deal with the fact that he is a depth starter. I’d say (barring injuries) the rotation is a lock right now with Sale, Price, Pomeranz, Porcello, and Erod. And I think most can agree with that.

The History of the New England Patriots by Jersey Number #5-#10

Leave a reply

NUMBER FIVE

While Gostkowski and Vinatieri will go down as the two best kickers in Patriots history, Shayne Graham is a footnote of the 2010 season. When Gostkowski went down with an injury, the journeyman Graham stepped in admirably. He made all 14 of his field goal attempts in a Pats’ uniform. He is most well-known for being a Pro Bowl kicker for the Bengals.

NUMBER SIX

Ryan Allen just completed his fifth season as the Patriots punter. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and beat out Zoltan Mesko for the role. He has earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice and has performed very well under the pressure of playoff action. His best game was probably in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks when he blasted a record 64-yard punt. In Super Bowl LII against the Eagles, New England’s offense was so unstoppable that Allen did not have to punt one time. Allen was in the ball game, however, as he struggled to place a poor snap on a first half field goal miss.

NUMBER SEVEN

There hasn’t been a lot of great talent wearing the #7 for New England over their 58-year history so we have to discuss two mediocre quarterbacks! Hugh Millen went 5-15 over two seasons as the Patriots starting quarterback. He had a few good ball games during that period including stunners over Warren Moon and the Oilers and the powerful Buffalo Bills. He toughed out seven games (all losses) in ’92 playing with a seriously injured shoulder.

Jacoby Brissett was part of Tom Brady’s “wolfpack” as a member of the 2016 World Champion Patriots. Brissett had one solid start while Brady served his suspension for the deflated balls controversy and one miserable one. To be fair, he was playing with a severely injured thumb. After the 2017 preseason, the Patriots traded Brissett to Indianapolis for Phillip Dorsett. With the Colts, he was steady and dependable, but far from outstanding.

NUMBER EIGHT

Josh Miller punted for the Patriots for two and a half seasons including the Super Bowl XXXIX win over the Eagles. He had a solid night in that game forcing Philadelphia to attempt to drive the length of the field on several occasions. That proved to be an undoing for the Eagles as they conked out late in the game exhausted on offense. Ironically, Miller had a punt returned for a touchdown by Troy Brown as a member of the Steelers in the 2001 AFC championship game.

NUMBER NINE

We had to really do some investigatory work to find somebody who wore #9 that made an impact on the organization. We could not find anyone! In 1978, placekicker David Posey stepped in for the latter half of the season when John Smith went down with injury. And, in 1993, Scott Sisson had one lousy season as the kicker.

NUMBER TEN

Jabar Gaffney spent three seasons as New England’s third or fourth receiving option. In 2006, he had 11 receptions in the regular season but 21 in the postseason. He was easily Brady’s most dependable target during those ill-fated playoffs. In 2007, New England added Welker, Moss, and Stallworth, but Gaffney still made his share of big plays. None was bigger than his game-winning touchdown reception in a Monday night thriller at Baltimore. Unfortunately, Gaffney went missing for Super Bowl XLII as Brady could not connect with him on two huge second half throws.

He had an uneventful 2008 campaign with the Patriots before bolting to Denver to play under Josh McDaniels.

Jimmy Garoppolo wore #10 for the Patriots for three and a half seasons and won two Super Bowls. The Patriots drafted him with their second round choice in the 2014 draft out of Eastern Illinois. With the Panthers, Garoppolo was tremendous. He broke virtually all of Tony Romo’s school records and won the Walter Payton player of the year for best offensive player in the nation.

Though his opportunities were limited, Garoppolo flashed his brilliance when was able to get in. In the 2016 season opener at Arizona, he played incredibly well. He followed that up with a first half for the ages in New England’s home opener against Miami. Unfortunately, he got rocked by Kiko Alonzo. Therefore, he missed out on playing in the other two games Brady missed.

He was moved to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. The future looks exceedingly bright for San Francisco and their multi-millionaire starting quarterback. Patriots fans wish him nothing but the best as he was a hard worker and an excellent teammate.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Northeastern Huskies Beanpot Champions

Leave a reply

“For the first time in 30 years, the Northeastern Huskies are college hockey’s Beanpot champions. Can you believe it?” – Joe Castigilione, probably.

David Versus Goliath

For as often as this biblical phrase is part of sentences, it truly fits the Huskies and Terriers rivalry. From a historical standpoint alone, Boston University is the favorite to win the Beanpot every season. After all, thirty Beanpot Championship trophies and banners in their trophy case back that up. Not to mention their incredibly hot goalie, Jake Oettinger, and their nine game unbeaten streak coming into the game, Boston University is in familiar waters. On the other hand, 2018 is a different season.

As I stated in the previous Beanpot article, Northeastern is the favorite this year. The number 12 ranked Northeastern Huskies came into the Garden, the favorites to win it all. At the present time, Matthews’ Arena is home to one of, if not the, best lines in all of College Hockey. Right wing Dylan Sikura, center Adam Gaudette, and left wing Nolan Stevens are making what is most likely their last season together a memorable one. To say nothing of Cayden Primeau, who carriers a 1.97 GAA, and a .925 SV%. Northeastern’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are keeping the Dog House rocking all season long. Stevens, Gaudette, and Sikura put 61 goals in the net this season. This is no cakewalk for the Terriers.0 BU is also hurt by the absence of Jordan Greenway who looks to become an American hero in the Olympics this year.

The Game

“I am sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Terriers have. Screw ‘em! This is our time. Let’s go out there and take it!” – Jim Madigan’s pregame speech, probably.

In what was one of the most entertaining open periods in college hockey history, the 2018 Beanpot did not disappoint. BU immediately took the lead. While the first Terrier goal did not count due to goaltender interference, Boston University quickly scored again. Cayden Primeau wass kicking himself after sending the puck into his own net. Logan Cockerill was credited with the goal. As a result, Northeastern jacked it up a notch, as Nolan Stevens took advantage of a BU penalty. Throughout the game Primeau stood tall, making 38 saves in the contest. Adam Gaudette will live forever in Beanpot legend as his hat-trick was the difference maker in this one. Gaudette also continued to write Northeastern history as he became the all-time school leader in power play goals.

Jim Madigan obviously understands the importance of the Beanpot. He is a Huskie through and through, from a player to a coach. After the game, Coach Madigan’s quote embodies this, “The first thing I thought about was ‘Hey we’re finally over the hump’’’. For now, Northeastern is the best college hockey program in Boston. While that itself is impressive, they know the season is not over, and they want to continue to make history.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

Cover image courtesy of The Boston Globe.

Will David Price Win Back the Media and Fans?

Leave a reply

New Year New Price?

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JULY 28: Starting pitcher David Price #24of the Boston Red Sox is greeted by teammates in the dugout after leaving the game with a 1-0 lead after pitching eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 28, 2016 in Anaheim, California. The Angels won 2-1. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

David Price is entering a new season in his $31 million dollar contract. We’ve seen little work from him. His comments last year made it was clear he didn’t like being in Boston. Price has a 3.48 ERA in his two seasons with the Red Sox. Price’s peak moment last year was getting to a scuffle with Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. Price has four years left of his $127 million dollar contract.

David Price Trying To Win Back The Fans?

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: David Price #24 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 7, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Price spoke to the media yesterday saying, “I feel like it’s pretty straightforward. You know what you’re going to get [in Boston]. If you go out there and pitch well and play well, you’re going to have support, You can always make things better by pitching better. That’s what I’ve got to do. Go out there and throw the ball the way I threw the ball before I got to Boston”. He also said that he could’ve handled last season better, saying, “I could’ve handled it better last year, absolutely. But I didn’t, and I’ve moved on, I feel like I’ve always been one to lead with my actions, and I didn’t do that very well last year. I know that and understand that, and I look forward to getting back and being that faucet and not being a drain”.

Alex Cora Feels like “One of the Guys” According to Price

Via MassLive.com

Whether it was Price’s agent or Alex Cora, someone talked to him and said last year is in the past. All that matters is the future. Price is excited to have Alex Cora as the Manager saying, “I like him. He feels like one of the guys. I’ve played for a manager that’s like that with Joe Maddon in Tampa. A guy that can relate to everybody. He’s easy to talk to. I like Alex. I guess it’s to be determined whether or not manager-wise and stuff like that. But I think he’s going to be great”.

It’s still way too early to say Price will have a good year or a bad year. But this could go one of two ways. He could have a very good season and wins back fans. Adversely, it could go very bad and is out again for the year.