2017 Red Sox Report Card

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We shouldn’t be upset that the 2017 Red Sox season is over. Certainly it would have been nice to get past Houston and into the ALCS. We might even hope to hit a little lightning in a bottle, beat the Tribe and make it to the World Series.

As any smart baseball observer knew long ago, this wasn’t a great Boston team (see here).   It was constructed poorly, managed poorly, and it performed poorly against baseballs best teams. Frankly, if you look at it through the commonly accepted five-tools of baseball, the 2017 Sox actually over achieved.

Tool 1: Hitting For Average (C)

After posting a league-leading team batting average of .282 last year, the Sox dropped to the middle of the pack this year at .258. Losing Ortiz (.315 in 2016) hurt. What hurt more was the precipitous drop from Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley, and Ramirez – each batted at least 21 points below their 2016 average. Most troubling, as something we pointed out here, was Mookie’s fall from .318 last season to .264 this year.

Tool 2: Hitting For Power (F)

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This year’s squad had all the pop of a softball team after finishing off the keg. In 2016 the Sox lead all 30 MLB teams in Slugging Percentage at .461. This year they finished 26th with a team slugging percentage of .407. For perspective, the Phillies slugged .409. They won 66 games.

The Sox hit only 168 home runs, good for 27th in the league. Papi’s absence again loomed large – 38 HRs and 127 RBIs in 2016. Again, more important was the decline in everyone else’s performance. Hanley hit seven fewer bombs and 49 fewer RBIs. Forty-nine.

Tool 3: Base Running (D)

Do we really even need to discuss this? The Sox were horrible on the base paths this year. Every night there was a new train wreck at home plate as the slowest players on the team were gunned down by five steps. Or, someone made a mistake and was doubled-up on what should have only been a routine fielder’s choice.

The only reason Base Running isn’t an “F” for the year is that with their team speed, the Sox managed 106 stolen bases (6th in MLB) and were caught only 31 times (13th). That’s what is so frustrating about this squad. With their speed, they should have been great running the bases.

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Skipper John Farrell dismissed the Sox ineptitude on the bases, insisting the obscene number of outs was the result of an aggressive philosophy. That might be partly true, but the decision to send someone like Sandy Leon or Mitch Moreland home on a shallow fly isn’t being “aggressive” it’s being stupid. They were stupid a lot this year.

Tool 4: Throwing/Pitching (B+)

For all the Pedro-like excitement for Chris Sale’s starts this season, he really was pretty awful when we needed him most. As discussed previously (here), in the second half of the year he dominated the worst teams and was dominated by the best. He finished with career highs in both innings (214.1) and K’s (308) – and that might have been part of the problem. He looked tired down the stretch and gave up a ton of home runs.

As good as Sale was at times, Porcello was equally bad. Leading the league in losses (17), runs (125), and home runs allowed (38), Pretty Ricky was ugly in 2017. But, besides Sale and Porcello, team pitching was essentially the same this year as last year. This year’s staff managed a nearly identical WHIP and BAA (Batting Average Against) as last year in 43 more innings pitched. Given how poorly the team hit this year, the pitching deserves the bulk of the credit for winning the division.

Tool 5: Fielding (D)

Can we get a list of volunteers to hit grounders to the infield this off season? After committing only 75 errors in 2016 (3rd best in baseball), this year’s squad committed 107 (7th worst).

Devers adjustment at third base was certainly a factor. He committed 14 errors in 58 games. He’s young, he’ll improve. Bogaerts led the team with 17 errors in 2017, five more than in 2016 (in 10 fewer chances). Just like at the plate, he’s regressing in the field.

Final Grade (C)

My kids like to tell me that a “C” on their report card is “average”… as if that’s acceptable. It is not. Certainly not for a team with a $200M payroll. It is revealing that a team as demonstrably average as the 2017 Red Sox can, not only make the playoffs, but win the division. It should make everyone understand how important pitching is to success.

Where to Go From Here

We’ve said for months that the 2017 Red Sox were a deeply flawed team. They have talent, but not enough. They lack power and they commit too many unforced errors in the field and on the bases. That’s a coaching issue.

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Chili Davis is simply not getting it done as a hitting coach. It’s easy to look good with David Ortiz compensating for team power numbers, but the regression of the core members of this franchise’s future can’t continue.

Base coaches Butterfield (3B) and Amaro (1B) need to be held responsible for the ridiculous performance on the base paths. No team with as much speed and experience as the Sox should look so clueless every night.

It is hard to justify firing a manager who just won consecutive division titles and won a World Series only four years ago, but changes must be made in the coaching staff.

 

Boston Red Sox Season in Review

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Boston Red Sox Season In Review

The 2017 Boston Red Sox season had a lot of ups and downs. A 93-69 season. The Red Sox acquired Chris Sale, the pitcher they needed at the top of their rotation. Lingering questions burned about David Price, and his spat with Dennis Eckersley and the media only added more fuel throughout the season. The ‘little leader’ Dustin Pedroia, batted just .204 in his last 26 postseason games. The Red Sox starting pitching in four ALDS games pitched 11.1 innings, gave up 23 hits, 16 ER, 6 HR. ERA: 12.70.

Lots Of Young Talent But No Power Hitter

The young talent on the team was great in the regular season, but they are still missing a power hitter. With the Yankees creeping on the AL East, right behind the Red Sox, they need a big bat. Otherwise the AL East title next season will undoubtedly go to the Yankees. But which player do you give up for a power hitter? The last two postseasons Bogaerts batted .138; Betts batted .269; Pedroia batted .143; and Bradley Jr .160. All combined for 33 strikeouts and 19 hits. I have to say a shake up in the clubhouse is needed to breathe some life into the playoffs. If that means trading Bradley Jr., then they should do it.

What Does Dave Dombrowski Do About The Manager And The Team?

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell speaks during a news conference, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, before his team’s workout as they prepare for Sunday’s Game 3 of baseball’s American League Division Series against the Houston Astros in Boston. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes)

The Red Sox have announced this morning that John Farrell will not be the manager in 2018. Farrell, who won back-to-back division titles, and lost back-to-back ALDS titles, was fired this morning. The Red Sox needed a big shakeup. Dave Dombrowski didn’t think that keeping Farrell was in the best interest of the team. You can check off one of the items Dave Dombrowski needed to do this offseason. They wasted no time firing the manager.

The next few weeks could shake up the team even more. The Red Sox have a lot of work to do.

 

Bruins Zap Us Right Back into Reality

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Like everyone else, I was feeling confident about the Bruins after their opening night win against the Predators. Who am I kidding?   I had them in the Eastern Conference Finals. With five rookies in the opening night lineup, they took the play to the Western conference champions all night. Jake Debrusk scored an impressive goal for his first of what looks like many.  Anders Bjork was all over the ice, registering an assist and generating plenty of chances. Charlie McAvoy picked up right where he left off, and appears to be an early favorite for the Calder. The rookies put David Krejci in the DeLorean. Krejci looked young again–registering three assists and easily keeping up with his faster, younger linemates.

Then something happened while I was planning the Duck Boat parade:  The Bruins reminded us how frustrating they can be, and zapped us right back into reality. With three days off between games one and two, they looked like the “youth-movement Bruins” most expected to see. Mental mistakes and missed passes made the goaltender’s job easy, all adding up to an abysmal 4-0 defeat for the home team.  Even Tuukka Rask looked like a rookie today, badly playing a puck outside his net and easily beaten.

I realize the Bruins mysteriously struggled against the Avalanche at home, but there wasn’t much to take from today’s “effort.”  They looked as though they really enjoyed the long fall weekend – pumpkin beer, spiked cider, apple picking, the whole nine yards.  Once again they were without Patrice Bergeron, who after today’s game, can’t get back in the lineup soon enough. Great to see Torey Krug back on the ice after a long layoff.  But he looked rusty and will most likely need a couple of games to get up to speed.

There is still much to learn about the 2017-18 Boston Bruins. Class begins Wednesday night in Colorado. Did I overreact after Thursday night’s game? Maybe. But I reserve the right to dust off my parade plans if we see more what we saw Thursday night and less of what we saw Monday.

Bruins Look to Bounce Back Tonight

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The Bruins hope to bounce back tonight in Colorado after a disappointing matinee Monday and play the way they did in their season opener against the Nashville Predators.

Bruins Sign white to PTO

The Bruins made a couple of minor transactions on Tuesday.   One includes the signing of ex-Montreal Canadian tough guy Ryan White to a PTO. White could bring some grit and toughness to the Bruins’ young and speedy forward group.  White has quite the resume in the NHL, playing for the Montreal Canadians, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, and the Minnesota Wild.  He hopes the Bruins are his next destination.   “I play my game wherever I go,” said White. ”I’m probably here for a reason — just to play physical, straight up and down, north-south game, and chip in when I can. It’s pretty self-explanatory the way I play, and I can’t change it now.”

Coaches and Players Comments

Brad Marchand had some kind words on White when speaking to the media on Tuesday. “He’s a very competitive guy, very hard to play against, and a really good player,” Bruins winger Brad Marchand said of White. “He’s one of those guys you don’t want to play against, but you love to have him on your team. Very good locker room guy, and he’s the kind of guy you need on your team to go deep in the playoffs.”

Head Coach Bruce Cassidy also had some things to say about White’s game play. “We’ve lost David Backes and Noel Acciari on the right side. We know what they can give us every night; They give us straight-line play, they’re gonna be physical, they’re going to get to the net. We’ve lost that element.”   When asked about White’s potential addition to the B’s, Cassidy added, “They might not be sexy players, but Ryan White has a history of playing that way. He was available for a look, and we’re gonna look.”

Although the Bruins have a ton of young players down in Providence, they could really benefit from having a guy like White on their roster. He’s the type of player that’ll look out for all the young players. White could also score the odd goal or two for them while being used in a bottom-six role.

Heinen Recalled

Signing White to a PTO wasn’t the Bruins only transaction on Tuesday. With the Bruins prospect pool overflowing with young talent, forward Danton Heinen was the chosen one getting the call from from the Bruins on Tuesday

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after recording an assist for Providence in their first game of the season. Heinen skated in 64 games for Providence last season. He recorded 14 goals and 30 assists for a total of 44 points in his first full season in the Bruins organization. Heinen has shown he can score at the AHL level and he’s being given a chance to do the same with the Bruins. Heinen has grown a lot as a player in the last year, and hopefully it continues for him and of course with the other youngsters as well.

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My Continuing Battle With Brain Surgery

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My Story

It was my freshman year of high school in 2014 when I learned that I had a brain tumor the size of an apple on the back of my brain stem.  I would need surgery within a month. I spent the next year completely separated from everyone as the recovery process was very difficult. My junior year of high school I started to feel like my body was getting back to normal, but then news came that made my family and I think otherwise.

Surgery: Take Two

The night before the first day of senior year my oncologist called. I was going to need to go in and meet with a new team of surgeons. I had fluid build up in my brain that I will get removed in December of this year. Just when I thought that I was finally healing and wasn’t going to have to go through everything again. The way I have to think about this surgery is that it will only make things better.

Exciting Things have Happened

My family and I have always been huge Boston Red Sox fans since before I was born. Baseball has been the one stable thing in my life lately. This season I had the amazing opportunity to go to six different games. The cancer clinic that I am a part of has a partnership with the Red Sox organization.  My story was told to the board. On September 4th I met with a representative from the clinic who put me in contact with Jackie Bradley Jr. Although I did not meet Jackie, when we spoke he told me that I was an inspiration to both him and his teammates.   I was going to get through this, he told me.  To hear someone that you look up to say that you inspire them is a true blessing.

Two weeks ago, through the help of many on Twitter, I met Tom Caron of NESN when I went to Fenway. I was able to meet the whole NESN crew and spend a few hours talking about the Red Sox. I’ve met some of my best friends because of the Red Sox that I never would’ve met otherwise. And they are always there when I need them.

Will Marcus Morris Start for Celtics?

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GETTING ACCLIMATED

With a lot of assumptions on who will start this season, the general public agrees that Marcus Morris will be a regular starter. The question is, when can we count on him to be a reliable option comfortable with the team’s schemes, as well as his teammates? Thankfully, his court case has concluded, and he is finally with the team. He and his brother, Markieff, were acquitted of all charges, so the twins won’t face any suspensions.

It is a blessing that Morris  joined the team before the regular season started. While I outlined a few possibilities for the starting lineup in his absence, he might be ready to start in the first game of the regular season. Stevens didn’t play him in his first game with the team because he “didn’t want to throw him into the fire right away.” Thankfully he is acclimating in the preseason, and there are still two games left for him to get up to speed.

“BOSTON GOT A DOG”

Despite knowing well before game time that he wouldn’t play on Friday night against the 76ers, Morris suited up, headband and all. He went through warm ups and sat on the bench with the team. Further, he was arguably the loudest cheerleader on the bench all night. It was great to see a guy bring that type of energy after just joining the team. It is clear that he is happy to be a part of the Celtics and excited to get back to basketball.

The team will count on him to bring that energy and intensity, on and off the court, in practice and games. This team lost some of its ferocity with all the off-season moves, but there are still guys capable of bringing it. Morris is one of those guys. He prides himself on being a hustle player that won’t back down from anyone.

TALK THE TALK, WALK THE WALK

In the first preseason game against the Hornets, the Celtics tried to figure out how to play together. Unlike the Celtics teams we as fans are used to, there was a sense of shyness and everyone just playing nice with one another. In the second game, Morris was very vocal, albeit from the bench, and the players fed into it. This is going to be key for these guys building chemistry on and off the floor this season. They need a guy willing to break the ice with a strong voice because of all the newness. Morris came in and did just that in a matter of days, without even seeing the court. In case you were wondering, he’s ready to go to work.

“I gotta be the tough guy on the team, the protector. Guys knocking my guys down, I can’t have that. So I gotta be the bully.”

The Celtics badly need someone to fulfill this role this year, and Morris relishes in it. The other Marcus on the team will appreciate Morris for making things a little easier on him in this regard. I anticipate these two being the loudest on the team. Together, they will hound opposing teams and make things uncomfortable. Another guy that brings an intensity the Celtics have lacked in recent years is Aron Baynes. He brings an ability to take up space and be an enforcer in the paint, especially defensively. Morris and Baynes played together on the Pistons and were both enforcers. Look for them to do the same in Boston.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Besides toughness, Morris brings another wing player capable of playing both ends of the floor. In two seasons with the Pistons, he averaged 14 ppg. In February 2017, he had two 35+ point games, so he has shown he can step up when the other starters are struggling offensively. He is a more than capable scorer, but also a guy willing to make the extra pass when necessary. He won’t disrupt the flow of the offense, making him a good fit with the first unit. While he has never been a beast on the glass, averaging 4.2 rebounds on his career, playing with Andre Drummond didn’t allow him to pull down as many boards as he could have. Playing next to Horford in the starting lineup should spike his rebound numbers.

Morris also does not get enough credit for his defense. We know he is willing to be the bully, but can he actually stay in front of his man? Will he be able to switch defensively when he needs to? If his performance against Lebron James in the 2016 Playoffs was any indication, I’d say he’s an underrated defender capable of more than he has shown on a nightly basis. James had has his worst playoff series guarded by Morris, averaging 23-9-7 on .49/.21/.73 shooting through four games. Not bad numbers, but Morris was able to keep James mostly out of the paint. A quarter of his shots were threes, uncharacteristic of James. Playing for a contender should bring out the best in him on the defensive side of the ball.

BROTHERLY LOVE

The Celtics-Wizards have created one of the newest NBA rivalries, eclipsed by a seven-game series in last years playoffs. However, the instigators in Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, even Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko are gone now. Morris is a trash talker and would normally love to be involved in these types of games, but his twin brother is on the Wizards, making this “rivalry” all but nonexistent shortly after its start.

It will still be fun, however, to see the twins go after each other, as it always is. If it weren’t for the jerseys, it would look like there was some sort of mirror on the court. They even have all of the same tattoos, making it borderline impossible to distinguish between the two. There has even been a conspiracy that one has suited up in place of the other because of injury, and honestly, there’s no way to tell if this has ever happened or not. It is one of the more hilarious conundrums in sports, and while I doubt it has ever happened or ever will, it’s fun to act like the Celtics have a backup Morris in the playoffs after they inevitably take down the Wizards, again.

40 Hours with the Patriots

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‘Don’t be jealous,’ my Mom used to say. Jealousy, as an emotion, is weak and useless. I was taught to always cheer people on and be happy when good things happen.

Well, this week, my Mom admitted she was jealous.

As a sports fan – specifically a die-hard New England Patriots fan –  I got the opportunity of a lifetime.  Through the team, my new best friends, Draft Kings, Weber Shandwick and some good old-fashioned fate I was able to be a part of the Patriots experience, up close and personal.  The invite to travel, stay, play and be a true part of the World Champions on a game day.  Yeah, I guess I can do that.

Tampa Bay?  Week 4 of the season?  Wheels up on Wednesday?  Damn, skippy, I’m in!

Here were my 40 Hours with the Patriots…

Let’s GO!

Wednesday, October 4

I won’t spend anytime talking about the early morning details of wardrobe selection, scripted conversation plans or the eight times I was slapping myself in the mirror praying this was not a dream or some elaborate scam my buddies were plotting against me.  Let’s get right to the heart of it.

11:30AM

Arrive at Gillette Stadium – The Big Razor. The House that Kraft, Belichick and Brady built (OK, Bob paid the tab, but you get the imagery).  God’s Country for Bostonians.  Graciously greeted by the some of the great Pats’ peeps (Hey Tiff) and ushered up to one of the many incredible stadium suites for a little lunch and a meet and greet with my traveling mates (Hey Aliza, Bob and Mike!).  I am 16 minutes in to the this whole experience and I am literally pinching myself in the coolest bathroom ever. (gratuitous selfie included).

12:30PM

TSA check…AT the stadium.  What, whaaaaat?  Yup, the Patsys don’t mess around.  Full security check point completed right there.  Why? ‘Cause World Champions don’t have time to waste.  Not sure why I am asking the TSA agent for an autograph…on my chest?  Guess I am just jittery?  Thank you ladies and gentleman for assuring my safety before boarding the inaugural flight of ‘5 Rings’  Yeah, that’s right, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

1:30PM

Anxiously board one of the luxury buses in anticipation of our short trip down to TF Green.  Hey Zo! (coolest cat ever, by the way).

And just before we get this bad boy rolling, enter Chris Hogan and James White for a little pre-trip motivational speech.  Yeah, cause I was starting to doze off and needed more excitement!  Just awesome.  Btw, James, still waiting for the answer to my final question from our interview two weeks ago.  And dang, Chris Hogan, you are handsome.  Of course, that is a Patriots wide-receiver job requirement as we all know.

2:30PM

I’ll let this video speak for itself

WHEELS UP!

3:30PM

I love the expression ‘Wheels Up’ and will continue to use throughout this column.  Probably going to start using it to start all my sentences after this week.  Just saying.

“Wheels up, kids.  Dinner is ready.”

“What are you talking about Dad?”

“Shutup, Elizabeth.”

Hey, is that my name on my seat?  So wait, am I on the team now?  I do get to play linebacker tomorrow night?  Sweet!  Thanks!  (Love how they threw in the ‘JR’ like I am Odell Beckham)

Incredibly gracious and polite in-flight staff.  Thanks folks.  I hate flying and you made it so easy.  And the halibut was delicious.

6:30P

Wheels down (doesn’t have same cool ring to it, huh?).  Perhaps one of my favorite moments of the trip?  The 10-car police escort to the hotel.  Felt like Trump… only with less tweets.  Very cool.

7:30PM

Check in, clean up and back to Frank Force 1 (oh yeah, that’s what I titled the bus).  Oh, and look what I found waiting for me in my room?  Bag of swag.  I wish I could take the Patriots to prom.  By the way, Patriots staff, here is your number 1 fan that will be receiving the lion’s share of this awesomeness.   Matt is pretty awesome too.  Thank you kindly.

8:30PM

Dinner time.  Par for this course so far, the Champs took us guests to an absolutely ridiculous restaurant.  Decadent and delicious.  And how about this – this is how sharp the folks at 1 Patriot Place are – they made note of our info and realized yours truly has a birthday this week….and they sang happy birthday with the entire wait staff.  You kidding me?  Twenty-nine never felt so good.

Thursday, October 5

12:30AM

After treating my stomach like royalty, it was time to shut it down.  What a day! Is that a lamb bone in my pocket?

3:00AM

This is all too awesome to sleep.  Maybe I’ll do some push ups?  Maybe Nate Solder is up and wants to chat?  Probably not.  Go back to sleep, jackass.

GAME DAY!

9:00AM

Oh my God, this bed is so comfortable.  I haven’t slept this late since the late 1990s.

10:00AM

Little bacon and eggs to fuel up.  Oh, hey elevator buddies, Josh McDaniels and Rob Gronkowski.  In my brief time with them, all I could muster was a very sad, squeaky “Good luck” as I departed to my floor.  Damnit Frank!  You’re better than that! Come on, man!

1:00PM

Start applying facepaint.

1:06PM

Promptly remove facepaint.

1:07PM

I’m kidding – it was full body paint of Julian Edelman in his away game uniform, for the record.

4:00PM

Back to Frank Force 1 again.  Time to get to The Big Sombrero/Pirate Ship/Place Where Buccaneers Play Football.

5:30PM

Oh man…walking through the tunnel like I am Bizarro John Gruden.  This is legit crazy.  After a couple hours of roaming the sidelines like Suzie “I wanna kiss you” Kolber, we head up to the awesome seats our home town heroes provided us.  Oh, hey Tommy.

8:30PM

Kick off.

9:30PM

Brag about how awesome it is to be a Patriots fan in the beer line to Mildred, the 86-year-old Buccs season ticket holder.  Boom, roasted, Millie!!

WIN!

Friday, October 6

12:00AM

A win is a win, baby!!  Back to FF1 (yeah, already gave it an acronym)

2:00AM

Wheels up! (You hate me yet for continuing to say that phrase, don’t you?  I don’t blame ya’.)  Another perfectly pleasant in-flight experience.  Even got to watch an episode of  ‘Always Sunny’.  It just doesn’t get better.

4:00AM

Hello again, TF Green.  WE are back (oh yeah, I am literally a part of the team at this point, obvi)

5:30AM

Back at The Razor and wishing I had a time machine to go back 40 hours in time.

You often hear the expression, ‘The Patriot Way’ regarding the unparalleled professionalism, confidence and winning way of this team of players and coaches.  After this experience, I promise you that the Patriots’ ‘off the field’ team exhibits those very same characteristics and do our town equally proud.  Thank you so much for this experience and don’t be shy if you ever find a extra seat on 5 Rings you need to fill..

P.S.  And just when I thought it could not get better, I got to meet another childhood sports hero.  Hey Rocket!

 

P.P.S. My new BFFs at Draftkings wanted me to remind sports fans that you too can win these types of experiences by gaming with them. #bucketlist

Click here to find out how you can have an ultimate fan experience!

Marcus Smart Keeps Getting Disrespected

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WHY IS HE INVISIBLE?

The NBA released the 2017 GM surveys, and Marcus Smart keeps getting overlooked by the league. The GMs voted for What bench player makes the biggest impact when he enters the game, and Marcus did not even receive a single vote. Take a look:

Yes, correct. Not even a single vote. Despite Marcus having his best season yet. Let’s take a look at his numbers last season:

10.6 Points, 4.6 Assists

3.9 Rebounds

1.6 Steals

2.0 TOs

When we talk about the most complete player of the bench, Marcus Smart tops the list. Smart did have another terrible shooting year, with splits of .359/.283/.812. But Marcus impacts winning like no other bench player. From diving for a ball, to deflections, to grabbing big time rebounds in crunch time or grabbing a loose ball, he does a bit of everything that don’t show up in the traditional stat sheet. And we don’t even need to mention his defense.

Marcus had more points, more assists and the same rebounding averages as Iggy. No disrespect to Iguodala, he’s an important piece for the Warriors. When I look at that list, I see scorers. Players that only play one side of the ball. Gordon is a tremendous scorer but nothing more. He’s not a key defensive player, nor a play maker. Same could be said for Jamal and Lou Williams.

Of all of those players, only Igoudala can impact a game on both ends of the floor.

So why no mention for Marcus?

MARCUS NO-BUCKETS

The only logical reason rests on Marcus’ offensive game. Marcus has a career shooting splits of .358/.291/.762 — not great. He’s not the instant bucket guy that you look for off the bench.  But what do we define as impactful?

BIG TIME BOARDS

When Marcus is not scoring, he’s doing this:

With five seconds left, Crowder takes a corner three and missed. And look who comes flying down to keep the ball alive for Al to score and to give the Celtics the lead. That’s impact.

 

Same situation here. A missed shot and another big time put-back by Smart over the defense.

At the end of the day, Celtics know the impact Marcus have for this team. The GM’s have yet to open their eyes and see Marcus impact, but with a even bigger role of the bench this season, we will see different opinions around the league.

You can find me on Twitter at @KaardoNBA

Red Sox Are About To Get Swept

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Red Sox About To Get Swept Again

The Boston Red Sox face another swept for the second year in a row in the ALDS. Chris Sale, allegedly the ace, pitched game one.  He hadn’t pitched a postseason game befor, but he should have been fine, right? Wrong! He pitched five innings, gave up nine hits, seven runs, three home runs and had an ERA of 12.60. Some Red Sox fans need to wake up.   Winning the American League East means nothing if you can’t make it past the first round of the playoffs.

Red Sox in the Playoffs — A Circus

All Red Sox pitchers yesterday gave up 12 hits, eight runs, had eight strikeouts, but gave up four home runs. When Nunez gets up in the first inning, he can’t even make it to first base. He fell on his face in pain. He had to be carried off the field by John Farrell and a trainer.   Jose Altuve stole the show, hitting three homers for a 8-2 blowout win.

Red Sox Outscored 30-10 in ALDS 2016/2017

 

Deja vu all over again.  The same as last season in the playoffs.   The Red Sox have been outscored 30-11 from last year’s ALDS to this. Which means Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Christian Vasquez — the core of this team–  have yet to win a playoff game.  They get to this stage with a full head of steam, and they completely choke. These guys can’t live up to the hype. The Red Sox had Drew Pomeranz going today and his good season completely goes out the window. He pitched just two innings, gave up five hits and four runs, one strikeout, two home runs, and an ERA of 18.00.

To make matters worse, Betts leaves the game after his last at bat, re-injuring his left wrist.   With the 8 -2 loss, the pitching gave up 12 hits, eight runs, two homers, five strikeouts, and six walks. The Red Sox and Astros play again Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park with Doug Fister on the mound.  If the Sox lose, either Betts, or Benintendi will be gone in the offseason for a power hitter, because boy do they need one.

 

 

Patriots’ Player Profile : Stephon Gilmore

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Hello everyone, I am embarking on a new feature for BostonSportsExtra and PatriotsExtra.  We will have a weekly profile of a Patriots’ player so you can get to know more about the individuals on the team.  This week features one of the newest Patriots, cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

 

INTRODUCTION

Stephon Stiles Gilmore was born on September 19, 1990 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Gilmore went on to play high school and college football in his home state.  Gilmore was voted third team all-American in 2011 and first team SEC 2010-2011.  The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the first round (tenth overall) in 2012.

Gilmore went signed one of the richer free-agent contracts in Patriots’ history this past off season.  Gilmore signed a five-year, $65M dea,l making him one of the highest paid defensive players on the team.  This is coming off his last season with the Bills where Gilmore was voted to his first Pro Bowl.  Gilmore also gained notoriety this season in mini camp for his feisty play. Both he and Julian Edelman were thrown out of practice for fighting on August 1st.

Gilmore has teamed up this season with Malcolm Butler to form one of the more formidable CB tandems in the league.  Before you crucify me or them, it is only the first month of the season.  Time should show that this signing was a very good one for both the short and long term of the defense.  Gilmore, a great tackler, has averaged three interceptions a season, which I expect to go up this year.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Stephon Gilmore married his college sweetheart, Gabrielle Glenn, who he met at the University of South Carolina.  She was a member of the track team as a sprinter.  They currently plan to spend their off season time in South Carolina as well.

OFF THE FIELD

Gilmore has a reputation for his feisty behavior on the field, but it turns out Gilmore can be feisty off as well.  Gilmore quickly dissed his former team (the Bills–who doesn’t) after signing this off season.  “My friends and family will actually see me play on TV” highlighted one of his first quotes to the media.  Gilmore can trash talk with the best of them,  and has quick wit on and off of the field.

Otherwise, Gilmore tries to maintain a low profile and hangs out with his new defensive-back mates at least once a week.  They get together as a group and have dinner or do something at one of their houses.  They all say that this brings them closer together and helps with team bonding.

Hope you guys enjoyed my first ever Patriots’ player profile. Check out BostonSportsExtra.com and PatriotsExtra.com for a new profile each week.  Thanks again and Go Patriots.