@TheFrizz87 and I have been putting together lists of every NFL division’s sleeper picks for the 2017 season. This time we will focus on the AFC West which contains Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Oakland. This division is easily one of the best in AFC at the moment. The rosters that these four teams have right now are phenomenal. With that being said here are the AFC West Team’s sleeper picks for 2017.
When you think of Red Sox rivalries throughout the years, the only ones that really come to mind are the Yankees or any other AL East team for that matter. But there is a new team that the Red Sox always seem to go to war with, and that team is the Cleveland Indians.
It kickstarted in 2016, when Cleveland and the Red Sox met in the ALDS. Talk centered on the Sox because of David Ortiz’s final postseason, but not a ton around the Indians. The Indians definitely deserved more buzz, with a better record in the regular season than the Red Sox did.
Well, the Indians certainly did not disappoint, as they shocked the Red Sox along with baseball, sweeping them in three games. A sour ending to Ortiz’s career, and a disappointing one to say the least. Cleveland, as we all know, ended up losing the World Series in seven games to the Cubs.
Enter 2017, where both teams have big expectations, especially considering the Sox added Sale, and the Indians added Encarnacion. So far, the Red Sox have had some crazy games against the Indians in 2017, and crazy is an understatement.
August 1st, Chris Sale scheduled to take the hill for the Red Sox against the Indians, everyone expecting another dominant start. The Indians had a different idea, tattooing him for seven ER in a very disappointing start. The Red Sox battled back, including a disappointing appearance from the Indians big bullpen guy, Andrew Miller. But the big guy gave up a game-tying double off the monster to Eduardo Nunez.
Enter the 8th inning, the Red Sox holding onto a two-run lead. Newly acquired Addison Reed took the hill for the Sox, and gave up a home run to Carlos Santana to make it a one-run game. In the 9th, shut-down closer Craig Kimbrel came in looking to secure the save. First batter for the Tribe, Francisco Lindor, hits a game tying home run over the Monster, shocking the Fenway faithful. Kimbrel continued to struggle, allowing the go-ahead run. The bottom of the 9th came, and the Indians brought in their all-star closer, Cody Allen.
Mitch Moreland comes up with a runner on first and two outs. He swings at strike three, but the ball skips away allowing him to run to first. After a wild pitch, runners crouch on 2nd and 3rd for the young catcher Christian Vasquez, who blasts a 3-1 fastball deep into the night, dead center. Fenway went crazy, and for good reason.
This is just one example of the great games these two teams have played this season. The Indians great success against Chris Sale and the Red Sox ability to play great against the Indians makes for an epic postseason matchup, and a potential new rivalry for the Sox.
The clock ticks down under 10 seconds. The game is tied in overtime. The Staples Center in LA is packed. Jersey number two in black is still dribbling calmly in place just past half court. The people closest to him know what happens next, as he prepares to show the rest of the world what he is all about. Isaiah Thomas starts to drive hard left. He gets inside the perimeter enough to sell the drive. He gets a sliver of space and then takes a step back with a distance comparable to that between Man and the Moon itself to get behind the line. A two-point victory wasn’t good enough for him. (It ended up being called a two but I dispute it to this day). You can probably guess what happens next: swish. “COOOLLDD BLOODED!!” the announcer can be heard yelling over all the chaos.
That was the scene of the PAC-12 (then PAC-10) championship game on March 12, 2011, and the exact moment I became an Isaiah Thomas fan. You see, certain players bring more to basketball than just talent. IT plays with a fierce passion unmatched by most. You have to bring up the names of greats just to find somebody on his level in that regard. Then there’s that smile. You can always tell he’s having a blast on the court, and for his teammates, it’s contagious. Complement these things with an unrealistic confidence and you have the makings of a special player. He is willing to say he wants to be the best player in the NBA, and he doesn’t care if you doubt him. As a fan, you have to love a guy like that. Especially when he’s able to back it up with top-five level play, which is right where he found himself in the MVP race at the end of last season. Say that again?
Speaking of doubt, let’s fast forward from that day at the Staples Center to a few months later at the 2011 NBA draft. You’ve probably heard the story. Thomas was taken with the last pick, far beyond the point where a team can typically find someone worth a roster spot. Well, the Kings struck gold. Not only did he make the team, he averaged 11.5 ppg as a rookie. He jumped up to 20.3 ppg by his third year. Despite showing promise as a young player, the Kings weren’t satisfied and dumped him for nothing in a sign-and-trade move with the Suns. He played in Phoenix for only half of the 13-14 season. Even though he continued to play well, they doubted Thomas and his role in their long-term plans. They viewed him as the third-best point guard on the roster.
Little Big Man
When I heard the Celtics landed Thomas before the trade deadline of the 2014-2015 season, I was ecstatic. Right away I felt we had the scoring punch we needed to maybe make a run at the playoffs, and he took us there as a mid-season acquisition. But he wasn’t satisfied; he won the starting role, and in the 2016-2017 season threw it in the face of his doubters and had himself an MVP caliber season.
Some of the things he did this past season literally brought me to tears. There’s the Miami game where he notched a career- high 52 points, and we needed every last one of them to win. The King of the Fourth came to play that day, breaking Larry Bird’s franchise record with 24 in the final period.
Need a day off? The very next game, he recorded a career high 15 assists behind 29 pts, and it started to seem like he could do anything. Just two games in the line of a franchise-record 43-straight, 20-point games. And in the playoffs, when he bested his 52 with a gritty 53-point performance on a bad hip, on what would have been his sisters 23rd birthday. She passed away in a car accident weeks before. If you weren’t a fan of his after that game, you didn’t have a pulse.
He fought through that personal tragedy for the rest of the playoffs and beyond. The missing tooth game, the game winner in Atlanta, I could go on and on. We were witnessing greatness out of “the little guy” every single time he stepped on the floor. He fought so hard for everything, and he finally felt at home. He was in a good situation where his coach allowed him to be himself and it was paying dividends. Even the doubters where starting to diminish. Imagine that, it took an MVP level season for most to realize this guy is pretty darn good.
What happens next, well, is simply heartbreaking. As I’m writing this, I’m torn between excitement for the future and borderline depression that the hard nosed Celtics led by Thomas will never step on the floor together again. While the culture remains, the fact is this is a much different team led by a different floor general. Isaiah wears a Cavaliers jersey now. And get this; reports reveal the Cavs didn’t care much about Thomas being part of the deal, but were more enamored with Crowder and the Nets pick. Two great assets, sure, but the message was clear; we don’t think he can do it again. Definitely not after the hip injury. They even demanded more out of the deal after it was agreed upon when concern was expressed about their results from Thomas’ physical. IT’s newest team has become his latest doubter.
Is the hip a concern? Yes. Is he shorter than your roommate, who thinks he would’ve made it to the NBA if he was taller? There’s a pretty good chance. The concerns have always been logical, but does it really matter? I answered that question for myself the second the ball left his hands in the final seconds of that OT game on March 12th 2012 in the sold out Staples Center. It didn’t matter whether it went in or not; I had seen enough to know this kid had guts. The fact that it dropped was the proverbial icing on the cake.
Certain players, certain people, defy logic with their craft. Coincidentally enough, some people call it the “IT” factor, and the man whose initials and most popular nickname is I.T. has “IT.” Magical might be a more appropriate word than logical when talking about Thomas. He has defied logic time and time again, and you won’t find me giving any reason why he can’t do it once more. So when it was reported that Isaiah was really just the icing on the cake for the Cavs, the only reasoning I can come up with is that their front office is full of odd individuals who only eat the icing.
P.S. I wanted to help direct Cleveland here, as they will almost certainly be needing this service in the near future. You earned it IT!!
Isaiah Thomas said when asked about his looming payday next offseason that they better bring in the Brinks truck, and took it a step further with these. Here’s a clip of the shot in the 2011 Pac-10 title game. Stat line: 28-5-7. COLD. BLOODED.
When 23-year-old me received orders to the city of Yuma, I had no idea where that was. Honestly, geography isn’t my strong suit. I assumed it was somewhere in Japan.
“Arizona!” The master sergeant bellowed, sensing my confusion. I sat down, immediately expecting the worst: snakes outside my barracks door, camel spiders in the workplace, and venomous scorpions hiding in my boots.
Obviously, I was right about everything. And for added nightmare fuel, the aptly named ‘Yuma Scorpions’ were Arizona’s Winter League affiliate, discovered one night at a Buffalo Wild Wing’s by bumping into their hall of fame slugger, Jose Canseco. Between B-dubs and the popular Burgers ‘N Beer hangout, there would at least be a place to watch baseball, eat poorly and drink yourself good-looking. Most Marines can afford to do that, not because of our paychecks, but because of our PT standards.
However, not everyone can go on burger and beer benders. A good example — one C.C. Sabathia. He who just last night took to the media to vent about the Nunez bunt attempt. Surely, it had nothing to do with forcing the hefty lefty to field his position.
So, when the former Ace openly criticized Boston’s deadline acquisition for laying one down, Boston’s eight-time All Star, and Red Sox icon, 1978 MVP Jim Rice stepped to the proverbial plate.
“What he has a right to do is fulfill his contract, lose some weight, and go out there and pitch.” A visibly frustrated Rice fired back. Heads across Sox Nation silently nodded in acknowledgment in response to the South Carolina native. Is there finally some tension between the clubs?
Of course, the rivalry needs not be reignited between the stubborn, if not arrogant, dueling fan bases. On a club level is where it’s been lacking. With only three head-to-head games remaining and the teams separated by a mere 4 1/2, heading into September needs to have a stress factor. Passion and grit drive the rivalry on, despite the teams not meeting in the playoffs for 13 years. Remember A-Rod’s string of F-you’s to Varitek, resulting in a mitt to face collision, and Don Zimmer tumbling to the ground by the hands of a Pedro Martinez special delivery? That’s what I miss!
Currently the East, Central and West division leaders’ closely contested records continue to resemble the early seconds of ‘The Price Is Right’s’ popular Plinko game. Four teams within 3 1/2 games of each other, including the Bronx Bombers, are duking it out for the two Wild Card spots. With Boston and New York with a lot to play for over the final 30 games, expect an elevated level of intensity between today and Sunday. As far as the on-field dramatics that span a full century? For now, the Rice-Sabathia jab will just have to suffice.
Curious about who will win the major awards in the NFL for the 2017 season? Trying to make your own predictions? This is always a fun little exercise for any sport you enjoy watching. Read below to find out my picks for the upcoming football season. Compare them to your own picks, comment what you picked differently.
Even without Julian Edelman, I have Tom Brady winning the MVP. The loss of his most trusted receiver will hurt. The Patriots third-down percentage might drop off some. But I still see Brady throwing for 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. He has a large array of weapons at his disposal, and his play hasn’t dropped off one bit. With Brandin Cooks added to the fold and a variety of running backs who can catch the ball out of the backfield, defenses have their hands full. With a 15-1 record and the above stats, Brady will be the easy choice for MVP at seasons end.
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Two years in a row and four of the last five this award has been given to the same player who won the MVP Award. It makes sense, if he’s the best player in football why wouldn’t he win the OPOY? Occasionally a guy puts up monster numbers on a team that was average so he isn’t considered the “most valuable.” If you took Tom Brady off the Patriots, they will lose a few more games. But his 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns predicted would certainly be worthy of winning this award.
I want to go with someone different though, and that direction would be to Arizona. Running back David Johnson seems to be on a level of his own right now as a dual threat. After putting up 581 rush yards and 457 receiving yards in a part-time role as a rookie, Johnson took off last year. He scored 20 touchdowns and more than 2,100 total yard of offense. I think he will even add to his receiving totals from a year ago. By racking up catches and yardage the Cardinals will try to help him become the third back ever to reach both 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. He might even catch 100 balls. The Cardinals want the ball in the hands of their best player. With Bruce Arians reportedly growing tired of his receiving corps, he’ll call on Johnson extensively as a receiver. 1,300 yards rushing, 1,050 yards receiving, 21 touchdowns.
David Johnson shoves cornerback David Amerson to the ground. August 12, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona.
Von Miller has not yet won this award. I’m picking him based on the fact it seems he should win at some point, so it must be his time. Denver again goes into a season with a good looking defense, but questions remain on the offensive side. They will need their defense to win games and stay in the playoff hunt, and that all starts with Von Miller. Miller has never played a full season in which he got fewer than 11 sacks. He set a new career high last year with 78 tackles. Look for Miller to again anchor the Denver defense, a huge reason why the Broncos win several games. I predict 15 sacks, which would be the second highest total of his career. With his relentless pressure on quarterbacks the voters will give him his due this season.
Von Miller celebrates after recording a sack. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Christian McCaffrey gets the nod due to his versatility. He can return kicks, run the ball effectively, and catch the ball with the best of them. His returning kicks makes him a cinch to lead all rookies in all-purpose yardage. He might lead them all in yards from scrimmage, too. Jonathan Stewart might get more carries, but McCaffrey will split out wide some while also catching the ball out of the backfield. He should act as a security blanket for Cam Newton this year. His ability to find space down low should help limit Newton’s need to take off running this year, something the Panthers want to reduce to keep Cam healthy. Stewart is also one of the more fragile backs in the league. McCaffrey will probably be the main back for a few games. I’m putting him down for 60 receptions and 1,300 total yards.
Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers runs the ball during a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Reuben Foster was a player I wanted on the Patriots. A beast at linebacker, how could teams let him slip to the 31st pick? Foster is a hard hitting, tackle machine. Playing at Alabama, Foster played in the toughest conference and was a unanimous pick for first team All-American and All-SEC. Foster also won the Butkus Award for the nations best linebacker. He had 115 tackles last season, 13 of which netted the offensive team negative yards. He should be on the field a lot playing for a poor 49ers team. This will lead to more tackle opportunities. Not only will the defense be on the field more, but the opposing team should run the ball a lot with a lead. I think Foster will end up in the top 10 for tackles in the NFL this season, and maybe threaten the top five. He could make a Luke Kuechly-type impact.
Reuben Foster #56 of the San Francisco 49ers tackles C.J. Anderson #22 of the Denver Broncos at Levi Stadium on August 19, 2017.(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Keenan Allen has barely played since November of 2015. Allen pulled in more than 70 receptions in each of his first two seasons. In 2015 he lacerated a kidney during the Chargers eighth game, done for the season. At that midway point, Allen already had 67 catches, putting him on pace for a whopping 134 for the season along with eight touchdowns. Last year his season almost ended before it began. In week one, he had already racked up six catches when he went down with a torn ACL in just the second quarter. This guy knows how to play, and he can pile up the catches. With Philip Rivers chucking the ball around, volume should not be an issue. Allen just needs to stay on the field. I don’t believe he will be quite what he was before the injuries, but then again that would be an easy 100 catch receiver if he were. 90 catches, 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns should net him this award after essentially missing a year and a half.
San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) catches a touchdown over Baltimore Ravens secondary players Jimmy Smith (22) and Kendrick Lewis (23) during the second quarter on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS)
The NFL doesn’t like giving this award to Bill Belichick. He hasn’t won the award since 2010, despite winning 12 or more games in each season since. He has had his run-ins with the league, but I think he’s also just too easy of a pick. Everyone knows he is great, they expect the Patriots to be great and want to pick someone else. Is a 15-1 record good enough to win it? I believe so. He hasn’t won the last six years, with a 15-1 record it will be hard to pass him over. I do like the Titans to step up this year and win 11 games and the AFC South, which makes Mike Mularkey a good candidate. However, that’s only a two-win improvement on last year, not enough to overtake a 15-win Bill Belichick for the award.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots pats The Vince Lombardi at the Super Bowl Winner and MVP press conference on February 6, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
At last, September has arrived. It is the final month of the regular season. September marks that time of year when games begin to develop a playoff-like atmosphere. These games often feature dominant pitching, stellar defense and clutch hitting. tensions rise and fans scoot forward to the edge of their seat as teams tussle for a playoff spot. This year, I think it is safe to say that the fans are getting their moneys worth.
The AL Wild card race is about as tightly packed with contenders as seen in recent years. The Yankees hold the top spot. Minnesota holds the second spot, a game behind the Yankees. From the outside, we have six additional teams attempting to scratch and claw their way into the playoff picture, all within 4.5 games of the second spot. Take a look below at the updated AL Wild Card standings (as of 9/1/17).
| Wild Card Teams | W | L | PCT | WCGB | WCE # | L10 | STRK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY Yankees | 71 | 62 | .534 | +1.0 | – | 5-5 | W1 | ||
| Minnesota | 70 | 63 | .526 | – | – | 7-3 | W4 | ||
| LA Angels | 69 | 65 | .515 | 1.5 | 28 | 5-5 | W3 | ||
| Baltimore | 68 | 66 | .507 | 2.5 | 27 | 8-2 | L1 | ||
| Tampa Bay | 67 | 68 | .496 | 4.0 | 25 | 7-3 | W1 | ||
| Texas | 66 | 67 | .496 | 4.0 | 26 | 5-5 | L1 | ||
| Seattle | 66 | 68 | .493 | 4.5 | 25 | 3-7 | L5 | ||
| Kansas City | 65 | 67 | .492 | 4.5 | 26 | 4-6 | L1 |
The Bronx Bombers have to feel good about their chances of grabbing one of the two spots. Many did not know what to expect of the Yankees heading into the 2017 season. All were certainly excited about young star Gary Sanchez who shined in his rookie campaign. In just 53 games he slugged 20 homers and drove in 42 runs.
This year, another gift in rookie sensation Aaron Judge. Despite his second-half struggles (.185 batting average in August), he still leads the AL in home runs with 37. The Yankees offensive talent runs deeper than just those two young studs. They have great contributions from Brett Gardner, Matt Holiday, Aaron Hicks, Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius, one of the leagues most underrated players.
Solid Yankee pitching this year ranks them 3rd in the AL with a 3.81 staff ERA. Give a lot of credit to Luis Severino, with his breakout season. He’s established himself as an elite pitcher in the American League. The Yanks ace of recent years, Masahiro Tanaka, struggled mightily early in the season as he surrendered home runs at an alarming rate and not pitching deep into games. It seems as though Tanaka has found his groove recently as he owns a 2.63 ERA over the past month. If Tanaka can stay on top of his game, then the Yankees will be a very tough team to beat in October.
The Yanks bolstered their starting rotation by adding star pitcher Sonny Gray as well as veteran Jaime Garcia at the trade deadline. CC Sabathia and Jordan Montgomery have also been key pieces to the rotation. The offense and starting pitching should do well enough to carry them into the postseason. But if the Yankees want to solidify themselves as legitimate World Series contenders, their star closer Aroldis Chapman and talented set-up man Dellin Betances need to find some consistency.
Minnesota Twins (70-63, 2nd)
It has been a pleasantly surprising year for Minnesota as no one expected them to be in position to claim a wild card spot. The Twins finished 2016 with a record of 59-103, landing them fifth in the AL Central. The key to their offensive success this year has been young slugger Miguel Sano, in the process of bouncing back from a disappointing rookie season, batting .267 and has 28 homers. Brian Dozier provides power as he has 26 home runs. Thirty-four-year old Ervin Santana has put together a career year with a record of 14-7 and an ERA of 3.27. Another bright spot for the Twins pitching staff has been their young and talented pitcher Jose Berrios. Occasionally inconsistent, he really shined at various points throughout the season. He owns a 3.80 ERA and a record of 12-6. These two guys will be key down the stretch as the Twins try to hang on to the second wild card spot.
The Angels have a solid season going. They would likely occupy a totally different spot if not for the Mike Trout injury that forced the two-time MVP to sit out for almost two months. Trout was having another absolutely ridiculous season until he injured his thumb while sliding into second base, head first in a game in late May. At that point of the season Trout was tied for the league lead in home runs with 16 and fourth in RBI with 36 while batting .337. The Angels managed to play solid baseball during his absence and that is the reason they are just 1.5 games back of the second wild card spot.
They have played pretty solid baseball lately, winning three straight games. Overall, their pitching remains solid. Luckily they can rely on their superstar to carry the load offensively with help from Albert Pujols, Andrelton Simmons and Kole Calhoun. If the Angels are going to sneak into a playoff spot, they will need solid starting pitching from their veteran starters Ricky Nolasco and Jesse Chavez.
Seattle has disappointed their fans over the past few seasons. They’ve put together very solid rosters stacked with offensive and defensive talent as well as good starting pitching. But, they just fail to get the job done, year in and year out.
Over the past few years they have featured a roster with Elite players such as Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Felix Hernandez as well as other quality players such as James Paxton and Kyle Seager. This year they have stumbled upon even more talent in rookie Ben Gamel and newly acquired Jean Segura. Even while loaded with talent, the Mariner remain average, two games below .500 on the year. But here they are at the end of August, right in the mix of things. This team can win, just one good month of baseball away from making the playoffs. The key to their success will be getting their long time ace Felix Hernandez healthy and pitching to his potential.
Tune into the second part of this article for analysis on Baltimore, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Texas
After an extremely disappointing series with the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox jumped back on the winning train and swept their division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. Combining to score a total of 16 runs in the three game series, the Sox now have a comfortable 5.5 game lead over the second-place New York Yankees.
Game one ended in a 6-5 victory for the Red Sox on August 28th, and featured vintage Drew Pomeranz doing what he does best: win games. The opposing pitcher, Marcus Stroman was the on the bump. Stroman looked comfortable in this outing. With a 2-1 lead, Eduardo Nunez changed that momentum by hitting a laser-beam home run to left field to tie the game at 2. However, after that home run, Stroman sat down six consecutive Red Sox batters including two strikeouts.
The Blue Jays then called for a pitching change in the seventh inning and it all went downhill from there. With a one-run Blue Jays lead, Christian Vazquez hit a two-run homer to left field off of Danny Barnes. Mitch Moreland knocked in Nunez on a weak hit ground back to the middle of second and first off of Aaron Loup, and Ryan Tepera walked Xander Bogaerts for a bases loaded RBI. The Red Sox then took a 6-3 lead.
The Blue Jays scored the remaining two runs off, surprisingly, Craig Kimbrel, from a two- run home run by Justin Smoak on an 0-1 count with two outs. You never see that happen, especially this year!
The Red Sox offense looked good in the first game of the series. They combined for a total of 12 hits, four of those coming from Vazquez, who also tacked in two RBIs. Nunez, Benintendi, Moreland and Ramirez combined for eight hits and two RBIs.
Drew Pomeranz pitched well, earning his 14th victory of the year and ranking him second in the MLB with wins behind Greinke, Kershaw, Sale and Davies. His 3.23 ERA now ranks him 11th in the MLB.
Game two was a fun one to watch. Chris Sale put on one of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen. I could not stop watching the game because I was so mesmerized. Sale dealt his absolute best. He ended his night pitching 7.0 innings, allowed three hits with no runs and struck out 11 Blue Jays. He decreased his ERA to a 2.77, 5th best in the MLB and 2nd in the American League behind Corey Kluber of the Indians.
Sales first strike out victim was Steve Peace and it was a beauty. In the second inning he struck out Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar. He then struck out the side in the third inning, sending Miguel Montero, Ryan Goins, and Steve Peace back to the dugout. He struck out Bautista again in the fourth and again in the seventh. What can Chris Sale not do?
Chris Sale dealing against the Blue Jays
The Sox offense finally did something in the sixth inning, which honestly seemed like an eternity waiting for a run to score. Nunez scored in Rajai Davis on his double to right field and Ramirez capitalized on that by hitting a solo shot to center field in the seventh inning. Benintendi then wanted to join the action and he hit an RBI single to right field to drive in Davis. The Sox went on to win 3-0 and take two games away from the Blue Jays in the three-game series.
After acquiring Rajai Davis on August 23rd from the Oakland Athletics, he’s been a quiet player. So far he is batting .250 through five games with the Sox and even has two stolen bases. This game accounted for two of the nine hits that game and also had a stolen base. Nunez and Benintendi also had two hits that game as well.
This is the game we all needed. Rick Porcello facing off against J.A. Happ. Let me start off by saying Porcello redeemed himself after his last outing. That was by far the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Eleven runs in 4.2 innings and just four of those runs were “earned.” He got shelled. But I’m sure I can speak for Red Sox Nation and say we are happy with this last game. He pitched 6.2 innings and only allowed one earned run off six hits. He also managed to pick up his 9th win of the season, struck out seven and lowered his ERA from a 4.57 to a 4.45.
Happ looked sharp as well. He pitched 6.0 innings and only allowed just one run off of four hits. Happy received a no decision this game. In the month of August, Happ is where he pitches his best. Lifetime he is 21-15 (most wins amongst any months) with a 3.71 ERA (second lowest amongst any months). Against the Sox, he is 5-3, third best record against any of the teams he has faced in his career.
Mitch Moreland came, saw and conquered. Coming in a pinch hitter for Chris Young (DH), he went 2-2 with a home run and four RBI’s to help secure a 7-1 Sox victory. The three other RBI came from Betts, Bogaerts and Ramirez. Nunez, Betts, Bogaerts, and Hanley all had doubles and Bogaerts and Devers recorded stolen bases. The Sox offense crawled all over the Jays pitching.
Rajai Davis and Mookie Betts surround Mitch Moreland after hitting a 7th inning home run
(.571 average)
A little more than a decade ago, I took my son to Arlington to watch the Red Sox play the Rangers. I’d been to the park a few times – whenever Boston came to town we’d try to catch a game or two.
A couple of years removed from 2004’s Curse Breakers, the ‘07 Sox were good. Objectively speaking, they were far and away the best of our three recent World Series teams. The 2007 Rangers sucked. Most of the 40,000 in attendance were there to watch Boston.
I don’t remember much about the game except that Julian Tavarez started for Boston and somehow managed to avoid having a psychotic episode on the mound – which was rare for him. The other thing that I’ll never forget? Watching our diminutive rookie second baseman play for the first time.
Clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Pedroia put together an epic AB against Texas closer Eric Gagne. To be fair, this was not Cy Young Gagne. He was three seasons removed from his chemically enhanced prime, but he could still pitch.
He and Pedroia went at it for nine or 10 pitches. Then, Gagne made the mistake of throwing him a high but hittable fastball – not the 101mph steroid specials that made him a hero in LA, but a low-mid 90s get-me-over – and Pedey drilled it 400-plus feet to the left-field bleachers to seal the win.
That single moment in time epitomizes Pedroia’s career. He fights for everything and he usually wins.
Though his most recent stint on the DL is hopefully coming to an end this weekend, the number of those has piled up over the last few years. It isn’t too soon to start wondering how much game he has left. He’s a 12-year veteran, but over the course of the ten full seasons he’s been with the big club (’07-‘16) he’s only averaged about 137 games a season. He’s tough, but he isn’t exactly durable. And he isn’t getting younger.
So where does his career land him?
He’s clearly one of the all-time great Red Sox players. But a Hall of Famer?
Probably.
If Pedroia can get back in the line-up this season and contribute at his pre-DL rate, he’s on pace for his career averages and should compete for another Gold Glove (would be his 5th). If we conservatively assume that Dustin will be 70% as productive for the next five years as his per-season career average, then when compared to the last four infielders elected to the Hall by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA – a horrible organization name by the way), Pedey deserves a plaque in Cooperstown.
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | |
| Pedroia NOW | 1483 | 5930 | 910 | 1786 | 392 | 15 | 139 | 716 | 612 | 640 | 0.301 |
| Pedroia (Projected) | 2050 | 8198 | 1256.5 | 2468.5 | 542.5 | 22 | 191.5 | 989 | 846.5 | 885 | 0.301 |
| Jeter | 2747 | 11195 | 1923 | 3465 | 544 | 66 | 260 | 1311 | 1082 | 1840 | 0.310 |
| Larkin | 2180 | 7937 | 1329 | 2340 | 441 | 76 | 198 | 960 | 939 | 817 | 0.295 |
| Biggio | 2850 | 10876 | 1844 | 3060 | 668 | 55 | 291 | 1175 | 1160 | 1753 | 0.281 |
| Alomar | 2379 | 9073 | 1508 | 2724 | 504 | 80 | 210 | 1134 | 1032 | 1140 | 0.300 |
Thanks to baseball-reference.com we know that, conservatively speaking, Scrappy Doo will have a significantly stronger Hall resume than Barry Larkin (in two fewer season), plus a Rookie of the Year, League MVP, and at least four Gold Gloves to his credit. Barry Larkin was a hell of a player – also a league MVP, three-time Gold Glover, and a World Series winner in 1990 – but Pedroia is clearly better in all aspects of the game.
We could put Bill James on retainer to analyze the second and third order stats to compare Pedroia to Jeter, Biggio, Alomar, and anyone else. The result will be the same. Pedey’s problem is longevity and staying in the line-up. His career-per-season productivity is almost identical to Jeter’s – and unlike “the Captain”, Pedroia actually earned his Gold Gloves. If he stays reasonably healthy and averages about 450 ABs a season for the next five years, they’ll hang his plaque in Cooperstown.
I can’t wait for the speech. You know it’s going to be hilarious.
“Oh man,” I muttered to myself as I rolled out of bed Tuesday morning. I could not stop thinking about the tragic loss the Sox suffered Monday night on a Brock Holt throwing error. It was a game the Red Sox certainly could have won as they carried a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning. This was the type of loss a crazed Sox fan such as myself loses sleep over. The flow of irrational thoughts began to surge through my brain as I thought “Oh no, last night’s loss was such a momentum killer. How will we rebound from this? How long will this losing streak last? Pretty soon the Yankees will pass us in the AL East. Before you know it, we will be in the basement and out of the playoff picture.” I tried to calm myself with some positive thoughts. Then the cruel realization popped into my head: “Doug Fister is pitching tonight.” Face palm. Depressed sigh.
Doug Fister stepped on the mound with a record of 2-6 and an ERA of 5.56. Not the numbers a fan wants to see when he knows his team needs a bounce-back win. But I remembered Fister pitching later in the day, had a game earlier in the season when he threw 7 2/3 innings while giving up just two runs against Cleveland. Good memory swiftly replaced by bad in his more recent start against them when he lasted just 4 1/3 innings while giving up seven hits and five earned runs. Certainly not an assuring stat line.
As much as I tried to avoid it, 7 pm finally rolled around. I had a brief moment of joy when the Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Hanley Ramirez RBI single. That abruptly ended in the bottom half of the inning as Francisco Lindor took Fister deep on just his third pitch of the game. “Doug Fister are you kidding me?! How can you not hold onto a lead for more than three pitches?!” I shouted as I pulled my own hair out. About to give up on him, then… BANG! Fister silenced his critics — including me — with a nearly perfect nine innings.
Fister looked like the guy who shut down Cleveland on July 31st at Fenway in a dominant 7 2/3 inning effort with a 6-2 win. In fact, he was better than that. Fister successfully did what every good sinker-ball pitcher does. Keep the ball down in the strike zone. All night it seemed like he got ahead of batters 0-2. Doug induced 13 ground-ball outs which is a clear sign he was on his game. As a guy who can’t blow many guys away with his fastball, ranging from 88-92 mph, commanding his fastball down in the zone will always be essential for Doug’s success. On Tuesday night, he did just that. His final pitching line was: nine innings, one hit, one earned run, two walks, six strikeouts and a win. It was truly one of the best outings by any pitcher in the MLB of the 2017 season, Well done Doug, well done.
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 22: Starting pitcher Doug Fister #38 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with a teammate after allowing only one hit against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on August 22, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Red Sox defeated the Indians 9-1. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Imagine this if you will. Just visualize the insanity I speak of. As the chairman of a large corporation, you have a great relationship with your board but a lousy one with all of your other employees. Probably not the recipe for a rather large contract extension you would not think? Only in the bizarro world that is the NFL would this craziness ever actually take place.
Despite all of the chaos that has occurred in the back offices, in court, and on the field, Roger Goodell has received a five year contract extension through the 2024 NFL season. Looks like money talks to the owners, really all they care about in NFL world. The extension starts at the end of his current contract, which runs out in 2019. Terms were not directly disclosed, but it is thought to be for around 40-42 million dollars annually (sorry that is not a misprint).
Goodell took on probably the two most powerful owners in the NFL in Kraft and Jones. But that does not seem to have cracked the foundation holding up that giant inflated head of Goodell. The owners appear to be solidly on Goodell’s side as long as the NFL machine continues to make money.
Both of Goodell’s run-ins with the Patriots (I won’t even say anything about, this I promise) and the Cowboys involved player suspensions. I personally thought that the owners would turn on Goodell like a pack of wolves with these suspensions. Brady’s four-game sentence came right out of the Dark Ages, requiring no proof if the Overlord (that’s Goodell by the way) wants things to happen a certain way. That’s enough of the old wound, Pats’ fans. The suspension that the NFL and mainly Goodell levied against Ezekiel Elliott seemed along the same lines, in my opinion. Elliott avoided a criminal offence charge, but the NFL forged ahead with a six-game suspension. I am not saying that Elliott is a model citizen, but six games seems like a hefty suspension without the man even getting criminally charged. If the Overlord wants it to happen, then damn it make it happen, he says. Let’s not forget the whole “Bountygate” fiasco where Goodell hung the entire Saints organization out to dry because he felt like he should. Ridiculous.
The NFL has taken a hit in the ratings department recently, but that does not stop the cash from flowing into the NFL vault. The league makes bushels from TV rights, merchandise sales, multimedia rights, and ticket sales, the rationale for owners signing Goodell to the whopping extension. If the owners are making money and Goodell takes the flak for all of the stupid moves he makes, then they will welcome him with open arms.
Another reason that Goodell gets the owners’ blessings? There will likely be labor unrest when the current CBA ends in 2021. Goodell and the owners previously locked out the players and hammered out a deal that has benefited the owners handsomely. The players got screwed in the current CBA and the owners made out like champs, and this is what the owners are hoping for again. I will bet you that the whole mess of guaranteed contracts will be the stickiest point for the two sides to deal with, That will be a nasty negotiation and may require a long work stoppage.
Goodell’s biggest challenge, outside of the new CBA, will be negotiating the new TV contracts for the NFL. The cable companies have crapped the bed and only the major networks will be carrying around any cash for the NFL. I do not see how they will be offering the enormous dollar figures that the league has become accustomed to. Let’s see how Goodell will spin that around to make it look like someone else’s fault.
To sum things up, you can be a gem of a person to your immediate superiors who are the NFL owners and you will receive a great new contract. It does not matter that you treat the actual employees of the company (the players) like a herd of cattle. Goodell does not believe that the growing body of evidence that playing football causes head injuries has merit. This fact alone makes Goodell a major idiot in my books. How can you deny something so obvious? Simply ridiculous to believe otherwise. Oh yeah, because the owners want him to think that way. Goodell might be an ass, but he is a rich one that is way up the owners’ butts.