The trade deadline has passed. The Red Sox haven’t made a move. I am upset.
Why? Why didn’t this front office feel the need to upgrade? There has been multiple glaring holes that have been painfully evident over the past few weeks. Dombrowski had the chance to upgrade today and he didn’t.
So again I ask, why?
The Atlanta Braves, not an hour ago, blew yet another game. What does their front office go out and do? They get Shane Greene, one of the best relievers in all of baseball.
The Boston Red Sox, not 24 hours ago, watched the bullpen implode once again. Here we are at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the deadline has come and gone, and zero upgrades were made. Zero!
I understand the financials of it all. I do understand that it isn’t easy to make a move that involves highly touted prospects. But come on, there wasn’t something we could do?
Who Could We Have Had?
There is so many good relievers on the market. Ranging from Felipe Vazquez to Will Smith. You could’ve had them, or Ken Giles, or Shane Greene. Or even Francisco Liriano or Reyes Moronta. But nope, not a single acquisition to shore up the one aspect that’s killing this team.
This isn’t the end-all be-all. The Red Sox are still a solid baseball team and can absolutely still compete for a Wild Card spot. However, this team had almost all the pieces to go back-to-back. They were slightly impeded by the back-end of the bullpen, and that could’ve been fixed, and it wasn’t.
I know the Boston front office is confident in some of their guys, and some of the kids down in the minors as well. Me? I’m semi-confident in a few, and that’s about it. It doesn’t take a top prospect or taking on a ridiculous contract to make a trade to upgrade your team.
Dombrowski had the chance to do what the Nationals did, and add multiple above average bullpen arms to take the pressure of the guys already there.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup is set to begin on August 31st. For those unaware, the FIBA World Cup is the first official event for countries to qualify to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics. NBA players from all over the world will represent their home countries in the first step towards competing for the illustrious gold medal. For the Celtics, there are potentially seven players who will have the honor to represent four different countries in the event. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker will represent Team USA. Internationally, Daniel Theis will represent Germany, newly acquired forward Vincent Poirier will represent France, and Semi Ojeleye may represent Nigeria.
Originally, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker were the only Celtics invited to Team USA camp. After a multitude of prominent NBA players withdrew themselves from competition, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown received additional invites. Regardless of how the players received invites, a heavy Celtics presence in the FIBA World Cup will provide the team with advantages ahead of NBA training camp.
Off-Court
Following a disappointing end to last season, the Celtics reputation was in question. The commitments to play in the FIBA World Cup present an opportunity to restore that underlying image. With NBA superstars withdrawing from the event, it is uplifting for the Celtics players to take pride in representing their countries. Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker have each publicly commented on their participation with Team USA, and their excitement to dawn the red, white, and blue. Their overwhelming excitement and pride has instantly spun the narrative for the upcoming season. The team has seemingly ditched the underwhelming, dysfunctional attitude, and taken a positive approach to everything coming their way.
Additionally, the players will have an opportunity to promote both the Celtics’ and their individual brands. Playing for Team USA will expose each player to audiences that may not typically view Celtics games. While each player is fairly well known in NBA circles, the casual fan with vested interest in their country’s competition may now begin to root for each player. This works similarly for the Celtics brand. If audiences are impressed by each player’s performance, they may become more prone to viewing Celtics games during the upcoming season.
On-Court
(Credit: Hornets.com)
Perhaps an even greater advantage will come on the floor. NBA training camps won’t open until late September. This gives Kemba Walker a chance to play in real competition with his new teammates before other new acquisitions participate in camps. Through both Team USA camp and the FIBA World Cup, he can begin understand the tendencies and strengths of his teammates. This provides the Celtics with a head start in developing their on-court chemistry in actual games as opposed to simulated scrimmages.
Each individual Celtics player will also get a head start on preparing their body for the grind of the upcoming season. By the time training camp starts, each player will have about a month of high intensity training completed. Although this could be presented as additional stress on the player’s bodies, the young core of Tatum and Brown should have no problem accommodating the added work load. It presents a chance to “shake the rust off” early, and roll into camp in better shape than other teams.
A heavy Celtics presences in the FIBA World Cup could provide a major boost for team in the upcoming season. Scrimmages for Team USA begin August 9th at 10 p.m. EST. The tournament begins for Team USA on September 1st at 8:30 a.m. EST.
Following up my article covering the best trade deadline deals in franchise history, this article goes over the worst ones the team has ever made. The top worst trade can probably be guessed, as it is an iconic trade, but what comes after that?
With the Red Sox in the playoff hunt, they wanted to shore up their bullpen. So, they acquired Larry Andersen from the Astros in August. Larry Andersen was a good reliever, going 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA for Houston before the trade. Andersen did his job in Boston, pitching to a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings pitched as the Red Sox won the division. In no way does he deserve the bad name recognition that came with this trade, he did his job exceptionally well.
The problem is, Jeff Bagwell became a Hall of Famer. August trades don’t usually yield that much value, yet alone a prospect like Bagwell who was ranked 32nd in baseball at the time. He was walking a bunch and hitting a lot of doubles in the cavernous field at Double-A New Britain. Bagwell had an .880 OPS as a 22 year old at the time of the trade.
Here’s the worst part; the Astros asked for several other players before getting to Bagwell. Pitching prospect Kevin Morton, who had a fantastic Major League debut, was one. He never did much after the debut. Scott Cooper was another third base prospect the Red Sox for some reason preferred to Bagwell; oops. At least Mo Vaughn became a fan favorite and an MVP winner. But Phil Plantier, Daryl rvine and Dave Owen are others the Astros were rumored to maybe have taken in return.
This trade doesn’t get as much publicity as some of the other bad moves, but it’s arguably worse. The deal also had more moving pieces, but it was essentially Freddy Sanchez and cash for Jeff Suppan. A little over a week earlier, the Red Sox had traded Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez to the Pirates for Mike Gonzalez and Scott Sauerbeck.
When a problem was found in Brandon Lyon’s physical, the two teams tried to work things out to make it right. Lyon and Martinez were traded back to the Red Sox along with Suppan for Sanchez, Mike Gonzalez and cash. They essentially just swapped everyone back, with cash replacing Scott Sauerbeck. If you included those pieces in with the trade, it would get even worse for the Red Sox, as Mike Gonzalez had a better career than anyone the Sox got.
As for the main pieces, Jeff Suppan was having his best season to date, pitching in the National League Central. However, reacquired by the Red Sox who he had started his career with, Suppan’s pitching reverted back to where it was during his first stint with the team as a youngster. He posted a 5.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and only 4.6 strike outs per nine innings over 10 starts and one relief appearance for the Red Sox. He wasn’t even used in the postseason.
Freddy Sanchez, who was the Red Sox top prospect at the time of the trade, went on to become a batting champion. He hit .291 as a rookie in 2005, then led the league in hitting in 2006 with his .344 average. He was an All-Star in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Meanwhile, the Red Sox kept shuffling through shortstops and second basemen for a few seasons after the trade, both positions Sanchez could have played.
Freddy Sanchez won the batting title in 2006 and made three All-Star Games in a four year stretch for the Pirates. Jeff Suppan fared so poorly he didn’t pitch in the postseason.
This is mostly due to how bad Eric Gagne was for the Red Sox, as two of the players traded didn’t do a lot. It is kind of surprising they had to give up this much though, as David Murphy was a former first round draft pick and Kason Gabbard, although he didn’t possess great stuff, was 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA for the Red Sox that season. Including the season before, Gabbard had a 3.65 ERA over 11 starts and three relief appearances for the Red Sox. He didn’t pitch as well in Texas however, going 4-4 with a 5.14 ERA over 20 starts the next two seasons.
David Murphy turned into a solid outfielder in Texas. From 2008-2013, his average season was .283 with 14 home runs and a .795 OPS over 425 at-bats. He often didn’t play against lefties, leading to the average of just 425 at-bats. 2012 was his best season, as he batted .304 with 15 homers and an .859 OPS.
Eric Gagne was coming back from injury that season, having thrown just 15.1 innings over the previous two seasons. He was pitching well in Texas, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves. It all came unraveled in Boston, and it never came back. In 20 games the rest of the way, Gagne pitched to a 6.75 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over 18.2 innings. He gave up three more runs in 4.1 postseason innings. Generally, you could count on him to give up a run or two.
Boston, MA – 08/14/07 – Sox reliever Eric Gagne enjoyed little to no success in Boston. (Barry Chin, Globe Staff) Section: Sports, Reporter: Amalie Benjamin, slug: 15redsox.
The 2018 Red Sox, historically great as they were, had a need for some relief help. It was odd they had a guy like Buttrey, throwing 100 and dominating in Triple-A, left down in the minors while others got turns to help the bullpen. It was more baffling still when he was traded, along with another minor leaguer, for an over-the-hill second baseman.
Buttrey was called up to the Angels pretty soon after the trade. Since getting the call, he has been used in late innings by the Angels as one of their top setup men, sometimes going more than an inning at a time. His blazing fastball has led to 10.7 strike outs per nine innings pitched. The Red Sox could certainly use a guy like him in their bullpen.
Williams Jerez should have been almost enough for an aging free agent. He had a 3.63 ERA and struck out 69 batters over 52 innings in Triple-A. He’s pitched three innings at the big league level so far this season. Jerez and one other guy of lesser talent should have done the trick for Kinsler, who was an unnecessary add anyways.
Ian Kinsler was 36 years old at the time of the trade. He had batted .236 in 2017, and was hitting .239 for the Angels in 2018. His bat speed was gone, which was painfully noticeable in the playoffs when he swung and missed at fastballs all postseason long. He hit .242 with a home run for Boston in the regular season, then batted .206 with 14 strike outs in 34 at-bats in the playoffs.
Yes, the Red Sox won the World Series, but they would have won it without Kinsler. He didn’t add anything. They would have cruised to victory with the guys they had been going with, or with Brandon Phillips, who they had signed midseason. In fact, they might have swept the World Series with a different second baseman. His error in the 13th inning of game 3 directly led to a blown lead in an eventual loss. This is one of their worst deadline trades.
Ty Buttrey seems to have hit a wall of late, which can happen to rookies often. However, his ERA was well below 3.00 a week ago as he was pitching in dominant fashion.
This trade is much higher on most people’s lists, but I think it is judged unfairly. It is one-hundred percent, long-term hindsight that makes this a bad trade.
The Red Sox traded for Mike Boddicker in 1988 on their way to a playoff appearance. He went 7-3 with a 2.63 ERA for them the rest of the way. Boddicker would spend two more years as the Red Sox number two starter behind Roger Clemens. After winning 15 games in 1989, Boddicker went 17-8 with a 3.36 ERA over 228 innings pitched in 1990 while winning the Gold Glove. He was a good pitcher for Boston. His totals in Boston were a 39-22 record with a 3.49 ERA.
But, they gave up Curt Schilling, who should be in the Hall of Fame and is one of the all-time greatest postseason performers in the history of the sport. They also gave up Brady Anderson, who was a good prospect putting up some high on-base percentages in the minor leagues. Steep price to pay, but for a top starter that’s generally the price.
Here’s the other kicker for me, the part that makes this unfairly judged. This trade took place in 1988, neither Schilling nor Anderson broke out until 1992, four years later. Boddicker was already gone from the Red Sox. At the end of his tenure in Boston, this trade would have been considered a big win.
From 1988-91, Anderson batted .219 with 10 home runs in the big leagues. He broke out with 21 home runs and 53 stolen bases in 1992 and went on to a fine career that saw him hit 209 home runs and steal 307 bases for the Orioles. But by 1992 when he broke out, who’s to say the Sox wouldn’t have traded him in another deal by then?
As for Schilling, he was traded again, twice! After showing nothing for two years, Schilling had some success in 1990 out of the bullpen. He was then traded to the Astros before 1991, where he was mediocre in relief. He was then traded again, straight up for Jason Grimsley of all people. It’s then, with the Phillies, where he broke out in 1992. That season he had a 2.35 ERA and led the National League in WHIP.
At the end of the day, this is on the list, but in the last spot, because of the players Schilling and Anderson eventually became. This trade catches way too much flak though.
Mike Boddicker was 39-22 with a 3.49 ERA over 2.5 seasons for Boston.
Do you want to go to college on a sports scholarship? Are you wondering where to begin? Well, there are thousands of awards based on different sports you can apply, which amount to millions of dollars. Getting a scholarship according to delicious essays for sale at essayzoo is not as easy, as you have to undergo a vigorous recruiting process. Nonetheless here is a list of the easiest sports to get a scholarship.
Tennis
If you are a high school student who plays competitive tennis, you have an opportunity of continuing with the sport and while at it earn a paid degree. With over 190,000 high school tennis male athletes and over 200,000 female athletes, you will have to do more than love the game of tennis to win sports scholarship. There is over one billion dollars’ worth of tennis scholarship that can be of benefit to you.
To benefit from any of these programs, maintain an average GPA of 2.3, and pass your ACT. Market yourself through recording your games and sharing the film with schools you wish to attend. Also, you can hire a recruiting service to market your skills to different schools.
With 79:1 chance of a scholarship for males and 48:1 prospect for females, you have to show your talent and interest in the game. Push yourself and enjoy.
Ice hockey
Uniting your love for hockey on the ice and you dream of attending college may result in a sweet deal if you are ready to dedicate yourself to the game. Experts at Resumethatworks.com state that ice hockey scholarships are available for both male and female students. Male students have a 36:1 chance while female athletes have 15:1 chance of getting a scholarship. Different teams with determination search for talented individuals to join them, and this may be your chance.
To qualify for a Division I scholarship, maintain an average GPA, and have a talent for the game. However, you will have to commit your life 100 percent to Ice hockey and in your books and nothing else. In Division II, you will have to maintain average grades and be skilled in the game. Do not sell yourself short; examine all your chances, and go for one that best suits you.
Fencing
Fencing is another easiest sports scholarship you can get. I know for most students, playing competitive fencing does not seem like something most students imagine they can do mainly to get a scholarship. However, just like other sports, you can get funding all through college through this game.
To win a fencing scholarship like other sports, you have to harness your skills in the game and be persistent. Come up with a unique strategy of playing the game, which will set you apart from others and increase your chances of getting the award.
Check out Division I, II and III schools and find competitive scholarships. In Div I and II, you need to be an advanced player to enjoy high chances of getting an all-expense paid college education. In Div III, there are no full athletic scholarships, but you may get a partial scholarship which may be beneficial to you.
Golf
Golf is more and more becoming a competitive sport in college sports both for male and female students, thereby making it among the easiest sports scholarships to get. The prospect of awarding students with an all paid for college education due to their prowess in golf should be a motivation to all golf players. For you to win the school funding, you have to demonstrate high academic excellence through top grades and talent in golf.
Different colleges and universities offer competitive scholarships to outstanding golfers. It is your time to shine by demonstrating your balance between academics and golf.Even though the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dominates the golf scholarship program, do a little more research. You will find scholarships funded in private by institutions and private universities.
The offers will range from scholarships for pro golfers, to those looking for golfers who focus on academics and recreational golfers.
Rifling
The sport of rifle shooting is one of the best sports for scholarships. If you love rifling, you can translate your love for guns into money-making towards your college education. It attracts about forty-seven scholarships for both male and female students when it comes to the NCAA. Nevertheless, since there are no competitive rifle teams, you have to contend with private funding from various organizations.
If you are sure of your skills in shooting a rifle, the National Rifle Association (NRA) should be your first stop. Attend their annual Youth Education Summit, and become eligible for a financial aid amounting to thirty thousand dollars.
If your parents were in law enforcement, you could try applying for the Jeanne E. Bray scholarship. It offers you one thousand dollars each academic semester if your parent died in the line of duty or is retired but a member of NRA.
Conclusion
There is a belief that with the numerous extracurricular activities in the world, not everyone can play sports. However, with the many sports scholarship, it makes this further from the truth. A college education is essential to students. When faced with college fee troubles, do not worry or seek help from experts who write an essay online. Determine which of these sports you are good at, and move towards a college education through sports.
About the Author
Cody Rhodes is a learning specialist at essayzoo.org, he designs and delivers learning initiatives (both in-class and online) for a global and internal audience. He is responsible for on-going development, delivery, and maintenance of training. He has the ability to manage competing priorities to execute on time-sensitive deliverables within a changing environment. He contributes in continually improving the team’s processes and standards and works as a member of the team to assist with team initiatives.
When I wrote the Rays series preview last week I started it by asking if the prior series could have gone much worse. Just a week later and the tone and feeling around this team is so different. The Red Sox took five of their seven games against the Rays and Yankees, and really could not have dreamed of much more. However, if it had not been for dropping the final game of each series it could have been the perfect week.
Price and Morton will go head to head once again to open this series, having closed out the last one. Combined they pitched 13 innings, allowed five earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out 19. They might find it a little tougher in the more hitter-friendly confines of Fenway Park, but this should be a matchup to watch.
With Yarbrough currently projected to start the second game, it is worth looking at how he fares as a starter this season and in his career. Both this season and in his career he is worse as a starter than a reliever, but that is not hugely surprising given the situations. However, the split that should concern the Red Sox is home versus away. At home, his ERA in any role is 5.79, but on the road that drops to 2.79. The Red Sox cannot allow that game to slip through their fingers, but it will not be easy.
The still relatively new Red Sox pitcher Andrew Cashner has a limited body of work against the Rays. He has just five starts and 29 innings against them in his career. His overall numbers are fairly middling, with a 4.03 ERA, 2-1 record, 18 strikeouts, and 12 walks. Not good, but not a disaster. Against a usually stingy Rays pitching staff the Red Sox could do with him being good in this one.
HITTERS
The Red Sox offense has been on fire in the last week. In the last seven days, they have hit .354 with 11 home, 46 runs scored and a whopping 37 extra-base hits. That does not even include the 14 runs they scored in the first two games of the last Rays series. This is the offense we expected this season, and we need to see more of it.
Getting on top of the Rays offense is key to victory. That is an obvious statement, but when I say early I mean really early, as in the first batter of the game. This season, in 108 PA the Rays have hit .340 in that spot, with eight runs, 15 extra-base hits, eight walks, and just 18 strikeouts. Overall the number one hitter in their order has a .306 batting average, 28 home runs, and 57 extra-base hits. That leads all positions in their batting order.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Pitching: The righties on this roster are the big question mark right now, well, and Chris Sale too. However, focusing on Porcello and Cashner is key for opponents right now. The two righties have been unimpressive this season, and the Red Sox need that to change. Their two starts against a lineup which is solid but unspectacular will be key. If they blow up, and the Red Sox lose to two of the Rays lesser starters, they once again head to face the Yankees in a lot of trouble.
Hitting: Hopefully, we are just going to sit back and watch this lineup do their work. However, the real intrigue is Morton, because if the Red Sox want a World Series they will likely need to beat pitchers like Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Perhaps even Morton himself in a play-in game to just simply get into a full playoff series. Lay down a marker in Game 1 and the best pitchers in the league will suddenly fear this offense a little more.
EXPECTATIONS
The Red Sox are flying high right now. Although if they are the team we want them to be they will be beating themselves up over those two losses in winnable situations to end those series. However, they have given themselves an outside shot at the division, and put themselves in a better position for the Wildcard game.
Going to New York will be tough, especially given the Red Sox are better at home than on the road. Therefore, this series needs to be a win. Ideally, it needs to be 3-0 to really put pressure on the Yankees, but that might be asking too much. The Red Sox offense will be key here. Can they get after Morton? Hopefully. Do they need to provide some run support for the last two games in the series? Most definitely. If they do not they could be facing a series defeat and being double-digit games behind the Yankees all over again.
New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.
This past weekend showcased some truly incredible Overwatch play. Sadly for us, none of that came from Boston. Against Guangzhou, Boston looked like an academy team trying to figure out how to simply keep up. Then against Chengdu, Boston got sucked into the chaos where the Hunters thrive. While one match was significantly closer than the other, both games highlighted various new issues for the Uprising to overcome.
Inconsistent Execution of Plays
In their match against Chengdu, Boston had showcased extremely strong, aggressive attacks. On their first attack on Volskaya, Boston waits almost an entire minute before making a move. Why did it take so long? Because their plan is to split the team into essentially 2 groups – the flankers and the supports. Once Colourhex/blasé are in position, you can see Fusions immediately dive the snipers (Kyo and YangXiaoLong) and all 3 focus fire down the Ana, then the Widow. From their it is an easy 4v6 and a point capture.
Now take their attack on Blizzard World as another example. On each map, both teams have the same exact team composition. Boston looks to flank around the outside but there is a pretty significant difference in execution. On Volksaya, Boston took their time and assessed the locations of each opponent and decided on a safe area to dive. However on Blizzard world, Boston looked as though they made a blind dive – an initiation onto an opposing team with little to no information.
On this attack we see Fusions again lead, however blasé and Colourhex aren’t nearly close enough to any high-value target. Instead of finding the snipers or other more vulernable targets, Fusions found himself between both tanks and an Ana. Someone then makes the call to chase the Ana, even though Fusions has already rolled away and the rest of the Chengdu team peeled to defend Kyo. As a result, rCk dies and the attack is dead.
Now normally losing one push is ok, considering there is plenty of time left on the clock. For this map however, Boston found themselves consistently staggering themselves in weird spots. Realistically, Boston only had three real 6v6 fights over the course of the attack. This inconsistency was masked a little bit by the 3-3 meta because Boston’s only option was to attack as a full unit. In a DPS meta, not every fight needs to be staged and formulaic is GOATs. When Boston fails to perform set plays, after showing they absolutely can perform them, it shows how unprepared Boston may be swapping to the 2-2-2 environment.
Unnecessary Swaps
Maybe this is a nitpick on my end, but I figure it is worth noting. Boston outplayed themselves a few times in the Chengdu match specifically once Jinmu brought out Doomfist. Looking at the first round of Illios Boston’s DPS combo of Mcree and Pharah had appeared to keep Chengdu at bay.
After one lost fight, Boston decides to switch up the team comp to a more dive-centric one. With the new look, Boston does not win a team fight for the remainder of the map.
While the thought process makes sense, the situation did not call for a huge swap. All the switching does is remove any ultmate charge the Uprising has built up. Colourhex even swaps while having an ultimate ready for the next fight. I understand why the swap happened: Doomfist needed to be stopped and Sombra is a good counter to him. But the Uprising already had a strong counter in Mcree, and Colourhex seemed much more comfortable on that hero as well.
It is worrying to see unnecessary swaps like this in the middle of an important map. Rather than riding the hot-hand with Colourhex’s Mcree, Boston opted to swap to a weaker composition. Incorrect swaps are something to note as Boston plays this stage.
Failure to Follow Up
If there was one thing that frustrated me the most this weekend, it was Boston’s inability to follow up on first picks. While Mercy is extremely popular for her ability to essentially “undo” the man advantage, the Uprising failed to follow up even when resurrection was already used.
My main example comes from the second round on Illios against Chengdu. With time running out, Colourhex picks not only YangXiaoLong, but he kills Yveltal as well giving Boston a two-man advantage. And it wasn’t just your average advantage – Colourhex had killed both the Widowmaker and the Mercy, allowing Boston to not only approach point without fear of dying instantly, but also preventing the Hunters from resurrecting a fallen teammate.
Boston lost this fight
What happens instead, is Fusions dies shortly after these two picks. Then Chengdu decides to use all available ultimates, removing any advantage Boston had created.
Wait, No Examples From the Guangzhou Game?
When a team gets beat as bad as Boston did, it is pretty tough to point out what went wrong. Yes, you could point out that everything went wrong, but that doesn’t normally lead to constructive discussion. In close losses, it is easier to find the small, workable issues that if changed, would have lead to a win. There were some similarities between to the two matches, but the Charge simply outplayed Boston in every facet of the game.
There were moments of each issue but the biggest issue against the Charge was a lack of play making ability. Nero often dictated the fights in the match, while Boston didn’t really have that same of presence. A few picks from Colourhex and blasé weren’t enough to deter the Charge. Our tanks couldn’t create space on point and our healers couldn’t keep up with the insane amounts of damage. It was truly the perfect storm of mishaps and mistakes.
A Much Needed Off Week
Boston can now relax, as they have time to re-evaluate and fix the large problems that came up during these games. But there is plenty of work to do to catch up to the rest of the league. Miraculously, Boston STILL has a shot to make the play-ins – they just need to win the next five matches.
Be sure to follow Brock on twitter for more breakdowns and analysis #BostonUp
Six-time Super Bowl Champion. Sixteen division titles. A 225 win record and 19 seasons in New England. Put it all together and you get Bill Belichick.
The facts don’t lie. Belichick is one of the most successful coaches in the NFL ever. Heading into his 20th season, the next best coach in the league has a tough task trying to match up.
So who falls number two behind BB in the standings? According to NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison, it belongs to Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll’s head coaching career began in 1994 with the New York Jets, three years after Belichick took his first head coaching gig in Cleveland. His first shot was short-lived, however, and Carroll was off to San Francisco the following two seasons as a defensive coordinator.
In 1997, Carroll replaced Bill Parcells as the head coach of the New England Patriots. That first season resulted in an AFC Divisional Game appearance. In his next two season, the Patriots would finish fourth in the AFC East.
After the 1999 season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft had a decision to make. Should he stay with Carroll or take a chance on another guy? The decision was to fire Carroll and hire Belichick and, well, the rest has made history.
Next, Carroll took the head job at USC. He spent nine seasons with the Trojans. They won four of five Rose Bowl appearances, among other Bowl games.
So what separates Carroll from Belichick? Well, numbers don’t lie.
In six NFC Divisional Games, Carroll has lost four. He has only one Super Bowl ring. The Seahawks made two consecutive Super Bowls, losing in their second appearance in 2014 to, you guessed it, Bill Belichick.
On the positive end, what makes Carroll number two is his production each season.
Throughout his nine seasons in Seattle, Carroll’s Seahawks have finished first in the NFC West four times. They have only missed the playoffs twice in his tenure.
The “Legion of Boom” era made the Seahawks the team to beat at one point but, like any team, they’ve dealt with injuries to key players. Russell Wilson struggled with an ankle injury to start the 2016 season. To end that same season, Richard Sherman revealed he had been playing on an MCL injury. Carroll was still able to lead his team to first in the NFC West and make the Divisional Game for the sixth time.
The gap between Belichick and Carroll is large, but that is due to taking different paths. Belichick remained in the NFL throughout his entire coaching career, while Carroll spent some time in the college game.
By the time Carroll returned to the NFL in 2010, Belichick and Brady had been on a 10-year run. Carroll was starting from scratch, trying to build a dynasty that the Patriots had long-established by then.
It’s hard to say that if Carroll spent those nine years at USC in the NFL that the coaching gap would be closer. One can assume, however, that it would be the case.
As he closes in on a decade with the Seattle organization, many expect Carroll to only add accolades to his resume. Surely he will give Belichick a run for his money whenever he gets that next opportunity.
The Patriots are at it again and developing within. Last year’s seventh round draft pick out of LSU, Danny Etling, is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver.
There has been success in similar transitions before. Julian Edelman was a quarterback-turned-wide receiver. Edelman, however, made the transition before the draft, not into his professional career.
So what can be expected from Etling as receiver? Well, for starters, his speed and size is promising.
At 6 foot 3, Etling posted a 4.76 40-time at the combine in 2018. He was in the top five for quarterbacks at the combine, coming in at number four.
His height also give him the slight advantage over a 5 foot 10 Edelman and Phillip Dorsett. However, rookie receiver N’Keal Harry stands at a slightly taller 6 foot 4.
Working alongside the likes of Harry and Edelman will be to Etling’s advantage in this situation. You have a once quarterback-turned-receiver in Edelman who will understand the ins and outs of the process. This will likely offer the most valuable guidance. Not to mention, Edelman is a top receiver in the league and reining Super Bowl MVP.
The best advice for Etling heading into this new avenue will be to stick by Edelman’s side as much as possible. There may not be a better teacher for the kid.
Harry will be another man Etling will want to learn from if he is to ever get on the receiver rotation. This rookie’s film is impressive itself, but getting the chance to watch him work will be worthwhile for Etling’s transition.
With one year already in the New England system, Etling has another advantage in knowing how this offense operates. Understanding the playbook from a quarterbacks perspective has to give him a slight mental edge. Now, it is a matter of his feet and hands catching up to the challenge.
New England sees the benefits in successfully transitioning Etling to receiver. They can develop a guy that already has some good qualities, like speed and size, and make him a player taylor-made for their system. If successful, this could add good depth to the receiver rotation.
Chances are Etling will not see the field this year as a receiver. As the season goes on and he continues to develop, next year may be his time to get some regular season reps. Right now, Etling should focus on putting his nose to the grindstone and impressing in practice.
The Patriots have a pretty solid duo in Edelman and Harry, a tandem that seems to be a solid bet for the next few years. Dorsett sits at number three, and if Etling impresses in the next year or so he could be competing to take that third slot. But really, any spot on that rotation will be a move in the right direction for him.
It is going to be a hard transition without a doubt, but not impossible. Certainly, it will be interesting to see if Etling can live up to the challenge and find himself on the roster as a receiver.
— Bauston Diehards 🏈 ⚾🏀🏒⚽ (@BaustonDiehards) July 29, 2019
J.D. Martinez held his Pro Camp yesterday in Woburn Ma. It was a hot day, but a lot of kids showed up to learn the fundamentals from the Red Sox great. Martinez loves giving back to the community and teaching kids the game. He took pictures, signed autographs, and had some time for media availability. The Sox had an off day yesterday after taking three out of four from New York over the weekend. They play Tampa at Fenway tonight. Martinez has 22 home runs and 61 RBI so far this season.
— Bauston Diehards 🏈 ⚾🏀🏒⚽ (@BaustonDiehards) July 29, 2019
Martinez wants to be the role model for kids that want to be in the Majors like him. It takes a lot of work and determination, but it can be done. It is a great time to give kids the opportunity to learn baseball from a pro too. They learn the basics of holding a bat and throwing a ball. It is a bit pricey: $150 a person, while the Mookie Betts camp is $299 a person on August 15th. But if you want a chance to learn from the pros then it’s worth it.
The Sox have a tough few months ahead before the postseason
On the Red Sox side of things, they have an important series coming up with the Ray at Fenway. Martinez did say they want to win every series they are in and they’re right where they need to be to win every series. Also with the trade deadline coming up, it’ll be interesting to see what they do to improve the team. The Sox need to do something. The bullpen is worse than a year ago, no question about it. The Sox are currently nine games out of the division and a game out of the wild card. The season is a total opposite of last year, which is why they should be buyers at the deadline.
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