The Red Sox are in the dog days of July, going into August. Obviously, we all know that they are trying to push for a playoff spot for a chance to repeat as World Series champions. They took a good step forward by defeating the Yankees three out of four games this past weekend at Fenway Park. But what might have been forgotten about with the rivalry taking center stage is a tidbit of great news. It was reported the other day that David Ortiz has been officially released from the hospital.
— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) July 29, 2019
The Ortiz news is good for a few reasons.
He’s Healthy!
This is the most obvious statement there is regarding Ortiz. He is healthy enough where he is now out of the hospital and home. He’s not 100%, but he’s good enough where he is able to post on social media.
It is definitely tough to recover from a shooting. David Ortiz is not superman, he is only human after all. Sure, we are used to seeing him doing Herculean type of things, where our mouths hit the floor in awe. The clutch hitting in 2004, and the unreal run he went on in the 2013 World Series are only a few examples of that. People thought originally that Ortiz might not have made it out of the hospital alive. After all, there were reports saying Ortiz told the doctors the night of the shooting, “Please don’t let me die, I’m a good man!” So the fact that Ortiz is back on Instagram and putting out statements definitely is an exhale for all of Red Sox nation.
This Could Be Extra Motivation For The Red Sox
It sounds crazy, but the current Red Sox could use what happened to Ortiz as motivation. The 2013 Red Sox had the Boston Marathon bombings that was their motivation to show what type of city Boston is: a city of unity. This can be another case of unity. Granted, in 2013 lives were lost, and there were no lives lost in Ortiz’s case. But great teams need something to inspire them throughout the grueling 162 game regular season. Remember, some of the guys on that Red Sox team played with Ortiz before he retired after the 2016 season. With this current Red Sox team, it couldn’t hurt having extra motivation of knowing that somebody tried to harm a Red Sox legend.
Red Sox Nation Can Stop Worrying
Red Sox fans like myself can now just focus solely on the team. It is great to have Ortiz recovering like he has been. But now, the focus is all on getting back to the playoffs. Ortiz can recover and watch the Red Sox in the comfort of his own home. We can let Ortiz get back to full strength and hope for the best for this Red Sox team as the trade deadline approaches.
In Conclusion
It is great to see Ortiz not in a hospital bed. He means so much to the Red Sox organization and Red Sox fans worldwide. He won’t be back to 100% right away. But baby steps will get Ortiz back to his old self, and maybe even back to Fenway Park to the roar of the crowd.
As trades begin to happen across baseball with the trade deadline in a few days, I decided to look into some of the best trades the Red Sox have ever made at the deadline. I also plan to do one about the worst trade deadline deals they have made in the next couple days. These articles will include August waiver trades as well.
This is a no-brainer at the top spot. This trade was always baffling, but continually got worse with each passing season as Varitek and Lowe paved their way in the big leagues.
The Mariners were desperate for relief help, as this wasn’t the only move they made for a relief pitcher. One is left to wonder why they thought Heathcliff Slocumb would help shore up a struggling bullpen though. Slocumb had a solid season in 1996, posting a 3.02 ERA and 31 saves, but his saves were often nerve-wracking, as he posted a 1.48 WHIP. In 1997 it all came apart. At the time of the trade he had blown five saves, posted a 5.79 ERA with an unsightly 1.97 WHIP. That means he essentially put on two baserunners each inning! Over the next season and a half in Seattle, Slocumb went 2-9 with a 4.97 ERA and 13 saves.
Meanwhile, Jason Varitek became the first catcher ever to catch four no-hitters. He was the eventual captain of the Red Sox, and is the second best catcher in franchise history. He was a three time all-star, a Silver Slugger winner and a Gold Glove winner.
Derek Lowe made two All-Star Games with the Red Sox. He led the American League with 42 saves in 2000, then two years later went 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He also won the clinching game of the ALDS, ALCS and the World Series in 2004. Without this trade, the Red Sox do not win the World Series in 2004, and who knows where the franchise would be.
As most Red Sox fans probably were at the time, I was just happy to be rid of Heathcliff Slocumb. Getting two important pieces back in return? Trade deadline gold.
2. The Nomar Deal
At the trade deadline in 2004 the Red Sox were in the playoff race, but needed to change things up to really make a run. Franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra was unhappy in Boston by this time, missing games with injury and not playing to his usual standards. The infield defense was sloppy and Theo Epstein decided the defense had to get better.
It wasn’t surprising when the Red Sox traded Nomar, a lot of people knew it was time, but it was bittersweet. The Red Sox sent Nomar and Matt Murton to the Cubs in a four team trade. Coming back to Boston were shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Both were good fielders to help shore up the infield defense.
Although Mientkiewicz couldn’t hit a lick, Orlando Cabrera proved to be a a sparkplug. He batted .294 with six home runs the rest of the season, while playing a steadier shortstop than Nomar . The team went 40-20 over the rest of the regular season. Cabrera then batted .379 in the seven game ALCS with the Yankees. I’ve never understood why the Red Sox let him leave after the season; he seemed to fit right in with the team personality-wise, clearly could handle Boston and the big stage, played a good defense and could hit.
The Red Sox went 40-20 after making the trade for Orlando Cabrera in 2004.
This is one of those August deals I referred to in the beginning. The Red Sox wound up sending three other players to the Mariners later on as players to be named later, but none did a whole lot. Mike Brown and Mike Trujillo at least pitched some for them at the big league level. Quinones, who had been hitting just .237 for the Red Sox in his rookie season, did even worse over the rest of the season. He actually had a solid season in 1987 before his offense tailed off and he was out of baseball following the 1989 season. His batting register on baseball-reference.com is fascinating, popping up in Independent baseball in 1999 after having nothing listed since 1989.
Dave Henderson actually didn’t do much in the regular season for the Red Sox. He hit .196 with 1 home run over 51 at-bats. However, he hit one of the biggest home runs in franchise history in the 1986 ALCS to avoid a series defeat to the Angels. In the World Series, he would bat .400 with two more home runs. Imagine his status in Boston had they not choked.
As for Spike Owen, he stayed with the team for each of the next two seasons as well, and was their starting shortstop for 1987 and half of 1988. He also had a big postseason in 1986, batting .429 in the ALCS and .300 in the World Series.
Dave Henderson came up huge for the Red Sox in the 1986 postseason.
I’m going back to just last season for this one. The Red Sox got the eventual World Series MVP for a prospect not on the radar for prospect lists. You never know how someone will develop, but at the moment this one looks like a steal. This trade happened about a month before the deadline, but it counts.
Pearce posted a .901 OPS for the Red Sox following the trade. He went all Jimmie Foxx on the Yankees in early August, hitting three home runs one day and another the next day. In the World Series he batted .333 with three home runs. In game four, he hit a home run off closer Kenley Jansen to tie the game at four in the 8th inning of an eventual 9-6 victory. For the clinching game five, he hit a two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw to open the scoring in the 1st inning, then homered again in the 8th inning, which was the dagger. For his efforts, he won World Series MVP.
Steve Pearce homers in the 8th inning of game 5 of the World Series.
We all know why this one is on the list, and it all comes down to just one play. The Red Sox picked up Dave Roberts on July 31, 2004 for Henri Stanley (who?). The idea with Roberts was to add some speed. He batted .256 with 2 home runs and five stolen bases over the rest of the regular season. In the playoffs, he was on the team to pinch-run. That was it. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mike Stanley gets an honorable mention for two trades. Stanley posted excellent offensive numbers in 1996 and 1997 for the Red Sox, but the team was well out of the race in 1997 so they moved him in August. In sending him to the Yankees, the Red Sox received Tony Armas Jr. in return.
Why is this trade so notable? Well, that offseason, the Red Sox were battling the Indians to trade for Pedro Martinez from the Expos. The Red Sox won out, sending the Expos two pitching prospects in Carl Pavano and, you guessed it, Tony Armas Jr. This Mike Stanley trade is very underrated in history, as it brought the Red Sox an important trade chip back to get possibly the best pitcher of all-time.
The very next season, in 1998, with the Red Sox back in the race again, they brought Stanley back at the deadline, sending Peter Munro and Jay Yennaco to the Blue Jays for him. Munro made the Majors, but didn’t do much to speak of. Yennaco never made to the show. Mike Stanley batted .288 with an .888 OPS the rest of the 1998 season. In 1999, he was their starting first baseman more often than not, posting a .393 on-base percentage while hitting 19 home runs. Stanley was also an excellent guy in the clubhouse, becoming a bench coach quickly after his retirement.
Mike Stanley was a great trade for the Red Sox both in dealing him (1997) and acquiring him again (1998).
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Boston Uprising go into Stage 4 with plenty of work in front of them. Stuck at the bottom of the standings and looking up at a playoff spot, there’s no room for errors. No matches to tune up. Every kill and every map counts. Can’t take anything for granted. They needed wins against the Guangzhou Charge and Chengdu Hunters. How’d they do?
THE GOOD
Since 2001, adjusted for inflation, global GDP per person has increased by 52% from $11,347 to $17,196. https://t.co/w5uT8U9AGT
Our ancestors gathered and chopped wood 10 hours a day for six days to produce just 54 minutes of light. It was far dimmer and less steady than the light from a modern light bulb. Even when candles became available, few could afford to light their homes. https://t.co/ilvbwC3jVK
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first. Where is Aimgod? I thought we had moved past the roulette wheel of support last stage. Boston showed the Aimgod/Kellex combo was indeed their best pairing after taking out Paris and bringing Philly to a map 5. But yet – here we are. Back to Persia/Kellex. Are those rumors about a dysfunctional Aimgod/Kellex pairing true? There’s no time for this drama. We know who the best support line is for the team – why isn’t it out there?
And boy did Persia look out of place. From ducking out to take a piss before map 5 against Chengdu, to being picked in the backline time and time again – the poor guy just couldn’t live up to his predecessor.
Long stretches where Blase went silent. While Colourhex popped off all weekend, just seemed the American only played well on Mei. Plenty of times Boston could have used the type of DragonStrike or pick from a Junkrat that would have opened the door…and it never came. There were times he came through, but the consistency wasn’t there.
Did rCk and Fusions look dis-coordinated against Guangzhou? They sure did to me. Halt hooks missing left and right. Positioning just completely off. Not sure the cause, but something I noticed.
That map 5 loss to the Hunters was painful. While stage 1 saw a heated back and forth, stage 2 seemed like it was going to be a clean sweep. Then Boston crept back in, Blase getting some clutch picks, and the team staggering enough to scratch and claw their way back. But losing 99-95 to end a 2 loss weekend – hurts.
Also – the switching on Map 5 there was atrocious. Boston couldn’t make up their mind. Did they want snipers, dive, hack fist – make up your mind! Just swathes of time spent switching. Absolutely infuriating. Don’t they realize how they throw ult economy out the window when they do that?
THE UPRISING
Colourhex was Boston’s player all weekend. When Boston could create the space, there was the kiwi popping heads and leading teamfight wins. I’ve said all season he needs the opportunity and he’d make Huk and fans proud – boy was I right.
Looking at Fusions’ tank usage is a bit startling. The brit was on Orisa and Hammond all weekend long, with mixed results. There were alot of times, as has been the case often, that he drew opposing team’s fire and dropped first. Guangzhou and Chengdu have clearly learned from other team’s success that if you get Boston’s shotcaller first, not much good follows for the Uprising. Hard to figure where you point the finger. Do supports need to be there more? Should Fusions position himself better so as not to get picked so easily?
I thought rCk bounced back well from a pretty piss poor performance against the Charge. Playing the Hunters, it seemed like he connected on a much higher number of hooks. On Havana specifically, his Self-Destructs came in time and time again to clear out the Hunters and get Boston to the next point. He epitomized putting the past in the rear view mirror and driving forward.
Volskaya continues to be Boston’s go-to. Getting through Point B with over four minutes left? I barely had time to put my beer down and tweet how smooth that Point A cap was before it was over. Unreal. Need more of that.
Outlook
Is the year over? Well, let’s see here:
Boston doesn’t have one of those red “ELIMINATED” bars next to them yet, but it sure doesn’t look good. With only five matches left in the stage, you’d have to think they need to win out and have some help to squeeze into the playoffs. Is that realistic? NYXL, LAV, WAS, ATL, & FL. So… maybe? But then to think the Reign drop at least three matches (and Dallas, too) is… looking at the glass half full?
I’m not about to say Boston should start jumbling their roster, giving their bench players an opportunity, and starting an inventory of who they have for the future. No. We’re not in throw away mode yet. But it’s put up or shut up time. There ain’t much good to say, but it ain’t over yet. Boston can still make something of this mess. But another loss may knock them out. A win may not be enough. Boston gets a bye week to stew on this. So with that…
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It’s no secret the Red Sox have had trouble finding a closer. Finishing out games has never been more of an issue for Boston. The post-Craig Kimbrel era hasn’t left fans feeling confident late in ball games whatsoever. So what can be done about that?
Well, you have to choose the lesser of two evils.
One is going over another luxury tax, which comes with tax penalties and draft pick loss implications. Getting a closer that comes with a bigger price tag may cost loss in prospects, but hurt the team long run with money and prospects. The other? Giving up more prospects for a controllable closer with a cheap contract.
The latter of the two is my preference. Getting a closer would allow Nathan Eovaldi to move back into the rotation, which would shore up multiple holes with one move. This team is simply just a piece or two away from being the squad they were in 2018. That’s been proven this weekend against New York.
So who are some potential targets, who are cheap and controllable, that the Red Sox can afford?
It has widely been reported that the Red Sox are interested in the Met’s closer. Even as recent as Sunday afternoon, Buster Olney confirmed Boston’s interest.
There is confidence in Red Sox organization that they can make an impactful deal before the deadline. Speculation: Edwin Diaz makes a lot of sense for Boston, not only for what he could add this year, but his minimal salary for this year fits in ownership parameters.
Diaz has struggled in 2019 as a whole. However, he hasn’t given up a run in the last couple of weeks, and he’s shown signs of returning to his form of 2019. The Mets did a lot to get Diaz on their squad this offseason. So with that said, it won’t be easy to get him. Especially if they feel they’re buyers after the Marcus Stroman deal.
So it may take one of the Red Sox three most intriguing prospects. Bobby Dalbec, Triston Casas and Bryan Mata. All still young, with very high Major League upside. The Mets should like what they see in all three.
Even if it takes a couple of those guys to get it done, or one of them with Jarren Duran, I would pull the trigger.
Diaz is only making roughly 600k this season, keeping Boston well under the luxury tax. He’s also controlled through 2022, giving the Red Sox plenty of time to win with him under contract.
If the Mets are willing to part with a couple prospects for their closer, Boston should be willing to pay up.
The Pirates stopper is definitely the most consistent name of the three. He has three straight season of a sub-3 ERA and 20+ saves, along with a career 2.66 FIP and 155 ERA+. Whether you like the new age stats or the old, Felipe is an interesting addition for Boston.
He’s pitched in big games and big moments and never seems to look shaky: A mentality fit for Boston. His walks are way down this year, as his control seems to have balanced out with his velocity.
Vazquez is another low cost option for Boston, as far as salary and future control goes. He’s due less than $2 Million for the remainder of 2019, and has another couple years at a low price before two more team-friendly options in 2022 and 2023.
Similar to Diaz, lots of control will require lots of prospects.
Seeing as Vazquez’s cheap contract takes him right through his prime, and the Pirates are relatively competitive, it may take even more of a haul then the one for Diaz.
Two of the big four prospects at the very least would likely have to go Pittsburgh’s way, along with another top ten prospect. A major league piece like Brock Holt or Marco Hernandez could also be used as bait for Vazquez.
Diaz would be my first swing if I’m Dombrowski, but Vazquez would be a terrific option at the backend.
It’s always hard to orchestrate a deal within the division. However, the Jays seem eager to deal. Eric Sogard and Marcus Stroman both found new homes Sunday, with others surely to follow.
Giles is having the best season of the three. He has a 1.54 in 35 innings with a FIP to match. His 14.9 K/9 is the highest of his career by far, and he seems to just be hitting his stride.
The Red Sox have always been a thorn in the side of Giles, with 2019 being no different.
He’s given up five of his six earned runs to Boston this year. Can you imagine his numbers if he didn’t have to face our lineup?
Another controlled closer, Giles would be under Boston’s control until 2021. He wouldn’t require quite the return that Vazquez would, but slightly more than Diaz. If Bryan Mata and Josh Ockimey had to become Blue Jays, along with another prospect, in order for Giles to be our closer, I would make it happen.
Monday Rodney Harrison will be inducted into the Patriots HOF. But right now it seems like the color of the jacket is the main topic.
Recently Ty Law, who is about to go into the Pro Football HOF, talked about Patriot players from the early 2000’s being overlooked. He may be right. But when you take a hard look there may not be many to follow him.
Here’s Ty Laws take on The HOF
Ty Law was a great player and is well deserving of the gold jacket, and he thinks there is a reason for the lack of Patriot players: The media. Ty said “It’s like we are looked at as a team, that’s it…Like there’s no players worthy of the HOF, at least from the media perspective, when it comes to the Patriots. It’s Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and everybody else, you know what I mean?”
Law isn’t completely wrong about this. Nationally, when it comes to the Patriots dominance, it comes down to the HC and QB. The Patriots machine has kept rolling for two decades, and the two constants have been Tom and Bill. That doesn’t mean Law thinks any less of his old teammate and coach. He blames the media. “You pretty much know, Tom Brady is the Greatest of all time,” Law said. “There’s no doubt about that. There’s no question about Coach Belichick. When you hear about our team, it was like to me, we have a hell of a lot of players out there who can play. You can’t do it with just two guys.”
Rodney agrees with Law
Harrison expanded on Law’s thoughts about the Patriot prejudice in the media. He talked about Patriots fatigue, and anti Patriots bias in the HOF.
“People don’t think we have ballers.” Rodney says “Ty Law was the greatest defensive back I’ve ever played with. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. Richard Seymour, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, these were bad, bad dudes. They weren’t just system guys.”
He added to Law’s thoughts on Bill and Tom, and how the media gives them all of the credit. “People don’t want to elevate us, or recognize, or acknowledge how great we are, because they’re such haters. Everywhere I go, people hate on the Patriots. So we don’t get credit. All I hear is Tom and Bill. But that’s such a lazy analysis. They don’t see what a team really is, and that’s really frustrating because a lot of guys get cheated and don’t really get the recognition they deserve.”
Tomorrow I’m hoping to get more from Rodney as he receives his red jacket
Harrison came to New England as Bill Belichick sent Lawyer Milloy to the Bills. The team didn’t like the move one bit. But once they saw Rodney’s work ethic and leadership he was quickly embraced as a captain. Tomorrow afternoon Harrison will be inducted to the Patriots HOF, and he seems to be happier than anyone before him going in. We will have you covered with the ceremony and behind the scenes interviews you can only find here. I will do my best to see who Rodney thinks is next in line for a Gold jacket.
Monday in Gillette stadium at 4:30, it’s free to the public. Rodney Harrison will be recognized and celebrated for his amazing career as a Patriot. So come on out, or you can wait to see everything in tomorrow’s article. You’ll only get to see the behind the scenes action right here, so make sure to check it out. Let’s Go Patriots!
The Celtics had an offseason dedicated to building around the their young wing pairing. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will be expected to take the next step towards stardom. The real question is: Who makes that step first?
Via celticslife.com
The case for Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown was the 3rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. Coming in as a typical 3-and-D wing player, he has slowly added more depth to his game. His slashing ability has improved, and he shows incredible explosiveness around the rim. His defensive versatility has made him a favorite of coach Brad Stevens. His only downfall is he felt he should’ve been a starter last year and has developed a little cockiness to his character
Via Sports Illustrated
The case for Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has Star potential written all over him. He has a well-rounded offensive game, and is a threat to score from anywhere. His defense is a work in progress, but he possesses the length and athleticism to be elite on that side of the ball. The biggest concern is his sophomore slump. He was a borderline All-Star when the Celtics battled injuries his rookie year. Chemistry problems and poor shot selection hindered his development. Here’s hoping he can bounce back this year.
Final Verdict: Jayson Tatum
Both Celtics players should see improvement this year, but Jayson Tatum seems closer to taking the next big step. He has a larger repertoire on offense and less ego (that doesn’t mean he has no ego). Tatum also figures to be the focal point of next year’s team, giving him more of a chance than Jaylen. Look for both to be considered as All-Stars this upcoming season.
McGinest: “I mean, as athletes, we like to have our nucleus around us and we like to have a certain amount of talented guys. Gronk’s not here anymore. I mean, a big part of this team, this offense, for a long time. You guys had a lot of success together.”
“Does it become tougher losing that type of talent and then waiting for guys to maybe take the next step, or seeing how you gonna go in and game plan without guys like that now?”
Brady: “Yeah it’s always challenging when you have significant turnover. And I think it’s, I always say it’s like climbing a mountain, you know. And every time you climb the mountain, the next year you start right at the bottom. Right with everyone else. And you have a new group of people. You have a new group of climbers. You got different tools you can use.”
Brady continued and said, “And everyone starts at the same place and you just gotta, there’s no way to do it other than just start working your way up.”
“And that’s what we’re doing now. You can’t get to the top in two days. It’s gonna take a long, you know it’s a long year. It’s a long grind and (everyone of) the guys who make the team, they’ll have earned it. They’ll put us in our best position to be the best team we can be.
Brady also added, “So, I don’t know how that all shakes out, you know. It’s competitive, you know I’m competing everyday. The receivers are, the line is. You know it’s competitive between the defense and we’ve gotta, you know if we want to be the best team we can be, we gotta compete as hard as we can and see how that competition shakes out.”
McGinest: “And I know you never reflect and never kind of look in the past and talk about it because we’re conditioned not do. But when you’re at the ring ceremony, and you’re putting on the six rings, and you’re sitting back with the family and you are spending some quality time just not doing anything football wise. Do you kind of think about how surreal this whole process has been? And I know the story’s not done, you’re still writing it. But do you just kind of sit back and reflect of how, like, amazing this run has been?”
Brady: “I think yeah, I think for all of us. I mean, if we all look back at our life we can’t imagine, you know, how far we’ve come. You growing up in Southern Cal and me growing up in Northern Cal, I never imagined playing one year of pro football. You know, it was a dream to play, to be the starting quarterback on my high school team, and then I tried to do everything I could to start for Michigan. And then I got here, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna work just like I worked before to try and be the starting quarterback for the Patriots.’”
Brady also said, “And I think that’s the approach I still take, you know. Nothing is given in this game. And in a team sport if you’re not the best, you gotta give the pedestal to someone else. And I gotta prove that I’m the best to myself. I gotta prove that I’m the best to my teammates and coaches so I can earn the respect of those guys.”
There was more to this interview but this was the portion McGinest posted on his Twitter.
Patriots training camp has officially gotten underway this week with the first padded practice on Saturday. The first two days seemed like a continuation of the OTA’s with no pads, and Brady had the day off on Friday. Danny Etling went from quarterback to receiver, and we got to see rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham in action. He threw lots interceptions to start, but that’s to be expected. Sony Michel made his return to practice on Saturday, and Brady was also back on the field Saturday too.
— Bauston Diehards 🏈 ⚾🏀🏒⚽ (@BaustonDiehards) July 27, 2019
A TB12 Moss reunion
On a downside, Brady was 0-4 on 11-11s today. It’s going to take some time to get used to his new receivers. Also having Edelman out with his thumb injury doesn’t help either. However, Brady has worked out with rookie receiver N’Keal Harry before the start of camp, and we’ll start to see the connection Brady and Harry have on the field now in camp. Harry could be a factor in the red zone, though, because of his size at receiver. With Gronkowski’s retirement, the pressure may be on Harry to make the big play down there. A plus though is Brady and Moss still have it, as you can see from the video below in a flashback to 2007.
We haven’t seen Michael Bennett yet, and the Patriots are saying it’s for a personal issue. You may have to speculate if that means he’s contemplating retirement or not playing for the Patriots. Isaiah Wynn is also still easing his way into football activities. Belichick seems to be having a low key camp, as today’s practice was just over an hour long. He doesn’t want to overwork them with the pads on. Seems like a different Belichick from years past, but who’s complaining? They just won the Super Bowl.
Also on a positive side, the defense looks pretty solid. The secondary in particular is pretty solid with Stephon Gilmore, the McCourty brothers, Terrence Brooks and Duron Harmon. Patrick Chung was also out there, but is wearing a red non-contact jersey until he is fully healthy from his broken arm in the Super Bowl.
Celtics fans have had a tumultuous relationship with Gordon Hayward. He signed a big contract two seasons ago, and has been characterized by inconsistency and injury. Some of the Celtic’s chemistry problems were attributed to Brad Stevens ‘force-feeding’ Hayward last year. It looks like Gordon Hayward is a bust as a free agent. But he is in prime position for a monster comeback season.
From NBA.com
No Expectations
It would be fair to say we don’t expect much out of Gordon Hayward this year. The former All-Star has not lived up to expectations, and may not even start this year. This unloads a ton of pressure off of Hayward. He can play without critique knowing we don’t expect much of him. Every positive contribution he makes is a good sign.
From sbnation.com
A more cohesive Celtics team
The Boston Celtics came out of the draft looking to build a team of cohesive guys who want to play together. A more pass-oriented offense should help Hayward find his groove early and often. It should also allow Hayward more open looks with a more diverse offense than last years Celtics team.
He has all the tools to succeed
Now two years removed from his horrific ankle injury, Gordon Hayward should reach his former glory. His leg has had more time to properly heal and give him his explosive athleticism back. Coupled with increased confidence, Hayward’s slashing ability should return to full form. With his solid jump shot, he has all the tools needed to help his team win games this season. All factors point to Hayward posting a career-saving stat line that will prove the doubters wrong.
In January of 1958, against the rival Montreal Canadiens, Willie O’Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. In doing so he became the first black player in the NHL. Now 61 years later, the NHL is lobbying for O’Ree, 83, to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. It’s the highest civilian award that Congress can give.
Facing Racism
O’Ree faced many hardships throughout his career. He had to put up with racist taunts from other players, as well as fans, on a regular basis. He once recounted that fans would yell things such as, “How come you’re not picking cotton?” and, “Go back to the South!” Yet Willie stood his ground and persevered. Between major and minor leagues O’Ree played 21 years, and he’s commonly described as “the Jackie Robinson of hockey”.
25-year-old left wing Willie O’Ree, the first black player of the National Hockey League, warms up in his Boston Bruins uniform, prior to the game with the New York Rangers, at New York’s Madison Square Garden, on November 23, 1960. (AP Photo)
Hockey For Life
After his playing career ended in 1979, Willie O’Ree stayed with hockey. He’s been the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador since 1998, promoting inclusion and confidence in youth hockey programs throughout North America. In 2018 the NHL created the annual Willie O’Ree award for the person who made a positive impact on their community through hockey. Making 2018 even more significant, O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
(Getty Images)
The Congressional Gold Medal
Now, Senator Tim Scott of North Carolina and Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan are co-sponsoring a bill, along with the NHL, to award Willie O’Ree with the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to promote diversification and community wellness through hockey.
Speaking to O’Ree at a press conference, Sen. Scott said,
“You were the grandson of slaves from South Carolina. I would just like to put
the icing on the cake from my perspective that this country continues to evolve
in the right direction. That in a time and date when there’s so much
incivility, so much division and polarization, the one thing that you represent
today is what you represented in 1958, is that, in this country, all things are
possible.”
