Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 3 Week 4

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Well that sucked. After living off that reverse sweep high last week, Boston goes to another game five. And drops it. Against Philly. That’s a burn that will stay with the team for awhile. Not as bad an ending to a stage as getting reverse swept by the Washington Justice, but this will sting. Despite the loss, Boston played a tight game with a team that had beat them 2-1 just two weeks ago. Let’s take a look at what went down.

The Good

  • Boston’s full hold on Point B of Horizon Lunar Colony was a textbook bunker defense. Years from now scholars will study just how Boston was able to squash any offense Philadelphia threw at them. From perfectly timed Immortality Fields, well placed Widow snipes, to smart healing shots from Aimgod, Boston put on a clinic to hold Philly to just a point.
https://twitter.com/LoadScr33n/status/1145082670038364161
  • I have to eat a bit of crow as I’ve advocated Boston abandon GOATs. So how did they hold Philly on Point B defense on Havana? Ana GOATs. What’s so impressive about them succeeding with this comp was Fusion’s use of Sombra. Granted, Poko holding onto his EMP for the majority of the push until he gave up and switched to DVa helped. With Boston coordinated around the tight quarters of Point B, it seemed clear to everyone that the Uprising had rehearsed and were prepared for this part of the match.
  • Getting a point on sudden death Ilios by playing GOATs was huge. Playing the mirror to the Fusion was the right call, and Boston played it perfectly. rCk getting picks on the Zen, Rein, and Birgitte as OT started was the play of the stage there. The Finn was on fire.

The Bad

  • Let’s start on Nepal, where Carpe popped off on Widowmaker. Guy had free rein to click heads and was a force to be reckoned with. Boston had no answer for him.
  • Too often Boston was timid in swapping heroes out. We saw this on Nepal when rCk held onto Mei and her ult. He never found a spot to toss it in and swap out when Philly was already closing out. It happened again on Numbani when Boston came out with a strange bunker comp on offense. Didn’t work – and the boys didn’t switch to GOATs until it was too late.
  • Can we talk some more about that team comp on Numbani on offense? Blase on Rein? Colour on Bastion? I default to trusting in Huk and the coaches, but this seemed ill designed. Philly defended with a Winston GOATs, almost a dive comp with DVa. Fusion had no problem diving the Bastion and picking off the supports. I wish Boston had switched out quicker.
  • I’m calling out Malik, Soe, and Sideshow’s halftime analysis (or lack thereof). You’d think Philly was up 2-0 the way they were kissing their ass. Pandering to the Fusion in the middle of a close contest seemed off.
https://twitter.com/LoadScr33n/status/1145086023153725441
  • Philly won the match on Stage 2 of Ilios. Boston losing 99-100 was a back breaker. They had the map won until Blase used the barrage at point blank on Sado on the point, killing himself before he picked the tank. That lead to the Uprising having to retreat. Philly got the fifth swap of control on the point and, ultimately, the last. With enough time left to get an EMP, there was still hope. That is, until Carpe picked off rCk as Tracer. Philly mopped up the picks and Stage 3 was all but over.
  • Colourhex getting his grav eaten by Poko on that last stage of overtime…

The Uprising

  • I thought rCk was Boston’s best player Saturday. Rarely did he go down first, and he got so many picks throughout the match. He was aggressive from the jump. The flex player also hit the supports more often than not with his EMPs, preventing any effective response from the Fusion. He was coordinated with the other players all match, and seemed to bother the right Fusion player each time with solo hacks. Was nice to see consistency from the Finn.
  • It would have been easy to pack it in after dropping Numbani in such embarrassing fashion. Credit to Boston – they came out strong on map four to force sudden death.
  • Winning on the fifth map seemed inevitable. The four reverse sweeps throughout the course of the season loomed in the air and it seemed Boston was ready to avenge their loss from two weeks ago to the Fusion. Especially after playing so well on Stage 1 of Ilios. Boston has to respect what Philly did in stopping that momentum dead in its tracks.

Outlook

Stage 3 didn’t work out how any of us hoped. Getting swept three times and not securing a win until week three isn’t what anyone should be happy about. However, there was progress throughout the stage that Boston fans can hold on to.

Uprising’s support line was the story of the stage. A seeming roulette between Aimgod, Persia, Kellex, and Alemao operated through the early part of the stage. It’s no surprise that returning to the staple of Kellex/Aimgod helped Boston achieve its only win of the stage against Paris. While I do think the other players have potential, Aimgod and Kellex give the team their best chance of winning. Persia just stepped off the boat a few days before walking on stage, and could use more scrim time. Alemao is a serviceable Lucio player and should be given another opportunity. Hopefully the time off will serve the team here.

While Boston oscillated between GOATs, Sombra GOATs, Hackfist, bunker, and PharMercy comps all stage, they won’t need to worry going into Stage 4. Overwatch League all but confirmed that a 2-2-2 lock is happening next stage. No one knows what to expect from it, but fans can feel good that Boston has given dps comps a good trial run this stage. Hopefully the time the team has invested in these off-meta comps will serve them well in Stage 4.

For more Boston Uprising content and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Goalie

New goaltender coming to Boston?

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Don Sweeney Announced that the Boston Bruins will be diving into the goalie free agent market come Monday. What does this mean for Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak?

Changing of the guard?

NHL free agency opens on Monday. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has already confirmed that the Bruins will be active come Monday. One surprising note that Sweeney mentioned was that the Bruins will be active in the goalie market. Some fans immediately jumped to conclusions that Tuukka Rask and or Jaroslav Halak might be on the move. Rest assured, that isn’t the case.

If its not broken, don’t fix it.

Last year the Bruins goaltending tandem was one of if not the best in the NHL. While there is the never ending debate surrounding Tuukka Rask, this move will hardly effect him. After one of the better years of his career and a stellar postseason performance, Rask is still the guy for the Bruins. That turns the attention to Jaroslav Halak. While some might think that Halak is just a backup goalie, he’s much more than that. Now Halak might be the backup for Tuukka Rask, but that doesn’t mean Halak isn’t good enough to start elsewhere.

Amongst the best

Last season was one of the better seasons throughout the career of Jaroslav Halak. Despite being the Boston Bruins backup goaltender, Halak made his mark. Halak had one more shutout than Tuukka Rask despite playing in six less games, but still played in enough games to qualify for rankings in the league leaders. Again, playing in six less games than Tuukka Rask, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Halak ranked seventh in goals against average (GAA), and ninth in save percentage (Sv%). Both ranked higher than Tuukka Rask. Halak has one more year on his contract and has definitely earned the right to play out his deal in Boston. The only way this isn’t the case is of the Bruins decide to trade him at the trade deadline because they don’t think they’ll make the playoffs. I highly doubt that’ll be case.

What’s the big idea?

When the Bruins address the goalie situation in free agency, its likely gonna be the Providence Bruins that it effects the most. A starting goaltender for Providence is most likely what Don Sweeney will be looking for come Monday. Zane McIntyre is currently the Providence Bruins starting goalie. Despite a pretty good year last year, McIntyre looks like he’s the odd man out in the Bruins goalie race. McIntyre’s contract expired this season, making him a free agent. A free agent that likely doesn’t come back to the Bruins organization next season.

Inside options? Not quite yet.

Dan Vladar is a 22 year old goalie who sat below McIntyre on the Providence depth chart last year. Vladar managed a .500 record and only allowed 2.73 goals per game. He will likely share time with whoever the Bruins sign next season in Providence. Kyle Keyser is another very intruiging goalie prospect that the Bruins have. Keyser is 20 and he played most of last season with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. Keyser played in 47 games with Oshawa, only allowing 2.75 goals per game and held down a solid .915 save percentage. The general consensus is that Keyser isn’t quite ready for a full time role in Providence yet. Injuries could play a big role in Keyser moving up however.

As we’ve now looked at all of the options within the Bruins organization we know that one will likely be out. My thinking is that Don Sweeney is going to be looking to bring in a veteran who can help the young Vladar and Keyser and set them on the right track to the NHL.

Boston Celtics: New Coaches for a New Direction

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Celtics Hire New Coaches

The Boston Celtics hired two new assistant coaches, Kara Lawson and Joe Mazulla, to help their young team. The move comes after the departure of Micah Shrewsberry, who returned to the Purdue University coaching staff. Shrewsberry, a defensive-mined coach, was a Celtics assistant coach from 2013-2019. Shreewsberry also worked with Brad Stevens at Butler University from 2008-2011.

Kara Lawson is the third female coach in the NBA, joining Becky Hammon and Linsday Gottlieb. Gottlieb was hired by the Cavaliers earlier this month. Lawson comes highly decorated as a player. The University of Tennessee product made three Final Four appearances, and won Olympic gold in 2008. The 5th overall pick in the 2003 WNBA draft, Lawson had an All-Star career and was a pioneer in NBA broadcasting.

College-player-turned-coach Joe Mazulla led Fairmont State University to a 22-9 record in 2018-2019. Given that Mazulla played guard at West Virginia, he should relate to the Celtics young guards. In addition, Mazulla was also an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics’ G-League affiliate Maine Red Claws in 2016-2017. His experience with the system and player development could be invaluable.

The Boston Celtics hired former WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Kara Lawson as an assistant coach this week. (Image credit: Getty Images)

New Blood for Young Blood

The NBA free agency period begins Sunday. The excitement level for fans is likely only surpassed by front office anxiety. The free agency bounty includes franchise-changing players like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Klay Thompson. These players could be going to any one of several teams, including the Boston Celtics. Considering the moves the Celtics have pulled off in recent weeks, their free agency intentions are clear.

I wrote about the potential 2019-2020 Boston Celtics roster several weeks ago. Not much has changed, save the unexpected departures of Al Horford and Aron Baynes. The Celtics guarantee of Semi Ojeleye’s $1.62 Million next season means the roster has seven signed players. Other than the Celtics recent draft picks, the seven signed players average 23.6 years; that includes 29-year old Gordon Hayward. The recent coaching hires bring fresh perspective to a young basketball team, including the experience Mazulla has with the Celtics.

Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office are making the right moves. Boston is helping continue to break coaching barriers in the NBA. Another key point is hiring people familiar with their system and player development. The recent signing of Kemba Walker will certainly help Hayward anchor this young Celtics team. These coaching hires bring new experience, fresh perspectives and the Celtic familiarity necessary to make this roster a team.

Celtics Free Agency: What follows after Kemba Walker signs?

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The NBA has set the salary cap for the 2019-2020 season at a value of $109,140,000. With the Celtics’ anticipated addition of Kemba Walker on a $141 Million max salary, the team will be searching for feasible options to continue to upgrade the roster.

By renouncing the rights to all free agents on the roster at the end of this past season, the Celtics created approximately $37.3 Million in salary cap space. The addition of Kemba Walker will consume slightly more than $35 Million of the created space. This leaves the Celtics with about $1.8 Million in cap space to pursue additional free agents.

The rules of the NBA salary cap can be convoluted. The $109 Million hard cap deters teams from spending exorbitant amounts of money on multiple free agents in one off season. However, there are numerous exceptions at different values that can assist teams in pursuing roster upgrades via free agency. After signing Walker, the Celtics will be granted a $4.8 Million “room exception.” This exception will allow them to exceed the salary cap.

With the remaining $1.8 Million in cap space and the room exception, who might the Celtics pursue in free agency after the Kemba Walker signing?

Filling the Void

With the departure of Al Horford, the only centers listed on the Celtics’ roster are Daniel Theis and Robert Williams. While Celtics fans have embraced “Timelord” and the serviceable German big man, the prospect of either player consuming big minutes is less than ideal.

The Celtics are rumored to have interest in multiple free agent centers. These players are realistic options for the Celtics to pursue with their remaining cap space and the room exception:

Nerlens Noel

(Credit: The Oklahoman)

The 6’-11” Massachusetts (Everett) born center declined a $1.9 Million option with the Oklahoma City Thunder to pursue free agency. He has had an up-and-down, injury filled career that has limited his potential that boosted him to the 6th pick in the 2013 draft.

Noel would be an ideal candidate for the Celtics because he may command a salary around the $1.8 Million that the Celtics have left under the salary cap. He is only 24 years old and he is best known for his abilities as a rebounder and a shot blocker. Although his offensive skills are mediocre, he would allow for the Celtics to use their remaining cap space and save the room exception for the possibility of an additional player.

Enes Kanter

(Credit: AP Photo)

Kanter was linked to the Celtics as a potential trade target at the 2018-2019 trade deadline. He has once again been linked to the Celtics as a candidate for the room exception in the 2019 offseason.

Another 6’-11” natural center, Kanter provides the offensive ability that other available centers may lack. Between time split in New York and Portland during 2018-2019, Kanter averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 offensive rebounds per game. This type of offensive production from the center position could benefit the Celtics in replacing Al Horford’s offense. Kanter’s offensive game would also complement the defensive ability of Robert Williams. This would allow the Celtics to dictate at the center position when in-game adjustments are necessary.

Kevon Looney

(Credit: AFP Photo)

Perhaps the most intriguing option that has been linked to the Celtics is former Golden State Warrior Kevon Looney. The 22 year old, 6’-9” power forward/center is coming off his most productive season in which he showed undeniable grit and toughness by playing through a fractured rib in the NBA finals.

Looney’s numbers are not overwhelming on paper, but he has steadily progressed in every category from games played, minutes played, total rebounds, and points per game in all four years of his career. Looney’s growth, toughness, willingness to accept his role, and playoff experience at such a young age could provide the Celtics with another core player to establish the chip-on-the-shoulder culture that disappeared from the 2018-2019 locker room.

Although the Celtics salary cap space is limited, the remaining free agent options at center are not. Let the free agency games begin!

Essential Pickleball Equipment You Will Need at Court

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The pickleball enthusiasts say that the game is fun and exciting. And in fact, in the U.S. pickleball is a game that brings together family members both the old and young people.

Pickleball game is a sport that looks almost similar to ping-pong, tennis, and badminton. But pickleball has special equipment. It is a fun game you can play inside the house and outside in a court.

If you are just getting started with pickleball, you will find the game easy to play but as you progress to the level of experienced players, the game gets competitive.

Usually, pickleball is played in a court that looks like that of badminton, although small in size. The court has a net like that of tennis, but 34-inch long. The pickleball court is rectangular in shape, measures 20×44 ft for both the singles and doubles matches. 

The playground is expected to be 40×64 ft. And the court lines are marked with colors that make them easily visible, preferably white color or any color that is different from the surface color of the court.

If you like playing racket sports, then you will find pickleball being fun and exciting. It is a fast-paced game that has recently gained popularity among the U.S. nation. When playing the game, you will be required to have small paddles and oversized balls that look similar to those of ping pong.

Of course, there are other essential pickleball equipment that are a must-have before you enter the court to play. And we share them in this article.

But before that
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The Pickleball Basics

Well, pickleball has exceptional rules but are not far from those of badminton, ping pong, and tennis. That means for a person who has played these other games, getting started with pickleball does not take too much of your time to understand it. The court looks the same as that of badminton and tennis although pickleball court is smaller.

The players will serve the ball to each other whereby the person receiving the serve will hit back the ball and the serving goes on and on until maybe it goes out of bounds, hits the net or the players misses it.

Basic Pickleball Equipment

For beginner pickleball players who have no experience (learners), the must-have equipment are a pickleball paddle and ball. There are cheap pickleball paddles out there that you can use for the start.

As your progress to the real pickleball game, you will need a lot more equipment to boost your game. These equipment are essential for you to improve your ability to win the game.

Here are the essential equipment you need to have in the pickleball court.

1.Pickleball Paddles

One of the essential pickleball equipment you will need at the court is a pickleball paddle. Paddles come in different sizes and shapes so you need to decide which one is suitable for you. The paddles look similar to those of ping pong and tennis, although a bit bigger than the former and smaller than the latter. 

A paddle has circular-like edges. In the past, most paddles were wooden but these days, you can find paddles made of graphite or composite materials.

Graphite pickleball paddle has a carbon polishing, which usually gives you more control and power to your shot. And the composite paddle is made with a blend of different materials like carbon fiber, vinyl, fiberglass, etc. That gives the composite surface the right amount of texture, which helps the ball to hold a little bit on the surface when it touched. This type of paddle usually knowns as the best pickleball paddle for spin.

2. The Ball

The second essential thing you need to have at the pickleball court is the pickleball itself. The ball is the one that sets this game apart from other racket games in that it is a bit bigger and looks like a pickle. That’s why the game is called pickleball.

It is oval-shaped and has holes in it. There are balls for indoor and outdoor games.

The difference between the balls is that for indoors, you need a ball that does not move fast and the holes are bigger and the ball isn’t always heavy.

Outdoor balls, on the other hand, have smaller holes in them and they move quickly. But you can get outdoor balls with both large and small holes in them.

3. Safety Gears

Although the game is safe, minor accidents are inevitable. You need to hit the ball hard with the paddle when returning serve and when you have a lighter paddle, chances of missing the ball are high which can cause injuries in your eyes. For that reason, you need to keep your eyes safe by wearing some safety gears. To protect your eyes, you can wear goggles and gloves for your hands.

Other things you need at the court are clothes shoes and covers.

Why Kemba Walker is a good signing for the Celtics

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Amidst the impending decisions of big fish like Kevin Durant, players like Kemba Walker became lost in the shuffle. However, the Celtics have emerged as front runners for Walker come July 1st. Many see this as iffy, considering it would leave Boston with $1.8 Million left in cap space. I’m here to tell you why this is a great signing for the C’s.

Walker averaged 25.8 points per game and 5.9 assists

Fills the void at Point Guard

The Celtics are watching both Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier walk out the door on Sunday. That would leave them with two unproven rookies in Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters. Kemba Walker is a multi-time All-Star who is coming off his best statistical season and entering his prime. He’ll bring high-quality play and production to a team in desperate need of a play-maker at the 1.

Invaluable Leadership

The Celtics have built a very young team where all players are 25 and younger. There is no clear-cut leader among the pack. This is why Kemba would be invaluable. He was lauded as a high-quality leader and teammate by his Charlotte teammates. Kemba is an unselfish player who loves being a team player as much as being a superstar. As such, he doesn’t posses a dominating ego like Kyrie, so the young stars should be more willing to listen to him. His leadership would soften the blow of Al Horford leaving.

Kemba’s return to New England puts Boston back on the map.

Flip the Script on the Boston Celtics

When it comes to the NBA, Boston has typically not been a marquee destination for free agents. The exits of Kyrie Irving and Al Horford have only helped keep this notion alive. Kemba Walker would flip this on its head. Not only would Boston land an All-Star after two leave, but it would be a guy who picked Boston. They become a destination for stars and become contenders again in one fell swoop. Kemba Walker is the ideal solution for the Celtics, and signing him shouldn’t warrant a second thought

Solo Out Sado: A Player Preview of Philly’s Main Tank

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The Uprising and the Fusion have been eerily similar teams this season. Both teams have extremely talented DPS players stuck playing tanks thanks to GOATs. Both teams have severely struggled to break themselves from the pack of .500 teams. Why? Because both team’s main tanks are almost always the focus of their opponents. While Fusions is focused due to his importance as a shot-caller, Sado is focused because his hyper-aggressive positioning makes him an easy target.

Previously on Philly vs Boston

Earlier when these two teams met, Philly was able to slow down Boston’s lightning fast start to pull out a 2-1 victory. After a definitive win on Ilios and a close tie on Paris, Boston moved to play GOATs in the following maps. Philly happily obliged, as it allowed Sado to play to his aggressive style

Boston was unable to keep up with fast paced-aggressive GOATs comps Philly brought. Several times Boston was far too slow to rotate or react to Philly’s advances. Whether it be pateience or just hesitance, Boston got rolled on Hollywood and Gibralatar. But that was two weeks ago now, and Boston is a more confident team now. The Uprising are in full control of the match, as long as they take advantage of Sado’s terrible positioning.

Taking Notes From Atlanta

Last week against the Atlanta Reign the Fusion had trouble closing out maps and had to go to a fifth map. The reason for this struggle was Sado’s almost tunnel-vision like play on Havana. Where Philly could have finished the match here, Sado decides to take matters in his own hands and fails.

On point B, Philly’s attack looked to have successfully broken the Atlanta defense. However, a greedy play by Sado denies them the point. Here we have Sado demonstrating why his play is so dangerous to the success of Philly.

Sado attacking ana
Sado trying too hard for a hero play.

After a grav from Babybay, Atlanta and Philly have found themselves in a long, drawn-out fight. Just mere meters from the payload, Dogman is able to nano-boost Erster in a last ditched effort to hold the point. While a nano’d Brig could be quite the threat, a coordinated team effort could put her down without an issue. Unless of course someone decides the Ana is a better target. Sado splits away from his back line in hopes to kill Dogman, but doesn’t realize two things.

  1. Babybay is on high ground with very high charge, able to melt Sado if he doesn’t hold his shield.
  2. Sado has no support from his back line because they are fighting a nano’d Erster.

Philly loses this fight, because not only does Ana live here, but the Philly supports die very quickly without a tank to defend them.

A minute later, we see Sado do something very similar.

Sado went too deep.
Sado charges in for a kill, but backfires.

A fight breaks out on the catwalk on point B. Seeing the opposing Rein get nano-boosted, Sado aims to charge Pokpo in order to mitigate the aggression. Despite the good intentions, Sado leaves himself alone against four members of the Reign. One failed shatter later, Sado is the first to die and Philly fails to capture point B. The unnecessary aggression caused Philly to take a fight they weren’t ready for.

Sit Sado?

Sado has been the focal point of a lot of debate among Philly fans. If you’re out of the loop, the Fusion have two main tanks on their roster: Sado and Fragi. Sado’s over zealous Reinhardt play has left fans begging for Fragi, a notoriously strong Reinhardt player, to play and instill some life into the Philly front line. The main issue however is Sado’s proficiency on Winston, and Fragi’s noticeably poor Winston play, leaves Philly in a weird spot. Playing Fragi would immediately signal a Reinhardt composition, while playing Sado provides an option of both Rein and Winston GOATs.

Boston’s Best Bet

Simply put, Boston’s best shot of beating this Philly team is to go back to what works. Hackfist allows Boston to solo out Sado and eliminate him before he can have an impact on the fight. The Atlanta game showcases how easy it is to bait out a wildly aggressive play from Sado. Punishing his position will put extra pressure on his off tanks to go and save him, putting them out of position as well. With the last game of the stage this Saturday, Boston looks to keep their momentum up from last weeks thriller against Paris.


Be sure to follow Brock on twitter for more breakdowns and analysis #BostonUp

The Closer that the Red Sox Need to Acquire

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Clearly, the 9th inning is a problem. Not the bullpen as a whole, but the 9th inning. Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Marcus Walden, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg and even Josh Taylor, have all been run out in the final inning of a game this year. The first four of those names have done well in their regular roles, however they’ve all struggled in the 9th. A Closer is a must at this point. If the Red Sox want to contend for a World Series, it’s a must.

It’s a shame there wasn’t an all-star caliber Closer on the market until a couple weeks ago. Since that move wasn’t made for Kimbrel, the Red Sox are forced to look elsewhere. The in-house options haven’t worked, and there’s been too many close games lost in the 9th inning. This team needs a guy that can lock it down. Whether people liked him or not, that’s what Kimbrel was.

The Market

There isn’t a whole lot of lockdown Closers left in baseball, and even less available on the market. Felipe Vazquez & Brad Hand are both intriguing options, and I would definitely like either at the right price. Will Smith seems to be the cheapest option, and he would improve the back end of this bullpen.

Yet there’s still one name that I like more than others. That is Nationals closer Sean Doolittle. We’re now approaching July, and Washington is seven games back of the first place Braves. The optimist National fan will point to the fact that they’ve won four straight and eight of ten coming into Saturday. They’re also only a game and a half back of the crowded NL wild card picture.

However, I still believe the price can be met for Doolittle. On the Red Sox side, his contract is in absolute steal, coming into a payroll that needs some relief. He’s making just $6 Million this season, with only about $3 Million left. He also has a bargain of a team option in 2020 for $6.5 Million that will absolutely be picked up, regardless of which team he plays for come this winter.

On the Nationals side of things, the price to get Doolittle should be stiff. With him under control cheap for the next year and a half, and the team still relatively competitive, ownership may not want to sell. Yet with Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg also coming up in trade talks, there’s no reason to believe Doolittle isn’t also available.

Potential Trade Chips

The Sox would have to give up a couple of solid prospects and maybe a younger player in order to acquire the Nats stopper. Jarren Duran, Bryan Mata, Bobby Dalbec, Darwinzon Hernandez and Triston Casas are the top-chip prospects that Boston has to offer. I would think one of them, along with a prospect ranked in our top 20-30, would support a Sam Travis or Tzu-Wei Lin in a potential package.

The Nationals would a get a hitter that could instantly be on their roster with potential upside. They’d also get one of our better prospects, all of whom were listed have the tools to become a pro. Finally, they’d have their pick at any prospect deeper in our system that they may feel good about.

This would seem to be some sort of framework that could appeal to both sides, and definitely the Red Sox. The Nationals might require a little more, but if it ends up being a full blown rebuild and sell for Washington, a package like this could get the deal done for Doolittle.

Doolittle’s History

Boston would be getting a fantastic pitcher, who’s put together a track record for many years and shows no signs of slowing down. I already talked about how team friendly his contract is, and on top of that he’s posted a 2.33 in 108 games since joining the Nats. He’s also 99 of 118 in save tries in his career for an 84% clip. Only Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen and Roberto Osuna rival his career WHIP of 0.92.

Not many guys can say they’re shutdown closers in 2019. A lot of “heart attack Closers” are out there, and they are not fun to watch to say the least.

This Red Sox bullpen trying to close out games has also not been fun. Hopefully a move is coming and I’d like to think something is already in the works. If it’s not Doolittle that’s fine, but the time has come to finally pull the trigger on bringing in a ninth inning stopper to solidify this bullpen.

Boston Bruins History: The Kraut Line Part 1

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From 1937 to 1947 one of the most dominant lines in hockey belonged to the Boston Bruins. Left Winger Woody Dumart, Center Milt Schmidt (who’s well known as The Ultimate Bruin), and Right Winger Bobby Bauer made up what was originally named the “Sauerkraut Line” for their German heritage. The nickname was quickly shortened to “The Kraut Line”. The three grew up playing hockey together in Kitchener, Ontario and made their way through the ranks together. By the time they got to the NHL their skills were well known. So was their nickname.

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Dominating the NHL

The trio led the Bruins to two Stanley Cup victories in 1939 and 1941 and went 1, 2, and 3 in NHL scoring during the 1939-40 season. In that 39-40 season Milt Schmidt finished first in the NHL with 52 points. Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer finished second and third in the NHL with 43 points each. That year Bauer won the Lady Byng Trophy for the NHL’s “Most Gentlemanly Player”, while Schmidt was elected to the First All-Star Team and Bauer and Dumart were elected to the Second All-Star Team.

Milt Schmidt later recollected, “There are several reasons why we had success that year. The three of us roomed together in Brookline, Massachusetts. We had one big room so that we were always together. After practices we discussed things we should work on. After a game we’d say, ‘Well we did this wrong or did that wrong.’ There was no nightlife or anything like that. We really worked at it and I think that had more to do with the success of our line than anything else. To finish one-two-three
 I don’t know of any other line that did that before us and we were quite proud of the fact. Hard work. That was it.”

Rivalries Put on Hold

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When World War II started, Schmidt, Dumart, and Bauer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. They continued playing for the Bruins until it was time for deployment overseas in 1942. On February 10, 1942, the Boston Bruins played against the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden. It’s no secret that the Bruins/Canadiens rivalry is the oldest and bitterest in hockey. That night the Bruins put a beating on Montreal, winning 8-1. But this was no ordinary game. This was the last game The Kraut Line would play before going overseas to fight for the Allies. Accordingly, for the first and only time, the rivalry was put aside. After losing in Boston, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins together hoisted all three members of The Kraut Line onto their shoulders and skated them around the ice.

Milt Schmidt talked about that night to the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont in 2010. “It shows you that out on the ice you’re enemies, but as soon as you’re off the ice, you can be good friends. To be treated like that, Bob, Woody, and I, before going into the service, it’s such a credit to the Canadiens, as players and people.” And with that, The Kraut Line was off to war. Hockey would have to wait.

Red Sox, Yankees

RED SOX – YANKEES SERIES PREVIEW

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Once again the Red Sox failed to make full advantage of a home series, dropping the final game. They still won the series 2-1 but of all people, Chris Sale cost them the final game. The momentum going into this series in London would be much greater if they had avoided that upset. This upcoming series is a celebration of baseball. It is is an advert for the sport in another country (my country), but it is also a competitive regular season series, and business needs to be taken care of.

6/29 Rick Porcello vs. Masahiro Tanaka (R) 1:10 pm NESN

6/30 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. J.A. Happ (L) 10:10 am NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

Both Porcello and Rodriguez have solid numbers in their careers against the Yankees, with both having ERAs under four. Porcello has started 23 times against the Yankees, throwing 146 1/3 innings. However, in his only start against them this season he allowed five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, so will be looking to bounce back. Rodriguez has a 3.89 ERA in 12 starts and two relief appearances, spanning 69 1/3 innings. However, he allowed 13 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings against them last season. The Yankees have a really good lineup, and the Red Sox will need these two to be at the top of their game.

Tanaka has been good this season, with a season-long 3.21 ERA. His ERA is a fraction worse on the road, but at 3.89 it is not a significant difference. Last season Tanaka was roughed up by the Red Sox, allowing 16 earned runs in 19 innings.

J.A. Happ loves facing the Red Sox, as he has just a 3.00 ERA against them in his career. In fact, of the 43 runs he has allowed against the Red Sox in his career, 10 of those came in the first two years of his career, back in 2009 and 2010. In the last four seasons, he has allowed 19 earned runs in 77 innings, with 64 strikeouts and 25 walks.

HITTERS

The Yankees have really struggled against left-handed pitchers this season. They have a .235 batting average and a .398 slugging percentage against lefties, both of which rank in the bottom third of the league. However, against right-handed pitchers they have had much more success. They rank second in the league in batting average at .271, and third in slugging at .479. Frustratingly, the Red Sox have their only right-handed pitcher on the mound in this series, and they head to London with just one left-handed reliever.

The Red Sox have also been slightly better against right-handed pitchers than left-handed pitchers. They rank 16th in slugging and 20th in batting average against lefties, but first in batting average and fifth in slugging against right-handed pitchers. Those two sets of numbers suggest we could be in for a high scoring game Saturday, before a tighter contest potentially on Sunday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: A subplot to this series will be the battle of the bullpens. The Yankees bullpen is more glamorous than the Red Sox when it comes to names and salary. However, the Red Sox have marginally been outperforming their counterparts, with a 3.97 ERA compared to a 4.01 ERA for the Yankees.

Hitting: The Red Sox lineup has been left a little behind by the Yankees this season. They rank fairly close in runs, with the Yankees having just a five-run edge. However, the Yankees have hit 19 more home runs and rank fourth in slugging percentage compared to the Red Sox 10th. If Saturday does become a slugfest, these could be numbers that suggest the Red Sox might find themselves marginally outgunned.

EXPECTATIONS

Hopefully this series is going to be a lot of fun in London, and hopefully, two wins will make it even more fun. The weather in London is expected to be roasting hot on Saturday, and while not as hot Sunday, still toasty. With no real knowledge of how the park will fare in terms of its slant towards hitters or pitchers, that weather could be enough to give offenses a boost.

The Red Sox need these wins badly. They currently sit nine games back on the Yankees, but two wins here would be huge. If the Red Sox can head back to America with two wins under their belts then they could have the perfect momentum boost to launch their challenge in the second half. Hopefully, their experience of playing the early start on Patriot Day will serve them well for the 10 am East Coast start time on Sunday.