Tag Archives: Champions

Harrison agrees with Law about the NFL HOF and says the media are Haters

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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 Red Sox History as Defending World Champions

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The Boston Red Sox are coming off perhaps the greatest season in franchise history, and one of the greatest seasons any team has ever had. Coming off the ninth World Series championship in franchise history, I wondered how the previous defending champions they have had performed the following season.

1903 World Champions

Still named the Boston Americans, the franchise won the first ever World Series in 1903. They faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in a best of nine series, winning five games to three.

The team didn’t change much in the offseason as they got set to defend their world title. The 1904 Americans didn’t hit much, but they had a good rotation fronted by Cy Young. They had three 20 game winners as they won the American League Pennant again. However, the New York Giants of the National League refused to play them in the World Series. As such, the World Series never took place and no team was credited with a victory.

1912 World Champions

Deprived of their chance at winning the first two World Series, the Red Sox didn’t make it back until 1912. That season they steamrolled the competition, winning 105 games and finishing 14 games ahead of the second-place finishers. Smoky Joe Wood won 34 games, including 16 straight. Tris Speaker batted .383 and won the MVP.

The Red Sox returned most everyone the following season. However, Smoky Joe faced some injuries as he only made 18 starts. This left a huge hole in Boston’s rotation. The Red Sox “Million Dollar Outfield” performed well, with Tris Speaker, Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper all living up to expectations. That was not enough, however, as the team finished a distance fourth in the American League.


Crowd in third base grandstand with view of left field wall for Game 2 of the 1912 World Series at Fenway Park.
Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

A Run on World Championships

Starting in 1915, the Red Sox won three of the next four World Series Championships. In 1915 they won 101 games to edge out the Detroit Tigers for the pennant. They then dispatched of the National League champion Phillies in five games.

In 1916 they dropped 10 wins in the standings, yet still managed to win the pennant. Babe Ruth, who wasn’t allowed to pitch in the previous World Series, pitched excellent in the Fall Classic for the Red Sox as they beat the Brooklyn Robins in five games.

The Red Sox were just as good record-wise in 1917, yet finished in second, nine games back of the White Sox. The performance was a good one, but it didn’t have the happy ending of the surrounding seasons.

The Red Sox rebounded in 1918, winning the pennant in a season shortened by the first World War. The World Series was played in early September that year. Babe Ruth had started making the transition to batting and led the league in home runs. He still pitched though and was the winning pitcher in two World Series games as they beat the Cubs in six games.

The follow-up to the World Series this time around didn’t go so well. Babe Ruth pitched far less, but eviscerated the single season home run record by blasting 29 homers. However, the rotation took a hit. The team had traded three very important players (Dutch Leonard, Duffy Lewis, Ernie Shore) to the Yankees in the offseason. The team fell to under .500 in 1919, coming in sixth out of eight teams.

Babe Ruth, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, warms up before a game. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)

2004 World Champions

The 86-year drought finally ended in 2004. The sweetest part of all was becoming the first team to ever come from 0-3 down in a playoff series to win, and it was against the Yankees! There were so many heroes on that team, where the championship never would have happened without them.

So, what happened in 2005 when they went to defend a World Series title for the first time in most everyone’s lifetime? It could have gone worse. The 2005 Red Sox won 95 games, taking the Wild Card spot. Their play all around the infield dropped off significantly from 2004. All five of their regular starting pitchers posted ERA’s over 4.00, and postseason hero Keith Foulke gave his arm to the 2004 title and wasn’t the same. It’s really quite impressive given all that this team managed to win 95 games. However, they were swept by the White Sox in the first round of the playoffs.

The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 to win game four of the World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

2007 World Champions

The 2007 Red Sox were in first place for every day from April 18th on. David Ortiz was doing David Ortiz things, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett were paying huge dividends in their second season in Boston, and newcomer Dustin Pedroia won Rookie of the Year.

The Red Sox won 95 games in 2008, actually only one less than in 2007. This time though, they would settle for the Wild Card. Dustin Pedroia took another step forward, but David Ortiz’ hitting dropped off steeply and Manny Ramirez caused problems for the team until they dealt him at the deadline. Getting Jason Bay back in that deal helped spur the team to a strong finish.

The Red Sox dispatched of the Angels, as usual, in the ALDS. Facing the up and coming young Rays team in the ALCS, the Sox put up a valiant effort. Down three games to one and trailing the Rays 7-0 entering the bottom of the seventh in game five, the Red Sox rallied to an 8-7 victory. They then forced a game seven before being stymied by Tampa Bay pitching in a 3-1 game seven loss.

2013 World Champions

Following an embarrassing last place finish under Bobby Valentine in 2012, the Red Sox didn’t go out and make any huge panic moves. They brought in role players such as Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes, while counting on some other guys to rebound from down seasons. It worked. Galvanized by the Boston Marathon bombings, the team rallied with the city and won the division. They went on to take the Pennant and the World Series too.

The follow-up was another embarrassment. The Red Sox went from last, to first, then back to last again. Each of the acquisitions that played such a big role in 2013 suffered huge drop-offs in 2014. Some others just didn’t live up to expectations. Their only two good starting pitchers, Jon Lester and John Lackey, were traded away by the end of July.

2018 World Champions

So where will this team fall into place in defending their world championship? Can they become the second Red Sox team to repeat as world champions? I think it’s fairly safe to say they won’t follow the same route as the last defending champions from 2014.

Featured picture from The Independent

Six Super Bowls in 18 years with one coach and one quarterback

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From 2000 to now the Patriots have always done what’s best for the team

Via Times Union

Robert Kraft bought the team 25 years ago. His goal was to bring a championship to Foxborough. The Patriots made the Super Bowl in 1997 and lost to the Packers. After a few coaching changes, from Bill Parcells to Pete Carroll, Robert Kraft hired Bill Belichick in 2000. Then Tom Brady was drafted. Nobody had any idea that 18 years later they’d be celebrating their sixth World Championship as a coach and quarterback.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady share many things in common. They only care about winning football games. Belichick and Brady have been on this great championship ride for almost two decades. Don’t expect it to be done anytime soon either. You can debate all day on who deserves more credit for all the success. But Brady and Belichick need eachother to get everyone on board for what they are trying to accomplish.

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 – BOSTON, MA: New England PAtriots Tom Brady waves the Super Bowl trophy and salutes the fans on Boylston St during the rolling rally. (Staff photo by Nicolaus Czarnecki/DigitalFirst Media/ Boston Herald)

Without great leadership all these championships aren’t possible

People outside New England are sick and tired of the Patriots winning or making the Super Bowl year after year. Boston is the best sports city in the country. They’ve had 12 championships in 18 years. They just celebrated a championship parade in Boston a few moths back for the Red Sox. Then they had another parade for the Patriots yesterday. Fans don’t get sick and tired of the parades, they still come out by the millions. You can’t say that about any other city. For the Patriots it’s all thanks to owner Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady. Without them this entire almost two decade run of championships doesn’t happen.

Players come to New England just because they want to win a championship. They know it’s not easy,but they see the leadership from Belichick and Brady and the success they’ve had throughout the years and want to be a part of it. Jason McCourty went from an 0-16 team last year to a Super Bowl winning team this year. That’s what’s great about the New England Patriots. They’ve always put team first, which is why they’ll continue to be successful.

The Patriots are Super Bowl Champs…Again

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The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl 53, winning their sixth Championship.

One year ago today, New England lost to Philadelphia in a game that most expected Super Bowl 53 to mirror. A game where the phrase, “Defense wins Championships” is crumpled up and thrown out of a window. A game that has more trick plays than punts, and offensive coaches have a field day. A lot can remembered about Super Bowl 52’s incredible offensive heavyweight bout. However, the one lasting memory for most New England fans is the defense choking when it mattered most.

If there were any predictions for the game last night, they most likely were centered around an offensive outburst. Most people were assuming this would be another bloodbath, similar to the Chiefs-Rams Week 11 matchup that ended 54-51. Maybe not to the extent of 105 combined points, but it is Tom Brady and Sean McVay so it was a possibility. What we got instead was pound for pound football that exemplified this Patriots team resolve in more ways than one.

One could argue Tom Brady would have already had six rings coming into the 2018 season. Brady did after all throw for 505 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl 52. But that still wasn’t enough to overcome Matt Patricia’s sorry excuse for a defense. The Malcolm Butler argument can be made all day long but nothing was slowing down Nick Foles that night. This year however, it was the defense who helped Brady capture his record sixth ‘chip.

From Stephon Gilmore to Dont’a Hightower to Jason McCourty, every defensive player on the field made a play. Whether it was Gilmore’s last minute interception or Jason McCourty’s touchdown saving pass breakup, it was the defense who won the game this time around. There has never been a Super Bowl performance quite like the one we saw last night, and Tom Brady and the offense are beyond grateful. Brian Flores forever left his mark on New England lore, helping architect the best defensive performance in Super Bowl history. He will be sorely missed when he heads south to Miami.

Even though getting yards wasn’t an issue offensively, getting past the Rams 40 yard line was. It seemed like every drive ended with a long field goal attempt or a punt at the L.A. 45. This field position certainly helped the defense, but scoring points would have been far more helpful.

If there was one diamond in the rough for the offense last night, it was Julian Edelman. JE11 turned in perhaps his best game in a Patriot uniform, totaling 141 yards on ten receptions. The Rams Pro Bowl caliber cornerbacks could do nothing to stay in coverage, and no matter what Nickell Robey-Coleman says, they could not stop him. This immaculate performance led the way for the offense, and landed Jules his first Super Bowl MVP.

Julian Edelman shined when it mattered most, taking home the MVP award for Super Bowl 53.

Rob Gronkowski, in what could be his final game, looked like vintage Gronk, going for 87 yards and setting up the game’s only touchdown. Other than those two, the only other Patriot to have a solid offensive night was Sony Michel, who once again scored and had over 90 yards rushing. This was his third straight postseason game with a score and at least 90 yards on the ground, and he could have a monster next year as long as the offensive line stays intact.

Sony Michel scored the only touchdown of the game, capping off his incredible 2018 postseason.

In the end, this game was what no one expected and few wanted. Most people in New England would tell you they wanted a blowout and at least 40 points. Most of America would tell you they wanted the same thing, but in the Rams favor. However, if you look past the boring incomplete passes and negative rushing attempts, you’ll find that this game is what the Patriots are all about. They’re not a one dimensional team like Kansas City, where if the offense doesn’t score then they have no chance of winning.

The New England Patriots always preach that it takes all three phases, offense, defense, special teams, to win football games. That’s what Super Bowl 53 was, an all around effort with each group coming up clutch when they needed to. Without each player doing their job and stepping up to the plate when it mattered most, we would be sitting here thinking about what could have been. Instead? We wake up six time Super Bowl Champions and get ready for our second parade in 100 days.

He just likes Winning

Tom Brady- The Greatest Leader in Sports History

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The Greatest Leader in sports-Tom Brady is going back to his 9th Super Bowl. Brady’s gone from the 199th pick in the draft, to arguably the greatest Athlete of all time. Brady’s play on the field is well documented, and his numbers are historic. The country has watched him grow as a player since 2001 and he’s gotten even better with age. Tom Brady could have 2 HOF careers, 2001-2007 and 2007-2018. It’s incredible what he has accomplished, and he has this team hungry to atone for last years’ Super Bowl loss.

Image Credit: NESN.COM
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Brady Is A Born Leader

Tom Brady has been a leader for the Patriots since his first start. Troy Brown was asked when he knew Brady was going to be great: “When Tom came to the huddle in Super Bowl 36.” Brown says “He was calm and said let’s go win this, I could see it in his eyes and I knew we were going to win.”

The Pats did drive down the field to win, just as Brown thought after seeing Brady’s leadership in the huddle. Tom was young back then, trying to lead players older than him. Brady recently has been dealt a new challenge. Leading players who are much younger than himself, and he’s done it for years now. This year in particular is amazing, with no teammates being over 15 years old when Brady won his first ring. Brady is just a born leader, and he’s found a way to reach every teammate, young or old.

Players Talking Tom Terrific

As New England is preparing for another Super Bowl, players are raving about Brady. Jason McCourty puts it best on why Brady is such a great leader: “After the game, you see Tom’s excited to celebrate with the offense, with the defense, with the special teams guys.” McCourty continues, “Obviously for a guy like Tom, this guy is the GOAT, you’ve seen him do it so many times that sometimes you take it for granted.”

The way Brady knows everyone from Gronk to practice squad players is truly amazing. Brady’s leadership quality is overlooked nationally, but not by his teammates.

One player who’s spent the least amount of time with Brady is Obi Melifonwu, who grew up a Patriots fan and is now a teammate of Tom’s, describes his quarterback: “He’s such a great leader. I can’t even say enough about his character and the type of guy he is, on and off the field. He’s the type of guy you want to play for.”

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Leading New Players, Young Players Or Vets…No Problem

Another new teammate Trent Brown: “He’s a great leader and it trickles down to the rest of the team.” Brown also said there’s one word that sums up all of Brady’s accomplishments: “There’s one word, GOAT, that’s it.”

Josh McDaniels said: “Brady is the first guy in the building to know a persons name.” Tom Brady is a living legend, yet somehow finds a way to connect with every player. Phillip Dorsett said: “We all know he’s much older than everyone in the locker room, but we do what we can to keep him young.”

The living legend was asked how he connects with every player so well: “I just play the role I can given the person and what I think they need at the moment.” Brady added: “It could be a rookie. It could be a veteran.”

The age gap this year is as big as it’s ever been, and Brady has mastered the art of relating to different generations.

Being a leader isn’t just about winning, it’s about being relatable, taking time to get to know your teammates, and no ones ever done it better than Tom Brady.

By Mike Quilty

Edited by Thomas Howland

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 31-35

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The greatest Red Sox to wear the set of numbers between 31-35 are all recent players.  In fact, the one who played for the Red Sox the longest ago was a key member of the 2004 curse breaking team.  These five players won 10 World Series rings with the Red Sox.  There is a retired number, a captain and a current Sox player.

Number 31 – Jon Lester

Lester played the role of Red Sox ace for several seasons.  Before he got there, he had to overcome cancer at the age of 23.  After his return from cancer, Lester played a role in winning the World Series in 2007, pitching 5.2 shutout innings in the final game of the series.  The next year, he was ready to be the Ace on a team no one expected him to be.  In May, he no-hit the Royals at Fenway Park.  Lester finished 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA that season.

In 2009, Lester took a giant step forward in the strike out department, striking out 10 batters per nine innings.  In 2010, he struck out 225 batters for the second straight season and led the American League in k/9.  He made his first all-star team that season and won 19 games.  The end result was a top five finish for the Cy Young Award.

After his second straight all-star appearance in 2011, Lester’s pitching dropped off significantly in 2012. He rebounded in 2013, then took his game to a new level for the postseason.  After winning two games with a 2.33 ERA over the first two series, Lester dominated the Cardinals in the World Series.  Lester won both games he pitched and allowed just one run between them. That ran his World Series career to one run over 21 innings pitched.

2014 would be Lester’s last in a Red Sox uniform, as the team traded him at the deadline.  Lester was having his best season, posting a 2.52 ERA over 21 starts before the trade.  He made his third all-star team that season.  Lester was 110-63 with a 3.64 ERA with the Sox.  He pitched even better in the playoffs, winning six games with a 2.11 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Ferguson Jenkins

Number 32 – Derek Lowe

Lowe’s Red Sox career had its share of ups and downs, but overall he was a good pitcher.  Lowe also was one of many Red Sox to play the role of hero in 2004.  Acquired from the Mariners along with Jason Varitek for blown save machine Heathcliff Slocumb, Lowe was brought aboard in one of the more lopsided trades in baseball history.

Lowe started his career as a swingman and didn’t have immediate success with the team.  He was stellar in 1999 though, even working his way to the closers role as he saved 15 games.  Lowe had a 2.63 ERA with a WHIP below 1.00 that season.  In 2000, serving as closer for the entire season, Lowe had a 2.56 ERA and led the league with 42 saves while making his first all-star team.  Lowe’s closing ability took a turn for the worse the following season though, as he lost the role of closer.  With his ERA over 4.00, the team experimented with him starting, giving him three starts to finish the season.  Lowe allowed just two runs over the three starts.

As a full-time starter in 2002, Lowe came out of the gates hot, allowing just one hit over seven shutout in his first start.  By the end of April, Lowe was no-hitting the Devil Rays at Fenway Park.  He finished the season 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and came in third for the Cy Young.  No one could have imagined this success, and although it was a career season, Lowe had plenty more good pitching to come.

Lowe won 17 games in 2003, although his pitching fell off quite a lot.  In 2004, his ERA was all the way up to 5.42 and he found himself excluded from the ALDS rotation.  However, Lowe was on the mound to earn the win in the deciding game of the series over the Angels.  Down 0-3 to the Yankees in the ALCS, Lowe pitched well enough to give the Red Sox a chance as they staved off elimination.  He took the mound in game seven and was again the winning pitcher in a deciding game.  In game four of the World Series, Lowe finished off the trifecta, pitching seven shutout innings as the Red Sox swept the Cardinals.  Lowe was the winning pitcher in the series-clinching win of all three postseason series to finish out his Red Sox career.

Honorable Mention: Craig Breslow

Number 33 – Jason Varitek

“The Captain” is number 33 of course. Varitek meant a ton to the team, leading up to the curse breaking, breaking the curse, and then the ones following up on that.  His leadership in the clubhouse as well as on the field was invaluable.  He called a great game and is one of only two catchers ever to have caught four no-hitters.

Varitek split time with Scott Hatteberg at the catcher position in 1998.  The Red Sox felt comfortable enough handing the starting gig to Varitek in 1999, and he rewarded them with a 20 home run season. The starting job was his for the next decade.  He looked like he was on his way to a career year in 2001 before he broke his elbow diving for a foul pop on the on-deck circle.

Varitek’s real breakout came in 2003.  He made his first all-star team that season and mashed 25 home runs, a number that would remain his career high. He hit four home runs in the postseason with an OPS over 1.000.  The next season he batted .296 with a career best .872 OPS.  He would hit .321 with two home runs in the seven game ALCS against the Yankees.  Oh, and who could forget his encounter with Alex Rodriguez from that summer?

Varitek hit .281 with 22 home runs and an .856 OPS in 2005.  During that three year stretch from 2003-05, Varitek’s average season was .283 with 22 home runs and an .863 OPS.  He was one of the very best offensive catchers in the game while also being invaluable behind the plate.  His offensive production did fall off after that, but he did have a solid 2007.  Varitek hit .255 with 17 home runs and a .787 OPS that year.  He then won his second World Series in the fall.

In addition to the rings and the no-hitters, Varitek made three All-Star Games, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award.  He probably should have won more Gold Gloves than he did. He is tenth in franchise history in games played.  Furthermore his 193 home runs are the most by a catcher for the Red Sox.  Varitek will forever be one of the most beloved and well-respected Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Jose Canseco, Dave “Boo” Ferriss

Number 34 – David Ortiz

No words can really say what David Ortiz meant to the franchise.  He might be the most popular player in franchise history.  He had countless big hits, countless walk-offs, and without his heroics in 2004 the curse wouldn’t have ended.  Again in 2013, with his rallying speech following the marathon bombings, as well as his grand slam in game two of the ALCS, the 2013 World Series doesn’t happen without Ortiz.

It took the Red Sox a couple months to finally give Ortiz the playing time he deserved in 2003.  Once they gave it to him, he raked, hitting .293 with 29 homers and a 1.010 OPS from June 1st on.  With his clutch hitting he managed to enter the MVP race.  It was the first of five consecutive seasons in which Ortiz would place in the top five for the MVP.  He led the league in RBI in both 2005 and 2006 and set a Red Sox franchise record when he hit 54 home runs in 2006.  From 2004-07 he averaged a season of .304 with 44 home runs, 135 RBI and a 1.024 OPS.

After a couple down seasons during which he still managed to hit 51 home runs, Ortiz rebounded in 2010 and enjoyed another productive run through the end of his career.  In 2011 he batted over .300 for the first time since 2007.  He would accomplish this again in 2012, 2013 and 2016.  Ortiz saved the best for last, batting .315 with 38 home runs and a league-leading 48 doubles and 127 RBI at the age of 40 in 2016.  He also led the league in slugging (.620) and OPS (1.021).  Ortiz had his number 34 retired by the Sox the very next season.

Honorable Mentions: Rich Garces, Scott Cooper

Number 35 – Steven Wright

Although he may not be on the level as the four preceding him in this list, Wright would take number 35 on the strength of his 2016 season alone.  He also has won two World Series rings with the Red Sox, giving this group 10 total among them.

The knuckleballer didn’t make the majors until he was 28 years old.  With his four appearances during that 2013 season he got himself a ring.  He showed some ability over the next two seasons, winning five games with a 3.75 ERA.

2016 brought Steven Wright’s career season, and it could have been even better had John Farrell not inexplicably pinch-run him.  Wright, the team’s ace to that point in the season, hurt his shoulder while pinch-running and had to go on the disabled list.  Wright had thrown a complete game shutout in his previous start to improve to 13-5 with a 3.01 ERA.  After a disabled list trip, he didn’t fare well in two starts and was shut down for the season.

Unfortunately, Wright has not been healthy much since then. This season he pitched very well, but was on and off the disabled list all season long and didn’t pitch in the postseason.  When healthy, Wright was 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA over four starts and 16 relief appearances.  So far in his career he is 24-15 with a 3.77 ERA and one All-Star Game.

Honorable Mentions: Billy Klaus, Burke Badenhop

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Steven Wright (35) pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

 

Paul Goldschmidt – Future Red Sox player?

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The winter is in full swing in the baseball world. We’ve seen blockbusters already happening. From James Paxton, to Jean Segura to Robinson Cano, big names have already been on the move everywhere. The Red Sox more than likely won’t make an acquisition of that proportion, but let’s dream for a bit shall we? Paul Goldschmidt is going to be huge splash, wherever he lands. He’s an MVP caliber player, who’s on a benchwarmers salary next season. Seeing as it would only be a one year rental for Goldschmidt, the Sox may shy away from wanting to move multiple young pieces. However, as far as need and fit are concerned, this would be a great move for Boston to make while the championship window is still open.

With Arizona likely on its way towards a rebuild, many of their big names may be finding other homes. Patrick Corbin will leave via free agency, as the Diamondbacks just don’t have the payroll to keep him. Another aspect hurting the payroll, is Zack Grienke’s contract. They will also look to move him this winter. Which brings us to Goldschmidt. Possibly the most intriguing trade chip in all of baseball. Even Giancarlo Stanton on the market last season, reigning MVP, didn’t offer the pure hitting approach which Goldschmidt does. A career .300 hitter, with an OPS of .930, Goldschmidt is a guy who brings instant pop the lineup, and leadership the locker room.

So if Goldschmidt is on his way out of the desert, could the Red Sox make a viable run at his services for the next year? It’s definitely possible. Even with first base platooned by Steve Pearce and Mitch Moreland, this team clearly has a need for first baseman. Both Pearce and Moreland are solid players, who both played a big role in this year’s World Series. It’s hard not to get caught up in the lore of those two, and want to keep them in the lineup. The wise decision, would be to try and upgrade one position where they are subpar.

A Potential Package for Goldschmidt

Obviously, Goldschmidt would require a hefty haul to acquire. The Sox farm system is fairly depleted. However, with Goldschmidt essentially only coming over for one year, the return is worth parting with for Boston. It would have to start with Boston’s top hitting prospect Michael Chavis, and go from there. He is the most valuable asset the Red Sox have outside the major league club. He is also seen as a guy who could come up and hit .300 next season in the show. It would likely take Chavis and a couple other mid-level prospects to make the deal happen. A 14 million dollar tag on the incoming Goldschmidt still makes it possible for the Sox to function under the luxury tax.

Obviously, with a player of Paul’s caliber, there are many bidders. The Phillies, Astros, and Cardinals are just a handful of the teams that are in on Goldschmidt. All these teams are in positions to compete, and have deeper farm systems than Boston. This doesn’t make the deal impossible, it just means Dombrowski would have to act quick.

Do I see this deal happening? Probably not. Is it something that I would like to have happen? Yes, because frankly it should happen. It’s a low risk move that immediately improves the team, while still leaving money for other free agents like Joe Kelly or Nathan Eovaldi. He’s a power hitting first baseman, who is still athletic as ever and has pretty good wheels as far as people his size go. This would be a huge move that let’s the whole league know the Red Sox are still at the top.

Nathan Eovaldi Should Be Top Priority

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2018 was a fun ride for fans and players, now it’s time to get down to business. For the Red Sox, I think they need to find a way to keep Eovaldi in Boston. Reports on the situation are that Boston does indeed want to re-sign him. If they are unable to make that happen, they want to sign another proven Major League starter to replace him. I think that it is imperative to keep him.

Here’s Why Eovaldi Needs To Stay

With Nathan Eovaldi re-signed Boston’s starting rotation would be unreal with Sale, Price, Porcello, and Rodriguez all staying put. Suring up that rotation with Nathan would be smart. Boston has their key offensive pieces in place. Boston doesn’t have to worry about Mookie Betts or JD Martinez this year, so instead of signing another veteran pitcher, this is why Eovaldi is the answer.

Game 4 of the ALDS against the rival Yankees, Eovaldi dominated, pitching 7 plus innings with 1 run allowed. New York is also one of the teams that could be in on him. As the Red Sox continued into the ALCS, Eovaldi was great again. 6 plus innings with just 2 runs as the Sox won Game 3 using his arm again. As we all know by now the Red Sox beat the Houston Astros, and we were introduced to the rover. Alex Cora used Eovaldi as his rover in game 5 of the ALCS and in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series. In those 3 games, he came into each game and threw fire allowing 0 runs, while making it look easy. Even with short rest, Boston was going to have him start Game 4 of the World Series, but Game 3 changed that plan.

Eovaldi Turns in Heroic Performance Showing His Selflessness

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Eovaldi was perfect for the Red Sox and should stay in Boston

Once again, Eovaldi was called on as Game 3 of the World Series turned into a marathon of a game. Still tied in the 12th inning, Nathan Eovaldi came out of the pen. In one of the greatest performances I’ve ever witnessed, he turned in a heroic 6 inning relief appearance. He knew that he was putting his future in jeopardy, by pitching so often. Anything could have happened and he could’ve lost a lot of money. As a free-agent-to-be, he risked his health along with future contracts, but he just wanted to help his team. Putting all of that aside, he went deep into the 18th inning, hitting triple digits on the radar gun like it was nothing.

Eovaldi pitched a gem and kept the Sox in the game as long as he could. In the bottom of the 18th, he gave up a solo shot to end the longest game in history. His teammates were all amazed at what he just did, some brought to tears as they realized how much Nathan just gave for his team. I believe it galvanized an already very close clubhouse. Eovaldi was a huge reason for Boston’s Championship.

 Closing Thoughts on Nathan Eovaldi

Boston should do what they can to keep Eovaldi. He’s 28 years old, extremely dominant and the way he pitched since arriving in Boston is all I need to know about him. For what it’s worth he threw 16 scoreless innings against the Yankees in the regular season. Also, his 1.35 ERA in September combined with what he did in the postseason, I believe he’s worth the $15 million range. He himself said he’d love to stay in Boston. While many teams will be fighting for him, I believe he wants to be here enough that he and Boston will work something out.

One Huge Move the Sox Have to Make

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Well, we did it. The team we all knew would eventually flourish as champions, did. With the rings from 2018 secured, it is time for us all to start looking ahead at the possibility of repeating. There won’t be a huge roster overhaul, but there are some key players likely departing. For general manager Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox, they’ll have to pick and choose who they want to move forward with, and who they’re okay with losing. Big names like Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Ian Kinsler and Steve Pearce all face pending free agency. There is a good chance one or two of those guys return but the likelihood of all four is bleak. There’s another big name from this championship winning team that I believe is the most crucial than any other in resigining.

Throughout the postseason, and into the World Series, there were many heroes for this team. On both sides of the ball, the stars to the bench players all played a role. One of the largest heroes that came from almost nowhere, ended up being Nathan Eovaldi. Whether it be a big start against New York or Houston, or a dominant effort out of the bullpen against Los Angeles, Eovaldi did it all this October. Every single time he came onto the mound, he effortlessly finessed through the brute opposing lineups.

A 1.61 ERA over 22 innings is a fairly good postseason if you ask me. No matter the scenario, Nate wanted the ball. He threw 97 pitches in game 3, and came in the next day begging manager Alex Cora to let him pitch out of the bullpen. This is a guy you want on your team no matter what, no matter the price. This is the guy that the front office needs to keep around. He has the attitude and mentality to pitch in Boston, and has already shown he has the clutch gene. Regardless of whether the team wants him as a starter or as a reliever, they must resign Eovaldi at all costs.

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A couple players come to mind that commanded contracts of similar length and value to what Eovaldi is bound to get. Alex Cobb was 30 last winter when Baltimore gave him a four year deal, with 57 million being earned over that contract. Tyler Chatwood was 28 last winter when he earned a 3 year, 38 million dollar deal with the Cubs. I see Eovaldi falling somewhere in in the mix with these players, possibly earning a little more than either simply due to his performance this October. Whether it is 3 or 4 years, it will end being around 15 million a year. To me, that’s a price you have to pay for a stud like Nasty Nate.

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The 2018 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox Will Go Down As Legends.

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The 2018 Boston Red Sox were never the underdogs. They did not break the curse of the Bambino. They did not come out of nowhere to unite a city during times of tragedy. Entering the 2018 baseball season expectations for Boston’s beloved baseball team was World Series or bust. The team knew it on February 19th when Chris Sale was asked about his expectations for the season in which he said “The goal is World Series Championship”.

The Goal

On October 28th, Chris Sale, who had been dealing with shoulder issues for the majority of the second half of the season, came out of the Sox bullpen. Sale walked to the mound with one goal which he had echoed from day one of spring training: To win a World Series and cement the 2018 Boston Red Sox as the greatest team to ever step foot in Fenway Park.

What the 2018 Red Sox accomplished goes beyond baseball, for me. This season will stick with me forever. I watched every pitch of every game whether live or on replay. Every at bat from opening day on Thursday March 29th, when Joe Kelly, eventual World Series legend, imploded on route to a 6-4 loss to the Rays. I invested my heart and soul into this team.

The Moments To Remember

When asked to pick a moment or an at bat that stands out to I am at a loss. Not for a lack of options but rather an abundance of such. April 8th, when the Sox scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to overcome the rays. April 11th, when Joe Kelly showed what the Sox were made of by beaning Tyler Austin and starting a bench clearing brawl. July 2nd, when Rick Porcello roped a three run double off Max Scherzer to lead the Sox to a 4-3 victory of the Nationals.

Who could forget the most electrifying at bat of my lifetime? Mookie Betts came off the bench to pinch hit in the bottom of the fourth against Blue Jays starter J.A Happ. Betts grinded out a thirteen pitch at bat and smoked a 95mph fastball down and in over the green monster for a grand slam. That moment as Betts was rounding first base looking into the Sox dugout pumping his fist was the moment it became evident this team was special.

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From that point on, resilience became the first word associated with this team. An historic 108 win season, the probable A.L MVP, the best power hitter in the game, yet it was a one for all, all for one mentality to the very end. Nothing embodies that mentality better than three Red Sox relievers trying to warm up on two mounds to have a chance to pitch the last three outs of the World Series.

The Gauntlet

After two straight years of being bounced in the first round, the juggernaut entered the postseason facing the gauntlet. First came the 100 win New York Yankees, who set a major league record for home runs hit in a season. Chants of “We Want Boston” were heard all across New York during the Yankees wild card win over the Athletics. Unfortunately for New York, the Yankees fans got what they asked for.

After splitting the first two games at Fenway, the Sox faced a daunting challenge heading into the lions den that is Yankee Stadium. A moment that Aaron Judge will regret for a while was when he decided to taunt the Sox by walking by their locker room with a boom box playing “New York, New York”. Two games later the Sox were moving onto the ALCS after outscoring the Yankees 20-4 in New York. Steve Pearce made a stretch for the ages and damage was done to the hearts of Yankee fans everywhere.

For a team to be an underdog in a series after setting a franchise record for wins is unheard of. Naturally, the defending World Series champion Astros were favored to win the ALCS. Yet confidence in the Sox locker room never wavered. It took five games for the Sox to dismantle the Astros.

The Sox played with a swagger that I had never seen before by a team. That was again on display when Andrew Benintendi made a diving catch for the final out of game four. That catch will go down in history given the situation of there being bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. No fear, no hesitation, is why two weeks later the Red Sox became World Champions.

The Sox finished off the Astros in game five when Devers hit a three run homer off ace and postseason hero Justin Verlander. No pitcher could stop the Sox from doing damage, Verlander learned that the hard way. David Price on three days rest clinched the series and his first career win as a starter in the postseason by pitching six innings of shut out ball.

Two 100 win teams. 8 wins down, 4 to go, a chance to be remembered as the greatest Sox team in history was on the line.

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The Final Chapter

The Dodgers were no stranger to the big stage coming off a game seven loss in the World Series a year ago. The talk was about the elite starting pitching of the Dodgers coming into the series. It took 7 hours, and 20 minutes. A terrible error by Ian Kinsler, and a historically bad day for the Sox to lose their first game in October away from Fenway Park. That loss showed the World why in forty years everyone will be talking about the 2018 Red Sox. They cannot and will not be knocked out.

Nathan Eovaldi came out of the bullpen and threw six spectacular innings. The impending free agent could have asked out and not one of us would have second guessed him. Instead he stood in there and fought until the bitter end. What transpired at Dodgers Stadium that night was the most heroic performance by a pitcher in postseason history. That is what sports is all about. Leaving everything out there for your teammates and brothers.

That is why the Red Sox are champions once again. No ego, no quit, win together and lose together. When Chris Sale threw his signature slider to bring Manny Machado to one knee and seal the title, history was made.

Thank you for a journey that I will never forget. For the rest of my life I will remember the greatest baseball team to ever play in Boston.