Tag Archives: #WorldSeries

Three Keys to Winning the World Series

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The Sox are just four wins away, and we now know the final opponent is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston has played near perfect baseball throughout the postseason and are positioned to win the franchise’s ninth World Series championship. With the Dodgers returning to the Fall Classic for the second straight year, they are no easy foe. Many small factors can provide a big swing in this series, and there is a few the Sox ought to hope go their way to help capture another World Series.

The Bullpen:

So far in October, the bullpen has been tremendous. Most baseball fans had written off the bullpen, saying that there wasn’t any reliable options to bridge to Kimbrel. Rather the opposite has been the case, the bridge of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier and Joe Kelly has been formidable. It has been Kimbrel who’s had the issues. However, Craig Kimbrel seemed to find his form in game five, as he closed the Astros out fairly easily, with some of his throwback stuff. If the middle inning guys can continue to pull their weight, it would make this series a lot easier on the stress levels of Sox Nation.

The Manager:

Everyone in Boston and their grandma loves Dodgers manager/Red Sox hero Dave Roberts. However, the man that matters most this series, is Alex Cora. Through the two beatdowns the Sox have delivered in New York and in Houston, their manager has continued to look genius. Every decision has been genius when deciding between Brock Holt or Ian Kinsler, or Eduardo Nunez or Rafael Devers. Or even behind the plate, between Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez. Every decision has been well calculated and every decision has paid off. If Cora continues to pull strings like this, and when managing his bullpen, the Sox are going to be damn near unstoppable.

The Game 2 Starter:

Just like I predicted, David Price showed up in his second start of the ALCS and he dealt. He shook the monkey off his back and has turned his postseason narrative right around. To solidify this newfound reputation and to grow his legacy more, the start in game two of the World Series is crucial. Whether Chris Sale can overcome his “stomach issues” and pitch well in game one or not, game two will be huge. Either Sale pitches well, and it’s on Price to get the series to the west coast with the Sox up 2-0. Or Sale struggles, and then David Price is pitching to save the Sox season from going to L.A. down 0-2. Whichever way it pans out, the start from Price will be a turning point in this series.

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Why David Price Has Earned Another Start

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Much has been made over the years, into this postseason, about David Price. It goes without saying that he hasn’t been Sandy Koufax or Madison Bumgarner in the playoffs. However, there were many elements of Sunday night’s start that provide us with signs that Price has turned a corner. For the first time in his career, his team won a game that he started. It goes deeper than that, from pitching out of jams to limiting damage.

Game Two:

Last night, David Price wasn’t perfect, but he was good enough. The walks were a little concerning, but the overall perseverance of Price was enough to earn him another start in a potential game six. The line isn’t gorgeous, four runs on four walks and five hits, but it did the trick. The bullpen did its job like I tried to tell you all before. The Sox won, which is obviously the priority, and Price showed progress in his ability to pitch in October.

Looking at the four runs, they came on two big hits. One came in the second off the bat of George Springer, and another in the third from Marwin Gonzalez. Both were strikes, yes, but neither were bad pitches by any means. Springer was able to swing inside out and just tuck one over Steve Pearce‘s head. With two outs in the inning, both runners were able to score easily, but that was an at-bat that easily could’ve gone Price’s way. When it comes to the Gonzalez home run, again, it wasn’t a bad pitch at all. In fact, the entire at-bat was well calculated and executed. The Astros slugger was just able to get his hands around on a tough pitch up and in and he drove it. Neither pitch that was costing of runs was a bad pitch, just a better swing.

Looking Ahead to Price in Game 6:

So, with everything considered, I believe Price actually pitched very well. If it were anybody else besides Gonzalez that came to the plate in the fifth, he would’ve stayed in the game. In all likelihood, he would’ve been in position for his first career postseason win as a starter. Alex Cora made the right decision matchup-wise, but David’s stuff was good enough for him to pitch another inning.

Going forward, Price deserves another start and he will deliver in the said start. He was very reliant on his fastball and seemed to shy away from the changeup. If he can gain some traction when it comes to throwing that changeup, he could really stifle this gritty Astros lineup. Barring a three-game sweep of the games in Houston, Price will start the biggest game of his career, a game six at Fenway Park in an elimination game. David Price has earned it, and he will come through again for this team.

JOHNNY PESKY AND TED WILLIAMS: AN UNTOLD STORY BEHIND A RED SOX WINNING STREAK

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Navy Coach Don Kepler with aviation cadet Ted Williams, 1943. Courtesy US Navy Pre-Flight School, North Carolina Collection, Wilson Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

When “106 Win” lit up the Green Monster scoreboard this week, breaking the franchise record, Boston Red Sox fans set their sights on a World Series championship. It was 1946, the last time the Red Sox achieved their 100th milestone victory, when they headed to the World Series. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Boo Ferriss had returned from the service. They were changed men—bound by their fierce allegiance to country and friendships that lasted a lifetime.

Though the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the World Series that year with a 4-3 victory in game seven, Johnny Pesky did something extraordinary for Ted Williams that slipped under the radar of the press. Until now, this story has largely remained untold, and it serves as an example of the unshakable bond that cements winning teams.

Pesky’s Secret Telephone Call Before Game Five

Midway through the 1946 Series, Pesky made a secret telephone call to an old Navy buddy to lift Williams’s spirits when he was discouraged and hurting from a badly swollen elbow after being smacked by an errant pitch.

That friend was not a major-league player, nor a man who circulated in the most powerful baseball circles. His name was George Donald Kepler, the former Lt. Commander who taught fighter pilots how to survive on land and sea after bailouts and crash landings over jungles and oceans. Kepler also coached Williams and Pesky when they played service-league baseball for a Navy Pre-Flight team in the summer of 1943.

When the call came in, Kepler was living on a farm in the outskirts of State College near Penn State, where he taught outdoor survival, hunter safety, and served as an assistant baseball coach for the Nittany Lions. Kepler was known around Centre County as a big- game hunter, earning the triple crown title for shooting a turkey, deer and a very large bear every year.

One of Kepler’s best friends around campus was George Harvey, the “Dean of American Fly Fishing,” who wrote about angling, and ignited a national passion for fly fishing. Three years earlier, when Williams was an aviation cadet, Kepler bonded with his trainee over a passion that gave them a sense of peace—fishing.

Reporters scrambling to dig up dirt on Williams never caught wind of that meeting when Kepler slipped into the Fenway clubhouse, seemingly, from out of the blue. Pesky left tickets and a pass to the locker room at Will Call, specifically asking Kepler to talk about fishing to calm his friend’s nerves.

For about 30 minutes the officer and his former cadet carried on about fly casting in the cool Pennsylvania rivers snaking around Kepler’s farm. After the exchange, the Navy coach disappeared into the stands at Fenway, where he watched the rest of the game.

According to Kepler’s son, Williams never knew Pesky made that phone call.

Johnny Pesky at Turners Falls airport in early aviation training, 1942. Courtsey Pesky Family.

In rare form, The Kid burst into tears after the Series loss, and he never forgot Kepler’s act of kindness during one of his most vulnerable moments.

Years later, Williams hoped to cast a line for wild trout with his former Navy coach. Though he never got the chance to visit the farm near Happy Valley, they stayed in touch with letters until Kepler’s passing in 1988.

John Sain at Turners Falls, who also trained with Pesky and Williams at Pre-Flight.

On October 5th the Red Sox will open the Division Series on their home turf at Fenway Park against the winner of the American League Wild Card game between the New York Yankees, and most likely, the Oakland Athletics. Based on the Red Sox hard-earned winning streak, the dynamics of talent and trust are definitely in sync. With the steady guidance of manager Alex Cora and the support of the fans, in the words of a Navy pilot, one might say the “sky’s the limit” for a Red Sox victory.

Anne R. Keene is the author of The Cloudbuster Nine, The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win WWII. Dozens of major-league baseball players trained and coached at these special Pre-Flight Naval Aviation Training Schools along with George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, John Glenn and “Bear” Bryant and other members of the Greatest Generation. Today, less than 45 major-league World War II veterans remain with us, representing a generation of players who paused their baseball careers to serve their country. 

Manfred’s Reasoning for Delayed Suspension of Gurriel Full of Errors

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In the 2nd inning of Friday night’s World Series match-up, Houston slugger Yuli Gurriel decimated a Yu Darvish pitch, sending a juiced Rawlings baseball careening down the left field line of Minute Maid Park. Upon arriving back to the dugout, fresh from a trek around the bases that gave Houston a 1-0 lead, Gurriel decided some good ol’ fashioned racism was in order!

Minutes later, cameras pointed in the direction of the latest World Series “hero” caught Gurriel making an inappropriate gesture directed at Dodgers starting pitcher, Yu Darvish. He would later admit to spewing a discriminatory remark as well.

Honestly, I don’t see how anyone can interpret Gurriel’s response as being anything other than racist.

Manfred Responds

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This afternoon, Major League Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, announced that Yuli Gurriel has been suspended without pay for the first five games of the 2018 season. Yes, you read that correctly. While Gurriel will be rightfully suspended for his blatant act of racism, he won’t have to serve his punishment until next season.

Why? Great question!

Manfred, speaking in front of the media prior to this evening’s Game 4, said now was not the appropriate time to suspend Gurriel.

“Mr. Gurriel will be suspended for five games without pay. During the offseason he will be required to undergo sensitivity training, and the Houston Astros in a gesture of support, have agreed to donate the foregone salary to charitable causes,” Manfred dished during his press conference.

Commissioner Manfred went on to say that, for 4 reasons, he is delaying the suspension until the start of the 2018 season.

Let’s take a closer look at these four reasons and discuss their validity, shall we?

Reason 1: “First of all, I felt it was important that the suspension carry with it the penalty of lost salary.”

Wait, so the players aren’t paid for these World Series games?

Oh, that’s right. They do get paid. In fact, they get paid very well actually.

Each player on last year’s World Series winning Cubs team earned $368,871.59. The Cleveland Indians, runners-up in the 2016 Fall Classic, saw each of their players receive a bonus of $261,804.65.

With those figures in mind, let’s examine Yuli Gurriel’s 2018 projected salary.

According to Baseball Reference, Gurriel is due 12.4 million dollars next season.

Assuming that cap figure is correct, the Houston slugger stands to lose approximately $382,716 during his upcoming five-game suspension.

While I’ll concede that the amount of money Gurriel will lose next year exceeds any bonus he will earn for appearing in the World Series, I’m hard pressed to believe your average fan cares. I know I don’t. Gurriel, along with his 47.5 million dollar contract, doesn’t care either.

It’s not about the money, Mr. Manfred.

It’s about accountability for one’s actions. It’s about standing up for what’s right. The league should have suspended Gurriel for the remainder of the series while also withholding his World Series bonus.

Final Ruling on Reason #1: ERROR

Reason # 2: “I felt it was unfair to punish the other 24 players on the Astros roster. I wanted the burden of this discipline to fall primarily on the wrongdoer.”

Oh, I find this reason for Gurriel’s delayed suspension to be the most egregious of them all.

It’s unfair to punish the other 24 players on the Houston roster by having a key player sit?

It’s a team sport! Don’t we teach children that we win and lose as a team? That we don’t point fingers at individuals for game-related grievances?  As Bill Belichick continually preaches, it’s up to the players to “do their jobs” each and every game. If they fail to do their job, then the team sinks.

Well, my friends, Gurriel failed to do his job last night. He failed to be a decent human being, role model and professional. Yuli Gurriel deserved to suffer the consequences and so did his team.

Final Ruling on Reason #2: ERROR

Reason # 3: “I was impressed in my conversation with Yu Darvish by his desire to move forward, and I felt that moving the suspension to the beginning of the season would help in that regard.”

I have no doubt that Yu Darvish was nothing but respectful in the aforementioned conversation. I’m also sure that he does, in fact, wish to move forward. But how exactly does waiting six months help “in that regard?”  This will continue to be an issue that Darvish, and Gurriel for that matter, will be asked about throughout the offseason and into spring training.

The league would not have to worry about such questions leading up to next season if they had simply chosen to do the right thing today.

Final Ruling on Reason # 3: ERROR

Reason # 4: “Last, when I originally began thinking about the discipline, I thought that delaying the suspension would allow the player the opportunity to exercise his rights under the grievance procedure. It now appears, and I have every expectation, that he will not be exercising those rights.”

Well, as a general supporter in unions, I can see where Manfred is coming from here. However, his wording is too formulaic for my liking. It’s nothing more than a justification to a cowardly decision thanks to the language found in the current CBA.

Do you think the players’ union would have put their necks on the line to defend a blatant display of racism that was caught on camera and displayed to an audience that garnered a 10.4 overnight rating (16% lower than last year’s Game 3, by the way)? Given the public’s harsh response to Gurriel’s idiocy, it would have been a PR nightmare.

I don’t buy it, Mr. Manfred.

Final Ruling on Reason # 4: ERROR

Deep down, Manfred knows that he would have likely succeeded in banning Gurriel for the rest of the series. He’s also aware that it would have been an unprecedented decision and one that would’ve attracted a lot of negative attention toward the league. By postponing Gurriel’s ban, Manfred must believe that he’s splitting the difference and placating to all parties involved.

Well, from this fan’s perspective, he’s wrong. Now Gurriel, and the Astros, stand to reap the benefits of the commissioner’s cowardly call.