SawxBlog

The New England Patriots: America's Villian

_{Bill Belichick and Ocho Cinco always had a mutual respect for each other.}

WARNING: We interupt your normal Red Sox post with a flash of Awesome

Editors Note: I mention numerous times below that the Pats obtained Ocho Cinco and Haynesworth in two days. Nope, they did it in about 12 hours, I was (still am) so stunned that both happened so close to each other that I was dizzied by the one-two combo. Regardless, Coach Bill FTW.

The Dallas Cowboys like to call themselves "America's Team" even though the only people who root for them are residents of Texas and bandwagon refugees left over from the 90's. Both groups I could care less for, but there's no venom in my slight, they're like hyper-color t-shirts or snap bracelets, completely irrelevant. The one Team and fan-base that is universally despised in the NFL is your New England Patriots. Granted, the amazing work and tough times endured by Robert Kraft over the past month to save football may have worked as an olive branch to help ease the hate, but the moves made in the past two days have erased this good will in an instant.

The New England Patriots have improved a Team that went 14-2 a season ago, and in the process they obtained two players who are equally despised throughout the Sporting World - and I absolutely love it. During the Patriots incredible 18-1 season they officially began wearing the black hat in the NFL, this despite the efforts of those bozo's in Oakland who dress up like a bunch of juggalos at a frat party. People loathe the Patriots, and us as fans should wear that as a badge of pride. People only hate the excellent franchises - and the Patriots are the gold standard for NFL excellance.

Granted, they haven't won a SuperBowl since 2004, the longest drought in Boston sports (good God, re-reading that sentence makes me want to make love to it), but still, they're a perennial contender and threat to win it all each season, and that should be no different this year. I can't defend Albert Haynesworth too much. He's an amazing football player when he wants to be, but off the field he's a crooked thug and deplorable human being - maybe he can turn it around in the Pats no BS system, and I hope so - but there will be some trepidation when trying to root for him. Ocho Cinco on the other hand, I absolutely love the guy. He's a hard worker, big-time talent, real fun to watch, and generally good for the game. I know for a fact he'll step in line for Coach Bill, and it will be an absolute blast to watch him play with Brady and Welker.

The hate may be amplified to 11 this year with the likes of Ocho Cinco, Haynesworth, Belichick, Brady, and the cloud of SpyGate still looming near, which will again keep us Patriot Fans on an island by ourselves, and that's just the way I want it, it'll be as fun, if not more, then a handsome ride down a Mexican waterslide.

Love That Muddy Chicken

_{Once again Dustin Pedroia's reminding us just how special he is. (AP Photo)}

I don't care if you call him Dustin, Dusty, Petey, The Lazer Show, Pedroia, Froto, or even his latest nickname, The Muddy Chicken - I'll just call him good, and damn good at that. Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 24 games last night, which is the longest in the American League this year. Dusty went 3 for 4 on the evening with 2 runs and 2 RBI. His batting average has been rising at a very swift clip, now finding him at .308 on the season. In the month of July alone Pedroia's been tearing the cover off the ball hitting an astounding .423 in 97 at-bats.

Once again the Muddy Chicken has erased from our memory of the struggles he had earlier in the season, and he may have his newly scoped knee to thank for that. Bill Chuck runs a great blog over at BaseballAnalytics.org - and in a recent post he compared Pedroia's heat zone before and after he had his knee scoped on June 9th, as demonstrated below courtesy of BaseballAnalytics.org:

Before June 9th:

After June 9th:

As you can see there's not too many safe places to pitch him anymore, as he's really able to get to balls that are down in the zone, especially down and away, and he's also not afraid to pull the ball either. As has been evidenced by both Pedroia and Ellsbury's hot July's - as they go, so does the rest of the Red Sox offense, and when the chips are on the table, the little engine that could always seems to deliver - and that's dangerous for the rest of the league. If any of you know who the doctor is that scoped Pedroia's knee - please let me know, because I'd love to buy them a drink, as should you.

The Good and Bad at Fenway Last Night

_{Ellsbury and Reddick were flying high after their 13-9 victory over the Royals. (AP Photo)}

• Good - The Red Sox outlasted the Kansas City Royals 13-9 to retain a two game lead in the AL East.
• Bad - The Kansas City Royals scored 9 runs on the Sox - granted, it's not the Royals offenses fault that they're in last place in the AL Central at 43-60. They're currently ranked 6th in runs scored in the AL (449), as it's been their pitching that's let them down this year, with a Team ERA of 4.47, which is only better than Baltimore. Still though, 9 runs is too many to give up to the Royals.
• Good - Alfredo Aceves once again showed us why he's the most versatile pitcher on the Red Sox staff. He entered the game in the top of the 4th with 7 runs on the board for KC and the game in jeopardy for Boston. When Alfredo ended up leaving the game after the 7th he'd given up zero runs over 3.1 innings with only 3 hits. This effort allowed the Sox to stay in the game and was good enough for him to pick up his sixth win on the year (6-1). Can't say enough good things about this guy, doing things like this are what's now expected out of him, and not the exception.
• Bad - Starting pitcher Andrew Miller and his opportunity to prove himself at the Big League level may be nearing the end. In 3.2 innings pitched he gave up 9 hits and 7 ER and his ERA is now at 5.45 on the year which is bad, but it's still not John Lackey bad, so that's good right? BTW - Is it too early to start drinking?
• Very Good - Simply put the Red Sox offense is just awesome this year. They lead the AL in runs scored (555), batting average (.280), OPS (.812), and are second in run differntial (+129) only trailing the Yanks (+138). Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz led the charge last night with 4 hits a piece. Pedroia was only a HR away from hitting for the cycle, and Big Papi hit a career high 3 doubles on the night.
• Bad - John Lackey is our starting pitcher tonight.

The Chronicles of Josh Reddick

_{Josh Reddick has seized his opportunity this year with an unyielding zest.}

On a Red Sox Team that's robust with All-Stars, well paid veterans, and MVP Candidates - Josh Reddick has fit into whatever role's been given to him, taking on a workman attitude that's endeared himself to Red Sox fans. Josh has made it extremely hard for Francona not to put him in the lineup, as he continuously does things the right way on the field, assisting the Team in a plethora of ways to win games. Reddick helped the Sox tremendously when Crawford was down, and now with J.D. Drew heading to the DL, his window of opportunity has been lengthened.

That's what this is really all about too, opportunity. Reddick is acutely aware of how valuable this stretch of playing time is with the Red Sox, as it's allowing the baseball world to see his skills on a National stage, and if he doesn't end up staying with the Sox, it can serve as a springboard towards him being an everyday player with another Team. His name will be lit brightly on the trade boards over the next week, and that's one of the larger questions the Sox have to ask themselves. Do they want to let a hustling dirt dog of a player go - who entering tonight's game against the Royals is hitting .358 over 32 games played, and is only 24 years old and about to hit his peak years of production. Or do they sell while his true value's still a bit unknown and high? Josh hasn't even played 100 career games at the MLB level, and pitchers are bound to figure him out more than they have thus far, but will he adjust? I for one want to see Reddick keep getting the opportunity, we gave it to Jacoby in 2007 when there were proven veterans in front of him, and that's turned out pretty, pretty good. I say we pencil him in at RF for the rest of the year and see where he is come October, because the way he's been playing, it looks as if the chronicles may have just begun.

Smoked Eighth

_{Derrek Lee provided the knock out punch in the 8th inning off of Alfredo Aceves. (AP Photo)}

The game was on a razor's edge, and then in the bottom of the 8th, with two swift blows from the Orioles, the Red Sox fell on the wrong side of the blade. The 8th inning has been an active one in this series, as there's been a total of 14 runs scored over two games in that frame. The wheels fell off quick last night, as the usually reliable Alfredo Aceves gave up back-to-back home runs to the Orioles, which was the first time they've done so as a Club all year. I'm hoping I didn't jinx Aceves the other day, as he's been pitching brilliant as of late.

Despite the loss and lack of production against the O's last night - there are some positives to take out of the game:

• Who knows how long we're going to have to rely on Kyle Weiland to pitch for us. He now has a bloated 8.10 ERA, but that's only in two starts, and I think Tito would take a start like last night any day of the week. Weiland only gave up 3 ER over 6.0 IP, and if he can figure out how to control his pitches better and not walk batters (three last night) - then he may keep getting chances as long as there's a roster spot open.
• We only used two pitchers, granted it was in a loss, but still - that's a big bonus - especially when it was Weiland starting.
• Carl Crawford's legs appear to be A-OK. He's been hustling down the line at a good clip, and watching him run on his stolen base (9th on season), he looked to not be holding back at all, which is certainly a good thing moving foward for the Sox.
• The Yankees also lost, allowing the Sox to keep a bit of a cushion in the East (1.5 games). I know it's not even August yet, and that regardless of who wins the East both Clubs are making the playoffs - but I can't help it, I'm scoreboard watching already.

The Game Ends When It's Over

_{Dustin Pedroia has been the cornerstone of the Sox recent win streak. (AP Photo)}

Baseball is a weird sport. One night it seems impossible for batters to to get on base, then the following day it appears unfathomable they'll make an out. Such is the beauty of the game. If Sunday night represented an intense chess match where two Masters were feeling each other out refusing to bend - last night was more akin to a prize fight between two heavy weight behemoth's. There was no style, no finesse, and no nibbling, just heavy punches thrown with an efficiency that left faces mashed and kidneys bruised. The Red Sox were the last team standing after the slug-fest, outlasting the Orioles 15-10 in a wild affair. No matter the type of game you prefer to watch, the last couple of nights have had a little bit of everything for you....well, unless you like watching quick games.

After last night the Sox have played 9 hours and 21 minuetes of baseball in the past 48 hours. To put that in perspective you could watch the entire Godfather Trilogy and still have some time left to spare. This is the dedication of a baseball fan, and while people lament over games being too long, it's also what makes baseball the greatest game of them all. I was talking with my Dad about this just yesterday. Baseball's the only game where there's no clock telling you when the games over. The game doesn't end in a shoot out, penalty kicks, or sudden death overtime. The game ends when it's over, and much like the game of life, nothing is set in stone, things aren't scripted for concise commercial breaks and tidy programming. The game, each one, has its own cadence and pace, and I'll take that over PK's any day of the week.

Many thanks to Josh for pointing me towards this gem. R.I.P. Mr. Carlin.

Alfredo Aceves - Unsung Hero

_{Alfredo Aceves has been the consummate Team player for the Sox this year. (AP Photo)}

If you see that the Red Sox are playing on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball you should take a nap during the day, because these games tend to make Inception look like a short movie. Last night was no exception, as the Red Sox and Rays were locked in a stalemate for a 16 inning marathon that lasted five hours and 44 minutes. Dustin Pedroia drove home the winning run, extending his hitting streak to fifteen games, and Papelbon came in to pick up the save. There were a lot of story lines in this game. Beckett once again dominated the Tampa Bay line-up, giving up only one hit over eight innings while walking none. Broken glass was all over the field due to a shattered light Natural style (only in Tampa Bay does this happen...), Josh Reddick saved the game when robbing a home run to left center, and Joe Madden was ejected for arguing a check swing later in the game. However, the one story that stood out for me, and really it's been the case for the whole season - was the play of Alfredo Aceves.

Aceves pitched three innings late in relief and gave up zero runs and zero hits, keeping the Sox in the game. He ended up picking up the win, and is now 5-1 on the season. Alfredo has been a rock for the Red Sox during a year where there's been numerous injuries in the bullpen as well as in the rotation. As a result he's been everything from a spot starter, long reliever, set-up man, and middle reliever. His versatility would make Bill Belichick proud, and he's allowed the Sox to stay in a lot of games that they've eventually won.

He has a 3.13 ERA on the season, seven holds, and even has a save. He's often starting on odd days rest or pitching in difficult situations, and has usually done an admirable job. He's been like the Anti-John Lackey, a perfect teammate, and last night he again showed his worth, and if he keeps this up, he'll soon be unsung no more.

Angry Man, Average Pitcher

_{John Lackey is just an angry man who pitches below his pay grade. (FOX Screenshot)}

"Well, that would drive me crazy if I was in the infield playing behind him...I don't want my pitcher showing me up like that while he's on the hill." -Nomar Garciaparra on John Lackey

There is a breaking point for everything, and at some point the angry antics John Lackey displays on the mound are going to cause a teammate or Manager to finally react publicly. This may come off harsh, but his Wife being sick is no longer an excuse that should automatically be tagged at the end of every article or interview when speaking on his pitching. He's going through a thing called life, and if you breathe air, and I'm assuming most of you reading this are, then there's a very good chance Cancer will affect your Family at some point in time. I lost my Mother almost four years ago to that awful disease, and have had to deal with it in two separate instances within my family this year alone. I really feel for Lackey and what he and his family are going through - but you can't use unfortunate circumstances as a crutch forever. If anything, it should be used as inspiration, and not as an excuse, which is something Lackey is wonderful at providing.

I'm trying to be careful with my words here, because I don't know the extent of the situation - the point I want to make is that going through bad shit is a part of life for everyone. Terry Francona has a 26 year old son who's a brave member of the United States Marine Corps, and he's currently fighting in the most dangerous country on Earth in Afghanistan. You don't think that hangs heavy on the conscious of a Parent? But you know what? Tito's not special and he knows it. There are thousands of parents just like him who have to plow through much harder jobs and circumstances just to make ends meet. The same goes for Lackey.

The way he reacts to errors committed while he pitches, and the way he jawed at Tito as he was taken out of the game yesterday is unacceptable, and has nothing to do with Cancer, it has to do with being a bad teammate. I've played sports my whole life, and that's one rule you learn early on. Don't show up your Teammates. I'd be fine with it if these incidents were isolated, but they're not. Literally every time he pitches I have to deal with watching his bad attitude prance around the mound - and for a dude that's making $16 million dollars this year alone, that doesn't fly with me. I'm just a fan, and I don't have the luxury of getting to know Lackey outside the confines of what I see on the mound, and from that vantage point, he's been nothing but an asshole, and one that I don't like rooting for.

Florida Sports Fans Suck

_{Andrew Miller did not get off to a good second half start. (AP Photo)}

The Red Sox don't like playing in Tampa Bay, and honestly, you can't blame them. Tropicana Field is the ugliest ballpark in the Modern Era and is extremely unfriendly to ballplayers. How often do you see Gold Glove MVP first baseman lose pop-ups because it blends in with the the roof? Not often, but it happened to Adrian Gonzalez last night, and almost happened earlier on a line drive to Web Gem regular Sam Fuld. Only 25,000 "fans" showed up for the game, and a large contingent of those people were rooting for the Sox. Seriously, what's up with Florida fans? It's not a coincidence that only two Teams haven't hosted an the All Star Game, and both are from Florida in the Rays and Marlins. The people down there just don't care about sports unless it's football. Maybe they have a short attention span because they're so old, I don't know, but it really bothers me how fair weather they are.

The Rays have been beating the odds against the biggest Teams in MLB the past few years and have been putting out really competitive and fun Teams, yet no one goes to watch unless it's the playoffs...maybe. Shoot, even the Miami Heat, who have more star power than any Team in the country, had trouble getting peolple to fill the seats, which resulted in them creating the embarassing "Fan-Up" Program. The Sox have now lost 22 of their last 32 games in the Terrordome - and are sending John Lacking to the mound tonight. A lot of buzz has been made around his last good start, but lets not forget that was against the worst Team in the AL, he should pitch good against them. I hope it was a stepping stone though, because if the Sox want to hold off the Rays and Yanks in the second half, they're gonna need Lackey to earn his money.

Thoughts on Roger Clemens Mistrial and David Ortiz Suspension

_{What in Great Zeus's beard does Roger Clemens have in his brief case? (ESPN Screenshot)}

• The Roger Clemens saga took another weird turn yesterday as U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial because the prosecution left a still image of Andy Pettitte's wife on a television screen. You literally can't make this shit up. Now the case will most likely be considered in jeopardy, meaning Roger can't be tried for the same crime twice - thus the lying pig faced bull dog that calls himself Roger Clemens is going to strike out Congress, and walk away into the Texas night without even a slap on the wrist. The moral of the story? Take steroids to extend reinvent your career, make millions upon millions of dollars in the process, cheat on your wife with 15 year old teenage country singers, accuse enemies of lying and friends of 'misremembering', insult baseball by saying you "don't give a damn about the Hall of Fame", and then lie directly into the face of Congress. I honestly hope Roger just fades away now. The government has embarrassed itself enough, and wasting more tax dollars chasing a baseball player is not needed, especially when he's willing to go to the mattresses with the millions he made while cheating. Roger's reputation is forever sullied, people know he took steroids, lied about it, and cheated on his wife with a 15 year old. That should be enough...as long as he stays in the shadows...which he won't. God I hate this guy now, more than Bonds actually.
• David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg were each suspended 4 games for their altercation (I'm not calling that a fight) the other week, and I have to say - it's not fair for Papi to get the same amount of games. Gregg was the instigator in all aspects here. He threw at Papi three times, and then after Ortiz popped out to right on a 3-0 pitch Gregg screamed and pointed at Ortiz as he went down the first base line. I honestly don't know any batter who wouldn't react to that. I'm not saying Papi should get nothing, just that Gregg should have gotten more, but this is actually a problem with suspending relievers.
• I think that a reliever should have 2-3 times more games added to their suspensions than everyday players. This happened earlier in the year when Papelbon got a faux suspension in a game against the Athletics. A 2-4 game suspension is nothing for a reliever, and is pretty much a joke. The Team can appeal the suspension, run the pitcher into the ground, and then when he needs the rest, take the suspension, even though he wouldn't be available to pitch anyways. The Sox appealed with Paps, he got a save against the Yankees the next night, and they did exactly what I mentioned above, only accepting the suspension when he wouldn't be used anyways. The Orioles will do the same with Gregg. These suspension appear equal, but indeed it hurts the Red Sox infinitely more, losing Papi for four games is a big deal. You don't lose a big bat in the middle of your lineup for the better part of a week and NOT feel it. It'd have to be at least an 8 game suspension for Gregg and the Orioles to really feel the repercussions the Sox will feel with losing Papi. Baseball needs to balance this out, the punishment reliever's get is not equal.