2008 Red Sox Report Card-Infielders

After having enough time to let the Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Rays set in, I have decided it is time to sit down and try to blog again. I have been asked by a few of you when you will be able to log in and not see Paul Byrd staring at you. Well, today is that day. Today I present to you my report card for the 2008 Boston Red Sox. I figured to wait a couple days after the season was over so my grades would be more factual rather than emotional. I will be looking at 25 regulars, so therefore I will not be grading players like Gil Velasquez and David Ross. Without further adieu, I present to you my outlook on the 2008 Sox.

Catchers:

Jason Varitek- .220 13 home runs 43 RBI's

Grade- F

Varitek struggled offensively all year long and was frustrating to watch at the plate. In recent memory, I have not seen a player age so quickly over the course of a season like Jason Varitek did. Varitek is known for calling a great game and being a solid defensive catcher. Even those skills look to deterioate this season as he could not throw any base stealers out and the pitching staff was rocked in the ALCS. He is a free agent at the end of the season and with the lack of solid catching options the Sox may be forced to bring him back. I would say a contract of 2 years for 14 million would be sufficient.

Kevin Cash .225 3 home runs 15 RBI's

Grade- C

Cash had the uneviable task of being Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. He handled him very well and was not a liability that Josh Bard was when he was assigned to catch Wake. He did not put up any offensive numbers worthy of note and no one expected him to. Cash simply did his job. He may figure into a bigger role next season as he proved he is a solid defensive backstop with a cannon of an arm. I believe he and Tek will split the catching duties next season.

Infield:

Kevin Youkilis .312 29 home runs 115 RBI's

Grade- A

Youk's role changed when Manny Ramirez was dealt to the Dodgers. Youk went from being a guy who simply needed to get basehits to a guy who needed to deliver power numbers and protect David Ortiz in the lineup. I am guilty of not really appreciating Youk as much as I should. Throughout his career with the Sox, he has done whatever has been asked of him whether it be moving to first base from third, back to third, play the outfield, leadoff or even bat clean up. The scary thing is he keeps improving each year and shows no signs of slowing down.

Dustin Pedroia .326 17 home runs 83 RBI's

Grade- A

Easily my favorite player in all of baseball and potentially of all time. The man is listed at 5'9 but we all now its closer to 5'6. He easily gets my vote for MVP and yeah there may be a hometown bias there but its not unjustified. He played a gold glove second base. His average was as low as .252 this season but got it up to 2nd best in the majors at .326. He also stole 20 bases this year. There were no signs of a sophomore slump after his Rookie of the Year campaign. I look forward to seeing him in a Sox uniform for years to come.

Jed Lowrie .258 2 home runs 46 RBI

Grade: C

Lowrie was a hero in Red Sox Nation for the first couple months he was in Boston simply because his name was not Julio Lugo. For about a month after the All Star break, Lowrie led all shortstops with most RBI since the break. He eventually came back to earth and had a dismal September hitting .151. Reports after the ALCS said he had been playing with an injured wrist for a better part of the season. This may show the door to Lugo because a hurt Lowrie has proved to be better than a healthy Lugo. Hopefully Lowrie can improve and get up to about .280 and keep up his solid defense.

Mike Lowell .274 17 home runs 73 RBIs

Grade B-

Lowell was injured much of the season but still put up solid numbers for the 113 games he played. While he did not do anything outstanding, he was solid while he was in the lineup. The ALCS showed just how much the Sox missed his bat. It appears Lowell is breaking down citing his injuries this season. Reports are that the Sox brass has had internal discussions about bringing in Mark Teixiera and looking to trade Lowell. Yes, Lowell was the MVP of the 2007 World Series and has been a pleasant surprise since coming to town considering he was an afterthought in the Josh Beckett trade. But I think it would be a great idea to explore the Teixera option and see what the market is for Lowell.

To be continued....

Scottie

Separated at Birth?

Scary isn'it?

-Scottie

That's Kevin Being Kevin

After the Red Sox unloaded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers many people were left wondering who would replace Manny's stats in the Boston lineup. Even guys in the clubhouse admitted that Manny's shoes aren't easy to fill. "You can't replace his stats. That's the bottom line," admitted Kevin Youkilis, a man who had gotten into an altercation Manny earlier in the season.

Fans saw Jason Bay as Manny's replacement. It was easy to do considering Bay would now be patrolling the same left field that Manny roamed for 7 and a half seasons. Bay had put up solid numbers during his time in Pittsburgh averaging .283 31 homers and 103 runs batted in per season. Let alone these numbers were about 10 below what Manny had put up in every category, people were stuck on the fact that Bay played in the small market of Pittsburgh. Questions arose as to whether Manny's replacement could play in Boston. (See Lugo, Julio and Gagne, Eric for further explanation)

What no one was realizing was that Manny's replacement was already in Boston and was going about his business as quietly as usual. Nevermind that he was voted 4th most overrated player in baseball by his peers in a survey taken by Sports Illustrated. Kevin Youkilis has put together a career year and is showing no signs of slowing down.

If comparisons are to be made let us take a look at the numbers, because numbers do not lie. This season Manny Ramirez is hitting .314 with 25 home runs and 86 runs batted in while Kevin Youkilis is hitting .320 with 23 home runs and 84 runs batted in. The numbers are nearly identical and Youkillis comes at a price several million dollars cheaper while causing fewer

headaches.

Many people will argue that Manny offers greater protection for Big Papi, David Oritz in the lineup. Since Youk has been inserted behind Ortiz in the lineup, Papi is hitting .285 with 15 RBI's in 12 games, more importantly the Sox are 10-5 since trading Manny.

It is my belief that many people take Kevin Youkilis for granted considering he has been in the Boston organization his whole career. I, myself, have never fully appreciated Youk as much as I probably should. The bottom line is Youk is a gold glove All Star who just gets better and better each year.

It is time he gets the praise that is long overdue.

-Scottie

A Week of Thoughts

After a week of living out on the Cape enjoying lobster galore on Mom and Dad's tab, I am back to blog about the week that was...

*I really got into the Olympics this year. Seeing Jason Lezak chase down the French in the 4X 400 meter relay will be an Olympic memory for the ages. The drama in which it all happened helped make the moment that much more special. The French claimed they came to Beijing to "smash the Americans." Michael Phelps and company had other ideas. This will probably be my greatest Olympic memory since my generation is not as fortunate to have anything close to the 1980 US Hockey Team.

*Tuning into see Michael Phelps every night at 10 o' clock has been a real treat. The man is automatic. It is unbelievable to think that he is the best in the world in 8 (possibly 9) different events. Soon kids will be flocking to the nearest pool in hopes of "Phelpsing" their friends.

*It is without question that Phelps has been the story of the week. But I am a huge fan of gymnast Alicia Sacramone and beach volleyball player Misty May.

*At the time of the trade deadline, many people thought the Yankees got amazingly better, while the Red Sox got worse. The Yankees picked up Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady, and Ivan Rodriguez while the Sox lost Manny Ramirez. Since the deadline the Sox are 10-3 while the Yankees are 5-9. It is only a matter of time before the Sox catch the Rays and lock up the AL East title for the second year in a row.

*I am looking forward to seeing Brett Favre get sacked 60 times this season.

*Seeing how Joe Torre will handle Manny Ramirez will show a lot in comparison to Terry Francona. While Torre has been a successful manager by always running a tight ship, Francona has been successful with a hands off approach and letting the players do as they please. It will be interesting to see how Torre handles Manny the rest of the season. A few examples: Torre asked Manny to cut his hair once he got into Dodger Blue, it took Manny 2 weeks to cut just an inch off of his dreads. Also the scene where Manny was nowhere to be found in the bottom of the eighth inning last week.

*I just finished Michael Holley's Red Sox Rule. For those that like to know the behind the scenes stuff that happened throughout the 2007 Red Sox season, pick it up. It is an interesting read on Terry Francona. I am thinking of picking up Patriot Reign, also by Holley. I predict his next book will be "Celtics Crowned."

*Another book for people to read that is absolutely hysterical is "I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max. The guy is an idiot but his stories are funny.

That is all for now...

Scottie

Cape Cod for the Week

Loyal readers of mine, I feel the obligation to inform all of you that I will be in Cape Cod for the upcoming week. I will not have any access to a computer so there will be no updates on the site. I do not know how I will survive without this blog or facebook for an entire week!

I will be back Saturday August 16 and should have a plethora of topics to write about.

Thank you very much for your continued support. This blog would not be much fun to write if it weren't for you guys!

-Scottie

Who-lio Lugo?

Since the famous Manny Ramirez trade, the Red Sox have been rolling right along winning 5 of their 6 games. Sure they have beaten the bottom of the barrel this past weak, be that as it may. No matter how you cut it, the Sox have been playing good baseball.

Today, my father asked me about Julio Lugo. My dead honest response was, Who? I completely forgot about the man that I like as much as I enjoy waiting in line at the DMV. My father told me that the Sox still owe him well over 10 million for this season and next. I thought about this and came to the conclusion that the Sox should just buy him out (much like they did with Edgar Renteria). Thank you for your services, which included many errors and zero hitting, here is your paycheck, be gone.

This is all entirely to easy to say because of the progress of one kid. Jed Lowrie. Lowrie is hitting .287 with 22 RBI, 7 doubles, and 2 triples. He has the most RBI's for all shortstops in Major League Baseball since the all star break. He also has 0 errors in 72 chances.

With the play of Lowrie, I believe it is Terry Francona's duty to keep Lowrie on the field and Lugo on the pine. No one is looking for Lowrie to work miracles. As long as he stays defensively sound and hits over .280 he will be filling his role on the Sox admirably.

Lugoo's strained quad is probably the best thing to happen to the Red Sox since Lester's no hitter. Lowrie has shown that he is a major league ready ball player. It is his time to be an everyday player.

Julio should start doing what a lot of people are doing today... look for another job.

-Scottie

Hey Bay Bay

As expected, the Red Sox did deal Manny Ramirez right before the trade deadline last Thursday. What was not expected was that the Sox would lose Manny, Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen, and still have to pay Manny's salary. As you saw on this very blog last Wednesday, I was ready to see Manny go. However, I severely underestimated just how badly the Sox wanted to rid themselves of Ramirez. I was initially confused as to how the Sox only got Jason Bay. I had nothing against Bay, I just wanted the Sox to get a prospect or some bullpen help as well.

After the first weekend of the Jason Bay era, I can say I have a ton of Bay Pride. It is fair to say that Bay has taken Boston by storm. He has said all the right things, in that he is not trying to replace Manny, merely play left field to the best of his ability and do his part in helping bring a second straight pennant to Boston.

A recap of Bay's weekend:

Friday: goes 1-3 scoring 2 runs. Bay made a sensational diving catch to keep the game tied in the middle innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Bay lofted a high fly ball that scraped the Monster for a triple. Thats right a triple. It is very likely Manny would have gotten only a single possibly a double because of his admiration for his hit. Bay was promptly scored the game winning run on a basehit by Jed Lowrie.

Saturday: Bay goes 1-4 scoring 2 runs and knocking in three after launching his first home run as a member of the Red Sox. His shot would prove to be all the Sox needed as the bats finally came alive to mash the A's 12-2.

Sunday: Bay goes 2 for 4 scoring two more runs. He also gunned down Mark Ellis in the first inning trying to stretch a single into a double.

Not a bad way to endear yourself to a new fan base. It appears that Jason Bay is a new fan favorite in Fenway.

Jason Bay is what this team needed to save the season. Not that he will be able to put up the same numbers as ManRam, but the intanigibles he brings to this team outweigh any given run he will knock in the rest of the season. The team felt Manny could not be trusted and that he was a major distraction. With the Manny soap opera days behind us, the team can concentrate on coming to the ballpark and winning games instead of worrying about what Manny was going to do next.

I am as excited as ever to be a Red Sox fan and I truly enjoy watching Jason Bay play. Let us hope this blockbuster trade has a similiar end result as a blockbuster Theo pulled in 2004.

-Scottie

End of an Era

It is sad really. After the comments delivered by Manny Ramirez before tonight's game, I find it a certainty that he will be dealt before tommorow's trade deadline.

The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me. During my years here, I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them. "The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."

It became clear to me since the famous shoving of Jack McCormick, that Manny has wanted out of Boston. His lack of hustle, fight with Kevin Youkillis, and abomination in catching a fly ball in Anaheim were the steps leading to his parting of his ways.

I am extremely grateful for everything Manny accomplished in his time here in Boston. I am grateful for his two world series rings and his world series MVP. He was exciting to watch for the past 8 years, there is no doubt about that. I was a huge Manny fan all along, often times claiming "In Manny I trust." This is a hard loss and is defintely sad.

But that fact of the matter is I root for the name on the front of the jersey. Ultimately I care about the Red Sox and would never have thought twice about Manny if he did not sign with the Sox back in 2001.

It is a new era for the Sox. I am happy to see Theo taking a proactive approach and actually getting something for Manny return as opposed to letting Manny go for free.

Hopefully this trade will jump start the dead-ass team known as the 2008 Boston Red Sox.

-Scottie

Bye Bye Manny

It always painful for a fan base to say goodbye to one of its icons. In my generation alone, I have had to come to grips with the parting of ways between the Boston Red Sox and a popular player on at least two different occasions.

I said goodbye to Nomar Garciaparra back during the 2004 trade deadline without a problem. The result was a World Series Championship. After that 2004 season, I had to say bye to the greatest pitcher of my generation in Pedro Martinez. The result was another World Series Championship in 2007. Pedro's numbers have been nothing notable since he went to the Mets.

I may have been the only man in New England that was upset to see Drew Bledsoe go to the Buffalo Bills. However, no one could rightfully argue that Tom Brady was not a suitable replacement for Drew. Ok, so Brady was far superior to Bledsoe and has won 2 Super Bowls on his own and one with the help of Drew.

Bruins fans have not shared this same fortune when it comes to parting ways with an icon. Ray Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche so he could win a Stanley Cup. Joe Thornton was traded to San Jose so he could win an MVP. The Bruins are yet to reap any benefits.

All of this brings me to my point for writing this post. It is time to say goodbye to Manny Ramirez. Manny came here in 2001 and has given us the best years of his career. We have been fortunate to see possibly the greatest right handed hitter of all time. Manny is a lovable player whom Red Sox fans grew accustomed to. We tolerated his antics, whether it was cutting off a Johnny Damon throw or his annual July trade demands, because the man would put up numbers and win. I love Manny as much as the next Sox fan. But reality has set in.

Manny is 36 years old and has a club option worth 20 million dollars for next season. This is not the same Manny Ramirez who'd put up 45 home runs and drive in 160 runs. I would pay possibly more than 20 million for that Manny Ramirez. What the Sox would be getting is a man who will hit 25-30 home runs and drive in 110-115. A man who's numbers are on the decline and who's distracting antics are coming up more and more.

What are the alternatives?

I do not see a problem going after a free agent such as Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. Another option would be to sign Mark Teixeria and move Kevin Youkillis to left field. I also don't see a problem with keeping an outfield of JD Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Coco Crisp. Sure the power numbers would be down, but that outfield covers a lot of ground and would be exciting to see in terms of players who could shoot the gaps for extra bases.

Theo Epstein has a number of options when it comes to the end of the 2008 season. When it comes to judging talent and deciding whether to keep players or not, Theo has a flawless track record.

It pains me to say it but it will not bother me to see Manny being Manny somewhere else next season.

-Scottie

The Dark Knight

This past Thursday night I saw the midnight showing of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. I had been psyched out of mind to see this film since the end of Batman Begins when it was hinted that The Joker was the next villian. The anticipation mounted even more with the passing of Heath Ledger (the man who played The Joker) in late January.

I have always been a huge Batman fan since my brother first showed me the original Batman movie with Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker. I had also come to the conclusion The Joker is my favorite villian of all time. With all that being said I think I have laid the groundwork for this review.

I came away from the movie feeling that all the hype was justified. I compare to that of LeBron James before the actual 2003 NBA Draft. So much hype for something that had not been seen yet. Would the movie had been this financially successful on the first weekend without the death of Heath Ledger? No. Would it had been as eagerly anticipated had Ledger still been alive? Not at all. While there was already inherent anticipation because of Batman alone, it rose exponentially with the circumstances. However, with all that being said, I love the fact that the series has gotten away from the cartoonish comic book mindset, and has followed more of a psychological thriller creating complex characters that are far more intriguing than ordinary comic book characters.

While Ledger did a great job playing his role, I really felt that Aaron Eckhart was phenomenal as Harvey Dent. The Dent character was set up beautifully and I ended up truly emphasizing with his plight.

The "Christian Bale" series has been fascinating thus far. I have made it a point to go out and buy the The Dark Knight books sometime this week. Hopefully the series will continue and writer Christopher Nolan will be able to draw villians such as The Penguin and The Riddler out of the cartoon world and into the psychological drama.

Go see The Dark Knight. It will be the best 10 dollars you spend all summer.

-Scottie

Questions I will Attempt to Answer...

This week I intend on answering these questions...

1) Will I ever stay tuned to a Red Sox game for the rest of the season, or will I just shut it off when the starting pitcher is "relieved"?

2) When will The Sox win on the road?

3) Should Manny Ramirez be in the plans for this team's future?

4) Who is available on the trade market come July 31?

And lastly on a positive note...

5) Why is Dustin Pedroia so good?



-Scottie

Thank You James

Late Wednesday afternoon, James Posey reached an agreement with the New Orleans Hornets on a contract for 4 years worth roughly 24 million dollars. It is without a doubt in my mind that Posey was instrumental in the Boston Celtics winning their 17th banner. While I am upset that he is gone, I have learned that going after the pay day is what sports are all about for athletes today. I remember being heartbroken when Johnny Damon left the Sox for the New York Yankees.

However, I harness no ill will toward James Posey. I am grateful for what he contributed to the Boston Celtics. While the name Big Shot Bob is reserved for Robert Horry, I think that after this year's playoffs, we can assert a new nickname for James Posey. Big Game James. His signing was under the radar after the acquistions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. But it is defintely one signing that Celtics fans should never forget.

Thank you James for your great 2007-2008 season. And thank you for your contributions in making Boston known as "Titletown."

From here the Celtics must look for someone to fill James' shoes. He is the glue that holds great teams together. Every great team has it. And Posey maybe all that New Orleans needs to get them over the hump. Who will the Celtics turn to? Darius Miles? Tony Allen? Stephon Marbury?

Mark my words, James Posey will be missed.

-Scottie

Guess Who's Back... Back Again

After much goading by many friends, I have decided to re-dedicate myself to the world of blogging. I honestly did not know that I had as many loyal readers as I apparently do. I will give an honest effort to throw my two cents in on a bevy of subjects for your entertainment. I would most like to thank those at my day job that have fueled the fire with enough sports arguments to keep me from any sort of writers block.

I will be back with a venegence!

-Scottie

Julio, You Are Just Terrible

When I woke up this morning and read Steve Buckley's column in the Boston Herald this morning I instantly laughed. Julio Lugo lashed out at reporters after blowing a game last night in Detroit. A routine ground ball proved to be insurmountable to Lugo as he bobbled it and was unable to make a play on former Red Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria.

This opened the proverbial flood gates as Detroit went on to beat the Sox. And yes this loss can be blamed solely on Julio Lugo. This was Lugo's quote:

“I don’t care, but sometimes it would be nice to say something positive,” he said. “But all the time it’s negative things, you know? Sometimes, you know, people should say something that’s positive. But every time it’s something negative . . . bring it up, bring it up, bring it up. Why? I understand you (the media) are going to write whatever you want . . . but I come here every day and bust my ass . . . if things don’t work out sometimes, that’s the way it’s going to be. You understand? But sometimes you bring up the same things . . . You get tired of that."

Frankly, Julio, I am tired of calling you my shortstop. I think I can speak for all Red Sox fans with that statement. We did not want you last year. And we sure as hell do not want you this year. If you want us to say something positive, do something that warrants us in doing so. My only memory of anything that could resemble a praiseworthy comment is you knocked in the winning run in last year's Mother's Day Miracle against Baltimore. Wait a minute, that actually came via an error. So no, you have not done anything notable, (other than be flat out terrible in Boston) in your time here.

10 errors in 33 games? For God's sake Julio field the damn baseball! I have already accepted the fact that you can't hit worth a damn, is it to much to ask for you to field the baseball? No Julio, we do not want you here in Boston. We bring up the same things because you do the same things time and time again. Cry in Boston? Remember Julio you played in an atmosphere where no one cared in Tampa Bay. But you came here and signed a 4 year 36 million dollar contract and understood the consequences that would result from your play.

The bottom line is you are awful. I would have absolutely no problem with Jed Lowrie being the starting shortstop in Boston.

I have no problem saying, Bye Bye Julio!

-Scottie

Celtics Up 1-0

I have said that we would not learn a lot about the Celtics from Game 1 against the Cavs. There is a large part of me that feels I was very wrong. It is not that the Celtics won Game One, it was the fashion in which they did. If I was to be told that the Celtics would win a game in which Paul Pierce had just 4 points and Ray Allen was held scoreless, I would have laughed until I cried. But that is exactly what happened in the Celtics 76-72 win over Cleveland.

The Celtics outgritted that Cavs and held LeBron to just 2-18 shooting for 12 points. Paul Pierce played excellent defense on LeBron and the help defense forced LeBron to hoist 6 threes, all of which he missed. The Celtics were led by the man whom I have been criticizing all during the playoffs, Kevin Garnett. Garnett had 28 points and 8 rebounds. Kendrick Perkins chipped in with 12 rebounds and 7 points. Rajon Rondo reverted back to playing the way he did early in the Atlanta series with 15 points 6 assists and 5 rebounds.

Although I am very happy that the Celtics got off on the right foot in this series, I know that LeBron is going to go off for 50 at some point in this series. What is refreshing is that I only have to worry about LeBron going off. Cavs fans will have to worry about Pierce and Allen exploding at some point in this series. The defense Boston displayed tonight showed that they aren't happy with critics (like myself) trashing them after the Atlanta series. If Boston keeps this up, this could be a rather short series.

Game 2 is Thursday night. Stay tuned.

-Scottie

Celtics-LeBron's

Tonight will be Game One of the second round playoff matchup between the Boston Celtics and LeBron James. While the Celtics did completely blow out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7, there should have never been a Game 7 in the first place. Boston underachieved and Atlanta overachieved. The only closure I got out of that series was seeing Kevin Garnett floor Zaza Pachullia on a pick in the fourth quarter. Other than that Game 7 showed me nothing about the Celtics and I find myself concerned going into a matchup with LeBron James.

Areas of Concern:

1) LeBron James averaged 32.4 points per game against the Celtics, the most of any player against them. In Round 1 we saw what Joe Johnson did to the Celtics. Joe Johnson is lucky if he is half as talented as LeBron. I would like to see Paul Pierce and James Posey as the only guys to guard James. This should enable Ray Allen to concentrate more on his offense. Something he couldn't do when guarding Joe Johnson.

2) Can the Celtics win on the road? Unless you were living under a rock, you know that Boston did not win one game in Atlanta. The Cleveland atmosphere will be a lot more raucous. How will the Celtics respond? Since the Celtics have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, they will not have to win on the road as long as they go undefeated at home.

3) The Cavs went out and got former Celtics Wally Sczerbiak and Delonte West, and 2 big men in Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. The Cavs got to the finals last year without these role players. They look to be in better shape this year because of these trades. Having Wally and Delonte on the perimiter allows LeBron to drive and kick out for an open jumper. Not to menton the Cavs also have Damon Jones who never misses and my main man Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. If I am the Celtics I do my best to contain LeBron and let the role players beat me.

4) Which Kevin Garnett will show up? Will the Celtics have the intense KG that the Celtics fans saw all season long. Or will they have the KG who laid an egg on the road in the Atlanta series? As Garnett goes, so go the Celtics. His defensive energy is infectious. The Celts need that to stop LeBron.

The series starts tonight. My prediction: Celtics in 6.

-Scottie

Unbelievable...

It is a little over 2 hours from the conclusion of tonight's embarassing Game 6 loss to th Atlanta Hawks. And as a Boston Celtic fan, I am still stewing mad. I am legit pissed off. What better way to vent my anger then typing away on my very own blog. Without further adeiu here is my venting session.

1) Since when does Kevin Garnett play soft? This is by far what annoyed me most from Game 6. KG is the reason that the Celtics were the best team in the NBA regular season this year. Now when the Celtics need him the most he becomes soft and passive? What happened to the intense Kevin Garnett that Boston fans have come to know and love? Why is he not beasting bleeping Zaza Pachullia? Why does he play 15 feet away from the basket and fade away on every jump shot? Get it together KG. Yes, I am calling you out.

2) For the first time this series, Rajon Rondo looked like a second year point guard. He often forced passes that weren't there, took unneccesary shots, and played zero defense. Sam Cassell was of little help as well in Game 6. In order for the Celtics to (gasp) advance to the second round, they need far better play from their point guards.

3) I now hate Zaza Pachullia with a passion. He is in the middle of every scrum and seemingly causing all kinds of problems. How he got Paul Pierce to foul out tonight is beyond me. There was absolutely no way that Pierce should have been called for the foul underneath the basket. I am not one to complain about officiating because I feel it is a variable that is uncontrollable in all of sports. But the officiating tonight was less than lackluster. Maybe they got caught up in the raucous, albeit fairweather Atlanta atmosphere but either way, I am expecting some makeup calls come Game 7.

4) Doc is not to blame for this abyssmal series. The problem is he will be the fall guy if this disaster continues. The man who was second in coach of the year balloting may very well not have a job in Boston next season if this travesty continues. And that is beyond unfair. If you are looking for someone to blame look no further than #5, #20, and #34. After all they are "the Big Three" aren't they?

5) I must credit James Posey. He played incredible defense on Joe Johnson forcing him to hoist a prayer with time running out on the shot clock. To Johnson's credit, he nailed it. In my eyes, James Posey and Leon Powe are the only Celts who realize they are in the playoffs. Posey has hit huge shots time and again and his defense has been tight. Leon has been scrappy, the definition of a blue collar hustler. He takes charges, fights for rebounds, and dives after loose balls. If the rest of the team could follow in their path, we would not be in this mess.

I will say that we may have underestimated the Hawks. Should this series have gone this far? Absolutely not. But I will give credit where credit is due. The young athleticism has given the Celtics fits. This series has done wonders for the careers of Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Joe Johnson. With a good draft and some free agent pickups, the Hawks would be similair to the Washngton Wizards and they will be more competitive in years to come.

The only series in the first round going 7 games is the Celtics-Hawks. Who would have thunk it?

Sunday May 4. TD Banknorth Garden. 1:00.

Game 7.

-Scottie

All is Right With the World

Two writeups for the price of one

This is how is should have been through the first four games. The Celtics shot down the Hawks in Game 5 by a score of 110-85. While the "big three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all scored 20, 22, and 19 respectively, the Celtics were led by the grit and hustle of bench player Leon Powe. Upon coming off the bench in the first quarter Powe immediately drew two charges and grabbed 5 offensive rebounds. He was the energy the Celtics needed to get going. He finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds but did many things that a box score will not show you.

The Celtics showed why they won 66 games this year with their tough defense for all 48 minutes. Joe Johnson was "held" to just 21 points as the Celtics held the Hawks to 40% shooting. Sam Cassell finally showed signs of life with 13 points off the bench for the C's. Mike Bibby played horrific yet again in Boston with just 6 points and 1 assist.

The Celtics go back to Atlanta Friday night as they will try to eliminate the pesky Hawks and move on to face the winner of the Cavs-Wizards series.

The Boston Red Sox won in their last at bat for the second night in a row as Jason Varitek drove in the speedster Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Boston bats were silent yet again, but Daisuke Matsuzaka bailed them out by throwing 7 shutout innings of 2 hit ball. Papelbon came on in the ninth to pickup his 2nd win a row. David Oritz is showing signs of life again as he homered tonight and also singled in the bottom of the ninth to start the Red Sox rally.

The Red Sox currently hold a one game lead over the (gasp) Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. If the Red Sox can be in first place with this bad of an offense, it seems that they will coast to a second division title in as many years. There is no team in this division that remotely scares me. I will go so far as to say the Yankees will finish in third place this season, not making the playoffs. The Sox have the pitching to once again win the World Series. Let's just hope the bats come out of hibernation.

-Scottie

Lester-iffic

Tonight Jon Lester dazzled the Toronto Blue Jays through 8 innings, allowing only 1 hit while walking three en route to a dramatic 1-0 win for the Boston Red Sox tonight. Kevin Youkillis knocked in David Ortiz in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to snap Boston's five game losing streak.

Although Lester did not figure in the decision, he was the story tonight. For the third game in a row the Boston bats were unable to put runs together to make their outstanding starting pitching stand out. For the first time in his career, Jon Lester made a believer out of me. I always skeptical when Lester was on the mound because of his tendency to throw 100 pitches through 5 innings. I was a fan of trading Lester for Johan Santana this past offseason because I strongly believed Lester was a fluke. I was dead wrong. When Lester pounds the strike zone he is tough to figure out for opposing hitters. With the young arms the Boston Red Sox system has, I see big things for Lester. He will be a solid number three behind Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka for years to come.

Now that I am done praising Lester, it is time for a wake up call for the Red Sox bats. Tonight they had an excuse in the form of Roy Halladay. However in Tampa Bay, the bats were silenced by Edwin Jackson and James Shields. It is puzzling to me how the Sox are among the league leaders in most team offensive categories, but have looked this bad over the past three days. Thank God for the starting pitching over the past couple games.

One of my favorite players stepped up big with his glove yet again tonight. With a runner on second and two outs in the top of the ninth with a ball hit up the middle, Dustin Pedroia made an amazing diving stop, got up and fired to first to end the inning, preventing a run from scoring. The play was eerilly similar to the one he made last year against Baltimore's Miguel Tejada to perserve Clay Buchholz's no hitter. Dustin Pedroia simply gets the job done. No sophomore slump here.

The series continues tommorow with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing Dustin McGowan at 7:05 from Fenway Park.

-Scottie

And We Have a Series...

The events that took place tonight have me in a state of complete shock. I am so much in shock that I am not angry nor do I know who I should be angry with. A series that was suppose to be a 4 game tuneup for the Cavaliers has turned into a competitive series of its own. The Atlanta Hawks did the unthinkable tonight beating the Boston Celtics a second straight time and ensuring that the series will go back to Atlanta.

Why the Celtics lost:

1) Joe Johnson. The former Celtic scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. He simply took the game over and no one could stop him. Ray Allen could do nothing to even slow down Johnson as he played like a man posessed. I would have like to seen Doc make an adjustment by putting James Posey or even Tony Allen on Johnson but that never happened.

2) Foul Shooting. The Celtics were a woeful 10-18 from the foul line. They actually almost shot a better percent from downtown than the stripe. The Hawks went 29-33 from the line. It is easy to make the argument that the game was won at the line.

3) Early Foul Trouble. After the initial on slaught that saw the Celtics jump out to a quick 16-3 lead, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins each picked up 2 quick fouls. They were never really able to get into the flow of the game after that point.

4) Lack of a Bench. It is well known that the Celts have a much deeper bench than the Hawks. Tonight the Celts bench was non-existent. Sam Cassell was suppose to be a veteran presence off the bench that was solely brought in for the playoffs. Tonight Sam played like dog crap (for lack of a better term), hoisting shots that can't find the rim and turning the ball over.

Yes, the Celtics are coming back to the Garden for Game 5. But the Hawks have all the momentum coming back into Boston. If the Celtics cannot fix the aforementioned behaviors, they could be in a world of trouble.

Game 5 is Wednesday night, time to be determined. Hopefully the shock will be worn off by then.

-Scottie

The Broom; Dallas Doomed; More Trash Talking Looms

After working all weekend, I finally found the time to catch up with whats going on in the world. Here are the top stories from the weekend and my reaction.

*The Boston Red Sox were unceremoniously swept this weekend by the Tampa Bay Rays. Yikes. The Sox wasted two outstanding starts by Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett as Buchholz took a shutout into the 8th before surrendering a 2 run blast to Akiniori Iwmaura. Beckett struk out 13 in his start but recieved no run support as the Sox fell 3-0 in the final game of the series.

There is no doubt in my mind the Rays are an improved ball club, however, it is unacceptable to be swept by them if you are the Boston Red Sox. The Sox need David Ortiz to get back on track in the worst way. I am starting to get very annoyed with his lack of production and his "free pass" is losing is approaching its expiration date.

*The NFL Draft took place this weekend. Michigan offensive lineman Jake Long was selected first by the Miami Dolphins. The Kansas City Cheifs have to be the biggest winner from this weekend's draft with their selections of DT Glenn Dorsey, CB Brandon Flowers, and RB Jamaal Charles. The Tennessee Titans are the biggest losers from this weekend because they simply did not get anything they desparately needed. They had the chance to grab a wideout to give Vince Young someone to actually throw to. Instead they drafted another running back in Chris Johnson. That makes zero sense to me.

*With the Dallas Mavericks being blown out yet again by the New Orleans Hornets they find themselves on the brink of a first round elimination for the 2nd year in a row. Assuming the Mavs are eliminated, which they will be, look for owner Mark Cuban to make some drastic changes. If I was Cuban, I would shop Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, and essentially rebuild the team. The Devin Harris trade was a huge mistake for Cuban, one that I am sure he regrets making. But I feel it would be in his best interests to try and acquire the top pick in the draft, and get Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose, and build the team around them and pot smoking Josh Howard.

*The combination of Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera has proved lethal for the New York Yankees all season long. It is to bad the Yankees have zero pitching after Wang. I have said it before and I will say it again; The Yankees will not make the playoffs this year.

*It seems the NBA playoffs are all about trash talking these days. Whether its between LeBron and Deshawn Stevenson or Mike Bibby/Al Horford and the Boston Celtics, its everywhere. This definitely makes for an entertaining post season. You know it serious when Jay-Z comes to the defense of his buddy LeBron and writes a rap slamming Deshawn Stevenson. It is to bad that if Stevenson's buddy Soulja Boy writes a diss, everyone will laugh at them even more.

I have zero idea what Horford and Bibby are doing mocking the Celtics. There is a rather strong possibility the Celtics will win each of the next two games by 30 points a piece. Memo to Al Horford: You are not playing for the Florida Gators anymore. This is the NBA and you have not arrived yet. Prepare to be posterized several times in the next two games.

*After tonight's WWE pay per view, there is a new champion. For the twelfth time in his career Triple H has won the belt, defeating JBL, John Cena, and Randy Orton in a fatal four way match. Where the company goes next is anyone's guess. But I would not mind seeing an HBK-HHH feud for the next couple months. The company has rebounded strongly since the Benoit tragedy. And that was something that I thought would take a long time to overcome. Kudos to the WWE.

*I will stay away from the Bill Walton quote to close out this post. Instead I will turn t Vince Lombardi for a quote that summarizes how I feel about the Celtics loss to the Hawks in game 3.

"We didn’t lose. We just ran out of time."

-Vince Lombardi

-Scottie

Boston Massacre Continued

Mike "cry" Bibby and his fellow Atlanta Hawks should be calling country clubs around Georgia and start booking tee times. After calling out Boston fans for being "fairweather," Bibby delivered a stellar line of 12 points and 1 assist. Once again Bibby was outplayed by 2nd year guard Rajon Rondo who filled the stat sheet with 12 points 8 assists and 6 rebounds as the Celtics coasted to another easy victory.

Bibby delivered this quote after Game One:

“But a lot of these fans are bandwagon jumpers trying to get on this now. I played here last year, too. And I didn’t see three fourths of them. They’re for the team now and they might get a little rowdy but that’s about it.”

With a statement that strong, aren't you suppose to come out and deliever a gutsy performance that puts your team in position to win a game? Game three will be played in Atlanta. The Hawks are yet to sell out their playoff game which proves the phrase "Atlanta sports fan" is an oxeymoron.

Other News:

*DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams both broke my heart today by declaring for the NBA draft. This is now two years in a row where my other favorite college team, the Texas Longhorns, have been depleted by the draft. A man named Durrant left school early last year, and now AJ and DJ will join them. DJ figures to be a top 15 pick at best while AJ may not even go at all.

*Pacman Jones has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 4th round pick. Pacman, TO, and Jessica Simpson all in one? Can we please have a camera follow the Cowboys around all season Truman Show style? Now that would be great TV.

*The flu bug has hit the Boston Red Sox in the worst way in late April. Daisuke Matsuzaka's was scratched from his start tonight because of it. Jason Varitek and Manny Delcarmen have also been affected by the bug. The Sox lost tonight 6-4 as Jon Lester pitched on short rest.

*The Barry Bonds' camp has hinted that there may be collusion going on with the baseball owners. His agent has stated that no one has even offered his client a contract worth the league minimum. Sorry, there is no collusion here. It's plain and simple, no team wants a lying and cheating a**hole in their clubhouse.

And I will leave you with another gem from Bill Walton:

"You look at Vladimir Radmanovic, this guy is cut from stone. As if Michelangelo was reading and a lightening bolt flashed before him."
-- Bill Walton, 2.8.2004

-Scottie

The Future is Bright

Tonight the top two men in the Boston lineup stats' looked something like this: 7 hits, 10 at bats, 4 runs scored, 3 runs batted in, 2 home runs, and 3 doubles. The top two men in the lineup are both 24 years old and look to be in there for years to come. They are center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and 2007 Rookie of the Year, Dustin Pedroia.

Many were looking to deal Ellsbury over the winter for lefty ace Johan Santana. I was firm in my position that Ellsbury was not to be traded because he is a spark plug in the everyday lineup whereas Johan affects the game every fifth day. Tonight, Ellsbury proved my theory correct, at least for one game. Ellsbury homered twice and laid down a beautiful drag bunt to get on base setting up a game winning double by none other than Dustin Pedroia.

As of right now, the Sox have won 6 in a row and have been led by Pedroia hitting .364 with 12 RBI's out of the 2-hole. He has delivered game winning or tying doubles in 2 of the last three games. Sophomore slump? Hardly. These kids are here to say and I am loving every minute of it.

Other Tidbits

*Chris Paul has effectively shut me up over his first two NBA playoff games, single handedly embarassing Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks. Paul had the video game stats of 32 points and 17 assists. The Hornets will head to Dallas up 2-0 after blowing out the Mavs 127-103 tonight. So much for me thinking that Chris Paul was a fluke.

*The Spurs-Suns series will do down as a classic first round matchup. After game one's double overtime thriller, the two teams were back for game two tonight. The Spurs showed once again, while they are the most boring team in the league, they will win basketball games by being fundamentaly sound. The Spurs will head back to Phoenix up 2-0.

*In a "who really cares series?" the Orlando Magic beat the Toronto Raptors 104-103.

*Congrats to John Smoltz for achieving his 3,000 career strikeout tonight. It is too bad the Braves are atrocious and lost to the lowly Washington Nationals 6-0. I still do not understand why so many baseball writers had the Braves winning what could be the 2nd toughest division in baseball (behind the NL West).

*The Philadelphia Flyers won game 7 in overtime over the Washington Capitals. The Flyers will go on to face the much hated Montreal Canadiens.While I must admit I am not a hockey fan, if you do not get excited when your team is in the playoffs, check your pulse, you might be dead.

And I will leave you with a quote from my inspiration, Bill Walton.

"You talk about Shaq as a ballerina, what a pirouette from Yao!"
-- Bill Walton, as Ming twists in the lane. 2.11.2004

-Scottie

This Is Who I Am

I AM...

I am Scott Patterson
I am a die hard Boston sports fan
I am Providence Friar fanatic
I am a misplaced Texas Longhorn supporter
I am a wrestling fan
I am a homer

I BELIEVE...

I believe the Boston Red Sox are on the verge of a dynasty that will make the 1996-2000 Yankees' seem laughable
I believe the Boston Celtics will have two more titles before the Big Three dismantles
I believe Drew Bledsoe is a first ballot Hall of Famer
I believe Bret Favre is overrated
I believe Bill Walton is the wisest man of our time
I believe you will disagree with my views on many subjects

This is who I am...

I am Scott Patterson


-Scottie