Monthly Archives: August 2010

August 31, 2010 · 5:24 AM

The Anti-Vacation

Just another excuse to run the National Lampoon’s Vacation trailer.

Let me explain…

The movie follows the Griswolds from Chicago out to Los Angeles as they head to Wally World.

Well, when Manny Ramirez went to the Dodgers, it was dubbed Manny-wood.

Now it turns out that Manny is heading from the Dodgers to the White Sox. See, the anti-Vacation. Instead of Chicago to LA, he’s heading from LA to Chicago. And just like when he was in Boston, he managed to shoot his way out of town. In fact it lasted one pitch. One called strike and Manny got tossed out of his last game as a Dodger.

Back to where it all started in the American League Central. Just like Albert (Joey) Bell and Jim Thome after that, he too has gone from the rival Indians to the White Sox.

Scouts have said his ability to play the field, which has always been an issue, is pretty much gone but he can still hit. He’ll likely be the DH for the White Sox as the only “DH” they have listed on their active roster is former Red Sox
Mark Kotsay. Kotsay is batting .239 this season. Manny who’s played in 30 less games than Kotsay this season has a respectable .311 batting average but his power number are way down with only eight homers to his credit.

He does get to play for Ozzie Guillen and I think that will help his personality. Ozzie, from what it seems, runs a pretty loose clubhouse and won’t try and control Manny with dress codes and rules like Joe Torre did with the Dodgers.

The White Sox are only four games back in their division and the way the AL East is shaking out, their only shot at the post season is going to be winning their division. Manny could certainly help those chances. If nothing else, it should be entertaining.

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August 30, 2010 · 5:43 AM

Meaningless September Baseball

The headline really surmises what’s on tap for Sox fans. After a win Friday night that put the team within 4.5 of the division/wildcard lead they proceeded to drop the next two games in the series. They lost Saturday following a boneheaded catch in foul territory by JD Drew and Sunday by their off-season prize John Lackey laying a dud.

Today’s the 30th and an off day for the Sox as they’re traveling up to Baltimore. They should try and get as many waiver moves done now as their season is over. Making meaningless claims on a guy like Mike Napoli just make the team look stupid. You don’t see the A’s or Tigers trying to add to their roster. Nope, they’re sellers and the Sox should be too.

In their defense, they didn’t have a bad season. Their worst finish in recent history was in 2006 when they finished in third with 86 wins. It looks like they should beat that mark and finish the season around 90 or so wins. It just so happens that the two teams ahead of them in the standings are going to finish near or over the 100 win mark.

By writing off the season on August 30th it really handicaps my blog. Seeing a Sox headline basically will mean no readers on that day knowing the season is over.

Oh well. I can’t write about the Pats every day.

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August 27, 2010 · 5:58 AM

How’s Your D?

“In a game of no defense, we played less.”
-Bill Belichick following a home loss to a Rams team that was 1-15 last season

“I played like HOT GARBAGE.”
Darius Butler via his Twitter account

“Any time you have an offense that’s moving up the field at will, it’s demoralizing.”
James Sanders about the Pats embarrassing themselves at home

I think you get the picture at this point. The Pats defense sucked. They couldn’t stop the Rams from marching right down the field on them. The Rams were successful in 11 of their 17 third down attempts. The Rams held a 43:46 to 16:14 time of possession. The Patriots couldn’t get to rookie quarterback Sam Bradford with the likes of Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain (best Mortal Kombat name) as their pass rush.

Aaron Schobel, you still want to stay retired?

On the offensive side, Brady looked good following a first half that saw as many touchdowns as it saw first downs for the Pats, one. Brady finished 18-of-22 for 273 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. The highlight was his 65 yard bomb to Randy Moss in the third quarter. Basically the play they missed on last week in Atlanta.

Well I posted yesterday about Maroney needing a breakout game but that the game plan might not allow for it and the game plan didn’t allow for it. The team only rushed the ball 11 times for a whopping 28 yards getting shut down almost every time they attempted to run. Maroney? Didn’t even see the field. Has a whopping 12 snaps this entire preseason. Awesome first round pick.

Overall a disappointing night on both sides of the ball for the Pats. Remember that when Brady was playing in the third quarter it wasn’t against the Rams starters anymore. The Pats starters on defense couldn’t even stop the Rams second offense. Did anyone mention that the Rams head coach was the defensive coordinator for the Giants when they beat the Pats in the Super Bowl? Yup Steve Spagnuolo is his name and he seems to have the Pats number.

One more tune up game against the aforementioned Giants next Thursday at the new Meadowlands. Hopefully they actually show up for that game.

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August 26, 2010 · 5:53 AM

Make Or Break?

Tonight the Pats take on the Rams. Should be a beautiful night for football. What will I be watching?

I’ll be watching to see if Sandyvagititus is running rampart or if Maroney actually gets on the field.

I’m not saying that the third preseason game is a make or break for a player but if this is really the guy the team has number one on their depth chart heading into the season, you’d have to expect a decent showing. Not like the first preseason game where he was running over the second unit of the Saints. Maybe that was Belichick just trying to build his confidence. But then he sat him for the entire Atlanta game.

The Rams were the worst team in football last year so the Patriots should win the game. But it’s going to be interesting to see how they intend to win. Will they just sling it against the Rams? If that’s the case how can you judge Maroney? They ran it down the Falcons throats to start the game (although it finished just about even passing and rushing) but they may have a completely different attack plan against the Rams.

So that’s what I’m going to be watching. Watching to see if Maroney will finally be that first round pick Patriots fans were so excited to get a few years ago that played so well at Minnesota. Or if the sandyvagititus flairs up and he’s on the bench the whole night.

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August 25, 2010 · 5:40 AM

So Much For That

On my way to run five miles (or so) in the rain last night I caught some sports radio on the drive over to the track. It was about five o’clock when the announcement came out of Detroit that Johnny Damon had nixed the trade to the Red Sox. “I’m not going,” he told reporters. “I love Detroit.”

That wasn’t all he said. He kept going making sure that he and Boston will never be reunited.

“What we had in Boston — I stress had, from 2002 to 2005 — we had a special bunch of guys,” Damon said. “And after the 2004 season, guys started leaving. And in 2005, how (Mark) Bellhorn left, how Alan Embree left, how Kevin Millar was being treated there. That’s something that sticks with you. It was a totally new team.”

“I know they have a very good team, possibly the best rotation around. They inched a game closer today. (Jason) Varitek knows what I brought to the table night in and night out. (David) Ortiz does, and (Tim) Wakefield. So obviously I know they want me. But I love it here in Detroit, and I love my teammates here.”

But you know what? He’s right.

I’m not saying that a washed up Alan Embree or a Kevin Millar that couldn’t hit a curve ball were the keys to another championship but Theo’s obsession with getting the team to a no personality team apparently was more important than how players leaving were treated. Sure Pedroia and Youk show up to the park every night and give 100% but there isn’t the personality of those 2003 and 2004 clubs.

Instead we get the JD Drew Red Sox. Show up, do your job, go home. Rarely do you get a decent soundbite from the clubhouse. In fact Ortiz is really the last personality left in the clubhouse and he’s likely gone after this season.

So I’m guessing the Sox are pretty much done with attempting to improve their team. They’ll head down to Tampa this weekend and get swept following a double header today and a day off tomorrow. That should mathematically put them out of contention and possibly make the waiver wire sellers. We’ll have to wait and see.

Pats tomorrow night. Whoo hoo!

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