Sox Pitching = > Scary

Just thinking about the Sox depth at pitching especially the middle relief (Manny, Okajima, Masterson, Saito, Lopez, Ramirez, and Paps! Lights OUT!) is SCARY. Add to that the starting rotation is looking deeper than any other team in the league with a solid Beckett, Lester, Dice K, Smoltz/ Penny, Wakefield, and throw in the possible return of Bucholz. It just gets even more sickening. What is it that they say again "good Pitching always beats good Hitting" = wins in the playoffs to me.

Hearing about the injury bugs that plagued the Sox rotation is also scary. Remember game 6 of the ALCS last year. The game where Beckett a.k.a. "BALLS" gutted out 5 innings, 4 hits, and 2 runs know all of THIS is scary. Guy was pitching with a dinged up wing and still found a way to get it done. Add to that he's still thinking about how poorly he pitched down the stretch last year. Add in that John Lester took over the "ACE" roll from September on looming just over Balls shoulder. You think Beckett might be motivated in '09?

How dominant will he be this year with an actual training regiment besides his 2008 spring training 12 oz. curl, KFC, and ring ding routine. A motivated Josh Beckett is a dangerous Josh Beckett. Remember this is the guy Tim McCarver once said had "The Guts of a Burglar!" Well the AL East and the rest of the league better watch out because 2007 Beckett is what you'll see this year. After reading Bradford's piece it sounds like Balls has found himself and finally taken on an ACE mentality. The same mentality Pedro, Schilling, and any other Hall Of Fame pitcher has needed. It is that edge that we hoped to see in Balls last year coming off a dominant '07 performance. He never fully established it, but hopefully 2009 is the year he adds the wisdom of a seasoned veteran to his already Ballsy swagger.

While the hope is he won't just take his talent for granted any longer. I think he finally gets it. From what it sounds like he has figured out that he can't assume his talent will out weigh his effort. He has come in to camp dedicated and in shape and that's all you can ask for. Expectations of the Nation however will be another story. Can Beckett return to form? In my opinion Yes!

The rumors of Tommy's demise have been greatly exagerated.

Pats fans can feel damn comfortable hearing this from Tommy :

Asked if he was able to move and put torque into a throw at this point, Brady said:

“Yeah. You wouldn’t know that I had surgery if you watched me.”

He then joked that his biggest problems are on the golf course.

“I can’t putt the ball,” he cracked.

- Mike Reiss boston.com

As for the rest of the NFL fans out there don't get your hopes up about that knee never being able to hold weight again. Bernard Pollard you may have just given Tommy the motivation he's been seeking since his last ring in 2005! Can't wait for week one.

Preach on Papi

David Ortiz is not impressed with the lack of discipline the Commissioner and the MLB have failed to swiftly dole out, and with good reason. While the steroid talk won't vanish from the front pages hopefully those players who are clean can lead the way out of the mess MLB has on its hands. Get ready for more names to be dropped as well. The incessant rambling about these guys use and who did and who didn't will cloud the game for some time. As far as throwing out records did they throw out the numbers of guys who have used amphetamines or worse in the past?

As a fan, I for one am ready to get it over with and look forward to a cleaner generation of baseball. Did these guys cheat? Yes, but let's not act like this is something that every major sport has been guilty of. Why do people only take offense that it is baseball? Because so much is judged by the numbers shouldn't be the only reason. If you didn't know McGwire, Bonds, or Sosa were using you're a fool I was a teen and my friends and I knew plain as day. Did it change the fact that it was fun to watch those guys hit moon shots? No! Did it set a wrong example for future generations? Yes, but it is going to teach the next generations of athletes the consequences. In 10-20 years the proof will be when all these sports legends start dropping like flies and that will be the certain outcome. To believe the players are the only ones responsible is naive. The Player's Union, Owners, MLB, and the Commissioner are all to blame for letting this slide for so long without taking a stand. The fans are not innocent in this either. Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you wouldn't take something that would make you perform better, work less, and make you more money at your JOB if the majority of your co-workers were. As far as those who haven't come clean take a cue from A-Rod...The Truth Will Set You Free.

Things I know because the News tells me so

Here are a couple of things I know after this the second week of February 2009.

• A-Rod is guilty of "ignorance"...if anything and he'll always be a friend forever!


• Miguel Tejada is "bery bery sawry!"


• Robbie Alomar likes to hit it raw dawg.


• Robbie Alomar "allegedly" has The AIDS.


• Robbie Alomar "allegedly" was rapped by two Mexican men? Too much info.


• I'll never fully understand LOST...and I like it.


• Chris Brown's a biter. Seems he has more in common with Ike Turner or Marv Alberts then Marvin Gaye.


• I still don't believe Brett Favre's retiring. Let alone that he was hurt down the stretch. Man Up! Is there a more overrated sports star in history.


• The Pats will not trade Cassel to the Jets...Unless they offer their next 4 first rounders.
• The kid who Selma Hayek breast fed in Sierra Leone will never have a better meal in his life. BREAST MEAL EVER!
• Eddie was right it's EVOLUTION BABY!

100 Posts...Really?

And for my one hundredth post I present to you A-Rod + Roids = Too Easy. I'd like to thank A-Rod for blowing up the blog sphere with the recent news. Really A-Rod juicing...Who KNEW! Maybe that's why he liked getting freaky with American Gladiator sized strippers. Keep doing your thing A-Rod.

Now you're in the CLEAR for all the purple lip stick!

ba dum dum che! (rim shot)

Yankee fans officially have nothing to like about their star player. Red Sox fans everywhere are left to wonder about Nomar's use. Baseball fans now remove all the great moments in the game over 80's & 90's from their collective memories...Right? Somewhere in Atlanta Jamal Anderson's publicist is writing a thank you note to A-Rod.

At least he's not Chris Brown though! Too bad he'll be losing all this.

Celtics v. Lakers Rivalry Continued

I didn't get to see either of the last two Celtics games this week and I swear I am going to strangle the Direct TV tech today. Missing Ray Ray's game winner hurt, but not watching the grab ass in last nights game might have been for the best. Who knows watching an OT game where the C's lose to the Lake Show may have given me a stroke. From what I gather about the game. Eddie House took the last shot in regulation. Now, I know he was hot in the 4th, but I've seen Eddie "get those shots". Eddie doesn't "Hit Big Shots" and that is stated with love. Ray Allen is "That Guy". He will get you that shot and was clearly fouled, but I won't argue that point because it was a Huge rivalry game. Refs don't make those calls in these kind of games. I'd rather live with Ray Allen missing a big shot then Eddie is all I'm saying.

Doc also needs to stop the B.S. with Big Baby over Powe. Powe is obviously the better option in spots where you need a tough board. PJ Brown isn't walking through that door...until late April. Bib Baby is fine when he's getting garbage minutes, but when he's 1-8 and K.G. fouls out Powe is the obvious answer. Come on Doc you're better than that...Right?

Are you Sugar Ray?

After watching the surprisingly interesting and entertaining Superbowl despite the Steelers winning another title I needed something to turn my attention to. Unfortunately my DirecTv dish goes down the night Ray Allen hits a killer three to ice the Sixers. Figures. But, what if you watch the final play develop it is uncanny how the Big Three have gelled so seemlessly. Honestly it is like Pierce, Allen, & K.G. have been playing together since AAU. Watch how Pierce draws the defenders and Ray instantly cuts to his sweet spot. I don't blame the Sixers for taking the bait. Sure having three of the best players in the league on your team is a blessing. But, watching three bonafide stars, who could have egos about having to share touches, come together for the better of the team is a special thing to behold. In this day and age watching this team come together from the first game of 2008 to now is amazing.

Completely unrelated notes:

• How did Ben Coates not get a first ballot nod for the Hall?
• How the hell did James Harrison not get booted from the game for THIS!
• The Steelers are the class of the league...My Ass! To quote Tim McCarver "You're a real man Ryan Clark...You're a Real MAN!"
• You call this a parade Pittsburgh? We had a bigger one in Portland, ME for the Pats in 2001.

Terminated

The Celtics cleaned house this week and gave old Lucky the axe. I for one can say I'm glad this tradition started during the down years it's time to stop acting like a 3rd rate franchise. I mean Christ this is the F'n Celtics not the Harlem Globe Trotters. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but isn't this the most storied franchise in NBA history. The Dynasty Red built and Larry carried to new heights. I've been to a few games over the past few years and its bad enough that the C's have added the blaring music and noise meeter, but having a mascot? Come on Red has been rolling over in his grave and if it weren't for the C's taking it all last season we'd be the equivalent of the Flint Michigan Tropics. Would Wyc start jumping the dance team or wrestling bears? Who knows what would have been had Danny not made a deal with McHale for K.G. and somehow got Sugar Ray from the Sonics. And don't even get me started on the GD noise meter. This used to be the Boston F'n Gahden! Good riddance Lucky go F' yourself and don't let that door hit you on the way out. P.S. You're not a Pro-Athlete nor has anyone ever considered you one. Biggest fan my ass. I can't believe Danny let this d-bag even set foot on the parquet.

Who's House?

It was certainly Eddie House's night against the Kings. Man what has happened to the one time beasts of the West the Kings. Chris Webber ain't walking through that door. Vlade Divak ain't walking through that door. House really has been on fire as of late. You think he's heard the Starbury rumors? God I hope Eddie can keep this up because the C's do not need the headache that is Starbury. This team has too much chemistry to throw a "me first" guy on the wagon at this point in the year. The minor losing streak behind them the C's have won their last 9. Truck Party Anyone??? Keep making it rain Eddie.