Archive for category Sports
Season Preview: ChiTownDeepDish
By Ryan A. Gold
Wahoo! Sports
Too Late On A Friday
Some years back I had occasion to roll into Chicago on a Greyhound bus. My plan was to find a reasonably priced hotel and a pizza place, have a couple of beers and get up the next morning to head to the ballpark. Where I ended up was at Rush and Division. I spent the next three to eleven hours, give or take, trying to pick up girls from the U of Wisco (unsuccessful). Closing time in Chicago came unexpectedly and I found myself on the sidewalk, full of beer and short of ideas or good sense. A bum came by and bummed a cigarette and I asked him if he knew anywhere to get more beer or some weed or both. The guy said I needed to go down to K Town, which I came to learn later is also known as North Lawndale. To get an idea about K Town, if you recall a few years back the law finding 15 abandoned kids living in one room eating dog food…that was in K Town. Eventually this bum showed up with a dime bag of really lousy shake and two malt liquours which I bough for $60. I then walked the streets of Chicago for who knows how long and at the end, looking very much the part of a man who hadn’t slept in a bed for several days, I found myself at the entrance to a hotel called the Palmer Court on Wabash and Monroe. Very posh. I attracted some odd glances in the lobby as I booked a not half bad room. I went upstairs, took a shower and lay down on the bed in fresh clothes with the tv on. I left a wake up call for 11 and I slept on and off for a couple of hours. The phone rang and I got up and went to the ballpark. What followed was a story to better the day before in both excess and strangeness, but that’s a story for another time. The moral? When you’re out there, when you take chances, anything can happen. You rise and you fall in the street and then something else happens.
And so it is for the ChiTownDeepDish this year. Anything could happen. I sometimes think a fantasy team is a kind of Rorschach Test. We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we be, to misquote Anais Nin. Well this team speaks of a man willing to take chances. Mr. Vegas. An aggressive gambler. Allow me to demonstrate. Soto (fat, stoner, skinny). Berkman (old, something hurts), Barmes (Coors Field, upside, swing and miss). Reynolds (homer, steal, strikeout but in what ratio). Reyes (hammy, thyroid, ‘roid). Bourbon (rookie rookie rookie). Jones (should I break out?). Quentin (one good season). Escabar (might be something). A. Soriano (what’s the deal?). R. Soriano (my arm, she hurts). Billy Wags (see previous). Hanson (for real?). Jenks (my arm she hurts in my calf). Zambrano (see Soriano, A.). Gonzalez (Yankees? Again?) Price and Cueto (boy we might be good).
Point of order: Braun, Hernandez and Jimenez are good.
So where will these guys finish? A roll of the dice. And I do love dice. I’d say in craps lingo, the point is four. That means a winning roll pays 2x but a seven wipes you out.
Prediction: Seventh out…line away.
Season Preview: SFsEmptyTrophyCase
By Ryan A. Gold
Wahoo! Sports
a few odd minutes ago
There are some sad images floating around out there in the culture. Paul Simon sang about Fat Charlie the Archangel who was “sad as a lonely little wrinkled balloon.” That’s pretty sad. There was Iron Eyes Cody crying over air pollution in the 70’s. Definitely sad. Hemmingway probably set the bar for sad with his famous six word short story: “For Sale: baby shoes, never used.” Now that’s sad. Along side these morose thoughts and appearances, I now submit SFsEmptyTrophyCase. Poor trophy case, sitting there like a fat kid in a tux waiting for a prom date who never shows. Sad indeed. Who among you counts themselves so cold hearted that they wouldn’t like to see that fat kid get laid? Well, what are the prospects for this year’s Casers to dust off a place for some new hardware?
Unfortunately, where sadness rests one often finds pain, and a number of key players may find themselves ailing. Russell Martin will start the season on the DL and recent history suggests he may be pretty well worn out. Joey Votto’s suffering is all on the inside. Hopefully he’ll have a season filled with hugs. Brian Roberts (bulging disk) can compare bad back notes with Derek Lee who went Goldilocks on a baby bear chair in the club house and tweaked himself. Truthfully Lee will probably be fine, but it really had to be mentioned. Grady Sizemore suffered through a long, injury hampered year and they will need him to find his pre-2009 form. Yaddy Molina has a strained oblique. Somewhere John Madden reminds us that in his day, they didn’t get oblique injuries because they’d never heard of an oblique.
Assuming a season of smiles, Votto, Longoria, Tulo and Sizemore provide a very solid foundation of multi-category players. There aren’t any offensive categories being punted and there are no real weaknesses here except maybe defensively. Playing Adam Dunn and his 16 errors as an outfielder may cost the category from time to time. Dunn makes a nice power compliment to speedier players like Spann and Gutierrez, though. Matsui might prove to be a late round bargain. Overall I would expect a slightly above average performance on the offensive side.
So far so good, right? The fat kid looks up and there are headlights coming his way. Could it be her? Alas, it’s just a dump truck filled with pitchers. Ok, so maybe dump truck is a little harsh. Compost bin? I fear the combination of NYC and Javy Vazquez. That personality on that team in that park don’t strike me as particularly auspicious. Dempster, Danks and Kuroda are nearly the same guy, and while they are nice to have players in the middle of their rotations, they don’t provide a ton of value in the game we play. Garza and Burnett are a tick above their stable mates here, but both are high WHIP guys with ERA’s not quite good enough to offset that weakness. There will be a lot of strikeouts here, but losses, WHIP and ERA will be tough categories week in and week out. As will saves, which seem to have been omitted. Saves is a category this year, right? Taking two hold guys will give The Case a regular shot on the flip side and both Rodney and Madson should get regular opportunities.
I’m a compassionate man and goodness knows I’ll root for this team to fill up the empty places in our hearts, but with my head I just can’t pick ’em. After all, this is spofo’s America and not every kid gets a trophy here.
Prediction: 8th-ish
Team:
Position Players
Russell Martin (LAD – C)
Joey Votto (Cin – 1B)
Brian Roberts (Bal – 2B)
Evan Longoria (TB – 3B)
Troy Tulowitzki (Col – SS)
Grady Sizemore (Cle – OF)
Denard Span (Min – OF)
Franklin Gutiérrez (Sea – OF)
Derrek Lee (ChC – 1B)
Adam Dunn (Was – 1B,OF)
Hideki Matsui (LAA – Util)
Yadier Molina (StL – C)
Austin Jackson (Det – OF)
Pitchers
Javier Vázquez (NYY – SP)
Ryan Dempster (ChC – SP)
Fernando Rodney (LAA – RP)
Ryan Madson (Phi – RP)
John Danks (CWS – SP)
Matt Garza (TB – SP)
A.J. Burnett (NYY – SP)
Hiroki Kuroda (LAD – SP)
Season Preview: Return to Prominence
By Ryan A. Gold
Wahoo! Sports
“See, they return; ah, see the tentative
Movements, and the slow feet,
The trouble in the pace and the uncertain
Wavering!”
Ezra Pound wrote these lines in a poem called “The Return” about a group of old warriors stumbling back home. Probably not the triumphant return affable owner M Max hopes to conjure with his team’s name, but the word return cuts in different directions marching backwards and forwards in time. Sometime the past returns to join us in the future but sometimes return speaks to a desire to take the present back to the past, back to halcyon days. Which way the return manifests itself will have a lot to do with how R2P fares this season.
The core of this team consists of a number of key veterans and if they show up this season on wobbling legs like Pound’s returning vets, it might be a long season. Go back five, maybe even ten years, and a roster featuring the likes of Chipper, Tejada, Damon, Furcal, Hoffman and Hudson might look pretty formidable. All have the potential to produce useful seasons but health and diminished production will be something to watch. These guys will have to bring some of that old magic back with them into 2010 if this team is going to compete.
Return can be read yet another way, as a trip back home, and the hometown is well represented for R2P. Hey, if you’re not entirely sure which way to draft, there’s nothing wrong with getting guys you want to root for anyway. McCann, Chipper, McClouth, Cabrera, and Hudson will all suit up for the squad and you have to wonder if M Max has been informed that Furcal is no longer a Brave. You also have to wonder how he’ll feel if super rookie Jason Heyward breaks out for somebody else’s side this year.
Ryan Howard will lead the offense, well complimented by an underrated Brandon Phillips. Granderson could approach 30/30, but his BA has to be a concern. There are batting average risks in other places too, with four likely starters who hit below .270 last year. The OPS outlook is similarly dicey and with all the veteran players, there doesn’t seem to be any high ceiling guys to come to the rescue with break out seasons. This looks like a middle of the pack team offensively with steals being a possible bright spot, especially if Rajai Davis swipes the 80 bags that Rickey Henderson is predicting for him.
One return that could really benefit this team would be a return to form for Jake Peavy, who seems healthy, happy and ready to deal for the White Sox. Changing parks from Petco to the Chicago launching pad won’t help, nor will changing leagues, but Peavy will compete. If he does put together a strong season he’ll combine with two front of the rotation studs in Halladay and Johnson to present a tough pitching match up for anybody.
Given the middling offense, you’d like to see the pitching staff rounded out by a slightly stronger bullpen. We probably shouldn’t read too much into Papelbon’s year end struggles, but he doesn’t seem quite the sure thing he did at this time last year. Hoffman keeps on doing it, but you just have to wonder if he has another year in him. Some health concerns and a homer friendly park might be ready to catch up with him. Fuentes is just flat out Earl Weaver smoking in the dugout scary. Sherrill will provide some holds.
‘Return’ has a partner in this team’s name and ‘prominence’ carries it’s own double meaning. In one sense prominence means a leading position, the head of the pack. But it can also simply mean a place of attention, as in “prominent in our thoughts.” While M Max and his fans will hope for the former, they may have to content themselves with the later meaning as baseball returns to prominence in our thoughts and keeps us company through the long hot summer.
Prediction: Outside shot at the playoffs with a few breaks
Team:
Position Players
Brian McCann (Atl – C)
Mark DeRosa (SF – 1B,3B,OF)
Brandon Phillips (Cin – 2B)
Chipper Jones (Atl – 3B)
Miguel Tejada (Bal – SS)
Johnny Damon (Det – OF)
Melky Cabrera (Atl – OF)
Curtis Granderson (NYY – OF)
Rajai Davis (Oak – OF)
Ryan Howard (Phi – 1B)
Rafael Furcal (LAD – SS)
Nate McLouth (Atl – OF)
Ryan Doumit (Pit – C)
Pitching
Roy Halladay (Phi – SP)
Josh Johnson (Fla – SP)
Jonathan Papelbon (Bos – RP)
Brian Fuentes (LAA – RP)
Jake Peavy (CWS – SP)
Trevor Hoffman (Mil – RP)
George Sherrill (LAD – RP)
Tim Hudson (Atl – SP)
Fantasy Baseball Season Previews
Yes, it is that time of year when stat geeks and baseball addicted individuals become those rabid OCD sports page and injury report readers.
I play in one league every year, we lose 1 or 2 players each year, but we have a core of about 9 players who have been in the league for several years, which is always important.
One of these core members goes by the moniker of “Tuttle”, which personally reminds me of the character Norman Tuttle from Street Hawk, the short lived television show from the 1980’s.
Tuttle is a smart individual with a sense of humor that almost has no rival, and every year he does a great job of taking a look at everyones’ team and does a season preview. I have chosen to log them all here this year instead of allowing them to drift off into the abyss of Yahoo by sometime in July… there will be 12 posts with the descriptions…
Lewis and Reed and Mason Oh My!
Posted by nedster in Entertainment, Football, New England Patriots, Opinion, Sports on 2010/01/08
So the Patriots are playing the Ravens this weekend in the first round of the playoffs. This is going to be an interesting matchup, and the game is certainly going to be exciting.
To know why it is going to be exciting is to look back to the first time these two teams faced off in the regular season. It was the 4th game of the season and the Patriots were 2-1 while the Ravens were 3-0.
Neither team had a secure hold on the game at any point, and outside of Ray Rice, no one really had what could be considered a great game statistically. The Ravens were better though on the ground and through the air, while the Patriots managed to commit fewer penalties and control the time of possession better than the Ravens.
Now we come to the end of the season and the playoffs where these 2 teams meet again, a single game separating their regular season records.
Even as a diehard Patriots fan, the overwhelming majority of factors in this game favor the Ravens. The Patriots have 4 things in their favor on the field of play, their quarterback Tom Brady, their 3 man Defensive line, and their place kicker Stephen Gostowski. Wait, that is only 3, I will get to the fourth in a moment. The Ravens are better than the Patriots in pretty much every other category when it comes to running backs, offensive line, wide receivers, defensive backfield, and tight ends.
Then there is the 4th thing that I did not mention above, which probably gives the Patriots a slight edge in this entire situation. This is a desire for the young players, the stars of the future to make their mark and prove something to themselves, the press, their opponents and the rest of the league who are all calling them done, out of it, the end of an era. This is their time to step up and become what they know they can become.
Wes Welker went down with a serious injury last week, that is not good for the Patriots in general, he was their leading WR this season, near the top of the league in almost every WR category, 2nd all time in catches for a single season, and yet he also missed games 2 and 3 this year, as well as virtually all of the last game. To doubt or underestimate his importance to this team, and this team’s offense would be foolish. I do hope however that the opponents of the Patriots take this as an opportunity to overestimate how much his loss will affect the Patriots game plan and execution for the game.
I know I can be called crazy for what I am about to say, but so be it. I think that the loss of Wes Welker actually has the potential to be an advantage to the Patriots this post season and their ability to win. What? Yes, Yes I really did just type those words, and hear me out with this wild and crazy thought process.
Every team knows that Welker has been Tom Brady’s backup plan on nearly every play this year, he was the go to guy and was available on 2nd and 3rd looks all the time, and it worked. Teams didn’t try to stop him, they just tried to contain him, while also preventing the long ball to Sam Aiken or Randy Moss. Teams knew it would be him, it was always him, but who will it be now? Will it be Julian Edelman who filled in almost without a pause last week? Will it be Kevin Faulk who seems to step up and become the guy willing to do anything the coach asks him to? Will it be Ben Watson who steps it up to use his size and speed to his full potential? Will Sebastian Vollmer bouncing from the right side to the left side to mix it up against the defensive line make a difference?
I know I don’t know that, and I am guessing the Ravens, Colts, Chargers or whoever else the Patriots could be may not know that answer either. This is what gives the Patriots a slight advantage by not having Wes Welker in the game, it forces them to think of more and new options and use players in a way that the other team’s defenses don’t know how to defend.
Welker has been a mainstay in this offense for 3 years now, defenses are used to him and know what to expect and can study the film on him for the past 3 years, but what film is there from 4 or 5 years ago that would still be relevant to the Patriots now? Not a single WR was here 4 years ago, so it’s tough to really compare then to now with the passing offense.
If the Patriots want to win, they need to go back to 01, 03, 04 and do what was working for them and what made that team a winner. It wasn’t the big play, it wasn’t the long ball to Moss for 40+ yards that got them those wins. The things that will win this playoff run for the Patriots are screen passes, in routes, out routes, drag routes and curls to Edelman, Watson, Faulk, and Baker. While all those routes are going on, Moss needs to stick to it, run his come backs, go routes, and post patterns to be open in case that long shot is available.
If the Pats can do that, then I think they have the chance to go far, if not all the way in these playoffs.
Is this the only key to winning? No, definitely not. The defensive backfield needs to step up to not just the next level, but the level 1 step beyond that as well. They have been acceptable for most of the year, yes they give up yards and plays, but they have their moments when they are good at what they do, and while the WR against the Ravens this weekend hold the advantage, they also hold the disadvantage of having the ball thrown to them by Joe Flacco. Same goes for the defensive line, they need to step it up and get a better pass rush to force Flacco to make more errors than he normally would. These are definitely important, but I think the veteran leadership of Junior Seau on the field, and some motivation of the younger players like Butler, Mayo, Chung, and Meriweather to be stepping it up and being the players the patriots thing they can be.
Remember the beginning of this decade for the New England Patriots, it wasn’t the big name players who got those wins, it was the rough and tumble, hard playing almost unknown players who’s wins got them those big names.
Photo 365 – 1/5/2010
1/5/2010 – Everyone has seen this before, just not like this.
This is the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park. I was standing right by it while taking pictures at the St’ Sebastian’s vs Belmont Hill game at Fenway Park. I was going to walk onto it to take a photo looking at home plate, but I chose not to since I thought I might get tackled by security for doing so.
The game was awesome, I thought that St. Sebastian’s had it locked up, but they haad a couple of bad penalties while up 5-2, which led to 2 goals making it 5-4. Then Belmont Hill tied it up with 5 seconds remaining in the 3rd period to send the game into overtime where they would score another goal less than 30 seconds into overtime.
Their side of the crowd loved it, the taunting was loud.
I will say that I was a bit disappointed with the St. Seb’s crowd, they were not nearly as loud, and didn’t do anywhere near the same level of taunting as the Belmont Hill crowd.
Gotta get them to know how to do better trash talking…
So, I Have Realized I Truly Am An Addict…
So I, like many many people out there play fantasy football, baseball, hockey, basketball, NFL Pick-ems, NCAA Tournament Pick ems and I enjoy it.
While I have gotten better and no longer play fantasy PGA golf, Beat the Streak hits/HR/Wins, Fantasy NASCAR, Suvival Football, Salary Cap Football, and I only play Yahoo Fantasy games at this point, keeping up with CBS, MLB, NFL, ESPN, and other sites is just too much work…
So maybe I am on the road to a cure? Probably not though with my latest escapade…
Now, there are always different types of leagues, baseball has points, head to head, and rotisseries style leagues, and football has the same, minus rotisserie.
I have always kinda wondered what it would be like if everyone picked a team and just took players from that one team for their fantasy team, and how that would work out. Would the “best team” get the most points or win in a Head to Head lineup every week? The same as they would in a regular game?
Well, I have decided to test my theory a little bit…
I am in the process of building 2 Fantasy Football leagues, both points leagues, one for the AFC and one for the NFC. I would put them all in one league, but I am limited to only 20 teams per league, so I can’t put them all in one league, annoying, but life I guess.
So I setup the leagues the following way.
Offense:
Passing Yards – 25 per point
Passing TDs – 6 points
Interceptions – -1 point
Sack – -1
Rushing Yards – 10 per point
Rushing TDs – 6 points
Reception Yards – 10 per point
Reception TDs – 6 points
Return Yards – 50 per point
Return TDs – 6 points
1 Point Conversion – 2 points
Fumbles Lost – -2 points
Kicker
FG 0-19 – 3 points – I still don’t see how this is even possible, but that’s another story.
FG 20-29 – 3 points
FG 30-39 – 3 points
FG 40-49 – 4 points
FG 50+ – 5 points
FG Missed 30-39 – -1 point
PA Made – 1 point
PA Missed – -5 this is a gimme point, so yeah, penalize em for it.
Defense/Special Teams
Sack – 1 point
Interception – 2 points
Fumble Recovery – 2 points
TD – 6 points
Safety – 2 points
Blocked Kick – 2 points
0 points – 10 points
1-6 points – 7 points
7-13 points – 4 points
14-20 points – 1 point
21-27 points – 0 points
28-34 points – -1 point
35+ points – -4 points
I have each team setup with 2 QB, 3 RB, 4 WR, 2 TE, 1 K, 1 Def
I am going to play each team each week with the players based on their depth chart in the positions.
Fortunately, I can control all rosters through the commissioners account, but I still had to create 16 different Yahoo accounts in order to do this… but fortunately I have this domain which makes it real easy to create a whole bunch of email accounts to get this done…
Plus, I couldn’t use my normal Yahoo account for any of this, I mean, that could screw up my historical ranking if I did that by artificially inflating my success or failures, and no one wants that…
Wait… do I need to go to rehab now?
UPDATE: I said screw it and I am not doing this… it no longer sounds fun or interesting to me…
Collapse of Epic Proportions; Redemption
Posted by nedster in Entertainment, Sports on 2009/07/01
It was a dark day already, with rain falling earlier in the day, as well as more forecast for the evening, but little did anyone know it was about to get a lot darker for the Boston Red Sox. Not since June 4, 1989 have the Red Sox seen such a collapse in a game as there was on June 30, 2009 against the Baltimore Orioles. After a one hour and ten minute rain delay, the Red Sox squandered a 10-1 lead and lost 11-10.
Let’s travel back in time to take a view of that game 20 years ago. It was a Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park and the Red Sox were playing the Toronto Blue Jays. Alex Sanchez was starting for the Jays and Mike Smithson for the Red Sox.
It started off gangbusters for the Red Sox, Smithson pitched 6 shutout innings allowing only 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 Toronto hitters, including George Bell twice. He was pulled from the game after giving up walks to the first 2 batters of the 7th inning.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense was abusing the pitching of Toronto that day. They chased Alex Sanchez from the game after recording only a single out in the first inning. Sanchez was pulled by Cito Gaston after giving up a walk to Carlos Quentin which came after the 3 Home Run by Ellis Burks. The Red Sox managed to score another 5 runs in following innings to make it a 10-0 game at the end of the 6th inning.
Then, the wheels completely came off the bus.
The first 2 runners for the Blue Jays reached base on walks, and Joe Morgan brings in Bob Stanley to keep the peace, but he allows both inherited runners to score before closing out the inning. Ok, not that bad, but then in the 8th inning Stanley gives up 4 more earned runs, bringing the Jays within striking range down by only 4 runs 10 to 6.
But it’s the 8th inning and the Red Sox have Lee Smith as a closer, a pitcher who will eventually be the all time leader in career saves at the time of his retirement, so why would anyone be worried?
It was not in the cards for them that day though, Smith would give up a a walk, followed by a double to score an inherited runner, then clutch strikeout to get the first out of the inning, only to walk the next batter and give up a grand slam home run to give the Blue Jays the lead in the top of the 9th inning, 11-10. Dennis Lamp then entered the game to get the final 2 outs of the inning, and he would be the last pitcher of the game for the Red Sox as well.
Nick Esasky would walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Red Sox, and then you saw something that was completely un-Red Sox-like, Rich Gedman drops down a sacrifice bunt to advance Esasky to second. Bunting never was a strong suit of the Red Sox and it was rarely done except in the most dire of circumstances. Jody Reed then singled into right field allowing Esasky to score the tying run.
Small sighs could be heard all around, being the home team the Red Sox had the advantage now, even though they were 4-4 that year in extra inning games, people thought they could do it.
The inning ended and stranded Jody Reed at second base on a ground out by Marty Barrett against David Wells who was pitching in relief. After this inning it was a Double D Dual to see who would win the game, Dennis Lamp against Duane Ward.
The innings were quick after that, in the 10th the Sox got fans excited with another successful bunt after a lead off walk, this time by Ellis Burks, but Randy Kutcher was stranded at second by innings end.
Not til the top of the 12th inning did anyone score, it was a long home run hit to deep right-center field into the bleachers by Junior Felix, 13-11 which would be the final score of the game as Wade Boggs, Same Horn and Randy Kutcher would go down in order in the bottom of the 12th, Kutcher while watching strike 3 cross the plate on a 3-2 count…
Fortunately, games like these only come around every 20 years or so, and sometimes, just sometimes the victim of such a shocking loss can use it for motivation, to realize that no matter what the score of the game, no team is ever truly “out of it”.
In fact, just the next day, July 1, 2009 against the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox put up 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning to tie the game at 5, and eventually would go on to win the game 6-5 in 11 innings.
The save of this game was a moment to be noted though, not only was the save awarded to the same pitcher who had given up the game winning hit the night before, but it was also the save(133) that put Jonathan Papelbon alone at the top of the record books for most saves by a pitcher in a Red Sox uniform. The man he surpassed was Bob Stanley, a pitcher who was not only part of that dismal night 20 years earlier, but also spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform. Hopefully Jonathan Papelbon will do the same.
Welcome Back Youk and the Large Father!
Last night was a great game by the Red Sox.
The night started against the Blue Jays with the Red Sox sitting in 2nd place behind the Blue Jays by 2.5 games after a win the night before 2-1.
The rookie Cecil was pitching for the Jays and he was doing pretty well until the 3rd inning when Jason Varitek leads off the inning with a Home Run. Then Julio Lugo hits a double, gets to third on a bunt single by Jacoby and then scored when Pedroia hits into a double play. Followed up by Big Papi Ortiz striking out, the pit that is 3rd in the order continues to grow deeper.
It was a scary moment for Cecil though who laid himself out trying to catch the bunt popup by Jacoby. He landed really awkwardly and it was thought he might have injured his shoulder. As Eck said on the broadcast, it wasn’t a smart thing for a pitcher to try and do, but it was instinct to try to catch the ball and get the out. Fortunately he was alright and stayed in the game.
Boopie doopie doo… 4th inning was boring and then we come to the 5th inning. Jason Varitek is up at the plate to lead off the inning. POW, home run to lead off the inning for number 7 on the year.
Wait, What? Who? Jason Varitek just hit another home run? Jason Varitek is tied for 2nd on the team with 7 home runs for the season and it’s only May? Who is this guy and where was he last year?
So then things really started rolling after that. Lugo grounded out to 3rd, followed by a walk to Ellsbury. Pedroia steps into the box and drives a nice hard shot into right center for an easy stand up double while ellsbury tries to go first to home for the score. I am pretty sure he actually scored because I think the tag missed him, but with the angle for home plate umpire Marty Foster put him at a disadvantage, so it looked like Ellsbury was out. Pedroia then advanced to 3rd on the throw home.
So now Papi is at the plate and every stands up and gives him a standing ovation to show their support for him in this eternal slump that he appears to be in. Then… BOOM! He hits a home run into straight away center field!! The ball went over at about 370 feet! It may have barely made it over the fence, but who cares? It made it over the fence!! His first home run on 150 at bats dating back all the way to last year!! His teammates gave him the “rookie cold shoulder” when he went back to the dugout after trotting around the bases, but then surrounded him with hugs, high fives, and pats ont he head and back for the hit. He then took a moment to step to the top of the dugout stairs to wave his hat in thanks to the fans who were cheering him, even in the home run drought.
Why stop the train from rolling, right? Jason Bay followed him 2 batters later after a Kevin Youkilis single for his team leading 12th home run which sailed well over the Green Monster and bounced off cars in the garage accross the street. Then Mike Lowell followed up with a back to back shot over the left field fence as well which put the Red Sox in a comfortable 8-0 situation. Rocco Baldelli managed to hit a triple to left center but was stranded on base by Varitek who struck out to end the inning.
The game was a good one and the Red Sox have taken the first 2 games in a 3 game series with the Jays, I have high hopes for tonight in hopes of a clean sweep of the first series of the year. That would put the Red Sox 1/2 game off the Jays with 2 fewer wins, and 1 fewer loss.
Youk was back last night, went 3/5, and Lugo went 1/4 and is still above .300 with his average. Now if Lugo can keep this up and stop with all the on the field errors, then I might not mind him hanging around. I think he’s a good #9 hitter, so if he gets on base we don’t have a slow poke sitting in front of Jacoby who leads off the order.
So I Setup and Tested the Wii
Posted by nedster in Entertainment, Fun, Opinion, Sports on 2009/05/19
Well, the Wii is definitely just as much fun as I have heard it is supposed to be. I got home last night, actually read the directions, and then setup my Wii in the livingroom.
My initial setup had the sensor put on the top of the TV, but then after I played with it a little bit I realized this was a poor placement for the sensor. I have my TV mounted above the mantle of my fireplace, and having the sensor on the top makes it a little tough to aim the controller and get a good reaction from it’s field of view. I moved it down and put it on my mantle and the action and responsiveness became much much better.
So I played each of the games in the Wii Sports once I had things setup.
First was bowling since it was the simplest. It was a little tricky the first couple throws, but then I started to get a hang of it. I scored a 132 my first game, and then a 143 my second game. I definitely have a slight hook to my throws, but the funny thing is that I have the same when I bowl for real. Easy to compensate for and even helped me a little for scoring to have the hook.
Next up… Tennis!
I didn’t explore all the options but I played 1 player tennis doubles. First match was just 1 game and I lost scoring only once. However, once I was done with that, I played a 3 game and a 5 game match and won 3-1 and 3-0 in those, so I think I have a handle on it.
Next up… Boxing!
This was fun, I only did 2 fights, but they were fun. I definitely move faster than the controllers can react, but it’s not too bad, the real trick was figuring out how to do different punches instead of just a jab. I won both fights by knock outs, one in the second round on the 2nd knock down(3rd overall) and one in the 3rd round(4th overall), I still don’t know how he got up so many times in those first two rounds.
Next up… Golf!
This was hard… I think it was probably harder for me because I play real golf than it would be for someone else. I played 3 holes(pars 4, 3, 5) and scored a 6, 5, and 6 respectively. It was fun but I also need more room for it to be a lot of fun.
Last up… Baseball!
Pitching was easy, but not til the end of the 3rd inning did I discover how to throw a curveball, and I know I need to read up a little more on what is what to get that down better. Hitting was a little weird because of the bat position, that may have been my fault though. Another quirk was fielding, that’s all automatic, and the fact that everyone in the field looks like a weeble is weird too, NO LEGS!! That game ended after 3 innings, with a score of 0-0. I almost hit a home run 3 times though, only to have it caught on the warning track.
Late Note/Edit: One thing that would make this a whole lot better to play would be having higher ceilings in my house, I think I only have a 7-7.5 foot ceiling, so it makes it pretty hard if I am playing tennis and go to swing with the overhand to slam it through to try to win the point.