Sunday, October 11, 2009

Shock & Awww

When the Red Sox and the Angels were set to play yet again in the ALDS most people thought it would be business as usual. The Sox have dominated the Halos over the past few seasons when it mattered most. I am not going to sit here and lie to you and say that I was not one of those people, I was thinking that the teams were more evenly matched this season, but none the less the Sox were going to win. Well the day has to come when you no longer have someones number, it happens in every sport (Pats vs Colts is the first that comes to mind) and for the Red Sox it has now happened in back to back seasons. The Tampa Bay Rays lost the "Devil" in their name and then lost the jinx against the Sox and bounced them out in the ALCS.

This time around there wouldn't even be a decisive final game i.e. a game 5 as the Sox are swept out of the playoffs for the first time since the eventual champion White Sox did it in '05. So instead of looking at the many reasons the Sox lost this series (poor fielding, uninspired pitching, lack of hitting, and a bullpen that was very shaky) let us look to the off season and who will be around Jason Bay, maybe Jason Varitek, most likely as an expensive backup. What about the rotation will Wake return? Will Dice-K be healthy? Can Clay keep the momentum from a good season? All these questions and more in the weeks to come...since we don't have any more Red Sox baseball to watch the rest of 2009, we must all trust Theo and company to answer these questions and more so we don't lose yet another number next fall.

scotty@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Boston Red Sox, clay buchholz, Dice-K, Indiapolis Colts, Jason Bay, Jason Varitek, Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim, New England Patriots, Playoffs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Theo Epstein, Tim Wakefield

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Ahhh Tim Wakefield is Back

It used to be that when Tim Wakefield took to the mound you never really knew what to expect. On the nights when the wind was blowing at Fenway Park and his knuckle ball was moving he was unhittable. On the nights when the air was still and his 80 mph fastball wasn't fooling anyone, you knew you were in for a long night.

That was until, this year. Tim Wakefield the all-star is as reliable as they come and last night proved no different. There was something comforting about having him on the mound that made me feel like order had been restored to the nation.

It was all well and good to get a couple of good starts from Brad Penny at the beginning of the season (see ya later by the way.) It was nice to have a dream scenario of Penny and Smoltz teaming up for a great season and one last hoorah with the BoSox. These were nice thoughts that didn't pan out.

Now, with Tim Wakefield back on the mound and pitching well it feels as though order has been restored to the starting rotation. I know, I won't get too far ahead of myself. There is the issue of will Dice-K return and return strong. There is the slumping Josh Beckett. But, going into the home stretch of the season, this is the way our rotation was supposed to look all along. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buckholz, Tim Wakefield and Daisuke Matsusaka. If these pieces start to fall into place, we're looking good down the home stretch.

So, Tim Wakefield was back on the mound last night and he pitched a gem. If only the bullpen hadn't blown it, we wouldn't have needed to see vintage Papi at the end to get the win, but win we did and win we must to make a final push and end up spanking the Yankees in the ALCS...AGAIN!!

Labels: Boston Red Sox, Clay Buckholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield

Friday, August 21, 2009

Red Sox v. Yankees Preview

My what a difference three games make. After getting swept by the New York Yankees and dropping two out of the three from the Texas Rangers, the Red Sox found themselves out of the AL Wild Card lead and on the brink of dropping out of the conversation as to who is the top team in the AL East, but some cool, fresh, Canadian air was all they really needed as they completed the sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays last night at the Roger's Centre.

Now order has been restored to the Nation that has collectively been holding it's breath over the last week wondering if the Red Sox bats would ever come alive and boy did they ever. The Sox sluggers put up 24 runs in the three games and not against any slouch pitching either. Remember when we wanted to get Roy Halladay? Ya, well, this week we got TO him and put up some big numbers on the big fella.

So, the state of our nation is...ok. While the bats are swinging and the injuries are mending we still have some major question marks going into this weekend series with the Yankees.

How will Brad Penny fair against one of the most prolific offense in the majors?

Will Junichi Tazawa be able to battle the Yankees bats to grab his second win of the season?

The question mark remains, Boston's pitching. The top 3 in the rotation are solid. No one questions Beckett, Lester or even Buckholz after his most recent performance, but the question mark remains the final two spots in the Red Sox rotation. If Tim Wakefield can come back in the next couple of weeks that will likely shore up the fourth spot, but that is a big IF at this point and Daisuke Matsusaka is on the verge of a return, but he is STILL a big question mark.

So for this Yankees series we hand the ball to our #4 and #5 starters of the moment. Will they be able to get the job done? They must, if the Red Sox have any hope of keeping in the hunt for the AL East crown...or the wild card for that matter.

Labels: Boston Red Sox, brad penny, Clay Buckholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Junichi Tazawa, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Toronto Blue Jays

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Roundtable with Wake, Papi and Tek

I can't believe these are the only three guys that are left on the team from the '04 World Series Champions. Very cool roundtable with Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek looking back to the '04 team.

The origins of Cowboy Up. David Ortiz's first at bat.

What more could you want.

Enjoy this video and the other 7 parts as they come.

Labels: Big Papi, Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

At Least One Boston Team is Winning

For some reason the Boston Red Sox can't seem to get their heads out of their asses. I can't lie and if this makes me a bad fan, guilty as charged, but last night I didn't watch the whole game. I couldn't bring myself too. We have had too much misery over the last couple of days, this was too much. Wake got shelled? I know I know, he is hit or miss, but we really needed him to be on last night and guess what, he wasn't!! ARGH!!

So, now we are stuck clinging to the idea that we've "been here before" and that we can do it again. Can we? Can we really? I reluctantly say, I BELIEVE!! That being said, there is a glimmer of hope for Boston fans everywhere...who would that be? THE WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS!! Leon Powe came up with a crucial block with 4.2 seconds left to seal the Celtics' 90-86 preseason victory over the Cavaliers at the University of Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Powe also fired off a team-high 17 points and Ray Allen added 15 as five Boston players scored in double figures.

In his first exhibition contest after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Kendrick Perkins grabbed five rebounds in just over 21 minutes of action.

-article courtesy of Celtcs.com

adam@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Ray Allen, Tampa Bay Rays, Tim Wakefield

Friday, September 5, 2008

5 Reasons The Red Sox Defied Odds To Be Contenders

It’s the beginning of September and the 2008 Red Sox appear to be hitting a stride, right at the perfect time. It doesn’t feel like 2007 though does it? That’s because it’s not. In 2007, everything was going well. Sure there were some ups and downs, but nothing like what’s happening this year. Here are the 5 reasons the Red Sox should not be contending for the top spot in the AL East.

5.) Pitching: At the beginning of the season there were some high expectations for the pitching staff of the Red Sox. Josh Beckett was the ace and there was no questioning that. Dice-K was a VERY strong #2. Then there was to be Jon Lester, Clay Buckholz and Timmy Wakefield, and that’s not even mentioning Schilling who was out from the get go. Now the rotation looks totally different and we’re not even certain if Josh Beckett will be our ace in the playoffs (although here’s hoping he’s back.) We’ve pieced it together with any number of incarnations over the last 5 months and we’ll ride that right into the playoffs.

4.) Injuries: There was David Ortiz at the beginning of the season (who some thought might be at the end of his career…I’m lookin at you Timmy.) Then there was Mike Lowell, who is finally coming back and will hopefully contribute for the playoffs. JD Drew out with a lower back strain and let’s not forget Julio Lugo, ok let’s forget that, that didn’t have much of an impact. With all the injuries this team has suffered, they have somehow found a way to put together a team of former bat boys to grab the second spot in the AL East (on their way to the first.)

3.) Manny Being Manny: Yes, it’s true, the Red Sox probably shouldn’t have been in this position in the first place. The distractions that Manny caused throughout the first half of the season would have de-railed any team, from pushing down the traveling secretary, to punching Youk and finally bad mouthing the ownership in the press, Manny did everything he could to get this team off track and it just didn’t work.

2.) Starting In Japan Didn’t Help: Yes, I know, it was at the beginning of the season. Yes, I know, the Spankmees did it two years ago. It did however affect the start of the season. It didn’t get the team off on the right foot and that is never good for a season. They have, of course, since rebounded, but it didn’t help.

1.) Tampa Bay Devil Chickens: These idiots didn’t help the Red Sox cause this season. It’s the same story though, it’s just a different team. The Red Sox are in second place and ready to make a push at the end of the season. During the season however, this group of Rays constantly stood in the way of any progress the Red Sox were looking to make. Everytime the Red Sox would win, so to would the Rays. Sometimes, when the Red Sox lost, the Rays would win and that was even worse. They have stood in our way long enough and on Monday night, the takeover begins.

Given the adversity this team has faced over the course of this season, it’s surprising to many that they are even in the chase for first place in the AL East, but not to die-hards. Nope, we knew they were going to do it, right? Nobody questioned whether they would comeback and take over first place. Nobody thought they wouldn’t take first place away from the Rays, right? I know I know, it hasn’t happened yet, but if you ask me this team has no business even being in the hunt and yet, they are there, resilient as ever, charging toward the top of the heap. GO SOX!!

adam@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Boston Red Sox, Clay Buckholz, David Ortiz, JD Drew, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Manny Ramirez, Tim Wakefield

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Manny happy? Returns!

Well at least Manny is back in the lineup. Whether He will remain "healthy" enough to stay remains to be seen. The MRI negative. His demeanor nuetral. The outlook for the Red Sox with Manny and Papi together again, positive. Top of the 4th and Cano just took Timmy deep to center. Ugh, we are tied 2-2. More later...

timmy@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Big Papi, Boston Red Sox, Manny Ramirez, mri, Papi, Red Sox, Tim Wakefield, timmy

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Red Auerbach Just Lit A Couple Stogies Up

If this video doesn't give you chills, you are either dead or not a Celtics fan. Thanks to the guys over at Barstool Sports for tipping us off to this commercial.