Hello there 2011!

Here we go 2011! With some fantastic off season activity this year, there has been much to talk about. After a winter hiatus from writing, its time to get back into it. I found an essay type description online, and figured that this would be a great place to start my first post of the year.

1. In the first part, tell us about yourself and why you love baseball.(500 word limit)
2. In the second part, answer one of the following questions (500 word limit)
   1. Who will win the American and National League Most Valuable Player Awards in 2011? Make a strong case for your selections.
   2. What will be the biggest MLB storyline of 2011? Explain why.

 

Part 1:

There are many reasons to love baseball, and each person has a smaller subset of this large array of reasons that makes baseball special to them. Many people can point to a specific game that their Dad took them too, or a memorable player interaction that their love of the game stems from. My first game, and introduction to baseball happened at such a young age that I do not even remember it. My love, however, stems more from the field that it does from the stands. I grew up playing baseball, and there was nothing that I loved more. 2nd base was my position, and there was nothing more satisfying than making a great defensive play. I loved being in the ready position, waiting for the pitch. I remember the smell of the freshly cut grass, the annoying little gnats that inevitably wound up squished on the underside of my cap’s brim, the cool breeze that came in as the sun was setting, and the joyous feeling of knowing we didn’t have to stop as the lights came on.

I couldn’t get enough baseball. I began to watch the Red Sox. I grew up in the 90’s when the Sox were constantly not good enough. I listened to games on WEEI, because I loved the descriptions of the game over the radio.  Eventually, I began to understand “the curse”. It was something I had always known about, but didn’t understand for a long time. It was only after years of constant defeat did I really feel the pain. The late 90’s  were supposed to be our time, the rise of Nomar, our beloved Trot, the acquisition of Pedro. I was head over heels in love with the Red Sox, and the Yankees broke my heart, year, after year, after year. The curse began to take hold of me. My hatred for NY grew immensely, as did my fear of the curse. The crushing defeats continued into 2003, where I had to deal with Aaron Boone of all people.

Then everything changed, and everyone knows the story. In the biggest hole in professional sports the Red Sox won eight straight games to end it all. Pure joy. The curse was over. My baseball love didn’t end there, how could it? I was thirsty for more.  So how exactly does one top breaking an 86 year curse in spectacular fashion?

Enter the 2008 Phillies.  Game 5, part two. As a seasoned baseball fan knows, Game 5 of the 2008 World Series was postponed mid-game due to rain, throwing a wrench into the travel plans of fans everywhere. As luck would have it, this provided me with a free ticket to part two of the game.  I got to walk into a 2-2 tie in the 6^th inning, and watch the Phillies win it all. Mayhem. Riots. Another broken fan base had their redemption and I was a part of it. Sweet revenge after the Rays had eliminated my Sox. Baseball is in my blood, and I will never tire of it.

Part 2:

A)   2011 AL MVP: Dustin Pedroia – This is a tough one for me, and I have tried to remove any bias there might be in me as a Sox fan, but this guy tries harder than anyone I have ever seen. In 2010, he took grounders on his knees while he had a broken foot. Already having won the rookie of the year award in 2007 and an MVP in 2008, a gold glove, and three straight all-star selections, he still has the desire to work hard and improve. With the lineup additions of Crawford and Gonzalez he has a great deal of power behind him (presuming he keeps 2^nd in the batting order), as well as the return of Ellsbury to the leadoff slot to help his RBI numbers. This scrappy player will not stop short of perfect, and that dedication will win him another MVP award in the next 3 years.

2011: NL MVP: Roy Halladay – The last pitcher to win a MVP was Dennis Eckersley in 1992. This is really a shame. Since 1992 we have entered the steroid era, possibly explaining why no pitcher was awarded the honor due to inflated hitting numbers. It appears, however, that the steroid era is over. 2010 had 7 no hitters, including two perfect games. Roy Halladay threw a perfect game and a postseason no hitter. Since leaving the AL East, Halladay has been absurdly dominant, and will continue to be in 2011. With 9 complete games in 2010, a 2.44 ERA, and 21 wins, it’s a wonder Halladay didn’t get a single first place vote. In all likelihood, this prediction will not come true, but more because the Baseball Writers will all vote for position players in the end. That doesn’t make it right. Consider Halladay, because in the end he will absolutely deserve it.

B) The best storyline of 2011 will be Phantastic Phour in Philadelphia. With possibly the best rotation of all time, they are a giant force that must be taken down. Hands down the favorite for the 2011 W.S. This however, will be a slow storyline and much better in the playoffs. A much less talked about story line will be the Tampa Bay Rays. How will the additions of Manny and Damon for relatively small money impact this team? Can they keep their young, underdog attitude alive? Can they keep Manny from being a cancer? Will Joe Maddon be able to handle the veteran presence? Most importantly, if all of this works out, can they compete with the reloaded Red Sox and powerhouse Yankees? The AL East is once again the strongest division in baseball. Let the games begin.

Post Season Predictions

Ahh October. Nothing says baseball quite like it. In a season where my Red Sox were decimated by injury, I found it hard to work through the predictions, but the show must go on!

NLDS Reds vs. Phillies

When the Reds first made the playoffs, I was excited for them. 15 years without a playoff appearance for one of the classic baseball franchises. Despite them having five rings, and me never wanting them to have more than my sox, I was really hoping that they would do well. Well, they seem to have run into a Buzzsaw, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are probably the worst draw you can get in this playoff set. Not only are they the #1 team in the majors, but they are super hot. Their 11 game win streak in late September has these guys feeling like they can’t lose. Let’s not forget the absurd Halladay/Oswalt/Hammels rotation either. Roy Halladay is a beast. 2.44 ERA, 21 wins, and a workhorse to boot. This is someone who should have four rings by now, but his career in Toronto wasn’t exactly the fast track to the World Series. He is my favorite for October MVP.

Result: Phillies in 3

NLDS Braves vs. Giants

Unfortunately I don’t like this matchup much. Neither team offers much promise for a deep run in my eyes thus the Phillies are on the fast track to the World Series as a result. Both teams have great pitching, but in the end look for Wagner to lock it down.

Result: Braves in 4

ALDS Yankees vs. Twins

The Yankees showed the world last year that C.C. Sabathia doesn’t need rest. They showed it again this year when his wasn’t affected by the previous October. This, along with their high-powered offense, makes them a very dangerous threat if they can make it out of the first round. Unfortunately for them, Pettitte and Burnett do need rest, and Burnett has been a mess. The Yankee pitching could be their downfall. I flip-flopped 15 times on this one, trying to justify a win for the twins but in the end…

Result: Yankees in 4

ALDS Rangers vs. Rays

Tampa is young, and has seen the scene in the past few years. Cliff Lee seems to be on a post-season roster every year now. I like the Rangers better in a 7 game series to win out over a worn pitching staff. Longoria comes back for the Rays which should help. Provided Longoria isn’t a flop after his little injury break…

Result: Rays in 5

NLCS Braves vs. Phillies

The Phillies are so far gone as Phavorites in the NL. I can’t pick against them. (I promise no more PH=f jokes.)

Result: Phillies in 5

ALCS: Yankees vs. Rays

Destroy the evil empire! This is where their 3 man rotation will come in to play. CC likely pitches three times in this series. Beat him once and the Rays win.

Result: Rays in 7

World Series Rays vs Phillies

2008 Rematch! 2008 Results. Roy Halladay gets his first WS win, ring, and MVP honors. I think the deep postseason runs finally catch up with the Rays who don’t really show up for this one. The Phillies rotation is too good, and their offense is greater than or equal to that of the Rays. Mathematically sounds like winners to me.

Result: Phillies in 5… again.

Deal or No Deal?

Last time I checked in with you, the Sox had just been hit with a wave of injuries. It was series of random events seemingly in the outer six-sigma realm that decimated the team.

Well, nothing has changed.

Still fighting the injury bug that seems determined to slaughter everyone, this team is reaching a depressing level. That sinking realization has set in that the playoffs are a long shot. Even if the Red Sox pull off a Colorado Rockies-esque run (circa 2007), there is little to no chance to make a real deep October run.

The news here, however, is not the disappointing flameout of a potential World Series caliber roster, but more so the trade of Manny Delcarmen.  Delcarmen was traded for 21 year old pitching prospect Chris Balcom-Miller (CBM from here on out), and I like the move. Now, I have never seen CBM pitch, but I still like it. While Delcarmen had his good times here, he was not improving. If CBM can contribute anything in the next few years, the Sox have won in this deal.

This move also gives us an insight into the mind of GM Theo Epstein. Theo has made several big deadline/waiver moves in the last few years, all with the intent of a playoff push. This isn’t that move. This is different. This is a calculated assessment of exactly what I said above, that the injured 2010 Red Sox can’t accomplish the major goal of the season, a World Series ring. We all knew that this year was referred to as a “bridge year” with the short term contracts of a few players bridging the gap to some younger talent and the end of a few big money contracts. Between David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, Jeremy Hermida, Jason Varitek, and Julio Lugo (the Sox paid Lugo $10 mil of his contract in 2010) the Red Sox have a whopping $60 million coming off of contracts. Now, there are obviously priorities to some of that money (like a catcher, more on the importance of signing Martinez later), but this move signals that Epstein knows what is going to happen in the next two years. He knows this team is set to revamp, reset, and make a new run.

CBM may be a part of this new era. Probably not in 2011 due to his age and level, but it’s not out of the question for 2012/2013. Epstein has gotten value in the trading market, recognizing that there is a lost value in this season. By taking a realistic view of the situation, the Red Sox have made a move that has the potential to help down the road at a relatively low cost or risk, and that’s why I like it. Tryouts for the 2011 bullpen begin now.

A slap on the wrist, ankle, ribs, forearm, back, hamstring, and both feet

I nearly died two days ago when Kevin Youkilis left the game on July 6^th. I was ready to sign my organ donor form, jump off a cliff, and give what remaining working body parts I have to the Boston Red Sox, since nothing else seems to work.

The Red Sox have just been swept for the first time since the awkward sweep by the Orioles on April 30-May 2. It seems the injuries caught up to the Sox a little bit for this series, as they just could not catch a break. Now back in third place in the division, 4.5 games out, the Sox head into their final series before the all star break. Fortunately, it is a matchup with the Blue Jays and John Lester is pitching in the series. Winning 2/3 in this series would be a great way to head into the break, all things considered.

There is some light on the horizon though! A faint, candle size light, about 10 miles away but it is there. Dead Red Sox will start returning from the grave soon. Clay Buchholz appears to be on track to make a start in the Texas series immediately following the All Star Break. Josh Beckett is throwing in simulated games and looks to return the week following Buchholz. Having both of these guys back will be a huge help, and a relief on the bullpen. If they are back and pitching like they both can, we can win more games when the lineup, patched together with band-aids and duct tape, doesn’t magically score 5 runs.

Martinez is listed as a probable return after the All Star break as well, which is very exciting. This is not only a huge lineup boost but a return to normal for all the pitchers who have developed any sort of routine with him behind the plate. This is especially valuable since Jason Varitek is out into August.

Also exciting, is that both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida are listed as possibly returning late July. Now, I am no medical expert, nor do I really know the extent of their broken ribs, but broken ribs are a pretty serious deal. It wouldn’t surprise me if these guys were back in early August instead. If they beat that I can only be excited instead of disappointed. August also brings back the broken feet boys, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek.

Now there is no denying that the most recent sweep hurt, but it in no way hurts the chances of a playoff run. We are half way through the season, and it is certainly not out of the question for this team to make an August/September push for a berth.

Other All Star Notes:

Very classy move by MLB, players, team managers, or whoever else had a hand in naming Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez to the all star team, knowing that they would not play due to injury. They very easily could have been skipped over with replacements made right off the bat (pun certainly intended.)

Buchholz will not pitch in the game either, but that was up in the air at the time of selection. I am more or less glad he will not be, as I don’t want to push an injury. As far as the rest of the Sox participating, I am a little nervous about Ortiz in the Home Run derby. The potential for a power outage afterwards is there, but as Prince Fielder showed last year (24 HR post-HR derby 2009) there is no guarantee of one.

On the flip side, I do like the idea of him being there, as it could quite possibly be the last All Star Game and HR Derby that David Ortiz ever participates in. Ortiz will probably get two at bats in the game after Vladimir Guerrero gets two at bats in. I hope he puts on a show, gets a big fat smile all over his face, and goes back to hitting well after the break. The other selection I like a lot is Adrian Beltre getting his first appearance. Beltre is less likely to get an at bat due to A-Rod being on the Roster, but could get up to the plate in the late innings if the AL has gone through the lineup a few times. DH, 3B, or pinch-hitter are all places he could fit in, but probably not for more than 1 at bat.

Lester will likely pitch 2 innings of the game; I view him as the most logical choice to replace David Price when he comes out followed by either Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia. No issues there. It’s not a full start so I find it hard to see him injuring himself.

Kevin Youkilis is the wild card here. Voting closes at 4:00 PM. I can go either way on this one. I would love to see the guy honored, but especially with his recent almost-injury I wouldn’t mind Youk getting a rest. The guy plays the game so hard day in and day out it must take a toll on his body. Go lie down, fall asleep for 48 hours and then go get a massage. Rest my friend, we need you.

A bit of a bug going around

The injury bug has bitten the Red Sox. Not once, not twice, but over and over again in a relentless attack designed to destroy any hope at a post season berth. It started in the outfield, little things here and there until it manifested in broken ribs for Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury. Mike Cameron was one of the first with the so called injury illness, going on the DL at the end of April. As an upside to this whole mess, his early season departure has him returning as the virus spreads to the rest of the team. His return couldn’t have come sooner as JD Drew has missed some games as well.

While the infectious, highly contagious injury bug was successfully confined to the outfield for a while, it has managed to make its way elsewhere. Josh Beckett caught it first, and may have gotten it while in training camp as his early season performance was less than stellar. Let us not forget Daisuke Matsuzaka who started the season on the DL as well. The infection spread to another starting pitcher as it tried to take out Clay Buchholz, who appears he might be resistant to this particular strain of the injury bug. With a few off days this week, Clay may be able to make his next start. We can only hope this is not too serious. The infield is the most recent sighting of the virus, as the broken bone strain has returned to hit both Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez. Mike Lowell is out with hip problems to top it all off. Please let the hemorrhaging stop…

While this week was the worst of it, with three guys going down in three days, there are several things that have not only kept the Red Sox afloat, but have gotten them surging to a 17-7 record in June after a scorching hot May.

• Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava. These guys have been spectacular. Both of them had never seen playing time in the major leagues, yet have come through time and again. McDonald has 5 HR and 20 RBI, all of which seem to have come in important games. Nava is batting close to .300 and manager Terry Francona has enough faith in him that Nava hit second in the absence of Pedroia on Sunday. These two guys will continue to be relied on in the coming months, and while nobody expects production like the guys they are replacing, they have been fantastic thus far.
• Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. These guys have been stellar. Both times that an injury caused a starter to either miss a start or leave in the 2^nd inning, the bull pen was taxed big time. These two came out the next day and pitched an 8-inning and 9-inning win respectively. Stepping up and eating the innings is one thing, doing it while you pitch well and get the win is even better.
• The Pen. There are some ugly ERA’s in the bullpen at the moment, but it seems like they have saved some wins that should not have been wins. On Sunday the Red Sox used 8 pitchers for 9 innings. If I had only heard that stat for any team in the majors I would have told you they lost. Not this team, the Sox pulled out a 4-2 win. Despite a few blown Papelbon saves lately and some relatively high ERA’s, the bullpen has kept us in the important games and given us some wins that the Sox might have not otherwise deserved.

While that is all and good for what has happened, it may not directly translate to what the next month will look like. The injuries in the last few days drastically change the landscape. There are a few very important points that need to happen going forward for the Red Sox to stay afloat and maintain a factor in the 2010 playoff hunt.

• No more injuries. Impossible to predict, and just as impossible to plan for. The Red Sox have proven their depth both in position players and pitching. The depth only goes so far, and at some point one of these injuries is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka, John Lackey and JD Drew. These guys need to perform big. Drew is going to be relied on much more to be an offensive force. The loss of Pedroia and Martinez will hurt this lineup, and Drew has the ability to singlehandedly carry the team for a while. Let us hope that he turns it on. Completely independent of Buchholz’s status, the lack of offensive production is going to mean tighter games. Matsuzaka and Lackey can hide many of the team’s current injuries if they go out and throw 2-3 consecutive games with two runs or less.
• Josh Beckett. For the same reasons that Daisuke and Lackey need to perform, Beckett is going to be missed more than ever. I am predicting an all-star break return for Beckett, even though nothing is official. If he returns to form and pitches some great games he could help keep the Sox in the mix.

More than anything else, these guys need to come back, and healthy. For now, the Red Sox just need to stay relevant. A deep World Series run will not be possible without Pedroia, Ellsbury, Buchholz, Beckett, and Martinez, but before that a playoff berth is required. Now we wait, and hope for the best. The 2010 Red Sox have proven to be a strong and resilient team, but their biggest challenge awaits them and will test every part of the team over the next six weeks or so.

Perfection Denied

Twenty-Five days ago, we all woke up in a world where only 18 perfect games had been thrown. Since 1876, there have been about 390,000 baseball games played. This is a rate of one perfect game every 4.5 seasons.

We almost just had three in a little over three weeks. By now, the whole world, Jim Joyce included, knows that umpire Jim Joyce blew Armando Galarraga’s perfect game with a missed call at first base. Jason Donald was out by at least a step, and then what should have been an epic celebration of perfection turned into a controversy over instant replay.

Instant replay, it’s on the way. I thought after the game that instant replay would have instantly fixed the problem. Jerry Crasnick had a very good point which made me rethink my argument.

“Inevitably, the game’s sad ending is going to elicit an outcry for expanded use of instant replay. It’s a worthwhile debate, but consider this for a second: How gratifying would it have felt if Joyce’s botched call was followed by a trip to the replay booth, a five-minute conference, the umpiring crew emerging from the tunnel and Joyce throwing up his right arm with an “out” sign.

Yes, Galarraga would have had his perfect game, on paper, but that single transcendent moment of celebration is something that can never be retrieved. In baseball or any other sport, winners don’t get mulligans on euphoria.” – Crasnick

He is completely right. How can you have a celebration on the field when the moment has passed? I for one have always been a big fan of the 5^th umpire idea; someone in the booth to adjust calls that really need to be adjusted. Even in that scenario, the delay in the call would have taken the steam out of the celebration. If the 5^th umpire was field level watching screens in the end of a dugout, it is possible that within 5-10 seconds after the safe call, he could have been on the field giving an out sign. There are obviously all sorts of issues with having these elements of replay, and the arguments for their applications are never ending.

So how does one fix this? Bud Selig could certainly make an executive decision, reverse the call and give Galarraga his perfecto. This has a whole new can of worms associated with it. Obviously, in this instance, nobody would argue. Justice would be served, but what happens when next week, the same scenario unfolds. Perfect game, 2 out, 9^th inning in a 1-0 game, and a call is missed. The next batter hits a two run HR. Selig will almost be forced to take the win away from the opposing team if he wants to credit the new pitcher with a perfect game. What if the botched call happened 1 out earlier, can Selig still override? What if it was in the eighth, or the third? By righting the wrong after the fact, Selig sets a dangerous precedent which I do not think he can, or will do.

It winds up being a lose-lose situation. Selig’s hands are tied, and instant replay would only have helped in making the perfect game official, not in determining the game’s outcome.

In my opinion, Armando Galarraga’s name belongs on the list of perfect games. Don’t change the box score, the hit or anything, just put his name on the list. Put an asterisk if you have to; make him 20b or 21a if you want. His performance was noteworthy and belongs on the list some way or another.

Galarraga is taking the right approach to this. “I got a perfect game,” Galarraga said. “Maybe it’s not in the book, but I’m going to show my son the CD.” And you know what, Galarraga actually did something that nobody else has ever done; he basically threw a perfect game of 28 outs! He will always know he got a perfect game, I will always know he got a perfect game, and history will always know. Its just another great baseball storyline that we will tell our grand children one day.

Boston’s hot streak not to be Tampared with

On April 19^th, the Red Sox were a horrid 4-9. They were just fresh off of a 4 game set with the Tampa Bay Rays where they couldn’t win a coin toss let alone a game. The Sox were banished to 4^th place for more than a month, if only because the Baltimore Orioles somehow had only won two games to that point. The Rays were off to a torrid start, holding “best in the majors” honors, which they still hold today. The Yankees are the Yankees, who have kept pace with the Rays to some extent. The Toronto Blue Jays have amassed an offense that nobody saw coming, mashing 79 home runs, 14 more than their closest counterpart. They have scored the most runs in the majors, had the most RBI, and have the highest slugging percentage to go with it.

With the best division in baseball crushing the competition, including the Sox themselves, the Sox found themselves in a huge hole with massive obstacles to overcome. David Ortiz couldn’t hit and seemingly nobody could pitch, as several starter’s ERA were well over 5 for several starts. The ESPN power rankings had the Sox at 17^th, behind teams like the Nationals. The team just wasn’t right, and was in a funk.

Funk out. This team is playing like they can. Since April 19^th, the Sox are 23-12. They have overcome the powerhouse offense that is the Jays to take 3^rd place. They have been on multiple mini hot-streaks where they win seven of nine games. The offense has been superb considering all the off season talk about how weak the hitting was. There is one team that is second behind the league leading Blue Jays in HR, RBI, Runs and SLG, and it’s not the powerhouse offense in New York. It’s the “sad pathetic offense that will struggle because they lost Jason Bay.”

After a very shaky start, John Lester has his ERA down to a nasty 3.15, and that’s not even best on the staff. Clay Buchholz has shown that he has arrived, and deserves to be in this rotation. Pitching very well into the 8^th inning of several games thus far, Buchholz has a team leading 6 wins. Even Daisuke appears to be coming around, taking a no hitter into the 8^th against a potent Phillies offense.

Ten days ago, we looked at the Red Sox as they headed to Yankee Stadium. As one of the toughest road stretches of the season, the Sox had to play two in NY, two in Minnesota, three in Philadelphia, and three in Tampa. All of those teams, except the second place Yankees, lead their respective divisions. (Note:  With the second best winning percentage in the majors, the Yankees would be first in any other division.) After a massive comeback, and subsequent rare blown save, the Sox could have taken both games in NY, but was only able to grab one. Since that blown save they have won eight of nine against those elite teams, including the most recent sweep of the MLB’s best Tampa Bay Rays.

The Sox may be 5.5 games back in the division, but counting them out or underestimating them as a threat would be a large mistake for any major league team. Spread the word, the Red Sox are coming.

What a Choke!

What a weekend for sports! The Boston Celtics knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers, in LeBron’s last chance before his upcoming free agency to show what he is made of. The Boston Bruins just died in a game 7 that was eerily similar to the series, as they went up 3-0 only to blow it and lose 4-3. The Celtics then went on to win game 1 in Orlando, at times dominating the Magic. Oh yeah, there was some baseball played too, but it wasn’t that exciting in comparison. With some rather big collapses happening, I decided to reflect on some of the biggest (as well as some of my personal favorite) collapses and chokes in history. With a lot of discussion about chokes in sports, I will start with what I used as a definition.

Choke [chohk] (verb,choked, chok·ing, noun) -A choke is a team failing to execute in a situation where they should be more than just a favorite to win. This often occurs in a situation where any par performance would have resulted in a sound victory. Some sort of failure on the team to execute is required. A choke may be viewed in the context of a single game, a series, or a season.

And with that, my top 13.

#13) 2010 NCAA Tournament: Kansas University loses to Northern Iowa in 2nd round

Kansas was not only the favorite to win this game but one of two favorites to win the tournament. Over 80% of ESPN Tournament Bracket players had either Kansas or Kentucky winning. Neither made the final four, but Kentucky wasn’t eliminated in the second round by a 9-seed. Brackets were decimated.

#12) 2007 ALCS: Cleveland Indians

Cleveland loves their collapses, as they were unable to hold a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Red Sox. For a team with 19 game winners C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, as well as future Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, this team was completely unable to close, allowing the Red Sox to steamroll themselves to their 2nd world series in four years.

#11) 1964 Phillies Phold

After a magical season including Jim Bunning’s perfect game (first in the NL since 1880), the Phightin’ Phils had a 6.5 game lead with 12 to play. After losing 10 games in a row, with the first seven at home, the Phillies had sunk to 3^rd place, and would not be a part of any postseason activity. Phail.

#10) 2007/2008 Regular Season: New York Mets

The Mets have recently become the poster child for late season failures. In 2007, the Mets had a 7 game lead on September 12th, with 17 games left to play. The Mets only won 5 of those 17. They lost 5 of 6 to the 4th place Nationals. This one went down to the last game of the season, only to have Tom Glavine let up seven runs in the first culminating in a great collapse.

The Mets then went out and signed two time Cy Young Award Winner Johan Santana, figuring that this would compensate for any weaknesses associated with their collapse. They went into 2008 as surefire favorites to win the NL East, only to be once again eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of season. This was just the beginning of the issues for the Mets as they would plunge to 4th place and a 70 win season in 2009, a team that was once again predicted to contend for a playoff run.

#9) 2007-2008 Pursuit of Perfection: 18-1 New England Patriots

You may note that in my definition above I said that a choke may be defined as a season and I would like to make that distinction here. This was a choked season which is not to be confused with a choked game. The only reason that they make this list was the potential implications of being the greatest NFL team of all time by obtaining a perfect 19-0 record. The Super Bowl itself does not quite qualify to me as a choke. Sure, the Patriots were up 14-3 going into the 4th quarter, but the Giants’ 14 point run bordered on the miraculous. “The Helmet Catch” was a freak play, something one could probably not reproduce in many attempts.  It turned out to be a game where the clock operators were under as much scrutiny as any coach’s decision. There didn’t seem to be a failure on the part of the Patriots to win the game, but more like a spectacular drive by the Giants to put them over the top. The NFL, probably more any other sport, is one where any team can win on any given day. For this reason, I categorize failure to capitalize on the pursuit of perfection as a choke and not the game itself.

#8) 1942 Red Wings / 1975 Penguins

Any team that has ever been up 3-0 in a series and doesn’t win certainly falls into the choke categories. Both of these teams lost to the higher seeded team in the end, after failing to complete their respective underdog runs. For this reason, they get only slightly more credit than #7.

#7) 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (Hockey): Boston Bruins

They had four chances to beat out the somewhat injured and defeated Flyers, who became only the third hockey team to accomplish such a feat. I thought about ranking this higher, but let us not forget that the Bruins were not a very good team to begin with this season. Two months ago, there were questions as to them even making the playoffs. The Flyers were a lower seed than the Bruins, making this slightly worse than #8. Give it five years for all to settle in, and this will be grouped in the same category as the Wings and Penguins.

#6) 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (Basketball): Cleveland Cavaliers

In a collapse that left LeBron James without a title in Cleveland, the Celtics may have not only made headlines for themselves, but they may have just cost LeBron a huge part of his legacy.  Cleveland was his city and his team. After numerous opportunities to make a championship run and numerous failures, one can accuse coaching, front office management, and the players themselves.

The fact is that LeBron will take the brunt of this, and Cleveland will suffer if he leaves. For a team that was the best home team in Basketball for several years, they squandered their last two home games. Boston may have earned this win with spectacular defense and a tremendously elevated level of play, but the fact remains that LeBron choked in his abilities to bring a championship to the Cavs.

#5) 1978 Red Sox

Boston held a 14 game lead over the New York Yankees, a lead that would dwindle only to be eventually erased after being swept in a four game set by New York, now referred to as The Boston Massacre. The Yankees forced a one game playoff tie breaker where Bucky Dent, who had hit an average of three HR’s per season in his career; hit a 3 run homer to lead the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Sox. The Yankees went on to win the World Series. Bucky ******* Dent.

#4) 1990-1994 Buffalo Bills

The only thing worse than being 0-4 in Super Bowl appearances (Vikings, Bills) is doing it in four straight years. The Bills made their first appearance in the Super Bowl in 1991, only to lose by one point to the New York Giants. They would repeat their Super Bowl run in the next three years losing to the Redskins, and then in back to back years to the Cowboys.

#3) 2003 NLCS: Chicago Cubs

Similar to #11, the Cubs squandered a 3-1 series lead. What makes this much worse than the Indians, was that in game 6, the Cubs had a 3-0 lead behind Matt Clement’s three hitter with just five outs to go. Lifetime Cubs fan Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball off the bat of Louis Castillo, preventing Moises Alou from making the catch. The thread had been pulled, and the unraveling began. Bartman was escorted out of the stadium for his own safety, and has been ridiculed ever since. The Curse of the Billy Goat lives on.

#2) 1986 World Series: Boston Red Sox

It was game 6 and the Red Sox had a 3-2 series lead. After scoring two in the top of the 10th, the Red Sox had a 5-3 lead with two out. They were one out from their first championship since 1918, and one out from defeating the curse of the Bambino. A few hits later it was 5-4. Enter Mookie Wilson. Mookie Wilson was at the plate and fought out a ten pitch at bat. On the 7th pitch of the at bat, Bob Stanley’s wild pitch tied the game at five. Pitch number ten to Wilson was the infamous grounder through the legs of Bill Buckner, scoring Ray Knight to win the ball game. There is no guarantee that had Buckner fielded the ball that they would have won, however their inability to close out this game, as well as game 7, lands them in the #2 spot all time. I refuse to lower this on the list on the basis that the “curse” has been broken, or that Boston has more or less forgiven Buckner. At the time this was an epic collapse, and it should remain so when talking about it.

#1) 2004 ALCS: New York Yankees

The biggest collapse in sports history, as well as my personal favorite, was the New York Yankees failing to close out the Boston Red Sox after a 3-0 series lead with home field advantage. With a lead going into the 9th inning of game 4, Kevin Millar led off with a walk, off of arguably the best closer of all time, Mariano Rivera. Pinch runner Dave Roberts was Boston’s personal savior that night. The entire world knew that Roberts was stealing second, and after several pickoff attempts he went on the first pitch Rivera sent home. Safe.

This was the single turning point, as Bill Mueller would single him in for the tie. David Ortiz would then hit a two run shot in the 12th, giving the Sox their first win in the series. This was just a taste of what was coming. Rivera would blow the save again in game 5, this time with some help from Tom Gordon. Boston went on to win this game in the 14th where David Ortiz was the walk-off star again singling in Damon. Curt Shilling would pitch the “Bloody Sock” game in game 6 in Yankee Stadium, and the Boston bats beat up the Yankees in game 7 to cap the greatest comeback ever. Everything made this series epic. It was Sox/Yanks, it was Rivera, it was David Ortiz, it was long games ending well after midnight, it was the lovable idiots taking down the evil empire, and it was certainly the biggest choke ever.

Lackey Lacking Nothing

For the 2^nd time in three games, I had the privilege of going to Fenway Park (Right Field Box, Section 1, Row D, Seat 3.) It was another great game in a completely different way than Monday was. I was able to get down to Fenway much earlier, and enjoy some pre-game excitement. After wandering around a little, we made it to Jerry Remy’s. The baseball gods smiled on me from above as they opened up a seat right at the window in front. It was pretty fun, being able to watch the street action and bar at the same time.

I made it to the park just in time for Nomar’s ceremony. I found it interesting that it meant more to me to see Brian Daubach, Lou Merloni, and Trot Nixon. I was very excited when Trot came out, as was the rest of Fenway judging by the ovation. It was nice to see him (Nomar) honored, and they did a good job at keeping it short and sweet. I expected a long drawn out event, but it was over quickly and they got on with the game in a reasonable fashion. On top of that all, Nomar’s first pitch was classic. That is something I will not forget, as he made it so unique to him and what I remember from his days playing for us.

It was a very quick game, especially since I had just been calibrated to the near four hour slugfest that was Monday night. This game had a brisk pace to it, as Lackey was moving through hitters very efficiently. Lackey certainly deserved a win for this one only allowing 2 hits and 2 walks over 7 innings of work. Lackey just dominated his old team, and made them look silly on quite a few swings. Lackey got his ERA under 4 in this outing (3.89) which is very nice to see after some of the big ERA’s we saw early this year. Lester was able to accomplish this in his last start as well.

Dustin Pedroia had his typical scrappy fantastic defense, and David Ortiz hit a home run, keeping me from calling for his benching for just a little longer. Beltre also had a HR, his second of the season, both of which were at my games this week! Bard and Papelbon were forceful in their slamming of the door, always nice to see.

I was awfully surprised to see Pinero come out for the 6^th, as the Sox did a great job of getting his pitch count way up. For 8 hits and 3 walks, he did a good job (or the Red Sox did a poor job) in only allowing 2 runs.

The Red Sox are back to a .500 record, and look to have gained some momentum going into the Yankee series this weekend. ERA’s are sinking, and the offense has picked up a little. This team still has a lot of work to do but I do feel like they are coming together. Before that ugly sweep in Baltimore the Sox were in a 7 of 9 run. Now they have won 3 in a row. There is talent and promise on this team and there is no reason to think they can’t do something big in 2010.

Lowell and Behold – Offense!

What a wild game! I was present at the ballpark last night and it was electric. (Box 69, Row E, Seat 3; 3 rows from the Angel Dugout.) In a night where both the Celtics and Bruins won their respective playoff games, the Sox came through with a big win of their own. It was not just a big win in stopping a 3 game skid consisting of an Orioles sweep, but it was a big night for the bats. 20 hits, 17 runs, and some beautiful swings.

I saw great things in all aspects of this game. Not only did every member of the starting lineup have a hit, but everyone except Dustin Pedroia and Marco Scutaro had multi hit games. Pedroia had a 3 run HR to make up for it. Mike Lowell and JD Drew had 4 hits apiece, and Adrian Beltre and Bill Hall both hit their first in a Sox uniform. The offense was a team effort, with everybody going off. All 4 home runs (Youkilis, Hall, Beltre, and Pedroia) were absolutely crushed over the Green Monster. They were beautiful swings, and no doubt about it right off the bat. More than one of them cleared the Green Monster seats all together. Kevin Youkilis could have had a second home run, but his double in the 6^th was a few feet to the left of the vertical home run line in center field. Several of the doubles in the game, Lowell’s hits come to mind, were also very well struck. It seemed like everyone saw the ball well last night.

Clay Buchholz did very well in my opinion. He had a bit of a hiccup in the 4^th inning, but to be fair it was right after he took a ball off his ankle. Maybe it affected him, maybe it didn’t, but shortly after being struck he allowed 2 walks out of only 3 the entire game. This had him in bases loaded trouble, and some runs were very likely to score at that point. He rallied with a groundout and a strike out to get out of the inning with minimal damage. He only allowed one other run and it was on a sacrifice fly as he was up over 100 pitches. I was a little surprised when I saw his final hit total of eight, when my personal feeling was he did better than that.

On top of all of that, Buchholz did his job preventing the stolen base. He picked off Tori Hunter in what could have been a worse 4^th inning for him, and between him and Victor Martinez, Maicer Izturis was caught stealing in the 6^th. This is certainly an aspect of the game the Sox have been weak in, and it’s great to see them come out on this end of it.

Most of all, I think what I was most happy to see last night was Mike Lowell’s offensive effort. He went 4/4, 4 RBI, and a walk. Three of those hits were doubles, where most of his RBI came from. One particular double I was very impressed with. In the 6^th inning, he hit a double off the Green Monster just above the scoreboard. The ball must have hit an edge, because it took a funny bounce straight at Matsui. Matsui barehanded the catch, much like I remember Manny Ramirez doing many times. Manny generated several of his outfield assists due to this quick turnaround and the short wall. It is a very deceptive hit, and runners get caught trying to get into second. This was my first thought when I saw Matsui barehanded the ball, Lowell was in danger at 2^nd. Matsui threw to the cutoff man in an attempt to cut down Drew at home (mistake), and Lowell took advantage, he rounded second with a sly fox look on his face, and as soon as the ball was released towards the plate Lowell took third easily. I was very happy to see this awareness, even though it wound up not mattering at all as Beltre hit his home run 2 pitches later.

All and all it was a very exciting game, and I am glad I was there. The Sox are now 1-2 in my trips to Fenway this season, and I will try and improve on that record tomorrow night (Wednesday) when John Lackey faces his former team for the first time. I’ll make sure to let them know that they need to win so I get back to .500. I’m sure they will cooperate for me.