With A-Rod Outed- Junior is King

Just look at that swing. It is not just a swing, it’s an art form. It’s what you tell you’re little league’ers. “Keep you’re back elbow up at a 90 degree angle. Keep two hands on the bat. Keep your feet at shoulders length. Follow through with the bat, and drive the ball.” That’s what Junior Griffey did best. Every one always says, “If there is one Major Leaguer today that you want your son to emulate,” stop right there. The discussion begins and ends with Junior. There was simply no one better in his prime.

There was a time not too long ago, when Griffey was the face of baseball.  A fun loving kid that wore his hat backwards, put on an absolute show during batting practice, and made “Mays” like catches look routine in center field. He was the definition of the “five tool player.” In his prime (the entire 1990’s) he hit for average, he hit for power, he averaged 41.3 home runs per season (excluding 1995, only 72 games played), he could swipe a bag with ease, and could track down any ball within a country mile. Junior was fun to watch. Forget Manny, Forget Bonds, Forget A-Rod, McGwire and Sosa. Junior is the face of this era, we’ve just forgotten about him due to an injury plagued decade. But mark my words, history will look kindly upon Junior, and regard him as the Pantheon of the “Steroid Era.”

If you have any reservations about crowning Griffey as the King , then you really need to take a good look at the insane numbers this guy has put up, and the awards he has on his mile long mantle somewhere. He won the AL MVP in 1997. He appeared in every All-Star game from 1990-2000, not to mention the 2004 and 2007 games. He won a Gold Glove in every season in the ’90’s. He won the Silver Slugger award seven times in the ’90’s. And by the end of this season will be the active leader in more categories then I care to list.

I’m a stat guy. So lets really break down Griffey’s stats. If we exclude 1995 from the equation when he only played 72 games and hit 17 homers, then Griffey would have averaged 41.3 home runs a year from 1990-2000. That decade includes 1994, a season when Griffey was limited to 111 games, but still hit 40 long balls.  He would have hit 60 if he had played all 162! But injuries plagued too much of Griffy’s career. Even though he still looked like a kid, by the time he reached the age of 32, injuries began to pile up. From the 2001 season on he only averaged 21 home runs a season.  That’s a 20 home run decrease from his 1990’s average.

I’m going to be nice to Griffey. I’m gonna say, without injuries, he would have averaged 33 home runs a season from 2001-2008. Some might say that’s to generous, I say not a chance. Griffey’s actual HR total is 611, but lets say that he did averaged 33 HR’s a season after 2001.  Griffey would be sitting on 701 right now!  And today we would be talking about Griffey passing Hammer’n Hank this season back where it all started for Griffey in Seattle.

But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe 32 is a perfectly legitimate age for a “pure” player to start breaking down. And maybe all these freaks of nature who hit 40 home runs into their 40’s are all on the juice? I don’t know. What I do know is, is that Junior played the game right. He never showed up the game, or thought he was bigger than baseball. As a teenager I watched the home run derby every year because of Griffey. I wanted to see the kid wearing the backwards hat hit the ball a mile, and I remember when he came to Fenway in ‘99 and put on a show.

So A-Rod, here is a news flash for you.  Sit down and shut up! You were never our hero in the first place. You were only filling in while Griffey was out sick. He still looks like a 21 year old out there on the field. He’s not as quick as he once was, and he may have to DH every other day or so to keep fresh, but at 39 years-old Griffey is returning to Seattle for a farewell tour. Who knows, maybe he will find his swing in Seattle and hit 40 dingers this year? Maybe he’s got three or four years left in him. And if he does return to form maybe Griffey can save this game that we love. Again.

Troy Brown Retires: A Patriot For Life

Career long New England Patriots football player Troy Brown announced his retirement from professional football yesterday at Gillette Stadium. I use the term “football player” when referencing Brown, because Troy was in simplest terms the quintessential Patriots football player. In his career with the Patriots the 5-10”, 196 lbs. Brown played in all three phases of the game. Most of the time you saw No. 80 line up in the slot at wide receiver, you could also see Brown on special teams returning punts and kickoffs; and when the Pats were depleted in the secondary Brown buttoned up his chin strap and stepped into the defensive huddle to play cornerback. I can’t think of any other football player in the NFL, besides Patriots LB/TE Mike Vrabel, that played and contributed on offense, defense and special teams.

Brown gave an eloquent and heart felt speech. He stated the one phrase that has become a part of every retiring player’s press conference, in that his heart and soul still want to play the game, but his body is just telling him “no.” Perhaps the most heart wrenching part of the press conference (not seen in the video above) came when Brown’s ten year old son, Sir’mon, asked his father with tears in his eyes, “Daddy, if you love the game so much, why are you retiring?” For a moment Brown looked into his son’s eyes and answered the question as a father, rather than a football player:

“I would love to keep playing but there comes a time when the man upstairs called God, you can’t outrun him, as much as you try to and want to,” Brown said. “He just catches up to you and tells you that you’re 37 years old. Your knee is supposed to be hurting. Your hip is not in great shape. You can’t run as fast as you used to. There’s a bunch of 22-year-old guys out there that are taking your place.  I’m no longer 22, and in this game there are very few places for guys that are 37 years old. Therefore, you have to move on and create other goals and things to achieve. It’s a sad day for me too.”

Brown was a member of the Patriots for 15 years. He was a long shot to make it in the NFL; he looks more like an NBA point guard then a three time super bowl champion wide receiver. Brown attended Marshall College in West Virginia, where he played on scholarship for the football team. In 1992 Brown and the Marshall Thundering Herd captured their first Division I-AA national championship. The following year Brown was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 8^th round, 198 overall.

Brown was not an instant success in the NFL; in fact he was cut by the Patriots during the preseason in 1994, only to be resigned by the Pats later that season in October. Brown was used primarily as a return man in the beginning of his career, but emerged on the scene in 2000, with 83 catches for 944 yards, and 4 touchdowns. In 2001 Brown became new quarterback Tom Brady’s go to target compiling 101 catches, for 1199 yards, and 5 touchdowns in route to the Patriots first super bowl victory; as well as Brown’s only Pro-Bowl appearance.

Brown continued to show his allegiance and dedication to the team; in 2004 the Patriots were decimated with injuries in the defensive secondary. Coach Bill Belichick’s last resort was to use Troy Brown on defense as a cornerback. Not once did Brown complain or make excuses. Brown fished the 2004 campaign with three interceptions, good for second on the team. In 2005 the Patriots cut Troy Brown yet again; Brown was offered more money to play for the New Orleans Saints, but took a pay cut to stay with the Patriots. And just this past off-season the New York Jets and former Patriots Defensive coordinator Eric Mangini offered Brown a one year deal to play for the Jets. Brown said thanks, but not thanks, “You will only see me with one color on my back… the red, white and blue of the Patriots… I don’t look good in green.”

Players like Brown are few and far between in this day and age; it is rare that we see a player stay with one team throughout their entire career. At the end of Brown’s career he left the Patriots as the all time leader in receptions with 557 (for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns), punt returns (252), and punt return yards (2,625).

More important than statistics Brown leaves his NFL career as one of the greatest team leaders, and sportsman that the NFL has ever seen. Brown’s No. 80 will not be officially retired by the Patriots for a few years now, but you can bet money that you will never see another Patriot where the No. 80 for the rest of your life. I share the same Troy Brown memory as Boston Globe writer, Christopher Gasper. The play that best represent Troy Brown as a football player came in the 2006 AFC divisional playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. The play came in the forth quarter with the Patriots trailing 21-13. On fourth down and five, with only five minutes to play Tom Brady threw an interception to Chargers safety Marlon McCree. Instead of falling to the ground and cementing a victory McCree began to run with the ball. Brown then came out of nowhere to strip the ball from McCree, and the fumble was recovered by Patriot Reche Caldwell.

The Patriots went on to win the game 24-21. But that’s Troy Brown for you playing both sides of the ball, and just exceeding is responsibilities. In his career with the Patriots Brown did everything right and will be remembered for his amazing work ethic and his undeniable allegiance to one team and one goal- Win.

• touching all the bases So long, No. 80
• photo gallery Troy Brown through the years
• touching all the bases So long, No. 80
• Troy Brown’s retirement press conference
• discuss Post your salute to Troy Brown

Quotes were used from Christopher L. Gasper article in The Boston Globe

Number 9 Has Been Gone 5 Years

July 5, 2002. I’ll never forget that day. It was the summer after my freshman year of high school and my family and I had gone down the Cape for the 4^th of July. Boy do I remember that day. It had to have been 105 degrees in Hyannis and the beach was full of tourists.

After lunch, my mother wanted to poke around in some of the shops near the restaurant we had eaten at. My nine year old brother, Peter, and I were not about to become prisoners of my mother; dragging our feet from store to store full of things that we could not touch (we call those the no ‘touchy’ stores). My brother and I persuaded my father to give us the hotel key so we could go back to the room to get our swim-suits.  He handed us the key and we walked back to the hotel.

While I was waiting for my brother to change into his swim-suit, I flicked on the television and heard the heart breaking news- Ted Williams had died. Every channel was covering the story.  After all the city of Boston had just lost one of their only living legends. ESPN, NESN, Channel 4,5,6, and 7 all had the same story running; “The Kid” was gone.

I did not know what to think. All I new was that I had to let my dad know right away. I am not sure, but I may have left my brother in the hotel room all by himself, but I ran back down the street and found my parents. I told my father what I had just heard on the news, I told him Ted Williams was dead.

Five years later I still remember that day. It was a sad day for baseball. Many baseball historians and enthusiasts regarded Ted Williams as the greatest hitter of all time, and many would have agreed that he was the greatest living ball player aside form maybe Hank Aaron, but that’s another debate. Ball parks around America acknowledged that a hero had left us with moments of silence and tears of sadness.   

The image that resonates most clearly for me, is one of my favorite ball player of all time taking a knee and saying a prayer for the greatest Red Sox player of all time.

  Nomar Garciaparra was probably the closest with Ted Williams than any other active player on the Red Sox. Ted and Nomar had a certain bond; they would often share their philosophies on hitting and other aspects of baseball… but mostly hitting.  Teddy loved Nomar, he saw a great hitter in him.  He also saw a man that struggled with dealing with his fame in Boston; just like Ted did for most of his career.  My hero, Nomar Garciaparra had lost his hero, Ted Williams and Red Sox nation’s heart broke for both icons on that day.

 The only memories I have of Williams come from the 1999 All Star Game at Fenway Park. The Mid Summer Classic was held at Fenway that year, and Major League Baseball had a special treat in-store for their fans and players.  Before the game got under way the PA announcer at Fenway Park asked for the crowds attention and directed everyone’s eyes to the bullpen door in right field. As the bullpen door opened the announcer asked every one to welcome, “The Greatest Hitter of All Time, Ted Williams!”

Ted was paraded around the field on a golf cart, as he would tip his cap for the last time to the Fenway faithful. When the cart finally made it’s way to it’s destination at the middle of the infield, players from both the American League and National League poured out of their dugouts to get a glimpse of the “Splendid Splinter.” Giants of the game like Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Cal Ripken Jr., and Tony Gwynne circled the golf cart with jaw dropped mouths and star studded eyes as if they were not worthy of Teddy “Ball-Games” presence.

  After the celebration was over the PA anouncer had to ask the players to return to their dugouts, so the game could begin. Ted could have talked hitting with guys like Junior Griffey, and Tony Gwynne all night, but there was a game to play.

After Ted’s death I became some what of a Ted Williams historian; soaking up any fact and statistic about him I came across. I often reminded my friends that Ted would have most likely ended his career at the top of the home run list, above Hank Aaron if he had not had lost five seasons of his career to the military. Ted flew combat missions for the United States Marine Corp during World War II, and the Korean War.   In fact Ted Williams had to crash land his plane in the Korean War for fear of using the ejection seat. Ted was fearful that he leave his knee caps in the cockpit of his fighter jet.  Ted was well over six feet, and far too tall to fit in the cockpit of a fighter jet. If he ejected and his knees were damaged Ted knew that he would never play baseball again.

As I am writing this article I am also reading, “The Teammates,” By the late David Halberstam. The book Chronicles the playing days of Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr. These men shared a relationship that is not found in any clubhouses in Major league baseball today.

In the past five years I have learned so much about Ted Williams, and his legend has only grown in the eyes of Boston fans. Ted Williams is honored in three different Halls, the Baseball Hall of Fame, The Fly-Fishing Hall of Fame, and the Marine Corp. Hall of Fame. Some joke that by accomplishing this feat Ted Williams had conquered land, air, and sea; something no other man has yet to do as perfectly as Ted.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that Ted Williams passed away just one day after our Nations birthday. He was the quintessential American. In his book “The Teammates,” David Halberstam tells Ted that he was the man John Wayne was always portraying in all of his movies. All I know is that Ted was a Great American, and Boston was lucky enough to have him.

 

 

RIP Josh Hancock

I’m sitting here watching the St. Louis Cardinals play the Milwaukee Brewers on ESPN and the Cardinal’s player’s heads are not in the game. They’re making errors, base running mistakes and poor pitches, that’s because their minds as well as their hearts rest with their departed teammate Josh Hancock. The Cards are playing with a heavy heart tonight just two days after Josh Hancock, a relief pitcher, was killed in a car crash not far from Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play.

On Saturday night Josh Hancock drove his SUV head on into a parked tow-truck that was assisting a broken down car. The Police and Medics determined that Hancock died on impact, just 18 days after his 29^th birthday. The investigation continues, but there were no signs of alcohol in the vehicle, and skid marks prove that Hancock was awake, as he tried to avoid the tow-truck.

Although Hancock was a Boston Red Sox product I am sad to say that I had never heard of him until yesterday when I heard the tragic news. From what I have heard and read Hancock was a joy to be around. A player that spent most of his career in the Minors, Hancock tried to make the most of his time in the big leagues. Hancock’s hard work and determination paid off last season when he was included on the Cardinal’s post season roster. Although Hancock did not pitch in the Cardinal’s World Series triumph over the Detroit Tigers, he was deserving of a World Series ring just as much as anyone else on that team.

My heart really does go out to the Cardinals. This is the second time since 2002 that the Cards have had to lay a teammate to rest. The Cardinals experienced a similar tragedy when pitcher Darryl Kile died in his sleep in a Chicago hotel room. Kile died of coronary atherosclerosis, which resulted in a heart attack. Kile was only 33.

I always respect the Cardinals as team, and I have always respected the city of St. Louis as a smart and loving baseball town. They really are the one group of fans that will wrap their arms around a fan from an opposing team. For those Bostonians who were lucky enough to go to St. Louis to see the Sox win the 2004 World Series, all of them came back glowing about the St. Louis fans.

I remember reading an article about a group of Cardinals fans that came up to Boston for game 2 of the World Series. They stopped into a Boston bar to grab a few drinks before the game. While many of the Sox fans in the bar heckled the opposing fans, two kind hearted Bostonians called them over to have a drink. After an hour or two about talking about Baseball one the of Cardinals fans asked one of the Boston fans for his phone number, telling him he would give him a call if he could get tickets for the upcoming games in St. Louis. The Boston fan gave the man his number, not expecting a call, and thinking, “this guy has had too much to drink.” Two days later that Boston fan got a call from St. Louis, it was his bar buddy telling him he had go the tickets, and to catch the next flight out to St. Louis. How many fans would do that for an opposing fan during the World Series? The Cardinals organization even opened the ball park gates for non-ticket-holding Red Sox fans, so they could see the final innings of the World Series vivtory. They are just a classy organization.

Tony Larussa, who is one of my favorite Managers in the game, was the one that was given the horrifying task of calling Hancock’s family. Larussa then told Hancock’s father the devastating news at 4 o’clock sunday morning. In St. Louis those same loving fans have lined the ball park gates with flowers, jerseys, Cards caps, and posters commemorating Hancock’s time with the Cardinals. Tonight and for the rest of the season the Cardinals wear #32 on their jersey’s sleeve. And in the Bullpen hangs a #32- Josh Hancock jersey. Physically the Cardinals are playing baseball tonight, but it may be a long time until we see the Cardinals play with a clear mind.

Photos: Josh Hancock memorial

Video: La Russa on Hancock’s death

 

Moss Touches Down With Patriots

The Patriots were the only team with two first round picks in the NFL draft over the weekend, and in typical Patriots fashion they traded one of them away, and only made one first day selection. Their 24 pick resulted in University of Miami Safety Brandon Meriwether. However the Patriots made their biggest splash in day 2 of the draft when they shipped a 4^th round pick to the Oakland Raiders for perennial Pro-Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss. Moss comes to the New England Patriots possessing the type of talent that Tom Brady has only dreamed of having on his team. Moss also brings with him a rap-sheet of inexcusable incidents that leave some Patriots fans wondering if Moss can acclimate to the Patriots way of life in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

PHOTO GALLERY: Moss’s highs and lows

Moss has always been labeled as one of the “bad boys” of the NFL. A man that has nonchalantly admitted to playing when he feels like it, and also has admitted to causally smoking marijuana. Moss can be considered a loose cannon. But don’t you for a second think that Moss will be able to pull a “T.O.” and completely divide the locker like Owens did in Philly. Moss is not a bad guy, I simply look at him as the Manny Ramirez of the NFL; he may make you pull your hair out sometimes, but he is not going to kill the integrity of the locker room.

If you’re still skeptical that Moss could come in and destroy the “Patriot Way,” than you are forgetting the type of people the Patriots employ. How many plays do you think it will take for Randy Moss to “take off” before someone like Rodney Harrison, or Richard Seymour pins him up against a locker and tells him to smarten up? The answer is one play. If Moss so much as dogs it on one play he will have to answer to one of the Patriot’s veterans, and it will not be a light-hearted conversation. If Moss has a problem with one Patriot, he will have a problem with all of them.

According to many reports the Patriots were the only team that Moss was willing to restructure his contract for. Moss was slated to make $9.75 million for the Raiders this coming season. Instead the Pats will pay a base salary of $3 million, but Moss can make an extra $2 million with incentives. For the Patriots this trade was a no-brainer. It was only two short seasons ago when the Raiders traded former 1^st round pick, linebacker Napoleon Harris, the 7^th overall pick in the draft, and a 7^th round pick for Randy Moss; two years later the Pats get Moss for the low, low price of a 4^th round pick.

The beauty of this acquisition is that if Moss does indeed act like a child the Patriots won’t even think twice about cutting him. Does the name Terry Glenn ring a bell to anyone? Glenn was on the 2001 Patriots team that won the Super Bowl; Glenn however only played in 4 games that season due to a suspension handed out by the team. Glenn was by far the most talented wide out on the team that year, after all their deep threat was David Patten, and Belichick did not have any qualms about benching Terry Glenn. If Moss proves that he can not acclimate to the Pats philosophy, Belichick will hand him a plane ticket home and say, “Thanks for coming.”

The Patriots were only 4 yards away from getting to and winning their 4^th Super Bowl in 6 years. Lest face it I would have bet my parents home that any of the top 5 teams in the AFC last year was going to beat the Chicago Bears in that Super Bowl. Last year the Pats top wide receiver was the wide eyed Reche Caldwell, this season he will be fighting to see time in the slot position. In a position where the Patriots were extremely weak last year, this year they may have the most depth in the entire league

 

Wide Receiver Depth Chart- 2007 New England Patriots
1- Randy Moss*
2- Donte Stallworth*
3- Wes Welker*
4- Reche Caldwell
5- Jabar Gaffney
6- Kelly Washington*
7- Chad Jackson
8- Bam Childress
9- Kelvin Kight
*= Off Season Acquisition

At least 3 or 4 of these guys will not be on the Patriots come September, and Troy Brown is still a Belichick favorite and will probably be on the team just for his versatility alone.

The fact is that the Patriots had the best off-season out of any team in the NFL. They signed Adalius Thomas who was considered the most coveted free agent on the market, now with the acquisitions of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, and Wes Welker the Pats are the “sexy pick” and smart pick to win the Super Bowl. As WEEI’s Michael Holly would say, if you like money I would put a little wager on the Patriots this season. And they just might win the whole thing again.