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.

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

]]> http://mdd2403.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/troy-brown-retires-a-patriot-for-life/feed/ 0 Matt Patriots Brown Signs 006295866 brown-mccree http://mdd2403.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/number-9-has-been-gone-5-years/ http://mdd2403.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/number-9-has-been-gone-5-years/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:56:49 +0000 Matthew DeBarros http://mdd2403.wordpress.com/2007/07/06/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.

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

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.

Last night Curt Schilling dominated once again as he faced off with Oriole’s flame thrower Daniel Cabrera. Schilling only allowed one run, a Miguel Tejada solo shot, in 7 innings of work, and the Red Sox won the game 6-1. But that’s not the story here.

In the 5^th inning of last nights game play-by-play announcer, Gary Thorne, was reminiscing about Schilling’s courageous performance in the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees. Out of no where Thorne states that the “blood” on the sock that the whole nation saw on national television that October night was in fact red paint.

“The great story we were talking about the other night was that famous red stocking that he wore when they finally won, the blood on his stocking. Nah. It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR.” — 4.25.07, Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne

Boston Globe reporter, Gordon Edes, was at the game covering it for the Globe. When Edes heard this he immediately made his way to the Red Sox clubhouse to ask Mirabelli if he in fact did disclose this information to Gary Thorne:

“What? Are you kidding me? He’s [expletive] lying. A straight lie. I never said that. I know it was blood. Everybody knows it was blood.” – 4.25.07, Doug Mirabell

Today this was the lead story on ESPN’s Sport Center, and the Baseball media has flooded Camden Yards to get reaction the day after the fact. Doug Mirabelli has probably never had so many microphones and tape recorders shoved in his face in his life. Mirabelli said that he had talked to Thorne about six months after the World Series. Mirabelli recalled that Thorne made a comment about Schillings great performance with the bloody sock and all. Doug remembers saying, “Yeah, we got a lot of attention for that.” Mirabelli adamantly denies that he ever uttered the words “paint” or fake blood in his brief conversation with Thorne.

Thorne also had to deal with the mass of media at the ball park today. Thorne informed everyone that he did not pick up on the sarcasm when he had his conversation with Doug. Thorne said that he and Doug basically had a communication problem, when Doug said one thing and Gary heard another. Thorne was apologetic to Schilling, Terry Francona, and all of Curt’s supporters. Thorne said that he would never report anything that he thought was false, and at the time believed that Mirabelli’s comments were told in sincerity.

So lets just set the record straight, it was not paint, it was not ketchup, it was not toe nail polish; it was real blood that came out of Curt Schillings ankle. For all you bitter Yankee fans and Schilling haters just take a look at this picture if you have any doubt in your mind.

I’ll admit it Schilling is not the most likeable guy in the game; he’s got a mouth that just does not shut, and now fingers that don’t stop typing. And sometimes you just want to tell the guy to shut up and pitch, but for maybe the first time Schilling is the innocent victim of the media. If you remember correctly Schilling got lit up by the Yankees in game 1 of the 2004 ALCS, and he had blood in his sock then. After game 5, the bloody sock game, Schill said, “I did not even know if I could take the ball tonight.” Schilling had to deal with one of the best lineups in baseball that night, and if you think that he had enough time to think about putting some red paint on his sock than you should be committed.

Some people are saying that we need to send in the CSI team to Cooperstown to do some tests on the sock to make sure it is really blood. The sock sits in a class case next to other pieces of memorabilia from the Red Sox World Series run. The red blood has oxidized, and now is more brown that red. If you want to send in the CSI unit be my guest, but you will only add fuel to the fire in Curt Schilling’s mind.

Dr. Morgan sets the record straight.

This Morning I was able to walk around Quinnipiac University proudly donning my David Ortiz jersey and Sox cap receiving no jeers from any of the many New Yorkers that infest this fine University. What could they say? Last night the Sox swept the Yankees at the Fens for the first time in 17 years.

I was also presently pleased to find that many of my class mates that usually bear a Yankee cap had their hair neatly combed on their hatless heads. That’s the difference between Sox fans and Yankee fans, I wear my Sox cap proudly every day win or lose; hell I even wore it after the Aaron Boon game, New Yorkers leave their caps on their hooks, afraid to be associated with a loser.

Game 1

Lets face it the Sox were supposed to sweep this series, the only real pitching match up in the series occurred in game 1, Friday night when Curt Schilling and Andy Pettite faced off. Both pitchers were great. Schilling really only made two mistakes, both against A-Rod, and both left the ball park. Pettite on the other hand, handed his bullpen a 6-2 lead but the Sox rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the 8^th to steal one from the Yankees.

I’ll admit it when A-Rod sent his second home run, along with Coco Crisp, into the Sox bullpen I turned the TV off. Later on that night me and my buddy Andy and his family headed to the 99 for some dinner. When the hostess asked us if we wanted to sit near a TV, every one looked at each other and determined that a Sox loss would only make us lose our appetites. But being the loyal fans that we are, we sat down in a booth directly in front of a television.

Then like magic the Sox bat’s came alive. The waiter even brought me my food during the Sox rally, but I refused to touch it due to my ridiculous baseball superstitions. Even Yank’s closer Mariano Rivera could not stop the bleeding, giving up a game tying triple to Coco Crisp, and then an Alex Cora flair that made its way over a drawn in infield that proved to be the winning run.

With Papelbon unavaliable for that night’s game, having pitched in the two games prior to the series, Tito handed the ball to Hideki Okajima to close the door in the 9th. Okijima had to deal with the heart of the Yankees line up. But “Oki” got A-Rod to pop out to Alex Cora at second base, and then struck out DH- David Thomas for the final out.

Could the Red Sox have been affected by the luck of the Irish that night? After all the Sox did wear their Celtic green uniforms that night, honoring the late great Red Auerbach. Or maybe the Sox were uplifted by a great catch that did not happen. Even though Coco did not come up with the ball on A-Rod’s second homer, the guts and determination he showed on that play just might have been enough to turn the tides and give the Red Sox the momentum.

Or maybe it was just karma coming back to bite a certain Yankee fan in the ass. Seconds after Coco crashed into the bullpen I received a text message from my roommate with some choice words about how the Red Sox were playing at the time. After the Sox capped off the come back I handed my phone to my buddy (I hate texting) and told him to send a colorful reply. And by all accounts my roommate deserved it. Friday

Game 2

Saturday’s game started a lot like Friday’s game. Josh Beckett was on the hill looking to be the first pitcher in the Major Leagues to win his first 4 decisions of the season. Many Sox fans had already put this game in the win column before it even began because Beckett was going up against rookie Jeff Karstens, a virtual unknown. Compared to game 1 and game 3 of this series game 2 was a snoozer. The Red Sox only had to battle back from a two run deficit twice in the ball game. That seemed like a walk in the park compared to what they accomplished the night before.

Beckett gave up two first inning runs on a Giambi blooper. But in the bottom of the first the Red Sox answered right back when Ortiz drove in Lugo and Youkilis with a double. Beckett got into trouble again in the third inning giving up two more runs, but Big Papi was there to bail him out again with a two run blast into the right field stands to knot up the game a 4.

Beckett then settled down and began setting the Yankees down with ease. Beckett left the game after 6 2/3 innings after throwing 106 pitches. It was definitely Beckett’s least impressing start of the year, but was enough to provide the Sox with a 7-4 lead going into the seventh. Beckett allowed only 4 earned runs, and left the game to a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful.

Francona preceded to hand the ball to Okijima and Timlin for the 7^th and 8^th inning. Then it was old reliable, Jonathan Papelbon, for the ninth. Papelbon had to deal with the top of the Yankee order in the 9^th. Paps made quick work of former Red Sox, Johnny Damon, by inducing a harmless ground ball out.  He then walked Melky Cabrera on four straight pitches, only Papelbon’s second walk of the season. Papelbon answered by blowing away Derek Jeter, but Cabrera stole second on the strike out. Bobby Abreu stood in the batter’s box, representing the tying run, and A-Rod waited in the on-deck circle representing the go ahead run. A-Rod would not get a chance to be the hero; Abreu gave the ball a ride, but Crisp was there to track it down at the triangle in centerfield to record the final out. Two down… One to go! PHOTOS: Saturday

Game 3

The hype leading up to game three was palpable. The sun was out, it was a gorgeous day, and the Sox and Yankees were set to square off on ESPN Sunday night baseball in front of the entire country. Every sox fan was breaking out there brooms getting ready to sweep those horrible Yankees out of town, and back to that hell whole they reside in somewhere in the Bronx. It was sure to be a classic; Daisuke Matsuzaka in his first taste of the best rivalry in all of sports would be dueling against, drum role please… Chase Wright?

That’s right the Yankees sent Chase Wright, a single A pitcher making only his second big league start of his career, to the hill to face Boston’s $100 million dollar man, Dice-K. This was going to be fun. The only damper on the night was that I had to listen to Joe Morgan decipher every pitch using the “K-Zone” which apparently ESPN thinks is the greatest invention since sliced bread, but I digress.

The Yankees actually almost got away with sending the green lefty to the mound that night. It’s just something about seeing a pitcher for the first time that must throw the Red Sox off. The first time thought he order Wright actually looked like a big league pitcher; but then the third inning happened. With the sox down 3-0 Manny Ramirez stepped to the dish with two outs.

What happened next will go down as the greatest 4 at-bats in Red Sox regular season history. Manny took Wright’s 2-1 offering and put the ball well over the green monster and probably over Landsdowne St as well. J.D. Drew followed by smashing a ball even further than Manny’s, but Drew’s landed in right-center, just to the right of the triangle.

Red Sox third basemen Mike Lowell then got in on the action by lifting one over the monster. Lowell literally golfed this one out of the park, and it appeared to scrape the moon as it disappeared into the night sky. Then it was the Captain’s turn. Jason Varitek took the first pitch he saw and promptly placed it on Landsdowne St. Unlike the previous 3 blasts Varitek’s homer made a bee-line for the green monster seats, but no fan dared to put their hands in the way of this souvenir as the ball left the park in a blink of an eye.

Back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs! In the span of 10 pitches Chase Wright and the Yankees went from a 3-0 lead to a 4-3 deficit, all runs by way of the long ball. It was only the forth time that a team had hit 4 consecutive homers, and only the second time that one pitcher had given up four dingers in a row. And with that Wright was chased from the game.

This games excitement was just beginning though. The next inning the Yankee captain, Derek Jeter tied the game up by hitting a home run of his own over the monster. In Jeter’s previous at-bat he was hit square in the back by a Dice-K fastball. Jeter simply said, “You hit me, I hit you.”

In the 7^th inning the Sox found themselves trailing the Yankees 5-4, but that’s when Mike Lowell stepped into the box with men on second and third. I was almost positive that Lowell would put the ball in play and some how get a run home, after all Lowell had only struck out two times the whole season. I was wrong, Lowell did not put the ball the in play, he put it out of play, again blasting one over the green monster. The Sox led the Yanks 7-5 going into the 8^th .

The Sox surrendered one run in the 8^th making it 7-6 and Francona called for Papelbon in the 9^th for the second consecutive night. Papelbon was given the same task as the day before, protect the lead against the top of the Yankees line up. Johnny Damon, the “Idiot,” hit a grounder to short and was easily retired. Jeter continued with his struggles against Papelbon, striking out for the second consecutive night. Again Jeter sulked back to the dugout looking for a hug from manager Joe Torre, but Torre would not comply.

Jeter is now 0-5 with 4 strikeouts in his career against Papelbon. With two down Abreu battled Papelbon and was able to reach first on a well deserved walk. This time A-Rod would not be stranded in the on-deck-circle. Rodriguez dug against Papelbon trying to assume the hero role that he had already filled twice this season for the Yankees. The graphic at the bottom of the screen read, “Rodriguez- Career vs. Papelbon 0-2, 2 K’s” Papelbon would not blow Rodriguez away, he would however retire the superstar by jamming him with an inside fastball, which resulted in a ground ball to third. Lowell scooped the grounder and forced Abreu out at second for the final out of the game and the series.

This was pay back for the 5 game sweep the Yankees gave the Red Sox last season in August. And while the most recent series was only a 3 game sweep by the Sox, Boston travels to New York this weekend for another weekend series. And maybe, just maybe the Sox can sweep that series and win 6 in row against the Bronx Bombers.

Game photos Pick your favorite moment

Former Patriots Quarterback Drew Bledsoe has officially announced that he will retire from the NFL at the age of 35. The 14 year NFL vet told the associated press, “I feel so fortunate, so honored, to have played this game that I love for so long, with so many great players, and in front of so many wonderful fans.” While Bledsoe retired a Cowboy, he will always be strongly linked to the New England Patriots.

Bledsoe’s NFL career started in 1993, when the Patriots made him the first overall pick out of Washington State. Dubbed the next ‘Elway’ in light of his large stature, and rocket like arm Bledsoe was given the daunting task of rescuing the Patriots from the depths of the NFL.

Drew was handed the reigns of the team right away, and by his second year at the helm Drew was on top of the NFL; leading the league in passing attempts, completions, and touchdowns. Drew was the top Quarterback in the AFC East that year, a division that had Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Jim Kelly playing in it.

Bledsoe spent eight seasons with the Pats, in that time he made 4 Pro-Bowls and helped the Patriots make the post season 5 times. Bledsoe helped the Patriots to two Super Bowls; once as the starter in 1996 when the Patriots lost to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, and once as the back up behind Tom Brady in 2001 when the Pats beat the St. Louis Rams.

Although Bledsoe holds almost every major passing record for the New England Patriots the play he will be remembered for is not a long touchdown pass to Terry Glen or Ben Coats, Bledsoe will be remembered for a 5 yard scamper in 2001 against the New York Jets. It was the play that changed Patriots history forever. The play was vintage Bledsoe. Drew broke free from the pocket and made his way for the first down marker along the sideline. Then, BANG! Jets linebacker Mo Lewis crushed Bledsoe sending the QB to the hospital with a multitude of internal injuries. Then enter Tom Brady, and the rest is history; thats a whole other story.

Although Bledsoe was visibly upset, holding a clip board on the sideline, Drew helped Tom Brady with his acclimation to the NFL. Bledsoe could have very easily divided the locker room when Coach Bill Belichick announced that Brady would remain the starting Quarterback. The Veterans on the team would have taken his side, but Bledsoe did not disrupt the team.

Then like a scene out of a predicable Hollywood movie Bledsoe’s number was called when Tom Brady went down with a leg injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship game. Patriot’s fans went through deja vu when on the first play Bledsoe scrambled out of the pocket and received a devastating hit as he was running out of bounds. This time Bledsoe popped right back up clapping his hands. Three plays later Drew hit David Patten in the end zone for a touchdown to seal the deal and send the Pats to the Super Bowl.

Bledsoe’s heroics in the AFC Championship game was not enough to give him the starting job in the Super Bowl. Brady and the Pats beat the Rams, and that off-season Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a first round draft pick.

Drew had the right to be bitter when he left the Pats. It’s almost an unwritten rule in the NFL that a Quarterback can not lose his job do to injury. But when the stoic Drew Bledsoe left town he did it with class. Drew took out a full page ad in the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe thanking the fans for their support.

Drew was a great Quarterback in the NFL who lost his job to two rising stars (Tom Brady and Tony Romo) and one bust in Buffalo (J.P. Losman). With 44,611 passing yards, Bledsoe ranks 7th all time in NFL history, his 251 touchdowns are good for 13th all time, while his 3,839 completions rank him 5th all time.

Face it, weather you like him or not, he was a great Quarterback. He was a “Dan Marino” on a bad team with the Pats and Bills. If you were to switch Bledsoe with Favre, by putting Bledsoe on the Packers, we may be talking about one of the best Quarterbacks to ever play the game. In my mind Bledsoe is Hall of Fame worthy, but will probably get the shaft. So long Drew, and thanks for the memories.
Bruschi on Bledsoe’s retirement
Bledsoe tails off …

This is the first time that I have ever had a post about anything other than sports; but I can’t let this show go down without a fight. I am a re-run type guy, my nightly viewing usually consists of classics like Seinfeld, and Friends, but a couple of months ago when my buddy told me about The Black Donnellys I got hooked. I don’t get into new shows, I don’t watch 24 or Lost, but I was really getting into The Black Donnellys, and after only half a dozen episodes NBC is pulling the plug on the Donnellys, the remainder of season one will air on line on NBC’s website.

The show is about four Irish brothers living in a rough town in New York City, I know Bostonians… New York, but they hardly ever mention the city, so I just pretend it takes place in Southie. The story is being narrated by Joey ‘Ice Cream’ telling the story from a jail cell to anyone that will listen to him. Joey is the long time friend of the Donnellys, but it is not revealed as to why he is telling the story. The brothers (Jimmy, Tommy, Kevin and Sean) were always involved Irish Mafia in town, and become even more involved when the Boss of the neighborhood, Huey, and the Boss of the Italian Mafia, Sal, get whacked in the first episode. The Italians and the Irish had always coexisted in the neighborhood, but now the neighborhood is on the brink of war after the loss of their leaders.

When I heard the show was being pulled off the air I was outraged and surprised. If I had to describe the show in less than 5 words I would tell you, “Sopranos” meets “The Departed.” Just check out this trailer.

The show honestly has everything. Guys if you are looking for action this show will cure your Soprano’s hangover. The show also has many humorous aspects to it as well; Joey Ice Cream, the narrator, is telling the story from behind bars and provides the comic relief needed in this type of show. Jimmy, the oldest brother, seems to always be making enemies for the family, Tommy, a few years younger than Jimmy, is always “saving the day.” Tommy is easily the most intriguing character in the show.

And yes ladies, as you saw in the trailer there is a love aspect to the show as well. Jenny and Tommy are perfect for each other. They both love each other, but Tommy is always to busy saving his brother’s asses for them to have a relationship.

So please give this show a chance. It can no longer be seen on television, but you can watch it online at NBC’s site. It is also one of the most frequently downloaded videos on Itunes. If enough people watch the on-line episodes then NBC will consider bringing it back. If NBC doesn’t bring the show back it is rumored that HBO, FX, or USA may be interested in picking it up. This story can not go untold; the last episode was in my mind the best so far.

Please help save my favorite show, how many episodes of shows like Law and Order, CSI, and Criminal Minds can you watch. These shows have been on the air for years now, and they SUCK! Honestly, its the same story over and over… Dead stripper, dead millionair, kidnapped teen-ager, you’ve seen one you’ve seen em’ all. Take a chance on a show with a real story line you can sink your teeth into. Sit down at your computer one night and watch the first episode of the Black Donnelly’s, and then try not to click on the next episode.

For some reason NBC has taken the Pilot episode off their web site, so here is the ending of the pilot episode if you are interested.

Sign the Save the Black Donnellys Petition

Black Donnelys News Blog

Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel could pull a “Deion Branch” and sit out some of next year’s NFL season, if the New England Patriots do not pony up the dough, or trade him. Asante Samuel had ten interceptions last season; that good enough to be tied for first place in the NFL with All World defensive back, Champ Bailey.

Bailey, the Bronco’s corner, was the highest paid cornerback in the league until the San Francisco 49ers made CB, Nate Clements, the richest defensive player in NFL history by inking the defensive back to an 8 year $80 million deal.

Clements only had 3 interceptions last season with the Buffalo Bills, and returned one for a touchdown. Samuel had 10 picks for the Patriots last season. Asante also has four post season interceptions, three of them were returned for touchdowns, none of them bigger than his interception against Peyton Manning and the Colts in the 2007 AFC Championship game.

This past off-season the Patriots tagged Asante Samuel as their franchise player, meaning that he would get paid the average of the top five salaries at the cornerback position for the entire year. That number is set to $7,790,000. That seems like a nice lump of cash to me, the only problem is that Asante feels that he can get top dollar on the open market; basically he wants Nate Clements money. The Patriots will never make a player on their team the highest played player at his position.

Is Tom Brady the best all around Quarterback? Probably. Is Richard Seymour the best all around defensive end? He is up there. But neither of these guys make top dollar at their position, and they are the cornerstones of the Patriot’s dynasty.

           It’s been no secret that Asante has been eyeing a fat contract for a while now.  Boston Globe sports writer Jackie MacMullan wrote a great piece about Asante Samuel entitled, Payment Due, the article appeared in the Boston Globe on January 7, 2007.  In the article MacMullan describes the rough life that Asante Samuel lived growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Samuel and his family were poor.  When Samuel made it to the NFL he got the words, “Get Paid” tattooed across his chest.  The tattoo is reminder that the NFL is a business and he needs to make some money while he can.    The 26 year-old Samuel is in the prime of his career, and if the Patriots don’t act soon Asante will be getting paid by another team next season.