Bleacher Report - Articles by Amanda Bruno

Coming in January 2010: BUWB Top 20 College Newspaper Sites

Amanda Bruno — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:38:00 -0500

With the MLB trade rumors in full force, I've been taking a break from the college newspaper reporting scene, but have concocted a masterful idea.

In January 2010, Batter Up With Bruno will list the Top 20 college newspaper sites in the country.

The list will solely focus on the papers' sites, not the actual newspapers. With the changing journalism industry, it's only fair.

The rankings will be based on five categories:

1. Overall design and appearance

2. Navigation

3. Update frequency

4. Story content and writing

5. Multimedia use

Each of those categories will earn between zero and five points and that's how the list will be compiled.

If you have any suggestions for sites I should look into, feel free to contact me or leave a comment under this post.

Spread the word and let the games begin.

Why Mess with Dustin Pedroia's Success?

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:30:00 -0500

Apparently the Boston Red Sox management is in complete panic mode.

Last night there was quite a stir in New England when the name 'Dustin Pedroia' and the word 'shortstop' were all mentioned in the same sentence.

With the shortstop position in complete crisis mode, one "solution" is possibly moving the current and Gold Glove winning second baseman to his old position in while playing for Arizona State in college.

Is this really a smart move?

Pedroia isn't foreign to the position, but he hasn't played it since 2006 while he split between Pawtucket and the Red Sox.

A similar comparison would be when the New York Yankees shifted Alex Rodriguez to third base from shortstop to make room for him on the roster and on the diamond since Derek Jeter already filled in that slot.

Pedroia won a Gold Glove in 2008 and has flashed a lot of leather around in his three full big league seasons.

He's committed only 18 errors in those three seasons out of 2,021 chances and exactly six errors per season.

Why mess with Pedroia's success? And suppose it doesn't work out?

There's already a rumor going around that the Sox are interested in 34-year-old second baseman Placido Palanco who wasn't offered arbitration from the Detroit Tigers.

Wait, another 34-year-old? What is it with these guys?

Marco Scutaro or Palanco?

On a defensive stand point, Palanco made two errors in 151 games and Scutaro had 10 errors in 43 games.

Oh, what to do Boston, can we please get it together?

The Boston Globe will always be No. 1 ESPNBoston

Amanda Bruno — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:37:00 -0500

VS.

Editor's Note: The title of this article was changed from "Hey ESPNBoston: Stop stealing the Globe's sports staff," due to readers' confusion of getting my point across (see Boston Herald paragraph).

About a week ago, I read something very interesting on apsportseditors.org , the official website of the Associated Press Sports Editors (ASPE).

It was the November Newsletter written by Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan entitled, "Fending off the ESPN.com invasion. "

Sullivan described the recent invasion of ESPNBoston and how the company literally was trying to steal all of his Globe sports staff.

If you've been following the Boston sports reporting scene, you've noticed that the Globe lost two of its top guys in New England Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss and Boston.com Sports Producer Chris Forsberg to ESPNBoston the month it launched.

Then a week ago, former Globie Gordon Edes' name and face magically popped up on ESPNBoston's blog as the new Red Sox beat writer. Coincidence? Here's how Sullivan's piece starts off:

It started with a staffer calling me in early August. You know the type of call. "Can I talk to you?” he said with a mysterious tone. He came into the office the next day, and that’s when I found out ESPNBoston.com was on its way.

At that time, that writer told me he was only having preliminary talks, but wanted me to know (which I appreciated). Several weeks later, he accepted a job offer (which I didn’t appreciate).

Sullivan then goes onto tell that ESPNBoston offered jobs to six Globe employees. Who they were, only him and those people know.

Comcast SportsNet got wind of the news and soon followed suit as it offered jobs to five Globe staffers. On top of that, the Globe and CSNNE were competing for the same football writer (Albert Breer?). Here's how some of those staffers with the offers handled it:

The staffers with job offers seemed to wait until the weekend to call me. I would then call our editor, Marty Baron, to keep him up to date. One time he answered his phone and said, "Joe, I know when I hear from you on a weekend, it can’t be good news.”

It was true, the news was rarely good. It either had to do with the job offers our staff was receiving or the Boston Globe’s financial situation.

So why in the world did both ESPN and CSNNE want all of the Globe people? Apparently the Boston Herald was second choice if on the list at all (Sean McAdam and Joe Haggerty joined CSNNE).

Maybe just because the Globe is the best of the best of Boston sports coverage? But rather than admitting defeat, ESPNBoston tries to woo them in switching over to "the dark side?"

"We not going to apologize for trying to get the best people on our team,” said Patrick Stiegman, vice president/executive editor of ESPN.com.

"This wasn’t an attempt where we said ‘Let’s go see if we can raid someone’s staff.’ The idea was who would be the best talent in the market? In fairness to us, we’re trying to get the best people. If you want to be the best, if you want to do the best, you have to hire the best.” What Stiegman said is all of the proof in the world.

Nice going ESPNBoston. The only way you think you can beat the real hometownies is to just simply take them, thinking it'll destroy the organization as a whole. If you've also noticed early this month, Boston.com has been revamped quite a bit itself.

The best part is that ESPN is a member of the ASPE as is the Globe. It's almost like having the New York Times Co. shipping half of the Globe staff over to New York.

In a way, this is almost sickening. There's nothing like a little bit of friendly competition, but enough is enough. Not everyone can survive, so who's going to be the one to die?

To read Sullivan's full newsletter, click here.

Boston Red Sox Wants Marco Scutaro? The Question Is...WHY?!

Amanda Bruno — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:05:00 -0500

If you haven't heard, Alex Gonzalez signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Happy Thanksgiving Red Sox Nation.

What does this mean? Well first off, it means Gonzalez will not be back in a Red Sox uniform. It also means there is currently no everyday proven shortstop on the roster.

There's been talk of acquiring Marco Scutaro from the Jays.

Wouldn't it be something if the two teams just switches shortstops?

Scutaro hit .282, with 12 home runs, 60 runs-batted-in, 35 doubles, 90 walks, 14 stolen bases, and 75 strikeouts.

He is also 34 years old.

Why do the Red Sox have a tendency to bring in old ballplayers? This is no time for a quick fix and after last season, half of the fans are probably sick of them (no offense Brad Penny and John Smoltz).

But the problem is who else can the Sox get? Forget J.J. Hardy, who got traded to the Minnesota Twins from the Milwaukee Brewers.

There isn't a lot of there, and I can't believe Theo Epstein let Gonzalez slip away. Unless Gonzo does absolutely poorly in Toronto, then, ok we forgive you. But no the pressure is really on to get someone decent and Scutaro looks like the only option.

Clay Buchholz For Roy Halladay or Buchholz For a Bat?

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:19:00 -0500

It's all over the Internet: the Boston Red Sox are making a huge push for Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

Last July was only the beginning of the trade talks that could land him in either a Boston or New York Yankees uniform.

Toronto knows that Halladay doesn't want to return after his contract is up in 2010, so why not get some value from him?

The New York Daily News is reporting that in order to land Halladay, the Sox have to part with Clay Buchholz and pitcher/shortstop Casey Kelly, who signed with the Sox in 2008 after being recruited by Tennessee to play quarterback.

So pretty much it's switching Buchholz for Halladay in the rotation. No offense, but what does that really solve?

Halladay, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Tim Wakefield would become the new starting five, but with Wakefield's history of back problems, is it really smart to get rid of a kid who just proved himself during the postseason (Yes, we all remember the outcome of Game Three of the ALDS, but it wasn't Buchholz' fault.)?

Obviously it's Halladay for a 25-year-old who needs to show his true potential every time he goes out to the mound. Plus, Buchholz just got married, and I don't need to explain that.

There is Michael Bowden, but who knows if he'd have to be included in the deal, as well?

Bob Ryan and Charlie Pierce debate the topic of trading Buchholz on The Globe 10.0, but talk about giving him up for another bat. Pierce says no on Miguel Cabrera and Dan Uggla, but yes for Adrian Gonzalez.

Should the Sox trade Buchholz for Halladay or another bat?

What do you think?

Red Sox Shortstop Situation Is a Big Deal

Amanda Bruno — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:00 -0500

This is nothing new to Red Sox fans.

Ever since fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra was traded away in 2004 on the final day of the trading deadline, the shortstop position has been a revolving door.

Here is a list of players (in alphabetical order) who appeared in at least one game at shortstop since 2004:

1. Orlando Cabrera
2. Royce Clayton
3. Alex Cora
4. Cesar Crespo
5. Nomar Garciaparra
6. Alex Gonzalez
7. Nick Green
8. Ricky Gutierrez
9. Jed Lowrie
10. Julio Lugo
11. Alejandro Machado
12. Hanley Ramirez
13. Pokey Reese
14. Edgar Renteria
15. Ramon Vazquez
16. Gil Velazquez
17. Chris Woodward

That's right, 17, count them. Seventeen. It appears there is a serious problem.

Jed Lowrie was supposed to fix the problem in 2009, but injuries got the best of him. Now it's even being questioned if he can handle being the everyday shortstop.

Lowrie only played in 32 games and batted a miserable .147, with two home runs, 11 runs-batted-in, six walks, and 20 strikeouts.

After playing for Boston in 2006, Alex Gonzalez was brought back into the mix in 2009. He not only had a defensive answer, but also made an impact on offense, which was an added bonus.

The Sox declined Gonzalez's $6 million option, but that doesn't mean he can't still be the starting shortstop in 2010. According to Tony Massarotti's article in The Boston Globe, after Gonzalez files for free agency, general manager Theo Epstein can start discussions for a new contract that won't cost as much.

Gonzo batted .284 in 44 games with five HRs and 15 RBIs. He didn't fare as well during the postseason as he only went 1-for-6 with a walk and a strikeout.

Should Gonzo be brought back as the everyday shortstop? He certainly proved during his brief time that he's capable of handling it.

The answer is right in front of Epstein. Now that J.J. Hardy discussions are long gone, he should do the right thing and not overthink the situation.

If not, who else is there to fill in the role?

Introducing BostonSportsWoman.com

Amanda Bruno — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500

A couple of months ago I was contacted by Absolute Broadcasting General Manager Mike Winn about a new website targeted at active, sports minded women in the surrounding Boston and New England Area.

Winn represents multiple radio stations in Nashua, New Hampshire including WGAM Radio, 1250 AM Manchester, WGHM 900AM Nashua, and WSMN 1590 AM Nashua.

With that said, say hello to BostonSportsWoman.com, the only online magazine dedicated to female sports fans in the Boston area.

I'm one of five featured bloggers, a group that also includes fellow Red Sox blogger Kayla Chadwick of Off the Monster. I encourage everyone to check it out and pass the word around.

The site promotes Boston sports, health and fitness, and events, including charity fundraisers.

You can become a fan on Facebook and follow BSW on Twitter .

Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter

Zuri Berry Replaces Chris Forsberg on Boston.com

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:34:00 -0500

With the departure of Chris Forsberg to ESPN Boston, Boston.com officially hired a replacement to cover the legendary high school sports scene.

Zuri Berry, a native of San Francisco, California, is the new Sports Producer for Boston.com. He's a graduate of California State University, Chico.

He announced the news on his personal website :

Zuri Berry Journalism, Sports & Culture - A New Direction For A Changing Industry.

From his site back on Oct. 27:

"I’m typing this on my Blackberry on a plane, somewhere between Denver and Chicago. Final destination? Boston.

I accepted a position as a sports producer for Boston.com, the Web site of the Boston Globe . So it’s been a whirlwind this last month, leaving Grass Valley, Calif., and making arrangements to be in Massachusetts."

Berry, 25, previously covered high school sports for The Union, which covers Western Nevada County in Cali.

He's also written for the Marin Independent Journal, Chico Enterprise-Record, The Oakland Tribune, and the Vallejo Times-Herald.

You can check out his work so far on the High School Sports blog where he's already recorded and compiled video highlights of selected football games.

Congrats to Berry. I'm sure he'll do a fine job.

You can follow him on Twitter along with all Globe Schools updates .

Bigger Impact for the Boston Red Sox: Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez?

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:50:00 -0500

With trade rumors swirling away, a couple of big names are being thrown around that Boston Red Sox fans are very familiar with.

Left fielder Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres.

If Theo Epstein can't lock up Jason Bay to a long-term deal, the Sox need to find someone to replace the 2009 Silver Slugger award recipient.

Holliday, 29, struggled when he played in the American League with the Oakland Athletics.

In 93 games with the A's he hit .286 with 11 home runs, 54 RBI, 23 doubles, 1 triple, 12 stolen bases, 46 walks, and 58 strikeouts.

In 63 games with the Cardinals, Holliday batted .353 with 13 HR, 55 RBI, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 2 SB, 26 BB, and 43 strikeouts.

Though he totaled 27 HR and 109 RBI and a .313 BA, would Holliday again struggle if the Sox signed him to play in a tougher AL?

Gonzalez, 27, batted .277 in 160 games with 40 HR, 99 RBI, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 119 BB, and 101 strikeouts.

Now with Jed Hoyer as the new Padres General Manager, there are speculations that a trade could be more likely between them and the Red Sox.

With Victor Martinez as the every day catcher, Gonzalez could play first base, Kevin Youkilis would move across the diamond to third, and perhaps Mike Lowell could become the designated hitter/third baseman.

David Ortiz is a question mark, but he is clearly not the answer as the every day DH.

If Epstein can re-sign Bay and also plant Gonzalez, Boston's lineup could finally match up to the New York Yankees.

Who would Sox fans rather see? Holliday or Gonzalez?

Roy Halladay & the Yankees: Absolutely Ridiculous For MLB!

Amanda Bruno — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:58:52 -0500

Roy Halladay in pinstripes?

This could very well be a possibility, but the question is, why? Why do the reigning World Series Champions need to add another ace to their already proven and capable starting rotation?

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman tweeted that the Yankees plan on inquiring about Halladay.

New York won without former ace Chien-Ming Wang, who only pitched 12 games and compiled a 1-6 record and 9.64 earned run average. Pretty much everyone in New York forgot about this guy: the same guy who, in 2007, was a 19-game winner, posted a 3.70 ERA, and was 2/3 of an inning shy of 200.

How were they were able to pull it off? CC Sabathia ($161 million) and AJ Burnett ($82.5 million), a combined $243.5 million investment. Throw in veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain, who fully transitioned from the bullpen to a starter.

If Halladay goes to the Yankees, their rotation will look more like an All-Star team than a regular club.

MLB Trade Rumors reported that Halladay definitely "wants out of Toronto," and new Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos "won't rule out trading him within the division."

Who can blame Halladay for wanting out of a losing club? But it's just downright unfair for one team to pick up every ace that becomes available to them.

This obviously goes deeper into the business aspect of the game. Clubs like Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Washington won't have the opportunity to pick up anyone like that.

Tampa Bay placed Scott Kazmir on waivers because of his salary; he was picked up by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Yankees? More like "The Yankee All-Stars."

Should the Boston Red Sox Go After John Lackey?

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:21:00 -0500

Pitching wasn't exactly an issue last season for the Boston Red Sox, but as shown in years past, there's no such thing as having too much of it.

There's no guarantee that a starter will be healthy as Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the 60-day disabled list in June after being on the 15-day DL in April and didn't return to the mound and to his true form until September.

John Lackey leads the class of free agent pitchers this winter.

Lackey, 31, is coming off a good season with the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, the only team he's played for in his career as he was brought up its minor league system.

He posted an 11-8 record with a 3.83 earned run average in 176.1 innings pitched. In the postseason, Lackey shutout the Red Sox as the Angels swept the American League Division Series before falling to the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Currently the Red Sox 2010 rotation is set as:

1. Josh Beckett

2. Jon Lester

3. Daisuke Matsuzaka

4. Clay Buchholz

5. Tim Wakefield

Wakefield's condition is kind of iffy (a word that's banned in Boston) especially with his recurring back problems. Lackey would make a nice fit with Beckett and Lester. And with Buchholz is the mix for the entire 2010 season, it should be a very exciting year.

The question is, will the Red Sox be willing to pay big bucks for this guy and for how may years? He's not AJ Burnett or CC Sabathia, but he does have a World Series ring and five years of playoff experience (2002, 2005, 2007-2009).

Mike DiGiovanna wrote in a story dated back on October 27:

"John Lackey, the team's ace, will be the top starter on the free agent market, a right-hander who will probably command a contract of at least five years and $100 million."

It's definitely something to ponder besides the Jason Bay situation.

In order to even think to keep up with the World Series Champion Yankees, Theo Epstein needs to pull some strings and get it done.

Other players to ponder:

Hideki Matsui OF

Matt Holliday LF

Roy Halladay RHP

Lots of Question Marks for 2010 Red Sox Starters

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:23:00 -0500

Well its officially that time again. The time of, "who should the Red Sox sign, re-sign, drop, and trade for" time.

There are, indeed, a lot of questions.

Here's a quick breakdown:

The obvious

Jason Bay and Jason Varitek

The not as obvious

Alex Gonzalez and Rocco Baldelli

In question

Mike Lowell and David Ortiz

This was the 2009 starting lineup for the most part:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF

2. Dustin Pedroia 2B

3. Victor Martinez C/1B /Kevin Youkilis 1B/3B

4. Jason Bay LF

5. J.D. Drew RF

6. David Ortiz DH

7. Mike Lowell 3B

8. Jason Varitek C

9. Alex Gonzalez/Nick Green/Jed Lowrie SS

Will Boston lock up Bay? There's a chance General Manager Theo Epstein won't fork over the years and money.

Will Jason Varitek be back? If not, that's why Epstein traded for Martinez.

Baldelli said he wants to return in a Red Sox uniform next year, but with the trade for Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins, that possibility may not be one anymore.

What about Lowell and Ortiz? Their ages are becoming a huge factor and Papi sure showed it last season. Boston needs to have a better DH, one that can bat in the third or fourth hole, not towards the end of the lineup.

Ortiz, 33, has been slumping for the past two years . In 2008 he only played 109 games because of his wrist. This year he hit an almost career low .238, but managed to hit 28 home runs and have 99 runs-batted-in. However he also struck out 134 times.

Lowell, 35, put up decent numbers and still has the trademark glove. Who can complain about a .290 BA, 17 HR, and 75 RBI with only 61 strikeouts?

If the Red Sox want to keep up and beat the New York Yankees (they just won the World Series didn't they?) they really have to think about the future of their youth. They need two more power hitters (Bay, or a Bay equivalent, plus another guy) and possibly another starting pitcher.

The Yankees got lucky with their bullpen this postseason, and seriously they really needed it. Phil Hughes was awful and Joba Chamberlain wasn't lights out either. If it wasn't for Mariano Rivera, the Yankees wouldn't have won.

Epstein knows what he has to do, but for all Red Sox Nation knows 2010 could very well be a rebuilding season if key players aren't lured in and signed without going overboard with the cash.

These are the positions and players that are locked up:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Dustin Pedroia 2B

Kevin Youkilis 1B/3B

Victor Martinez C/1B

J.D. Drew RF

These are the positions with question marks:

It's going to be an interesting ride.

Boston.com Sports Gets A Fresh Look

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:17:00 -0400

Discovered this evening, the boston.com sports page has a new fresh look.

The page is full of color and graphic logos of all of the main Boston sports teams in the top navigation bar, which gives easier access to your favorite sports team pages.

To find your favorite blog, click on the "More" button and a drop down menu will come up listing all of them along with the Globe columnists, and other sports and categories.

Another cool feature is quick access to all of the pro sports scores for MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. Also an added tool is the GlobeSportsWire , which gives up-to-date news from the Globe newsroom.

Towards the bottom right hand side there are the multiple categories including Facebook, Twitter, Mobile, and Widgets.

But one bizarre twist; Why in the world is Tony Massarotti rooting for the Yankees in the World Series?

Mazz has officially been dubbed the most uncool Boston sports columnist ever and that's being quite nice.

An Aging Theo Epstein and an Aging Red Sox Club

Amanda Bruno — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:23:00 -0400

In November of 2002, no one knew who Theo Epstein was. He was this 28-year-old kid who made history becoming the youngest to serve as a Major League Baseball General Manager, hired by the Boston Red Sox.

He had the baby face going on and his full head of light brown hair. He was ready to prove all of his critics wrong. He accomplished that in 2004 and then again in 2007 by adding key players to produce winning ball clubs.

Now, seven years later this November, the 35-year-old is no longer a kid anymore. His light brown hair is streaked with grays and his hair line is creeping up and thinning out.

Epstein has a lot of work ahead of him this offseason. In today's Boston Globe, Red Sox beat writer Amalie Benjamin compiled a page of what the 2010 ball club may look like.

The starting pitching staff looks to be set with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, with Tim Wakefield pending.

But it'll be interesting to see what he does with David Ortiz and Mike Lowell. Lowell didn't have a bad season despite only playing 119 games because of a hip injury. The third baseman batted .290 with 17 home runs and 75 runs batted in. Perhaps he could take the designated hitter's role?

Ortiz will never be the same since Manny Ramirez was traded away. That three-four combo is gone and now that every team does the "David Ortiz shift" and seems to work every time, maybe it's time to say good-bye to Big Papi.

He somehow finished the 2009 season putting up 28 HR and 99 RBI, but hit a measly .238.

Papi gave the Sox some great years and no one will ever forget that, but it's clear especially after this postseason he isn't the same clutch hitter. Going 1-for-12 isn't going to cut it.

Good Mr. Epstein. We only hope that you don't lose your whole head of hair over this.

The day after: Press conference for Red Sox 2010 plans

Amanda Bruno — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:42:00 -0400

Yesterdays questions and answers were only the beginning. Today Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona met with the media to answer more questions regarding offseason plans, contracts, and club improvements.

Here are some reports courtesy of my Twitter feed

AmalieBenjamin—Guys are packing up in RedSox clubhouse. Seen: Beckett, Bay, Buchholz, Lowrie, Gonzalez, Byrd, Saito, Tito, Farrell.

PeteAbe—Theo: Pencil Buchholz into 2010 rotation. Wakefield in plans as well.

AmyKNelson—See how surgery for Wakefield will go but red sox want him back. Jason Bay they hope to sign...negotiations will continue.

PeteAbe—Farrell will be back. Astros have permission to interview Mills and Bogar.

AmyKNelson—Martinez will catch next year, not fair to discuss Varitek situation b/c Epstein has not talked to Vairtek yet.

AmyKNelson—Papelbon "can be better" and Epstein knows he will work in offseason to be better, even though he had a good year.

IanMBrowne—Bumped into Dustin Pedroia at Subway. Classic!

It's always good to throw in a humor tweet.

Obviously there are a lot of questions. Here's a quick rundown of what the Red Sox have to do this offseason and some other notes and question marks. Not in any particular order.

Re-sign Jason Bay
Sign/trade another big bat
The Jason Varitek situation
Jonathan Papelbon cannot completely rely only on his fastball
Tim Wakefield's health if he returns
Who will be the starting shortstop?
David Ortiz
Youth

Some good news coming out of the playoffs? Daniel Bard, Daniel Bard, Daniel Bard. He was a ray of hope especially in Game Three getting out of the bases loaded jam and he will be someone special.

That's all for now. Should be an interesting offseason folks.

Globe Staff MLB Predictions Not Even Close

Amanda Bruno — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:09:00 -0400

After yesterday maybe we can all get a good laugh today from reading what the Boston Globe writers predicted at the beginning of the season on who would win the 2009 World Series.

How off were these predictions? Out of the six writers everyone already failed to pick the two correct teams that will be in the World Series.

Here's the quick breakdown:

The writers

Dan Shaughnessy

Bob Ryan

Amalie Benjamin

Adam Kilgore

Chad Finn

Tony Massarotti

Predictions in a nutshell

Everyone picked the Chicago Cubs to be the National League representative in the World Series.

Shaughnessy, Mazz, and Benjamin picked the Cubs to win their first WS since 1908.

All but Kilgore and Mazz picked the Boston Red Sox to face the Cubs in the big dance. They thought the Tampa Bay Rays would return, with Kilgore picking them to win.

Ryan and Finn picked Boston to win it all.

Everyone except for Mazz picked the Red Sox to clinch the AL East. He thought the Rays would somehow repeat over the New York Yankees and Sox.

Ryan and Finn were the only two who had the Yankees making the playoffs.

No one picked the Colorado Rockies to make it to the post-season.

Only Kilgore and Ryan picked the St. Louis Cardinals to be in the post-season.

Half of them picked the New York Mets to win the NL East.

But here's one prediction almost everyone got correct. The Los Angeles Angels would win the AL West.

The most ridiculous prediction was Kilgore who picked the Kansas City Royals to win the AL Central and the second most ridiculous was Mazz picking the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the NL West. His reason was, "best pitching in a bad division."

Everyone else said the Los Angeles Dodgers would win the NL West.

So there you have it. I know these predictions are obviously way harder than it appears to be especially looking at the results at the end of the season, but let's hope they do a lot better next year.

Red Sox 2009 season wrap-up: Angels return the favor and sweep ALDS

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:24:00 -0400

The 2009 season comes to a close

Sooner or later it was going to happen, but no one in Boston thought it'd happen in this fashion.

Up 5-1 at one point in the game, things looked pretty secure for the Boston Red Sox with hopes for a Game 4 alive.

The bats finally woke up highlighted by a Dustin Pedroia double and J.D. Drew two-run shot.

Clay Buchholz did what he needed to do and put in five quality innings despite the solo homer to Kendry Morales.

Daniel Bard dazzled as he pitched for two full innings and didn't allow a hit while striking out two.

But then it all unraveled in the top of the eighth.

Terry Francona decided to go to his closer in Jonathan Papelbon to get the four-out save. It proved to be a disaster of a mistake from the first pitch that was thrown.

Billy Wagner was charged with two runs and it was a ball game again as the Angels were within a run, then 5-4.

Papelbon was coming in with an earned run average of 0.00 lifetime in his post-season career.

That ended in the ninth as the final score read 7-6 Angels.

Los Angeles returned the favor and changed its history book, and now move on to the American League Championship Series. More than likely it'll be against the New York Yankees who lead 2-0 against the Minnesota Twins in its ALDS.

Another reason to hate the Yankees

There was an interesting Tweet about the Yankees' clubhouse that my eyes caught.

Via Ed Price: Standing outside #Yankees clubhouse, can hear them yelling and laughing at #Angels rally"

The Boston Globe's Chad Finn had a nice response to this on his Twitter page.

Domination over

Anyways the Red Sox domination against the Angels in the post-season is over and I guess it's good that it is over. It's almost similar to the Yankees domination over the Sox. The Sox ended that in 2004.

I'm really pulling for them. They are playing their hearts out for Nick Adenhart and have every right to. It should be one hell of an ALCS.

2010 is looking bright

Back to the Red Sox, it was a good 2009 season and 2010 should be another exciting one.

First step is to re-sign Jason Bay. Boston already made a smart move trading for Victor Martinez so the catcher's slot is all set. Bard is going to be outstanding and more than likely the closer of the near future of the club.

There are a lot of things to be happy about, just wish the 2009 season didn't end so soon.

Thank you everyone

I also want to take this time to thank everyone for visiting the blog and also a special thanks to Ian Bethune over at SOX & Dawgs and Ken Fang over at Fangs Bites.

Thanks for all of the linkage and having more Red Sox fans discover my blog. It's much appreciated.

Format changes

With the Red Sox season over, we'll be focusing on the Boston sports media more as well as college newspaper coverage along with off-season buzz so be sure to keep visiting.

That's a wrap.

Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/batterupbruno

Red Sox Postseason Recap: Do or DIE Edition

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:49:00 -0400

It's not what they were hoping for, but the Boston Red Sox find themselves down two games to none against the American League West Champions, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in the American League Division Series.

The Angels have outscored their opponent 9-1 in the series, as the Sox bats have been in MIA mode. Jacoby Ellsbury is the only member to score after he hit a triple, and was driven in by Victor Martinez in Game Two.

The series is now back at Fenway Park where Boston is hoping for some home magic.

Clay Buchholz is on the mound, while familiar Red Sox foe Scott Kazmir gets the call for the Angels.

Kazmir was claimed off waivers as the Tampa Bay Rays were trying to dump salary, as it was dwindling away in the standings.

It should be an interesting match-up.

American League Division Series Games 1-2

Record: 0-2

Runs scored: 1

Opponents' runs scored: 9

Home runs: 0

Opponents' home runs: 1; Torii Hunter

Games left: Do or DIE

Is Don Orsillo Going to Be the Biggest Jinx Ever?

Amanda Bruno — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:56:00 -0400

God we hope not.

I tweeted that right after the Red Sox lost 4-1 to the Angels, putting them down 0-2 in the American League Division Series.

The Red Sox Nation loves and respects NESN play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo, but was this really the worst mistake ever having him announce the Red Sox-Angels series on TBS instead of the Yankees-Twins or one of the National League series?

It has to kill him being neutral and so far he's been forced to show more excitement towards the Angels.

Now Boston finds itself in an 0-2 hole with the series heading back to Fenway.

The matter of the fact is, the Sox bats need to wake up. Scoring two runs in the first two games isn't going to win games unless the pitching is absolutely flawless.

Kevin Youkilis finally broke out of his slump in the top of the ninth inning. Maybe this is the hope lingering?

And who's shoulders is this all resting on come Sunday?

Clay Buchholz.

Lets see what happens.

ALDS Game One: Lackey vs. Lester Pre-Game Notes

Amanda Bruno — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:46:00 -0400

Here are some background numbers of tonight's starters for Game One of the American League Division Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Boston Red Sox.

John Lackey

2009 regular season stats

11-8 record, 3.83 ERA, 27 games, 176.1 IP, 177 hits, 84 runs, 75 ER, 17 HR, 47 BB, 139 strikeouts

Postseason career (four seasons, seven series)

2-3 (0-2 against Boston), 3.39 ERA, 11 games (9 starts), 58.1 IP, 56 hits, 22 ER, 4 HR, 22 BB, 39 SO

Jon Lester

2009 regular season

15-8 record, 3.41 ERA, 32 games, 203.1 IP, 186 hits, 80 runs, 77 ER, 20 HR, 64 BB, 225 strikeouts

Postseason career (two seasons, four series)

2-2 (1-0 against LAA) 2.25 ERA, 7 games (5 game starts), 36 IP, 30 hits, 11 runs, 9 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 34 SO

Game time is scheduled for 9:37 p.m. on TBS. Don Orsillo (NESN) and Buck Martinez get the call in the broadcasters booth with Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci as the field reporter.

SOX & Dawgs Returns To the Blogosphere

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:50:00 -0400

Today, Ian Bethune relaunched the very popular SOX & Dawgs

He wrote a post entitled "The Return" explaining the temporary shutdown of the site and also some changes that will occur:

"I don’t expect to change too much in the Red Sox coverage other than I probably won’t be doing full game recaps. Although I really hadn’t done a full one in a while, I was doing brief almost AP-like recaps. I may or may not do those for the playoffs.

"Also, instead of linking to every Red Sox story out there after offering up my thoughts in Morning Red Sox post, more than likely I will direct you to the media websites."

Bethune shutdown his site back on Sept. 18 and announced on Oct. 2 that the site would return, not giving a set date.

Glad to have you back Ian!!

Red Sox-Angels Series to Start on Thursday

Amanda Bruno — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:12:00 -0400

The American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will begin on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9:37 p.m. (East Coast time).

Here's how the rest of the schedule lays out:

Game Two: Friday, Oct. 9 at 9:37 p.m. in Anaheim

Game Three: Sunday, Oct. 11 TBD in Boston

Game Four*: Monday, Oct. 12 TBD in Boston

Game Five*: Wednesday, Oct. 14 TBD in Anaheim

* If necessary

UPDATE: Via @bostonradio on Twitter

"Sunday's Game Three start is 12:07 p.m. I am hearing Monday's Game Four start is also 12:07 p.m., and Wednesday's Game Five would be 3:07 p.m."

All of the games will be televised on TBS.

For the rest of the postseason schedule, click here.

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SOX & Dawgs Blog to Return with Different Format

Amanda Bruno — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:06:00 -0400

Ian Bethune, founder and blogger of SOX & Dawgs announced today on his Twitter page that he will be bringing back his website that he abruptly shut down on Sept. 18.

He said that it would only cover the Boston Red Sox and UConn Huskies and he'd be dropping the New England Patriots and Boston Celtics.

It is not known at this time when the site will be officially back up and running.

"I missed it," said Bethune via Twitter. "But I'm going to be scaling it back and doing things a little differently."

Bethune posted a lot of information on a daily basis. For Red Sox coverage, he'd write pre-game and post-game notes, series pitching match-ups, batter vs. pitcher match-ups, broadcast information, and some video highlights just to name a few.

"I'm planning to change the Red Sox links, which consumes a lot of time. Also I haven't fully decided yet, but I probably won't be doing recaps of the Red Sox games right afterwards," said Bethune of some of the changes.

He said that the UConn coverage will probably stay the same.

On the brief two-week shutdown, Bethune doesn't regret it at all and maybe this is what he needed.

"It was a welcome break. I was burnt out and and needed to decide if whether I wanted to continue," explained Bethune. "Part of me what swayed me to come back was the support and well-wishes I received from a lot of readers.

"You really don't realize what you have until it's gone and the amount of support I got was quite surprising to me."

Once there's a set date, we'll be sure to announce it here on Batter-up with Bruno.

Welcome back, Ian, the Red Sox Nation blogosphere can be right again and RedSox100.com can perhaps almost look right again. Lots of surprise changes during the past two weeks.

Soxtober Has Arrived: Red Sox Finish With Indians Before ALDS With Angels

Amanda Bruno — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:03:00 -0400

It's the first day of October. Do you know what that means?

It's officially Soxtober time in Boston.

Soxtober was created in 2007 amidst controversy. Many said it was stolen from the Colorado Rockies after they created the catchy slogan of "Rocktober."

However, "Rocktober" was already taken by computer-game manufacturer Activision when they filed a computer software application for the phrase "Legends of Rocktober."

In the end, Activision holds the trademark.

The Cleveland Indians are coming to Boston for the next four days as catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez faces his former club for the first time since the trade.

The series will feature Boston's four potential playoff starters: Jon Jester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz.

This is the last time they'll all get in some work before flying out to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Division Series. They need to have themselves in playoff mode.

There's a chance that Saturday's game could be washed out, which means Sunday could turn into a day/night doubleheader. If that happens, it'll be interesting to see if Terry Francona makes adjustments with the rotation.

Boston Red Sox Drop Six Straight, Delcarmen Still Struggling

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:16:00 -0400

If the Boston Red Sox didn't clinch a playoff spot early Wednesday morning, the whole state of Massachusetts would in a a full out panic attack, red alert, freak out mode.

With the official bid into October, Terry Francona decided to rest all of the starters with the exception of David Ortiz and Alex Gonzalez, with Tim Wakefield on the mound.

You could argue Casey Kotchman, Rocco Baldelli, and Jed Lowrie, but Lowrie hasn't been really the starting shortstop and he ended playing third base with Gonzalez at short.

Pretty much it was a starting lineup you'd see in spring training.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Roy Halladay had fun kicking them around in a 12-0 shutout victory. Halladay went the distance and allowed only three hits, two walks, and had six strikeouts.

Wakefield went for only three innings and gave up five runs on seven hits, two being home runs, two walks, and two strikeouts.

It may indeed be over for the 42-year-old knuckleballer.

Six relievers followed with only two being as interest in Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima.

Delcarmen still hasn't figured it out as he pitched an inning and allowed two runs off three hits (one home run) in the sixth.

Okajima pitched in the eighth and also gave up a home run.

Will their pitching magically go away once the plane touches ground in California next week? The Sox can only hope so especially with Delcarmen and his inconsistencies month by month this season.

Party Like It's 2009: Red Sox Clinch AL Wild Card

Amanda Bruno — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:18:00 -0400

Maybe this was the kind of change the Boston Red Sox were searching for as far as a celebration.

It's not exactly the way they were hoping to do it, but it's finally official...the Red Sox are the American League Wild Card Champions and will face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALDS.

The Angels took down the Texas Rangers 5-2 in the early morning hours to eliminate them from playoff contention.

Now with that out of the way, Boston can focus on more important things such as prepping for the postseason. It's going to be an interesting ride.

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Toronto-Boston: Comeback comes up short; Buchholz battered; Toronto Wins 8-7

Amanda Bruno — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:35:00 -0400

Is this a cause for concern?

Up until the bottom of the eighth inning, the Red Sox offense looked dead. When it finally started to click, it proved to be too late as the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat Boston 8-7.

Kevin Youkilis struck out looking to end the threat with Jacoby Ellsbury on second and Joey Gathright (who pinch ran for Victor Martinez) on first.

Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz gave up a season high five home runs (two of them to Adam Lind who belted three) and seven runs in five innings pitched. Hopefully this is something Red Sox Nation will never see ever again this season.

Jon Lester was roughed up in his last start before taking a line drive off his leg. Now it's Buchholz, who's in line to be the third starter for post-season, who was hammered.

Should we be concerned at all? The Sox have now dropped five straight and have to deal with Roy Halladay Wednesday night to avoid the sweep.

Boston can still win the Wild Card if the Texas Rangers lose (ed. note—which they did), but it's definitely not the same. Since the Rangers have a West Coast game, we won't know until 1AM, which means no celebration with the fans and leaves reporters in a crunch for their deadline stories.

What would you choose?

How Much is Too Much? Boston Pro Sports Sites Uncovered

Amanda Bruno — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:24:00 -0400

The World Wide Web is making it more and more difficult for Boston sports fans.

With the official launch of ESPN Boston last week, there's now another top notch media outlet to choose from for Boston sports news.

The prime list includes:

Boston.com - The Boston Globe's online home

NESN.com - New England Sports Network primarily Red Sox/Bruins

WEEI.com - Radio network website

ESPN Boston - ESPN's city outlet

Sorry Boston Herald, you didn't make the cut.

Boston Sports Media Watch is another great site that pretty much takes content from all of the sites listed above and and more and generates links to every days' tops stories so you don't have to go onto every single website separately and search.

So the question is, which is the best site for Boston sports news?

ESPN Boston already stole away two Globies in New England Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss and Boston.com staffer Chris Forsberg who was recruited for multimedia purposes.

Who is the next big ticket person to be wooed to the world wide leader in sports?

Some people don't think it's fair that ESPN is starting to outsource to city coverage because it's stealing away from other sites.

It'll be interesting to see if regular Boston.com readers start visiting ESPN Boston just because of Reiss and Forsberg.

But what about WEEI and NESN? Some web sites are good for certain content, be it blogs, video, live updates, box scores, chats, breaking news, etc.

Will some sites be written off completely?

This forever changing media industry is becoming too much to keep up with and someone is going to have to die off. Not everyone can win.

Boston.com's Chris Forsberg Takes Job at ESPN Boston

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:08:00 -0400

With Peter Abraham almost aboard as the newest member of The Boston Globe, there is indeed another departure as predicted.

But no, it's not Adam Kilgore that I guessed on a couple of weeks ago.

Boston.com multimedia guru Chris Forsberg is saying goodbye on Wednesday and heading to work for ESPN Boston.

Forsberg, a graduate of Northeastern, interned at the Globe from 1999-2003 before joining the Boston.com staff in 2006.

The Auburn native wrote on his Twitter page about his lasts at the Globe including his last Patriots game with them, last high school football game, and final Extra Points blog entry.

Forsberg's a Jack-of-all-trades as he's covered pretty much everything starting with high school sports. His hard work eventually led him towards the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins coverage.

A lot of his talents originated on the high school sports blog where he shot video highlights of games and got on camera interviews with players.

He later launched live blogs using Cover-It-Live software and took it to a whole other level with Boston sports coverage.

Congrats and the best of luck to him. The Globe is losing a very talented guy. But with Forsberg departing, now this leaves another question mark. Abraham is coming in, but as far as it's been reported he's only covering the Red Sox. Who's going to replace the multimedia part?

It's a never ending cycle.

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New York Yankees Clinch AL East: No Time to Panic, Red Sox Fans

Amanda Bruno — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:17:00 -0400

It was a slap in the face to the Boston Red Sox today at Yankees Stadium, but it's not over.

After missing out on the playoffs a year ago, the New York Yankees clinched the American League East in a 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

Boston is stuck on three games to clinch the AL Wild Card.

This is the first time the Yankees have won 100 games since 2004, when they finished at 101-61.

In 2003, they had the same record and 2002 New York was 103-58.

Let's recap what happened to the Yankees in the playoffs from 2002-2004.

2002: Eliminated in ALDS in four games to Anaheim Angels (World Series champions).

2003: Lost WS in six games to Arizona Diamondbacks.

2004: Lost in ALCS in seven games to Red Sox (WS champions).

Let them celebrate. Boston has seven more games at friendly Fenway Park to get the job done. It's not the end of the world, but of course the Sox didn't want to be the team to lose for it to be official.

With the loss, the season series ends up tied 9-9, after Boston jumped out to a dominating 8-0 run.