Bleacher Report - Articles by Dan Callagy

Red Sox Report: Can Jason Vartiek Keep It Up..Will Dice-K Turn It Around

Dan Callagy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:16:59 -0400

We are 66 games through the 2009 Major League Baseball season. The best record in baseball belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have an astonishing 44 wins and 23 loses.

Not far behind them are the red hot Red Sox. The Sox have won 7 of their last 10 in large part of the hitting.

David Ortiz has broken out of his slump with four home runs in the last 14 games. Their lineup has been amazing. With 336 team RBI's, which is third in the league, they also lead the league in doubles, walks, OBP, and slugging percentage.

It's not all Ortiz's hitting. Jason Bay is leading the league in RBI's with an amazing 61 and Kevin Youkilis is fourth in the league in batting average. One silent but deadly weapon at the bottom of the order is Nick Green.

Green is usually the eighth or ninth batter but has come up big in the past few games. In their most previous game he had a big two out hit and brought in two runs to give the Sox a lead. They eventually win the game 3-0.

With Jed Lowrie hurt but soon returning, expect Greene to be a big contributor on off days for Lowrie.

One player the Sox almost released this off season was their captain, Jason Varitek.

He was horrendous last year, batting .220 with 122 K's, 43 RBI's, and only 13 HR's.

Its the exact opposite this year. He has had a phenomenal year with 10 HR, 35 RBI's and 30 K's.

Can Tek keep it up?

Also, the pitching has been amazing. The only one who is pitching terribly is Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Dice-K is 1-5 with a 8.23 ERA. It's not only that he is giving up runs, he doing it in an art form.

In his last start, his first pitch was hit out of the park by the Braves lead off hitter.

Opposing hitters are hitting .378 off of him. That's good enough to win the batting crown.

Dice-K has been scratched from is next start and John Smoltz is the expected starter for Dice-K. Smoltz will be making his first start of the year after about a month of rehab.

Beckett and Lester have really turned it on and are holding up Dice-K's end of the wagon.

In Beckett's last start, his stat line read.

CG, 5H, 0 BB, 7 K.

That is a stat line pitchers might get once a year. What's even more remarkable is the fact that the five hits were all singles while only letting one person reach second base.

In Lesters' last start, he had a stat line of

7IP, 8H, 0BB, 2ER, 8K.

In his last four starts combined he has allowed five total ER. Before that, 29 ER in six starts.

Dice-K will continue to struggle if he keeps getting into these jams where he has bases loaded or two on with one out. Last year he got lucky and got double plays but this year hitters have figured him out and now know what he is going to throw in a specific point.

The future will tell if Dice-K can figure out his problems and if the Sox can keep up their hitting.

As for now, they better hope Lester and Beckett keep pitching the way they have been.

Red Auerbach-Phil Jackson: Who's the Best NBA Coach of All Time?

Dan Callagy — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:07:17 -0400

I have recently just finished a book, Let Me Tell You A Story, by John Feinsetin.

It is a book about Red Auerbachs journey from scrawny little point guard at George Washington, to one of the best coaches of all time.

But that's just it...is he the best NBA coach of all time?

No doubt the only coach in contention with him is Phil Jackson.

Being only 14, I have never seen Red Auerbach coach, and I have seen Phil's two good years, as I was only six when the had a three-peat.

There numbers are practically identical, Red with 823 career wins, and 426 loses. He had eight NBA championships in a row, and nine in 10 years. Whats even more miraculous, he never had a losing season.

Phil has 1,041 wins and 435 loses. But, the record doesnt tell it all. Phil has been coaching for 20 years, Red coached for 14. So Phil pretty much has another six years of wins of in hands.

Now a-days, teams live and die off the three-pointer. Example, the Magic.

Back in the 50's-60's, there was no three-pointer.

Red had nine NBA championships in 14 years. Which is unbelievable.

He is the only coach in NBA history with eight or more championships in less than 15 years. He did have players like Russell, Cousy, Heinhson, and the two Jones's (K.C and Sam.)

Phil has had two of the greatest players of all time, Kobe and Shaq. He also has nine championships in 20 years. So there is practically no contention.

Not long ago, I voted on a poll on ESPN.com. The topic, greatest coach of all time. My eyes light up when I saw the title. Of course it was Red, Jackson, and Pat Riley, and I voted for Red.

In the country he was second overall. The reason...no one that voted, I can guarantee it, has seen Red Auerbach coach. I am not saying I have but the competition is just about equal, the stats are also very identical.

It's your choice.

My Conference Final and Stanley Cup Predictions

Dan Callagy — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:37:28 -0400

It has been a wild and crazy playoff ride so far.

The top two teams in the NHL have been brought down by teams lower than a fifth seed.

A sixth seed has made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The first, second, and third seeds have been eliminated in the eastern conference.

And the conference finals consist of a second seed, two fourth seeds, and one sixth seed.

Who will win each series? What will the Stanley Cup Finals look like—and who will prevail?

Well, keep reading to find out.

First match-up: Carolina Hurricanes vs Pittsburgh Penguins.

Winner: Hurricanes

Why? One reason and one reason only—speed. The Hurricanes, easily the fastest team in the league, can out-skate any one. Yes, that includes Sid the Kid and Evgeni.

The Canes' also have someone by the name of Cam Ward.

This 6' 1" Canadian is a man of steel, not to be confused with Superman—although some Carolina fans seem to think he is superman. He single-handedly held one of the highest-scoring teams, the Boston Bruins, to 17 goals in seven games—about two goals a game—and came up with huge saves in the crucial Game Seven.

The Canes' also scored fifteen goals on Tim Thomas, a nominee for the goalie of the year trophy. All year, Thomas never let up more than 12 goals in a span of seven games. That's a pretty challenging task.

Eric Staal was also a big contributor in these two series wins so far. The Hurricanes are 7-0 when Staal records a point and 1-6 when he doesn't. They did, however, win Game Seven with Staal barely getting any shots off.

It will be a tough series, but I believe the Hurricanes will prevail in yet another Game Seven.

Series: Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings

Winner: Detroit Red Wings

Why? Goal tending and brutality—crucial parts of a teams keys to victory. The Red Wings ex cell in both categories. With Chris Osgood between the pipes with a 2.06 GAA and a .931 save percentage, hes pretty tough to get he puck passed. When Chris is in the zone, he's in the zone.

Brutality. What is it? Just a fancy work for toughness. They finish hits, play till the whistle, and always get into fights. If you have the puck in a corner, look out for the brutal players the Wings have.

The Blackhawks are a tough team, but they aren't a match for the Red Wings' goaltending and the brutality of the players.

Stanley Cup: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings

Winner: Detroit Red Wings

Why? Well, pretty much the same reason as the other match-up for the Red Wings—they have too good of a goaltender and are too brutal. Although the Hurricanes counter with Cam Ward and a faster team, the Wings' brutality makes up for the speed.

Will the Wings repeat? Can the Hurricanes upset the Penguins as they did the Bruins and Devils?

We will have to wait and see.

My Top 10 Favorite Sporting Events Attended/Watched

Dan Callagy — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:31:35 -0400

Born in 1995, i haven't witnessed to many great sporting events. So i though tit wouldn't be to hard to narrow these down, but boy was i wrong. The 10 greatest games since 1995....what was i thinking. This was a fun slide show to publish, but ti took time and thought to string together my top 10 games since 1995.

Begin Slideshow

Why the Cleveland Cavs Won't Win the NBA Finals

Dan Callagy — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:32:33 -0400

Last year, the Boston Celtics won their first NBA championship in 22 years. They accomplished this task by playing great defense, taking advantage of their collective experience, and capitalizing on the leadership capabilities of their guys.

This year's No. 1 Eastern Conference seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, has only one of those things (defense), and that will prevent LeBron & Co. from taking their place in history alongside the '08 C's.

I'll break down how they come up short in the other two areas for you.

Consider this one word: "experience."

Now, consider these two more words: "LeBron James."

LBJ is the only guy on the Cavs who has significant Playoff exposure.

Sure, Maurice Williams is a great point guard, but he was on the Bucks for four years, and they made the postseason just once in his tenure, when Mo was just a rookie.

Yes, Cleveland has other players with years under their belt like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, and Joe Smith, but this squad has only three players with more than 10 years experience in the NBA.

In contrast, the Celtics have five: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Mikki Moore.

The Cavs do have the same starting five as they did last year, but other than that continuity, they're pretty much a brand new team except for bench player Daniel Gibson.

Now that being said, leadership was even more important to the Celtics' title run last season. They had the definition of a "Celtic" in Paul Pierce.

Every year, the Red Auerbach Award is given out to the player on the Celtics who best exemplifies what it means to be a member of the Boston club. "P-Dub" won it six years running, from 2003 to 2008, though this year Ray Allen took it home.

But that just shows that other players are stepping up and being leaders. Two-seed or not, the Celtics have a legitimate chance at winning the 'ship again because of this.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have LeBron and "Big Z" to lead, but that's it.

They only have three players who score 10-plus points per game: "The King," Mo, and Ilgauskas, though Delonte West is creeping close with 9.6 PPG.

The Cavs are a great team, no doubt about it, but they are beatable. All opponents have to do is shutdown LeBron, and they are more than halfway to a victory.

It should be a very interesting Playoffs.

Don't Let His Name Fool You...He Is One To Fear

Dan Callagy — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:04:48 -0500

Tuukka Rask (pronounced Tu-ka).

Yes that is a real name, and yes he is human.

The 6'3" inch, 170 pound Finalnd-ite (he's from Finland), is now the future of the Boston Bruins. He was called up from the Providence Bruins on Thursday, and was told on Friday he would start Saturday (January 31st) when the Bruins host the New York Rangers.

The Bruins looked tired later on in the game but they kept engines moving as they eventually prevailed with a 1-0 win. Marc Savard scored the lone goal, his 19th. But the story of the game was, Tuukka Rask.

Rask was born in Finland in 1987, making him only 21 years old. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2005 with the 21st pick in the first round. He was later traded from Toronto to the Bruins for, then star, Andrew Raycroft. He quickly became the starting goaltender for the Providence Bruins (AHL team of Bruins).

Because of his young age, they didn't want to call him up just yet in 2006. They let him adapt to Providence, then in 2007 made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 20th. He won that game, letting up two goals. He then returned back down to Providence for the remainder of the season.

In the 2008-09 season, he made two more starts before the one against the Rangers on the 31st. In his other two he one won and lost one, and only allowed 2 goals, but never started in any of those games.

On Saturday, January 31st, Tuukka made his first NHL start. Rask was called up because Manny Fernandez got hurt, and Tim Thomas needed a break.

The Bruins-Rangers game was a battle the whole way. Marc Savard scored the first goal at 19:37 in the second, and that was the lone goal of the game. Tuukka made 35 saves (on 35 shots) and made a few acrobatic saves. He looked alert and focused on the ice, and was "nervous at first but, became more confident as the game went on".

Tuukka looks like he is the future of the Bruins, and will make bug contributions this year.

Red Sox, Yankees, Rays: Preview of the Division to Watch

Dan Callagy — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:55:25 -0500

The AL East was full of surprises last year, with the Rays' best one-year turnaround in MLB history, to the Yanks not making the playoffs since the year I was born (1995) and the Sox trading goof-ball Manny Ramirez.

The season was crazy, but the off-season has been even crazier.

The Yanks signed three big-name players: CC Sabathia (seven years, $161 million) AJ Burnett (five years, $55 million) Mark Teixeira (eight years, $180 million). That's nearly 400 million between three players for salary.

The Rays had a fairly quiet off-season but did sign Pat Burrell (two years, $16 million) and Matt Joyce (two years, $4 million).

The Red Sox signed one hitter but four pitchers. They signed Rocco Baldelli (one year, $500K), Takashi Saito (one year, $3 million), Brad Penny (one year, $15 million), John Smoltz (one year, $5.5 million), and Japanese star Junichi Tazawa (three years, $3 million). That's only $27 million between four players who could make some big impacts on the Sox down the stretch.

Now lets preview the AL East outcome, breaking it down team-by-team.

The Rays are defending AL East champs, AL Champs, and runners-up of the World Series. They accomplished all of this with an extremely young team.

With Evan Longoria (23 years old), Carl Crawford (24 years old), and BJ Upton (24 years old) leading the young offense, they also have Carlos Pena, who's 30, batting in the No. 4 spot to hold down the power.

Their offense is a consistent one, but can hit slumps if they don't achieve to their full potential.

The Rays pitching is held down by ace Scott Kazmir and star James Shields, who has his ups and downs, but mostly ups.

Their bullpen is pretty solid, but needs to fill some holes. They have Troy Percival as the closer, Dan Wheeler as a set-up man, and Grant Balfour as a middle reliever.

There were many occasions last year where one or two of them was hurt and the other was either tired or already used.

That's why they need one more reliever, someone like a Smoltz, even though the Sox have him, or they could even sign a young Japanese pitcher. They have just as much talent as in the U.S.; they just take a long time to adapt.

The Yankees went on a spending spree this off-season. I am predicting that only Teixera will have a good year. I think C.C will have a good year, maybe one like Josh Beckett last year, 12-10 with a 4.03 ERA.

With Sabathia in the NL last year, there were a lot of strikeout hitters. In the AL, there are a lot of contact hitters. Only four NL hitters were in the top 15 last year in batting average, and there was Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, who he will face probably five times this year.

As for Burnett, he is injury prone, and he will eventually get injured this year so he probably won't make a big contribution this year.

The Yanks' hitting will be the same as last year, just a little older and with Tex thrown into the middle.

Their one-two combination of Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter is a fairly old one. Damon will be turning 34 this year and Jeter 33 later on.

Their three-four combo is fairly young. A-Rod is 32 and Tex is 27.

Following those four are Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, Xavier Nady, Jorge Posada, and Melky Cabrera. I believe Nady will have a big year because he will be adapted to AL pitchers and feel at home in Yankee Stadium.

The Red Sox pitching is going to be fantastic this year. Their starting rotation will be flanked by Beckett, Lester, and Dice-K. Their bullpen will be led by closer Jon Papelbon and set-up man Justin Masterson.

With the addition of Takashi Saito, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and Japanese star Junici Tazawa will all have contributions to the bullpen this year.

Brad Penny and Sox superstar pitcher Michael Bowden will compete for the fifth starting spot. Smoltz will later on join that race when he has fully recovered from his shoulder injury of last year.

The Sox hitting will be pretty good this year. With Ellsbury and Pedroia in the one-two spots, that will be pretty hard to get past. Pedroia, the reining A.L MVP, will be a big factor this year. I am predicting 20+ HRs and 95 RBI.

With Ortiz at three and Youk, who just got a four-year contact extension, at four, the pitchers can't pitch around Papi. Youk had just as good numbers last year as Tex, so he can easily compete with some of the best hitters in the game.

With J-Bay backing up Youk and rookie SS Jed Lowrie behind him, and JD Drew thrown into the mix somewhere between, their hitting is looking pretty good.

I look for big things to come with the Sox this year, along with the Rays and Yanks.

My A.L East outcome preditcion is:

1.Red Sox

2.Yanks

3.Rays

The AL East will be the division to watch this season, as every year there is a new surprise.

Hey, this is just a writers note, if it seems i am favoring the Sox a bit its not rare, I am a die hard Sox fan, so feel free to say what you think about the teams in the division, and my article in general. Thanks

Boston Red Sox Still Spending on Pitching

Dan Callagy — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:44:45 -0500

Breaking News: Red Sox sign pitcher Takashi Saito to one year deal, with club option for 2010.

With the Red Sox signing their fifth pitcher of the offseason Friday, they apparently think their hitting is okay.

Trading Coco Crisp for Ramon Ramirez was their first of many pitching acquisitions. They later signed John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa, and now they added Takashi Saito.

All of them will join the bullpen as because the starting rotation is doing very well.

With a rotation something like this: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and rookie sensation Michael Bowden. They have the experience in Wakefield, and the youth in Bowden and Lester. Penny could eventually make his way into the rotation if Bowden blows it or someone gets hurt.

If all of their signings go to the bullpen, they will have solid bullpen. With Papelbon closing the game and Justin Masterson as the set-up man, that is good enough.

But with back to back games, and you use both of them, last year they would pitch Manny Delcarmen, who wouldn't always come through. This year they have a plethora of pitchers to choose from.

They are looking good for this year and can easily compete with the Yankees and Rays.

Should The NFL Change The Playoff Format?

Dan Callagy — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:34:58 -0500

Despite playing their tails off through snow, rain, and cold, the New England Patriots, along with other teams, were robbed of the NFL playoffs, and a chance at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Despite having an 11-5 record, sixth best in the NFL, the Patriots didnt make the playoffs. Along with the Patriots teams like, the Bears, and Buccaneers were also robbed of a spot.

Hey Roger, time to change the playoff format?

I think it is unfair how, when the Patriots were tied for 6th best record in the NFL, the other three teams who were 11-5, did get in the playoffs.

Think its time for a new playoff format yet, Mr.Goodell? Think its time for the best six records in the conference should get a spot in the playoffs?

Not only did the Patriots have Matt Casell start after All-star QB Tom Brady goes down with an ACL tear, they almost beat the Steelers, Colts, and Jets. In one of the Jets game, Casell threw for 400+ yards and led the Pats back from a 28 point halftime deficit, to force OT. Casell and the injury prone Patriots did all this just to make the playoffs.

I give the Dolphins 100 percent congrats on going from worst to first, from 1-15 to 11-5. But look at their schedule. they played four teams, including the Pats and Jets, that had a record over .500 this year. Only played the Chargers once, and never played a single playoff team, from this year, except the Chargers and Ravens.

Not a very tough schedule. No one expected the Dolphins to be that good this year so they probably got an easy schedule because of last year.

The other two 11-5 teams that made the playoffs, Ravens and Falcons, also had extremely easy schedules. The falcons played 10 teams under .500. But they did play the Panthers twice, and Chargers once. Beat the Panthers once and the chargers their one time they played them.

The Ravens, had eight opponents under .500 and only played the Steelers twice that was actually tough for them. They never played the Titans or Patriots, never played the Chargers or Jets.

Convinced yet Roger Goodell? You should be.

Lakers-Celtics: 10 Greatest Pictures of NBA Finals 2008

Dan Callagy — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:44:15 -0500

Red Auerbach always said that Celtic Dancers would be a distraction. But they got them anyway. People said that veterans inst good to build a team around, because they would retire soon. Cetlics got them too. People said the Celtics-Lakers NBA finals renewal would never happen. Well it did.The Celtics-Laker finalist year was been riveting. From Game 1 with Pierces injury and game 6 with the championship win, they never let us down, and neither did the camera men, and women. Now we look at the top pictures of the Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals in 2008.

Begin Slideshow

Boston Bruins: Contenders or Pretenders?

Dan Callagy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:41:27 -0500

The 20-5-4 start is surprisingly the second best start in Bruins history. Only the 1929-1930 Bruins have had more points at this point.

This is also the fourth best start in hockey history, with the 1929-1930 Bruins, 2005-2006 Senators, and this year's San Jose Sharks having had more points at this point in the season.

Are we looking at a potential Stanley Cup Final match-up with the Bruins and Sharks, or is the Bruins streak going to end?

The goaltending is the one place they don't have to worry about. Tim Thomas is a wall of steel with a league leading 1.96 goals against average, and a second highest save percentage with .938.

Even his back-up, Manny Fernandez, is in the top five in those categories. He is fourth with a 2.08 goals against average, and fifth with a .925 save percentage.

On the defensive end, they have been stunning. They boast the league's 10th best penalty kill unit with an 82 percent penalty kill.

Their defensive unit is also stunning. Zdeno Chara and Aaron Ward are the main defensive guys. But just look at the youth and talent behind them. Matt Hunwick and Matt Lashoff are both 22 and have contributed a huge amount to the Bruins.

Hunwick scored a game-deciding goal vs. the Maple Leafs in November, and Lashoff has made huge contributions to stopping break-aways and blocking screaming slap-shots.

There is enough offense on the Bruins to feed a town of 2,000 people. Phil Kesell is third in the league with 18 goals, and Marc Savard is third in the league in assists with 26. Also, Milan Lucic is first in the league in hits with 114 as an offensive skater, and has contributed with 10 goals and 14 assists. Fortunately, they are all on the same line.

The Bruins shouldn't even have a first, second, third, or fourth line. Their second and third line consists of six players with more than five goals, one of them on the injured reserve. They don't have to worry about the future either. Having nine guys on offense under 26 is definitely a help.

Their head coach, Claude Julien, is definitely a contender for coach of the year. Making the Bruins the second best team in the NHL from barely an eighth seed in last year's playoffs, is going to look good on his resume for coach of the year.

Contenders or pretenders will be your decision. As for me, I think they are definite contenders.

For Boston Sports, The Future Is Here

Dan Callagy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:04:55 -0500

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins for the Celtics.

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis for the Red Sox.

Phil Kessel and Milian Lucic for the Bruins.

Jerod Mayo for the Patriots.

Either Boston is extremely lucky, or full og extremely good scouts. Boston sports stars so young, yet extremely talented.

Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins? Oh boy, what is there to say? With all the attention around the "Big Three" last year, teams left Rondo and Perkins open to do their thing.

Rondo led the team in assists and Perkins the team in rebounds last year. Tied with KG this year, Perkins he has been a force and tank in the middle. Rondo has quickly became a star guard and has A-plus potential with his silky smooth drive to the hoop, clean and crisp pass to the wings, and his rare, but pure, outside shot.

With the youth in Pedroia and Youkilis and the leadership in Ortiz and Bay, the Red Sox are looking pretty good for next year. But that's not what I am here to say.

The youth is coming for the Red Sox. Don't believe me? Look at the lineup and pitching rotation. The top three averages on the Red Sox were all in the .300s, and the players all under 28.

Pedroia led with .326 and he is only 25, second was Youkilis with .312 and he is only 27, third was Ellsbury, who after starting off slow brought his average to .300 exactly. He is only 24.

Pedroia won AL MVP at 25, and is only the third second baseman to every win that award.

That's only three of the many players on the Red Sox under 29. The rest include names like Jed Lowrie, a rising star at shortstop, and young catcher Kevin Cash, who can fill the shoes of Vartitek with his bat and defense.

Phil Kessel, 17 goals, and 10 assists. Milan Lucic, seven goals, 10 assists and leads the NHL in hits with 108.

The experience between the pipes with Tim Thomas, 34, is reportedly a big factor for the sudden surge of wins for the B's, who are second in the league at 19-4-4. Thomas has become a leader off the ice and on. Off the ice he gives a pep talk before every game he starts in net, and after getting a win congratulates his players for their stunning defensive performance.

The Bruins have 11 players under the age of 25, six of them with more than five goals, For the young defensemen, three of them have started a game.

Jerod Mayo, the future of the New England Patriots—the player they hope to build a younger team around. They have the veterans in Brady, Moss, and Matt Light on offense.

On defense they have one of the youngest front three in the NFL—Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork, and Richard Seymour. Seymour is the only one above 27, and he's still only 29.

Mayo is seventh in the league this year in tackles with 103, had a season-high 20 vs the Jets on Thursday night, and he is only a rookie. The only thing he lacks in is his pass man-to-man coverage. He has let in four touchdowns on passes in the red zone this year by himself—and one big one that got the Jets into field goal-range on Thursday night.

Positive and negative points can be made, but overall these young teams have plenty of talent.

If I Were the Boston Red Sox's GM for a Day...

Dan Callagy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:54:39 -0500

Stop and think for a minute. What would of happened if the Red Sox didn't trade for Beckett or Big Papi. What would have happened if they didn't trade Man-Ram or draft Pedroia.

What would there record be and how much jeaporady would Theo Epstein's job be in. Now they are thinking about picking up slugger Mark Teixeira for more than $150 million and releasing their captain and leader of their team, Varitek.

Well, If I were GM for a day i would be making a few moves, and quick.

Youk, Pedroia, Ellsbury, the list keeps going of rising stars or young start in the Red Sox organization. Trading Coco Crisp was a great deal. Some people think that because Ramon Ramirez, the player they traded for, is bad because he was in the Royals' organization.

Well, they are wrong. Crisp contributed one thing and one thing only to this team, speed. We dont need any of that any more. With the whole lineup averaging more than 10 steals a game, except Ortiz and Lowell, I think they are all set with speed.

The bullpen, however, needs some work. With Papelbon closing it out and Masterson as a very good and rising set-up man, Okajima has steadily lost his touch. Ramirez is the perfect fit for the bullpen. Masterson wil need some days off here and there, so that's where Ramirez comes in.

If a starter blows and and comes out eraly theres Delcarmen and Ramirez to trun to.

Now lets look at the free agents.

So, if I were GM for a day, I would wait for Teixeira's asking price to go down. If it doesn't go down within two weeks, I would stop pursuing him. He might want to come to Boston but, other teams with more cap room and who can afford him will offer him a big deal if his asking price doesn't come down.

As for Vartiek, I am glad they released him. I know a lot of you will disagree with the call, but just look at the stats. Last year he had 13 HR's good for an old man, but batted .220 which is not a very good average.

Cash might not have the power but he gets on base and drives in runs. Last year Cash only played 61 games, had three HRs let on three balls get by him behind the plate, and can catch knuckle balls, fastball, curve ball so on and so forth. If Cash ever needs a break, the Sox have a young and talented catcher, Luis Exposito who batted .301 in A ball and had 10 HR's drove in 37.

The starting rotation is all set. With Lester, Dice-K and Beckett they will have no trouble getting their team good strong innings.

The batting order will be superb this year. If they Sox get Teixeira they're order will look a little something like this

1. Ellsbury, 2. Pedroia, 3. Ortiz, 4. Teixeira/ Youk, 5. Teixeira/Youk, 6. Drew. 7. Bay 8. Jed Lowrie, and 9. Cash.

If Jason Bay is your number seven hitter, I think your in good shape.

World series? Maybe. A.L. East? Maybe. ALCS? Yes

Return of the Minutemen: '96 All Over Again for UMass?

Dan Callagy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:41:29 -0500

Marcus Camby, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Rick Pitino—the list goes on and on of great UMass basketball players and coaches. This year, they are hoping to compete with heavily armed Xavier, with freshman Mark Lyons as an all-rookie selection in the A-10 and freshman Kenny Frease getting the boards and points under the hoop.

UMass is one of the teams to beat in the A-10 with returning starter Chris Lowe and Wake Forest transfer Anthony Gurley, freshman center Tyrell Lynch, and senior leader Tony Gaffney hoping to be the main scorers on the team.

Last year sophomore Ricky Harris was huge, as he won most improved player. He is now a junior, a little more experienced and full of potential, who will probably have a big contribution for us this year.

UMass welcomes Derek Kellogg to the team as the new head coach, replacing Travis Ford, who led the Minutemen to the NIT Finals, where they eventually lost to Ohio State (is it just me or do they seem to win everything?).

The new and young Minutemen have lots of shoes to fill, as they lost A-10 all-star Gary Forbes and big man Etienne Brower. UMass is hoping to get some help off the bench from freshman David Gibbs and Tyrell Lynch.

Last year they got robbed of a spot in the NCAA tourney, but this year I see big things for the young team.

Dustin Pedroia Is Small, but Mighty

Dan Callagy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:35:37 -0400

Let's rewind one year, to the end of April 2007. 5'9" Dustin Pedroia was batting under .200 for more than a month and a half. He was a star rising in the minor leagues. Dustin was not a very powerful hitter, but he batted .308 in only two years in the minor leagues.

Let's get back to present time now.

Pedroia, now the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, has quickly adapted to the major-league atmosphere. He has proven scouts wrong, as he has played in the MLB, while at the same height of some seventh or eight graders.

During the 2007 American League Championship Series versus the Indians, Pedroia made a statement, as he batted nearly .400 with one homer and more than 10 RBI, five of which came in Game Seven.

He has settled in as a dominant two hitter—sometimes leadoff—and has made the Red Sox's lineup what we now them as of today: unstoppable. There have been days when their lineup has been off, like when they almost got no-hit by the Angels.

Pedroia has also shined the leather as well. In his first two years, Pedroia has 11 errors, with a .989 fielding pct, third highest among second basemen in the past two years. He has also turned 154 double plays in his two-year career.

Pedroia might be small, but he swings like a right-handed David Ortiz. He will mature as a baseball player and definitely has a bright future ahead of him.