Bleacher Report - Articles by Thomas H.

NFL Game of the Week: New England Patriots Vs. Buffalo Bills

Thomas H. — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:09:43 -0400

Buffalo, the silent town that was once hardworking, is now becoming slowly rundown as the citizens leave for a nicer area. Little is still left to the city, for many, all they think about, when it comes to sports, is the Buffalo Sabres.

Now, one man has brought the world's attention into Bills' territory. His name is Terrell Owens, and he's a show in himself.

With the addition of T.O., the Bills have a legitimate offense, with two 1,000-yard receivers (Owens, Lee Evans), and Trent Edwards preparing for what might be his best year yet; the passing game will definitely be one to watch. The 5'10" Josh Reed is their version of a Santana Moss, and has the speed to cut for the game.

Meanwhile Marshawn Lynch, at 23-years-old, is one of the most impressive young players. Lynch averaged 4.1 yards-per-carry last year and got just over 1,000 rushing yards. His eight touchdowns show he is a punch in the red zone, even though he is just 5'11" and 215 pounds. Last year the rookie lost just one fumble, a very impressive stat for the player out of California.

Meanwhile, the Patriots' defense is hurting. With Tedy Bruschi retired, Richard Seymour traded, and Mike Vrabel in Kansas City, it seems the championship defense is fully gone. Though the line still holds big names such as Larry Izzo and Vince Wilfork, the linebacker corps is thin and Jerod Mayo will have to play a huge part for the team.

After losing Asante Samuel last year, they lost Ellis Hobbs this year in the secondary front. The coverage on two 1,000 yard receivers will not be pretty, and the Pats will have some points counted up against them.

Yet again, who cares when you have a New England offense?

Ladies and gentleman, who cares about the name Matt Cassel? Welcome back Mr. Tom Brady, an NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl winner. If Brady avoids any further injury, it will be like 2007 all over again.

Randy Moss and Brady clicked once again in preseason, and with Wes Welker cutting into the middle for the Pats, that duo is right back to greatness as well. With BenJarvus Geen-Ellis, Fred Taylor, and Laurence Maroney all splitting time at the back position, the running game could also be very interesting.

Kevin Faulk will be a presence too, if he restrains the injuries that can plague older players. Not to mention Joey Galloway will be an interesting third option for the passing game; the former Buccaneer will hopefully thicken the spread for the Pats to get more 1-1 coverages for Randy Moss.

The 4-3 defense in Buffalo has no way to matchup with these receivers, therefore, I see the New England Patriots being able to take this game in a relatively high scoring fashion.

Prediction: New England: 31 Buffalo: 21

Other Scores

Miami: 21 Atlanta: 27

Kansas City: 10 Baltimore: 23

Philadelphia: 20 Carolina: 24

Denver: 27 Cincinnati: 16

Minnesota: 27 Cleveland: 10

New York Jets: 21 Houston: 28

Jacksonville: 21 Indianapolis: 23

Detroit: 14 New Orleans: 35

Dallas: 30 Tampa Bay: 13

San Francisco: 28 Arizona: 34

New York Giants: 24 Washington: 17

St. Louis: 17 Seattle: 28

Chicago: 27 Green Bay: 24

San Diego: 28 Oakland: 14

Five MLB Teams That Will Break Down Before October

Thomas H. — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:12:04 -0400

As the season wears on the amount of contenders has kept itself to be a large pool, with many teams still hanging on. In closer races it seems that the teams can fall faster, with one or two squads always pulling ahead faster, such as in the NL Central or AL West. You won't find any NL West squads in here, so don't both looking for them. Yet it seems with the powerhouses in the East of the American League you could easily fall away. Here is the Top 5 teams that will fall out of the Playoff race in the second half of the 2009 season.

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How the Stupidity of the B/R Fan System Ruins the Integrity of Its Writers

Thomas H. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:00:41 -0400

It has become a disgrace to the system of how writers are respected, as the word "fan" on Bleacher Report has become almost useless.

Though the word is now looked onto as almost ridiculous and unneeded on a writers statistical list, many users of Bleacher Report still look at that number with greed, wondering how someone could get that many fans.

Others look down at the number of fans, wondering how someone could write that many articles and have so few fans.

Some actually look at the ratio of articles per fan, amazed when they see someone have over a 1:1 ratio, and look at a 1:2 ratio as supreme.

A 2:1 ratio is accepted, but anywhere below that is falling under the curve.

I know, after reading that kind of information I have the same thought: This is absolutely ridiculous.

The fact is that on Bleacher Report we need to understand how some people get fans for what seems to be no reason. There are editors getting over 50 fans because they edit work and are shown gratitude but don't write pieces.

There are writers who say "feel free to add me as a fan," as if it was middle school and they were hoping the cool girl said they hung out yesterday.

There are writers who get fans for just being on the site at all. Most writers should subtract one fan when remembering every single person has Zander Freund on their list.

Here is my first example of the almost-funny system:

Jeff Allen has not written a single article, writes many rude comments on others' articles (probably this one too), and yet, somehow, he has four fans. His ratio to those who care is infinity.

Meanwhile, Leroy Watson has never written a rude comment. He asks for all articles on his BB (this one will be there) and has 16 picks of the day. He deserves over 250 fans, as he currently has 285.

Another case is Todd Civin. He is a head Red Sox writer, yet he is also the head of the Boston Breakers (women's soccer). You think the Boston Breakers get a large fan group on this site? No, but to Todd is doesn't seem to matter. He writes about them all the time anyway.

And you know what? They are very good articles about the Breakers. Feel free to take a look: http://bleacherreport.com/users/55606-todd-civin

James Thompson is what you might call a cycling fanatic. He has written 84 articles on B/R, and all of them are about cycling.

Yet James has only six fans; his views do well and his writing is very impressive on a tricky subject to capture in writing, but he doesn't get the credit he deserves because, like many, he doesn't focus on the most popular sport in the world. Here is James: http://bleacherreport.com/users/87395-james-thompson

That is a key problem with the fan system. Writers truly aren't going to get fans if they write for a smaller sport, which ends up meaning even if your writing is incredible and POTD-worthy, you're still destined to be relatively unknown, with few followers.

The system has become a "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'" idea, and it's ruining the community.

Some quit the site without enough followers, beginning to doubt their work just because they don't have as good standards as the next guy.

The stupidity of the fan system on Bleacher Report is becoming very clear, and soon we will need to end this system to save the integrity of many writers on this site.

I hope you agree with me, and, if not, feel free to voice your opinion.

Joe Mauer: A Future Red Sox Player?

Thomas H. — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:33:57 -0400

Joe Mauer will be a huge free agent after the 2010 season, and anyone who can grab a catcher with great game-calling tactics and a great hitting tactic would be one very lucky team.

Jason Varitek of the Red Sox isn’t the only big-market team catcher who is getting old though, Jorge Posada of the New York Yankees will turn 39 in 2010, and his career will likely end.

The bidding for the star catcher will be very high. Not to mention, how much will the Minnesota Twins want their local hero? Also, how much will Mauer want to stay in Minnesota?

His teammate Justin Monreau, who has also fallen in love with his hometown, said he would never talk to Mauer if he left the Twins after 2010.

This season he already has more home runs than he has in any previous season. He has played 58 games and has hit 14 homers, more than the 13 homers he hit in the 140 games he played in in 2006.

This season he is so far batting at a .389 clip, but he has only had two seasons in which he hit under .300 anyways.

For the last four seasons he has hit over 119 hits, and with 84 hits this season already he will easily surpass that.

Every season he has played in before 2009, he has had less than half the strikeouts of Alex Rodriguez. Think about that, a 500 home run hitter gets out on strikes twice as much as Joe.

He calls a great game, and with experience such as catching Johan Santana and Joe Nathan he knows how to catch a good pitcher.

He probably won’t have to catch Wakefield, saying by then there is a high chance he might be retired.

The fact is Joe Mauer could very well become a Red Sox player, and who would be surprised if we embraced him?

Though Joe isn’t a city boy (he lives in a log cabin), Boston might have an edge on New York for that reason. There isn’t escape in the huge Manhattan, but in Boston, Mauer might be a great fit for a town like Marblehead or Salem.

Who knows? We might be looking at our future catcher.

Oakland-Boston: Big Papi Comes Up Big, Sox Win 5-4

Thomas H. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:14:30 -0400

Tim Wakefield, can you believe it? The 42 year old who recently got his All-Star bid came into the game at 10-3, trying to become the first 11 game winner in the American league.

And boy, did he ever want it. It was as if the bid gave him a boost and he was now showing the rewards, his knuckleball looked better than it had all season.

The Oakland Athletics started the game first, in the second inning the pitched two singles and a double together to bring Matt Holliday into the plate. Quickly the game was 1-0, but already Wakefield was on top of his game. He got two strikeouts in the second to close out any chance of more scoring.

Wakefield kept up his game at a perfect level, he didn’t have any trouble until the seventh inning, when he left as the A’s got two on with no out.

He pitched 6+ innings, threw 8 K’s and gave three earned runs. He did give up 10 hits, but his outing was good enough to keep the Sox in the game. Delcarmen let in both runners in the seventh, but they already had the lead.

Boston’s offense made sure Wakefield got the win. In the fourth inning, they had still not gotten a hit until Dustin Pedroia's double, but in the sixth, the offense began.

With Trevor Cahill on the mound still, J.D Drew had a solo homer to tie the game 1-1 and begin the offense. They weren’t done though, after Dustin singled and Youk walked Big Papi came up to bat.

Ortiz took a two-seam fastball and absolutely crushed it, sending it over 400 feet and into the crowd. Boston had a 4-1 lead and David Ortiz knew he was out of the slump. He was the hero of the game for the Sox, commanding their lead.

When Delcarmen let those two runs come in at the top of the seventh inning, Boston’s lead was just 4-3. They needed to add, and when Ortiz grounded to second base that's exactly what they did. J.D Drew came home from third, and Ortiz got his fourth RBI of the game.

He would end up going just 1-4, but even one of his outs was key. Big Papi came up big for the Sox, and going into the eighth inning, they needed just six outs for a two-run win.

Jonathan Papelbon couldn’t control the ninth inning. He had two men on with no outs, and then Scott Hairston crushed a ball.

It couldn’t be, no, not a three-run homer. We would be down 6-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.

The wind tonight was coming in from the outfield, and this ball hit a wall. It fell right down even though if not for the win it would’ve been gone.

The run scored from third, but the fact is the Sox were very lucky. The lead just 5-4 with one out and one on.

Matt Holliday struck out, but with Kurt Suzuki’s single the tying run was in scoring position.

Pap went into All Star mode, he struck out Jack Cust on all fastballs, the last one going inside that Jack would have been LUCKY to tip.

The Sox won a close 5-4 win, but the Rays and Yanks won also. The Sox just can’t break away, but its still a great day to be a Sox fan.

Oakland-Boston: Josh Beckett Earns 10th Win as Sox Beat A's 5-2

Thomas H. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:47:20 -0400

Josh Beckett has had quite a time lately—he's pitched every game perfectly, other than the Phillies game.

He was then named the Player of the Month here on NES 24/7.

He faced Dana Eveland, a kid who couldn’t be in a tougher situation. Facing one of the best teams in the league, Eveland was just called up from Triple-A Sacramento after he pitched just three days prior.

In his short career, he had been awful against the Red Sox. It looked like he was sure to fail.

Beckett silenced the Oakland offense. His one mistake was giving up a home run to Scott Hairston in the top of the first inning, a very surprising homer if you had been watching the overall ordeal.

He shut the A's down until the fifth when, already holding a 4-1 lead, he gave up two doubles to bring in a run—knocked in by Adam Kennedy. Every one of the three major hits (the two doubles and home run) were off his four-seam fastball, though it wasn’t a pitch that was a problem.

With two on and two out in the seventh inning, Beckett was taken out with a 5-2 lead. He went 6 2/3 innings, getting only four strikeouts, but giving up only six hits. With only two earned runs, he had perfectly set up his team for a win.

Jason Bay began the offense with a solo home run, his 20th of the season. After that, with no outs and the bases loaded, Nick Green grounded into a double play as the run scored.

The next inning, in the third, Jason Varitek had the bases loaded with two outs. With a 3-2 count, he popped it over the head of the pitcher and right up the middle for a two-run single. The Sox lead was now 4-1.

In the seventh inning, the lead was tighter at 4-2. After a leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia needed to get him home.

Pedroia singled and Ellsbury scurried home from third. The Red Sox lead was now 5-2, and the win looked very likely.

The bullpen only surrendered one hit in 2 1/3 innings, and Jonathan Papelbon struck out the side to close out the ninth as the Red Sox won, 5-2.

Meanwhile, the Yankees won 10-2 over the Twins and the Rays beat the Blue Jays in extras. Nothing changed, and Boston's lead is still very small. Hopefully, the Red Sox can keep the lead until the All-Star Break, but that's not guaranteed.

Still, a win is a win, and it's just another great day to be a Sox fan.

Hey Nomar: Welcome Home

Thomas H. — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:33:39 -0400

Nomar Garciaparra. That name on itself almost makes me feel emotional. When Nomar left Boston at the trade deadline in 2004, the emotions in Boston were confused. For the first time, the Sox fans felt as if we were betrayed. A player that would clearly be a Hall of Famer and had always been a Red Sox player was getting kicked out?

Nomar felt it too. After the trade, he was never the same. Since leaving, he has had a single season over .300 after his career with the Sox was almost always over that.

The 2004 year with Boston, he was batting .321. When he got to Chicago, he batted at .297.

His last few years have been filled with injuries. He has never forgotten about Boston, but what he might not realize is we never forgot about him. We miss you Nomar.

When he got up in the top of the second inning, he didn’t just have a standing crowd, no that wouldn’t be good enough. The crowd stood for what seemed like an eternity, and he tipped his cap multiple times.

I can wrap up the Red Sox offense in this game in two words: two hits. One hit in the second inning by Jason Bay, and the second by Nick Green.

Brett Anderson, the Oakland starting pitcher, went all nine innings with two hits and two walks and not even close to a run.

Meanwhile, John Smoltz wasn’t as lucky. He lasted just six innings, gave ten hits and a tough five earned runs.

Four runs came in the 5th inning, as the Athletics had five hits (including a Nomar single). They would add another in the sixth inning, and John Smoltz was done with a 5-0 deficit.

Takashi Saito let up a solo homer to Orlando Cabrera in the ninth, and the Red Sox went down in order at the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Sox lost 6-0, but nothing changed as the Yankees lost to the Blue Jays 7-6. Boston is still one game up on New York, but that wasn’t the news today.

Nomar came home, if only for one day. He returned to us, and that makes me feel so happy.

Even if we lost, its a great day to be a Sox fan.

Red Sox Have 7th Inning Comeback Against Mariners, Win 8-4

Thomas H. — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:31:39 -0400

Imagine how good this must feel. For two straight games the Seattle Mariners have had comebacks against the Red Sox, both hurt saying how the Yankees were doing so well.

Then, you get payback. Beating the Mariners yesterday in a comeback must have felt great, but how did it happen?

Jon Lester, the trusted young lefty took the mound against Brandon Marrow, the pitcher is suppose to be a star one day. He isn’t yet though, going 0-3 with a ERA over 5.00.

So the Boston Red Sox got to work fast, in the bottom of the 1st inning, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz both hit solo home runs, nine pitches away from eachother.

Jon Lester was looking very good, he was on a recent strikeout tear the last games and continued that, ending the night with nine strikeouts.

The 4th inning was ugly for Jon though, as with two outs he had let the bases get loaded, partly thanks to Pedroia dropping a throw to second base that didn’t get the out.

Ronny Cedeno came up, and hit a slider to right field and just passing by a diving catch, rolling in the corner so that all three runs scored and he got to third.

The score was now 3-2 in the Mariners, a surpising turn in a quick time.

In the 5th inning, Jose Lopez opened up the game as he scored on a sacrifice fly, and the Mariners now had a 4-2 lead.

Ellsbury had a solo homer, but the team was still in a deficit of 4-3.

Thats all Lester gave though, he would end up making through 6.2 innings, and if he had kept going he could have gotten the win.

Thats due to what happened in the bottom of the 7th inning, when the Sox let the comeback begin.

With one out, J.D Drew walked and Pedroia singled. They were followed by Youkilis flying out, but Ortiz was already having a good day and coming up to bat.

Ortiz singled, and J.D came home as the Sox tied it up at 4-4. They weren’t even close to done though.

Mark Lowe came in, but he couldn’t come close to the strike zone. He walked two straight hitters, with Ellsbury’s walk bringing in a run. They had taken a 5-4 lead.

Mark Kotsay took the shaky pitcher by storm with a two-RBI single to bring the lead to 7-4. With a passed ball Jacoby Ellsbury scored, and with that the Sox had taken a four run lead on a nice comeback.

Masterson and Okajima let no one on, and Masterson even struck out three. They closed the game out, and the Boston Red Sox beat the last game of the series, 8-4.

The Yankees came back and beat the Blue Jays, so the Sox still have a 1 game lead. Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics come into Boston slowing down, going 3-7 in the last ten games.

After this kind of win, its just another great day to be a Red Sox fan.

Red Sox-Mariners: Boston Lose to Mariners in Ninth, 3-2

Thomas H. — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:33:16 -0400

Coming into this game, the Boston Red Sox must have been sweating by the gallon. The New York Yankees were becoming very close to capturing the AL East lead, and very fast.

So the Red Sox gave the ball to Brad Penny, who has been doing very well and at home and lately as well. He went up against Garret Olsen, who so far this season was 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA.

Brad Penny started with absolute fire, his outside fastball was a beauty as he struck out two in the first inning alone.

The offense came into the game quickly two, after a walk by Rocco Baldelli the captain Jason Varitek hit a home run over the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

In the third inning though, the Mariners grabbed their first run. Russell Branyan hit a double to score Ichiro, but thanks to a nice defensive effort between Varitek and Youkilis, Branyan was gunned out at first.

In the fifth inning, with both pitchers going on well, Brad Penny lost his lead as Russell Branyan yet again hit in a run, this time Chris Woodward scored.

Kevin Youkilis’s double in the fifth inning was to no use, and after the seventh inning, both pitchers had already disappeared.

Brad Penny went six innings, giving only two earned runs on six hits. He only gave up one walk, and his outing was actually very impressive.

Yet Olsen beat him out, going 6.1 inning with two runs but only four hits. Unlike the Red Sox bullpen, the Mariners bullpen would be perfect.

As both teams went hitless in the seventh inning and eighth inning, it looked as if the game would automatically go into extra innings.

Then Takashi Saito came into the game, and that changed.

His slider seemed to not hit the plate, and if his fastball wasn’t fouled or hit it was always just a ball. It became clear he might not get out of the inning clear.

He gave up three walks due to his bad slider and fastball, and with only one out Chris Woodward came up with the bases loaded.

The Mariners lead was 3-2, and even though Saito didn’t give up anymore runs the inning was felt.

Boston didn’t come close to scoring in the bottom of the ninth inning, going down in order to former Red Sox player David Aardsma, and the Sox were defeated.

Later in the day, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays in the 12th inning, and the Sox lead is now one game in the AL East. Its way too close, and I can’t say that today is a good day to be a Sox fan.

The AL East: Fighting Off the Sharks

Thomas H. — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:22:42 -0400

In the wild, the strongest animals seem to live. A lion does well on its own, having few predators on its tail. The same with tigers in the jungle, and especially a shark in the ocean as it rules its territory.

What happens when you put a group of the best lions or tigers together, well I suppose they are both on land.

What about sharks? They are easily the best of the whole ocean, when you put those together you know whats going to happen.

The best fight of them all.

Welcome to the 2009 AL East, land of the sharks. Six of the last eight World Series have had an AL East team in the game, easily more than any other division.

One would have thought last year was a tough AL East. That was nothing. The Yankees and Blue Jays were nothing close to the Sox and Rays. The Sox weren't in their best season, not as good as the last seasons at least.

Yet both teams in the American League Championship Series were from the east, and they were still easily the best.

Now, it is a whole different league. It began with the rise of the Rays last year, making them officially contenders for 2009. Think of the Rays as the young shark, though they are still rookies of the battle its very possible for them to take you down with their speed.

It begins with this: Evan Longoria is going to be a All-Star starter over Alex Rodriguez.

Jason Bartlett also has been very impressive this year, while adding Pat Burrell (off to a slow start so far) could be key in the second half.

Carl Crawford has also been huge in the outfield, not to mention David Price becoming a good starting pitcher.

The next step was the New York Yankees bouncing back from a poor season last year, as they made sure the free agent season was their season.

The Yanks are the shark that, though they are old and had stopped fighting, now fully rested are back into the game, and maybe even better before.

In the offseason, they grabbed Mark Teixeira, the first basemen who was hitting perfectly for the Angels. Next was picking up pitchers A.J Burnett and CC Sabathia on the rotation, though neither have had a spectacular first half.

Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera are becoming good hitters, and with veterans Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada still around the group has mentors.

Chamberlain is pitching well in the rotation, but Chien-Ming Wang is doing awfully. As Heartbeat of the Bronx wrote lately on Bleacher Report, Chien-Ming Wang won't become a 300-game winner until 2263.

*Here's the article.*

The Yankees are easily in the mix though, and they are back to playoff form.

Then the Toronto Blue Jays were added to the mix. The shark that might not be as ferocious all the time, but has the occasional hard bite.

A.J Burnett is gone, but Roy Halladay isn't. He has one of his best seasons yet, and he is getting really noticed.

Adam Lind is putting but All-Star numbers, but its doubtful he will make it to the game.

Barajas, Rios, Overbay, Wells, and Rolen add up to a solid lineup. They have slowed down lately, but they are not gone. Nor will they let these AL East teams beat up on them, see what they do at the break though if they try to pick up an additional hitter.

Next comes the Red Sox, currently on the top and the team that has been the most consistent of late. They are the shark that rule the domain as the rest of the sharks come into the fight, they are the top dog and are at their prime.

That doesn't mean that one of the sharks won't be able to take them down though.

Jason Bay, slightly slower at the moment but great overall, is a nice compliment to a lineup of the consistent Youkilis and Pedroia. Jacoby Ellsbury has been able to sit around .300 lately, and with J.D Drew and Varitek having a combined 21 homers halfway the team is looking set for the full run.

They have the best bullpen in the majors, and one of the best closers in Jonathan Papelbon.

The rotation includes Tim Wakefield, who has had a great season, plus red-hot Jon Lester and Josh Beckett.

If Matsuzaka can get back to his normal good fastball, they might be able to have a very good rotation (especially with John Smoltz back and Penny pitching well).

The fight of these sharks is the same as the fight will be in real life, you walk in not knowing who will win. You will go into mid-August not knowing who will win.

You do know this though, whoever wins is the best of the best. When that shark takes down the rest, the dolphins aren't going to give them any trouble.

My bet? I'd say the Red Sox shark, already the dominant fish, takes the rest. The Yanks will get the wild card though, and the veteran heart of the shark will help in October.

It will be one amazing ride, and the only advice for your team is this:

Be the last shark standing.

Red Sox Win In Extras: Now That's a Comeback

Thomas H. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:49:12 -0400

Revenge is a funny word. In most occasions, it's speaking of a rivalry or hate that you have had for years. For instance, 2004 was revenge for the years the Yankees had beaten them.

Last night, a win against the Orioles, included the feeling of revenge for the Red Sox.

Josh Beckett was having one gorgeous June month, going 4-1 and deep into games. In the four wins he had, he pitched 29.2 innings and gave up a single run. Now it is July, though, and it seemed different already.

Brad Bergesen was on the mound for the Orioles. His 5-2 record was impressive, and the 24-year-old looked like a good opponent for Josh.

When Beckett got to the mound in the bottom of the first, he started off very badly. He walked Brian Roberts on four pitches. All were outside four-seam fastballs.

Felix Pie then hit a line drive to Jason Bay that was enough to score Roberts, but got him tagged out at second. After a tough loss, a 1-0 deficit wasn't a friendly sight.

Then, on the first pitch of the next inning, the fastball failed him again. Luke Scott took it out of the park, and the lead became 2-0.

The Red Sox finally got in a word as Dustin Pedroia doubled in the third inning. J.D. Drew scored as Pedroia got his second hit of the day.

The score of 2-1 didn't last long at all, though. Beckett couldn't keep the game close enough. Nick Markakis, exactly like he did in the eighth inning the day before, got a two-run double to open up the lead to 4-1.

It just got uglier for Beckett, as his fifth run came on, gasp, his four-seam fastball. The only crucial hit not on this was Markakis's double, but Ty Wiggington used the fastball in the fifth to get a solo homer.

From the third inning, the Sox didn't get a single hit until David Ortiz got a single in the seventh. By the end of that inning, Josh Beckett was done. Bergesen had defeated him.

Josh went seven innings, giving only six hits but also five earned runs. He achieved two K's, but two walks as well. It wasn't his best debut, yet it wasn't awful. In the last innings he calmed down and settled a bit, not letting his first few innings bug him.

Bergesen was done after eight beautiful innings, giving only four hits on one run. He left just one run for his bullpen to complete, yet that was too much for them...

It began very quickly.

Dustin Pedroia walked as Jim Johnson pitched. Then, with a 2-1 count, Kevin Youkilis slammed a homer as he and Pedroia scored. That quickly, Jim Johnson was done.

So, they brought in the closer, George Sherrill.

George started very quickly, as well.

He struck out Bay and Ortiz, and, with two outs, it looked as if he had weathered the storm.

But Jacoby Ellsbury singled and Varitek and Bailey walked. The bases were loaded, and Rocco Baldelli pinch hit for Nick Green.

On a 1-1 count, he hit what looked like a ground ball.

But it was right up the middle.

Bailey and Lugo (running for Varitek) both scored easily.

The comeback, the incredible ninth-inning comeback, was complete. The Sox had come back from 5-1 in the ninth to push the game into extras.

The Sox came into the 11th inning with a good vibe, and they made sure that inning was their inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led with a double, and with one out, Julio Lugo (the pinch runner) came up to the plate.

What an unlikely hero. Last week it was Nick Green against the Braves, but Lugo? Julio singled to allow Ellsbury to run home from third base, and just like that, they had taken a 6-5 lead.

The bullpen was perfect, they weren't even a question. In four innings, they didn't let a single person on base. Bard pitched the first two, and in extras it was Ramon Ramirez (who got the win) and Jonathan Papelbon (who got the save).

Pap now has more saves than any other Red Sox player in history, passing Bob Stanely with his 133rd save.

A beautiful win, and it's another great day to be a Sox fan.

Red Sox-Orioles: It Doesn't Get Any Harder Than This for a Sox Fan

Thomas H. — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:33:34 -0400

A loss like this hurts so badly, my words can't describe it. All the ideas of what happened just plain hurt—and what a lead we had...

John Smoltz started, trying to get his first win as a Bostonian after a tough debut. Meanwhile, Rich Hill got the start for the Orioles. After a great win yesterday, the odds seemed to be in Boston's favor.

Boston started the game quickly. In the first inning Youkilis started it all with a two-run homer as Julio Lugo also scored. Then, in the second inning, they opened up the lead to 4-0 as Dustin Pedroia had a two-run homer.

It seemed after only two innings, it was all over. In the fourth inning, it just got plain ugly: Jacoby Ellsbury got two hits including a homer while Ortiz and Youkilis also got nice hits to bring in runs. At the end of that, the Sox had a ridiculous 9-1 lead.

The fact was, John Smoltz's win was in the book. He had a 9-1 lead in the fourth inning, and he was pitching very well. Smoltz finished after four innings, just giving up one run.

Masterson pitched the fifth and sixth innings easily, and in the seventh inning the Red Sox tagged another run to make it 10-1.

Then it got ugly.

Justin Masterson started the seventh inning, but he never got out of it. Luke Scott doubled to make it 10-2, and all of the sudden, Oscar Salazar pinch-hit a three-run homer to make the game a reasonable 10-5.

In the eighth inning, Okajima had the exact same scenario that Masterson did: He entered the eighth inning and never got out of it. Luke Scott doubled again, and Reimold was now on third base. Then Oscar Salazar hit a groundball single—to the catcher!

Matt Weiters singled and it was now 10-6. Wigginton sac-flyed and Roberts singled, both bringing in runs. There was but one out.

Jonathan Papelbon came in with a score of 10-9. Pap had men on first and second when he came in, but after a nice strikeout it seemed he might weather the storm.

His worst nightmare happened.

Nick Markakis doubled into center field, and both runs scored. Somehow, Baltimore had taken an 11-10 lead. The impossible had happened in just two innings.

So the Sox went up to bat in the ninth. Jeff Bailey singled, and Youk was hit by a pitch. With two outs and two on, Jason Bay, the recent hero of the Sox, came up to bat. He lasted four pitches. On the fourth he took a high swing, and just like that the Sox had lost in a comeback game. It was one of the toughest non-playoff games I have ever had to watch.

For once I will say it: It's not a good day to be a Sox fan.

Lester Dominates Mound; Sox Win 4-0

Thomas H. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:59:51 -0400

The road trip that some would say could be the key to holding on to the AL East lead until the All Star Break has been a success thus far. The team has gone 2-1 versus both teams, and 4-2 overall.

Now they come into Baltimore, the Fenway of the South, due to the same winds inside, and the amount of Red Sox fans that migrate south to the games.

Jon Lester, the already experienced young pitcher, faced a rookie 26-year-old pitcher, Jason Berken. He had struggled so far this season, going 1-4 and only pitching more than five innings twice in his six starts.

Meanwhile, Jon had caught fire. At the moment, he has become a strikeout machine, and his record has jumped because of it. In his last five games he had 44 Ks, and it's a weird thought to say that he's younger than Jason Berken.

Eight pitches into the game, Jason Berken had already given up a run. J.D Drew knocked a triple on the third pitch, and on the eighth Dustin Pedroia brought J.D Drew home with a single.

Meanwhile, Lester went to work. In the first inning he got strike out No. 1, and another in the second. For the first four innings, he was getting one strikeout in each one.

The Sox scored three runs in the fourth inning, topped by J.D Drew's two-run homer. It seemed that the Sox had quickly taken a strong lead, at 4-0.

In the fifth inning, all three outs for Lester were strikeouts. He was absolutely dominating the Orioles' line up.

Jon Lester was done pitching after seven innings. He had pitched very well giving up just five hits, while allowing no runs, and striking out eight. His record improved to 7-6, as Jason Berken took the loss to go to 1-5 after pitching only five innings. Thankfully, his bullpen was perfect.

Delcarmen and Okajima split the eighth inning for the Sox pitching, but with two outs and two on Ramon Ramirez was taken out of the game for the Sox and was replaced by saver Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon needed just three pitches, and the Sox won the game, 4-0.

The Sox improve to 5-2 on the road trip, and seem to be playing very well on both sides. Its a great day to be a Sox fan!

Red Sox-Braves: Boston Loses 2-1 to Atlanta

Thomas H. — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:35:23 -0400

Brad Penny came into this game hoping for a good start. Through the season so far, he has done well, but the numbers have not yet been anything extraordinary. He pitched against Tommy Hanson in this game, who had already put together an impressive 3-0 record and got the start.

Brad Penny did get that good start, but it wasn't enough. The offense that stood behind him no longer sparked, as the team did not score until the ninth inning.

In the first inning, Chipper Jones began the offense of the whole game. After he had already fouled off three pitches in the at-bat, he nailed the last pitch to left field. It left the field—the Braves had taken a very early 1-0 lead.

In the second and third innings, the Braves got men in scoring position. In neither situation did they score.

In the top of the fourth, it was Boston's turn to get something going (and the last for quite a bit). After two singles, a visit to the mound, and a walk, Jacoby Ellsbury had the bases loaded with two outs.

He did not wait for Hanson to act in a shaky manner, as he took aim on just the first pitch. Sadly, it was a groundball to Kelly Johnson at second, and the inning was over—for the Red Sox, that is.

As the fans in Atlanta were still settling after the close chance for Boston, Garrett Anderson took the second pitch of the inning for his own homer, this time to right. On two solo homers, the Braves had opened up a 2-0 lead in the fourth.

Brad Penny was done after six innings, he had given up two runs and had two strikeouts while only giving up six hits with no walks. It was a very nice outing by Brad, maybe even his best. Yet, his offense had let him down, they only achieved two hits while Penny was on the mound.

Another chance came for the Red Sox in the seventh inning. Varitek doubled and was followed by Ellsbury getting on base via error; Jason went to third. Nick Green came up to the plate with two men on and only one out. The chances looked very good, but Nick let one get into a double play and the chance vanished once again.

Saito and Bard took down the seventh inning and eighth inning easily, giving up no hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.

It was up to the ninth inning, as Boston came back up to the plate.

Kevin Youkilis singled to start it on his fourth pitch, an inner fastball he took to the outfield. Jason Bay then got his at-bat to a 3-2 count, and it looked as if two men would be on. Sadly, the last pitch (though it wasn't in the actual strike zone) was a called K, and Bay walked back to the dugout.

Ortiz followed with a grounder, in which Kelly Johnson made a mistake by not throwing to second for the double play to win it, but it was still getting to be all over.

Youkilis stole second, though, and Varitek had a single up the middle. Kevin made it home easily, and the lead was cut down to one.

Yet, as Ellsbury came up, so did a man screaming into the outfield. Though he was just going to get caught and make no actual difference, the feeling of the rally was long gone, and Jacoby disappointed for the second time that game.

The Sox lost 2-1 in a tough one where the key was a little more offense, but no matter what, it is still just another great day to be a Sox fan.

Ozzie Guillen: The Only Coach Who's Still a Kid

Thomas H. — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:53:48 -0400

Every time I hear that Ozzie Guillen has said something, nothing seems to surprise me. His moments of childhood seem to be full to the brim, especially know as we still look back onto his Wrigley Field comments.

Ozzie is still a kid, and very probably will always be. His childhood-like mentality in the clubhouse has somehow worked though, he won the Chicago White Sox a championship in the 2006 season. They also made the playoffs last year, winning the AL Central division.

Maybe it's the fact that though its easy to hate him for us in the outside of the town of Chicago, it might be easy to love him when your in it (well, not if your a Cubs fan).

Could it be the fact he only finished his career nine years ago, in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? It's amazing how fast he reached the head coach level, when he was given the job in 2003.

In his second year, he was named the coach of the year. He has only had one losing season, and his coaching job seems quite safe if you also realize that he had a great career with the White Sox. He has also done his fair share of community work in Chicago and has the attitude fit for the city.

Yet, he is a kid. He is the same age as Randy Johnson, who is still a winning pitcher in the major leagues.

Can you believe that? The sadder fact is though Randy is still a player, he is more mature than Ozzie Guillen.

He will never mature though, being the one who speaks out is also his way for sticking up for his players. He seems to connect with them, and as his knowledge grows that will only continue.

He might be nutty, and even needs to shut up sometimes, but he seems to be one good coach, just as long hes not a Cubs coach...

Jon Lester Has Slow Start for Sox, but Tides Will Turn

Thomas H. — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:48:05 -0400

After last night's tough fifth inning for Jon Lester, he fell to a poor 3-5 mark. His ERA has shot through the roof and sits at 6.07, with the pressure catching up to him as the season goes on.

How is this happening? Lester has compiled a 27-8 record with the Red Sox in his first three years, dominating the most last year as he became a large part of the rotation. In none of those years has his ERA gone above five, nor had he ever been one to fall behind in his counts.

The key thing here is the amount of home runs he's given up. Early in the year, he has already given up 11 home runs in eight starts. Last year through 22 starts he only gave 14.

Not to mention one of those home runs was given last night at a crucial point versus Minnesota Twins hitter Justin Morneau.

The odd thing is, Lester has been averaging over six innings per game. Anyone who saw that number would have to believe the pitcher got a solid performance, right?

Not in this case, with his ERA still through the roof.

His slow start is not going to matter in the end. With Lester's best performance only last week against the run-scoring Blue Jays, he has the chance to repeat another one-run game. If he can keep getting through enough innings, he should be able to control his runs too.

The home runs will have to slow down, and his pace throughout all innings needs to carry through. Yet overall, by the looks of things all the pieces are there for Lester to get back on his game.

Awaiting The Arrival: The John Smoltz Chapter

Thomas H. — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:09:51 -0400

When John Smoltz came to Boston, my first thought "Another Schilling?"

Yes, at first I was wondering if John could be what Curt Schilling was in 2004, when he led the Sox into the World Series even though he was an aging veteran who had already had his glory years.

Well, I might be off. My heart started sinking a little when I saw he still wasn't ready in late May.

Its hard to believe that we paid 5.5 million dollars for John Smoltz, the 20 year veteran who spent his glory days with the 1990’s Atlanta Braves.

Well, now the Red Sox fans can finally start to believe. John Smoltz recently had a pitching debut with the Class A affiliate of the Red Sox down in Greenville, South Carolina.

The team is saying he will start for the Double A Portland Seadogs on Tuesday, which lets most of us (including myself) breathe for a moment. Finally, one of our key pitching acquisitions is in the mix.

To tell you the truth, when pitchers Brad Penny and John Smoltz were picked up in the offseason, my gut told me that John Smoltz would be much more reliable and the team would see Brad Penny as troubled pitcher who could easily get injured.

I should have smacked myself.

Brad Penny, though his ERA is a poor 6.07, has me pleased to see his record at 4-1. What's troubling is his strikeout to walk ratio, a poor 22-17.

Still, if Penny could keep this up and Wakefield keeps up with his remarkable start the pitching rotation looks quite strong, even without Dice-K.

Kevin Youkilis: Too Early to Say He's an MVP Candidate?

Thomas H. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:24:56 -0400

Last night in a close 6-4 win, the Red Sox' Kevin Youkilis knocked in four runs. He ended up hitting 4-for-5 in the game, and if he had a triple, he would've pulled a cycle.

It may only be April, but is anyone else seeing this MVP-level play?

Youkilis is averaging a .467 with a .778 slugging percentage. He has single-handedly filled in for the missing power die to the slow starts by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz (who's currently hitting a whopping .186).

Now, that's not to say Boston is totally a one-man show. Jason Bay has been hitting an impressive .314 and has just as many home runs as Youkilis.

But still, the Kevin's stats pop a little bit more. Youk is hitting after the weakest part of the lineup, so he has a lesser chance of recording RBI. Due to Jason Bay hitting behind J.D Drew and Kevin himself, its clear that Youkilis is supporting his part of the order.

I'll admit that Evan Longoria might be a better candidate for the at the moment. He has five home runs already and is hitting .429. Plus, he's batting behind the incredibly slow-starting Upton and the merely solid .260 average of Carl Crawford.

When it's all said and done and one of these two takes the MVP, it'll be hard to say. Evan has more home runs, runs batted in, and better slugging numbers, but Youkilis has more runs, a better batting average, and a much better on-base percentage.

It's a tough call. What do you think?

A MLB Season Preview: Think BIG

Thomas H. — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:07:14 -0400

Here is every single divisions standings, notes after each division, and their playoff picks.

East W L

New York Yankees* 98 64

Boston Red Sox* 93 69

Tampa Bay Rays 90 72

Toronto Blue Jays 81 81

Baltimore Orioles 73 89

This division is a tough one this year.

With a fresh New York Yankees lineup and pitching staff, their chances at winning the division have galloped back to the top after last year.

Texiera will be a deadly threat, both offensively and defensively.

Though A.J Burnett will have a slower year CC Sabathia has a strong chance of winning 17 or more games.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox made very few changes over the offseason except picking up Brad Penny and the former Dodger in Saito.

Though Penny will have a poor year and the pitching staff is weak beyond Dice-K, Beckett and Lester, the hitting looks pretty good with a good overall player in Jed Lowrie and a repeat year from Pedroia and Youkilis.

The Tampa Bay Rays have much better opposition than last year, and without utilityman Rocco Baldelli and a hurt saver in Troy Percival, the repeat chances are far from legitimate.

The lineup is basically the same as last years championship squad, but they don't have the power they need to repeat.

The defense is increidble though, and the pitching staff has a good chance of success.

Over in Toronto, the Blue Jays are hurting after Burnett dished for big money to leave little fans. Now, Halladay will single-handedly take the pitching staff and try to lead them to a winning season.

Barajas is filling the role as a catcher this year, but no ones for sure about his ability to catch.

Still, the hitters are still in town with Overbay, Rios, and Wells still around to give home run support. Not to mention veteran Scott Rolen in town to olden the core.

In last comes the Baltimore Orioles, but there is definite hope. With many great players in the minor league system including the catcher Weiters, who had an incredible season last year in the minors.

Plenty of hope rides on Markakis, who signed a 66 million dollar deal with the Orioles as a young player.

Jeremy Guthrie is the main key for the pitching system, and many teams might be looking for him in the season. He has the potential to pitch a lot of innings in a season (190 innings last season).

Still, the Orioles will fall...

Central W L

Minnesota Twins* 90 72

Cleveland Indians 84 78

Chicago White Sox 83 79

Kansas City Royals 74 88

Detroit Tigers 69 93

The Minnesota Twins top the Central as they have many seasons in the past, in part to the pitching staff who no longer needs Johan.

With Loriano, Slowey and Perkins all back and being winning pitchers, this squad is ready to win games. Not to forget Nathan closing them out.

Joe Mauer comes off the DL soon, hopefully with a full recovery. Jon Crede will be holding up the third base line, while Carlos Gomez is to some the best defender in the league. Meanwhile, Morneau is still the former AL MVP and ready to lead his teams as an offensive power.

The Cleveland Indians have a nice pitching staff. Cliff Lee was easily the best AL pitcher last year, while Carmona is an incredible young pitcher who fits nicely into the No. 2 spot.

Mark DeRosa was a great pickup from the Cubs, and Grady Sizemore is sometimes overlooked saying how many home runs he hits and how defensively well he plays. Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner give some extra power hitting, and this team will have a nice year.

The Chicago White Sox know home runs. Yes, they truly know home runs. With Alexei Ramirez, Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye all hitting over 20 home runs, they piled up.

But it isn't all about long balls, and for that reason this team isn't going to go too far.

Mark Buerhle, Danks, Jose Conteras and Floyd all had winning seasons, but it won't add up in there favor as Bobby Jenks has a quieter year.

The Kansas City Royals have some hope this year, and in the oddest places. For instance, in Coco Crisp. Always a mediocre player in his former town of Boston, Crisp is a starter and a face in Kansas City. Will this drive him to a nice season? Truly, yes. Jose Guillen and Dejesus finish off the outfield, making a nice list.

The pitching staff has three players who somehow kept nice winning seasons last year in Jack Davies, Zack Grienke and Gil Meche. Oh, and don't forget All-Star Soria. He makes one good reliever!

The Detroit Tigers won't be a threat this year in the Central. The hitting is there with Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge, Carlos Gullen and the always impressive Maggilio Ordonez.
Along with the defense, with the diving star in Curtis Granderson taking the centerfield spot.

What's not there? Pitching. With a awful bullpen full of no-names and only one good starting pitcher (Justin Verlander), its going to be a long season in Detroit.

West W L

Los Angeles Angels* 89 73

Oakland Athletics 86 76

Texas Rangers 79 83

Seattle Mariners 70 92

The Los Angeles Angels will miss saver Francisco Rodriguez. His touch to every game will definitely lose them a few wins.

Oh, and don't forget Garrett Anderson leaving to Atlanta. It might not be as sweet this year, but they'll still win the division.

One key pickup? Bobby Abreu will add some power, taken from an already packed Yankees. With Vladamir Guerrero and Torii Hunter also in the outfield, its got to feel great.

Not to mention they incredible pitching rotation, this team is right back in the running.

The Oakland Athletics like new faces. And why wouldn't you if you had just received power-hitter Matt Holiday and newly reborn star Jason Giambi? Nick Swisher would have gone well with this crowd, but they'll still win without him.

But what they don't have is the pitching, with a younger staff then in the past and little to build off. Still, this team will have plenty of offense to work with.

The Texas Rangers will dearly miss Milton Bradley, but the power machine is still in Texas. Yes, the comeback king in Josh Hamilton and a true hitter in Ian Kinsler and back and prepared for the new season.

Though the pitching is mediocore the offense will be able to pull out a solid season.

Urgghh, the Seattle Mariners. A team that is now famous for its bad investments will have no more luck than last year. They do have some nice parts though. Ichiro is still in town, Ken Griffey Jr. is back and the fans are happy and Adrian Beltre is still a lethal threat to hit deep.

But, come on, look at that pitching!

National League

East W L

New York Mets* 91 71

Philadelphia Phillies* 88 74

Atlanta Braves 81 81

Florida Marlins 77 81

Washington Nationals 69 83

Remember the New York Mets wins dropping like flies last year? Remember how they couldn't end a game strong? No longer. With Francisco Rodriguez in the pen to finish up games they'll be able to bring 'em home.

Plus the nice pitching squad, starred by Johan Santana and deep all the way to the number four John Maine.

Not to mention a great infield in Reyes, Wright and Delgado. Carlos Beltran heads the outfield as quiet the hitter, to finish off an impressive team.

The Philadelphia Phillies might have won it all last year, but the 2009 season won't be as high in standards. There was some nice pickups, with Raul Ibanez coming in from Seattle. Don't forget the loss of home run hitting Pat Burrell though, but with Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley I have a feeling they'll be just fine :)

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves also might be looking fine.

Chipper Jones came off a season of chasing .400, Francouer looks to improve after a poor 2008 season, and Garrett Anderson arrived from a long stint in Anaheim.

Derek Lowe was also a nice pickup who looks to pitch just like the Boston Days.

Oh, and have you heard of Shafer? On opening day he had two hits, including a first major league at bat home run!

You know who else knows about home runs?

The Florida Marlins. Yeah, Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez get their fair share. Other than Jorge Cantu though, the talent is thin.

One pitcher to watch, Josh Johnson.

And again the Washington Nationals take last place in the division.

After failing to grab Mark Texieria, the team ended up grabbing Adrian Dunn.

Ryan Zimmerman will try to reintroduce himself to a 20 home run season, the team should be watching their pitching.

With no pitchers who had an MLB winning season last year, they should be worried.

Central W L

Chicago Cubs* 92 70

Milwaukee Brewers 86 76

St. Louis Cardinals 82 80

Cincinatti Reds 78 84

Houston Astros 72 90

Pittsburgh Pirates 67 95

This might finally be the year to be a fan of the Chicago Cubs. Why? In a large part, the pitching rotation.

Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Rich harden are all back for another year and all off very good winning seasons.

The lineup is almost the same with Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and rookie of the year Geovany Soto, but one key addition was made.

Milton Bradley comes off a .321 year and will bat cleanup, making this a very good squad.

Oh man, the Milwaukee Brewers are missing their old CC Sabathia! The man who carried them on his back to the playoffs is no longer, and the Brew's won't have good news.

The team made very few changes, only adding Braden Looper (12-14 last year) and Trevor Hoffman to close out games.

The batting order is identical, but that's pretty good. J.J. Hardy, fast Ricky Weeks, powerful Prince Fielder, and well-rounded Ryan Braun are all back and stacked.

Still, CC is missed. They know it, we know it, and October knows it.

It's just not there for the St. Louis Cardinals this year.

Though Rick Ankiel is still a great lefty, even though MVP potential Albert Pujols is still slugging, and even though Ryan Ludwick is SICK—it's not there.

The pitching is solid, with Wainwright, Lohse and Wellemeyer all coming off winning seasons.

But the competition in the NL is thick and this squad doesn't have the speed or the great pitchers to truly get somewhere.

Neither do the Cincinnati Reds.

Though Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, and closer Francisco Cordero are all back and ready to support, the offense is not.

No one is coming off more than a 26 home run season or a 84 RBI summer, those two stats going to Encarnacion and Joey Votto.

Alex Gonzalez was a a solid pickup and Jay Bruce might turn out to be great this season, but the power isn't there. Willy Taveras does bring some speed though!

The Houston Astros will be held together by Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, both longtime Astros.

And though Hunter Pence is coming off a nice year, the team doesn't get enough homers or RBI to support itself.

Roy Oswalt stands as the pitching veteran and came off a nice 17-10 season, but the only other noticable name is the closer in Jose Valverde.

The Pittsburgh Pirates wish they had that type of a saver. Let alone, a pitching staff!

They don't have a single starting pitcher who had a winning record last year, that makes a fan a little shaky!

They'll rely heavily on players like Adam LaRoche and 26 home run hitter Nate McLouth.

But some players, like Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez, have disappeared off the map. And I'm sure they miss dear Canadian Jason Bay.

West W L

Los Angeles Dodgers* 86 76

Arizona Diamondbacks 84 78

Colorado Rockies 81 81

San Francisco Giants 78 84

San Diego Padres 71 91

The Los Angeles Dodgers must have had quiet the smile as Manny Ramirez signed back on. Thank God!

But there are some other faces around L.A.

Andre Ethier had a nice season, as did Casey Blake (well, part of it).

One key pickup is definitely Orlando Hudson. He batted .305 for the enemy and looks to have a nice spot behind hitter Furcal.

Meanwhile, they will miss Derek Lowe. The pitching is much quieter this year, but Chad Billingsley will be a key part.

The Diamondbacks of Arizona are another team missing power. Mark Reynolds had a strong season with 28 HR and 97 RBI, but his batting average was poor.

Stephew Drew will improve even more, but Felipe Lopez will not be a great replacement for Orlando Hudson.

Brandon Webb and Dan Harden will be a hard one-two punch though, making a nice pitching staff.

Playoffs? No. Solid season? Yes.

The Colorado Rockies seem to always finish the season strong, but this year they hope to bring that emphasis into this year.

Tulowitzki had a poor year and Todd Helton was silent, but Brad Hawpe stepped up to be a solid hitter.

What they'll miss? Matt Holiday, a key part of their team, will be thought as a great ghost of a strong past.

Edgar Renteria was a nice pickup by the San Fransisco Giants. He is a nice touch in a silent batting order, the hottest hitter being a catcher in Bengie Molina (16-95).

But hope is in the pitching, with Tim Lincecum coming off his Cy Young season and now being tutored by great veteran Randy Johnson.

The San Diego Padres don't have IT.

Adrian Gonzalez leads them offensively and Brandon Giles hit .306 last season, but Jake Peavy is their only HOPE on the pitching side.

Not to mention losing old Trevor Hoffman to the free agent block. They don't have a CHANCE.

PLAYOFFS

AL DIVISION SERIES

Yankees beat Angels

Red Sox beat Minnesota

NL DIVISION SERIES

Mets beat Dodgers

Phillies beat Cubs

AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Yankees over Red Sox, 4-3

NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Mets over Phillies, 4-2

WORLD SERIES

New York Yankees over New York Mets, 4-2

Yes, it's a subway series.

Yes, the big-paying Yankees get their monies worth and take it all.

Believe it, the Yankees win. The YAAANNKIES WIN!

Jay Cutler: The Awful Role Model

Thomas H. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:58:27 -0400

Any parent OR child knows one thing. Whining and begging does not give you the cookie, the toy, or for this 5 year old? A trade.

But today, the Broncos became bad parents. As Cutler whined and whined about how the parent Broncos were being mean and being nicer to other little children then himself, we all began to hate him.

Yes, the once average quarterback of a mid-league team could have been looked as an OK guy during the season. But as a new dad came in to his locker room (Josh McDaniels), dad was tempted to bring back his own quarterback in Matt Cassel. He made a simple little call, but it leaked into the Culterbalooza.

He whined. They let him get what he wanted. The Broncos are a bad parent.

Or are they? Players want it their own way, would a Broncos team that understands its just not going to be a happy team with a unhappy player mean that players want to get to Denver? A player who gets it there way? Ocho Cinco must be incredibly jealous, I've been asking this for years!!!

So is it a fresh type of franchise, or a mistake by a team who isn't willing to push it.

This isn't a fresh type of franchise. Letting solid players go such as Jay Cutler will soon is basically saying their not willing to push it.

Now, truly, this is Jay's fault. Just giving up isn't being much of a role model. But, remember, the parents never should give the candy either.

Because We're Scared: Why We Love Sports Now More Than Ever

Thomas H. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:43:26 -0400

Recession. This word is used more than any other by the average American today.

As the curtain of recession falls onto the American people, our lives are controlled by it.

Whether we're losing our job, seeing a loved one losing their job, or seeing a child who's not able to pay for a toy, our hearts are breaking as the country we love is losing.

So where do we turn to? Our sports.

Today we watch our sports more than ever.

As the stress boils up, we come home to our television, our sports magazine, or go to the games. All of this allows us to release our stress and focus on something that we truly love.

When we get back into our other world, we no longer worry about the Detroit General Motors industry.

Instead, we worry about our current baseball lineup. We stop stressing about AIG and start thinking about MLB.

Alas, the next day we return to the real world. The grim world of eternal tears that seems to never let the Dow Jones see daylight.

Not until five in the afternoon, when the working man climbs back into his car and runs in the daily commute, does he remember other world.

He forgets the world of scared employees and lost jobs. He remembers a world that is... safe.

People say the sports world is recession proof. That it will always be safe.

When I hear that, I don't think people are talking about the actual sports business. I believe they are saying that it is recession proof as in it's safe to the people who come to it.

It is a place to hide from the recession, the safe house of a troubled nation. We love sports more than ever now because...

We're scared.

Red Sox: "I Say a Little Prayer For You"

Thomas H. — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:04:34 -0400

Every year, it comes time for a sports fan to sit down, take a deep breath and assess their team’s chances in their division.

This year I sat down and looked at this Red Sox lineup and the same comment that I have said year after year does not come up: We are not a contender.

With one of the biggest salary caps and a fan base, the Red Sox have continued to be a contender year after year, getting wild cards or taking the AL East with showing dominance in 90+ win seasons.

Every year I come to see our lineup at the beginning of the year, looking at the speedsters, the solid pitching staff and the home run hitters.

This year, I see nothing. I am blinded by the quietness of power that is this Red Sox team. There are two reasons:

Off-season

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have the most to spend on players, by far, yet this year; there was only one team.

The Yankees signed Teixeira, Burnett and Sabathia all for big year and big time contracts.

Three stars.

The Red Sox lost a part time starter (Coco Crisp) and made minimal pitching pickups, nothing impressed me of this off-season.

Aging

Wakefield is like a grandfather to rookies, Beckett, Drew, Lowell, Smoltz and David Ortiz all having high chances of injury due to their age. I am sure at least two of those will have time off the roster.

I say a little prayer for you, Red Sox…

…And if I were in a Hugh Grant movie I'd even star dancing, but the fact is: We're not a contender.

It Wasn't The Kryptonite That Made Nate Robinson Win, It Was a No-Show Howard

Thomas H. — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:41:16 -0500

On Saturday night the world waited to be amazed by Dwight Howard in the Slam Dunk competition. The current champion was already a star—known for the superman costume the year before—but people were waiting for an even better show. Because thats what the slam dunk competition is, a show.

Yet, Dwight never brought IT. He ended up losing to the more original character in Nate Robinson who wore all green to symbolize kryptonite (Superman's only weakness).

He deserved this slam dunk championship because guess what? Dwight wasn't original, all he did was bring out a bigger hoop (using the same superman costume) and dunked from the free throw line.

The problem with these dunks was that they were too easy for the big man.

People want to see amazing, people want to watch a SHOW. Neither gave a show, but Nate Robinson dunking over Dwight Howard was more of a show than anything Dwight did.

Dwight didn't deserve it because he barely tried. He didn't make it a show.

Interview: Kathryn Tappen of NESN

Thomas H. — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:23:21 -0500

On Wednesday, Jocks 4 All, sat down with Kathryn Tappen. Tappen is a broadcaster for NESN, the New England Sports Network. Take a look.

TH: Do you think the Bruins goalie Thomas can lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup?

KT: I absolutely think Thomas is qualified to take this team to the
Stanley Cup. But I also think the goaltender tandem of
Thomas and Manny Fernandez is what will ultimately power
this team through multiple rounds of the playoffs. It takes two
strong netminders to win a Cup

TH: Whats the best thing about working for NESN?

TH: Do you think Claude Julien will stay in Boston for the far future?

KT: Good question. I don't see why not. He has cultivated this team
exactly the way he wants it, and he's had success in doing so.
He has a strong relationship with GM Peter Chiarelli as well. I
think in the upcoming months, you'll see some contract .

TH: What part of your job do you always look forward to?

KT: I look forward to telling the story of the game to New England
fans. I really enjoy that people turn on the TV to NESN to get
their information and watch their favorite personalities tell
them the most up to date news on their teams. It's very
exciting to be there front and center.

TH: Kathryn thanks so much for the answers! I would love for you
to come check out my blog at mac-mods.com/jocks4all/ or
type in Thomas Hislop at bleacherreport.com

A Super Bowl Prediction and My Thanks to Larry Fitzgerald

Thomas H. — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:53:20 -0500

As the Super Bowl draws near, there are several key match-ups to take note of. How will the Steelers play-making defense fare against the fast and explosive Arizona offense? And don't forget about the resurgent Cardinals secondary against the powerful Steeler offense, featuring their shifty quarterback Big Ben.

Though we tend to focus on these big picture match-ups, we must also be conscious of the compelling individual stories the game offers as well. Larry Fitzgerald has emerged as one of these stories. A relative newcomer in terms of national recognition and often overshadowed by fellow receiver Anquan Boldin, Fitzgerald has come to shine this postseason.

He has already broken the postseason record for most yards receiving, stealing the show in these playoffs with his acrobatic, one-handed catches. With his play thus far, Fitzgerald has made sure that America knows his name, and that he will be a player to watch long after Kurt Warner hangs up his cleats.

But what does Fitzgerald want even more than notoriety and respect?

A ring. That beautiful Super Bowl ring marking a win over the Steelers. But can he beat the Steelers secondary? Experts believe that he has the speed to outrun the Pittsburgh secondary, but they will be prepared for his onslaught. No matter what though, Larry will be in Tampa giving 100 percent for his team.

Shockingly, I believe that the Cardinals will win this game. I have not picked them to win a single round in these playoffs, but I see the Cards crushing Pittsburgh's weak offensive line, and I see Warner hooking up with Fitzgerald all day against that secondary.

Get your food ready and be excited, because guess what? There is only one Super Bowl per year, and it's almost here.

ARIZONA 24, STEELERS 20

Call Me Nuts, The United States Need a Sports Senate

Thomas H. — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:18:34 -0500

In today's sports world of non-stop controversies, the players and even officials of our favorite leagues have become characters of little respect and stamina.

Yes, the fans of today can still find characters who donate money, so no to big contracts and want to stick with their team.

But in the year of 2008, the issues of sports exploded. The steroid use in sports is skyrocketing with all these players testing positive (some are the most respected in the game).

We saw that the tyranny of players like Manny Ramirez's antics in Boston and Terrell Owens' large mouth begins to think of a deeper idea.

Do the national sports of this country need a Senate?

Throughout the recent trials something has hit me. All these trials are going to the judicial system of the country, and many of these problems go to the American senate.

Are you telling me we are wasting our highest seats talking about our players' issues??!?!

In a time of dying economy, illegal immigrants and global warming I don't want the smartest (well, hopefully) men in our country talking about Barry Bonds playing with needles.

Make a sport senate. Make a system which could deal with everything from an extreme fight in the NHL to more officials betting in the NBA? Why not get those ESPN reporters out of D.C and into a place full of sports fans who are brilliant and know the judicial system at the time?

Is what I am saying absolutely ridiculous? It could be, but in these leagues today it truly isn't that out of place to say.

Maybe one day when Baron Davis is running for President and I am voting, I can also vote for my regions Sport Senator.

NFL Round Two Preview: Don't Wimp Out!

Thomas H. — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:39:55 -0500

The issue with week two playoffs? The higher ranks WIMP OUT! It happens year after year; they come off a bye week thinking they'll breeze past the weaker team!

No, teams—you're stupid! The other low-seeded teams are here for a reason! Watch out for this deadly mistake.

The Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans in the first playoff game in Nashville for years. Tennessee will look to cap off their great season with some playoff wins, but can Kerry Collins push his offense well enough against a monstrous defense led by Ray Lewis?

The running game won't get far next to the tough Ravens line. Kerry is going to need to start them off.

The Titans line will be impressive on their defensive side, but I see Flacco doing pretty well against Finnegan and his secondary. If he can beat the away-game pressure like he did last game in Miami, that is the only way for them. But, I don't see it.

Baltimore: 17 Tennessee: 24

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Diego Chargers match up against each other in a very interesting game. The Steelers have a very impressive defense, while San Diego has had a hot offense, so who can win the match up?

Phillip Rivers is going to need a lot of ground support from Sproles and Tomlinson, and I truly believe Tomlinson will step up. It will be a 50/50 offense.

Roethlisberger will lead this weaker Steeler offense up a rising Charger defense, one that proved itself well against MVP Peyton Manning. I like their chances of shutting the offense down!

San Diego: 20 Pittsburgh: 10

The New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles head into north Jersey for a NFC East match-up that could be a good picture at a Super Bowl team.

Eli Manning has been impressive ever since last year's playoffs. Manning has also had his earth-wind-and-fire running game on his back, helping him when he needs it—and he will need it in this one.

The Eagles have two players in their secondary who are Pro Bowl bound (including Asante Samuel). They are going to punish Eli, but might have some trouble with the running game.

Donavon McNabb has been playing better ever since his daughter was born and post-tie, "I-didn't-know-there-were-ties" situation. He is playing with ease, and he is just more relaxed. Don't look for Westbrook to have a big running day though; Justin Tuck and his line will man-handle him.

Still, Eagles come up on top. The Giants to me are wimps.

Philadelphia: 23 New York (G): 20

The Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals come together in a match-up I NEVER SAW COMING! I was amazed the Falcons didn't knock them off easily, but Kurt Warner surprised me with some deep balls. Remember though, he was at home! The Panthers defense isn't good, but he is going to feel the pressure!

Jake Delhomme along with Stewart, his fierce running back, will have an easy time against a defense that gives up 30 points or more a lot! They can do some damage, as long as they mix the running and passing game. If they do that, they will fly past this team.

Carolina: 35 Arizona: 27

Titans, Panthers, Eagles, Chargers are my picks!

NFL Playoffs, First Round Previews: Who Can Beat the Pressure?

Thomas H. — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:40:52 -0500

The playoffs have come after the regular season ended wildly, but the wildness didn't stop there.

The wild games are just going to keep coming.

The Dolphins barely made it to the playoffs through the tough AFC East. The Ravens pushed for their wild-card spot, barely missing out on their own division.

Now the two go head to head. Both freshly born quarterbacks, Flacco versus Pennington. Both went from a bad season to a good one. The big difference? Defense. The Ravens have a strong, respected defense, while the Dolphins haven't looked as impressive. I give this to the Ravens.

Baltimore: 21, Miami: 17

Talk about two hot teams, both the Colts and Chargers have won at least five straight. Except, the Colts have a bit of a longer list...

Peyton Manning, a listed MVP candidate, against the quieter Phillip Rivers, who led his team here on his shoulder. The Colts had one of the easiest schedules, while the Chargers just had weird games (the lights out game, the London game, the Broncos' last-second win, and the Panthers' last-second win).

But, the Chargers came out of nowhere, and they want to keep themselves hidden. They come into this game and take down the Colts so that they will be heard.

San Diego: 31, Indianapolis: 24

The Philadelphia Eagles come into Minnesota to face the Vikings in a good one. Can the Vikings keep their respect and their over lookers guessing with a huge win? Tarvaris Jackson's new self might make that happen. He brought back their season to take the division (just like I picked he would in my second article!).

McNabb had a child midseason, ever since then, he has been on fire! They came out of nowhere and have come back from that tie and then the "I didn't know there were ties" situation.

The thing is, the Eagle are on fire and aren't afraid to say it.

Philadelphia: 28, Minnesota: 17

The Atlanta Falcons—Arizona Cardinals will be a very interesting one. After a good start but an awful end, can the Cardinals win? Kurt Warner's playoff hopes were gone a mile ago, now lets see where Matt Ryan's hopes go.

The fact is, the Falcons won the big game and really are impressive this year. The Cardinals died away, we all saw it. 9-7 isn't impressive in that bad division. The Falcons win big.

Atlanta: 35, Cardinals: 27

Ravens, Chargers, Falcons, Eagles, thanks for the read!

The Patriots Won The Battle, But They Lost The War

Thomas H. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:16:12 -0500

On December 28, 2008, the New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills by a final count of 13-0 in a wildly windy game. If someone was asked which team looked stronger, every single viewer would answer the Patriots were dominate and played with a cause on their back.

On December 21, 2008 the New England Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals 44-7 in another wild game. If someone was asked, they would say the Patriots DOMINATED the other playoff team.

The Patriots finished the regular season on fire, winning all their battles after a sad Steelers loss.

Yet, at roughly 7 P.M the Patriots found out that both the Dolphins and Ravens won, clinching their destiny as a team without a playoff spot.

They had won four straight against quite a few tough teams. They had lost their MVP quarterback in the first quarter of the first game who was then replaced by a player who hadn't started a football game since high school.

They lost their secondary to injuries, they brought two linebackers back from old age because of injury and were doubted at every turn.

Maybe they were right to be doubted because when they finished their season at 11-5 with a .688 winning percentage they didn't make the playoffs, so who cares about them?

The Patriots record was equal to or better than seven of the 12 playoff teams. That truly makes you think if this system works or not.

I may not be right with this point, but it's odd to think that the Patriots won most of the battles, but lost the war because of games they can't control.

Patriots-Bills: NFL Game Of The Week

Thomas H. — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:56:43 -0500

It may not be the first game you think of, but I picked this one as a mix of showing my Patriots I love them and the desperate win they both need.

The Buffalo Bills started the season off hot, looking like the team to beat when they got stopped at 5-1 and were slowed down to a 2-7 finish. The team is smug, their conference record poor and their collection of odd games (for instance, the no power game versus the Chargers).

Oh, and don't forget their abysmal 0-5 in their division. That hurts.

The New England Patriots do not control their fate. Sitting at 10-5, their season that looked lost when Matt Cassel was injured is now fully alive and sits on how the Dolphins and Ravens do in their respective games.

The Bills want to know that they landed at .500 this season and look OK for the next one. The Patriots want to show the world they don't need Tom Brady this season, and they can win this game!

OK, everybody ready? Let's get our gloves on and start getting down and dirty with the real stuff.

Tom Brady? Psh! The Patriots believe in Matt Cassel now. In the Pats own little Ice Bowl, Cassel threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns. That's what I call a day. Was it just a one week thing? Nope, the week before he threw four touchdowns and has had his fair share of 200+ yard games!

The Bills are on the lower side of decent secondaries, they will be struggling with Welker down low and might miss a long ball to Moss. I give Cassel 300 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.

On Sunday, everyone found out that the Pats have a running game. LaMont Jordan and Sammy Morris both ran for over 75 yards, and it brings everyone a smile to see this duo healthy once again. The question is if they can keep it up week to week, and will Kevin Faulk still be part of this?

The Bills defensive running game is a middle of the pact squad that averages 120 yards per game. Can this group light them up? Sammy Morris gets 70 yards, LaMont Jordan gets a smaller 40 yards and Faulk gets a little peice of the fun at 20 yards.

In Trent Edwards' first game back, he didn't do half bad! Trent got 193 yards and a touchdown on the day and most of his passes were caught. Not to mention he brought them back in the fourth quarter to win it in dramatic fashion.

The Patriot secondary had been ugly until they shut down the MVP hopeful Kurt Warner! He only got four passes out (Leinart also got four). Still, was it just due to the snowy conditions. Maybe not, but I am betting halfway. Trent gets a 200 yard game and a touchdown or two.

Jackson and Lynch both had quiet days on Sunday, hovering around 40 yards on the day each. Which is odd, because Lynch got 127 yards the week before. They bounce around, so its tough to guess this part.

On Sunday, the Pats gave less than 50 total rushing yards! That is impressive. They have a solid rushing game, so I see Marshall Lynch getting 70 yards but Jackson getting very little (maybe 20).

So, here comes the pick. Let's see... The stat's tell all.

Final Score: New England: 31 Buffalo: 17

They need the win, they will fight for the win.

OTHER SCORES

ATL: 35    STL: 14                    Falcons kick their butt.
KC:28      CIN: 17                      Thigpen leads them to a win.
GB:31      DET: 14                      Detroit goes for 0-16! YEAH!!!!
CHI: 28     HOU:24                  Closer than ya think!
TEN: 28     IND: 27                     Neither care though, they are both in.
NYG: 21    MIN: 28                     They are going to try really, really hard.
CAR: 21      NO: 17                     I don't know why I say its going to be low scoring.
PIT: 35       CLE: 21                    Steelers roll on.
TB: 31          OAK: 21                  BREAKING NEWS: Oakland disappears in midair.
BAL: 28         JAC: 24                 Baltimore goes on to playoffs.
MIA: 21           NYJ: 24               For once I'll say, GO JETS!!!!!!!!
DAL: 21          PHI: 20                Really, really, really close.
ARI: 31          SEA: 21                Duh.
WAS: 21            SF: 14              Washington wins.
DEN: 24             SD: 21              Denver wins the AFC West.