Playing The Role to Perfection

Jason Varitek Showing Early on He Can be a Backup

Having to sit the first four games for Red Sox Captain Jason Varitek could not have been a good feeling. After being the Red Sox primary catcher since 1999 Varitek took on the role of backup catcher having to take the back seat to a less efficient defensive catcher, but a much more potent offensive catcher in Victor Martinez.

The common consensus before the season was that Varitek would catch the majority of Josh Beckett's games, like a specialty catcher, because of the problems that Martinez and Beckett had meshing last season. He would also spell Martinez when needed and start when it appeared that a certain pitcher needed the help and influence of the veteran catcher labelled by many as the best pitch caller in the majors.

His first start did not get off to a stellar beginning; Beckett allowed a run in the first inning and Varitek's first at-bat against Zach Greinke ended like many last year, with him staring at a tw0-seamer that finished right down the heart of the plate.

But Varitek is a veteran and did not want his first start of the season to fizzle out. After Jeremy Hermida homered to tie the game in the fifth inning, Varitek took the next pitch into the bullpens in right. But Varitek was not done.

In the ninth inning, with the Red Sox clinging to a 5-3 lead, Varitek, who was batting again from the left side, the side many people thought the switch-hitting catcher could no longer do any damage, took a meaty change-up from reliever Luis Mendoza and handed a nice souvenir to a lucky fan in right. Dustin Pedroia finished off the scoring with a two-run homer later in the inning to make it 8-3 and the Red Sox took the second game of this three game series.

And of Varitek and his role as backup catcher? He still preaches the same values of catching that made him a mainstay behind the dish over the past decade, "My focus obviously was Josh and what has to go on there," said the veteran catcher, but he was not complaining about the offensive spurt, "It's nice to contribute, absolutely. Both swings, I was able to get the good part of the bat on the ball. The ball was carrying a little bit to the right."

So Varitek, who spends the majority of his time watching films of opposing batters, not pitchers, knows his role, and although it is only one start into his 2010 season, sure looks like he is fitting perfectly into that role.

(Portions of this article came from Associated Press articles)

This Feels Familiar

Sox Bullpen Blows Another One

In movie theaters right now you can check out "Hot Tub Time Machine," and if you get NESN or know anyway to watch or listen to Red Sox baseball, you can tune into "Red Sox Bullpen Time Machine." Watching the Red Sox right now is like taking a time machine back to the 1990's and the years of the bullpen by committee.

The Red Sox are 1-3, and last night spoiled another great effort by a starter, this time though it was an old face, a very, very, very old face the bullpen collapsed for. With his first knuckleball to David DeJesus in the bottom of the first inning, Tim Wakefield became the oldest starting pitcher in Red Sox history (43 years, seven months and seven days to be exact).

The knuckleballer who was born on August 2, 1966, has been the model of consistency for the Red Sox. Whenever he steps on the mound I always pencil him in for six innings, and three to five runs.

More times than not he proves me wrong; like last night's outing where he went seven innings, striking out six and only making two mistakes: a 73 mph four seamer in the sixth to Billy Butler that was nothing more than a batting practice pitch, which Butler kindy deposited into the left field stands, and the next pitch, a 63 mph knuckleball to Rick Ankiel (yes, that Rick Ankiel) which landed fair and in the bleachers down the right field line.

Besides those two pitches Wakefield was phenomenal; he allowed just those two runs through his seven innings, and most importantly, only needing 98 pitches to do so. That is now two strong starts in a row for Red Sox pitching; Wakefield's performance came on the heels of a six-inning shutout performance by John Lackey who needed 100 pitches to do so.

With the travel day between games the Red Sox bullpen did not need the help, at least that's what the common consensus was until the Red Sox bullpen took the ball in the eighth.

Holding on to the 3-2 lead Hideki Okajima allowed a leadoff double, but got the next batter out when Terry Francona called on Daniel Bard to get the final two outs. Bard allowed a walk, got the next out, and with runners on second and third allowed a broken bat single to Ankiel who sawed the pitch into left and the lackluster arm of Jacoby Ellsbury.

Just like that a 3-2 lead turned into a 4-3 deficit and a great pitching performance by the oldest starting pitcher in Red Sox history, vanished. It was the bullpen's third straight loss (second straight blown save for Daniel Bard) and stopped Wakefield from gaining his 190th win (176th win the Red Sox), which would put him just 16 wins shy of the all-time Red Sox record owned by Roger Clemens and Cy Young.

But most importantly, that third straight loss by the bullpen is harkening back images (nightmares?) of the days of Heathcliff Slocumb and the Bullpen by Committee when Red Sox fans knew that they were in for a roller coaster ride once the starter was out. The problem here is hard to grasp; Francona has two legitimate set-up men in Okajima and Bard, but right now he has them splitting the eighth, and it just seems that both are uncomfortable knowing that neither owns the inning and that at the slightest trouble, one will go in for the other.

The Red Sox most impressive bullpen season in recent memory was in 2007 when it was Okajima in the eighth and Papelbon in the ninth, and until this question of "who owns the eighth?" is resolved, you can be assured the bullpen struggles will continue.

No matter "whodunit" in the latest bullpen collapse of this very early season, the saddest thing is to see another chance at history dance away from Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox. Here's to hoping that the man who has done everything for the Red Sox over the past 16 years starts to get some help from his bullpen... Oh yeah, one more thing; did we mention he has 22 saves as a Red Sox pitcher?

Tiger is Still Tiger

Masters and PGA Breathe Sigh of Relief



When Tiger Woods held his press conference earlier in the week my first reaction was, "Hmmmm, he's got a goatee, this is gonna be badass Tiger... Awesome."

But then... he scared the golf world, "I am actually going to try and obviously not get as hot when I play," confessed Woods, "But then again, when I -- not as hot, I'm not going to be as exuberant, either."


As people started to move to the next question, you could almost hear everyone at the Masters and PGA scream out, "NOOOOOOOOO."

Tiger Woods makes golf exciting. I'll write that again, Tiger Woods makes Golf... GOLF, exciting. The purists out there will tell you that golf is exciting no matter who is playing, but Woods makes golf exciting to the average sports fan.

Woods is why golfers are now making more money than they ever thought possible. It is easy to understand why golfers are angry with Woods; if Woods goes, so does almost all of the money he brought with him.

Anxiety set in for PGA officials, even after he nailed his opening drive down the middle of the fairway, just waiting for a sign, any sign, good or bad, that the old Tiger is lurking.

The moment came on the eighth hole. His blind approach shot stopped within 30 feet, and after nailing the eagle pump, Tiger roared; he pumped his fist, albeit, a little subdued, but still, the same emotional Tiger. he finished his day at four under, his best opening round at the Masters, and more importantly, just two shots behind the leader.

No matter what happens between now and the end of the Masters on Sunday, the fact that the old Tiger is out there, stalking his prey, is good for everybody: the man, the golfer, his fans and of course, the PGA officials who were "embarrassed" by his actions.

Don't Call Me Cinderella

Underdog? Sure. Overmatched? Maybe. Cinderella? Absolutely not.

The most uttered phrase from the National Championship game between Butler and Duke was "cinderella." The problem? Butler is not a cinderella team. Sure, are they from a "mid-major" conference? Yes, asbolutely. But are they a team nobody heard about before the start of the season? No, not at all.

Butler started the season ranked 10th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and 11th in the Associated Press Poll. So a team that began the season in the top ten is a surprise contestant in the national championship game? Please. I know writers everywhere are searching for great story-lines, but what many people lose is perspective. Many people in this day and age label every game they watch as a "David versus Goliath" match-up or as "the best game ever."

By saying that a team ranked in the top eleven of both national pre-season polls is a cinderella is to say that any team no ranked #1 in the pre-season poll is a cinderella. A simple math quiz; If Butler is number eleven, how many teams in the country would NOT be the underdog when matched up against Butler? Class... Bueller... Gooooood, ten, ten is the answer. That means all but ten teams are the underdog when going up against Butler.

I know what you're saying, "But that's the pre-season poll, they mean nothing... Hell, UNC was ranked sixth in the pre-season." Good point. But, pray tell, where was Duke ranked in those same pre-season polls? Eight in the ESPN/USA Today, ten in the AP... right in front of Tennessee and West Virginia, respectively. Where did those two end up, one losing in the last second in the Elite Eight and the other losing to Duke in the Final Four. And they say pre-season polls do not mean anything.

Butler... Great story, tough team, great defense, atrocious offense for the most part, but in the words of DMX, "what's my name?" Bulldog? Mid-Major, Underdog? Sure, but stay away from Cinderella.

Ahhh Finally...

Taking Pleasure in Other People's Pain Ok if You're a Sports Fan

As I sit in Syracuse watching West Virginia methodically dismantle the Washington Huskies, I cannot help, but feel good. As you can tell from my other posts, the majority of the last year has not been a good one for a New England fan living in Connecticut, but finally, at least for a night, things are good.

I watched the number five-seed Butler Bulldogs take down the number one-seed Syracuse Orange and it made me HAPPY. As a grad student in Syracuse who happens to love the Uconn Huskies, this season has been an absolute nightmare: Wes Johnson coming out of nowhere to become one of the best players in the country, the smug and ultra-annoying Andy Rautins seemingly hitting every three he takes and overall the entire team overperforming thanks to great chemistry (and some beneficial officiating).

But tonight, it was good. Butler took them down thanks to some lucky bounces and the abscence of Arinze Onuako. I remember having a conversation with another Syracuse student in the Broadcast Journalism department and I posited to her, "who is more important to Syracuse, Arinze Onuako or Andy Rautins?" The student said Rautins without a second thought, citing his leadership more than anything else. I mentioned that everything runs through AO and without him no one, including Rautins, can get their shots.

So tonight, I had two things that made me happy: the knowledge that I was right, which is always, always a great ego rub, and most importantly, the rest of the Syracuse campus and join me in the misery that is watching the NCAA tournament knowing your team is out and there is nothing to do until next year (or until the NBA and NHL playoffs... unless you are from Connecticut and still miss the Whalers).

Is this feeling better because of other people's misery wrong? Absolutely not. Why be a true fan if not for the highs of winning, the lows of losing, and the happiness that comes from other's misery. Some people throw out sayings not knowing what they actually mean, but you know what they say, "misery loves company." And tonight in Syracuse, I have a great deal of company.

A Perfect End to an Imperfect Season

Uconn's Season Ended The Way it Should Have...With a Heartbreaking Loss

Everything was there for a semi-magical end to the season: the other team that has been berated in the media for their bad performance, UNC, was knifing through the NIT, their main man Jerome Dyson was finally playing like he had millions of dollars riding on the line with his last couple of games and the ball was in the most consistent player of the year, Gavin Edwards, with a chance for a win... and it all came "rushing" down.

Everyone that cares about them knows that the University Connecticut MEN'S basketball team had underperformed all year. Something was missing from this team; to most that watched it was leadership. Jerome Dyson was supposed to be the leader for this Final Four caliber team, but when they needed him most, he failed, and failed gloriously.

From average games, to poor games and then finally at the end of the regular season and Big East tournament, to bad games for Jerome Dyson, it was clear that something was amiss and the team took the brunt of his bad play; Uconn dropped from NCAA tournament consideration to maybe on the outside of the NIT.

The leader for the team by the end of the year (and for at least one more to come) was clearly Kemba Walker; he had been playing out of his mind and it was clear from simple facial gestures that Walker has a killer's heart and should be something to behold next year when he finallly has his mad rushes under control.

It was those same mad rushes that made Uconn so dangerously good...and so dangerously bad. When the team was on, nobody could stop them (just ask Texas, Villanova and West Virginia), when they were off, anyone could beat them (just ask Providence, Michigan and St. John's). Uconn could run any team off the court, including themselves.

There were times this year when you would just marvel at Jerome Dyson barreling into the key and drawing the foul, but they were other times, too numerous to count, where Dyson or Walker would be barreling down the court and chuck an ill-conceived alley-oop for Stanley Robinson or simply lose control of the ball.

They were an enigma; at times both beautiful and painful to watch, and it all came to a head at the Virginia Tech game.

They showed their experience by not being phased by an unusually large NIT crowd, but showed their complete lack of leadership and true experience by not being able to handle a 2-3 zone (the same zone they dismantled only a month before at the Carrier Dome). The player lost in all of this is Stanley Robinson, who himself was more of a riddle than anyone else.

Robinson could take a game over with his thunderous dunks and streaky three-point shooting, but then fade into obscurity as fast as his leaps to the rim. He never really learned how to dominate in the low-post against smaller players nor how to drive past faster players; it will only be in the NBA where people will see just how great of a player he can be (my only reasoning being I have seen him play for three and a half years and know how good he is, he only has to develop that killer instinct that the entire team seemed to lack).

But with all the problems of this year's team there was one great story, Gavin Edwards and his meteoric rise as one of the most consistent, if not best, sixth men in the country. Edwards morphed from a shaky bench player to almost a certified double double man every game. His defense was spectacular and he was the only man on the team that could score in the pain with ease.

That is what made the last sequence so perfectly imperfect...

Down by one with about ten seconds left in the game, Kemba Walker drove a little too far, took an ill-advised jump-shot... the shot was blocked, but, like so many times before, he fought for the ball, got it back, drove again, and, with about four seconds left, made a beautiful pass to Gavin Edwards who took the pass in mid-air with no one around him and time on the clock....

But like seemingly everything else that went wrong this year for the Huskies, he rushed when he did not have to; Edwards, most likely thinking there was less time on the clock, caught the ball in mid-air, spun towards the hoop and shot, without ever touching the ground. The end result was a missed lay-up, maybe the only thing Edwards did not do right during the game. The shot clanked off the rim, but there was still time for a rebound and put back, but again, the team that seemed plagued all year was yet again plagued, but this time by the hard-work that eluded them most of the year.

Edwards went for the rebound and had position, but Kemba Walker, who had never given up on the play, unknowingly battled Edwards for the rebound and it bounced off both players and right into the hands of Virgina Tech. One for two at the line for Tech left Uconn with a sliver of hope, 0.7 seconds, and the last desperation heave fell short.

For a team that rushed through their season at a somehow breakneck, but snail-like speed, the Edwards hasty and ill-fated shot was the perfect way to end the season... It was just an imperfect ending for the team and their fans.

The Line in the Sand

Do Not Step Over It...Wipe it Out Completely

Note: I hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass...

The first Jemele Hill article I ever paid attention to was her "Putting Kobe in Perspective" article. Forgetting the fact she is blatantly wrong, I realized writing, or at least, coming up with ideas to write about nowadays is not so much about the ability to write as is, the topic you which to write about.

In the sports world, every John and Sally out there can write about what they think Tiger Woods should do, or who is really to blame for the Steroids Era, but the thing that will get people to read is not the prose of the author, but the topic.

I will be unabashedly straightforward; I am fairly certain I have never seen a Jemele Hill article and gone, "ooo goody, another Jemele Hill article." Simply put, I just do not agree with a single word that she says, well, until now...

On ESPN.Com you can find an article about "stepping -- a rhythmic form of dancing, clapping, and stomping that is widely practiced by historically black fraternities and sororities," in which Jemele Hill calls out the Coca-Cola Co. for waving a magic wand and forcing an all-white fraternity (Zeta Tau Alpha) to share the national title for best steppers with an all black sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha) after discovering a "scoring discrepancy."

Back Ground

For those who know me, I am not what you would call a silent, or even shy person, when it comes to expressing my opinion. I have held Jemele Hill in such low regard because I think her stance on Kobe Bryant being better than Michael Jordan was simply a cowardly attempt to get people to read her article because no sane person could ever come to that conclusion (and if she does think this it does not help out her case).

One of my biggest rants in life comes out of discussions about race. I grew up in a predominantly (and that is even an understatement) white farm town on the border of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Knowing such you would think that there is rampant racism and bigotry, but for the most part, this lack of "mixing" has been a pretty vital ground for my stance on racism and bigotry.

Not only is it a predominantly white town, but to say that there is a religious melting pot would be lying through your teeth; there are Roman Catholics, Protestants and... and.... well, not much else.

I am an Irish Jew (kinda makes people go , "abuh?") and growing up Jewish in a town of practically all Christians was fun. Instead of nobody saying a damn thing about my "otherness," it was fair game for making fun of and teasing. If you are reading this (and considering the amount of views, I'd say you are not) and saying "oh that's terrible, what horrible, horrible children," get off your damn soap box.

The easiest way to integrate people is by making fun of them; you make fun of people that you are comfortable with, and the easiest way to include somebody is by showing that they are fair game. If you are saying to someone that they are fair game to be made of, you are inviting that person to turn the tables on you (yes, I am aware that there is a fine line, but in this day in age, that fine line is easy to spot).

Yesterday I was told using "Negro" in a Law Brief, even though I had it in quotation marks and it was used in the original case filings, was in bad taste and I should use "African American." Bullshit. My friends from back home with dark skin prefer to be called "black." I say I'm an Irish Jew because it is easy for people to pinpoint, but I think its stupid.

I think the term is stupid and the term African-American is stupid because it does not go the whole way; if you really want to start delineating people by their race, then I say we go the whole way, you are not an African American, but a "Ghanese-American," or a "Samburu-American." The worst is when I hear someone call musician Seal an African American...just wrong...not even close.

The Article

Jemele Hill's thesis in her article is stepping should bring cultures together and that cultural inclusion is a two way street; by forcing the honor of c0-national champions on the all-black sorority and taking the sole honor away from the all-white fraternity they are saying it is good if cultural inclusion works one way, but not the other.

Her thesis (and it pains me to say this) is absolutely correct. She pinpoints the issue when discussing the comments after the Youtube video was posted that the reason the Zeta's won was because they are a novelty rather than for their abilities and Hill writes "Hmm, now where have I heard that one before."

I will let this be known before I go any further, I hate stepping. I hate stepping probably because I have never seen it done well and the most memorable performance I can remember came at a Trinity College Fall Festival show my Freshmen (not Firstyear Trinity, but FRESHMEN) when the "Rhonda Steppers" did a bit at the beginning of an OkGo concert... it sucked.

What made it worse was that at the end of the OkGo concert the bad performed their routine from "A Million Ways," which I, and everyone else there, believed blew the Rhonda Steppers out of the water.

Talking about race and the need to be politically correct is downright unintelligible. As a religious person I truly believe we are all of one species (is that religious or scientific?) and studies show that this is the case. Simply because we originally came from different parts of the world means absolutely nothing anymore.

Do we look different? Yes, but everyone looks different, meaning that no is different if what makes us different is all the same ("YOU ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE SNOWFLAKES"). Racism, and having to abide by a certain set of codes is useless, and all it does is waste time and slow down the process of true integration.

Once we can get past stupid things like this "stepping controversy," we will as a species truly start getting it into our thickheads that the only differences we see are the ones we invent...

-A Money Grubbin' Constantly Drinking Potato Loving Kike