Life Begins at Fenway

In a year where the news-media will be completely transfixed by the happenings in the Bronx...it's entirely possible that the Boston Red Sox will have more to prove.

To be honest, the Red Sox have had the quieter postseason, but may still have an incredibly well-rounded team. The rotation wasn't altered a great deal, the infield, while without Dustin Pedroia, is still strong, and the bats, now with J.D. Martinez, seem equally powerful. With less fanfare, the Red Sox also have less chance to disappoint. Besides, if everybody thinks you're going to end up in 2nd place, that still means that there's 20% of improvement than can happen.

Right now, Christian Vazquez and Xander Bogaerts seem to be the sole early offensive standouts, but that isn't counting out a return to form for Hanley Ramirez, or another surprisingly potent year from Eduardo Nunez or Rafael Devers. This team does have a lot going for it, even if it's not especially heralded right now. Plus, David Price seems to be back to his old self, and Chris Sale is still operating by his old 'heavy strikeouts' logic, so a great deal could be accomplished here.

Again, the injury problem could strike, and the packing of home-run hitters onto the lineup may spell a team that goes more for distance than for average, so a lot could go wrong, but the Sox could potentially do some dangerous things down the stretch, especially from what I've seen over the first few games of the year.

Coming Tomorrow- The guy who used to be the only ace in Philly.

ALDS Update: Revenge of the AL East

[deeply exhales]

Alright, boys. We're still alive.

That was an incredible performance by Masahiro Tanaka, and another reason why Greg Bird is finally here to stay. And while it got a bit scary with Aroldis Chapman giving up some scarily bad-timed balls, we finished strong, and live to fight in the Bronx for at least one more day. I didn't think we could do it, but we're fighting for our lives, and we're finally playing well...though I would have appreciated more than one run...

On the other side...

I tend to forget how dangerous this guy can be in the playoffs, and once again he rose to the occasion, hitting like hell and powering his thought-dead team past the Astros in a win nobody saw coming, especially after the Astros chased Doug Fister in the first. The Sox were scoring less than the Yankees, getting beaten by more...and yet now they might have more of a chance than the Yankees to stay in the race. If they have a game like they did today, they might be alright.

Tomorrow, we get two more win-or-die games from this conference, plus another win-or-die game, and a 'let's see who's gonna take the lead' game. Sure to be a fun, eventful day.

Changing of the Guard

Like usual, the Red Sox' DH is leading the team in home runs. Unlike usual...it's by, like 1 home run, and it's 5 in all...and it's not David Ortiz.

Hanley Ramirez is, as he always been, a solid player, a hard worker, and one of the offensive highlights of a generally packed team. Right now, the pressure's on him to, well, essentially be David Ortiz, but it hasn't occurred to people that Han-Ram could just be the second coming of Manny Ramirez. The hair, the slowing defensive ability, the clutch hitting...it's all kinda there.

There's also some intense pressure on the Red Sox- after some unruly behavior against the O's, and some matches that have been lost due to just simple lack of ability, the Sox are becoming one of baseball's disappointments this year. People are hitting, but not as well as they should. Chris Sale's playing like a Cy Young candidate (as per usual), but the rest of the pitching is a mess, with a down year for Rick Porcello, some okay stuff from Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz, and David Price just sitting on the DL, minding his own business.

This team's a bit more flawed than the sportswriters figured it'd be, and as the Yankees and Orioles ascend to the top of the division, the flaws are becoming more and more evident.

Coming Tonight- Heavy-hitting outfielder for Han-Ram's old team.

Custom Card of the Day: Ramirez Edition

(FYI- this is probably one of the best customs I've made in years)

Right now the Red Sox are doing modestly. They're hitting well, and their youth movement is working, but they're burning through catchers like potato chips, and their older stars (Victorino, Napoli, Sandoval) aren't playing as well as they used to.

However, their one saving grace is Hanley Ramirez. Because he's hitting up a storm right now.

The guy had decent numbers in his two and a half seasons with the Dodgers, but the injuries kept hitting and limiting his playing time. The Sox thought the best move would be to move him to the outfield, to keep him out of the stress that comes with playing shortstop. So, they moved him back, benched Rusney Castillo for a bit, and it's been working pretty well. Han-Ram has had a great start, hitting the 2nd-most home runs in the AL (behind that rascal Nelson Cruz), and making a definite case as a huge star (yet again)

I love how Hanley has grown from a young, ROY-winning speedy shortstop, to a powerful hitter in one of the most hitter-friendly divisions in baseball. I like how even when he was having a few DL stints, people still thought of him as one of the best players on that Dodgers team. I love the fact that he's back to hitting well. People counted him out, but I think he has a bunch of great seasons left in him.

Coming Tonight (?)- Probably the best Jewish player in the leagues right now. Off to a nice start in DC.

The Empire Strikes Back

The only thing more infuriating than a quiet offseason for your favorite team is a productive one for your rival. The Yankees haven't done jack in the past month or so, and unless they're gearing up for a big sign or trade (repeat after me...TULO...), it's looking like it might just be another disappointing offseason.

And the sucky part is that the Red Sox might be having the opposite of that.

The reports are coming in saying that they're excruciatingly close to signing Hanley Ramirez. Injuries aside, Han-Ram has become one of the strongest shortstops in the league. That being said, I'd prefer him on a team other than Boston. However, the deal's basically done, and I can't do anything about it.

Even worse, Pablo Sandoval, someone I really don't want to have to hate, is coming close to signing with Boston too. We may be looking at an infield made up of Napoli-Pedroia-Ramirez and Panda. And while that's kind of counter-productive to the farm system, it's still a strong infield, and it still could be the defining factor in the AL East next season.

So it kind of sucks that the Sox are doing this well when, over in the Bronx, our first baseman is a lock, and there are question marks at second, short and third. It's painful to see somebody else doing well when we're failing.

I hope Cashman does something eventually, because the Sox have been making some nice moves. I don't want to be outdone again.

Custom Card of the Day: Ramirez Edition

Though the Dodgers have slowed down a bit after a while, Hanley Ramirez is still one of the game's most fun players, even away from the Marlins.

I mean, just look at the expression on his face here. He's in full control, having a lot of fun, and all in the excitement of everything. And that really matters.

Coming Tomorrow- A Reds pitcher who is finally having a really nice season.

Somebody Clinched

I'm personally very happy that the Dodgers clinched. They had a very nice season, and definitely deserved the terrific run they had in this series. I wish I could post a Juan Uribe custom, but I, and likely a lot of Dodgers fans, forgot he was on the team.

Still, the other three matchups fared slightly similarly-ish:

These guys are up 2-1 against one of the toughest teams in the AL. I really hope they pull through, as they're a lot of fun to watch.

Ugh. WHY DO THESE GUYS KEEP WINNING GAMES??? STOP TOYING WITH MY EMOTIONS! THE PIRATES ARE AWESOME! JUST LET THEM WIN ALREADY!

These guys surprisingly hung on, and got their first win of the series? Will it be enough? If you have trouble answering that question, please remember, the Red Sox are probably going to win the entire thing. So no. Not really.

 



Custom Card of the Day: Hanley Edition

 

I am back, but I'll be going away again in two days. Still, I'll have a laptop.

This guy was part of a monster infield for the Marlins throughout the 2000's. Mike Jacobs at first base, Dan Uggla at 2nd, Miguel Cabrera at third, and Hanley at short. It was a strong infield, and it's sad that it only lasted a few years. The party ended in 2008, when Cabrera was traded to Detroit, and Jacobs would fade into obscurity soonafter. But the impact that outfield made would still last.

The Dodgers really need the well playing infielder from the Marlins, especially in the batter's box. Hanley can hit, but not as well as the 2000's. The Dodgers need this, in order to pick up the pace and sweep the rug out from under the Giants.

Hanley could help them. All he has to do is hit.

Coming Tomorrow- He was awesome for the Cubs. Now why isn't he performing in Milwaukee?

The Ten Most Crucial Trade Deadline Deals

Oooh, this one's a doozy.

Remember...yesterday, when the Phillies had a reliable outfield? Oh, gosh. They picked us clean. They left us with only Juan Pierre, John Mayberry and a pair of socks. It was terrible. But...more on that later.

This was an inredibly crazy month of July, much crazier than the otherwise subtle July 2011. People were flying across the leagues left and right, and the deadline was ugly. The last trade of the deadline was the deadliest, especially for all the Yankee fans. But I'll get there later.

I'll get to the list finally. Top 10 most crucial moves of the trade deadline.

10. Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to Detroit, Jacob Turner and prospects to Marlins. Who won- Tigers. Not only did they need a new starter in Anibal, but Omar Infante, a former Tiger who got his stardom elsewhere, is back in his old town, a better player than when he left for Atlanta.  How the Marlins benefit- Jacob Turner is one of the best young Detroit prospects, and he will be a good piece for the team.

9. Francisco Liriano to White Sox, prospects to Twins. Who won- White Sox. They needed more pitching to add to the already-strong rotation. Liriano may not be reliable every season, but when he's on, he's reall on. Hopefully he'll reclaim the magic from the 2009 and 2010 seasons. How the Twins benefit- prospects for the future will hopefully get them out of the mess they're in currently.

8. Paul Maholm to the Braves, Aroydis Vizcaino and prospects to Cubs. Who won? Braves. Maholm gives the young rotation some experience,as Maholm will be the older, wiser member to the mostly young and up and coming staff. How it helps the Cubs: The team lost alot today, and the prospects can help them gain it back. Vizcaino is a young sar who hopefully has a spot.

7. Carlos Lee to Marlins, prospects to Astros. Who won? Marlins. Carlos Lee obviously isn't what he used to be, but what he is is a nice, strong back. The Marlins need some of that in order to stay in the race. Lee will lend his bat to a growing roster. How it helps the Astros- come on, they need something. They're getting a crapload of prospects this July, and hopefully they'll do something to help.

6. Shane Victorino to Dodgers, prospects to Philly. Who won? Phillies, surprisingly. I know, they robbed an important piece of our lineup, but he wasn't hitting, and he wasn't playing like he did when we won the championship in 2008. The Dodgers can have him. What the Phils need was helpto the farm system, and this gives them just that. They need pitching and infield help for the future, and this gives them that. How it helps the Dodgers- Victorino will help in the outfield with Ethier and Kemp, I guess...

5. Ryan Dempster to Rangers, prospects to Cubs. Who won? Rangers. The strongest team in the Majors got even stronger with this one. Dempster is a great pitcher, and will aid the already strong rotation. This was a steal, because I thought the Yankees had him at the end. Sadly, the rich got richer, and the Rangers got a replacement for the struggling Roy Oswalt. How it helps the Cubs- more prospects.

4. Hanley Ramirez to Dodgers, prospects to Marlins. Who won? Dodgers. They needed a shortstop, and they need a bat. They got both in Hanley. In his last few games, Hanley has gtten a lot of RBI, and has become a reliable member of the lineup. Him and Victorino are great additions to a staff that needs some. How it helps the Marlins- An aging team needs some youth.

3. Hunter Pence to Giants, Nate Schierholtz and prospects to Phillies. Who won- Giants. This kills me, because I loved Pence as a Phillie,and it pains me to see him join the enemy. The Giants do need another outfielder, and Pence will add moreof a bat to the lineup. It's sad, but it might work. How it helps the Phillies- again, more prospects, because we need some,

2. Zack Grienke to the Angels, prospects to the Brewers. Who won- Angels. I've said before that the Angels have the best rotation in the AL, with Weaver, Haren, Santana and Wilson. This adds a strong fifth man to the hat, and it makes the team an even bigger force. The Rangers should be afraid. How it helps the Brewers- after Braun goes, the team will be in trouble. They're gonna need some young stars.

1. Ichiro to the Yankees, prospects to the Mariners. Admit it, you saw this coming. I don't have to say much about how this helps us, because he's Ichiro. He's awesome. How it helps the Mariners- more prospects.

Hopefully this is the end of the moves during the season...I don't want to screw up the already done Update set.

Year by Year Customs: 1974

Well, this one totally makes up for the lack of stars over the last few days. It was quite hard to give someone the 4th spot. As well as star power, these four are also pretty awesome.

A nod to the 1974 "Washington" Padres.

Coming Tomorrow- An awesome design, and a few awesome players.

Home Run Derby Custom Card of the Day

There's no way I'd be showing you a custom of a filthy Red Sock, so I gave you the runner up. Hanley was pretty damn good last night, decking more homers than Corey Hart, Nick Swisher and others. It was a really great game.

The Celebrity/Legends Softball game however...that was hilarious. I snuck a peek at it after the Derby, and I saw the amazing feat of MC Hammer hitting a homer off Jennie Finch, and Jennie Finch blasting one off Chuck Finley. Plus, lotsa Hall of Famers like Ozzie, Rickey, Rollie Fingers, Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza (Okay, he's a Future Hall of Famer, but he counts).

I'm pretty sure the resident blogger heckler's gonna kill me for that one.