Tag: Red Sox

Trying To Understand People Who Don’t Like Sports

Okay, so I am starting this off by saying that this isn’t a shot at anyone who does not embrace in the world of sports in any kind, but it is just trying to get and understand of what are you doing if they aren’t in your life.

Listen up people, sports make the world go round. I truly feel that way. Every single day, there is some sport going on that thousands, probably millions are witnessing live on TV, streaming, or in person. Every day there can be a unique storyline that involves your favorite sport. Look at the NBA recently, Anthony Davis going from being apart of the Pelicans future plans to wanting to be traded has been in the news for days it feels. And that isn’t even the game part, that is the front office aspect. There is so many layers in sports to appreciate, which is why I just want to understand.

“I don’t like sports.” A definition – Sports: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. So you are trying to tell me, there isn’t one single form of a sport that you enjoy? It literally can be a game of hockey, a swimming meet, a car driving around the track, a dance competition, a wrestling match, or a simple baseball game. If you like none of these, good on you I guess.

I feel bad really, I do. Think of the best moments in sports. I know from experience that they can give you the absolute best emotions in the world – where you jump up, hug everyone in the room, scream from the rooftops – and the worst – where you’re angry, sad, miserable, collapse onto the floor. Those emotions can all be reached within seconds when it comes to the sports world. Look back at the Patriots-Chiefs AFC Conference Championship Game. When CB Jonathan Jones almost picked of Patrick Mahomes, I rose to my feet and collapsed within a second span. It all hits you, the stress, the sadness, the hopelessness, the excitement, and the pure happiness.

So really, if you hate sports, how do you not experience a reaction when you see this:

In these five videos, I can tell you first hand I felt both excitement and pain. When Malcolm Butler picked the ball off on the one yard line, I can’t say I had ever been happier in a single moment in my life to truly be honest. The Sale strikeout, just absolutely awesome. Another jump to your feet after your heart was pounding even though there should have been doubt at that point. Michael Phelps breaking a world record? Witnessing that? He is the greatest Olympian of all time, and in cheering for him, you may have been jumping up and down as the record was in sight. Ronda Rousey losing for the first time and getting knocked out to do so. Devastation. Heart sinking defeat for me personally and I can’t even explain why. It’s just tough. The Blackhawks coming back and winning in game six of the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 in 17 seconds. That feeling will never be topped because it is the weirdest of them all. Your heart drops when they tie it up with a minute to go, and somehow they score again and you can’t accept or stomach the fact that the Bruins just lost the Stanley Cup because it all happened faster than you could say “At least there may be overtime.”

Yes, I had all these emotions. Because Sports are beautiful people. Sure, maybe someone doesn’t want to work in sports and just keep them in your heart somewhere special, I totally get that. But not having this excitement for any sport in the world ever in your life? I just don’t get it.

What I’m asking for is for this to be shared, get the question out there and give me an answer how people go on in their lives without sports. Please, there are people truly missing out and lying to themselves.

And for the people who understand the feelings that I have, the Super Bowl is Sunday. Here goes another live changing experience of fear, anger, (hopefully) happiness, and more.

– Scott Edwards, Creator

 

The Red Sox should target this young All-Star Reliever in Free Agency

The Red Sox have a very clear primary need as the Hot Stove heats up. With Joe Kelly heading to Los Angeles (to team up with the players he embarrassed in the World Series) and Craig Kimbrel all but gone, the Red Sox are in desperate need for late inning relievers. Adam Ottavino (6-4, 2.42 ERA) and David Robertson (8-3, 3.23 ERA) have been heavily rumored options for the defending World Series Champs, but we are overlooking one extremely talented and accomplished young pitcher.

Kelvin Herrera is in the midst of his first offseason as a free agent and has not garnered much talk thus far. Last season, Herrera posted a 2.44 ERA in 44.1 IP between Kansas City and Washington. His season ended abruptly when he tore a ligament in his left foot in late August. That said, he should be at full health by Spring Training, ready to build on what was a successful season for the reliever.

See the source image

Career Breakdown:

Herrera is a two time All-Star that can throw 100 from the right-side and already has a World Series ring as a key cog in the 2015 Royals Championship. He has a career 2.82 ERA, as well as the tools and experience to be the next closer in Boston. Herrera had 17 saves in 2018 and has 60 career saves. Another important quality to a contender like the Red Sox is a clutch factor in the playoffs. Herrera has a career 1.26 ERA in 28.2 IP for in the postseason. He was a crucial part of the Royals World Series runs in 2014 and 2015. Another plus for Herrera is that he is entering his age 29 season, meaning he is still in his prime.

Usage in Boston:

The Red Sox should sign him along with another veteran like Ottavino or Robertson to lock up the late innings. Herrera could be a set up guy or a closer depending on who ends up in Boston. Barnes is slated to take one set up role, and the new guys may be competing for save opportunities with the Red Sox. The Twins are reportedly in pursuit of Herrera but overall he has not gotten the attention he deserves from Major League teams.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

 

 

OUR GUY Joe Kelly is heading to the Dodgers

Upset, sad, devastated. None of these words can truly wrap up the emotions we have right now here at WTF Sports as “Around the Diamond” favorite Joe Kelly is headed west to the team he dominated in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kelly has signed on with the Dodgers with a 3 year contract worth $25 mil. The righty finally seemed to have found it in the postseason with the Red Sox, giving up nothing on his way to being one of the most dominant pitchers of the post season.

This past week, I made a pitch that I felt Joe Kelly could truly close for the Red Sox this coming season, and unfortunately, this will not be happening. It is sad to realize that Joe Kelly will not be joining the defense after his biggest season as a Sox player, from blowing the game Opening Day, to pegging Tyler Austin and restarting the rivalry between the Sox and Yankees, to a dominant stretch, a chance he doesn’t make the playoff roster, to putting up multiple dominant performances in the playoffs on their way to a World Series trophy.

While a quick post like this isn’t enough for our guy Joe Kelly, it is enough for this time. #JustJoey, #JoeyFastball, #JoeyPsycho, whatever you want to call him. Thank you to Joe Kelly. We wish you the best in LA.

– Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports and Joe Kelly Enthusiast

The Price of Victory

David Price has been mocked for years as a pitcher who cannot pitch in the postseason. He joined the Red Sox with the intention of changing that narrative. In his introductory press conference Price said, “I’m ready to be a Red Sox and I’m ready to help this team and this city win.” Three years later Price has accomplished that goal. He was a vital member of the 2018 Boston Red Sox, pitching in the clinching game of the ALCS, as well as the last game of the World Series.

Price has had a lot of up and downs in his career, especially for a player that has a good chance of ending up in the Hall of Fame. His path to victory started as a freshman at Vanderbilt, where Price nearly quit after getting shelled in an intrasquad preseason scrimmage. His plan was to drop out of college and work at a local McDonalds… not kidding.

“It was definitely kind of out there, but I couldn’t laugh because he was so serious,” said esteemed Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin. Corbin was able to convince Price to stay in school, which turned out to be a great call. Two seasons later David Price would be the number one overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Price flew through the farm system and made the Rays MLB roster on Sept. 14, 2008. He was moved to the bullpen as a rookie and was able to throw 2.1 IP of shutout ball. He was pivotal in game seven of the ALCS to beat the Red Sox and reach the World Series.

In the following years David Price would become a household name as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Since his rookie year Price has appeared on five All-Star teams, lead the American League in ERA twice, and took home the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League. He played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and now resides with the Boston Red Sox. He found success on each team, but had one flaw he could not shake. His inability to perform in the postseason.

Going into the 2018 postseason, Price held a 2-8 playoff record, with a 5.05 ERA. He started game two of the ALDS against the Yankees and got roughed up immediately, giving up three earned runs in only 1.2 innings pitched. It looked like it was going to be another tough postseason for David Price. Writers were calling for his head and demanding he does not enter another playoff game in a Red Sox uniform. Manager Alex Cora wisely ignored the media and stuck with his guy. His trust in the lefty paid off big time the rest of the way. After that rough game in the Bronx Price went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and closed out two of the biggest games in franchise history, including the last game of the World Series.

Price finally got to celebrate after getting attacked by the media for roughly a decade. This was a major triumph for a guy who had been well regarded as one of the best teammates in the league and nicest guys in the game. In his postgame press conference after Game Five of the World Series, Price talked about having to deal with the hate about his postseason struggles,

“To answer that question, in spring training, day in day out, over and over and over … I hold all the cards now, and that feels so good. I can’t tell you how good it feels to hold that Trump card. You guys have had it for a long time, you’ve played that card extremely well, but you don’t have it anymore. None of you do. And that feels really good.” 

Price has decided to opt-in to his contract, making him a Boston Red Sox through 2022. He finally has proven himself in the postseason and can go into 2019 with all the weight off his shoulders.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

 

 

Manny Machado Free Agency Prediction

Manny Machado – New York Yankees

It pains me to say this, but it appears that the New York Yankees will make a serious a serious bid for one of the brightest young superstars in the game. His antics in the 2018 postseason were noted but will not cost him. Unfortunately, when you are as good as Manny Machado, you can get away with being a terrible person who injures people intentionally and is openly anti-hustle.

Shortstop is wide open for the Yankees right now, and for the foreseeable future with Didi Gregorius on the shelf with a torn UCL.

“Gregorius is under contract through 2019, then hits free agency in 2020. That means that Manny Machado to New York would be a smooth transition. With Didi out, Machado could slide right in at shortstop while Gregorius recovers.” – With Gregorius out for 2019, Machado’s path to New York is paved – WTF Sports

Manny Machado is one of the best young players in the game, coming off another strong season in 2018. Machado hit .297 with 37 HRs, 107 RBIs, and a .905 OPS. He played 162 regular season games between Baltimore and Los Angeles. He is lined up for a mega-deal not many teams can offer.

The Yankees certainly can afford Machado and will be looking for some massive upgrades after being defeated in the ALDS by the Boston Red Sox. The rivalry is back, and that front office is going to do everything they can to be on the winning side of it. Over the last three seasons, the Yankees have watched the Boston Red Sox clinch the American League East on their own turf twice, and advance to the American League Conference Championship just weeks ago. Brian Cashman is going to do anything in his power to stop the Boston Red Sox from having a fourth champagne celebration at Yankee Stadium in as many years.

New York is tired of watching the Red Sox dominate this rivalry over the last few seasons. Now they have the funds and the youth to get back to their historically dominant form. Look for the Yankees to pursue Machado heavily and for Machado to go for the largest contract available. That will likely end with Manny in pinstripes.

Bryce Harper Prediction:

Bryce Harper Free Agency Prediction 2.0

Patrick Corbin Prediction:

Predicting Where the Top Free Agent Pitcher Will Land

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

Damage Done: Red Sox are World Series Champions

Damage Done: Red Sox are World Series Champions

bostonredsoxworldserieschamps2018

Dominance.

 

The Boston Red Sox are 2018 World Series Champions and it may be the most dominant team in Sox history.

 

I have run out of words so quickly. This team is Boston’s team. David Price pitched his heart out, Steve Pearce had the series of his life, Joe Kelly made me want to run through a wall, and this team gave me every single emotion even though they brought all the dominance.

 

Mookie. JD. Sale. JBJ. X. Price. Devers. Nunez. Holt. Vazquez. Sandy. Craig. Joe. Barnes. Porcello. Eovaldi. Brasier. E-Rod. Swihart. Pearce. Kinsler. Benny. Mitchy. Dwew. Leon. AC.

 

The list goes on and on for this season, from the players to the coaching staff, this team was everything that is Boston.

 

I am not going to blab on with words, enjoy this everyone.

 

Parade is Wednesday, let’s celebrate!

 

Damage Done. World Series Champions.

damagedone_breakingt-0

– Scott Edwards, Proud Red Sox Fan

The Red Sox aren’t using their best bullpen arm nearly enough

The Boston Red Sox have a relief pitcher with a 0.00 career ERA that has yet to step on the mound in 2018.  He’s got to be injured right? Wrong. He’s perfectly healthy and he also made the All-Star game this year. During his last full season on the mound this player went 7-1 with a 0.53 ERA in 55 IP. He had 112 Ks to only 19 BBs and led Amory High School to a Class 3A State Championship series the year before. Mitch Moreland had one heck of a senior season on his way to Mississippi State. Now I know high school baseball stats don’t always translate exactly into the pros. Even if he had an absolute train wreck of a season and his ERA doubled, a 1.06 is nothing to cry about.

I’m not just basing this take off of his high school baseball stats.  That would be preposterous. No, he has pitched well in two career innings at the MLB level. He has allowed two hits, no walks and recorded a strikeout in two games on the mound. Baseball Reference projects that over a 162-game season Moreland would have a 0.00 ERA in 68 IP with 34 Ks and 0 BBs. Now I would never compare a player to Mariano Rivera but this guy would make Trevor Hoffman look like Drew Pomeranz. 68 consecutive scoreless innings would break the MLB record and that doesn’t even factor in the two-inning lead he already has. We are talking about 70 scoreless innings just sitting at first base playing Gold Glove defense like a moron.

Watch this video and tell me Mitch Moreland isn’t an MLB level pitcher:

Moreland touches 94 MPH in his Red Sox pitching debut further proving he is better than some of our less talented pitchers (Drew Pomeranz) that I shall not name. Now stat nerds will tell you that Mitch Moreland was an American League All-Star First-Basemen this season and he should continue to play the position that has gotten him national recognition. Those idiots didn’t watch the 1:11 minute video I just linked. Have Moreland bridge the gap to Brasier who will get the ball to Kimbrel until we are ready to give Moreland the closing job.

Now as some of you might be thinking, I’ve read 375 words to this point and lost brain cells. First of all that’s incredible that you were able to count and read at the same time, and second, I’ll finally give a real take. Ryan Brasier should be the Red Sox 8th inning guy for the rest of the season. Nobody has been as reliable as Brasier since he’s been called up. Brasier has a 1.00 ERA in 18 IP. That’s enough of a sample size for a reliever to instill trust in. He has 18 Ks to 5 BBs and opponents are batting .150 against him this season. That’s a worse batting average than Chris Davis who is hitting .163 (lowest among qualified hitters). Opponents against Ryan Brasier have a worse chance to get a hit than Chris Davis against the rest of the MLB. We need to start believing in this guy.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

Nathan Eovaldi shoves, Red Sox have a chance to put away Yankees

The Red Sox have been an absolute force this season with a 78-34 record that is by far the best record in baseball. Boston’s .696 winning percentage is .065 percent higher than the second place Astros in the MLB standings.

The Yankees came into the four game series 5.5 games back of Boston with a chance to put themselves on the precipice of first place. The Yankees came to town Thursday with Brain Johnson on the mound, who had one of the stranger outings you could have. Johnson went 5 IP with 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BBs, gave up 3 HRs yet had 11 Ks. While this outing wasn’t great, he did just enough to have a decent start keeping the Red Sox in the game. C.C Sabathia would get the start for the Yanks and did not look sharp. He threw 77 pitches in just three innings, with two earned runs, four walks, and two strikeouts. Once C.C. departed with a fairly quick hook the Red Sox offense exploded and never looked back. Jonathan Holder came in and got obliterated allowing seven earned runs without recording an out. That’s a living nightmare for a pitcher and the Red Sox walked away from a strange game with a 15-7 victory. (Also Steve Pearce had a decent game)

Night two was the turning point for the series. Porcello plunked Brett Gardner the lead-off hitter in the right tricep. The count was 0-2 and there was clearly zero intent to hit Garnder, yet Severino threw high at Mookie Betts with a 96 MPH fastball on the first pitch of his outing. Cora was not thrilled, came out of the dugout and got ejected before he could even get a word in. This would seemingly ignite the Red Sox offense as Andrew Benintendi would hit a ground-rule double which would be followed up by Steve Pearce’s fourth homerun of the two-game series. Ian Kinsler would later walk, steal his eleventh base of the season, and score on an Eduardo Nunez well placed pop-up. Boston’s three-run first was enough to get the job done as Rick Porcello threw a one-hitter, allowing one run and striking out nine, for a 86-pitch complete game masterpiece. Final: Red Sox 4, Yankees 1

Game three was more of the same from the Red Sox pitching staff as Nathan Eovaldi threw eight scoreless innings, allowing only three hits, one walk, and struck-out four. Eovaldi has now thrown fifteen scoreless innings as a member of the Red Sox, dropping his season ERA to 3.38. As a team, the Red Sox have a league leading 2.44 ERA since the All-Star break, the Dodgers are second with a 3.23 ERA. Mitch Moreland opened the scoring with a two-run homer (13th) in the first inning. J.D. Martinez would follow suit with his league leading 33rd homerun in the 4th inning to make it 3-0 early. Leon hit a controversial ground-rule double to make it 4-0 in the 7th. The only sore spot for the Red Sox was the play of Craig Kimbrel who gave up two hits, two walks, and allowed a run. He did get two strikeouts but looked extremely shaky and needed 32 pitches to complete the inning. Final: Red Sox 4, Yankees 1.

Tomorrow the Red Sox will come into the series finale with a 8.5 game lead and a chance to sweep their division rival. We will see Masahiro Tanaka (9-2, 3.84 ERA) vs David Price (11-6, 3.97 ERA) on Sunday Night Baseball. This will be a big game for the Yankees as they are digging themselves into a hole late into the season. It will also be a huge game for Price who needs to prove that he can compete against the Yankees after getting shelled in Yankee Stadium last time he squared off against the Evil Empire. The playoff race is starting to really heat up and the Red Sox are staying hot.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

Red Sox Update at the Deadline

The Red Sox have the best record in baseball at 75-33 (.694) and now have a 6 game lead over the Yankees in the American League East Division. Mookie Betts is battling Trout and Jose Ramirez for the MVP with J.D. Martinez right behind them. Chris Sale is approaching a sub two ERA this season putting him in the drivers seat of the CY Young voting.

The whole team is performing which lead me to make an article highlighting some of the top performers/craziest numbers.

Position Players:

J.D. Martinez is obviously talked about plenty, but his 44 home game on base streak is not. He saved the streak with a 9th inning walk last night.

Andrew Benintendi is having a phenomenal season and not getting nearly enough recognition. He was an All-Star snub who is hitting .296 with 14 HRs and 62 RBIs. His .379 OBP and .885 OPS rank 10th in the American League, and his 18 stolen bases is tied for 7th in the AL.

Xander Bogaerts is having a career year with a .275 AVG, 30 2Bs (5 shy of career high), 16 HRs (5 shy of career high, 6 more than last season), 64 RBIs, and an .852 OPS (career high .802) His above average defense should also be noted here.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Ill let this catch do the talking:

Blake Swihart was essentially a fan for the first few months of the season, but a Christian Vasquez injury has allowed Blake an opportunity to shine. While his numbers aren’t great this season, he has played 1st and even 3rd recently as well as filled the backup catcher role. Offensively he is on a 10 game hitting streak and just hit a 13th inning walk-off double last night.

Ian Kinsler was just traded to the Red Sox who is only hitting .239 but has 13 HRs, and an .859 OPS since May 28th. He has a higher WAR than all Red Sox except Betts, Benintendi, Martinez, and Bogaerts according to Chad Jennings. This could help the Sox sure up second base with a Gold Glover with some pop left in his bat.

Pitchers:

Chris Sale is the leading CY Young candidate with a record of 11-4, 2.04 ERA and an MLB leading 207 Ks.

*Update he is now on the 10 day Disabled List for Shoulder Inflammation which is the worst thing to happen since I found out Stanton was moved to the Yankees. The Stanton move turned out to be great for the Red Sox since Mike Stanton is terrible now but I don’t see this news having much of an upside.

David Price balled last night going 8 IP with only 1 ER. He has dropped his ERA to 3.97 (21st in AL) which is much improved from his 4.42 ERA at the All-Star break. He is starting to play like a true number two starter behind Chris Sale.

Rick Porcello gives the Red Sox a chance to win every game he goes out there which is all a middle of the rotation starter should be trying to do. He is 13-4 with a 4.03 ERA. He will also have a shot at a sub four ERA next start.

Nathan Eovaldi looked very sharp in his Red Sox debut. He went 7 IP, allowed only 4 Hits and struck out 5. Hopefully he can keep going deep into ballgames during the Red Sox playoff push.

Drew Pomeranz sucks at baseball, does not give the Red Sox a chance to win majority of the time.

Eduardo Rodriguez is debatably the number two pitcher for the Red Sox with a 11-3 record and a 3.44 ERA. He came on strong this season before getting injured at the break. Luckily E-Rod was just cleared to ramp up his rehab program.

Brian Johnson is only 1-3 but has a 3.45 ERA through 60 IP and has given the Red Sox quality starts filling in for essentially any injury to starting staff. He will continue to do so with Sale’s injury this Thurday. Johnson has held this rotation together by replacing proven MLB talent with his consistently solid starts. He also has played a big role as a long reliever and gotten some important outs in the bullpen.

Matt Barnes is not getting the recognition he deserves much like Benintendi. Barnes has a 2.35 ERA with 71 Ks in 46 IP. That’s a phenomenal stat line for a guy that has been Kimbrel’s elite set-up guy this season.

Heath Hembree is a guy I struggle to compliment but deserves props as our get out of jams guy. Cora likes to use one guy as a RISP stopper, and right now it’s Hembree. Heath has a 3.65 ERA with 59 Ks in 44.1 IP.

Ryan Brasier is the guy that you forget the Red Sox have until NESN pans to him warming up in the bullpen. He’s an unproven 30-year-old that doesn’t give off the calming presence that Kimbrel does when he steps in. That said he has a 0.90 ERA in 10 IP and will see increased workload as he continues to prove himself.

Hector Velasquez is having a dominate season nobody is talking about. Could I interest you in a 7-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in 55 IP? Ill take it from a long reliever we claimed from the Mexican League for nothing last season.

There are some important players not highlighted here but this just about sums up the 2018 Boston Red Sox. This is a year of above-average role players getting it done beside MVP caliber players (Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez) and rising stars like Benny Biceps. The starting and relief pitching has been top tier as everyone seems to be playing to their potential this season. Feel free to give feedback in the comments.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

 

 

Why I Never Gave Up on Blake Swihart

All season long, people have continued to complain about the roster spot of Blake Swihart, including when Hanley Ramirez was released, and everyone questioned why Swihart still had a role on the roster. I however, was relieved that we did not move on from Swihart. At no time have I lost hope in Swihart, ask anyone that I have had a conversation with about the Sox this season. The skill has always been there, while opportunity unfortunately has not been until recently.

Once Christian Vazquez went down, it pretty much forced the hand of the staff to play Swihart at his natural position of catcher to rest Sandy Leon. And when opportunity arises, Swihart seems to take it with stride. While his season stats are nothing to write home about, his past 15 games certainly are. In his last 15, Swihart is hitting .424 in 33 AB, with 1 HR, 3 RBI and a phenomenal 1.122 OPS. Opportunity. That is all it takes for talent to finally be shown.

The ability Swihart has being a natural athlete makes him a valuable piece to any baseball team, even if people doubted it for a while there. And I feel, last night it made people realize who Blake Swihart is:

A long game, a fun game, and a fantastic finish, courtesy of Blake Swihart. There actually isn’t a hotter hitter on the team than Swihart, and while I don’t want to be the one I told you so, I did. I never gave up on the guy because there is a reason he was the top prospect at one time for the Sox, and he was also a top 10 prospect in all of baseball as well. The speed he has for a catcher is unmatchable, the hitting prowess that he does contain is finally coming to the diamond, and people are finally becoming believers of Blake Swihart.

 

I believe in Blake Swihart, now you should too.

 

– Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports