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Broadway: The Player Named Later

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Taylor Broadway from the Chicago White Sox, completing the August 1 trade for left-handed pitcher Jake Diekman in which Boston received catcher Reese McGuire. Broadway will report to Double-A Portland. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the acquisition.

Broadway, 25, is 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA (26 ER/49.1 IP) in 37 relief appearances for Double-A Birmingham this season, having also made three appearances for High-A Winston-Salem. Selected by Chicago in the sixth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Mississippi, the right-hander is 4-2 with a 4.45 ERA (32 ER/64.2 IP) and 12.80 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 52 career appearances (one start), recording 92 strikeouts and only 18 walks.

Red Sox Win Two; Face 35-Games Uphill

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Who are you guys and what did you do with the Boston Red Sox?

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After losing six-of-seven games and dropping to (60-65) and fifth place in the American League East Division on August 25th, the Boston Red Sox somehow bounced back this weekend and won two important games from their AL East rival, Tampa Bay Rays.

Realistically, the Red Sox (62-65) still remain some 17 games out of first place, trail the first-place New York Yankees (78-48), and have no shot at catching the Yanks, but the two-game winning streak injected some life into the Red Sox team and sent the fans at Fenway Park home quite happy. In the Wild Card, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Toronto hold the three slots in the AL and Boston is seven games back, with the upstart Baltimore Orioles, the solid Minnesota Twins and the surprising Chicago White Sox in between. The Red Sox possibilities are slim but not none with only 35 games left in the regular season.

Coincidentally, it was back on July 4th when the Red Sox defeated the same Tampa Bay Rays, (4-0), to peak at 10 games over the .500 mark (45-35) and place second in the division as they held the top Wild Card spot in the AL. Then, the slide began. Two consecutive losses to the same Rays, then two straight to the Yankees. A two game bounce-back preceded the Sox losing 9-of-10 between July 11 and July 27 to drop to the AL East cellar.

The return of Trevor Story was a good omen for Boston Saturday but an 11 strike-out effort and three-hitter over seven innings pitched by Rich Hill was the brightest sign of hope for the Sox who play one more game against Tampa this home stand before the Fenway Faithful sing “See You in September” as their club travels to Minnesota for a three-game set against the mighty tough Twins this Monday to Wednesday.

The MLB/AL schedule-maker has the Red Sox returning from the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face the Texas Rangers in a four-game set at Fenway Park, September 1-4 before yet another road trip (three games each at Tampa and Baltimore) which will determine the fate of the 2022 baseball season by September 11th.

The New England Patriots take center stage that same weekend as the seasons begin to change and a chill takes the air in New England.

Story Back with Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox reactivated second baseman Trevor Story from Major League Baseball’s 10-Day Injured List and optioned outfielder Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester following Friday night’s 9-8 Sox victory. The roster move was made by Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.

Story, 29, was placed on the 10-Day Injured list due to a right hand contusion on July 16, retroactive to July 14. The right-handed hitter made two rehab starts at second base for Double-A Portland on August 24 and 25, going 3-for-5 with three runs, a double, a home run, and three RBI. Story has hit .221 (68-for-307) with 49 runs, 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and a team-high 10 stolen bases in 81 games for Boston this season while making 79 starts at second base.

Duran, 25, has played 57 games for Boston this season, making 47 starts in center field and five in right field. The left-handed hitter has batted .220 (44-for-200) with 23 runs, 20 extra-base hits, and 17 RBI in the majors this season. Duran has also hit .305 (54-for-177) with 23 extra-base hits and 28 RBI in 43 games for Worcester.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 7

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – For those growing up in the New York-Metropolitan area in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, it was an amazing time for the newspaper industry, somewhat driven by ultra-competitive sports sections that did the one thing that newspapers can no longer do. They sold papers. With a price tag of a quarter, they sold stacks and stacks of newspapers – everyday and especially Sundays, but for a buck.

The New York Times, the lofty Old Gray Lady, had all the news that was fit to print topping sections of interesting topics. The sports section had the best writing, including columnists like Dave Anderson, George Vecsey, Bill Rhoden, Ira Berkow, Robin Herman, Jane Gross, all following and being influenced by the legendary Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith.

The tabloids – the New York Daily News and New York Post – competed like prize fighters, the beat reporters driving a 24/7 watch but only printing once (or maybe a few editions) a day. The Post did an afternoon edition and you could even read about the daily double run that afternoon at Belmont.

There were others before, printed in the glory years of journalism and reporting. The Brooklyn Eagle, The Evening World, The Brooklyn Times-Union, The Daily Mirror, The New York Herald, The Sun and off-shoots like the Herald-Tribune, and Journal-American. There were dozens of others, some from nearby boroughs, like the Staten Island Advance and Staten Island Register, The Amsterdam News, and those from nearby Newark NJ, with the Star-Ledger. Long Island had Newsday and the Long Island Press. There were dozens of others.

I had my personal copy of The New York Times delivered to me at a student rate and all the teachers and front office people used to give me “the look” as I picked up my paper in my little mailbox at high school.

For the most part, The New York Times, NY Daily News, NY Post and Newsday were ever-present and to obtain a copy of The Washington Post or the Boston Globe was heaven on earth.

During that time, the New York Daily News featured sports cartoonist Bill Gallo (1922-2011) who drew the best sports cartoons this side of Bugs Bunny and the Gashouse Gorillas. At World Series time, Gallo drew-up a small cartoon box with “The Hero” and “The Goat” for each game. The “Goat” was not the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) as we know it today. Instead, it was the player who struck-out three times or made the costly error or the pitcher or reliever who threw the late-inning home run ball to his opponent who was likely to be “The Hero” of that particular game.

Of course, these days, there’s the constant arguments for players who are the GOAT of their sports. That senseless and endless stream of arguments about opinions is only surpassed by the personal list of “Mt. Rushmore” players to be fictitiously carved into some mountain top rock formation for eternity, never to be challenged again. For the “GOAT,” there is only ONE. For “Mt. Rushmore,” there are four.

This week, we lost two “GOATS” and two permanent residents of the “Mt. Rushmore” of their professions.

Sadly from this end, there’s no “personal” or “behind the scenes” story to share for either Russell or Scully. They were certainly on opposite ends of the spectrum on approachability. That said, I saw Russell more often – usually at the NBA All-Star Weekend or Finals.

Russell was quite happy in dealing with the NBA’s Brian McIntyre, in charge of PR, or Charlie Rosensweig, in charge or player and talent relations and a trustee of the Basketball Hall of Fame. For players, like Russell or Michael Jordan, who didn’t like adding to their inner circle, the smart move was always to consolidate requests and go to McIntyre or Rosensweig with “the ask.” Russell was very fond of the late David Stern and it was always great to see the mutual admiration society of Stern with Russell and Boston Celtics icon, Red Auerbach, all now passed away.

One anecdote sticks with me. Early on in his NBA career, maybe it was 1997 at the NBA@50 celebrations, Adam Silver – now Commissioner, then Special Assistant to Stern, glanced at all of the NBA legends being feted in a simple weekend ceremony in Cleveland and said, “All of our Babe Ruths are still alive,” noting the likes of Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Elgin Baylor and many others.

For a league, born in 1946, the legendary players were aging but still very much alive with a few big-time exceptions. Father Time, counting the 25 years since the NBA@50 to last year’s NBA75 festivities, has made his inevitable impact on the league and its early pioneers.

A growing number of media and NBA-types are calling for the league to retire No. 6 at every franchise in tribute to Russell’s winning ways on-court and huge impact off-court as an activist. The gesture would be the highest possible honor, much like Major League Baseball’s majestic tribute to Jackie Robinson and his No. 42.

As for Scully, a proud Fordham ‘49 man, was undoubtedly the voice for a generation of baseball fans, more specifically in Brooklyn for a short time (1954-57) before “Dem Bums” moved to Southern California and with them they took a voice and storyteller made from, and now, for heaven.

Although there were countless sports functions at Fordham where Scully was honored and a number of times when I was in the Dodgers’ or Mets’ press box when he was calling a game, I never even met the legend and feel very sad about that fact. But, like hundreds of thousands, maybe 100s of millions of baseball fans, we all knew him so well. He introduced all of Southern California to the Dodgers as he called hundreds of World Series, All-Star Games, Playoff games, and Games of the Week – on television and radio. Even before the magic of MLB Extra Innings and the Internet, all baseball fans were very familiar with the voice of Vin Scully.

At the Dodgers Stadium memorial tribute to Scully Friday night, the team unveiled a banner, “Vin – We’ll Miss You! ❤️ Dodger Fans”

For complete access to the full Sunday notebook, usually sent to your inbox for a late-night Saturday “get the papers, get the papers” read, click HERE.

Sox Acquire Hosmer at Trade Deadline

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BOSTON – On the final day of the MLB trading deadline, the Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Eric Hosmer, minor league infielder Max Ferguson, minor league outfielder Corey Rosier, and cash considerations from the San Diego Padres, in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Jay Groome.

The trades follow Red Sox moves of Monday to acquire reserve OF Tommy Pham and other minor league prospects, along with the activation of veteran pitcher Rich Hill.

Hosmer, 32, has played in 1,644 games with the Kansas City Royals (2011-17) and Padres (2018-22), batting .277 (1,720-for-6,210) with 196 home runs, 875 RBI, and a .765 OPS. Selected by Kansas City in the first round (third overall) of the 2008 June Draft, the left-handed batter is a four-time Gold Glove Award recipient (2013-15, ’17) and was twice honored as the Les Milgram Royals Player of the Year (2013, 2016). His lone All-Star Game appearance came in 2016, when he was named MVP of the Midsummer Classic. Born in South Miami, Hosmer was the Royals’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2014 and 2016. He should fit in nicely at 1B and be able to take advantage of Fenway Park’s configuration.

In 2022, Hosmer has hit .272 (91-for-335) with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 40 RBI, and a .727 OPS in 90 games. He was a key member of Kansas City’s 2015 World Series championship club, and in 2017 he helped Team USA win the World Baseball Classic title. No player in Royals history has more postseason RBI than Hosmer’s 29, as he set a single-postseason franchise record with 12 in 2014 and then broke his own mark with 17 during the club’s title-winning run in 2015. In 24 career games at Fenway Park, Hosmer has gone 35-for-99 (.354) with three home runs. He has recorded a higher batting average and OPS (.889) at Fenway than he has at any ballpark in which he has played at least 20 games.

Ferguson, 22, is ranked by Baseball America as the Padres’ No. 23 prospect. In 2022, the left-handed hitter has batted .221 (76-for-344) in 91 games between Low-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne, recording a .365 on-base percentage with 13 doubles, eight triples, six home runs, 50 RBI, 77 runs scored, 75 walks, and 55 stolen bases in 60 attempts. Selected by San Diego in the fifth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee, Ferguson ranks third in Minor League Baseball in steals. This season, he has made 55 starts at shortstop, 25 at second base, seven in center field, and two at designated hitter.

Rosier, 22, has spent the entire 2022 season with Fort Wayne, batting .263 (81-for-308) in 85 games with a .381 on-base percentage, seven doubles, eight triples, six home runs, 54 walks, and 33 stolen bases in 37 attempts. Selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 12th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he has made 77 starts in left field and seven in center field this season. During his current 10-game hitting streak, which began July 17, Rosier has hit .447 (17-for-38) with 10 RBI and seven steals.

Groome, 23, is 4-5 with a 3.59 ERA (37 ER/92.2 IP) in 19 appearances (17 starts) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester this season. Ranked as one of Boston’s top prospects by both Baseball America (No. 13) and MLB.com (No. 11), the left-hander is 12-22 with a 4.46 ERA (127 ER/256.0 IP) in 60 career minor league appearances (58 starts) since being selected by Boston in the first round (12th overall) in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.

MLB Trade Deadline: Sox Make Moves

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox traded catcher and team mainstay Christian Vázquez to the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez and minor league outfielder Wilyer Abreu. The move coincided with the Sox activating pitcher Rich Hill and recalling catcher Ronaldo Hernandez from Triple-A Worcester.

Vázquez, 31, has hit .262 (610-for-2,329) with 54 home runs in 698 Major League games, all with the Red Sox. Selected by Boston in the ninth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, he ranks fifth in franchise history with 651 games at catcher. Vázquez caught the final pitch of the 2018 World Series, as the Red Sox went 9-1 in his 10 starts during their Postseason run. In the 2021 American League Division Series, he ended Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 13th-inning home run, the latest walk-off homer in Boston’s Postseason history. Since the start of 2019, Vázquez leads the majors in games caught (371).

Valdez, 23, is ranked by Baseball America as the Astros’ No. 12 prospect. The left-handed hitter has split the 2022 season between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .327 (107-for-327) in 82 games with a 1.016 OPS, 26 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs, 77 RBI, and 66 runs scored. This season, he has made 36 starts at second base, 17 at third base, 14 in left field, and eight at designated hitter. Born in the Dominican Republic, Valdez was signed by the Astros as an international free agent in July 2015. He is one of only four minor leaguers in 2022 with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and 20 home runs.

Abreu, 23, is ranked by Baseball America as the Astros’ No. 21 prospect. The left-handed hitter has spent the entire 2022 season with Corpus Christi, playing in 89 games and batting .249 (82-for-329) with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 81 runs scored, 78 walks, a .399 on-base percentage, an .858 OPS, and 23 stolen bases in 24 attempts. He has made 44 starts in center field this season, as well as 22 in left field, 17 in right field, and five at designated hitter. Among all minor leaguers, Abreu ranks third in walks and is tied for third in runs scored. Born in Venezuela, he signed with the Astros as an international free agent in July 2017.

Hernandez, 24, is batting .279 (81-for-290) with 23 doubles, 10 home runs, and 45 RBI in 74 games this season, including .326 (56-for-172) with an .876 OPS, 23 extra-base hits, and 29 RBI in 43 games beginning June 4. He has made 48 starts at catcher this season, throwing out 10 of 46 attempted base stealers (21.7%). Hernandez was recalled on April 19 but did not appear in that night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays before being optioned to Worcester the following day. His first appearance will be his Major League debut.

Hill, 42, was placed on the 15-Day Injured List on July 2 with a left knee sprain. The left-hander made one rehab start, allowing one run over 3.0 innings on July 28 for Double-A Portland at Hartford. Hill is 4-4 with a 4.20 ERA (33 ER/70.2 IP) in 15 starts for Boston this season, allowing three earned runs or fewer in 12 of his outings.

On Monday, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Tommy Pham from the Cincinnati Reds, in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Pham, 34, is batting .238 (81-for-340) with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 91 games for the Reds this season, making 82 starts in left field. The right-handed hitter ranks third among Major League left fielders with seven outfield assists. Against left-handed pitching this season, Pham has hit .290 (27-for-93) with an .833 OPS, four doubles, and four home runs.

Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Durango High School (NV), Pham has hit .261 (717-for-2,743) with 108 home runs and 339 RBI in 823 games for the Cardinals (2014-18), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-19), San Diego Padres (2020-21), and Reds (2022). He has played in 15 Postseason games for the Cardinals (2015), Rays (2019), and Padres (2020), hitting .352 (19-for-

Red Sox Sticks Can’t Get It Done

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FENWAY – Milwaukee’s OF Christian Yelich (2-for-4, run scored, 2B, RBI, BB) hit a RBI single in the 7th inning to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead that they never relinquished as the Boston Red Sox lost their eighth of the last 10 games and 12th of their last 15 games, in a 4-1 defeat to the Brewers Friday night at Fenway Park.

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Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff (6.1 IP, four hits, two BB, nine strikeouts) retired 17 of his first 19 batters faced before giving up back-to-back doubles to tie the game at 1-1 in the 6th inning. Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez and OF Alex Verduga strung the two extra base hits together. Woodruff is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in six starts since coming off the MLB injured list on June 28. He hasn’t allowed an opponents’ home run in his last 36 innings.

The Brewers’ victory marked their first win at Fenway Park since April 6, 2014 as the team is now 6-1 since the MLB All-Star break and winners of three in a row.

Milwaukee reliever Josh Hader recorded his 29th save of the year, the most in the majors heading into Saturday’s afternoon game at Fenway.

 

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 24

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Looks at the Baseball Hall of Fame, Clemente and Some Notes

Roberto Clemente (photo by Getty Images)

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – On the National Baseball Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, NY, David Ortiz will be rightfully enshrined along with honorees Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso, Tony Oliva, and Buck O’Neil. Earlier in the week, on the 100th birthday of Mrs. Jackie Robinson (Rachel Isum), Major League Baseball played its annual All-Star Game in Los Angeles with a grand salute to Rachel and Jackie, Dodgers Blue through and through. It was terrific.

But I’ve got a place in my heart and thoughts for three of the best position players I’ve ever seen play and they are: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente (pictured above).

What an amazing honor for the seven gentlemen being inducted to the Hall this weekend to have their names alongside the greatest players the game has ever seen. From Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb to Tom Seaver and Derek Jeter, the names of the greatest ballplayers will live on forever.

In no way am I suggesting Baseball do anything differently to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Robinson, but as a true fan and admirer ofRoberto Clemente, I’d like to see the Office of the Commissioner honor the great No. 21 with a day of service every December 31 or January 1st and once during the MLB summer season to recognize the charity work Clemente accomplished and the code he lived by each and every day of his short 38 years on earth.

Clemente’s tragic death is one of the saddest stories in the history of baseball, or in our lifetimes, really. In December of the off-season of 1972, Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, experienced a massive earthquake, Clemente immediately went to work arranging emergency relief flights for supplies and medical evacuations. He soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of government and they never reaching victims of the quake.

Clemente, himself, decided to accompany the next relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors. The airplane he chartered for a New Year’s Eve ‘72 /‘73 flight, a Douglas DC-7 cargo plane, had a history of mechanical problems and was short the proper flight personnel, missing both a flight engineer and co-pilot. The plane was also overloaded by 4,200 pounds and the weight caused it to crash into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on December 31, 1972. The cause was due to engine failure.

A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case apparently belonging to Clemente was the only personal item recovered from the plane. Clemente’s teammate and close friend in catcher Manny Sanguillén was the only member of the Pittsburgh Pirates not to attend the memorial service. The Pirates catcher chose instead to dive into the waters where Clemente’s plane had crashed in an effort to find his teammate. The bodies of Clemente and three others who were also on the four-engine plane were never recovered.

Clemente was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in a special ceremony in 1973, the Hall waiving the mandatory waiting period of five years. In 1973, the Commissioner’s Achievement Award was re-named the Roberto Clemente Award and it is presented annually to a player, team or group who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team,” as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media.

Each MLB team nominates a player for consideration. Last season, Nelson Cruz was honored by Baseball and presented with the award during the Postseason.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: First, some business: Fitness company Whoop Inc. is the latest Massachusetts-based technology play to lay-off workers with the uncertainty of the economy stuck with increasing pandemic key indicators. The company, valued at $1 billion in October 2020, confirmed to the Boston Business Journal on Friday it “reduced the size of its corporate team by 15% and reorganized multiple departments. Impacted employees worked across all departments and all levels.” … Back in late 2020, Whoophoped to increase its workforce to 700+ from 330 in place at the time. Sixty percent of the staff was based in Boston, near Fenway Park.

ORIGINAL TEE: There will be a Noon ET shotgun start today as The Original Tee celebrity golf tournament returns at Crystal Springs Resort and Wild Turkey Golf Club, in Hamburg, New Jersey. Original Tee is a culture club that amplifies inclusion in golf by preserving the history of the game’s diverse Black pioneers and celebrating other iconic golf enthusiasts who are ambassadors of excellence. In honor of its 23rd year, OTGC will present Miami Heat champion, USA Basketball Olympic Gold Medalist, FIBA World Champion, NBA Legend, philanthropist, and golf enthusiast Alonzo Mourning with its prestigious True Original Award.

DUKE OF DIMWIT: The move is to “let it go,” but since the great Jerry Westchose to volley-in on the dimwitted comments of J.J. Redick from this past April, it’s cannon fodder once more. Let’s hit the rewind button to note that Redick was comparing the players from one NBA era to another, an impossible concept, to say the least. Redick was noting that the talented players of NBA yesteryear, namely Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics, were being guarded by ‘fireman and plumbers’ interjecting that the low paid NBA pioneers of the 1950s and 1960s had to work ‘real jobs’ in the off season to support their families. Redick conveniently overlooked the fact that the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, nevermind West, John Havlicek, Jerry Sloan, Walt Frazierand dozens of other tough-nosed defenders, were among the greatest players the sport of basketball has ever seen.

Now, Cousy and Bill Sharman might’ve struggled to advance the ball past Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in their prime, but so did John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek for arguments sake.

Regardless, West – while doing an interview Friday – took exception and defended Cousy saying, “I know J.J. just a little bit, he’s a very smart kid and everything, but tell me what his career looked like?” West said on Sirius XM NBA Radio.

“What did he do that determined games? He averaged 12 points a game in the league. Somewhere along the way, numbers count. J.J. certainly wasn’t going to guard the elite players. So you can nitpick anyone.

“The only reason I’m talking about him is because he was not an elite player, but he was a very good player, but he had a place on the team because of the ability to shoot the ball.

“Winning is all that mattered, that’s what drove me,” added West. “I subtly got better every year. We didn’t have the facilities to get better. We had to work in the summers to support our family.

“JJ should be very thankful that he’s made as much money as he’s made, and (to say that about) Bob Cousy, whom I played against a couple of years, not very long — I just think it’s disrespectful.”

To wrap this in a bow, a simple question. Why is it that the baseball players of today highly respect the abilities of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, and Roberto Clemente – along with many of the great pitchers of yesteryear like Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax or Tom Seaver, yet the basketball players – like Redick – can’t imagine that the likes of Russell, Chamberlain, Baylor or West would dominate in the NBA of 2022 much the way they did in the NBA of 1965 or 70?

All-Star Break Turns to Sox Break Down

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By TERRY LYONS

FENWAY – The score of 28-3 has significant meaning to New England sports fans as it was the score the New England Patriots trailed by when they came back to win 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI held in Houston in 2017. As of Friday night at Fenway Park, the new score to reckon with for all Boston Red Sox fans is 28-5.

Twenty-eight to five! In baseball!

Universal sign of distress

You have to look back in the record book a full 99 years to see that Friday night’s 28-5 Toronto Blue Jays shellacking of the Red Sox which set a franchise record for most runs allowed in a single game. The previous record of 27 runs came on July 7, 1923 in the first game of a twin bill scheduled that woeful summer day in Cleveland.

Aside from the record-setting embarrassment of the Sox in front of a sold-out but stoic Fenway, the loss marked Boston’s third consecutive game in the “L” column. They are (1-7) over their last eight games and (3-11) over their last 14 games, dropping Boston to fourth place in the competitive American League East and just one game in that important and previously mentioned “L” column ahead of the surging Baltimore Orioles.

On the flip side of the ledger, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian football League are envious of the Blue Jays who set franchise records in both runs scored (28) and hits (29) in a single baseball game.The Blue Jays are only the sixth team in MLB history to score 28+ runs in a single game with the most recent being the Atlanta Braves scoring 29 against the Miami Marlins on September 9, 2020.

Other team records were plentiful

  • Toronto Became the first team to have all nine starters record multiple hits and runs scored
  • The Jays had multiple players record six or more RBI in a game for the 1st time in franchise history (Tapia and Jansen)
  • Toronto scored 11 runs in the top of the 5th inning, their most runs in one inning since 9/11/21 at BAL-G2 (7th inning, also 11 runs)
  • 12 straight Jays’ batters reached base via hit or walk in the 5th inning, all with 2 outs (10 H, 2 BB)
  • Toronto tied the major league record for runs scored in a game’s first 5 innings (25, also CHC on 8/25/1922 vs. PHI).

On the player side:

  • OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 6-for-7, scoring three runs, hitting a double, and recording five RBI which tied the Blue Jays’ franchise record for hits, joining Frank Catalanotto on 5/1/04 at CWS-G2.
  • OF Ramiel Tapia went 3-for-7, scoring twice, hit a 2B, and had six RBI, four resulting from an inside-the-park grand slam in the third inning to extend the Toronto lead to 10-0. He set his career high in RBI.
  • Catcher Danny Jansen recorded his fourth career multi-HR game (previous: 5/24 at STL) and tied a single-game franchise record for RBI by a catcher (6 RBI – four times with the previous: J.P. Arencibia 5/18/12 vs. NYM).
  • Pitcher Kevin Gausman went 5.0 IP, with seven hits allowed, three runs, 10 strike-outs) tied a season high in strikeouts
  • Gausman has struck out 28 batters in his three starts against Boston this year (20.0 IP).

“It was tough to be in the dugout to be honest with you,” said Boston Manager Alex Cora to the Boston Globe. “And, they know that it’s not a lack of preparation. It’s not a lack of effort, because we keep working on our stuff and we keep going through the process the right way. I love to say that this happens, but it doesn’t happen often, you know, and we just got to turn the page.”

The page is turned and the book re-opened at 4:10pm Saturday afternoon. Same two teams.

They Gave Me a Break, Now Play Ball

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MLB All-Star Break is Over; It’s Time to Play Ball

BOSTON – The hometown Boston Red Sox (48-45) will play a 10-game, 10-day homestead to begin the second half of their MLB season and they do so with an (11-6) record over their last 17 games at Fenway Park. The 10-game stretch will be followed by another seven straight games (three at Houston and four at Kansas City), making Boston’s next day off August 8th.

It’s safe to say, that between July 22 and August 8, the Red Sox season will set sail, and they’ll do so – most likely – without Chris Sale, who left the game last Sunday at New York with a fractured left fifth (pinky) finger. The Sox ace was in the very first inning of his Major League Baseball return and he fell victim to an Aaron Hicks line drive that came back at the pitcher clocking 106.7 mph off his pitching hand. Sale was placed on the 15-day IL list today, retroactive to July 19th.

As the post MLB All-Star break begins, the Red Sox will throw right-hand pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Kutter Crawford in the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, but then the Sunday matinee is marked with the same pitcher the Sox tossed in the last week before the break – a guy named TBD.

Sale and Eovaldi’s absence contributed to the problem as Boston was forced to start pitcher-after-pitcher straight from Triple A Worcester. From May 28 to June 8, Eovaldi enjoyed a three-game win streak, while in two of his other recent games, the Red Sox registered a “win.” Eovaldi’s Friday night start will be his second after missing 33 games. (June 8-July 15).

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The All-Star break was just what the Red Sox needed to assemble something that might pass for a major league starting rotation. With Sale a goner, James Paxton no where to be seen, Michael Wacha out with right shoulder inflammation and Rich Hill out with a left knee sprain, that is likely to be:

  • Nathan Eovaldi
  • Kutter Crawford
  • Nick Pivetta
  • Garrett Whitlock
  • Possibly Austin Davis or Josh Winckowski (out with COVID+ as of July 14).

The Sox experimented by promoting RHP Brayan Bello (recalled from Worcester today) and RHP Connor Seabold (10-day IL) with a right forearm extensor strain). Too say the least, it wasn’t pretty.

Boston begins its second half 15.5 games behind American League East leader New York (64-30), the best team in baseball. But after losing six of their last seven games before the break, Boston fell to 4th place in the AL East, trailing the Yankees, Tampa Bay and their opponents this weekend, Toronto (50-43).

During the recent span, the Seattle Mariners are on a 14-game winning streak and have moved into Wild Card slot No. 2, at (51-42). That places Boston two games behind in the American League Wild Card race, bunched up with those pesky Cleveland Guardians, the surging Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox.

As of this beautiful, but warm, Friday night at Fenway, it’s time to Play Ball.

Can anyone pitch?