Sox in Good Shape for the Wild Card, Poor Shape for the Division Title

The Red Sox needed to win at least four of six games against the Yankees over the past two weekends to have a legitimate chance to win the American League East title. Despite outscoring the Yanks by a total of 13 runs in those six games, the Sox could manage only a 3-3 split. Not only did the Sox leave New York down three in the loss column with three weeks left, but New York secured the tie-breaker in the AL East should the two teams finish the regular season with the same record. The tiebreaker only applies if the second team (in this case Boston) is assured the Wild Card spot. The Sox outscored the Yanks by 15 runs in their head-to-head meetings this season but were 9-10 thanks to a 2-5 record in games decided by one or two runs. Fortunately, the Sox have a two game lead on Seattle for the Wild Card and the Mariners have a much tougher road over the final two and a half weeks. Boston plays 14 of their final 17 games against Cleveland, Baltimore and Tampa Bay (plus three with Chicago) while Seattle must play Oakland six times. The bad news is that the Sox are a meager 5-8 against the Rays and O's since July 1st.

Ramirez Enters Gutless Wonder Hall of Fame

What can you say about Manny Ramirez? He is a complete and utter disgrace. In the span of ten days he (1) announced on television that his dream is to play for the Yankees, (2) missed the entire (huge) series with the Yankees because of a sore throat, (3) was out at a bar with a member of the Yankees in the middle of his "illness," (4) didn't show up for his appointment with the team doctor, (5) refused to pinch-hit in the ninth inning against the Phillies because of his sore throat and (6) responded to the media that he didn't care that Grady Little kept him out of the lineup the day he finally agreed to play. Since Ramirez has arrived in Boston he has put up solid offensive numbers (not $20 million per year numbers), but has also been the epitome of lack of hustle and lack of heart. Even before Manny's recent actions, the Red Sox had to be wondering what it would take to trade him. Now I'm sure Theo Epstein will do everything he can to move Ramirez this winter. Unfortunately, few teams have the money to even think about acquiring Ramirez and National League teams will be less interested because Manny is a liability in the outfield. Even if Ramirez's attitude were not a problem, the Sox would be well-advised to move him and free up that $20 million per year to resign players like Nomar, Pedro (if that's possible), Jason Varitek, Derek Lowe and Trot Nixon. Nixon's contract expires after this season, the rest are under contract through the end of 2004.

I've been wondering what type of conversation Manny Ramirez would have with an NFL quarterback like Steve McNair. Would it go something like this?

• Steve: "I played last season with back spasms, a sore shoulder, bruised ribs, a bad toe and sore thumb. It hurts even more when those lighting-fast 300-pound monsters drive me into the turf 15 or 20 times a game. My injuries were so bad last year that I couldn't even practice."
• Manny: "I couldn't pinch-hit because I had a sore throat."
• Steve: (speechless)

Will Nomar win the American League MVP Award?

Nomar Garciaparra is in the thick of the AL MVP race. As Red Sox fans know, Nomar has failed quite often in late inning clutch situations in the latter half of this season, but his numbers are clealy MVP-quality and there is no clear-cut choice in the American League this season. Here is my top ten with analysis:

1. Nomar Garciaparra: .313, 25 HR, 96 RBI, 113 runs, 13 triples, 16 SB -- Nomar has the most well-rounded MVP resume, including his defense, which has been outstanding after a terrible April. Diehard Sox fans know that Nomar has failed in the clutch quite often of late and some savvy voters will know that as well. He may need some big hits over the final two-plus weeks.
   
   
2. Maglio Ordonez: .324, 27 HR, 88 RBI, 43 doubles -- Maglio's numbers are very similar to Nomar's but he might be considered a more valid MVP because the ChiSox don't have quite as many offensive weapons as the BoSox.
   
   
3. Brett Boone: .289, 33 HR, 108 RBI, 99 runs -- The only negative in Brett Boone's MVP resume is his batting average. If he can raise that number to .300 or better and the Mariners reach the playoffs, he may grab the award.
   
   
4. Alex Rodriguez: .300, 42 HR, 103 RBI, 114 Runs, 16 SB -- If this were the Player of the Year award and not the Most Valuable Player award, I wouldn't be writing this. On numbers alone, A-Rod wins hands down. But, the Rangers are 21 games out of first place and it would be ridiculous to award the trophy to Rodriquez with so many worthy candidates on good teams.
   
   
5. Garrett Anderson: .313, 29 HR, 125 RBI, 45 doubles -- Anderson is having another spectacular year and has MVP numbers, but the Angels have collapsed in the second half and so have G.A.'s MVP chances.
   
   
6. Carlos Delgado: .300, 35 HR, 125 RBI, .428 OBP, 105 runs -- Delgado looked like a runaway winner at the All Star break, but he and his team have had a very weak second half and though his numbers are excellent, I'd say that he is out of the running.
   
   
7. Ichiro: .315, 44 extra base hits, 30 SB -- Ichiro has been mired in a terrible slump which has been bad news for the Mariners. Ichiro's value to his team can't be questioned, but he simply doesn't have the numbers to be an MVP this season.
   
   
8. Carlos Lee: .291, 28 HR, 100 RBI -- Carlos Lee is the best hitter that you have never heard of. Hopefully, for Carlos' sake, the MVP voters have.
   
   
9. Miguel Tejada: .273, 25 HR, 93 RBI, 88 runs -- Thanks to a terrible start, Miguel Tejada's bid for a second consecutive MVP will likely fall short. His power numbers are solid, but like teammate Eric Chavez, the Yankees Jorge Posada and Chicago's Frank Thomas, he doesn't have an MVP caliber batting average.
   
   
10. Manny Ramirez: .325, 32 HR, 95 RBI, .428 OBP, 107 runs -- Manny's numbers combined with the Red Sox success would normally put him at or near the top of the list. Though Manny's numbers are very MVP-like, his actions are just the opposite. Manny's poor attitude will cost him plenty of MVP votes. I wouldn't be shocked if he fails to finish in the top ten.

Milloy Waived Over $1.5 Million

It is absolutely inconceivable that the Patriots would waive Lawyer Milloy six days before the start of the NFL season. I was of the opinion that the Patriots deserved a "get out of criticism free" card for at least two years following their Superbowl Championship, but this was move was so dumbfounding that it called for the revocation of said card. Not only is Lawyer Milloy an All-Pro caliber player, but he was the spiritual leader of the team. There is a reason why 14 teams inquired about Milloy's services after the Pats released him last week. If they Patriots had a legitimate heir apparent at Milloy's position, we might have understood. They don't. If Milloy had been traded prior to draft day for a high draft pick or two, we might have accepted it. They didn't. If the Pats had traded him last week to fill a need at a more crucial position (specifically the offensive line), we grudgingly would have understood. But, the Patriots received nothing in return except an emotionally deflated team. Things got even worse when the Buffalo Bills signed Milloy and used him to defeat a deflated Patriots team in Week One. Clearly, the Patriots would not have beaten the Bills on Sunday with Milloy but I'm fairly certain that they would not have been blown out by 31 points. The emotional let-down of seeing Milloy across the field played a huge role on Sunday. Most disturbing of all is the lack of loyalty the Patriots organization showed Milloy in asking him to take a pay cut and then releasing him. In sports today, it is usually the players that are devoid of loyalty to their team and its fans. In this case, it was Bob Kraft and Bill Belichick who failed to recognize a player that has meant so much to the franchise and played such a key role in the team's march to their first Superbowl victory just 20 months ago. It's hard to imagine how a team could botch its salary cap planning to a point where they needed to release one of their best players. It's equally hard to believe that they couldn't trim the fat someplace else. The Patriots were the one franchise in town in which I still had faith. Now I'm not so sure.

The Pats ignominous dumping of Lawyer Milloy made me think about some of the worst personnel moves made by Boston sports over the past 20 years. I realized that there should be two categories:

1. The worst moves at the time they were made These are the moves that immediately made you wonder how the team could possibly be that stupid. The Lawyer Milloy release is one of those.
2. The worst moves in retrospect These are the moves that may have seemed reasonable or even intelligent at the time, but turned out to be disasters for our teams.

Here is my list off the top of my head. If you think I missed any big ones, please let me know.

1. Pats Waive Lawyer Milloy -- I have awarded this the worst "At the Time" move in Boston sports over the past twenty years. Only time will tell if this becomes one of the worst moves, period.
   
   
2. Bruins Don't Re-sign Bill Guerin -- If there was ever a time that Jeremy Jacobs would pay market value for a player, you would have thought that it would have happened for Bill Guerin. Guerin embodies what a Bruin player should be -- talented, hard-working and tough. He liked Boston and the fans loved him. For me, this was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I longer follow the Bruins or the NHL.
   
   
3. Dan Duquette Lets Clemens then Vaughn Leave and Gets Nothing -- I don't have a problem with Duquette letting Clemens and Vaughn leave Boston. Clemens had been out of shape and not winning during his last three or four years in Boston and Vaughn's salary demands and waistline were expanding by the minute. The problem was that The Duke did not trade these guys a year before their contracts expired. He could have received some good talent in return, but when they became free agents, he lost them for nothing. This is a dilemma that Theo Epstein will face this winter with Nomar and Pedro who become free agents after the 2004 season.
   
   
4. Sox Sign Jose Offerman -- The Sox gave Offerman a grotesque four-year, $24 million contract following Mo Vaughn's departure. Jose had played very well in the season prior to joining the Sox, but most baseball fans knew not to expect that type of production ever again. They were right.
   
   
5. Sox Trade Phenom Dennis Tankersley for Ed Sprague -- Dennis Tankersley (not to be confused with former tanker Dennis Eckersley) is one of the brightest prospects in all of baseball and should be a fixture in the Padres rotation before too long. Ed Sprague didn't even last through the season in which he was acquired. This trade may haunt the Sox in years to come.
   
   
6. Celtics Trade for Vin Baker -- For some bizarre reason, the Celtics traded an important member of their team in Kenny Anderson (along with Vitaly Potapenko) to the Sonics for Baker, a player whose talents were diminishing each year. What's worse, Baker carried another four years and $50 million-plus on a contract that I'm sure the Sonics never thought they could move. Baker recently admitted to having a serious alcohol problem and was suspended by the Celtics for that reason last season. The Celtics unloaded Potapenko's $9 million per year, but this was still one of the worst moves of the past two decades.
   
   
7. Sox Trade Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen -- Even at the time, most Red Sox fans felt that the Sox gave up too much for a 37-year-old set-up man. Andersen pitched fine for the Sox, but Bagwell was one of the Red Sox blue chip prospects (a third baseman at the time). The fact that the Sox had Wade Boggs and Scott Cooper at third base in AAA is no excuse for allowing the Astros to fleece them.
   
   
8. Celtics Trade First Round Pick for Vitaly Potapenko -- In March of 1999, the Celtics traded a first round pick and Andrew DeClercq to the Cavs for Potapenko. The Celtics knew that they would be in the lottery that season, but Pitino made the deal anyway. The Cavs used the pick (#8) to grab point guard Andre Miller.
   
   
9. Celtics Exercise Their Option on Denver's Pick in 2001 Instead of 2002 -- The Celtics could have waited another year to take Denver's pick (#11 in 2001) which made all the sense in the world since the Nuggets had a good chance of getting worse and the Celtics already had two first round picks in 2001. The #11 pick turned into Kedrick Brown, but could have been the #5 pick in 2002.
   
   
10. Celtics Draft Joe Forte with Jamaal Tinsley on the Board -- The 2001 NBA Draft was a full-fledged disaster for the Celtics. They basically wasted picks 10 and 11 on Joe Johnson and Kedrick Brown, then took shooting guard Joe Forte at 21. Tinsley was the obvious pick - a better player than Forte with a bigger upside. Rumors are that Red Auerbach wanted Forte. The Celtics also could have taken Tony Parker or Gilbert Arenas who, along with Tinsley, were chosen within ten picks of Forte.
    
    

1. Sox Trade Jeff Bagwell for Larry Andersen -- If not for selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees, this would probably be the worst trade in Sox history. Bagwell will be in the Hall of Fame in about ten years. Larry Andersen pitched in 15 games for the Red Sox in the stretch run of 1990.
   
   
2. Sox Don't Resign Clemens -- Who knows what Roger Clemens would have done had he stayed in Boston. He had won only 40 games in his final four years with the Red Sox and seemed to have lost his edge. Still, you can't deny that it would have been nice to have him over the past eight years.
   
   
3. Sox Trade Jamie Moyer for Darren Bragg -- At the time of the trade, no one could have predicted that Jamie Moyer would become one of the best lefthanders in the game for the next eight years. Since leaving Boston, Moyer is an eye-popping 129-58 and has won at least 13 games in every season.
   
   
4. Celtics Draft Len Bias -- At the time, drafting Maryland's Len Bias with the #2 overall pick in the NBA draft seemed like a brilliant move for the Celtics. The Celtics had just won their third championship in six seasons and now they had one of the best young players in the country. When Bias collapsed and died from a cocaine overdose two days later, everything changed. The Celtics haven't won a championship since.
   
   
5. Sox Trade Dennis Eckersley for Bill Buckner -- This was actually a great trade at the time. Buckner was key reason why the Sox reached the World Series in 1986 and Eckersley looked to be on the downside of his career. Then everything changed. Buckner's error in Game Six will forever be remembered as the play the cost the Sox the Series (which isn't entirely true) while Eck became the greatest closer in Major League history and played for the A's teams that beat the Red Sox in the 1988 and 1990 ALCS. If Eck hadn't been with Oakland, Boston may have been in the World Series in those two seasons.
   
   
6. Celtics Hire Rick Pitino -- I loved this move at the time. Many of us thought that Pitino was the savior that would return the Celtics to past glory. Well, the results were just the opposite. Pitino proved to be a mediocre pro coach and could be regarded as the worst GM in history (if not for ML Carr). Pitino's endlessly rotating roster (he made twice as many roster moved as any other GM during his tenure) was pure idiocy.
   
   
7. Pats Don't Match Offer on Curtis Martin -- While GM of the Jets, Bill Parcells used some trickery to sign restricted free agent Curtis Martin from the Pats. Parcells offered Martin the choice of a one-year option (which would make him an unrestricted free agent the next season) OR long-term deal with a clause that prohibited a team from designating him as their franchise player. It was a contract that Bob Kraft could not really afford to match because he would probably lose Martin the next year while getting no draft picks in return. Essentially, Parcells had added a "poison pill" to the contract so it is difficult to criticize the Pats for not matching the offer. However, New England's running game has been a weakness since Martin's departure so in retrospect this has to be regarded as a big mistake.
   
   
8. Sox Trade Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling for Mike Boddicker -- Mike Boddicker played a large role in the Red Sox AL East titles in 1988 and 1990, but in the long run the Red Sox would have been better off with Anderson and Schilling, who was an unknown minor league player at time.
   
   
9. Celtics Trade Chauncey Billups -- It took Rick Pitino about five minutes to give up on his first draft pick (#3) in the 1997 draft. Billups played a key role in Detroit's playoff run last year and could be a future NBA star.
   
   
10. Sox Expose Jeff Suppan in Expansion Draft -- Not only did the Red Sox lose a solid starter when the exposed Suppan in the Expansion Draft, but they had to trade one of their top prospects in infielder Freddy Garcia to get Suppan back for the pennant chase this season.
    
    

1. Celtics Acquire McHale and Parish for JBC -- In 1980, the Warriors traded 5-year veteran Robert Parish and the #3 pick (Kevin McHale) for Boston's #1 pick (Joe Barry Carroll) and #13 pick. The Golden State Warriors can be credited for playing a vital role in creating the Celtics 1980's dynasty.
   
   
2. Sox Trade for Pedro -- The Sox gave up some good talent in Tony Armas Jr and Carl Pavano to get Pedro, but who would ever argue with the results.
   
   
3. Bruins Acquire Cam Neely for Barry Pederson -- The Canucks dealt Cam and a first round pick (which turned out to be Glen Wesley) to the Bruins for Pederson, who was never the same player in Vancouver.
   
   
4. Sox Get Varitek and Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb -- This trade continues to pay benefits for the Red Sox and more than makes up for giving the Mariners Jamie Moyer.
   
   
5. Celtics Trade Rick Robey for Dennis Johnson -- For the second time in three years, the Celtics made a great trade with a Pacific Division team. DJ flourished in Boston and was instrumental in the Celtic championship runs in 1984 and 1986.
   
   
6. Celtics Get Paul Pierce at #10 -- It's hard to imagine that Paul Pierce slipped all the way to the #10 slot in the 1998 NBA Draft. By the way, Dirk Nowitzki was taken with #9 pick. Several foolish teams passed on Pierce. Luckily the Celtics, who have turned drafting poorly into a science over the past ten years, did not.
   
   
7. Pats Hire Bill Belichick -- I was completely against giving up a first-rounder for Bill Belichick but as it turned out, Belichick's abilities to gameplan, especially on defense, helped bring the Pats their first Superbowl.
   
   
8. Sox Sign Nomar to Long-term Deal -- One of Dan Duquette's few crowning achievements was to sign Nomar to a seven-year, $44 million contract in 1998 (that's an average of only $6 million per season). Best of all, Nomar has honored his contract, never whining about being underpaid. We'll see if he makes the Red Sox "even things out" when he negotiates his next contract.



9. Sox Don't Resign Mo Vaughn -- Mo Vaughn has been a money pit for both the Angels and Mets. While in Boston, Mo vehemently denied that his weight was a problem, but that and injuries have all but ended the big man's career. The Red Sox are very happy that Mo refused their final $12 million per year offer.
   
   
10. Pats Hire Bill Parcells -- It is very hard to say anything good about Bill Parcells given the way that he left New England, but you can't help but admire his remarkable coaching abilities. Parcells turned around a Patriots franchise that was on a collision course for Bengalville. Unfortunately, the great coach Parcells was stuck with a below-average GM -- himself.
    
    

I'm glad that Jeff Suppan is finally coming around. He was unhittable in the month prior to joining the Sox but was tattooed in his first three Sox outings. Scott Sauerbeck and Scott Williamson have become the latest in a long line of players that are successful right up to the time that they put on a Red Sox uniform. If the Sox acquired Barry Bonds, he'd bat .255 with 17 homers the next season.

The Yankees won the makeup game against the Blue Jays that was originally scheduled for July 22nd. That game was postponed 30 minutes prior to game time because of a "bad forecast." Roy Halladay was scheduled to start the last game of the series that night. The Yankees got Kelvim Escobar in the makeup on Monday and beat him 9-3.

Is there anything in the world more painful to watch than the Red Sox W.B. Mason "Who Knew" commercial?

Vin Baker finally admitted that he has had an alcohol problem dating back to 1998. Baker claims to be sorry, but apparently not sorry enough to give back any of the money that he has basically stolen from the Sonics and Celtics over that time. If Vin Baker had any dignity whatsoever, he would play this season for a salary of $1 million and agree to terminate his contract if he cannot solve his problems with alcohol (he'll get $44 million over the next 3 years). The good news is that Baker has lost weight (I can't call him Vin Bakery anymore) and claims to have been sober for six months.

I think the 2003 Red Sox bullpen is the worst aspect of any Red Sox team in the 25 years that I have followed them. I don't recall a Sox offense that was too far below average over that time. There were some bad starting rotations in the early 1980's but I don't think any were as hopeless as this year's bullpen. The Sox defense has never been a strong suit, but I don't remember the D costing the team as many games as the 2003 pen. I didn't count team speed, otherwise my theory goes down the drain in a hurry.