Random Quickie
Farewell to a Dirtdog, maybe...
Tonight, the Boston Red Sox officially opted not to offer right fielder Christopher Trotman Nixon salary arbitration. This action could potentially end the Red Sox career for Trot. Now, under the new free agency rules, the Red Sox are eligible to sign Nixon again anytime during the off season, but the chances seem less likely everyday.
I'd like to take a quick minute to say a possible farewell to my favorite Red Sox player of all time. Sure he had difficulty hitting lefties, and sure he spent a lot of the last few seasons on the disabled list, but everyday he stepped on the field, he played his heart out. And sometimes, that's all it takes. So farewell (maybe) to a consummate professional, farewell (maybe) to one of the last true dirt dogs, farewell (maybe) to the guy who had the audacity to swing through a take sign on a 3-0 count in game 4 of the World Series, a swing by the way, that gave the Red Sox a lead they would never relinquish to win their first World Series title in 86 years; so farewell (maybe) to number 7.
Enough of USC
Please. For the love of God. They're good, no doubt about it. Considering they lost two Heisman winners in the same off season. Then again, John David Booty is doing a pretty good Matt Leinart impression. They're good, but they're not number 2 good, not if it bumps the University of Michigan down a peg. Lets review:
Both teams have lost 1 game. USC's loss? At unranked Oregon State by 2 points. Conference foe, always a tough game, still an unranked opponent. Michigan's loss? At #1 Ohio State by 3 points in an instant classic. A loss, at the horseshoe, by a field goal to your most hated rival.
Not enough? How about a common opponent. Both teams played Notre Dame. Both teams beat Notre Dame, and both did it pretty handily. Now it should be noted that I believe the Irish are highly overrated, they're a top 20 team at best, but they're still a common opponent. Back to the point. Michigan's win over Notre Dame was a 26 point slaughter in South Bend. It was a game that wasn't even close. USC's win was an almost equally impressive 20 point win, but it was in LA. What's more impressive? 26 points in South Bend? or 20 points at home?
I understand style points. And I understand that losing late in the season can kill your hopes. But I also understand that some people are hating on the idea of a rematch. Critics have said "Michigan has already had their crack at #1, USC should get its turn." How about #1 should play the second best team in the country for the National title? And here's a hint, USC is not #2.
Trade Manny? Keep Manny?
The Cubs are shelling out $17 million a year over the next 8 for Alfonso Soriano and the Houston Astros are going to do virtually the same thing over the next 6 for Carlos Lee, and the Sox still want to trade Manny? I just don't get it. Unless he publicly comes out and says from his own mouth that he wants to be traded, I'm going to assume that he's going to play here for his $17-18 million as well. Those two contracts make Manny look like an absolute bargain. He's an RBI machine, and he's one of the best right handed hitters in the last 25 years, protecting the games best current left handed bat.
But he seems disinterested. And he quit on his team last year. Those might be true, and there is absolutely no excuse to ever quit on your team, especially when you get paid a king's ransom to play a kid's game. But I believe there's enough positive in Manny that he can remain productive and happy in Boston. Most insiders agree that there's no way the Sox will get equal value in return for Manny, so why do it? Why trade for Loney or LaRoche? Players that might turn out to be the next Manny, but could just as easily become the next Kevin Maas (who? exactly my point, move along). Boston is not the place where people are going to be patient waiting for prospects to develop. We have a habit of bringing them up too quickly, hell, in Boston, we honk while the light is still red, to let the person in front of you know that it is going to turn green. And you want to trade a player who is currently one of the most productive in the game? My advice to Theo: keep Manny, sign Matsuzaka, and worry about more important things like...
...not signing JD Drew
WHY?? Please. Give me one good reason? OK, so he has a world of talent, I need more than that. In this day and age, that icky word "potential" gets thrown around in the sports world quicker than K-Fed is losing his assets. Forget that he can't stay healthy for a minute, the real problem is that he doesn't care. Why are players like Varitek, Papi, Brady and Bruschi beloved in this town? Because they give a damn. They realize that even though in this day and age it might all be about the money, that they'll never transcend the game. JD Drew doesn't even know what that means. He could strike out to end the World Series, and his facial expression would be identical to the one you'd see on him if he were in a bar and just wet himself after drinking one too many. He just doesn't care. Some say "it works for Manny..." I say Boston fans couldn't put up with two Manny's. And Manny does care, he just cares about himself more.
Oh, and remember the fact that he can't stay healthy? Yeah, about that. He can't. Would throwing $14-15 million a year at him all of a sudden make him a model of health? I doubt it. Now I realize that he played 146 games last year, and he even played 145 in 2004, but sandwiched in between those two seasons was a 72 game season for Mr. Drew. I'm not saying there are better players available. But there are certainly better values available out there.
And on a side note: JD Drew's full name is David Jonathan Drew. So either I'm retarded, or we should actually be calling him DJ Drew. Maybe he's just dyslexic? But hey, at least he can hit a baseball.
In Belichick I Trust
I knew he wouldn't let me down. After uncharacteristically abandoning the running game in the loss to the Colts, it seems as though the hooded sweatshirt mentality has returned. No more fancy red sweatshirts with new cuffs. Back to good 'ol Patriot football. Football where every team member buys into one idea, winning. Football that brought New England three Super Bowl victories in four seasons. The defense is going with the old bend, but don't break attitude (scary as it is, especially with out 37 back there). The running game is going, and Brady is again a legitimate MVP candidate. I really have nothing specific to say about the Patriots here, but I figured I couldn't leave them out.
Tonight, the Boston Red Sox officially opted not to offer right fielder Christopher Trotman Nixon salary arbitration. This action could potentially end the Red Sox career for Trot. Now, under the new free agency rules, the Red Sox are eligible to sign Nixon again anytime during the off season, but the chances seem less likely everyday.
I'd like to take a quick minute to say a possible farewell to my favorite Red Sox player of all time. Sure he had difficulty hitting lefties, and sure he spent a lot of the last few seasons on the disabled list, but everyday he stepped on the field, he played his heart out. And sometimes, that's all it takes. So farewell (maybe) to a consummate professional, farewell (maybe) to one of the last true dirt dogs, farewell (maybe) to the guy who had the audacity to swing through a take sign on a 3-0 count in game 4 of the World Series, a swing by the way, that gave the Red Sox a lead they would never relinquish to win their first World Series title in 86 years; so farewell (maybe) to number 7.
Enough of USC
Please. For the love of God. They're good, no doubt about it. Considering they lost two Heisman winners in the same off season. Then again, John David Booty is doing a pretty good Matt Leinart impression. They're good, but they're not number 2 good, not if it bumps the University of Michigan down a peg. Lets review:
Both teams have lost 1 game. USC's loss? At unranked Oregon State by 2 points. Conference foe, always a tough game, still an unranked opponent. Michigan's loss? At #1 Ohio State by 3 points in an instant classic. A loss, at the horseshoe, by a field goal to your most hated rival.
Not enough? How about a common opponent. Both teams played Notre Dame. Both teams beat Notre Dame, and both did it pretty handily. Now it should be noted that I believe the Irish are highly overrated, they're a top 20 team at best, but they're still a common opponent. Back to the point. Michigan's win over Notre Dame was a 26 point slaughter in South Bend. It was a game that wasn't even close. USC's win was an almost equally impressive 20 point win, but it was in LA. What's more impressive? 26 points in South Bend? or 20 points at home?
I understand style points. And I understand that losing late in the season can kill your hopes. But I also understand that some people are hating on the idea of a rematch. Critics have said "Michigan has already had their crack at #1, USC should get its turn." How about #1 should play the second best team in the country for the National title? And here's a hint, USC is not #2.
Trade Manny? Keep Manny?
The Cubs are shelling out $17 million a year over the next 8 for Alfonso Soriano and the Houston Astros are going to do virtually the same thing over the next 6 for Carlos Lee, and the Sox still want to trade Manny? I just don't get it. Unless he publicly comes out and says from his own mouth that he wants to be traded, I'm going to assume that he's going to play here for his $17-18 million as well. Those two contracts make Manny look like an absolute bargain. He's an RBI machine, and he's one of the best right handed hitters in the last 25 years, protecting the games best current left handed bat.
But he seems disinterested. And he quit on his team last year. Those might be true, and there is absolutely no excuse to ever quit on your team, especially when you get paid a king's ransom to play a kid's game. But I believe there's enough positive in Manny that he can remain productive and happy in Boston. Most insiders agree that there's no way the Sox will get equal value in return for Manny, so why do it? Why trade for Loney or LaRoche? Players that might turn out to be the next Manny, but could just as easily become the next Kevin Maas (who? exactly my point, move along). Boston is not the place where people are going to be patient waiting for prospects to develop. We have a habit of bringing them up too quickly, hell, in Boston, we honk while the light is still red, to let the person in front of you know that it is going to turn green. And you want to trade a player who is currently one of the most productive in the game? My advice to Theo: keep Manny, sign Matsuzaka, and worry about more important things like...
...not signing JD Drew
WHY?? Please. Give me one good reason? OK, so he has a world of talent, I need more than that. In this day and age, that icky word "potential" gets thrown around in the sports world quicker than K-Fed is losing his assets. Forget that he can't stay healthy for a minute, the real problem is that he doesn't care. Why are players like Varitek, Papi, Brady and Bruschi beloved in this town? Because they give a damn. They realize that even though in this day and age it might all be about the money, that they'll never transcend the game. JD Drew doesn't even know what that means. He could strike out to end the World Series, and his facial expression would be identical to the one you'd see on him if he were in a bar and just wet himself after drinking one too many. He just doesn't care. Some say "it works for Manny..." I say Boston fans couldn't put up with two Manny's. And Manny does care, he just cares about himself more.
Oh, and remember the fact that he can't stay healthy? Yeah, about that. He can't. Would throwing $14-15 million a year at him all of a sudden make him a model of health? I doubt it. Now I realize that he played 146 games last year, and he even played 145 in 2004, but sandwiched in between those two seasons was a 72 game season for Mr. Drew. I'm not saying there are better players available. But there are certainly better values available out there.
And on a side note: JD Drew's full name is David Jonathan Drew. So either I'm retarded, or we should actually be calling him DJ Drew. Maybe he's just dyslexic? But hey, at least he can hit a baseball.
In Belichick I Trust
I knew he wouldn't let me down. After uncharacteristically abandoning the running game in the loss to the Colts, it seems as though the hooded sweatshirt mentality has returned. No more fancy red sweatshirts with new cuffs. Back to good 'ol Patriot football. Football where every team member buys into one idea, winning. Football that brought New England three Super Bowl victories in four seasons. The defense is going with the old bend, but don't break attitude (scary as it is, especially with out 37 back there). The running game is going, and Brady is again a legitimate MVP candidate. I really have nothing specific to say about the Patriots here, but I figured I couldn't leave them out.
posted by Trevor at 3:31 AM
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