Not So Royally Screwed

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:58:47 +0000

With the announcement of the latest location for Major League Baseball’s Mid-summer Classic, a lot of the country’s bigger cities and historic stadiums are openly questioning the commissioner’s decision. The 2012 All-Star Game will be played in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the one of the league’s most consistent teams. Year in and year out the Royal’s are among the most predictable teams in baseball, setting the City of Fountains abuzz with a few mid-level acquisitions before tanking to the bottom of the AL Central a few weeks into the season.Red Sox fans, among the most outspoken fans on any subject, are perhaps the most up in arms about the MLB’s decision. The 2012 season will mark the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park, among the oldest and most fabled venues in baseball history. Though the Red Sox were the hosts of the 1999 All-Star Game, the Fenway faithful feel they deserve another. Of course, with the recent success of the Red Sox, not to mention the Celtics and Patriots, spoiled Boston residents are starting to feel a like they’re entitled to everything these days.Disappointed fans should take a page out of Armando Galarraga’s book; keep your mouth shut and take the high road. Even if you’re a little upset Fenway Park won’t host their second All-Star game in just over a decade, but don’t ruin this for the poor folks down in KC. It’s not like fathers and sons have had a lot of great baseball memories in Kauffmann Stadium over the years. You had Nomar Garciappara, they had Mark Grudzielanek, for your Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez, they were left with Darrell May and Jimmy Gobble. Boston has had its moments; for a team that went decades without a title to their name, you would think they know what it’s like to be down at out. Let Royals fans have their mid-summer day in the sun, they’ve been stuck in the cold, dark cellar for long enough.

David Ortiz: Boom or Bust

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:26:00 +0000

In a Shutter Island-esque turn of events few baseball analysts saw coming, David Ortiz, who spent the first month of the season cooling off the Northeast shore with wild whiffs, has found his stroke as we head towards the Midsummer Classic. Pundits are now left scratching their heads who is this guy? Hardly a question one would expect concerning a veteran entering his 14^th year of big league service. Through April, Red Sox fans and opposing fans alike were calling for Ortiz’s head as he slumped his way to a .143 average with only a solo long ball to boot. Critics worried his birth certificate is a fake and his old age was catching up to him, citing various other age discrepancies with Dominican born players. Other naysayers trudged up old Mitchell Report findings and cited harsher PED crackdowns as the root of his poor play. What a difference a month makes. Riding a .363 hitting May complemented by 10 homeruns, Big Papi has raised his average to a reasonable though not spectacular .252 with an impressive 12 HR’s on the season.While Ortiz’s first two month’s read like The Tale of Two Cities, what if any predictions can we expect from this guy for the rest of the season? Are all of his kinks finally worked out after accumulating enough at-bats to heat up? Though it’s early in June, this month’s early numbers might make Red Sox nation take pause before heading all-aboard back on the Big Papi bandwagon. Through his first 6 games of June, Ortiz has regressed to a meager .105 batting average. Like any big league hitter, Ortiz is susceptible to streaks both hot and cold. Take Phillies’ outfielder Jayson Werth for example who recently snapped an 0-21 hitless streak but endured much less criticism. Kansas City’s Jose Guillen used his hot start amass a quick 13 HRs on the year but hasn’t hit a single deep shot since May 21 and has regressed to a .247 average. Sure, David Ortiz isn’t a guy who’s going to hit 40 HR’s anymore and, despite a torrent May, you shouldn’t expect him to be, but don’t expect David Ortiz to fade into the baseball afterlife just yet.

Inside the Majors » Red Sox

Not So Royally Screwed

David Ortiz: Boom or Bust