The 2013 Red Sox have reinvented themselves. Surly, entitled ballplayers have been replaced by stand-up guys. Churl has yielded to character. ...
Swell, just swell. Hope springs eternal and all that.
But here’s the reality, people: The 2013 Red Sox might be really bad. Worse, they might be really boring. Anybody talking about baseball in your neighborhood these days? ...
[W]ith one (spring training) game down and seven months to go, it’s apparent that the Sox have more questions than any other team in the American League East. It is difficult to pick them anywhere but last. ...
Where is there any evidence that the Red Sox have improved their starting pitching? ...
Finally, it’s tough to feel good about Ortiz. ...
Sorry. The juice glass is half-empty today. These guys could be really bad. And really boring. “Scrappy” doesn’t sell in Boston in 2013.
I watched a little of the NESN post-game last night and there were a couple of striking moments with Lackey. Some reporter started asking "...after all you've been through here...". Lackey looked very impatient and said something like, I don't want to talk about what I've been through, I mean, just for once - can we please talk about what we accomplished tonight?
Later on, somebody asked him about that the victory meant to the city in the wake of the Marathon bombing. He said something along the lines of, he didn't know that he would put sports over a tragedy...and that if they helped those who were affected by the bombings forget about things for a few hours, that would be good.
I admire his integrity, refusing to just get swept up into the role the media wants him to play. He doesn't want to be thought of as a redemption story, he wants to be thought of as a great pitcher.
With all respect Tom DePlonty, I think you're slinging some serious bullshit there.
John Lackey sucked in 2011. He sucked so bad that we were happy he was hurt in 2012 so he couldn't damage us any more than he already had.
And while Lackey was sucking, he blamed everyone but himself. He had so little integrity and appeared to take so little responsibility for his actions that he became the butt of several long-running jokes in gamethreads.
We absolutely owe him a huge thanks for this season and postseason. He was awesome.
But pardon me if I don't want to rewrite history on Lackey's behalf. Or credit him with some kind of personal integrity I have never once see him exhibit!
It's easy to take credit when you're winning, but how you act when you're losing says more about a person, IMO.
Uh...well, no denying he was terrible in 2011, and the pressers were painful and ridiculous ("I thought the ball was coming out of my hands pretty good..." etc. etc.) That doesn't mean he isn't making a choice I can admire now.
What a great collection of newspaper front pages, always there to look at again and again and again!
The cherry on top, of course, is CHB's preseason assessment, which probably mirrored what many other sportswriters were preaching. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and when you're REALLY wrong...
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe, February 24, 2013:
ReplyDeleteThe 2013 Red Sox have reinvented themselves. Surly, entitled ballplayers have been replaced by stand-up guys. Churl has yielded to character. ...
Swell, just swell. Hope springs eternal and all that.
But here’s the reality, people: The 2013 Red Sox might be really bad. Worse, they might be really boring. Anybody talking about baseball in your neighborhood these days? ...
[W]ith one (spring training) game down and seven months to go, it’s apparent that the Sox have more questions than any other team in the American League East. It is difficult to pick them anywhere but last. ...
Where is there any evidence that the Red Sox have improved their starting pitching? ...
Finally, it’s tough to feel good about Ortiz. ...
Sorry. The juice glass is half-empty today. These guys could be really bad. And really boring. “Scrappy” doesn’t sell in Boston in 2013.
************
Ha! Good find! Here's another (ESPN predicts the Sox to finish last):
ReplyDeletehttp://espn.go.com/mlb/preview13/story/_/id/9081265/previewing-american-league-east-teams
(None of the ESPN "experts" picked either STL or BOS to be in the WS either)
And thanks for a great season, Allan!
ReplyDeleteThanks for these!
ReplyDeleteI watched a little of the NESN post-game last night and there were a couple of striking moments with Lackey. Some reporter started asking "...after all you've been through here...". Lackey looked very impatient and said something like, I don't want to talk about what I've been through, I mean, just for once - can we please talk about what we accomplished tonight?
Later on, somebody asked him about that the victory meant to the city in the wake of the Marathon bombing. He said something along the lines of, he didn't know that he would put sports over a tragedy...and that if they helped those who were affected by the bombings forget about things for a few hours, that would be good.
I admire his integrity, refusing to just get swept up into the role the media wants him to play. He doesn't want to be thought of as a redemption story, he wants to be thought of as a great pitcher.
With all respect Tom DePlonty, I think you're slinging some serious bullshit there.
ReplyDeleteJohn Lackey sucked in 2011. He sucked so bad that we were happy he was hurt in 2012 so he couldn't damage us any more than he already had.
And while Lackey was sucking, he blamed everyone but himself. He had so little integrity and appeared to take so little responsibility for his actions that he became the butt of several long-running jokes in gamethreads.
We absolutely owe him a huge thanks for this season and postseason. He was awesome.
But pardon me if I don't want to rewrite history on Lackey's behalf. Or credit him with some kind of personal integrity I have never once see him exhibit!
It's easy to take credit when you're winning, but how you act when you're losing says more about a person, IMO.
GAME 6 GIFS!!!
ReplyDeleteUh...well, no denying he was terrible in 2011, and the pressers were painful and ridiculous ("I thought the ball was coming out of my hands pretty good..." etc. etc.) That doesn't mean he isn't making a choice I can admire now.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean he isn't making a choice I can admire now.
ReplyDeleteVery true!
What a great collection of newspaper front pages, always there to look at again and again and again!
ReplyDeleteThe cherry on top, of course, is CHB's preseason assessment, which probably mirrored what many other sportswriters were preaching. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and when you're REALLY wrong...