Yardbarker: Boston Red Sox

The First Six "Governors" of Red Sox Nation Announced

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:13:34 -0500

The Boston Red Sox today announced the selection of the first-ever Governors of Red Sox Nation. One Governor was chosen from each of the six New England states. As reported by the Red Sox, Each of these men and women will help promote the growth of Red Sox Nation within their home state while also providing the President (Jerry Remy) and Vice President (‘Regular’ Rob Crawford) of Red Sox Nation with feedback on fan related issues throughout the remainder of the season. An outgrowth of the Red Sox Nation Five-Point Plan announced this past spring, the Governors program will aim to provide unique access for some of the most loyal Red Sox fans and collect valuable feedback from a diverse collection of Red Sox Nation citizens and members. It will strive to obtain a manageable and measurable method for collecting fan feedback and create a platform for the sharing of concepts related to grassroots fan networking across the United States. By embracing fan participation, the Governors program will help to establish the foundation for the official census of Red Sox Nation. More than 800 fans submitted an application for a New England gubernatorial position. Each applicant responded to two short-answer essay questions and had the opportunity to solicit support from his or her friends. These endorsements served as a key component in the selection process. “Red Sox Nation has no shortage of vocal and exuberant voices,” said Red Sox Nation President Jerry Remy. “These six individuals will help represent the fans in each of their home states, and help organize gatherings and events for all of the loyal fans in their communities.” THE GOVERNORS ARE: Massachusetts - Nineteen year-old Jared Carrabis of Saugus, the second-runner-up in the President of Red Sox Nation election held last year, will represent his home state of Massachusetts. An aspiring sports journalist, Carrabis has had a share of season tickets since 1997. Connecticut - West Hartford resident and retired Connecticut Supreme Court Judge David Borden has been appointed as Governor of Red Sox Nation for the state of Connecticut. A graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Law School, Borden has been actively involved in community service throughout his adult life and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Maine - Brunswick resident Rachel O. Yacouby will serve as Governor of Red Sox Nation for the state of Maine. Yacouby is currently working as the Audience Services Manager at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick. New Hampshire - Henniker resident and Registered Nurse Janice Page has been appointed as Governor of Red Sox Nation for her home state of New Hampshire. Page has worked for the Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire for 10 years as a Home Care Coordinator. She and her husband Jeff are the proud parents of six daughters. Rhode Island - Charles T. (Ted) Schmidt, Jr., a resident of Saunderstown, RI, has been named Governor of Red Sox Nation for the state of Rhode Island. A retired professor/Labor Arbitrator Mediator, Schmidt holds degrees at UMass Amherst, Northeastern University (MBA), Cornell’s Industrial Relations School (Master’s Degree), and Michigan State University (Ph.D.). He is the founding Director of the Schmidt Labor Research Center, which was named in his honor upon retirement from URI in 1999, where he worked for 31 years. Vermont - Glen Jardine, a native of Lyndonville, VT, has been named Governor of Red Sox Nation for the state of Vermont. Jardine works in the advertising and new media department of his local newspaper, The Caledonian-Record. Jardine currently lives in the small town of Wheelock, VT, with his girlfriend and their two dogs. Residents of Washington, D.C. and the remaining 44 states may now apply for the position of Governor. Deadline for submissions is July 29. For more information and to apply, visit redsoxnation.com (http://redsoxnation.com/). Governors will be selected on or about August 12. The selected Governors will receive an Unlimited Fenway Park Tours Pass for two, two tickets to a select 2008 Red Sox regular season game, a Certificate of Governorship signed by the President/CEO of the Red Sox, periodic “Governors Only” conference calls with the Vice President of Red Sox Nation and a select Red Sox executive, a Red Sox Nation shirt, a 2009 Red Sox Nation Fan Pack Citizenship, a subscription to MLB.tv (http://mlb.tv/), personalized “Red Sox Nation Governor” business cards and a photograph of the Fenway Park centerfield videoboard with their name on it. Source: The Boston Red SoxMaury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

MLB Power Rankings - July 7 (Here come the Dodgers!)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:37:07 -0500

The Tampa Bay Rays hold on to the top spot in our last power rankings before the All-Star break, followed by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, but watch out for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who jumped 7 spots to No. 4, the highest they have been all season. The New York Yankees, on the other hand, drop 6 spots to No. 14. See where your favorite team ranks. To come up with the rankings, using only their statistical performance to date this season, each team is simulated against every other team 100 times. – 50 at home and 50 at the opposing ballpark so that all five pitchers in the current rotation start ten times at each location. After substituting CC Sabathia into the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation, they move up four spots to No. 10, while the Indians take a corresponding hit, dropping five spots to No. 24.

MAILBAG!

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:00:36 -0500

For some reason still unbeknownst to me, the vast majority of those who read this site prefer to communicate via email rather than through the comments section of each post. I have no problem with it, other than the fact that I love a good ongoing conversation (and occasional debate) amongst the readers.

But I started running into a problem. I was spending so much time answering email that it cut into the time I had earmarked for writing. I always figured that if a person took the time to write to me, especially at great length, I should at least try to communicate back. So I attempted to kill two birds with one stone and start a Mailbag column.

Mailbags were always a favorite of mine, hitting their peak last spring. They were always actually more than just emails...there were links, there were pictures, there were monologues...it was sort of a melting pot of all the little things that make this site what it is.

They were always too long (one of my weaknesses), but for the legions of readers who were killing time at work, they didn't seem to mind. In fact, they encouraged it. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, the Mailbag had to go away for a while. But I really missed it, and told myself I would find a way to bring it back, no matter how long it took. So after an all-too-lengthy intro, I present....the return of the mailbag!

Dave Zigerelli is a displaced Monacan (you know, someone from Monaca) now working as a producer for MTV in New York. He also does a podcast called "Burghcast!", which is very Steeler-heavy. And he sent 12 questions. Unfortunately, we can't get to all 12. But here are a few:

DAVE: Who has more clout... Boston Red Sox Fans for electing Jason Varitek to the 2008 All Star Team or The Christian South for electing George W. Bush to the 2004 Presidency?

MH: Whenever you get angry about a Pirate not playing up to his contract, think of the $10,442,030 that the Shawks are forking over for a .215 hitter.

Honestly, I've read so many anti-Varitek jokes recently that I couldn't begin to recall them all. He's actually been called the worst All-Star of all time. The naming of "JV" to the AL squad is nearly as laughable as former Pirate Mike Williams taking his 6.29 ERA to the "All-Star" game in 2003. Williams will always be my worst All-Star.

But you can't pin this one on Red Sox fans, unlike the election of DH David Ortiz, who hasn't played since, oh, MAY 31. No, this was the players' vote, as Varitek was chosen as a reserve. Are they even paying attention to the games they're playing in? Apparently not.

DAVE: Is the name Passion of the Christ(ian Okoye) a good name for my 2008 Yahoo Fantasy Football team?

MH: That's good, but the Pittsburgh Passion of the Christ(ian Okoye) is even better.

DAVE: Does Fox Sports plan to convert the "Pittsburgh Pirates: We Are Family" documentary in to HD?

MH: If they don't, they'll be sure to hear from the very vocal FSN audience that speaks up every time something isn't broadcast in HD.

From Stephen in Cincy:

While I was at work Saturday in a a restaurant in the "miserable" city of Cincinnati, my boss approached me saying none other than the Bubster, Bubby Brister was sitting at a table. I shot down his call saying he was full of crap, saying how can you call Bubby Brister of all people. So a female member of our staff approached Bub and asked him what his name was, and he replied, "Bubby Brister". Thats when me as a lifelong Steeler fan jumped in and introduced myself. I told him how he was the quarterback of the greatest franchise in sports when I first started watching football. I asked him for an autograph, which I haven't done in years, which he graciously signed "Bubby Brister #6". He seemed to be blown away that someone had actually noticed him. I'll forgive all the Bubby interceptions over the middle by the likes of Frank Minnifield, Hanford Dixon, Bubba McDowell, David Fulcher etc, etc, etc. Just for the mere fact he delievered in one of my most memorable games as a Steelers fan. New Years Eve 1989, Houston Astrodome, GA-WEE Anderson 50 yard field goal in overtime......nuff said!!!

Yours Truly,

Steeler Steve Stuck in Who-Dey Hell

MH: Steve, first of all, my condolences for your current living situation. I can't possibly imagine what that must be like for you. But I digress...

I picked this email because it gave a solid discussion point: Bubby Brister has a pretty interesting legacy. As a first-round QB choice of the Steelers in '86, he never met expectations, exciting Wild Card win in '89 and close call in Round 2 aside. Other than that, I think he was best known for buying his mother a black-and-gold car and that running joke that involved him being unable to get in his house due to an end zone being painted on the front porch.

But the Bubster ended up playing 14 seasons in the league, including a seven game stretch filling in for John Elway in '98 that eventually resulted in a Super Bowl ring. I just heard Mark Schlereth say what a great teammate Brister was, and usually I take whatever Schlereth says with a truckload of salt; but it sounded genuine.

Brister was an enigma wrapped in a riddle and deep-fried with a question mark on the side. Although he was sorta before my analyzing time (although I crunched a surprising amount of statistics for an 11-year old), his career stats include a TD:INT ratio of 81:78, which isn't quite the level of atrocity that one might expect. And to say the Steelers didn't surround him with offensive weapons was an understatement, although they at least attempted with the great Tim Worley pick in '89. Professionally, I think of him a little like a Vinny Testaverde: a professional who could win you a few games in the short-term, but not a guy to single-handedly make you a better team.

And as far as the email goes, it's nice to hear that Bubby isn't holding a grudge against Steeler fans, who aren't exactly known for their kid gloves when it comes to treatment of quarterbacks.

From Ryan in Butler:

Hello, my name is Ryan Laidlaw and I have been a long time fan of your site and occasional emailer. The reason I contact you this time is to speak about a major sporting event that occurred last night in our area. I am from Butler and last night we were featured on ESPN2 "Wednesday Night Fights". The show was put together by a local heavyweight contender, Brian Minto, who is currently ranked no. 11 in the world. The show highlighted the small town pride and Steel City roots and pointed out that 4,000+ showed up to a fight in a town that only has 15,000 people. I understand that you were most likely unaware that the fight even took place yet alone reported on it. The lack of local Pittsburgh media support was quite shocking stemming the whole way from TV to the newspapers, however, I was hoping to start to change that. It turned out to be a fantastic success with Brian winning a KO in the first round in a newly renovated park which use to house the NY Yankee farm club team back in the 40's and 50's (think Mantle, Maris, and Berra). I, myself, think it would be something that your site followers might take an interest in especially considering the local lore that your site promotes. If you could take some time and perhaps write a story about the night I am sure your readers would appreciate it. Thanks for your time and keep up the tremendous work on the site it is by far the best site I visit all day.

Sincerely, Ryan Laidlaw, Butler, PA

P.S.- My friend who owns and operates the concessions for the fight last night reported that his take was $45,000+ in sales. Now if you take $5 for a 16 oz. beer and do the math that is one s***load of beer consumed by one little steel town in Western PA.

MH: I have to give it up: Ryan's persistence beat me down. I was holding his original email for the mailbag, and he then reminded me about the fight and included a YouTube clip. As per Ryan's request, here is video of Brian Minto vs. John Poorer on July 2 at Pullman Park in Butler. I guess this means we can now move on from our dated memories of local boxers like Paul Spadafora and Michael Moorer.

And congrats to the fine folks of Butler for their alcohol consumption. Well done.

From Mike in Lawrenceville:

I really enjoyed your AYCE article. It just gave a really good "fan" take on the whole endeavor. And speaking of being a fan, I see you took some heat for the article as well. My take: I'm a pretty tough judge of people in the media, be they big (PG writers, KDKA sports guys) and small (bloggers). I think your very even-handed in what you say, and even if it does result in a more critical tone for some teams (e.g, Pirates) than others (e.g., Penguins), it usually justified or has a logical reason behind it. That is, I have never sensed that you are taking a position just for the sake of being controversial, which I hate so much.

For example: The Pens just made a great post-season run, wrapping up a strong regular season, doing everything right for 3 rounds of the playoffs, and then making a superior Red Wings team work hard to win the Stanley Cup. I would expect positive comments about the Pens after all of that.

The Pirates on the other hand, are plodding along as usual and, with no hope in sight, I would expect dismal comments to be presented. Being "fair" doesn't mean finding an equal amount of good/bad to say about each team in those situations. In regard to matters of opinion however, I can tell that you make an active effort to present both sides. I know you are a big Mark Madden supporter (I am not) but even during the whirlwind surrounding his termination at ESPN1250, you were very even-handed in discussing it. Which is not something you have to do because hey, its your website, you can do whatever you want. So, the way I see it, you have developed a nice blend on issues of the day. On factual issues, you reward the good ("Lets Go Pens") and criticize the bad ("Raise the Jolly Roger"). On matters of opinion, you give your opinion, but show both sides of the argument. Can't do much better than that. Bottom line for me is that I enjoy how you do things and that's why I check in at least once per day. Honestly, I prefer your information on an issue more so than most of the major media outlets.

The ice cream sandwich that started it all

MH: I'm blushing. But to get back to Mike's original thought, I was caught a little off guard by some of the reactions to the All You Can Eat article. I would have never guessed that a piece focusing more on long concession lines and melted ice cream sandwiches would result in me defending my Pirate fandom a short time later. [And by the way, to the wise guy that said I should expect my ice cream sandwich to melt on a hot day, you're absolutely correct. Although the Pirates should realize that an invention called a "freezer" does exist and one would think that I could at least be handed said ice cream sandwich in somewhat of a frozen condition.]

Keeps things frozen, even on a hot day. Might want to invest in this futuristic gizmo, Bucco brass.

But I'm glad I addressed things the way I did, because they had to be addressed. Mike's right, I do tell both sides of the story. At least I try to. But the Pirates conversation has been pretty one-sided for a long time now. Sure, I could cheerlead and say how great things are and how fantastic they will be (which some outlets do). And then you can look at the standings, and see the Pirates once again are a game out of last and 11.5 out of first, and think, "That guy who writes that blog is rather delusional, no?" (Actually, most people would say "He's full of ****", but I thought I'd clean it up a bit.)

It's like the commenter who criticized me every time I criticized Tom Gorzelanny. I guess I was being too hard on him too. As I've pointed out a time or 10,000, SI's Tom Verducci called Gorzo's implosion back in February. It wasn't hard to see that this guy was not going to improve overnight. But he kept getting trotted out, night after night, and the results were the same nearly every time. His ERA's low point was 4.50 on opening night and the closest it ever came to that number was the 5.97 mark on May 10.

And now for the biggest nut-kick to Pirate fans: he led the team with six wins. Which tells you: 1. The wins stat is almost meaningless and 2. The Pirates have awful pitching.

Another AYCE email from Michael in Irving, TX:

The AYCE was a good piece. The Pirates WERE my favorite team growing up also, and your commentary has been spot on. You can't be "too tough" on a team that is on the verge of losing 16 straight. The underlying problem with all these comments is that management has accomplished their ultimate task. They have managed to win the hearts and minds of the fans despite fielding a sub-par product year in and year out. That is not apathy I am hearing, it is sympathy. By marketing the PNC experience, management has been able to sell family entertainment and minimize the importance of wins and losses. No doubt this fan base is calloused to losing, and maybe if the Pittsburgh media was tougher and held management accountable, things would change. However, I am not expecting things to change much in the future, but I am sure you can count on more fireworks and bobbleheads.

MH: I'm not sure exactly how many fans are still willing to be tough on the Pirates. The number is decreasing daily. As I noted with my orginal thoughts on the topic, apathy is a far bigger fan crime than anger, and it's been contagious among Pirate fans (with good reason). With each passing day, they are less and less relevant in our city. Not only did they have to contend for years with the Steelers' training camp shortening their summer coverage, but now fan interest in June and July has been deservedly dominated by Penguins hot stove news. What interests you more: discussing the possible destinations of Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr or talking about Consecutive Losing Season #16?

Like I said, the Pirates at least appear to be somewhat comfortable with their role in Pittsburgh's sports hierarchy, because at some point they decided to sell the experience rather than the game itself. Face it, that's all they can sell. And I will repeat that their marketing department does a fantastic job of drawing customers into the stadium, year after year. But we're fully into an entire generation unfamiliar with what a competitive Major League Baseball team looks like, yet all too familiar with a Super Bowl-winning football franchise and a fan-friendly, youth-dominated, Stanley Cup-competing hockey team. Is this a problem for a future fan base trying to decide where to allocate their ticket buying dollars? You bet it is.

Mike from Lawrenceville also sent a compelling follow-up email:

One more thing about the Buccos. My son is 9 and asking a lot of sports questions. He is real big into "who are our 2nd, 3rd, 4th favorite teams (other than Pirates, Steelers, Pens, Pitt, etc.), who are are arch-enemies, etc.

While making an enemies list for the Steelers and Penguins is easy, I realized that things are so bad and apathetic with the Pirates that I really couldn't name an arch-rival for the Pirates. Can you? I can't say that any of our division rivals (Cubs, Cards, Astros, Reds, Brewers) really juice anyone up when we play them. I guess I carry a grudge against the Braves for what they did to us 16 years ago and how good they've been since then compared to our record, but is that really make them an arch-rival? The Mets used to be a pretty good rivalry, but with them now in a different division than the Pirates, not to mention being so much better, they are really just another team. With Bonds no longer with the Giants, there's no incentive to get worked up about a game against them. I guess the Phillies would qualify as our biggest rivals by default, but does anyone raise an eyebrow when they come to town?

Isn't that really depressing? We have no arch-rivals in baseball because we've sucked so bad for so long that no one even cares enough to get fired up about us.

MH: You can't have a rival when you never win and never compete with any team for a common goal. The Pirates absolutely are without a rival. They can't even get a forced rival for interleague play, because Cleveland gets matched against Cincinnati.

The only thing even closely resembling a rival was St. Louis and Tony LaRussa, and that was more of a LaRussa-Lloyd McClendon thing. I guess I should take back that "can't have a rival without winning" statement, because I forgot that there's always a bench-clearing brawl to stir up some bad blood. But that is usually a short-term thing.

Possible rivals? As I said, LaRussa is on about the same level as Brian Billick in my book, so that's a fantastic place to start. And you have to include the Cubs, being that they're the top dog in our neighborhood these days. Cincinnati? Meh. Milwaukee? Well, it was the site of that Randall Simon weiner-whacking incident, but I don't see that one panning out either. And Houston looks to be going nowhere fast.

Beyond that, if we can dream that the Pirates would ever be in a Wild Card race or playoff series, the Mets could rekindle memories of "Muck the Fets" quite easily, and the Braves would revive instant/bad memories as well. I wouldn't dare venture into the AL. I have a feeling that the World Series in Pittsburgh might be a longshot.

Here's one from Hicks in Slippery Rock:

Onto the Bucs. They will continue to miss the .500 mark and never make the playoffs until they take drastic and immediate action:

1. Admit that Doug Mientkiewicz is the Pirates' version of the Penguins' Gary Roberts. He's tough, has a cool/strange beard-thing, and plays hard. (He would've throttled that mulleted-giraffe Randy Johnson given the chance.) The Bucs need to play up the "What Would Doug Mientkiewicz Do" thing--t-shirts, posters, slogans on Dairy Queen signs, etc. Both Doug and Gary have those emotionless, flat shark eyes. Both go for the jugular and know how to win. The Bucs must install Doug full time at first (Who cares about home runs when Doug can hit .300? More than we've been getting from the Rip-Van-Winkle of April and May (La-la-la-roche!).

2. And with the uniform change, get rid of that greasy, swarthy looking Pirate logo. Bring back the bold, brash "handsome" Pirate logo of the 70s!

After all, we won two World Series brandishing that studly logo. ( I heard it appeared on some of the paper used for batting lineups in spring training this year. Bring it to PNC Park.)

Thanks for reading my rant. Please help us 40-somethings bring back the memories of our mustard-colored youth!

MH: Hicks is always good for some inspired banter. On to his thoughts:

1. Mientkiewicz is quite the fascinating character. He played high school football with A-Rod, there was that whole "final out of the 2004 World Series ball" controversy, he hit the game-winning home run in the 2000 Olympic semifinals against South Korea (later winning the gold), and he called out Randy Johnson this year. That's more than enough to qualify as a cult hero.

And that brings me to Gary Roberts. Was anyone else at least a little disappointed at how quick Roberts left for the "Pittsburgh South" Lightning (who just added Mark Recchi, by the way)?

It's been interesting to watch fan reaction to the Penguins' free agents. I heard Mike Prisuta say on WDVE this morning that Penguin fans should not be bitter about Marian Hossa leaving for Detroit, which I could not fathom. And he wasn't saying it in a Skip Bayless, just-trying-to-disagree-for-the-sake-of-disagreement opinion. He honestly believed it.

Penguins fans took it personally, but I'm not going to criticize them for it. They were emotional; the guy gave some impression like he actually might re-sign with the team. But in the end, he proved to nothing but a mercenary. If he were a baseball player I'm 99% sure he'd play for either the Yankees or the Red Sox. And if you think I'm wrong, he signed with Detroit for a grand total of one year, which lets him woo all prospective teams again next summer.

2. I'm not 100% sure I'd go back to the old logo, but I know that if I would go back to an old logo it would be the '68-'86 model. That being said, I have no fond memories of the current version, in play since 1997, so if they would move on I would not complain.

Brendan in Wexford writes:

I was very appreciative of your website's local sports media polls a couple of weeks ago. The reason for my appreciation was that it confirmed about 99% of my pre-poll predictions.

1. The vast majority of our local sports newspaper writers stink. Of couse there are a few exceptions (some Steelers beat writers), but most of our fair city's columnists write using the same constant structure and verbiage. It's like I am always reading the same article with different names and statistics. I think the Post-Gazette sports section has a work-share program with the dinosaur room at the museum and with Penn State University as well. Everything seems old, including all the columns about Joe Paterno (who by the way, is the most over-rated sports figure in Pittsburgh over the past 10 years. He has done next to nothing, literally, and he gets more coverage than the pope for God's sake. But that is just the PSU hater in me coming out.

2. The most important thing...Mike Lange! He should never have been removed from TV. The only logical reason I can think of is that he can paint a more vivid picture of the game over the radio for people unable to watch. That being said, that is not why he was moved to the radio, it was because of some young punk station manager that wanted to make a splash. Thankfully that splash was into the "you got fired kiddie pool". Mike Lange IS the best live sports announcer this city has ever had (all due respect to Bob Prince) and he deserved more. The fact that he remains here on the radio is truly a testament to his character.

MH: Yeah, the sports media polls were fun. I was a little surprised that so many of them came back positive, given the collective "disapproves" that most of you give them on a regular basis.

I think the general acceptance of blogs has resulted in the newspaper industry slowly accepting the format and utilizing their vast resources to take full advantage. For instance, they weren't included in the poll, but I know the PG's Empty Netters blog would've scored very high.

Now, whether or not more blog-type content finds its way into the actual newspaper is up for debate. But I can assure you that newspaper have noticed what's going on in cyberspace.

As far as Mike Lange, I was overwhelmed at his rating. I knew he was popular, but WOW!

I happened to be on the road for portions of Game 5 of the Cup finals (THE overtime game), and listening to Lange was simply awesome. He deserves every compliment offered. The man is an icon and it's an injustice to have him limited to radio duty.

---

WRAPUP

OK, that was long, and I didn't come close to hitting all of the emails. But as usual, it was a lot of fun.

Like I said, there's some other interesting stuff in the works this week, most notably Thursday's interview. And no, it is not Ronnie Florian, Tim Worley, the cotton candy guy from the Penguin games or any of the other names suggested. I promise you will not be disappointed. I have lots of research to do on my subject, so hopefully this post will keep you occupied for a while.

Before I go, I must give a mention to all of the Geibel HS alumni who apparently read the site on a regular basis. Let me see your alligator. Now can any of you give me the inside scoop on the dismissal of hoops coach Ken Misiak after a Paterno-esque 45 years on the job?

One last thing...I had to make a movie recommendation, since we can't all watch sports all the time. It's been running on Starz over and over lately, and I think I've watched at least parts of it four times this week. It's called The Brothers Solomon and I'd call it a combination of Dumb and Dumber and 40-Year-Old Virgin. It was a complete box-office bomb, but it was the most I've laughed out loud in a LONG time.

Feel free to send an email for the next mailbag. The address is mondesishouse@gmail.com if you're so inclined.

WAKE ME WHEN IT MATTERS

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:29:46 -0500

The Red Sox and Yanks just split a 4-game, Fourth of July, battle in the Bronx. A Saturday afternoon FOX broadcast, a Sunday night ESPN Game of the Week, and blah, blah, blah, blah, we've been there done that. If it sounds like I'm becoming disinterested, it's because I am.

Sox Fan Goes to Game at Yankee Stadium, Lives to Tell the Tale

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:56:50 -0500

Humorous look at what it's like to be in "enemy territory," complete with um, awards ceremony.

AccuScore Closer Report - 7/7

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:00:47 -0500

There is a new look to the Closer Report this week with expanded coverage of bullpen situations around baseball and rankings for the top fantasy closers and middle relievers. This week AccuScore analyst looks at the All-Star relievers, and has a problem with the selection of one player in particular. Also, the trade deadline is approaching so which closers could be swapping uniforms in the near future?

FInal AL All-Star Game Voting Update has Tight Races

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500

Many of the American League races will hinge on the final days of balloting for the 79th All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Yankee Stadium. Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Boston Red Sox teammates Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is vying for the third starting outfield slot, cling to tight leads.Mauer (1,632,338 votes), who has an edge for the second straight week, leads Boston’s Jason Varitek (1,487,390) by less than 145,000 votes. On the right side of the infield, the pair of Red Sox continues to hang on in their bids to make their Midsummer Classic debuts; Youkilis (1,915,376) is in front of Minnesota’s Justin Morneau (1,641,467) at first base and Pedroia (1,669,216) is outpacing Ian Kinsler (1,485,530) of the Texas Rangers at second. Suzuki, an A.L. All-Star in each of his seven Major League seasons and a fan-elected starter six times, leads a crowded pack in contention for the final starting outfield position with 1,397,460 votes. Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero is fourth with 1,187,273 votes.The two leading American League vote-getters comprise the left side of the infield of the host New York Yankees. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who was Major League Baseball’s most popular choice in last year’s All-Star balloting, has vaulted to the top of this year’s A.L. totals for the first time with 2,518,067 votes. Right behind him is his teammate, shortstop Derek Jeter, with 2,507,534 votes. Rounding out the top five most popular American Leaguers are designated hitter David Ortiz (2,482,981) and outfielder Manny Ramirez (2,409,388) of the Red Sox along with Major League Baseball’s RBI leader, outfielder Josh Hamilton (2,327,467) of the Rangers.With the in-stadium phase of balloting at Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks complete, final votes can be cast exclusively on MLB.com and all 30 Club Web sites via Monster All-Star Online Balloting, which closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2nd. The 2008 American League and National League All-Star Teams will be revealed on Sunday, July 6th on the “MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevy,” televised exclusively on TBS at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) with Ernie Johnson as host and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken as analyst. The American League All-Star Team will have nine starters elected via the fan balloting program, while the National League All-Star Team will have eight fan-elected starters. The pitchers and reserves for both squads – 23 for the N.L., 22 for the A.L. – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers – American League skipper Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox and National League manager Clint Hurdle of the Colorado Rockies – in conjunction with Major League Baseball.Immediately following the announcement of the American League and National League All-Star rosters, fans will have the opportunity to select the final player for each League's 32-man roster at MLB.com. The Monster 2008 All-Star Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from a list of five players from each League over a four-day period. For the fourth year, fans will be able to vote for their Final Vote selections on their mobile phone. Both winners of the Monster All-Star Final Vote will be announced after the voting has concluded on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, fans once again will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the 79th All-Star Game’s Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet via the Monster All-Star Game MVP Vote on MLB.com.The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, being held at Yankee Stadium in its final season, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage.The remaining updates will be released as follows: BALLOTING ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE Tuesday, July 1st NL Balloting Release #6 Sunday, July 6th: Starters Reserves Announced Select Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2311 Itemid=1) to see details of the final American League All-Star Game voting update

Fukudome and Braun in Tight Race for All-Star Game

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:11 -0500

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who has been among the National League’s leaders at the position since the start of balloting, is in a tight race with the surging Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers in the final weekly balloting update for the 79th All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Yankee Stadium. Fukudome has drawn 1,783,983 votes, trailing his teammate, Alfonso Soriano (2,120,635), and the most popular player in the history of Major League Baseball All-Star Game balloting, Ken Griffey, Jr. (1,917,739) of the Cincinnati Reds, among N.L. outfielders. Braun, who was as low as 10th place among outfielders on June 3rd, has collected 1,751,058 votes, leaving him only 32,925 votes behind Fukudome. Fukudome, a longtime member of the Chunichi Dragons and the Most Valuable Player of Japan’s Central League in 2006, is batting .299 with six home runs, 33 RBI, 55 runs scored, 51 walks and a .407 on-base percentage on the season. Braun, the 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year, is batting .287 with 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 45 runs scored and a .552 slugging percentage. Another tight race is at shortstop, where the topsy-turvy contest between Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Miguel Tejada of the Houston Astros will go down to the wire. Ramirez led the race for the first two weeks before Tejada took the top spot for the ensuing pair of updates. Ramirez, the 2006 N.L. Rookie of the Year, regained the mantle last week. Ramirez, seeking his Midsummer Classic debut, has accumulated 1,483,875 votes. Tejada, a four-time A.L. All-Star, has drawn 1,315,240 votes. Ramirez is batting .294 with 18 home runs, 35 RBI, 69 runs scored and 20 stolen bases, while Tejada is hitting .287 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI and 56 runs scored. Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley continues to be Major League Baseball’s leading overall vote-getter with 2,645,027 votes. Other position leaders are first baseman Lance Berkman (2,132,663) of the Astros; Major League Baseball’s leading hitter, third baseman Chipper Jones (2,433,753) of the Atlanta Braves; and Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto (1,827,279). With the in-stadium phase of balloting at Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks complete, final votes can be cast exclusively on MLB.com and all 30 Club Web sites via Monster All-Star Online Balloting, which closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2nd. The 2008 American League and National League All-Star Teams will be revealed on Sunday, July 6th on the “MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevy,” televised exclusively on TBS at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) with Ernie Johnson as host and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken as analyst. The American League All-Star Team will have nine starters elected via the fan balloting program, while the National League All-Star Team will have eight fan-elected starters. The pitchers and reserves for both squads – 23 for the N.L., 22 for the A.L. – will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers – American League skipper Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox and National League manager Clint Hurdle of the Colorado Rockies – in conjunction with Major League Baseball. Immediately following the announcement of the A.L. and N.L. All-Star rosters, fans will have the opportunity to select the final player for each League's 32-man roster at MLB.com. The Monster 2008 All-Star Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from a list of five players from each League over a four-day period. For the fourth year, fans will be able to vote for their Final Vote selections on their mobile phone. Both winners of the Monster All-Star Final Vote will be announced after the voting has concluded on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, fans once again will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the 79th All-Star Game’s Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet via the Monster All-Star Game MVP Vote on MLB.com. The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, being held at Yankee Stadium in its final season, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. The All-Star Game will determine home-field advantage in the 2008 World Series.The remaining updates will be released as follows: BALLOTING ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE Sunday, July 6th: Starters Reserves Announced Select Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2315 Itemid=1) to see details of the final National League All-Star Game voting update

Oakley and MLB Properties Enter Agreement for Eyewear

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500

Oakley.com (http://www.oakley.com/). Part Number Club Frame Color 24-005 Boston Red Sox Red w/ Blue 24-006 Chicago Cubs Blue w/ Red 24-007 Detroit Tigers Orange w/ Blue 24-008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Red w/ White 24-009 Los Angeles Dodgers Blue w/ White 24-010 New York Yankees Navy w/ White 24-011 New York Mets Blue w/ Orange 24-012 Philadelphia Phillies White w/ Red 24-013 San Diego Padres Navy w/ Khaki 24-014 Seattle Mariners Silver w/ Navy 24-015 Arizona Diamondbacks Black w/ Red Source: Oakley, Inc.Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

MLB Sets New Interleague Attendance Record

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500

Major League Baseball has set new records for total and average attendance during Interleague Play (8,893,312 and 35,573, respectively), eclipsing the previous marks (8,795,939 and 34,905) set last season. It marks the third straight season that MLB has set new highs for attendance during Interleague Play and the fifth straight year that the total Interleague attendance has increased. One Interleague game still remains (the July 10th make-up of the June 26th NYY-PIT rainout). The 2008 Interleague average of 35,573 per game is 15.9 percent higher than this season’s current intraleague average of 30,689 per game. Since its inception in 1997, Interleague Play has drawn 12.5 percent more fans than intraleague games; Interleague Play has averaged 33,250 fans per game, compared to the intraleague average of 29,563 fans per game during the same span. Overall this season, MLB’s cumulative average attendance is 31,687 fans per game (38,784,809 fans over 1,224 dates), representing a 0.6 percent increase over the same date during the record-breaking 2007 season and currently putting MLB on track for a fifth consecutive year of record overall attendance. Thus far, the American League has posted 149-102 record in Interleague Play, marking the fifth straight season in which the A.L. has won the season-series and extending its all-time Interleague lead to 1,536-1,419 (.520). Eleven of the A.L.’s 14 Clubs finished over .500. A.L. Clubs collected a .275 batting average with 1,247 runs scored, 276 home runs and a 3.69 ERA, compared to the N.L.’s .251 batting average, 1,010 runs scored, 251 home runs and 4.56 ERA. With a 2.44 team ERA, the Minnesota Twins earned the top Interleague record with a 14-4 (.778) mark, followed by the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals, both of whom went 13-5 (.722). Overall, A.L. Central Clubs went 58-32 (.644) in Interleague Play, with four of its five Clubs going 12-6 or better. The New York Yankees, who were 10-7 in Interleague Play this year, have baseball’s best all-time Interleague record at 123-86 (.589), followed by the Oakland Athletics (10-8) at 123-89 (.580). The Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets tied for the N.L.’s best Interleague mark with 9-6 records. The Florida Marlins, who went 5-10 in Interleague Play this year, still have the National League’s best all-time Interleague record at 110-91 (.547). Interleague Play’s all-time statistical leaders include Albert Pujols with a .350 batting average; Derek Jeter with 278 hits; Jim Thome with 55 home runs; Carlos Delgado with 153 RBI; Mike Mussina with 21 wins; Johan Santana with a 2.49 ERA; and Mariano Rivera with 55 saves. The Interleague leaders in 2008 were Aaron Miles of the St. Louis Cardinals with a .463 batting average; Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox with 36 hits; Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox with eight home runs and 23 RBI; Mark Buehrle (4-0) of the White Sox, Andy Sonnanstine (4-0) of the Tampa Bay Rays and A.J. Burnett (4-1) of the Toronto Blue Jays with four wins; Jair Jurrjens of the Atlanta Braves with 0.00 ERA (min.: 1.0 IP per team’s games played); and George Sherrill of the Baltimore Orioles and Joakim Soria of the Kansas City Royals with seven saves apiece. Select Read More to see additional statistical data on 2008 Interleague Play.

Black and Latin Red Sox Players Threatened

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500

A letter containing threats on black and Latin players on the Boston Red Sox has the team and MLB beefing up security for the next 3 games in St. Petersburg as the Red Sox get set to play the Rays at Tropicana Field. That series begins tonight. According to the report, the letter was received by the Red Sox and was postmarked in Memphis, Tenn. The letter targets at least two players by name. Security will accompany the players to their hotel from Tropicana Field after the game. As reported by the Boston Herald (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2008_06_30_Sox_dealing_with_threat:_Beef_up_security_for_Tampa_Bay_trip/srvc=sox position=3): The Sox are sending at least two of their top security officials, while another security team is due from MLB’s office in New York. The FBI and police departments in St. Petersburg, Boston, Memphis and Baltimore have been apprised of the threats, which are a federal crime.According to a source, law-enforcement authorities have been looking for a suspect believed to be from Baltimore but living in the Memphis area. By all indications, he is not in custody yet. The threat appears to be unrelated to the tensions between the Rays and Red Sox, which culminated in a benches clearing brawl on June 5.Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

Reynolds, Eckersley Added to All-Star Selection Show

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:11 -0500

TBS announced today the addition of two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds and six-time All-Star and 2004 Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Eckersley to its studio team for the network’s exclusive coverage of the MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Chevy at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 6. Reynolds and Eckersley will join TBS studio host and two-time Emmy® award-winner Ernie Johnson and TBS MLB studio analyst Cal Ripken, a 19-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP (1991, 2001) and 2007 Hall of Fame inductee. Immediately following the show TBS will air the Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals at 3 p.m. ET, with Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Buck Martinez (analyst) calling the action. “We are excited to add analysts to our studio show with the on-air credentials and on-field experience of the caliber of Harold and Dennis,” said Jeff Behnke, SVP and executive producer for Turner Sports. “We look forward to providing their insights and opinions as fans and players around the country learn who will be representing their teams in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game.” During the telecast, TBS will exclusively reveal the All-Star Game starters elected by fan voting, as well as the player selections and manager picks to round out this year’s AL and NL squads. Throughout the hour-long telecast Reynolds, Eckersley and Ripken will provide in-depth review and analysis. Reynolds, who currently serves as a baseball commentator for MLB.com and an analyst for SportsNet New York (SNY), played 12-seasons in the Major Leagues, spending time with the Seattle Mariners (1983-92), Baltimore Orioles (1993) and California Angels (1994). Along with his two All-Star appearances (1987 1988), Reynolds won three Gold Gloves (1988 – 1990), led the American League in steals with 60 in 1987 and received MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award (1991) for his community service work. Reynolds previously served as a studio analyst on ESPN’s Emmy® award-winning Baseball Tonight. Eckersley currently serves as a studio analyst for select Boston Red Sox games on New England Sports Network (NESN). The AL 1992 Cy Young award and MVP winner, Eckersley enjoyed success as both a starter and reliever and is one of only two pitchers to have both a 20-win season (1978) and a 50-save season (1992) in a career. Affectionately known as “Eck,” the pitcher played 24 years in the big leagues for the Cleveland Indians (1975-77), Boston Red Sox (1978-84, 1998), Chicago Cubs (1984 – 86), Oakland Athletics (1987-95) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996-97), winning a World Series championship with the A’s in 1989. TBS is the exclusive home of all four MLB Division Series as well as the 2008 American League Championship Series. This season the network launched Sunday MLB on TBS, featuring 26 consecutive Sunday afternoon match ups with Chip Caray providing play-by play, alongside analysts Ron Darling and Buck Martinez throughout the season.Source: TBS Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

You Really Like Me! Rays See Highest TV Ratings Ever

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:10 -0500

There are signs, albeit slowly and partially due to the current World Series champion being part of the equation, that fan interest in the Tampa Bay Rays is mirroring their fantastic first-half run.Attendance is slowly inching upward, and television ratings are bearing fruit.Some will say that this may be due to the now infamous dust-up between the Rays and Red Sox on June 5th that resulted in 8 players being suspended. No matter, the Rays have to be enjoying the ride. Monday's Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox game on Rays-TV (televised locally on ION-Media, WXPX) recorded the highest ratings in the history of the franchise. The highlights: 271,000 combined homes in Tampa (WXPX) and Orlando (WOPX) tuned in to Rays TV at 10p.m. The highest number ever. Rays TV was # 1 in the Tampa market at 10p.m. Out-delivered all stations and cable 12.8 represents the highest peak household TV rating in the history of the Club Men 25-54 peaked at an 8.4 rtg WXPX Tampa WOPX Orlando Game Avg 8.5 rtg/ 13 share 2.0 rtg/ 3 share Peak 12.8 rtg /20 share (10:00 p.m.) 3.3 rtg /5 share (9:15 p.m.)Source: Tampa Bay RaysMaury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

Really? You Couldn't Find Anyone Better?

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:48:21 -0500

.218 with 7 home runs and 27 RBI and an on-base percentage of .300. That sounds like someone who should be placed on waivers, or sent to Triple A. But it's not. It's someone headed to the All Star game next week. Jason Varitek may be having the worst season of any player ever named to the mid-summer classic. And it's not like he was voted in by the fans, either. Varitek was selected by his fellow American Leaguers...

My New Sawks Jersey

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:04:36 -0500

A funny parody to "My New Haircut" is "My New Sawks Jersey." I am a Red Sox fan living in New York City and my view may be a little jaded, but are we seriously this annoying? Well played Devil Rays fan!