Tag: Boston Red Sox (Page 13 of 37)

      Mikey’s MLB power rankings

      September 19, 2009 /

      Wow, there are just two weeks left in the regular season, and the races have mostly been decided. The Twins might catch the Tigers, and the Giants or Marlins might catch the Rockies…and if you want to get a laugh, consider that the Nationals might catch the Mets. That’s a long shot, but it’s mathematically possible, which proves what a horrid season the Mets have had. Here are the power rankings for this week:

      1. New York Yankees (94-54)—There should be no question who the first team to 100 wins will be. CC goes for win #18 today, and at this point there is probably no doubt who the best free agent signing was this season.

      2. Los Angeles Angels (88-59)—Still coasting, and though the Angels moved up to #2 this week, they can’t feel good with Brian Fuentes struggling this time of year.

      3. Los Angeles Dodgers (88-60)—Who is the better team in L.A.? Ask me again in a month.

      4. Boston Red Sox (87-59)—Still only six games back of the Yanks, but a playoff berth is all but guaranteed with a 7-game wild card lead. A first round match up with the Angels looms, something Red Sox nation does not and should not fear.

      5. St. Louis Cardinals (86-62)—It’s okay to get a few losses out of the way now, what with a ridiculous 10-game lead over the Cubs. But along with the Angels and Phillies, this team has a big question mark at the back end of the bullpen.

      6. Philadelphia Phillies (86-60)—Playing good ball again, and Cliff Lee has returned to form at the right time. Magic number is 8, and with a close record to the Cards, it’s unclear which team will face the wild card winner.

      7. Colorado Rockies (83-65)—This is not the time to play mediocre ball, but the Rocks were so hot that cooling off was inevitable. Still have a 2.5-game lead in the wild card standings.

      8. Texas Rangers (80-66)—Fading fast.

      9. San Francisco Giants (80-67)—Still hanging on, but the clock is ticking. Big win over Dodgers last night.

      10. Detroit Tigers (78-69)—Not only are the Marlins threatening to take their spot in the power rankings, but the Twins are now just 3 games back after shutting the Tigers out last night.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Mikey’s MLB power rankings

      September 5, 2009 /

      We are now in September, which means pennant races are becoming reality and every game is more meaningful. The Yankees are still red-hot, but at some point we have to wonder if they can keep it up when October rolls around—peaking in August is not necessarily what you hope for, but it has put some distance between the Yanks and Sox.
      The rankings have not changed much, but have changed nonetheless:

      1. New York Yankees (86-49)—Last night, Roy Halladay put out a fire that saw the Yanks win six straight after our previous rankings were released.

      2. St. Louis Cardinals (80-56)—Holliday and Pujols homered again. But just like the Yanks, can those two continue their tear into October? Oh, and the Cards’ pitching staff isn’t too shabby either.

      3. Los Angeles Angels (79-54)—A 3.5 game lead over Texas is not what Mike Scioscia was hoping for at this point.

      4. Los Angeles Dodgers (80-56)—Can we talk about Manny Ramirez, or can we ask where he’s been since returning from suspension? In fact, Man-Ram has 16 homers in 83 games. Last year, he had 17 in 53 after coming over from Boston. Hmmmm. Oh, but how ‘bout Thome and Ramirez back in the same lineup.

      5. Philadelphia Phillies (77-55)—Cliff Lee being rocked again is not a good sign, but the Phils still lead the Braves by 7.5 games.

      6. Boston Red Sox (78-56)—Seven-plus behind the Yanks, and only two games ahead of Texas for the wild card. Red Sox nation must keep the Rolaids nearby.

      7. Texas Rangers (76-58)—Did anyone else read that article in ESPN the Magazine about how Nolan Ryan is grooming his pitchers to be tougher? Now that’s a concept, as the complete game had become a lost art.

      8. Colorado Rockies (75-60)—A sweep last weekend by the Giants put a hurtin’ on the Rockies, but they are hanging tough, leading the wild card race by a game.

      9. San Francisco Giants (74-61)—You can’t count the Giants out with their pitching staff, but they have needed a slugger in the lineup ever since they released Barry Bonds.

      10. Detroit Tigers (73-61)—There is now some distance between the Tigers and Twins, and even more between the Tigers and White Sox, who appear to have given up hope. The question is, can this team beat the Yankees, their most likely opponent in October, in a short series?

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Mikey’s MLB power rankings

      August 29, 2009 /

      Pennant races this season are not quite as exciting as last season, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have a few good races in September. The power rankings this week have not changed much, but the Rockies and Rangers swapped places. The Rays, who were on the cusp of cracking the Top 10, traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels yesterday, making us all scratch our heads and wonder if they are conceding the race.

      1. New York Yankees (80-48)—The first team to 80 victories is officially in cruise control. The question is, can they carry it over into the postseason? Because we all know how you-know-who performs in October.

      2. Los Angeles Angels (76-51)—If newly acquired Scott Kazmir stays healthy, this scrappy Angels team could be wearing new jewelry. Then again, October has been none to kind to them recently as well.

      3. St. Louis Cardinals (75-55)—The Cardinals now have a 9 game lead on the woe-as-me Cubs. The good franchises always add the right parts when they are in a pennant race, and Matt Holliday and John Smoltz are those guys for the Redbirds.

      4. Philadelphia Phillies (74-52)—The Phils may have given the slightest ray of hope to the Marlins and Braves, but then they remembered that they were the world champs.

      5. Los Angeles Dodgers (76-53)—Their lead over the Rockies shrunk to 2 games this past week. It’s now back to 4, but this NL West race is not going to be a landslide as everyone thought. In fact, it’s now a 3-team race.

      6. Boston Red Sox (74-54)—Don’t think the Sox can’t still catch the Yankees. If not, they should be able to hang on to the wild card, and adding Billy Wagner certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.

      7. Colorado Rockies (72-57)—The wild card is not what these Rockies have in mind, and they just keep right on winning and closing the gap.

      8. Texas Rangers (71-56)—Slipping in the power rankings and slipping in their quest for a wild card berth.

      9. San Francisco Giants (70-59)—Got a big lift from Lincecum last night against the Rockies, but Giants need to sweep this weekend if they want to remain in contention.

      10. Detroit Tigers (68-59)—T-men hanging tough, but watch out for the surging Twins, is all I’m sayin’.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Released by the Red Sox, Giants should take flier on Penny

      August 27, 2009 /

      The Boston Herald is reporting that the Red Sox have released starter Brad Penny, who has been awful in his last four starts, compiling a 0-4 record and a 9.11 ERA. Penny will try to join a contender by the end of August in hopes of contributing this postseason.

      One contender that would be a fit for Penny is the Giants. They’re a seriously flawed club offensively, so it would make sense that they would focus their attention solely on that weakness. But there aren’t any available bats, so their lineup is what it is. (Fans just threw up after reading that.)

      They could, however, use an upgrade over fifth starter Joe Martinez, who is well liked and incredibly easy to root for, but has failed to get past the fifth inning in each of his last four starts. Granted, he’s 2-1 during that span, but he’s gotten an unusual (for the Giants) 8.0 runs per game over those four contests. The more telling sign of how Martinez has pitched is his ERA, which is 5.73.

      Penny pitched for the Dodgers for four years (2005-2008) and therefore is familiar with the NL West. Outside of his bloated 6.28 ERA in 2008, he was anywhere from respectable to great while pitching in L.A., compiling a 3.90 ERA in 2005, a 4.33 ERA in 2006, and a 3.03 mark in 2007.

      Continue reading »

      MLB

      Papelbon voices displeasure over Sox potentially acquiring Wagner

      August 24, 2009 /

      Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon isn’t thrilled about his club potentially acquiring reliever Billy Wagner from the Mets.

      From the Boston Herald:

      “It’s a tough decision, because do you disrupt what we have now or do you make it better?” he said. “It’s a tough decision, and I’m glad I don’t have to make it.”

      “I think that we have a good dynamic in the bullpen, I think we have guys who know how to work together,” Papelbon said. “Is Billy Wagner a good pitcher? Would he bring some more depth to our bullpen and make our bullpen better? There’s no question about it, but you also have to think about what we have now and what we’ve been able to accomplish to this point in the season and how good we’ve been.

      “It’s not that it shakes the balance; you have that little bit of time of getting used to it, but how are we going to use this guy now, what situation is he going to be best in, who’s going to leave our bullpen – it’s a multitude of things. It’s not just one specific thing.”

      Asked if Wagner’s addition would be welcomed, Papelbon said “no question.”

      “I don’t think in this environment you hold grudges or you get an ego about yourself,” Papelbon said. “When a guy comes in, you welcome him with open arms and you move forward and you say, ‘Look, you’re here for one reason and for one reason only: You’re here to help us win a World Series this year.’ And if that guy’s not on board, then he falls by the wayside, but if he comes in our clubhouse and says, ‘I’m on board for this,’ then you rock and roll, man.”

      This all may be moot anyway, as the Red Sox, Mets and Wagner’s agent Bean Stringfellow are struggling to come to terms with a deal. Stringfellow wants a guarantee that Boston won’t pick up Wagner’s 2010 club option and won’t offer the reliever salary arbitration. A deal has to be completed by 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday or else Wagner goes back on waivers.

      As far as Papelbon’s feelings are concerned, he shouldn’t be worried about what the front office is doing. He has a right to have an opinion, but he doesn’t get paid to scout other team’s players and determine whether or not they’ll be a good fit for the Sox. Regardless of if Boston’s pen has been productive this season, if the front office believes Wagner makes the group better, then they’re going to proceed with trying to acquire him – Papelbon (and his opinions) be damned.

      MLB

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