The Top Boston Sports Stories of 2009 – No. 1-5

So we’re here…sitting on the doorstep of another year sure to bring plenty to talk about, both on the field and off. With four teams now fully competitive and New England athletes competing in individual sports like MMA and all of the Olympic events, it’s great to be a New England sports fan, even with the sub-zero temperatures this time of year.

The past 12 months have brought us another slew of games, decisions, play-calling, personalities and rivals to argue about at bars, barbershops and board rooms. Things like 4th and 2, whether to re-sign Jason Bay, the Evil Empire buying a title, the NHL Winter Classic and more were on our minds, lips and keyboards and thanks to the glut of sports media here, we have no shortage of outlets of which to get opinions from (including this one!).

We’ve looked at the Honorable Mentions and No’s. 6-10 on our list of the top Boston sports stories of 2009. Now as we prepare to welcome 2010, let’s say good bye to 2009 and the top five stories in Boston sports of the last 12 months.

5 – Harrison and Bruschi retirements, Seymour trade signal end of a defensive era for Patriots

Hey, look at it this way: the New England Patriots’ losses have been the networks’ gain as Rodney Harrison (NBC) and Tedy Bruschi (ESPN) both effortlessly slid into the role of “football analyst” to begin the season, flashing those million dollar smiles on faces that look like they’ve barely seen a combined 28 seasons of NFL action.

Once upon a time, the two were damn good football players too.

After patrolling and policing the Patriots defense together for six years (Harrison joined the team in 2003) and celebrating two championships together, Harrison and Bruschi both hung up their shoulder pads this summer and the Patriots have suffered for it. While their stats near the end of their careers may have not got headlines on the Monday recaps, there is no doubt that Bill Belichick’s defense has been in search of consistent leadership during this 2009 campaign. Combined with the surprising preseason trade of defensive mainstay Richard Seymour, this is a defense in serious transition.

There are positives. Even in a season where he’ll likely miss three games, Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork has been a presence on the line and is making a case for a Albert Haynesworth-style payday when it comes time to ink a new deal this offseason. Young buck Jerod Mayo is evolving into the linebacker we are dying to have become a mega-star in New England.

But the secondary never has been fully addressed since Asante Samuel left town and once highly-touted free agent signing Adalius Thomas has evolved into more of a team issue than a team player. This group has their moments – like this past Sunday against Jacksonville – but in games against Indianapolis and New Orleans, they got handled badly. To lose all three of those guys at once was a huge deal as their presence alone was essentially an extension of Belichick on a player level.

Leaders take time to develop and personnel like Wilfork, Mayo and even Brandon Meriweather have shown they have the stuff to evolve into Double-B’s go-to guys. It just might be a while until they become the three-headed monster that Harrison, Bruschi and Seymour were for so many seasons, a monster that inspired the rest of the group to jump on for the ride. They get to start their own playoff journey and try in just a few weeks.

4 – Kevin Garnett hurts knee, misses 2009 NBA Playoffs

One of the toughest things in sports is to repeat as champions, but with the nucleus still intact and another year of maturity for one of the best young point guards in the league, the Boston Celtics had as good a chance as any to go back-to-back and win their 18th title. Even with the loss of the versatile James Posey, the C’s began the year at 27-2 – the best start in NBA history.

Then in February, things changed when spiritual leader Kevin Garnett injured his right knee in a game against the Utah Jazz. After missing 14 games, there was still reason to be optimistic as it looked like Garnett would be back for the playoffs. However, fans woke up from their dream abruptly when Garnett was shut down for the season after coming back for just four games. He would eventually have major knee surgery, but returned on time and has been as good as ever in ’09-’10.

Even without him, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and the rest of the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals and arguably were a KG away from defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 7 and getting a rematch with the Cleveland LeBrons. Offseason rumors were that Garnett would have played if the Celtics had advanced, but this was never proven and finds its place in Celtics lore.

The injury was a hard reminder that seasons are long and that health is always the great equalizer for any team rolling along to the promise land. Just months removed from another Boston icon’s knee blowing up, New England fans felt the pain again with Garnett.

3 – The 2009 MLB Playoffs (aka Hell for Red Sox fans)

If prior to the 2009 playoffs, you had mapped out the worst possible scenario for Red Sox Nation, it’s hard to imagine it could have been any more brutal than what we experienced this fall. Not only did a perennial postseason punching bag finally defeat the Sox in the ALDS, but their blood rival that hadn’t won a title since 2000 (despite spending about $2 billion) actually took home the shiny brass ring and revived one of the more obnoxious fanbases in sports in doing so.

Let’s start with the direct pain. The Los Angeles Angels not only beat the Red Sox in a playoff series for the first time in five chances, but swept them in doing so – culminating in a sad Sunday game that was in Boston’s back pocket until a meltdown by closer Jonathan Papelbon snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was ugly, just plain ugly. The bats never did going and there was a general malaise over the team in general.

This team earned their playoff berth, but certainly didn’t battle like one. Something just felt off, didn’t it?

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Yankees won the World Series, earning rings for offseason acquisitions Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. After spending and spending and spending and spending, they finally did it. Congratulations! That’s what spending that much cash and playing in a Little League-sized ballpark will do for you. (Bitter much? Yes, I am.)

If there’s any positive out of this mess, it’s that it feels like Boston vs. New York might actually mean something again in 2010. Since 2004 and then 2007, the Yankees haven’t really felt like a factor as we’ve been too euphoric in our own championship victories to even notice them making the postseason. But with the sweeping spending last year and the equally aggressive offseason moves this winter, New York isn’t going away and hopefully, Boston isn’t either.

No more joking around with Jeter or A-Rod, Big Papi. It’s time to get serious again…like Varitek/A-Rod serious.

2 – David Ortiz and the great steroids scandal of 2009

We all pointed, laughed and said, “I told you so” when reports broke in February that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids back in 2003. We then had to slouch, grimace and eat a bit of crow when two familiar names – David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez – were linked to the infamous steroids test of that year and leaked from “the list” this summer.

Not our guys! That’s impossible…improbable…and likely accurate.

Amidst one of the most worst offensive seasons he had suffered in years, Ortiz was faced with one of the worst nightmares a professional athlete can face: a drug scandal. Ortiz denied the reports and in a memorable press conference during a series with the rival Yankees, said he took a variety of supplements and vitamins but never steroids. The story eventually died down to a degree, but the coincidence with his offensive outage was remarkable.

Believe him or not, we now had our own national steroid scourge to deal with. I remember going to San Francisco in 2003 and being amazed as just how much the Barry Bonds bubble was in effect. People simply didn’t care about anything the rest of the world thought about their offensive hero. While there were a smattering of boos at the Fens and on sports radio, the opinion really was quite non-chalant. We finally got our own bubble to live in.

2010 will be an interesting one for Ortiz as it’s his final contracted year in Boston. The man that meant so much for so long could be taking his final swings in a Boston uniform. What kind of bat will we see? Will Ortiz answer Theo Epstein’s offseason call or will he regress? Where is he going to bat in this order? As #34 goes, so goes the Red Sox offense especially if Mike Cameron and Casey Kotchman end up getting the majority of starts in this offense.

We need ya, big guy.

(By the way, notice how Manny just kinda slid on by in this whole mess? Mannywood!)

1 – No championships for first year since 2006

Gawd, we’re spoiled.

Since the Celtics earned their 17th World Championship in June 2008, we’ve experienced a dry spell here in Boston. The past 12 months marked the first calendar year since 2006 and the fifth year this decade that a Boston team hasn’t celebrated a championship.

Say what? The city of Cleveland would love to have just one of the six combined championships the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots have won this decade and we’re complaining about a calendar year? Yep, that’s right.

Admit it – holiday shopping did feel a bit different with no championship apparel to buy for friends and family. (Well, that and that damn 27th World Series that Yankees team just earned. Too much Yankees merch available around here these days.)

But the Celtics are healthy again and still the beasts of the Eastern Conference despite a horrible West Coat trip. The Patriots’ Brady-to-Welker road show is playoff-bound once again and if Theo’s plan holds up, the Red Sox will see the postseason yet again. So yeah, you gotta feel a bit of hope that championship joy will return to our corner of Mudville (Snowville?) by this time next year….or else it will be two years in a row. Ouch!

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

The Top 10 Boston Sports Stories of 2009 – No. 6-10

A Red Sox icon finally inducted into the Hall Of Fame, Fenway Park installs a sheet of ice for a bazillion people and a young Celtics star makes sure he’s sticking around for a while…we have the bottom half of the Top 10 Boston Sports Stories of 2009 right here!

If you missed the honorable mentions, here you go. We’ll reveal the Top 5 on Wednesday. Enjoy!

10 – Rajon Rondo signs extension with Boston Celtics

It was a bizarre negotiation that came down to the wire, but in the end, the Celtics didn’t let budding young star Rajon Rondo get away, signing the point guard to a 5-year, $55 million extension in November.

What’s so bizarre about that? How about Rondo being called out by team personnel several times over the summer (GM Danny Ainge revealed he was fined for being late to a playoff game, while coach Doc Rivers made some well-publicized comments)?

Was it just a case of tough love? Maybe, but in this era of the modern athlete, it was a huge risk to potentially not just alienate their point guard from signing a deal but perhaps for the impending season. These days, that seems more like the norm than the exception.

But in a weird way, maybe it worked. The 23-year-old will be sticking around Boston for an important fraction of his career and can continue his evolution in a winning environment. The next few years will be intriguing when it comes times for NBA player movement but at one of the most important positions in the league, the C’s have their man…even if he still needs to work on his free throws.

9 – Boston secures the Winter Classic

Maybe it was the Bruins return to relevance last season OR the success at playing outdoor hockey at Wrigley Field OR the Red Sox ownership knowing the right people OR perhaps it was a combination of all that and then some that earned Boston the right to host the next NHL Winter Classic. Whatever it was, we’re glad it happened as Fenway Park will see some freaking freezing cold hockey action this Friday as they host the league’s annual major single-game event between the B’s and the Flyers.

Since the announcement, there has been a buzz about the game and everyone has been using up their favors in order to get tickets. People are getting together for New Year’s Day parties to watch and for one day, hockey will matter to the mainstream fan here in New England. We’ve known for a while that Boston is a major sports hotbed and getting one-off events like this that bring major exposure and additional revenue to the Hub prove it, even if tickets were near-impossible to come by. I have a feeling, however, that everyone is going to know someone that went, kinda like Ali/Liston in Lewiston, Maine.

Got any extra tickets kicking around?

8 – 4th and 2

Who knew that one call in one game would garner so much discussion? (Well, actually…we knew it would, didn’t we?)

The decision by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to go for it on 4th and 2 in a 34-28 game against the rival Indianapolis Colts earlier this season had not only Boston buzzing, but the national sports media as well. As you well know, the decision didn’t work out, the Colts scored in like two seconds and went on to win 35-34.

Always happy to rip into Belichick, there were plenty of the usual pundits that took their shots but surprisingly, some also defended him as well, noting his history of brass-balls play-calling that usually worked. Alas, this time it didn’t and the pain stuck around for a while.

But while ‘4th and 2’ was the main driver of the story, it was the questioning of Belichick here by some of the fanbase in New England that was most shocking. The guy that could previously get away with nearly anything because of his track record suddenly had doubters. Perhaps the season itself to that point had helped this sentiment evolve but suddenly, Belichick’s decision making wasn’t bulletproof – the first real chink in an otherwise stellar armor. Like it or not, things changed on that Sunday night.

Even former players like Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison didn’t like the call and said that it sent a message to the defense that it couldn’t be trusted with the game on the line. In a million years, I would have never guessed either guy to speak out against Double-B like that. Belichick was his normal self and the team smartly didn’t question the decision publicly. However, I still wonder if behind closed doors, the defense really did feel slighted.

How the Patriots finish off this season will tell a lot. We know they’re in the playoffs, but how would a one-and-done go over here? Will the questioning increase or go away? What about the next ‘4th and 2’ situation? For better or worse, no one is immune from fan and media scrutiny in Boston and now, Bill Belichick truly understands that. Welcome to the party, pal.

7 – WEEI vs. Sports Hub vs. NESN vs. CSNE: The Sports Media War Heats Up

And here you thought intense competition in sports was only on the field of play.

The fact that major sports media entities in Boston have intensified their efforts isn’t new, but the efforts at which they will go to continue their one-upmanship still is. Fortifying web content was huge as radio giant WEEI redesigned and bolstered their site, while Comcast Sports Net not only relaunched their site but made like the Red Sox and acquired various print beat writers like Sean McAdam, Tom E. Curran and Kevin Paul Dupont to come on board.

It’s like every outlet is attempting to fill out their pitching rotation, signing people that they hope will put butts in front of the TV/computer seats.

ESPN continued their trend of leveraging regional content by launching ESPNBoston.com and signing Mike Reiss away from the Boston Globe to lead their Patriots coverage. Their radio presence also continued to grow with an agreement with WEEI to provide some radio content, clearing the way for some of their insiders to appear on the ‘EEI airwaves. There has been some talk about them fully moving over the 850 AM spot, while WEEI moves to FM full-time but nothing has been announced.

Initially, Peter Gammons was to be part of this package but he decided to leave ESPN to focus on a reduced workload with MLB Network and NESN – a huge coup for the network known for Red Sox coverage. Gammons will contribute both on-air for 50 of the team’s pre-game telecasts and also be an online contributor as well.  The effect on NESN is equitable to what Albert Pujols would bring to the Boston lineup – just awesome.

But the most interesting twist of 2009 has to be the launch of 98.5 FM – The Sports Hub. Meant to be a direct competitor to WEEI, the CBS-owned sports station brought on their own hired guns in Mike Felger, Tony Massarotti, Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and the popular morning team of Toucher and Rich from the former WBCN. So far, so good as the Felger/Mazz afternoon drive-time show has been great listening and a nice change of pace from the yelling and screaming of Glenn Ordway’s The Big Show.

With media continually changing, it’s all about polarizing personalities, leveraging online content and overall creating a brand experience. Just using the traditional approaches simply isn’t good enough. Whether it’s airing a game, a newscast or even a special report, everything matters in a sports media saturated market like Boston. Who knows? If 2009 was any indication, 2010 may feel like it focuses more on who brings us the news rather than who they’re reporting on.

6 – Jim Rice inducted into the Hall Of Fame

A generation of Red Sox fans were finally able to breathe as Jim Rice was inducted into the Hall of Fame after a 15-year wait.

If you’re into Sox history, I don’t need to explain to you what a moment this was. The yearly push to include Rice practically became telethon-esque around here with a slew of team personnel, former players and media peeps pleading their cases as to why he belonged, while Rice – a NESN analyst for the past few years- calmly tried to explain his case while staying north of begging the BBWAA to let him in. That was never his style and like Eddie Murray years before him, probably was part of the reason things took so long.

Along the way, many newer fans got brought into the story and pushed for Rice’s inclusion even if they didn’t fully understand why.

The argument for Rice was that while his numbers were not collectively eye-popping, he was a dominant player during a stretch which years later, would be seen as the pre-steroids era. He led the AL in home runs three times and RBI twice, was an eight-time All-Star and won the AL MVP in 1978, finishing in the MVP race five other times. In 16 seasons, he finished with a .298 average, 382 homers, 1451 RBI, over 1200 runs scored and over 2400 hits.

The arguments against? Great player, but not Hall-worthy. Of course, this brought up the valid debate of the criteria to get into the Hall of Fame and one’s perspective of greatness. Comparisons to other players in and not in were brought up and Rice’s numbers were sliced, diced and reheated too many times to recount here. With this being his last chance, there was an impending feeling of closure for everyone involved.

A no-doubt HOF’er? No, but Rice’s inclusion is an interesting and deserved one, given the timeframe, the campaign to get him in and the ultimate result. It worked and Rice’s number is now retired at Fenway Park in addition to a nice bust in Cooperstown. A legion of fans that followed Rice for almost two decades is now vindicated, as is he.

1-5 this Wednesday..

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

Red Sox Playoffs: They've Been Here Before

Down 2-0 in a five-game series? Pshhhh, please. That’s nothing. Try being down 3-0 to your blood rivals in the ALCS a year removed from them ripping your hearts out in Game 7.

Sunday’s Game 3 against the Angels is just another day at Fenway Park…we hope.

This is getting to be old news for the Local Nine: down 3-1 in ’04 against the afore-mentioned Yankees and down 3-1 in ’07 against the Cleveland Indians – both World Series winning seasons. They were also down 3-1 in the ALCS last season but since they lost in Game 7, many forget the accomplishment.

Some interesting (or potentially heartbreaking) stats:

– Since 2003, Boston is 13-3 in potential elimination games.

– The Red Sox have won three games in a row 14 times this season.

– In the Divisional Series, four teams have come back from 2-0 deficits, including the ’99 and ’03 editions of the Sox. In both situations, they lost their first two games on the road.

– Boston was 56-25 at home this season, 2nd best in baseball.

But the key today is to hit and hit early. In the first two games, the Sox offense has managed just eight hits and one run and will face old rival Scott Kazmir – someone is familiar with the confines of Fenway during his run with Tampa Bay.

Kazmir has had success at the Fens, allowing just 14 runs and fanning 46 in 40 innings of work from 2006-2008, holding the Sox to a .250 batting average. This season? Two starts and two wins in similar fashion.

But this is October and traditionally, this is when Boston plays its best baseball. There’s a reason why this club has come back time and time and time again. Until they falter, trust in the notion that this is old hat to Terry Francona. In fact, this is more the norm.

They’ve been here before. The question is can they do it again.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com]. 

Media Notes: Gary Tanguay's research on Josh Beckett's numbers is quite terrible

Josh Beckett is the man even when he goes more than 200 innings.

On the early Monday edition of Comcast Sports New England’s Sports Tonight, co-host Gary Tanguay brought up concerns about Josh Beckett going into the postseason, specifically citing Beckett’s lack of success when he goes over 200 innings pitched in a season.

To paraphrase, Tanguay said that he simply wasn’t the same pitcher after he crossed that threshold. To be quite blunt, that is a ridiculous statement and simply not true.

Beckett has thrown more than 200 innings only three times in his nine-year career: 2006, 2007 and 2009. His regular season numbers in those years:

2006: 16-11, 5.01 ERA, 158 K’s, 74 walks in 204.2 innings (33 starts)

2007: 20-7, 3.27 ERA, 194 K’s, 40 walks in 200.2 innings (30 starts). He finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting and 22nd overall in the AL MVP vote.

2009: 17-6, 3.86 ERA, 199 K’s, 55 walks in 212.1 innings (32 starts)

So looking at these numbers, I guess I’m not seeing a trend of bad pitching. 2006 was his first season in the American League, so there’s going to be a transition year. 2007? Please. 2009? Despite a few bumps late in the season, how do you complain about those numbers?

With that myth debunked, perhaps Tanguay was referring to Beckett’s postseason performance when he goes over 200 innings. Alright then, let’s see the numbers.

2006: Boston didn’t make the playoffs.

2007: 4-0, 1.20 ERA, 35 K’s, 2 walks in 30 innings (four starts)

2009: His first start is Saturday.

Uhhh…what the hell was Tanguay trying to say? If there’s a point to be made, it’s that there could be concern over Beckett’s workload in the postseason considering he had a career-high in innings pitched this year and that last year’s playoffs weren’t that great for him. But he instead made a statement with no statistical backup and no one called him out on it…until now.

It took me roughly two minutes to look up Beckett’s stats and easily disprove Tanguay’s theory. And he’s the guy getting paid to be on TV and the radio? This was the same guy who said the Red Sox weren’t going to make the playoffs after their mid-summer swoon. Guess he was wrong there too.

C’mon Gary. You’re better than this.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

Winning the World Series: do the last 10 games matter?

A lot was made of the recent losing woes of the Red Sox and how going into the playoffs amidst a losing streak spelled doom for the Boston Local 9.

If you look at the last 10 World Series champions, it could. Then again, it might be just a meaningless side note.

From 1999-2008, six of the eventual champs went into the playoffs on a winning record, including the last two. Only three had losing records: the 2000 Yankees (2-8 and lost their last seven games), the 2002 Anaheim Angels (4-6) and the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals (3-7).

One team (the ’99 Yankees) went in at .500 in their last 10 games.

• 1999:  NYY 5-5
• 2000:  NYY 2-8
• 2001:  Arizona 7-3
• 2002:  Anaheim 4-6
• 2003:  Florida 7-3
• 2004:  Boston 7-3
• 2005:  Chicago White Sox 8-2
• 2006:  St. Louis 3-7 (only played 161 games)
• 2007:  Boston 6-4
• 2008:  Philadelphia 7-3

With two games left, the Sox are 4-6 in their last 10 and no matter what they do, they will go in on a losing record. Does it mean anything? Probably not as there are a ton of other factors that affect playoff performance like playoff opponents, setting up your pitching and injuries.

It’s an interesting stat, but not really that meaningful. Cementing your playoff status earlier than later and putting yourself in a prime position to win is what’s important. But hearing all of the chatter this week, you’d think the Red Sox have no chance at winning a title because of their recent play.

Last I checked, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are your Game 1 and 2 starters and the rest of the team is healthy and ready to roll. That’s really what matters, isn’t it?

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com]. 

Despite playoff berth, Red Sox management failed their fans Wednesday

As someone who spent the better part of a decade working for a successful minor league hockey team, I know that it’s not easy working in a pro sports front office – especially when you’re on top at the box office and in the standings.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned was that no matter how successful your organization gets, you always need to listen to your audience and when it’s possible. always do the right thing. A free pair of tickets here or a free t-shirt there doesn’t mean a whole lot financially in the long run and if that small gesture is appreciated and keeps that fan coming back after they feel like they’ve been wronged, it can mean a lot.

The best organizations seek these fires out before they happen and are proactive. There’s a reason why clubs win awards for great customer service and have loyalty beyond belief. Even a cynic like myself saw what just a little compassion and a eye for helping out can do for long-term fan loyalty.

Sadly, most teams in this era are driven solely by the dollar collected in the now and don’t see that big picture of ‘paying it forward’. On Wednesday, the Red Sox – an organization that has made a tremendous effort to improve the fan experience – had an opportunity to really go above and beyond, but didn’t. Instead, they stayed content with a packed house that had already paid their money to get in and were going to spend more anyway.

As the lineups for Wednesday’s game were announced, you could hear audible groans from across the Nation as our heroes like Pedroia, Youkilis and Bay were replaced by names like Gathright, Kotchman and Woodward. As the Sox had celebrated another postseason appearance thanks to Texas the night before, manager Terry Francona decided to give the regulars a well-deserved game off.

That’s not the issue. A manager has to worry about what’s best for the team, not for the fans. Allowing the outside world to influence on-field decisions can have disastrous results and implications. Having said that, you have to feel for the people who make it down to Fenway Park for one game a year to see the dregs of the lineup in there.

It’s an unfortunate coincidence and a hazard of going to a game that late in the season. I don’t have kids, but would hate to have to attempt to explain to my son or daughter why their heroes aren’t on the field. But that’s life and letdowns happen.

But here’s where management could have stepped up.

The afore-mentioned playoff celebration was done behind closed doors as Boston couldn’t punch their postseason ticket on their own and needed helped to do so in the late, late hours of Tuesday night. Normally, a berth to the playoffs ‘won’ at home elicits some in-stadium celebration with the fans watching on and celebrating in their own. But this time – due to the time of night, the nature of the win and the team decision – that team celebration was done with no media and no fans. 

In other words, the fans were shut out of something they deserved to enjoy as well. There’s a lot of commitment being a baseball fan, but again, letdowns happens.

So given that scenario above and then knowing the equivalent of a AAAA team was going to be on the field hours prior to the game, management should have done something to make it right. People paid top dollar to go to the game and while management couldn’t control who went on the field, they have full reign with what happens once that ticket is scanned in. Instead, they did nothing.

It could have been a one-night only deep discount on merchandise or $1 hot dogs all night or some other gesture that financially would have been appreciated and noticed. Would they have taken a hit on the nightly take? Sure, but hey, letdowns happen, right? There’s going to be a few playoff games where they will make it back.

Simply put, there was a right thing to do Wednesday night and they just chose not to do it.

You do get into a slippery slope situation where you don’t want to set a precedent that this is going to be the case every year. Every time a lackluster lineup is out there, ownership can’t just financially apologize as that’s way too subjective to legislate.

But Wednesday was different as you had the perfect excuse: the missed celebration the night before. Call it a playoff party and do something that makes it a special night to be there, no matter what lineup is on the field. It’s shouldn’t be a news flash here, but sometimes just going to Fenway isn’t enough – especially when the team on the field manages just a few hits and gets destroyed which was the real mule kick to the night.

Like I said before, working in sports isn’t the easiest thing to do. But sometimes the right decisions have to be made. On the field? That hasn’t been a problem for the Boston Red Sox. Off the field? There’s clearly still a lot of work to be done.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

Red Sox Wild Card win: Celebration deserved but ill-timed

Point 1: If you’re among those that think celebrating a Wild Card berth in the Major League Baseball playoffs is unwarranted, you’re wrong.

Eight out of 30 teams make the playoffs, just under 27%. When compared to the NHL or NBA where nearly half the league makes it in, it seems a lot more difficult by comparison. If you’re among those that still think it’s easy, you should be reading something else.

It’s an accomplishment to be amidst that 27%.

Baseball is longer and in a lot of ways, that much more intense than other sports. These guys start spring training in freakin’ March. For a club that doesn’t make the postseason, that’s still seven months. For a playoff club that makes it to the World Series, tack on another five weeks.

With 162 games, rainouts, road trips, stretches of days with no time off and all of the other b.s. that comes into play with being a pro athlete, no wonder why a harmonious clubhouse is an important one. These guys are tighter than family: they’re a baseball team.

When you spend this much time with a group of 25 guys plus coaches, you’re going to want to celebrate when you reach an achievement like this. It’s human nature…what do you expect or want them to do?

Wild card or not, a playoff berth is a playoff berth. Wild cards win the World Series quite frequently, so to act like it’s a sub-.500 team that made it in is foolish.

Finally, it’s Boston. The media scrutiny here is intense and every…single…thing is ripped apart, analyzed, put back together and then ripped apart again. Like it or not, but you’d be stressed too. These guys deserve to let off steam when becoming part of the Great Eight.

But…

Despite their fifth straight loss, the Red Sox ticket to the postseason was punched as the Texas Rangers lost yet again to Los Angeles later in the night. Once again, the Boston Red Sox were solidified to be among the eight competing for a World Series title, a win giving them their third title in the last six seasons.

Point 2: It was weak of the team to celebrate last night, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a good time to do it.

I didn’t feel much like celebrating when I heard the news. Did you?

Well, the Red Sox did, holding a private celebration in the locker room once they got the news. Players filtered out and gave interviews, soaked in the alcoholic suds of beer and champagne. It’s a scene we’ve seen play out many times, but this one was just for them. For once, they closed off their world to the outside which in a lot of ways, is refreshing.

We don’t need to see everything, even though we feel we’re justified in doing so.

But should the team have celebrated after not just one loss, but five straight? The accomplishment remains the same, but it feels weird to me. I read quotes like this from the Herald recap which baffled me and illustrated the mental disconnect between being a pro athlete and a normal schmoe like me:

“The second baseman acknowledged that this celebration was different
than most, especially since the team is in the midst of a five-game
losing streak and it took a loss by the Rangers to lock up this victory
party.

“The game tonight was pretty intense but it doesn’t matter how you do it,” said Pedroia.”

True, but it kinda does. If this team was to somehow lose their remaining five games, that’d be ok?

This one really got me though.

“Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who in past years has celebrated clinching moments by dancing a jig,
wearing a cardboard beer box on his head and cavorting in his jock
strap, was living up to party animal reputation, according to Bay and
Lowell.

“He’s probably in a thong right now, with goggles and drinking Budweiser,” said Mike Lowell.”

That just seems to be ignoring that this team doesn’t look good right now at all. This team does deserve to be in the postseason based on that hot streak in September and the consistent play throughout that put them in this position. I don’t think this can be debated.

But watching that Yankees series and this long-ball debacle against Toronto doesn’t put a skip in my baseball step. I guess I’m being too much of a in-the-now guy, but it bothers me that the team celebrated last night after their fifth loss in a row.

My ideal situation? Wait until you win and then go nuts. Make the decision internally to celebrate with your victory as a capper – not due to someone else’s collapse and especially not in the midst of your own tailspin. 

Point 3: The fans got screwed over and there’s nothing we can do about it.

We all knew this team was going to the playoffs for the past week or so, but there’s still that finality of ‘Yes…we’re going back!’ punctuated with a win and observation of a celebration.

As I’m assuming there will no on-field celebration following a win tonight, the fans essentially got robbed of their own moment – the one earned by countless hours watching, following and writing about the Red Sox.

Having Texas collapse like a tent without stakes? Great. Just do something to give us a reason to cheer this week…or in October. Please.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

*Photo credits to the Boston Herald

Red Sox Stretch Run: 10 Interesting Fun Facts

Even with Sunday’s disappointing and depressing Patriots/Jets outcome, there is still plenty of reason to be happy, that being the Boston Red Sox. Left for dead by many after a four-game sweep by the Yankees in early-August, Terry Francona’s charges are showing all the doubters why they should just let the season play out before making bold claims.

There’s a reason why the word ‘believe’ was so important back in 2004 and 2007. This team does not die, no matter how many times people forget history and assume that they will.

So here are 10 Red Sox-related numbers and factoids I came across as we enter the regular season’s final two weeks. Let this ease your Patriots-related pain, at least for a little bit. It’s going to be a fun October.

All numbers are going into Monday.

– Boston has 14 games (7 home/7 away) remaining with no off-days.

– Heading into 2009, they won 93 games or more in six of their last seven seasons, making the postseason in four of them. They currently sit at 89 wins.

– The Red Sox are 52-22 at home and an even 37-37 on the road.

– The Red Sox have a 99.9 certainty of making the playoffs, just behind the Yankees’ 100%. Their all-important magic number is seven.

– AL Central leading Detroit has a 77.5% chance of making the postseason, the lowest of any divisional leader by a long shot. The Angels (the team Boston would play if the season ended today) have a 99.2% chance.

– Everyone that thought John Farrell was to blame for John Smoltz and Brad Penny excelling elsewhere should have to revoke their pink Boston hats. The starters have allowed three runs or less in 13 straight and have an 8-1 record and 2.18 ERA during that time.

– Josh Beckett’s 201.1 innings this year are the most he’s thrown since 2006 when he threw a career-high 204.2 frames.

– Since giving up five runs on May 26th in a loss to Minnesota, the highest amount of runs Jon Lester has given up has been four – which happened one time in a late-July win. He’s lost just once in his last 16 starts.

– Since joining the Red Sox on August 1st, Victor Martinez’s batting average has jumped from .283 to .297, along with his slugging (.461 to .477) and on-base percentage (366 to .378). In September, he’s batting .370 and has a 19-game hitting streak heading into Sunday. He is just two RBI short of his 3rd career 100-RBI season.

– Finally, the Red Sox are just five games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Back in August after that sweep and in subsequent weeks, Boston winning the division seemed to be so far-fetched it was ridiculous.

Not anymore.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

*Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

Boston Sports Media Notes: The Content War Has Just Begun

In the span of just a few years, the sports media that covers our little sports nation of Boston has evolved from a sniping, angry mob made up of just a few major newspapers, TV stations and some minor radio influence into a multimedia world of collaborative wonder that has become a cash cow of its own.

And that world is going to get some more residents before it’s all said and done…and soon.

The Landscape

With the explosion of the internet and the de-evolution and financial ruin of print journalism both running point, the Boston sports media market began to take advantage of fan furor following the New England Patriots first Super Bowl win, parlayed that with not one but two Red Sox World Series victories and continued to turn it on after the Celtics’ latest return to glory.

During this period, the media members entrusted to present us with the inside track became stars themselves. Sure, we knew people like Dan Shaughnessy, Bob Ryan, pre-ESPN Peter Gammons, Ron Borges, Bob Lobel and others because they provided polarizing opinions and became standout characters when the newspapers still mattered.

However, it’s completely changed now, hasn’t it? WEEI boasts Glenn Ordway and his group of merry-yelling-men, John Dennis, Gerry Callahan, Mike Adams, Dale Arnold and sportswriter transplant Michael Holley. Comcast Sports Net has Mike Felger, Gary Tanguay and Greg Dickerson leading the charge, while NESN nearly completely focuses on its game-coverage talent like Tom Caron, Kathryn Tappen and to a much-lesser extent, the Cole Wrights and Heidi Watneys of the world.

But when competition increased, so did the desire to partner. WEEI and Comcast Sports Net created dual roles for talent and Caron can also be heard on their airwaves.

The Globe’s Tony Massarotti, Amalie Benjamin and Nick Cafardo can be seen doing analysis on NESN for Red Sox games, while Gordon Edes – now with Yahoo – has been doing some additional in-studio analysis. The Herald’s Steve Buckley and Sean McAdam also can be found all over the TV and radio dial.

And I haven’t even got to the local TV station talent like Butch Stearns and Steve Burton or the ex-jocks like Scott Zolak, Lou Merloni, Steve DeOssie or Fred Smerlas or the proliferation of blogs like this one or even the web content each of these media entities push so heavily these days.

It’s exhausting to think about, but it’s our reality – one that has now spilled over full force into web-driven content and the looming mothership of ESPN ready to touch down for first contact.

But Wait, There’s More!

While news of a print writer leaving for a website isn’t surprising news these days, it was seen as somewhat of a shock when Globe Patriots beat writer Mike Reiss announced he was joining the staff of ESPNBoston.com – yet another new entry into the already-crowded Boston sports content field. The ESPN microsite is going to follow suit from their successful ESPNChicago.com site, featuring all the news, stories and highlights that Boston fans want to hear.

Grabbing Reiss as the first major defector was a smart move, as will be utilizing former local talents like Bill Simmons (seen here), Michael Smith and Gammons for what we hope will eventually be original content (even though Simmons recently Twittered that he will be providing repurposed content for now). The site launches on September 14th – aka Patriots kickoff weekend.

This comes weeks after the launch of a new FM sports station – 98.5 The Sports Hub – as a direct competitor to WEEI. While the sports radio giant has had challengers before, this one comes backed by CBS Sports and started strong out of the gate by pairing Felger with Massarotti and Tanguay with Zolak, anchored by being the flagship of both the Patriots and the Boston Bruins.

So with four major teams and only so many hours in the day, you have two choices for radio, several for television and way too many for written content. And don’t forget about us bloggers and podcasters who keep knocking on the door of relevancy trying to get an invite into the dance. We do a great job at filling in the holes between the big rocks, but still there are way too many of us out here – Boston and beyond.

And amidst all of this? We forgot about you – the fan who all of this is intended for, the rare few that look for opinion rather than try to find an outlet to state your own.

Ultimately, all of the stations and networks and websites are trying to attract your business and hopefully, keep you engaged enough to come back and tell your friends. Is it too much for you? Honestly, it feels like it at times, even for a guy like myself who loves this stuff.

At some point, you simply cannot commit the time to take all of it in or else you’ll fall over in a crumbled, twitching heap due to content overload. (Make sure you leave a comment before you keel over, okay?)

I feel like in a lot of ways, we are at the breaking point and it needs to become more about quality of content rather than quantity. Do we really need ESPNBoston? No, but from their perspective, it makes sense and if they can connect with fans using their massive tentacles and resources, they’ll do just fine.

If not, there will be a rush to the e-door to take their place.

What’s now and what’s next?

Sadly, there is one aspect of this grand landscape that is getting left out: local media. Suddenly, your local sportscaster, columnist or radio station doesn’t compare to the big guns in the 617, do they? With WEEI’s expansion into more New England markets via mirroring and with cable/internet in practically every household that matters, what’s the incentive to go anywhere but with the big media stars who can get the big name that we want to hear from?

Honestly, I don’t have a good answer but there’s still something about the whole situation that saddens me. I grew up in a desolate area in Western Maine, so the local media was everything I had. I couldn’t get WEEI or anything near resembling a Boston sports station and fell asleep every night to WFAN out of New York thanks to the weird way radio waves work. These days, this 31-year-old guy is now a dinosaur.

As the silent war between these media powerhouses gets more intense and more ‘soldiers’ are drafted into the fray, always remember that ultimately it’s your choice as to who gets your eyes and ears. Make sure that no matter when you tune in or click, it matters.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].

Red Sox Beat: Brad Penny Granted Release

With Tim Wakefield having a fantastic start Wednesday night and reliever Billy Wagner coming onto the roster Thursday, some roster shuffling was needed. That began late Wednesday night as Boston granted starting pitcher Brad Penny his release, something he had requested.

Penny told Boston Herald writer John Tomase the news following after Boston’s big win over Chicago:

“I asked for my release and I got it. I enjoyed playing with all of the guys. I played for a
great manager on a great team. I had a great time. I enjoyed it. I wish
things had worked out better, but that happens.”

Penny (7-8, 5.61 ERA) will go on waivers Thursday and is expected to clear Monday. He hopes to be a starting pitcher for a playoff contender and that getting this done now will potentially allow him to be added to a team’s postseason roster.

Like John Smoltz before him, he should run back to the National League where it’s entirely possible he could throw a no-hitter in his first start given the offensive disparity between the leagues. Converting to a closer this offseason might not be a bad idea either.

Signed this offseason as a low-risk, high-reward free agent that was coming off an arm injury, the 31-year-old signed a $5 million deal that could have jumped to $8 million with incentives.

After a 6-1 win over Florida on June 17, Penny stood at 6-2 and sported a 4.94 ERA – a number that had been dropping since the start of the season. There was speculation the Red Sox would deal Penny once Smoltz came off the DL, leaving a potential pitching glut. (As we know now, there was really going to be no such thing.)

Things turned south quickly and Penny won just once in 11 starts since that Florida win. After posting a 3.18 ERA in June, July was ugly (1-2, 5.93) and August was worse (0-3, 8.31). The icing on the awful-tasting cake was his last start, allowing eight runs on 10 hits in just four innings of work in last Friday’s 20-11 loss to the Yankees.

So like the Smoltz era before, the Penny era is now over in Boston. I hope we can now all agree to remember the Golden Rule: you can never have enough starting pitching. EVER.

Josh Nason is the main writer for Small White Ball, a New England-based sports and media blog on the MVN Network. Reach him via Twitter or josh [at] smallwhiteball [dot-com].