by Joshua Kummins
It is go time for Boston College football as the 2010 season kicks off this weekend. The Eagles open the season with four straight home games, including Saturday afternoon’s season opener against Weber State at Alumni Stadium. The slate features seven total home contests.
Head coach Frank Spaziani and his squad defied the odds last season, posting a solid 8-5 record and third-place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division. Prior to this season, the Eagles were picked to finish third again after last season’s predicted last-place finish.
The biggest story of summer camp for the Eagles was the health of senior linebacker Mark Herzlich. Herzlich, the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, missed the 2009 season after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma and will return to full-contact practice this week. It is unknown if he will suit up on Saturday, but it looks like a comeback story for the ages can be penned on Chestnut Hill.
For the first time since the departure of Atlanta Falcon Matt Ryan, the Maroon and Gold will welcome a true starter under center. Spaziani named sophomore David Shinskie as his starting quarterback for the opener. The Kulpmont, PA native started the final ten games last season and set BC freshman records by throwing for 2,049 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Eagles lose just one starter on the offensive line in 2010, but several players will be playing key roles to fill the void, including junior Nathan Richman, who moves from guard to center. Senior lineman Anthony Castanzo garnered several preseason honors and will be the key man on the unit. The Lindy’s All-American and ACC all-conference team member has started in all 41 games since arriving at BC in 2007.
Castanzo and the line have the pleasure of blocking for one of the nation’s top up and coming backs in junior Montel Harris, a fellow ACC preseason team selection. Harris started all 13 games for the Eagles last season and finished fourth in the country with 308 carries and tenth with 1,457 rushing yards. He recorded eight 100-yard games last fall, including touching the hundred mark in each of the team’s final five games. Harris is the obvious top guy with redshirt freshman Sterlin Phifer listed second on the depth chart. Senior James McCluskey will start at fullback and is completely healthy after battling a torn Achilles’ heel last spring.
At the tight end slot, the Eagles are young, but experienced and will feature names you will be hearing about for the seasons to come. Sophomore Chris Pantale and junior Lars Anderson will anchor the position. Pantale and Anderson each started 11 games last season and were tied for third on the team with 25 catches.
The Eagles lost two starters and five total letter-winning receivers from last year’s team, including the all-time receiving yards leader Rich Gunnell. This preseason, top returner Colin Larmond Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury, which loses experience on an already young unit. Senior Billy Flutie and sophomore Clyde Lee have just nine combined receptions, but will suit up as starters, while senior Ifeanyi Momah and redshirt freshman Johnathan Coleman are also expected to play key roles.
Senior Alex Albright returns completely healthy to anchor the defensive line with the loss of starters Austin Giles and Jim Ramella. Junior Kaleb Ramsey and sophomore Conor O’Neal will start at the tackle positions. Ramsey has battled injuries in his first two seasons, but can become a constant if he stays healthy. O’Neal appeared in eight games off the bench last year. Senior Brad Newman will now start at defensive end after being slated to start at tackle in the spring.
The linebackers will surely be the stars of the defense despite losing captain Mike McLaughlin. The return of Mark Herzlich will fill in the hole, along with 2009 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Luke Kuechly and senior Mike Morrissey.
Kuechly came in last season as a true freshman, starting in place of Herzlich in the sam linebacker spot and caught the attention of the entire college football world as one of the best in the nation. He finished the season second in the country with 158 total tackles and 87 solo stops and was a three-time ACC Player of the Week last year.
Kevin Pierre-Louis joined the team at the turn of the year and is the only true freshman in the lineup. Junior Will Thompson will back him up at the will linebacker position. He was named the Gatorade Connecticut Football Player of the Year in his senior season at King Low Heywood Thomas.
On the secondary, the Eagles lost strong safety Marcellus Bowman and corner Roderick Rollins, but there is much experience to fill the void again. Junior Dominic LeGrande and sophomore Jim Noel, an Everett native, will be starters at short safety, while senior free safety Wes Davis will captain the backs. Junior Donnie Fletcher and senior DeLeon Gause will bring experience on the corners.
For the first time since walking on to the team in 2006, Steve Aponavicius will not fufill the kicking duties due to graduation. Redshirt freshman Nate Freese will take over his spot, while junior and starting punter Ryan Quigley will back him up. Quigley was one of the top punters in the ACC as he set a BC record with 72 punts last season. The special teams unit also brings back holder Billy Flutie and long snapper Sean Flaherty. Gause is also slated to return kicks and punts.
Saturday’s game against the Wildcats begins at 1 p.m. on ESPN3.com and all games can be heard on WEEI 850.
Ryan Westmoreland chats with 2010 draft pick Bryce Brentz as he returned to Lowell last night. (John Corneau/Lowell Spinners)
LOWELL, Massachusetts (Tuesday, August 31, 2010) – With living proof of two miracles in attendance, the Lowell Spinners could not come up with one of their own. Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione and Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland both watched the Lowell Spinners snap their four-game winning streak with a 4-0 loss to the Tri-City ValleyCats on Tuesday at LeLacheur Park.
Eruzione, the former Boston University hockey player, was the star of his own bobblehead that was given out to fans upon entrance. Westmoreland returned to his former team for the first of a series of workouts after recovering from surgery to remove a cavernous malformation in his brain just a mere six months ago. Just two prime examples that miracles do happen, although one could not be created on the diamond.
The ValleyCats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Spinners starter Madison Younginer as first baseman Marcus Nidiffer grounded a single into left field. Younginer issued two walks in the inning, including one to designated hitter Austin Wates, who scored the first run.
They extended the lead to 3-0 with one out in the third against Younginer. With Wates batting, second baseman Ben Orloff scored on a fielding error by Lowell third baseman David Renfroe. Catcher Josue Peley threw a pretty good caught stealing attempt down to third, but Renfroe could not make the play. The next batter was third baseman Tyler Burnett and he legged out an RBI single second base way, scoring Wates for the third run.
Madison Younginer uncorked a wild pitch with two out in the fifth, scoring Wates for the second time in the game. Left fielder Adam Bailey gets credit with an RBI as he was batting on the play.
Younginer exited the game after five innings, during which he allowed five hits and four runs (three earned), while walking three and fanning four. He suffered the loss and fell to 3-7 on the season.
Charlie Rosario played stopper for the Spinners, tossing four innings of three-hit ball. “I felt good with my pitch and count selection,” said the third-year Boston minor leaguer. “It’s really all about getting comfortable.”
“Charlie had it all working for him,” Spinners manager Bruce Crabbe said. “If you control the zone, good things will happen.”
David Martinez was superb for the ValleyCats, striking out seven and scattering eight hits over seven innings for his fifth win. Joan Belliard threw two perfect innings to close the game for Tri-City in a non-save situation.
Crabbe said that the key to the loss was Younginer not controlling the running game. “That was the difference,” he said. “He didn’t control his pitches and wasn’t very consistent.”
The loss snaps the season-long four-game winning streak and Crabbe is “just looking for the same stuff” as the Spinners look for a strong finish.
The game took a brisk two hours and 13 minutes, in front of 4,888 fans.
by Joshua Kummins
Tonight the Lowell Spinners host the Tri-City ValleyCats (HOU) in the opener of a three-game New York-Penn League series at LeLacheur Park. Last night, Lowell swept Staten Island out of Lowell with a 6-3 win, while Tri-City topped Hudson Valley, 5-4, in 14 innings.
Last night’s win was Lowell’s fourth in a row, their longest winning streak by far this season. Tri-City has won two of three, but dropped four of six.
In the Stedler Division, Vermont (WSH) has a half-game lead on the 34-34 ValleyCats. Tri-City has a half-game lead over third-place Connecticut (DET), while the Spinners bring up the rear at 23-45 and 11.5 games out.
Madison Younginer takes the ball for Bruce Crabbe and the Spinners, while the Tri-City starter will be minor league veteran David Martinez. Younginer is 3-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 13 starts for the Spinners this season as he took the loss in his last start on Thursday at Staten Island. He allowed four hits and three runs (two earned) over 4.1 innings in the second game of a doubleheader. He took a no-decision in his only start against Tri-City this season, a five-inning effort in Troy on July 30. Martinez has a solid 4-2 record and 2.78 ERA in 15 games (eight starts) for the ValleyCats. On Thursday, he allowed seven hits and three runs (two earned) over seven innings in a no-decision on the road against Hudson Valley. He allowed two hits in a win in Lowell on June 21, while he suffered the loss a week later at Bruno Stadium.
The Red Sox organization’s top prospect, Ryan Westmoreland, will be working out with the Short-A Lowell Spinners and Low-A Greenville Drive this week.
Westmoreland had surgery in mid-March to remove a cavernous malformation on his brain stem and returns to the baseball diamond less than six months later.
He will not be playing in any games, but the Red Sox want him to get re-acclimated with the day-to-day life as he works out in Lowell this Tuesday-Thursday, before heading to Greenville, where most of his teammates from last season are playing today.
“Those are the guys I played with last year, it’s just different because I’ve played with those guys, I have those relationships. To put that [Greenville] uniform on, that’s going to be big,” Westmoreland told the Providence Journal. “I feel really good. I’m not nearly where I was, but to be six months out of a pretty serious surgery, and to be doing what I’m doing, I couldn’t be happier.”
In his first professional season at Lowell last summer, the New York-Penn League All-Star hit .296, with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 60 games.
Here are the starting line-ups:
VALLEYCATS (34-34)
2 Ben Orloff 2B
13 Austin Wates DH
12 Tyler Burnett 3B
29 Marcus Niddifer 1B
32 Adam Bailey LF
21 Daniel Adamson CF
9 Michael Kvasnicka RF
19 Chris Wallace C
5 Jacke Healey SS
33 David Martinez RHP
SPINNERS (23-45)
34 Felix Sanchez CF
7 Jose Garcia SS
14 Bryce Brentz DH
30 Miles Head 1B
11 Josue Peley C
43 Henry Ramos RF
26 David Renfroe 3B
15 Seth Schwindenhammer LF
13 Joantoni Garcia 2B
31 Madison Younginer RHP
You can follow the game on my Twitter page, www.twitter.com/joshuakummins.
By: Alex Reimer
13 year-old Peter Lenz was a rising star in the U.S. Grand Prix. Despite listing his profession on the Grand Prix website as “kid,” Lenz was well on his way to becoming a professional motorbike racer. He had already won 9 national championships and 9 regional titles.
It was gearing up to be just another Sunday for Lenz in the youth racing circuit, which allows riders 12-18 years old to operate vehicles that can top 120 mph.
The track conditions were slick at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway due to excess humidity in the region. The race was still set to go on.
Peter Lenz crashed his bike in a warm-up lap, and was struck by 12 year-old Xavier Zayat. Several hours later, Lenz was announced dead. The Marion Country coroner’s office said he died from blunt force trauma. Life over. Before it really began.
But what a start it was. The 4’11 81 pound Lenz earned an “expert” license from the American Federation of Motorcyclists at age 11. In March of 2009, he became the younger rider ever to win an AFM race. This year, in the U.S. Grand Prix Racers Union series, Lenz had 4 wins and 5 podium finishes.
Chief steward Stewart Aitken-Cade said the incident is the first of its kind in “nine years…that’s a tremendous safety record.” Yeah, one minor killed every nine years is a percentage to celebrate.
Peter Lenz died doing what he loved. But most 13 year-olds love playing baseball in the backyard or attending their first “girl/boy party.”
Should a 13 year-old who weighs 81 pounds soaking wet be allowed to operate a vehicle that can race well north of 100 mph?
Proponents of the youth racing circuit say that motorbike racing can cause fatality, just as football, wrestling, and other sports can. True. But let’s use some common sense. Who stands a better chance? The 13 year-old who gets tackled while wearing pads, or the 13 year-old who gets run over by a motorbike on a slippery track? Take your pick.
Lenz’s father posted on Peter’s facebook that, “Peter passed away early this morning when he was apparently struck by another rider. He passed doing what he loved and had his go fast face on as he pulled onto the track. The world lost one of its brightest lights today. God Bless Peter and the other rider involved. #45 is on another road we can only hope to reach. Miss you kiddo.”
“Kiddo.” That’s what Peter Lenz was, a kid. If rules were different, he could have been a kid for just a little while longer. If Peter’s father said, “no son, you’ll wait a little longer until you race motorcycles professionally,” Peter would still be here today.
Why not wait until you’re 16 to professionally race? At 81 pounds, 13 year-old Peter didn’t weigh enough to ride most roller coasters at Six Flags.
But apparently he weighed enough to race motorcycles at 120 mph on slippery race tracks. A tragedy is a once in a lifetime occurrence. This? It was only a matter of time.
Alex Reimer is the host of the Red Sox podcast, “Without a Curse.” “Without a Curse” is available on both www.thesportsstuff.com and in the iTunes store. Alex is also the host of “The Alex Reimer Show,” which airs Saturday’s from 12-1 PM EST on 1120 AM WBNW Boston and www.moneymattersradio.net. Alex can be reached at, Alexredsox076@aol.com.
Photo is of winning pitcher Tyler Lavigne (photo credit: John Corneau/Lowell Spinners).
By Joshua Kummins
LOWELL, Massachusetts (Monday, August 30, 2010) – The suddenly streaking Lowell Spinners made it four wins in a row with a 6-3 win over the Staten Island Yankees on Monday night at LeLacheur Park. Tonight’s win marks the first time in four tries that the Spinners were able to string together a winning streak of two or more games this season.
The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Spinners starter Keith Couch. After a single, a caught stealing and a flyout, third baseman Robert Segedin reached on a fielding error by shortstop Jose Garcia. First baseman Kyle Roller singled to right field and then advanced to second on another fielding error by right fielder Henry Ramos. Segedin came around to score from first on the play to give the Yanks the early advantage.
In the third, the Spinners evened the score with two outs on an RBI single by shortstop Jose Garcia. Second baseman Joantoni Garcia, who doubled, scored from second base. The next batter, designated hitter Bryce Brentz singled to right field, scoring center fielder Felix Sanchez to give Lowell a 2-1 lead. Yankee starter Dustin Hobbs retired the first two batters of the inning, before allowing four straight baserunners. Jose Garcia was gunned down at third base after Sanchez scored to end the inning.
First baseman Miles Head singled to leadoff the fourth inning and came around to score on an RBI groundout by right fielder Henry Ramos for the second out of the frame. Ramos was promoted from the GCL Red Sox prior to the game, where he hit .309 in 43 games.
Staten Island made it a 3-2 game in the fifth as left fielder Shane Brown drove in shortstop Jose Mojica on an RBI 6-3-5 double play ball. After Jose Garcia threw out Brown, first baseman Miles Head gunned out center fielder Kelvin Duran for the heads-up second out.
In the fifth, the Spinners got off to a fast start against Hobbs with nobody out. Left fielder Seth Schwindenhammer walked and came around from first on an RBI double down the left field line by Joantoni Garcia. With two outs, he came around to score on a passed ball that bounced by Staten Island catcher Gary Sanchez.
Third baseman David Renfroe made it a 6-2 game as he singled to on a high chopper to his third base counterpart Segedin. Segedin made a wide throw, allowing Renfroe to take second and Ramos to score from first base.
The Yankees cut the lead to 6-3 with two outs as Duran belted an RBI single to right field, scoring second baseman Casey Stevenson and that would turn out to be the end of the scoring.
Spinners starter Keith Couch lasted just three innings and allowed two hits and an unearned run for a no-decision. Tyler Lavigne earned his first win of the season, allowing seven hits and two runs over the minimum five innings.
Lavigne had much praise on the team’s recent success and was pleased that he is getting a small taste of winning late in the season. “We’re getting a lot better overall,” said the first-year Spinner, who came to the Sox from the Cardinals. “The defense is improving and our pitching is stronger now.”
Spinners manager Bruce Crabbe was very pleased with the outing. “It’s great,” Crabbe said. “We’re getting a little taste of greatness and it’s finally good to be on the winning end!”
The game was played in front of 4,941 fans in a brisk two hours and 21 minutes.
By: Alex Reimer
Another weekend, another blown opportunity for the Red Sox. They now sit at 6 ½ games out of a playoff spot on August 30th. To state the obvious, they’re running out of opportunities to blow.
But why did the Red Sox drop 2 of 3 to the Tampa Bay Rays? Injuries have obviously played a role all year long, and a lineup without Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury certainly lacks star-power and power in general.
But the Red Sox were leading 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th on Saturday, and 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th on Sunday. Injuries did not cost the Red Sox this weekend. On Saturday it was sloppy play and poor bullpen management (which is directly attributed to a poor bullpen). On Sunday it was John Lackey not being able to pick the team up and carry them to victory.
The Rays tied the game at 1 in the 7th inning on Saturday due to errant pick-off attempt by Clay Buchholz and JD Drew catching a Matt Joyce foul ball, which allowed Carlos Pena to tag-up and score. That’s sloppy play, and those are miscues that simply cannot happen to teams with playoff aspirations in the middle of a pennant race.
But the real controversy came in the bottom of the 8th where Terry Francona allowed Buchholz to begin the inning, trying to protect a 2-1 lead. Buchholz had already thrown over 100 pitches, and the simple formula seemed to call to go to Daniel Bard and then Jonathan Papelbon to end the game. But Francona opted to keep Buchholz in the game, and the forever-underachieving BJ Upton hit a game-tying homer.
It is standard that in a tie game on the road, you don’t bring in your closer. However, in a situation like Saturday night, you have to put all of your bullets out there. It should’ve been Papelbon, and not Scott Atchison out there in the bottom of the 10th. Atchison of course served up the game-winning homer to Dan Johnson. Yet another walk-off Red Sox loss.
Terry Francona made the wrong decisions on Saturday and deserves to be criticized for it. But the bigger picture encompasses more than just Francona mismanaging the bullpen.
Why did Francona leave out Buchholz with over 100 pitches under his belt? Why was Scott Atchison on the mound in the most important game of the year to that date? He made those decisions because he’s boxed into a corner. If it wasn’t Atchison in the 10th, it would’ve been Manny Delcarmen or Hideki Okajima. Daniel Bard is the only reliable set-up man on the team, so Francona has to use him somewhat judiciously.
The bullpen has been a gaping hole on the team all year long, and the Front Office has failed to address it. Chad Qualls pitched the top of the 10th for Tampa Bay. Qualls and Kerry Wood aren’t world-beaters, but they’re options. Both of them could have been had at the trade deadline last month. The Red Sox Front Office opted to stand pat, and that’s why you had Scott Atchison out there in the 10th. There really was nobody else to turn to.
The Red Sox ownership hasn’t put in any significant money into this team since opening day. With all of the injuries, and the gaping hole in the bullpen, they’ve combed the waiver wire. They haven’t looked to upgrade the team; a team that was a legitimate playoff contender up until arguably this past Sunday.
With reports of the Red Sox not wanting to go over the luxury tax, and John Henry stating earlier this month it would “take a miracle to reach the postseason,” it is fair to ask if the Front Office abandoned this team.
Speaking of fair, isn’t it fair to ask John Lackey to carry the team on his back? They pay him over 16 million dollars per year to win games, not just “keep the Red Sox competitive.” Lackey and Josh Beckett have prohibited the Red Sox from going on extended winning streaks.
Blame injuries for this lackluster 2nd half. But the Red Sox’s problems run deeper than that.
With the Yankees continuing to have major problems with their starting rotation, and the Rays’ proclivity to go through offensive slumps, the division could have been winnable if the Red Sox upgraded the bullpen and if Lackey and Beckett earned their money.
But those things haven’t happened. It’s becoming naive to think they’ll happen now.
Alex Reimer is the host of the Red Sox podcast, “Without a Curse.” “Without a Curse” is available on both www.thesportsstuff.com and in the iTunes store. Alex is also the host of “The Alex Reimer Show,” which airs Saturday’s from 12-1 PM EST on 1120 AM WBNW Boston and www.moneymattersradio.net. Alex can be reached at, Alexredsox076@aol.com.
by Joshua Kummins
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Saturday, August 28, 2010) – In a game featuring the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and an unbeaten starter, you would expect a low-scoring affair. That was not the case on Saturday at Merchantsauto.com Stadium as Blake Maxwell and the Portland Sea Dogs out dueled the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 5-2.
Maxwell remained unblemished at Double-A this season, allowing five hits and two runs over 5.2 innings.
Both pitchers got off to strong starts in the first inning as Drabek threw a 1-2-3 first inning for the Fisher Cats, while Maxwell got out of the first on just one hit. New Hampshire shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria lined a single off the glove of third baseman Ray Chang for a one-out single.
Drabek allowed a leadoff walk to designated hitter Ryan Lavarnway, but settled in and a flyout and a double play ball by catcher Luis Exposito to end the threat. Maxwell allowed just a two-out walk to left fielder Callix Crabbe in the bottom of the second.
In the third, Portland left fielder Jorge Padron singled to center and the two runners were cut down behind Drabek, the recently named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, to end the inning. Maxwell worked around a single to Hechavarria and hitting right fielder Adam Calderone as he got a little help from his defense in the bottom of the third. Right fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang made a great play, running at least ten feet to his left to track down a sure hit from center fielder Darin Mastroianni for the second out.
Drabek retired the top three batters in Portland’s order to begin the fifth inning, including striking out two of the Red Sox’ top young prospects: shortstop Jose Iglesias and first baseman Anthony Rizzo to end the inning. Catcher Matt Liuzza hit a one-out single, but was caught stealing on an inning-ending strikeout double play.
The first sign of trouble for the Fisher Cats came in the top of the fifth inning when Drabek walked the first two batters of the inning, Lavarnway and Chang, before inducing another double play ball to Exposito. With two out, Padron walked and center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin struck out to end the threat. Maxwell came back with a very brisk 1-2-3 inning on two groundouts and a strikeout.
Drabek had some constructive criticism for his game, saying “It’s no fun walking people, so it could have been a lot better and I’ll have to work on it.” David Purcey came in to relieve Drabek after five, one-hit innings. Purcey is currently on a rehab assignment from Toronto and has been sidelined since August 12 with a sprained right foot.
Things unraveled for the Fisher Cats in the sixth inning as they scored four runs off relievers Purcey and Trystan Magnuson. Purcey loaded the bases with two outs on singles by Chiang and second baseman Nate Spears and a walk to Lavarnway. Chiang and Spears scored on a two-run single to right field by Chang, while Exposito drove in two on a single to left field. Padron ended the inning with a fielder’s choice.
Maxwell came into the sixth inning with a large cushion behind him and struggled as well. After striking out Hechavarria, he allowed a single to Calderone and then he came around to score on a two-run home run to right-center field (20) by first baseman David Cooper. Manager Arnie Beyeler booted him with two outs in the inning after 5.2 innings. Eammon Portice came in and struck out catcher Matt Liuzza to end the inning.
Radio voice Bob Lipman noted to reporters in the press box that with Cooper’s 20th home run, the Fisher Cats have three 20-home run hitters for the first time in franchise history (joining outfielder Eric Thames and infielder Shawn Bowman).
Portland came back with another run in the seventh inning on a Nate Spears one-out RBI double to left field. Chiang, who singled, came home to score on the play. Fisher Cats left fielder Callix Crabbe robbed another hit and run from Rizzo on a diving catch to end the inning. Portice came back on to pitch for the ‘Dogs, allowing a one-out single to second baseman Jonathan Diaz and a two-out knock to Mastroianni.
Magnuson came back in to retire the heart of the Sea Dog lineup on a groundout, flyout, and strikeout. Portice came back with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, recording flyout between two whiffs.
Alan Farina came in to pitch the ninth for the Fisher Cats and induced groundouts to the bottom of the Portland order, each to a different infield position. Daniel Turpen relieved Portice and earned his first save of the season, retiring the first three batters he faced.
During the game, the Fisher Cats clinched a playoff spot as Reading lost their game against Binghamton. “They’ve played hard all year,” said manager Luis Rivera. “We’ll celebrate when we win and when the time is right.”
The game was played in front of a crowd of 8,476 fans, which ranks third all-time in Fisher Cats history. A John Smoltz rehab in May 2009 and the 2008 Eastern League All-Star Game hold the top two slots in franchise records.
By: Alex Reimer
Our worst fears have been proven to be true. The rumors that the Florida Marlins, and other supposed “small market” teams pocket revenue sharing money and don’t reinvest it to the on-field product are a reality.
Several financial documents of MLB teams were leaked to “Deadspin” this week, and the findings are disgusting (not in a good way kids).
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t recorded a winning season since 1992. Their payroll barely scratches 40 million dollars. However, they had an operating income of 14 million dollars in 2008 and 16 million dollars in 2007. Big money? Hardly. But enough money to invest far more than they do on their team? Absolutely.
A lot of these teams now generate profits as a result of revenue sharing. But the purpose of revenue sharing was for small-market teams to receive more funds to invest in free agency, draft picks, etc. It wasn’t meant for teams to spend half on the team, and then keep the other half of it under wraps. Because then, it essentially becomes the billionaire owners of the large market teams giving to the billionaire owners of small to mid-market teams.
The most egregious example of all this is the Marlins. The Marlins were urged by Major League Baseball this past offseason to spend more money on their roster. This is a team that featured a 14 million dollar payroll in 2006! A dozen players in baseball made more individually than the entire Marlins’ team did collectively that year.
In 2008, the Marlins had an operating income of around 29 million dollars. Owner Jeffrey Loria has long insisted that they “break even.” Not even close.
As Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports has pointed out, the Marlins by lying about their profits have cheated the Miami-Dade Country taxpayers out of over 1 billion dollars. They insisted that they needed public funding for their stadium. The city agreed to it, but with an operating income of nearly 30 million dollars, the Marlins could have kicked in way more money for their new stadium than they did.
These fraudulent owners are no better than the frauds on Wall St. They lie to their fans and don’t bring in players. They do this so they can put more money into their pockets.
A baseball team is not a business. It is an extension of a business. The bottom line isn’t the only concern. A big concern should be the on-field product. The Marlins, Pirates, and other teams have neglected the on-field product portion for far too long.
These reports add fuel to the argument that baseball shouldn’t instill a salary cap but instead should instill a salary floor. At the very least, insist that all revenue sharing be used to cover the team in some way.
No longer should small-market baseball team owners cry poverty and have people believe them. The jig is up.
Alex Reimer is the host of the Red Sox podcast, “Without a Curse.” “Without a Curse” is available on both www.thesportsstuff.com and in the iTunes store. Alex is also the host of “The Alex Reimer Show,” which airs Saturday’s from 12-1 PM EST on 1120 AM WBNW Boston and www.moneymattersradio.net. Alex can be reached at, Alexredsox076@aol.com.
UFC makes a stop at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday night for the first time in history (10 p.m., PPV)
By Matt Serocki
The UFC can add Boston to the list of places it has graced.
Tonight at 10 p.m. on PPV, UFC 118 hits TD Garden in Boston for the first time.
The Co-Main Event features two showdowns with completely different implications.
UFC Hall of Famer Randy “the Natural” Couture (18-10) will try to put to rest the “Boxing vs. MMA” debate as to which sport is superior when he fights former Heavyweight champion James “Lights Out” Toney (0-0).
Toney feels his heavy hands and his boxing skills will be more effective in the Heavyweight (265 lbs) match-up whereas Couture and MMA backers would champion the multitude of disciplines as being superior.
The debate has also heightened as the UFC and MMA have grown exponentially over the last decade and a half while boxing is still mired in controversy with promoting and lack of competition problems.
The other main attraction features a re-match from UFC 112 between Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (12-1) and the former champion, BJ Penn (15-6-1).
Edgar shocked the world when he picked up the unanimous decision victory over the usually dominant Penn.
Penn has promised to come back with a vengeance, and anyone who has seen “the Prodigy” fight knows that he backs his words up all the time.
The card also features a local flavor of sorts.
Kenny Florian (13-4) of Brookline (now fighting out of Westwood) takes on Gray Maynard (9-0) in a lightweight (155 lbs) bout that just may determine the next contender for whomever emerges from the night with the Lightweight title.
Florian has already lost to Penn by submission, but has beaten the likes of Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi as of late.
Maynard is 9-0 and is one of the best lightweights in the world.
Another lightweight bout features Massachusetts’ own Joe Lauzon (18-4) against England’s Gabe Ruediger (17-5).
As is typical with the UFC, several local fighters are usually booked when an event takes place in a certain city, so fans in Boston will surely be routing heavily for Florian, Lauzon, and even Maine’s Marcus “the Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (16-6), who fights Nate Diaz (11-5) in a Welterweight (170 lbs) showdown.
FIGHT CARD
CO-MAIN EVENT:
Lightweight (155 lbs) Championship:
Champion Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn
Heavyweight (265 lbs)
Randy Couture vs. James Toney
MAIN CARD
Middleweight (185 lbs)
Demian Maia (11-2) vs. Mario Miranda (10-1)
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Marcus Davis (16-6) vs. Nate Diaz
PRELIMINARY CARD
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Joe Lauzon vs Gabe Ruediger
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Nik Lentz (19-3-1) vs. Andre Winner (11-3-1)
Middleweight (185 lbs)
Dan Miller (11-4) vs. John Salter (5-1)
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Nick Osipczak (5-1) vs. Greg Soto (7-1)
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Mike Pierce (11-2) vs. Amilcar Alves (11-1)
Brazil
Matt Serocki is a Blogger for Boston Sports U18. He is also a Sports Correspondent for The MetroWest Daily News. He can be reached via email at mattser82@yahoo.com.
by Joshua Kummins
The 17th annual Oldtime Baseball Game was a rousing success again as hundreds of fans packed St. Peter’s Field in Cambridge for a glimpse of local college players wearing old-fashioned woolen uniforms.
It was a great night for baseball dedicated to a worthy cause, the Marley Jaye Cherella Memorial Fund for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Proceeds from the game will be used to support the research of Dr. Hannah Kinney at Boston Children’s Hospital, while another part of the donation will go to the C2 Mission, which benefits children and families affected by cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis.
Fans were also treated to a pre-game ceremony celebrating the life of former Red Sox minor league pitcher Greg Montalbano, who played at Northeastern and played in the Oldtime Baseball Game in 1997 and 1998. Montalbano, a Westborough native who was named Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2001, died of cancer last summer at the age of 31.
The first Greg Montalbano Award was also presented prior to Thursday night’s game. The award will be given to a former player in the Oldtime Baseball Game who best exemplifies Montalbano’s spirit, competitiveness and good nature.
It was only fitting that one his Huskies teammates and fellow Game participants was chosen for the first award in his honor. Todd Korchin was presented with the first-ever Greg Montalbano Award by Game committee member and Northeastern alum Ben Weiss. A Stoughton native, Korchin, played with Montalbano at Northeastern for three spring seasons and played in the Oldtime Baseball Game from 1997-2001, earning MVP honors in 2000. Korchin honored his late friend by wearing the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals uniform that Montalbano wore in the 1998 game.
Former Major League third baseman Mike Pagliarulo and Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette were guest managers for the contest, while former Oldtime Game skippers, Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky and former Cubs shortstop Lennie Merullo, a Boston native, were on hand.
“Framingham Lou” Merloni had two hits, including an RBI single in the fourth inning to lead the home team, sponsored by Bejoian Family Trust, to a 9-2 win over the away team, sponsored by Abbott Financial.
James Greeley (Mass. College of Liberal Arts) started for the home team, pitching three shutout innings and hitting a two-run single in the first inning. He became the first player in The Game’s history to win the MVP award twice as he won the award in 2006 while playing at Newton North.
There were two home runs hit in the game, one by each team. In the seventh inning, catcher Ben Lima (Quinsigamond C.C.) hit a two-run home run to center field as the final scoring for the home squad. Pitcher Alex Torres (Suffolk) led off the ninth inning with a solo home run to right-center field for the second away team run.
A little taste of the old days was on display in Cambridge and a great time was had by all. Don’t forget to mark the date on your calendars for 2011!
