Orange and Red
First the Orange: Before tonight, I’d watched the Orange win their last six, including the first two conference games of the year. And there’s much good news to report: a gradually improving defense – at least we’re not surrendering 100 points a game any more; an offense that can put points on the scoreboard in a hurry; fewer turnovers, especially from the guards; and some wonderful all-around play by Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn. Despite all the talk about Green jumping to the NBA (I don’t see how he’s ready.), these two guys are playing the best ball for the Orange, and may have the most talent of anyone. At the same time, it’s not all good news. They’re a young team, and they often play that way, making some foolish mistakes; they have a tendency to settle for the three-point shot too often (In fact, it’s always a bad sign when Donte hits his first couple threes, because he then stays out of the paint, and seems to play too soft.); they’re not deep, without Devo and Rautins, and are often going to find themselves in foul trouble; and Donte Green thinks he’s the second coming of Lebron. So he brings the ball up court too much, making bad passes, and generating silly turnovers. And most troubling, they seem to fall asleep at times. That was the big problem with the Nichols/Roberts gang; they would go to sleep for eight ten minutes, giving the other team the chance for a big run. With those guys we had no go-to guy who could carry the team when everyone got cold. As good a shooter as Nichols was, he didn’t have the intensity to carry the rest of his team. If Harris could shoot better, he’d be better able to put the team on his back. But right now, they are vulnerable to cold spells, and that was what killed them tonight, scoring only 7 points over the last 11 minutes of the first half.
But having said all that, this bunch are really fun to watch. The most fun of any team since Sherman Douglas and Billy Owens. Everybody gets up and down the court. Flynn and Jardine can really handle the ball, and they seem to inspire everyone to value passing over shooting. Of course, that’s partly the influence of PH. But wherever the inspiration came from, it’s great to see guys distributing the ball. And AO can really play in the middle; he is becoming an offensive force – learning to use that big body, and developing a soft touch around the hoop.
The Big East is really tough this year, and Cuse will have a tough time making it to the tournament. Next couple weeks may let us know. We need to win some on the road; we need to beat the teams we should beat; and we might need to steal a game here and there.
Next the Red, Sox that is. I know it’s the dead of winter, and spring training is still at least six weeks away, but I’m reliving all of October, and much of the summer, thanks to the wonders of digital media. First I got the NESN DVD – Champions Again. I’m nominating it for an Oscar, best documentary feature. It’s actually a better movie than the mlb production. Mlb focuses on the post-season, primarily the series. (Of course, it’s called the 2007 World Series DVD.) But NESN covers the whole year; and was that a great year or what? Just a few highlights here, but I’d like to encourage my readers to contribute their own suggestions for this list:
אּ - Okajima’s coming out party -- the first game against the Yankees, when the Sox scored five in the bottom of the eighth to come from four down, and Oki tossed a hitless ninth, because Pap was spent from two long appearances;
בּ - Back to back to back to back. The NESN DVD contains the entire live feed of that great event, which by the way, erased a three run deficit;
גּ - The Mother’s Day Miracle – six runs in the bottom of the ninth, after the Orioles had taken a 5-0 lead.
דּ - Schilling’s one-hitter. My sister Jill broke that one up, when she joined us in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, and had to kiss and hug everyone, making us get up from our seats, disturbing the cosmic forces, and depriving Curt of his first no-no.
הּ - Lester’s return out in Cleveland – a win in his first appearance after beating back cancer.
וּ - Buckholz. A no-hitter in his second major league start. And he’s only 21.
זּ - Pitching. It’s really a story about pitching. Beckett all summer long (not to mention October); Dice-K starting so strong; Wake having a couple shut-out appearances; the Sox with the fewest runs allowed in all of baseball. Can that be possible, that we’re looking back on a season of RedSox highlights, and we see mostly pitching?
So anyway, feel free to chime in with your additions to my list.
And before I quit, I need to move on to October, because yesterday, my collector’s edition, post-season 2007, eight DVD set arrived in the mail. All seven games from ALCS Game 5, through the Series clincher in Denver. Seven in a row. (Plus another copy of the mlb World Series production.) And I know I posted on this before, but I’ve got to revisit this topic, because watching all of Game 5 again, start to finish, confirms the impression I had when it ended. That was the night when the luck changed. The Sox were a great team, but they were losing to Cleveland because the Indians were getting all the luck. But once that changed, the ALCS was over in a flash. The Indians had no chance.
In Games 2 through 4, all the bounces (as McCarver called them) were going Cleveland’s way. That continued early in Game 5. First inning, Sizemore scores after doubling down the left field line. But the double was really a pop fly that fell along the line, too far out for Lugo, too far in for Manny, in the one spot where no one could get to it. It was the Indians’ only run against Beckett – really, the game should have been a shutout. In the fifth, Sizemore got on base again with a seeing-eye grounder to the right of the mound. Lugo deflected it away from Pedroia, and the Indians threatened again on another cheapass hit. Beckett got out of the inning with a strikeout. When the Sox batted early on, they were missing runs by inches. In the third, Manny hit that ball off the top of the wall; it could have been called a homer, but it went for a single. Later in the fifth inning, Lowell hit a line drive into the left field corner, two inches foul. Another run, maybe two, were erased.
But then, in the top of the seventh, everything changed in an instant. Youk hit that liner that tailed away from Sizemore. He might have had it; or maybe he could have left it for Gutierrez; but as it happened, it went off his glove for a triple; Pedroia scored; and the floodgates were open. Next inning, with one out and a man on first, Coco hit a comebacker to Perez. Should have been a double play and the inning over. But Perez threw the ball in the dirt; everyone was safe; and by the time the inning had ended, three more runs had scored. So from then on, the Sox were both good and lucky, and that’s a combination that’s hard to beat. Stay tuned; we’ve got another six games to watch and relive.
But having said all that, this bunch are really fun to watch. The most fun of any team since Sherman Douglas and Billy Owens. Everybody gets up and down the court. Flynn and Jardine can really handle the ball, and they seem to inspire everyone to value passing over shooting. Of course, that’s partly the influence of PH. But wherever the inspiration came from, it’s great to see guys distributing the ball. And AO can really play in the middle; he is becoming an offensive force – learning to use that big body, and developing a soft touch around the hoop.
The Big East is really tough this year, and Cuse will have a tough time making it to the tournament. Next couple weeks may let us know. We need to win some on the road; we need to beat the teams we should beat; and we might need to steal a game here and there.
Next the Red, Sox that is. I know it’s the dead of winter, and spring training is still at least six weeks away, but I’m reliving all of October, and much of the summer, thanks to the wonders of digital media. First I got the NESN DVD – Champions Again. I’m nominating it for an Oscar, best documentary feature. It’s actually a better movie than the mlb production. Mlb focuses on the post-season, primarily the series. (Of course, it’s called the 2007 World Series DVD.) But NESN covers the whole year; and was that a great year or what? Just a few highlights here, but I’d like to encourage my readers to contribute their own suggestions for this list:
אּ - Okajima’s coming out party -- the first game against the Yankees, when the Sox scored five in the bottom of the eighth to come from four down, and Oki tossed a hitless ninth, because Pap was spent from two long appearances;
בּ - Back to back to back to back. The NESN DVD contains the entire live feed of that great event, which by the way, erased a three run deficit;
גּ - The Mother’s Day Miracle – six runs in the bottom of the ninth, after the Orioles had taken a 5-0 lead.
דּ - Schilling’s one-hitter. My sister Jill broke that one up, when she joined us in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, and had to kiss and hug everyone, making us get up from our seats, disturbing the cosmic forces, and depriving Curt of his first no-no.
הּ - Lester’s return out in Cleveland – a win in his first appearance after beating back cancer.
וּ - Buckholz. A no-hitter in his second major league start. And he’s only 21.
זּ - Pitching. It’s really a story about pitching. Beckett all summer long (not to mention October); Dice-K starting so strong; Wake having a couple shut-out appearances; the Sox with the fewest runs allowed in all of baseball. Can that be possible, that we’re looking back on a season of RedSox highlights, and we see mostly pitching?
So anyway, feel free to chime in with your additions to my list.
And before I quit, I need to move on to October, because yesterday, my collector’s edition, post-season 2007, eight DVD set arrived in the mail. All seven games from ALCS Game 5, through the Series clincher in Denver. Seven in a row. (Plus another copy of the mlb World Series production.) And I know I posted on this before, but I’ve got to revisit this topic, because watching all of Game 5 again, start to finish, confirms the impression I had when it ended. That was the night when the luck changed. The Sox were a great team, but they were losing to Cleveland because the Indians were getting all the luck. But once that changed, the ALCS was over in a flash. The Indians had no chance.
In Games 2 through 4, all the bounces (as McCarver called them) were going Cleveland’s way. That continued early in Game 5. First inning, Sizemore scores after doubling down the left field line. But the double was really a pop fly that fell along the line, too far out for Lugo, too far in for Manny, in the one spot where no one could get to it. It was the Indians’ only run against Beckett – really, the game should have been a shutout. In the fifth, Sizemore got on base again with a seeing-eye grounder to the right of the mound. Lugo deflected it away from Pedroia, and the Indians threatened again on another cheapass hit. Beckett got out of the inning with a strikeout. When the Sox batted early on, they were missing runs by inches. In the third, Manny hit that ball off the top of the wall; it could have been called a homer, but it went for a single. Later in the fifth inning, Lowell hit a line drive into the left field corner, two inches foul. Another run, maybe two, were erased.
But then, in the top of the seventh, everything changed in an instant. Youk hit that liner that tailed away from Sizemore. He might have had it; or maybe he could have left it for Gutierrez; but as it happened, it went off his glove for a triple; Pedroia scored; and the floodgates were open. Next inning, with one out and a man on first, Coco hit a comebacker to Perez. Should have been a double play and the inning over. But Perez threw the ball in the dirt; everyone was safe; and by the time the inning had ended, three more runs had scored. So from then on, the Sox were both good and lucky, and that’s a combination that’s hard to beat. Stay tuned; we’ve got another six games to watch and relive.
posted by pops | 11:07 PM
5 Comments:
Finally a posting I can comment on and my G-D. Your posting was fine while you were on Orange but the Red portion became your 'Hillary' moment. I envision you at your keyboard with tears streaming down as you try to remember the emotional roller coaster documented on the the NESN DVD set. True the YES network would put together a similar package for Yankee fans but I do not know any Yankee fans who would purchase it and watch it.
Berg please take off the pantyhose and drink a bottle of single malt. We need you back as the anxious, misunderstood redsox fan not a film critic who is a member of the the Hollywood Gay Mafia.
I expect you to put forth your argument for the Yankees turning in their WS rings after the Mitchell Report. I expect a rant on Roger (while forgetting he ever played for the redsox, Bluejays or Astros). I expect denigration of the 'Evil Empire' and extollment of the 'Nation'.
Come back to us bro.
Having said that I totally agree with comments about the Orange. We got the Cincy game on cable last night and they are more talented than Cincy but less experienced than most teams in the Big East. Also as you pointed out very thin on the bench. I believe they will get better (the improvement has been dramatic so far) but they will continue to frustrate the fans and Boeheim. Do you think they improved when Devo went down? If they still had Rautins and at least one upper class man scholarship player would they miss Devo as much? I like the energy and spread offense. I think if Devo was still on the court everything would go thru him. I just hope all the under class men stay another year.
Over and Out.
G-Man
Pantyhose? Hollywood Gay Mafia? What's up with the homophobia?
So just like the whole thing with the Sox being the new Yankees, which is only half true, because the Sox aren't evil, and we've been all through that, all you haters have to get used to this fact - the Sox are now the champions of baseball, and will remain so for at least the next ten months. So in that time, or certainly during the dead of winter, when there's nothing much to post about, we're going to continue enjoying all these moments. Last night I watched Drew redeem his entire season with that first inning grand slam off Carmona, but more on that some other occasion.
And no, we're not going to waste time worrying about years past - no calling for anyone to give back their rings. And not passing judgment on Roger yet, as the jury is definitely out on this McNamee. I should say that Roger would be well adivised to do a Lance Armstrong. Make his denials, then get out of the spot light. No lawsuits, and no Congressional appearances. Does the name Scooter Libby ring a bell? How about Martha Stewart? Yo Rog, keep your head down and your mouth shut. Let the other guy make a fool of himself.
Anyway, back to this DVD thing that seems to bother you so much. This is not a Sox thing; it's a family thing. Mike and I have watched the SU-Georgia game (Regional semis, 1996) at least a dozen times. Cuse wins in OT every time. Cipolla hits a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, and Wallace hits a three with seconds left, to send Cuse on to face Kansas.
Or how about the two DVDs from the 2003 hoops season? How many times have the boys and I seen them?
These things never get old; and they never get boring. Dave Roberts always steals second off Rivera; Papi always homers in the twelfth; and the Sox always survive the 3-0 deficit to play yet again. Who could possibly get tired of that?
Last winter, I had the flu one night and felt awful; could not sleep. I stayed up all night alternating between comedy dvds, and the 2004 ALCS. Next day, I felt great. You should try it some time.
At least I got a little rise out of you.
No homophobia intended and I don't want to dis your family entertainment package. Go enjoy your glory which the Yankees want to end this year although the Yankees will be the pre-season 2nd or 3rd team in the AL East.
Define 'Evil'. If applied to the Yankees when they over pay, have the highest payroll and too much royalty tax then you must admit to the redsox as the 'Evil Brother'. They are number 2 in all of those categories and climbing fast. The Yankees actually dropped in all those evil categories in 2006 and 2007 and the redsox went up. Does buying yourself a championship sound familiar? Let's see what 2008 brings.
Agree on the roger suggestion. It is always about roger and not the team or the game. He can disappear as far as I am concerned.
I am not a big NFL fan but have always root for the Giants and hate the Cowboys so I will find myself in front of the tube Sunday.
G-man
Evil - abominable, detestable, despicable, execrable (I'm not even sure what that one means, exactly), diabolical. That's it. The Yankees are diabolical.
The best explanation I can offer is the tautological one - The Yankees are evil because they're the Yankees. And do I need to remind you about last fall's plague, sent to visit the Yankees in the ALDS? If they weren't evil, why was a plague sent to defeat them?
Actually, there is a posting lurking in here, and it's not about good v. evil, nor about who is spending the most money. The real story about whether the Sox are the new Yankees, has a subtext, which is : have the Yankees lost their way? If the Sox are the new Yankees, it's because they're recognizing and developing their own talent - all those young guys who came up through the system, and contributed so much in the post-season this year. And if the Yankees have lost their way, it's because they turned from that system, and tried instead to buy talent.
Mike Lupica (a New York guy if there ever was one) says that the Yankees have succeeded when the Boss was not making the calls. But at least George made some savvy moves, certainly in the early days of free agency. If the guys calling the shots these days are the young Steinbrenners, the Yankees will be at a double disadvantage. And it may be that we soon don't care whether they're evil or not.
I'm with you on the playoffs; the Giants are boring, but I don't like the Cowboys. And the fact is that the Giants are physical enough to play with them. Real question is whether the Giants can manage TO, who singlehandedly burned them in each of their games this year.
This morning on MSNBC their guest was Jack Welch, ex-CEO and avid redsox fan. When asked what is up with the new 'evil' empire, the red sox, he immediately came to the defense of the redsox but was quick to admit that the acquisition of Santana would make his defense much harder.
That is what I am talking about not bugs. Just keep on painting the redsox as the 'good' underdog and let's see what happens in 2008. By the way Lupica is hardly a Yankee fan. He likes to the rock the boat on his way to his next book deal.
I truly enjoyed the Giant game. Either the Giant depleted defense played the game of their lives or the cowboy game plan included not getting the ball to TO in the second half. Either way I am very satisfied with the Giant season and love beating the cowboys.
Catch you later,
G-man
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