Yeah, But LeBron Can't Hit 570-Foot Homeruns!

Watch out Wieters. We might have another 'Chuck Norris' of baseball.
(theghostofmoonlightgraham.files.wordpress.com)

Six days after personally witnessing the debut of super-prospect Mr. Matt Wieters in Baltimore, and five days after writing an entry on new Sox reliever Danny Bard, I encountered a story that got absolutely every bit of my attention. And this is all after I was getting good laughs from a website that compared Wieters to a certain bearded martial arts star of 'Walker, Texas Ranger'. On the cover of Sports Illustrated was a photo of a high-school slugger that was positioned next to the title, "Baseball's Chosen One". Immediately, I had to rush online to find the article that has created this LeBron type buzz. The story, written by the esteemed SI writer Tom Verducci, detailed the prodigious accomplishments of Las Vegas High student named Bryce Harper. What I found in this article was astonishing. A kid clocking 570-ft bombs? Quicker bat speed than McGwire at his prime? Scoring on multiple wild pitches from second base? Throwing a 96 MPH fastball when he pitches? All of this at the age of SIXTEEN! Sixteen? At an age where my main goals in life were to pass AP Biology and to try not to be awkward with the opposite sex, Harper is just dismantling opposing pitchers while being to compared to fellow prodigies A-Rod* and Griffey Jr. in their senior years......as a sophomore! If that doesn't get your attention as a sports fan, you might need a doctor's appointment soon. But the same story that provoked so much excitement also produces a wee bit of worry for me, and it goes far beyond the SI cover jinx. It brought me to how many times I have heard this story before. Remembering Craig Hansen, Delmon Young, Brien Taylor, and Jeff Allison, the lights of caution always blink as soon as I hear about these prodigious athletes emerging. All of these guys were sure to be the best thing since the Internet, but succumbed due to lack of confidence, injury, drugs, or just being the talented victims of the humbling nature of the sport. It is stories like this that are created to promote awe and celebration amongst those in the sports community. But it is these same stories that can become extremely detrimental to everyone involved, most importantly the athlete that is literally front and center.

You can do that LBJ, but can you hit a 500-footer at the Trop?
(media.photobucket.com)

The one thing that you can't deny is this Harper kid's raw ability. I mean, imagine if Jason Bay could rip 500-plus foot homers and strike out guys with high 90's heat. Being in a crazy media market, he would be a superhero in Beantown. And from reading the article, you get a sense that Harper is not done, that he has the confidence and determination of a player 15 years older than him. Makes you wonder why some baseball executives have predicted him to be a top two pick,......RIGHT NOW! But what you can't convince me is that his swagger and ability alone is gonna carry him to a Major League ballpark in a couple years with no issues. Harper isn't the first confident kid that was raking on the high-school diamond, nor will be the last. I get a sense he has felt the extra-added responsibility of living up to his cover appearance, because it's natural. When I had a couple of poems from my creative writing class published in a minor publication when I was 16, I felt a sense of confidence and entitlement approaching a professional level, even though I definitely wasn't no Poe. That feeling is probably magnified a million times over when you are placed on the front of a nationally-famous sports publication with millions of eyes on it. At a young age, it is easy to buy into your own hype, especially when you have no challengers around you. Many times, the confidence (which apparently this kid has plenty of) combined with the heightened attention, ends up in a self-creation of a persona that is more grandiose than what many of these whiz kids can live up to. That brings me to the nature of baseball and its destructive Darwinism of weeding out the young talent that can't physically and mentally adjust. The talent showcased in the MLB is so unique, which makes it an accomplishment just to arrive, and a triumph when you survive. Harper's parents, Ron and Sheri, are extremely aware of this as they see their son crushing the 80 MPH fastballs of his high-school competitors. So they are doing the right thing for his talent at least, by possibly having him pursue a GED in the summer and go the junior college route to set him up for the draft in 2010. But is this truly the right thing? Is this a roulette-type gamble for the kid from Vegas (Had to make a gambling reference. Just had to.)? Harper's ability is undeniable, but the unforgiving reality is that he could be one bad tweak of the knee or shoulder away from having his dreams crash down on him and his GED, and not much else to base his life upon. A huge possibility considering the average career of a MLB player is only 5.6 years for the guys that even make it, which I'm sure includes many guys who were predicted to be in the Hall of Fame in their high-school days. Imagine being a 25 year old retired ballplayer with limited options because you saw the glory of you dream, with a sharp tunnel vision, crash in a fiery ball of failure. It is something that unfortunately happens all too often, and I'm just too scared that it could be happening with this Harper kid in a Truman Show-type environment. The worst thing is that the young victims of these tales become enslaved by the weight of everybody's expectations, which makes it more suffocating when their dreams come crashing down on them.

Harper: Tearing the cover off on the cover.
(sincityxtreme.files.wordpress.com)

So am I saying this kid is going to fail? I hope he doesn't. In fact, I hope he doesn't now more than ever, now that he has attained this sudden rush of national exposure. We've seen this before fairly recently with megastar LeBron James, who has been able to obtain instant success with his superb play along with his amiable personality (sans the walking off the court incident in Orlando a few days ago). It's hard to predict who will attain successful longevity in any sport, but it felt like destiny when James was performing like a freak in high school. The skill set in basketball is much more basic then it is in baseball, where guys who hit the ball thirty percent of the time are considered elite, and five-tool players are all the rage because of their rarity. What Bryce Harper is going to attempt is something possibly more difficult than what LBJ attempted when he got out of high school and entered the 2003 NBA draft. Harper is attempting to become a generational player in a sport where the top draft picks rarely succeed and that the best players aren't necessarily the ones who have the most ability, but the ones who can make the most adjustments at the right time (waaaaay easier said than done). Added with all that is the pressure of being an icon in a sport where virtually every hero of the past era has been caught up in some sort of steroid controversy, while being a 6'3'', 205 lb. powerhouse himself. Whatever Harper does, I hope that he and his parents do what is truly right for him (whatever it is) rather than simply act, blinded in the glory that his sudden media coronation has given him. I'm pulling for the kid, because my sport doesn't need any more sob stories.

The Long Awaited 2nd Gamecast: Sox -Tigers

After a month and a half hiatus from the play-by-play, I'm back at it in game 52 of the Sox's season. The season lately has been mediocre at best. Since their last day off on the 18th of May, the Sox (29-22) have posted a 7-6 record, while continuing their struggles on the road (12-16 overall). The sudden lack in offensive production prompted Francona to make some changes in the lineup in the last game of the series at Toronto, and apparently are going to continue tonight. That Fenway series against Texas can't come soon enough, but a good series here can bring some swift momentum heading into Beantown. Again, it will be Dice-K (0-3) who will take the mound for the Red Sox on the Cloud 10 Gamecast. Let's hope he has better luck than he did in the last one, as he goes against young ace-in the-making Rick Porcello (6-3) and the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers (28-21). Let's hope the gamecast is more of a firestarter and less of a jinx. However, with the Sox's recent luck against pitchers they haven't seen before, I'm reluctantly leaning myself towards the latter. But don't expect me to lose the faith. I've seen crazier things with these Boston Red Sox.

7:07 PM - MVPedroia steps in the box against Rick Porcello, who was 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in the month of May. Promptly doubles on the 2nd pitch of the game. Kinda early, but I'm liking this whole new lineup thing.

7:09 PM - Drew ropes a single up the middle and puts the Sox on top against the young hurler. 1-0 Sox! Have to remember the Sox started well in the last gamecast, only to relinquish the lead in the bottom half. Remember that Baseball's Houdini is pitching.

7:13 PM - The young hurler ends up inducing a double play with Youkilis and strikes out Bay on a good breaking ball. Important to note that Porcello came in dominating righties with a .179 average against. In contrast, Dice-K has been a throwing tee stand to righties at a .483 clip. OUCH!

7:16 PM - Dice-K promptly walks Clete Thomas to start the game. I'm gonna go with a 4 as an over/number on the walk total. As always, not a good start.

7:18 PM - The stingy Placido Polanco bloops a single to center. 2 on, nobody out. Here we go again with Dice-K. And here come the best two hitters in their lineup. Both righties (prayer position time).

7:19 PM - PHEW!!! Double play on Magglio as the slugger hit one back to the Matsuzaka, killing the rally a bit. Not out of the clear with Cabrera coming to the plate.

7:22 PM - That's Cabrera being Cabrera. Miggy singles to tie the game at 1. Somehow not that shocked, considering that Dice-K did not put him away after he was ahead in the count. Just plain typical.

7:24 PM - Granderson singles on the hit-and-run, putting runners on the corners. And you were expecting an easy inning. Another righty in Inge coming to the plate.

7:27 PM - Granderson steals 2nd. I don't remember the last time we've thrown out a runner. 2006?

7:27 PM - Dice-K ends the drama with a K on Inge. Could have been worse I guess. Threw 26 pitches overall in the 1st. Now thinking of a logical over/under for innings pitched by Dice-K, considering he hasn't pitched higher than 5 1/3 all season.

7:31 PM - Here comes Papi in the 6th spot. Just sad to see. I read the latest Bill Simmons article on how he thinks he is older than listed, which would make sense for this mega-slump, considering many Dominican players have been revealed to have a few more years on them (Tejada, Vlad Guerrero). It's just crazy how sudden this drop-off is that the Nation can't pin point exactly what it is. It's just like throwing at a dartboard of solutions at this point and picking something. It's like nothing I've seen before.

7:32 PM - Base hit for Ortiz. Next train stop, The Mendoza Line.

7:35 PM - And just like that, the Sox have 'em loaded with hits from 'Tek and Ellsbury with 1 out. Leyland out to talk with his young pitcher. Now for the moment of truth.

7:38 PM - And in shocking news (sarcasm alert), the Sox strand 3 as Nick Green and Pedroia can't hit one out the infield. Hmmm.....thinkin' how to get Miguel Cabrera in a Sox uniform. Do I seem bitter?

7:48 PM - After a hit and a couple outs, Dice-K uncorks another wild pitch, making it 6 for the year. Eck is asking for the record book now. Just embarrassing. Should have an over/under for that, too. New nickname for Dice-K could easily be "Box O' Wild Chocolates" at this point.

7:51 PM - Clete Thomas, already anticipating to get walked by Dice-K again, jogs to 1st on Ball 3. Kinda don't blame him, but probably more embarrassing than the wild pitch earlier. Strikes out on the next pitch to end the inning.

7:56 PM - After a hit by Drew and a pop-up by Youk, Jay Bay Bay slams a hanging breaking ball from Porcello a mile (you pretty much have to at Comerica) to put the Sox ahead 3-1. Make that 16 long balls for the Canuck.

7:59 PM - After Lowell gets on by error, Ortiz ends the inning by way of the double play. The decline continues (Now have "Final Countdown" in my head). Hoping for at least one 1,2,3 inning from The Dice Man.

8:04 PM - After a Dice-K strikeout, two great things happen. One, a Heidi Watney sideline report. Second, her reporting on John Smoltz and his continuing success in his rehab outings. Can't wait for this guy to get out there and improve our starting pitching one way or another. Just a true professional.

8:05 PM - No 1,2,3 for me as Magglio gets on with a single. 1 out.

8:06 PM - Miggy lines out hard into a double play. Only one base runner for Dice-K this inning. Could Dice-K go over fi.........NO NO NO. Not gonna jinx it (finding wooden objects).

8:10 PM - Ellsbury hits a single and steals a base, making it 22 SBs on the year. Just wish his OBP was higher. He'd just be a monster, in the lead off spot.

8:13 PM - It was the Brandon Inge show at third base as he makes two solid plays to get the Tigers back in the box. Could this be the 1,2,3 inning we're all looking for from The Dice Man? Like a shooting star, you have to keep your eyes open, or you might miss it folks.

8:18 PM - We'll, so much for that shooting star. Granderson singles to lead off the bottom half of the 4th. Possible stolen base threat as he already has 10 for the year.

8:22 PM - After a K on Inge, the hit-and-run went horribly wrong for the Tiggers, as Josh Anderson hit into a 9 to 3 fly out, throw 'em out double play. Granderson was in Cancun somewhere, not even close to getting back. To the 5th we go.

8:28 PM - After a classic Youk walk, Porcello is taken out after 84 pitches. He wasn't pin-point sharp tonight, but it still seems premature, even for a young pitcher. Especially one who has been riding a month of dominance. Stuff that makes you wonder, but you have to take care of the young guys. Anyway, here comes the 22-year old rookie Ryan Perry.

8:32 PM - The young Perry gets the Tigers out of it. All expectations off for Dice-K as he heads into his 5th inning of work. Final line for Porcello: 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks, and 1 ball that probably landed in Ontario. Not his best outing, but I see why the Tigers are excited about this kid.

8:39 PM - After a long at-bat by the #8 hitter Laird and almost giving Eck the big one, Dice-K gives the .231 hitter a free pass. Here's an Aflac Trivia Question: When was the last time Dice-K pitched a 1,2,3 inning?

8:43 PM - Dice-K has now walked the 8 and 9 hitters to begin the inning. $103 million dollars is looking reeeeeeeeeeeal expensive right now. Hope that money pays for my future blood pressure medication.

8:46 PM - The Dice Man just launches a fastball by the bat of Thomas that looked like it was 98 MPH to strike him out. Guess that what happens when you throw 75% breaking balls. 1 out.

8:48 PM - Polanco hits a solid liner that Jay Bay Bay catches up to for the snag (....and exhale). 2 outs, Magglio coming to the plate (.....inhale.......).

8:50 PM - MAGGLIO STRIKES OUT (.....huge exhale)! 6 Ks for Dice-K as he tightrope walks out of another jam. The Sox should consider sending a proposal to Selig to have 2 runners on to begin every inning of Dice-K's starts. It would improve his walk totals, his WHIP, his ERA.......everything! I swear he would be the best pitcher in the league.

8:55 PM - Papi's late on a 1-2, 96 MPH. Story of his life right now. 1 down. Average now at .189 (Please hold off the HGH/PED jokes till after the game, not in the mood).

8:59 PM - After a 'Tek walk, Ellsbury gets on for the third time today with a solid opposite-field hit. Maybe putting him 8th could be the best thing for him. Sort of was anointed the lead off hitter after Game 4 of the World Series without a large sample of experience. 2 on, 1 out.

9:02 PM - Ball 4 to Nick Green. They're loaded again. Looking for MVPedroia to provide some clutch insurance right now. Former Sox Lyon in the 'pen.

9:04 PM - Ball 4! A little offense by patience. 4-1 Sox. Let's see if Drew can continue his solid night. Old friend and member of the "03 closer by committee crew" Brandon Lyon will try to put out the fire.

9:09 PM - Weak chopper hit by Drew to Lyon. Only out is made at home. 2 out.

9:09 PM - Now a little offense by pain. Youk promptly gets hit by a pitch off the leg. 5-1 Sox. Hey, whatever gets the job done.

9:10 PM - Bay grounds to Inge at third, who makes another nice play to end the inning. Doubting that Dice-K will be coming out for the bottom half. At least he's in the driver's seat for a much needed victory. How bout "The Tokyo Rollercoaster" for a moniker? Final Line: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, and 6 Ks.

9:16 PM - Just learned from Orsillo and Eck that the Sox bullpen has tallied a 2.17 ERA in the last 20 games with a 2.96 ERA for the year (which is like a run better than the next team), and a .238 average against. I wonder if it's possible to give a whole unit of a team with an MVP award. It should be.

9:19 PM - Wow! What a concept. I think that was the first 1,2,3 inning by a pitcher from any side tonight. Kinda surprised that this game is only 5-1. Going on to the last third of the game, feeling alright.

9:24 PM - Another strikeout on Ortiz. Plummeting faster than TWA right now.

9:25 PM - How 'bout The Captain? 'Tek gets on with his 10th double of the year. Who would have thought that he would be a threat in the bottom of the order after last year's train wreck? Guess I'm one of the guilty ones.

9:28 PM - After an Ellsbury walk, Nicky Green hits a weak grounder to end the top half. Time for the 7th inning stretch/my 3rd gallon of water. The funky Okajima is set to step on the bump.

9:36 PM - Another solid inning from Okajima. Starting to think that my proposal of sending the bullpen out for the whole game might be a genius idea. There is no guy I would want to face right now, and I'm sure the AL feels the same way. Too bad the Yanks are just murdering the Rangers right now. Speaking of, my 1st round pick in one of my fantasy drafts (Josh Hamilton) might be out for two months with an ab strain. I should just send a proposal to my league next year to just skip the 1st round. Who in my league has a Bubba Gump voodoo doll? C'mon, admit it.

9:44 PM - Lyon produces the first 1,2,3 inning of the night for Detroit's pitching staff. Just found out that the San Fran bullpen blew a potential win for Lincecum against the "Natinals". If it isn't the Sox taking years off my life, it's my fantasy team. I guess I have to complain about something now that the Sox are up 5-1, right?

9:48 PM - After 1 1/3 solid innings, Francona pulls the Japanese lefty to put in the Dominican right-hander Ramon Ramirez, who has just been solid this year. He has posted a 1.38 ERA with a .161 average against. Other than his 2 ER outing on the 30th of May (which was as many runs as he had allowed all year to that point), he has just been baseball's version of a Rubik's Cube.

9:53 PM - And the bullpen remains perfect. 3 IP with first base nice and clean makes Chuck a happy camper. Here comes the final stretch.

9:58 PM - Former starter Nate Robertson concludes a perfect inning by striking out Big Papi on a questionable low pitch. 3 Ks for the Big Man. I wonder if it's more torture for me than it is for him. Papelbon looks like he's coming in, considering it isn't a save situation. Keep in mind, he hasn't pitched since the 28th against the Twins. Game over?

10:03 PM - There goes the perfecto from the bullpen. Cabrera singles to center off Paplemonster, who came into the game with righties batting at a .268 clip. Could be arguable that Papelbon might not be the most dominant bullpen presence this year.

10:06 PM - Point proven? Another single, this time by Granderson. I bet you he's in "save mode" now.

10:09 PM - Aaaaanother single, this time by Inge off a hanging slider. I don't know what it is, but Papelbon seems to make things too interesting this year.

10:10 PM - Juuuuuuuuuuuust foul. Josh Anderson almost made this a game again by centimeters. A little bit too late off the fastball. What a battle!

10:13 PM - Another foul. This is just the classic Papelbon drama this year, getting long at bats from number 7 hitters. Splitter anyone? Dice-K looks understandably tense.

10:15 PM - FINALLY! Paps goes high on Anderson for the strikeout. Still alive and responding. 1 out, still bases loaded.

10:19 PM - INSIDE FASTBALL STRIKE 3 ON LARISH! I think both Papelbon and Matsuzaka both have a bet going on to see who can kill me 1st. 2 out, tying run still at the plate.

10:21 PM - HE STRUUUUUUCK HIM OUT. Ramon Santiago goes down for the count, concluding another 35 pitch balancing act by Papelbon. This is the 500th win recorded by Francona as the Red Sox manager, and like many of them, this one wasn't easy. And just to think, I was going to apologize for not picking the most exciting contest to do the gamecast tonight. This puts the Sox at the 30 win mark, keeping them on pace with The Empire. Good to get on the right foot against a division leader on the road. Also good for the confidence of Dice-K to get that first victory. Would have liked him to have gone 6 IP, but we're thinking baby steps here ladies and gents. Overall, all I have to do is add some AC, and I can sleep well tonight. Later folks!

Late Night Eclipse

Many hope Conan's newest gig turns out better than......yeah.
(insidesocal.com)

Tonight's the night where the anticipated changing of the guard happens on the late night scene as Conan O'Brien will be the 5th man to take NBC's after-dark throne. O'Brien, who has seemed to have been destined for this job since I was in middle school ('97-'99), is now stepping into the arena where "The Chin" was a big time player for 17 years, becoming the late-night mainstay for many. Armed with Pearl Jam and the uber-hilarious Will Ferrell, there is obvious anticipation for a big splash in the 11:30 PM slot tonight. Many of my friends and peers are psyched about the arrival of the red-haired funny man, who is considered a breath of fresh air and an alternative to the much elder combo of Leno/Letterman. I truly believed that The Simpsons were at their best when Conan was at the helm as the writer. For a period of time, he was my go-to guy for my bouts of insomniac television viewing. But for some reason, I don't think the switch will pay major dividends for the NBC Network.

Question: Who's gonna end up hosting The Tonight Show in 6 months?
(scrapetv.com)

Call me old-school, you can even call me old, but I'm gonna miss Leno. In fact, I'm probably the only member of my age demographic who is currently saying this. Between his "Jaywalking" segments and his quirky (admittedly corny sometimes) stand-up in the beginning of his shows made for some good bellyaches from laughter. My all-time favorite segment in late night was "Headlines", a series of articles and advertisements that were mailed in by viewers containing some of the worst typos imaginable creating insane innuendos. It was in my opinion, a better, more consistent alternative to the Letterman "Top 10 List", which some nights seems like it's trying too hard to obtain cheap laughs. Being a fan of randomness and unintentional comedy, the segment fit my comedic needs perfectly, while being my perfect send off to slumber every Monday night. But Leno's show did not just revolve around one thing. It was the variety (the Jib-Jab cartoons, Stuff We Found on eBay, the Howie Mandel bits) that made the show the constant leader in the late night rankings despite being on a tanking NBC network. O'Brien will undoubtedly be a worthy competitor to Letterman in capturing the younger, more modern viewer. But will he maintain the more mainstream constituency that Leno won over? The conversations with my mother and uncle about the subject don't bode well for O'Brien if the mainstream share my family's opinions. They described him as being "too tacky" and just simply being all over the place. While I think Conan's edgier, outside the box approach makes him unique and has made him successful so far, I just don't buy the older viewers taking his offbeat style seriously. On top of that, he doesn't really have too many memorable segments that stick with me. However, his contribution of introducing Triumph The Insult Comedy Dog to the world is sooooooo priceless. Even for me, Conan's wacky persona gets a little old for me after a while, and he's gonna need more than a personality to sustain his stay on the late night pedestal.

If this guy is on your first show, GET EXCITED!
(reellifewisdom.com)

So you are probably asking me if I'm rooting against Conan. I answer with an adamant no. I wish him tons of success in his latest endeavor of a stellar career. It would be extremely discourteous to wish a guy like O'Brien with any kind of failure. However, sentiment and my personal prediction of the trends say that he has a mountain to climb, and I'm not the only person that he's going to have to win over. Being the only jewel in a floundering network, NBC most definitely will have high expectations on Conan to continue Leno's success in bolstering the Tonight Show brand. Regardless, from a person that still religiously watches reruns of Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as his primary source of television, I am amped up for what kind of start Conan has laid out for his brand spanking new show out in the left coast. Definitely more amped up for this than the opener for The Carson Daly Show, or for anything on TV in the past decade for that matter. Well, off to get my Seinfeld fix before the show, hoping to expect the unexpected, hoping for my expectations to be defied.

Before I Peace: You're Kidding Me!

(cache.boston.com)

Move over Pink Hat Nation. Here comes your hungrier cousin, Watermelon Hat Nation! Yes, for $15 dollars on the team shop, this lovely-scented piece of head wear can be all yours. What? Scratch and sniff hats? This gives me another reason to start burning copies of Fever Pitch. Granted, the old-school roadies were a great idea, but the top Sox have done everything to destroy the brand lately. Between the "Hanging Sox" caps and the "Softball League" alternate unis, Mike Dee and Co. are beginning to destroy any dignity the Red Sox brand has. They should just start adding Sesame Str.......OOOPS! I shouldn't start giving the brass ideas. Gallagher, please smash this cap to bits!

A New Closing Time?

The International League hopes not to see this guy again.
(farm4.static.flickr.com)

It's probably so hard to reminisce about Spring Training. You know, that time when pretty much close to nothing happened? The craziness of Manny's antics and the long-haired circus of yesteryear apparently left sunny Fort Myers. But for me, there was Daniel Bard. Just coming off being the 2008 Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the year, there was already a mild swarm of buzz surrounding the young 23-year old entering camp. But I don't really think that the Nation was ready for what was to arrive. It appeared as if this kid just hopped out of bed in Fort Myers and catapulted the ball into triple-digit insanity. He may have not been the biggest story heading into camp in terms of media focus, but that didn't curb my intrigue one bit. I mean who was the last guy who launched the ball 100 MPH in a Red Sox uniform? Not Pedro, not Roger*, not even our current closer and beloved Riverdancer Papelbon could turn it up to that 6th gear. And just to find out that he struck out 5 straight batters in a brilliant 2 1/3 inning performance against the Blue Jays last night (Forgive me for missing the game. Just chilling in Oriole Park watching the highly-buzzed debut of the mighty Wieters, which provoked me to write this entry.). This is exactly why this kid is worth the buzz, and probably loads more. In the illustrious 108 year history of the franchise, it just might be possible that we may never have seen anything like Mr. Bard.

Could this guy be dancing in our hearts in 2012?
(cdn.bleacherreport.com)

The kid's story starts right out of high school when he signed as the 604th pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft by of all teams, The Empire. After not signing (smart move Danny!), he signed with the Sox as the 28th pick of the 2006 Amateur draft, just months after leading his UNC Tarheels to the finals in the College World Series. Despite the promise, Bard didn't exactly set the world ablaze in his first year in the professional ranks. A 7-plus ERA wasn't exactly microscopic, but it was the lack of control (78 BB in 75 1/3 IP in 22 starts) was the problem that needed a little highlighter. So much highlighter in fact, that the Single A bosses made the decision to put Bard down to the 'pen. Winter ball in Hawaii redeemed the decision, as he threw for a 1.08 ERA in 16 appearances. Despite the remaining control issues, the Sox brass knew they were on to something heading into '08. In Single and Double A, the flamethrower whiffed 107 in 77 2/3 innings, showing that when he utilizes his control, he can be as untouchable as the stratosphere that he seems to be reaching. Receiving the honors of being the best Minor League pitcher in the system, followed by impressing the higher-ups in Spring Training didn't halt the kid one bit. In 58 batters in Triple A, he struck out half of them! On top of that, the fireballin' Bard (really struggling for a nickname) allowed only 5 BB and 2 ER in his 16 appearances in Pawtucket. Bard's dominance only made his call up this year more imminent, combined with the fact that Javier Lopez couldn't even get the dog out this year. With that, a new era in the Sox 'pen may have started on the 10th of May. Let the fireballing madness begin.

I smell some competition, Mr. Paps.
(swamigp.files.wordpress.com)

So we head into this afternoon. Bard's MLB stats so far: 8 1/3 IP, 3BB, 7 K's, and a 1.08 ERA. Not too shabby of a start for a guy who was supposed to be called up later in the season. I normally don't get excited with prospects, especially because they are just that. Prospects. They all have raw ability, they tear through the minors, but somehow don't have the gusto to maintain their swagger in The Show (i.e, Craig Hansen, Frankie Rodriguez), disappointing many. It seems as if it happens more than not. But this kid could be better with the simple fact that he has built his professional career through the adversity he had already faced in the beginning, which shows some strong character makeup. His stuff, consisting of a high 90's fastball with a breaking fastball in the mid 90's, is also worthy of at least some attention. If "Pyro" (How's this for a nickname?) can master his slider in the bigs, we could possibly be talking about the most feared pitcher in the Sox bullpen. Which brings me to the situation with our personification of dominance currently, Jonathan Papelbon, and how he said a few months back that he would likely test the free-agent waters a few years from now. It could be possible, that the Sox are grooming this kid extra-carefully (Only 23. I'm 23. Shows I haven't done that much in life in comparison. Damn.) so that he may become the future back-end stopper for the Crimson Hose. In fact, I know it's the ideal situation for the Sox brass, knowing how they don't like to throw multi-million dollar contracts to pitchers. And you always hear about Papelbon and his shoulder management program, which puts more of a red flag on the situation. This makes for some intriguing babble for the next couple years if Bard can keep pace of what he has produced so far. Bard anchoring the back of the bullpen seems like a stretch now, but who in the Nation wouldn't like to see 100 MPH in the 9th inning in a close game? With how the scenario is unfolding now, this could be even more of a reality than even Clay Buchholz becoming the ace of this staff. Storylines like this are all the more reason why a 162 game season just isn't long enough.

Putting My Sox On Again

The official pose of the 2009 BoSox Starters.
(bostondirtdogs.boston.com)

And you thought I wouldn't write about the Sox again. OK. I know you did. I know I have intelligent readers. But I admit to you it's a little awkward that it has been 24 days since I wrote anything about my Mudville 9. That's because I felt like I had to be caught up in every stat and tidbit before I wrote about the team again. Being in another continent let's just say has a little to do with it. But after seeing Beckett toss another strong start against the Twins in today's afternoon delight, I feel as if I'm ready to get back on the saddle. As always, there are a few things on my mind with the team and with the sport, good and bad. I'll try not to be too mundane, considering we are in first place, by a half-game mind you, but still on top. But I think I see a little bit of the Simon Cowell in me coming out. Don't say I didn't warn you. But I'll sprinkle some positivity here and there, I promise. We'll start off with a story that that broke just before I even left the country a few weeks back.

Say it ain't so Manny. A female fertility drug?
(everyjoe.com)

While in the middle of M&M World in NYC, I decide to check my phone for the weather forecast for the upcoming days in Sweden. What I found was a headline that almost had me faint in a rack of M&M pajamas. "Manny Ramirez Suspended 50 Games For....." I didn't need to read the rest. If you know me, I'm probably the last person on Earth who liked Manny and defended him to his very last antics in Boston. I was the first person everyone called when the Bay trade happened, almost like someone consoling the mourning. Despite all the times Manny had frustrated the front office and his teammates (I'm finally willing to say he did quit on them), he had excited the Fenway Faithful with so "Manny" memorable moments, including 2 World Series Titles, one of which he was the MVP. I was sort of a closet Dodger fan for the last months of the 2008 campaign, as he was destroying National League pitching at close to a .400 clip. But the drug suspension news probably just completed the separation process between Manny and me. Sure he would be the one who would high-five a fan after a catch, or go behind the Monster to do I don't wanna know what. But performance enhancers? I immediately wanted to get into defense mode, but realized from the many revelations before that it's pretty hard to defend someone who has been proven to have broken the steroid rules (See: Roger Clemens*, A-Rod*). The fact that I haven't put an asterisk to Manny probably shows I still have some sentiment, but this moment in time clearly showed me that I had to get rid of it. The weirdest part is that they found he had traces of a female fertility drug in his system. What? A FEMALE fertility drug? I guess I wouldn't leave it past Manny to have something that foreign in his system. Apparently, this is what is used to mask the steroids for testing. But still. WOW. Since the A-Rod* situation however, I just feel that anybody could be cheating, and that's the way it is. I don't even care anymore. This era of baseball happened, some high-profile names got busted, and we are beginning to move on. It's just frustrating to have to suspect every star player in the sport of drug use, and these recent findings don't help at all. However, I do feel that a majority of the players in the league do it the right way, and that the combination of testing, national shame, and the awareness of the health issues involving these drugs deter many from even wanting to use. As for the purity of the 2004 season, we'll we don't have evidence that he was using anything at that point. That's the only thing we can go by. But this just reminds us with the most painful fact of the steroid era that we will have way more questions about it than we can ever answer.

Well, apparently Papi still has his health, but that's it.
(espn.com)

It's great to get off the plane after a satisfying vacation and find that you favorite team has played well enough to capture first place. Most of the headlines I received when I was abroad were more from the surface. I was pumped when we swept the Blue Jays (who I predicted to be fourth in the East, possibly last), who are now in a huge tailspin. I saw that Jason Bay was tearing the cover off the ball, opening up more of a place in my heart for him (with the help of the indiscretions from you know who). But after getting back and settling into pure baseball mode again and reading everything that is happening, I wondered how they were still in first place. For starters (har, har, har), the starting pitching, which was supposed to be our bread and butter, is more like our moldy cheese and salami right now. The Sox came into today's game against the Twins with a gi-normous 5.36 ERA amongst their starters (26th out of 30 in the MLB). The supposedly dominant trio of Beckett, Lester, and Matsuzaka have combined for an 8-10 clip with a 5.73 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP (Still looking at those numbers in disbelief.). While Beckett is showing some signs of turning it around, Lester (6.07 ERA) is far from showing any evidence or consistency that he is ready to become the next dominant lefty in the game. Dice-K (8.82 ERA) is making it more difficult to expect more than 5 innings out of him, while pushing me further to buy a WBC voodoo doll. I'm about one more bad start away from convincing Tito that having the bullpen pitch the whole game could be a better idea than to trot one of those guys out there. Smoltzy can't come quick enough. On top of that, we're seeing a legend continuing to fade in front of our eyes. Papi's currently batting a measly .194 with a .297 in both OBP and slugging. Can you say, YIKES? Ever since his 1st dinger of the year on the 20th, he has gone 3 for his last 27 with only 1 RBI. So bad that he had to be dropped to 6th in the batting order for the first time since he was a Twin several years back. What's even more disheartening is that you know it's getting to him, as evident with him breaking his bat off his leg in this afternoon's game. You would think that homerun would have sparked Papi's confidence, and he would emerge as something of his former self. Nevermind being in the twilight zone, he has become the twilight zone. The Big Man doesn't seem like he has the same aura anymore, a mere ghost (Why can't I get cheesy Patrick Swayze movies out of my head?). As much as any Red Sox fan right now, I'm still hoping for the best, but at the same time must see the reality (gulp) that this could very well be it for a once dominant force in the batter's box. With all this, you would think that the Sox could easily be in 4th right now. But here come the rays of optimism I promised you.

Somebody give this man a moniker!
(mlb.mlb.com)

This afternoon, I read a small article on boston.com on how the Red Sox are in first place despite some of the glaring issues like the ones previously mentioned. For me, a few things come to mind. First off, how 'bout Mikey Lowell? Once considered a dead man limping, as of now he is on pace for a season arguably better than his 2007 campaign (ESPN Proj: 28 HR, 115 RBI's, 52 2Bs, 195 Hits, .524 SLUG). No one expected this. Not the scouts, not the Nation, probably not even Mikey Lowell himself. But I won't complain. His "I'm back" game was the April 25th game against the Yanks where he drove in 6 to help Boston win a slugfest. Not a bad time for an "I'm back" statement game, huh? Knocking on wood that nothing "Bo Jackson-esque" happens to him in the future. Who also would have figured that Jason Varitek would have 10 times as many homeruns right now as Big Papi? I think I feel the world flipping upside down on its axis now. I mean, you have to realize that 'Tek hit more homeruns this afternoon than Papi has hit all season. Sure his average is .248, but I sadly would have taken that from him last year (54 points over Papi now), and he is sure to smash his '08 total of 13 HR by the All-Star break. Then there is the combo of MVPedroia, Youkilis, and Bay who have just carried the offense brilliantly in '09. Right there, the Sox potentially have 3 MVP candidates that could sit dead-center in their lineup and pick up where Papi left off. The Nation would love it if the Big Man got back to form, no doubt. But I think the Sox are in safe hands with this trio. The trio have totaled so far 153 hits, 62 extra base hits, and 260 total bases. All that, and Youkilis was on the DL for a short period. You can't talk about this year's Sox team without talking about the insane job the bullpen has done this year. A 2.99 ERA coming into Thursday's game is solid enough for first in the majors amongst bullpens. The combination of Okajima, Masterson, Delcarmen, Saito and Papelbon have done there jobs in the back end of the 'pen (scary just to even look at). But how 'bout Ramon Ramirez? Brought in by the Crisp trade, all he has done is allowed 2 ER in 24.1 IP, a .139 average against, and has even saved a game this season. I'm sure there are teams who are dying to have him as a closer, and yet he's our 6th-7th inning guy. Not to mention that we have a kid called up right now who can throw triple digits. We just need to give the kid a nickname. I don't think Daniel Bard provokes that much fear on the loudspeaker. Not yet anyway. Not that I'm a conspiracy theorist or anything, but I think the Sox brass is secretly hoping this kid pans out just so they won't have to pay Papelbon the big dough and have his shoulder go out on him in the 2nd year of a 5 year multi-million contract. Just throwing it out there.

Look in those eyes. I think he sees October.
(bostonsports.mlblogs.com)

So there you have it. Like in every season, there are the grave concerns that waltz together with beams of hope. That's the beauty of this game. Even as the Yankees come surging from the dead, I look at the team and know that we could fend them off throughout the summer. The fact that we have beat them in every matchup this season doesn't hurt my confidence either. But regardless, it is those beams of hope that make the long haul turn out much more gratifying in the end. The length of the season is detrimental physically and mentally in some ways, but for the players teams who can create moments in that period of time, the feeling is extra euphoric. Even if an injury (just ask Kirk Gibson, '88) or a whole season (J.D Drew, '07) has brought you to the abyss, there are so many opportunities in this game to become the hero. Thriving in spite of that super-long grind is what makes a championship season in baseball so much more rewarding than in other sports. So as I leave for the Mid-Atlantic to get the first look at Matt Wieters, I will have no doubt have my eye on Papi, Lester, and Matsuzaka, for there is still plenty of time for redemption. Many complain that baseball has such a long season, but for many others, they're glad it works that way.