Tag Archives: MLB

Meet The Mets of 2015

Coming off of a great year last year the New York Mets are seen as the “team to beat”. Last year’s record was 90-72. Pretty good. That 90-72 record got them National League East Champions. National League division series winners over the Los Angeles Dodgers. National League Championship series over the Chicago Cubs. But their run ended when they lost in the World Series to the Kansas City Royals. Previous to the 2015 run in the playoffs,  the last time the Mets made the playoffs was in 2006. This was a long time to wait and not to mention that Met fans were eager for another Postseason run, and my o’ my o’ my o’ my were they ready.
In my opinion the New York Mets are the best team in baseball. Why? Two reasons. Pitching staff and Rookies.The Mets pitching staff last year threw a total of 4,948 total pitches over 95 mph(miles per hour) the closest team to them was the Royals with 3,948 total pitches over 95 mph(miles per hour). You’re going to strike a lot of people out with 95+ fast balls. Also the Mets ranked 2nd in ERA among the WHOLE MLB. The Mets rookies were easily ranked one of the best among the MLB. During the Postseason the rookie Michael Conforto went deep twice in the World Series which helped the Mets win that game. This shows that many of the rookies are contributing to making this Mets club win. Will the Mets win it all in 2016, well we will have to wait and see.

~Ryan

Getting Off On The Right Sock

The 2013 MLB Season is now about 1/3rd of the way over and there are a few big surprises so far. One very big surprise is the standings of the AL East. Sports Illustrated predicted the order of the standings in this division the exact opposite of what they are as of June 4th, 2013. SI predicted the order of the division being 1. Blue Jays 2. Rays 3. Orioles 4. Yankees. And 5. Red Sox. But to the surprise of many, it is the Red Sox in 1st and the Blue Jays in last. Not many people had seen this coming, even the most optimistic of Red Sox fans had guessed a 2nd to 3rd place finish would be in order, and that would be just okay following their disastrous 93 loss season last year. But the Red Sox have started the year fantastically and are on pace for a 98 win season. Many people have tried to pinpoint exactly what is making the Red Sox so successful this season. I think there are many reasons.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful teams in baseball and there are many factors that are helping them with that. One of the biggest reasons is there very smart approach to free agency in the offseason. The Red Sox stayed away from the big-name signings that had gotten them in trouble in previous years (See, Carl Crawford), and went after more middle-of-the-pack free agents, such as Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, and Koji Uehara. These players cost much less than some bigger names and have already shown the ability to shine in big markets and under pressure, unlike some past signings (See, Carl Crawford). These newcomers are by no means the only things helping the team though, as veterans that have been with the team for a few years are a huge factor also. David Ortiz is having a career revival, Dustin Pedroia is playing like an MVP, and Daniel Nava is having a career year. Clay Buchholz is pitching like a Cy Young winner, Jon Lester is finally back, and John Lackey is having a comeback year. The Red Sox are surprising everyone this year, but if you look closely, there’s no reason it should be that way.

~ Jake Wallinger

Liar Liar

Just recently over 7 players had been caught in a biogenous clinic in Florida. In this clinic these players were accused of using performance enhancing drugs. Once again players are caught cheating behind MLB’s back. Players that have already been accused of steroid use were once again found in this clinic. Players who said that they were sorry and ashamed of taking PED’s the first time still continue to take them anyway. The era that we live in is starting to destroy the game of baseball; so the question is how can baseball stop players from taking outside substances such as PED’s?

Coming from a fan’s perspective, I think that players should be checked more often and unexpectedly. If players have no idea when they would be tested, it would stop some players from taking PED’s. Another route baseball could take is make the punishment more severe. The current punishments are if a player is tested positive once they’re suspended 50 games. If they are tested positive twice the will be suspended 100 games. The most severe punishment that baseball has is if they are tested positive for a third time then it is a ban from baseball. What I think baseball should do is a 1 year ban from the game with no pay. My reason is these players play for mainly two things. Those two things are their pay and to play in the game. If you take both of those away from them after testing positive for the first time, it will more than likely get the message across to the players.

All in all players should just stay inside their organization for any type of medicine or drugs (that are legal). Especially in big markets like New York and Boston. All the resources they would ever need is at the palm of their hands. They have the best trainers possible so there is no need to go outside their organization to receive any substance.

 ~Evan Sokolik

Boston Red Sox: Hope or Nope

With this past season being a total waste, Boston fans are scratching their heads, wondering if there is hope for the Red Sox next season. Over the course of last year Terry Francona left the Red Sox, causing Bobby Valentine to step in for the 2012 season. Throughout the season Valentine had trouble getting along with players, including a fan favorite veteran, Kevin Youkilis. Certain relationships Bobby Valentine had with players and certain scenarios lead general manager, Ben Cherington, to trade valuable players, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez,  Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford. With games being lost, pitching giving up home runs, and offense scoring nothing, the Boston Red Sox ended the 2012 season with a 69-93 record, their personal worst since 1965. They also ended the season in last place in the American League East division, not something they’ve done since 1992. What are they going to do to become the team they were in 2007?

There are many decisions Red Sox general manager, Ben Cherington can do to turn the team around. One of which is to bring in some veterans that the fans know and love and will push the team ahead. Many of the replacement  players called up from the minors including, James Loney, Jose Iglesias, Danny Valencia, Andrew Bailey, Mark Melancon, and Daniel Nava, caused Red Sox nation, including me, to turn the TV or radio off. The poor, inconsistent playing ability caused fans to become annoyed and angered. With the hope of acquiring great veterans such as Josh Hamilton, Jake Peavy, and Mike Napoli, Boston might have a chance to turn things around. These players will bring back the fans and push the team forward. Another move Red Sox nation is highly anticipating is the signing of a new manager. In my opinion, Jason Varitek, a retired catcher would be a great manager. Boston fans know and love Varitek for his commitment to the Red Sox and love of the game. Varitek is friends with many of the MLB players and would cause many veterans to want to go to Boston. Varitek, unlike Valentine, has a great reputation among fans and players and could turn the Red Sox future around. Rumors have also been going around that John Farrell, pitching coach of Red Sox in the 2011 season, may become the new manager, but in my opinion he doesn’t compare to Varitek, because of the fact that he didn’t lead the Blue Jays to any success this year, and doesn’t have the friendships and reputations comparable to what Varitek has. These flaws lead me to believe that Farrell will not even compete with Varitek when it comes to what Boston could become. With these changes and a lot of hope there is a chance for the Red Sox to regain their fans and win the World Series next season.

~Brett Parlier

MLB Struggles

The Red Sox are a struggling Major League Baseball team. They can never seem to get above or even at a .500 winning record and stay there for any period of time. They started off the season poorly and never gained momentum. At one point they were on the brink of being a .500 team but never seemed to get there. And lately they have fallen back down to the point where it may be expected that they will lose. They were at one point, not in last place. Now they are again and they just lost 4 straight to the Washington Nationals and lost another to Miami to solidify the position. Their pitching is not terrible, and the batting lineup is pretty stacked. The Sox just can’t seem to pull out wins.

So my question is, why can’t the Red Sox win? Their pitching is not that bad and the lineup is pretty stacked. Although some injuries have set the hitting back, other players have stepped up to fill the empty spaces. They can’t even become an average team though. And I do not know why. On paper, they look like a first place team. But on the actual stage, they are in last place. They just cannot seem to win games, and to me, the reason is unknown. With the hitting and pitching combined, they should be better than they are. They just seem like they can’t do anything to change it.

~Dylan McBreen

20 Years of Pinstripes, 20 Years of Greatness

On September 19Th  Mariano Rivera broke the all time world record in baseball saves. He passed Trevor Hoffman who had 601 saves which means the Yankees closer has 602 saves. Mariano or, Mo, as people call him is still playing and looking to extend that record. A save is when a pitcher, also known as a closer comes in during a close baseball game and keeps the lead until the end of the game.  This then gives his team the win and him the save. In Mo’s case he has done that 602 times in his baseball career. The person who is number 3 on the all time saves list is 160 games less than what Mariano has. As you can see this is a big milestone for a closer and a historical event for all of baseball.

Me being a Yankees fan I am excited for Mariano for reaching this achievement. He is an old guy and was about to retire before this season but fortunately didn’t. The unfortunate part is that he will probably retire after this season. I think, along with many other people,  that Mariano is the best closing pitcher that baseball has ever seen. He wears the number 42, and he is the only player left that wears that number because it was Jackie Robinson’s number and that number is retired throughout baseball. The reason Mo gets to wear it is because Mariano played when Jackie’s number wasn’t retired. That shows you how long Mariano has played and how long he has worked for this goal. In all of the years that he has played he has played for one team and one team only, the Yankees. As Mariano remains a Yankee, what will the record be when he retires? We may never see another player reach the number he has gotten to. Only time will tell. Until then Mariano Rivera remains the record holder for most saves by a single player.

~Zach Barlok

“Take It Seriously”

Over the last few weeks the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox have been slumping dramatically. The Red Sox have slumped the worst because they have been playing low quality teams like the Baltimore Orioles and losing. The problem with the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves is that  they are not playing like this game is a life or death situation, and at this rate it looks like it might even be one. The Red Sox and Braves were at the top of their games and they were suggested as high postseason contenders, and now there is a chance they might not be in the playoffs. In Boston, Massachusetts the Boston Herald released an article by John Tomase that highlights Bostons huge slump.

 I was once like the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox last year. I had no self confidence and everything kept repetitively going wrong, but I figured out how to cool down. What I did was I told myself expectations are what you make of them. This means expectations are completed when you make them realistic and work hard. I was going for the grade grand slam without thinking my work and chores through. I was trying to make my work look so well I forgot that quantity is never used over quality There should always be a balance in work. That is what the Red Sox and Braves are doing wrong they are thinking with big  goals of a World Series victory but aren’t mastering the easy guaranteed things. That is how I feel about the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red sox slumps.

~ Eric Penner

October or Bust!

It’s that time of year again! The American League playoff race. Once again, its very tight in the American League East division.  Well, not at the top. The New York Yankees have not only clinched the AL East, but they have also clinched best record in the American League, which means they have home-field advantage until the World Series, (if they make it that far). The other teams to clinch in the AL are the West division champions and reigning American League champions, the Texas Rangers and the Central Division champions, the Detroit Tigers. I was surprised by the Tigers making the postseason, I thought the Minnesota Twins would win the AL central like last year. Not a major surprise to me with the Rangers clinching, as the Al West was very weak this year. All three teams are looking for success this postseason which is looking like it will be another exciting one! Now onto the extremely tight AL wild card race!

On September 4th, the Boston Red Sox had an 8 game lead on their division rival, Tampa Bay Rays for the AL Wild Card. Now today, September 26th, the Red Sox have almost completely collapsed and have a narrow 1 game lead! The Red Sox have only won 6 games this month, while Tampa Bay has won 14. It looks like the LA Angels are out of contention, but the Rays, however, are not. Tampa Bay opens a 3 game home series against the New York Yankees, but more like the Trenton Thunder, a minor league team affiliated with the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees will most likely not play their starters in this series as they will rest them for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Red Sox head into Baltimore to play the Orioles, who recently won 3 out of 4 against Boston…in Boston! If Tampa Bay sweeps or wins 2 out of 3 and Boston loses 2 out of 3, Tampa Bay wins the Wild Card. If Boston AND Tampa Bay do the same or if Boston does better (more wins than Tampa) the the Red Sox will win the Wild Card. If both teams are tied after Wednesday’s games (final game of regular season) then there will be a one game playoff held at Tropicana Field where the winner goes to the playoffs and the loser goes home. This is very exciting and very stressful for their fans and believe it or not, Red Sox fans are ROOTING FOR the Yankees to beat up on Tampa Bay so they can get in.  That’s something you don’t see every day! It seems even more weird considering the Red Sox and Yankees just played each other and the Yankees won 2 out of 3 against them. This looks like it will be down to the wire, and I can’t wait to see who comes on top, and then of course, the playoffs will begin!

~Aidan Murray

Sox’s September Slide

The Boston Red Sox have had a pretty good season after their slow April start. Coming into September they were ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays by nine games. That nine game lead has diminished to half a game. Boston is currently (9/25/11 ) in the last game of a three game series with the New York Yankees.  Tampa Bay will play the Yankees next at home for their last three games while the Sox go to Baltimore to finish up the season against the Orioles. This month has been a surprise. Boston was one of the best teams in baseball. With the players on the Red Sox roster they were not expected to be doing this bad.

One of the best lineups in baseball starts out with three MVP candidates.  Jacoby Ellsbury leading it off. He has a .322 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 206 hits and 38 stolen bases, all in the top ten in the American League. I think he should win the MVP. Then Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzales, who leads the majors in hits and is second in  batting average. After them is Kevin Youkalis, David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, Josh Reddick, Jarrod Saltalamachia, and Marco Scutaro. Every player has been productive this year. There lineup I think has been the main part of their success this year.

Their rotation has been questionable with injuries to former all-star pitchers Clay Bucholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Josh Beckett however has been part off the Cy Young award talk. He and Jon Lester have been great this year. John Lackey has been up and down so far. Andrew Miller  who wasn’t expected to pitch has been great. Their bullpen has been amazing with Alfredo Aceves,  Matt Albers, and Daniel Bard shutting everyone down. Jonathon Papelbon has bounced back  from a down year and is once again one of the best closers in baseball. With all these pieces I think the Red Sox are in position to go far in October.

I think their pitching can pull through and their lineup will be as good as earlier in the year. This is too good of a team to not make the playoffs. When you have three MVP candidates, and a Cy Young contender they should be an easy playoff team. Everyone knows they are one of the best in the league. Now they need to start playing like it.   If everyone contributes there should be no problem in the playoffs.

~ Ricky Novia

The Intense Battle of the World Series

Many will ask this one question and debate over its answer. Who will make it to the World Series in the AL (American League)? Many kids and adults ponder over this question narrowing it down to the two biggest rivals:  The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. I’m sure half and half make up each side which causes this debate to intensify. The teams are both great and have some of the best athletes in the MLB on their teams. For as long as anyone could remember these teams have been battling a very close war too who gets the spot of 1st place in the AL.

That brings me to my opinion, I personally think the Boston Red Sox will make it to this years World Series. This is because they are playing very well due to there new athletes like Carl Crawford. They have been playing great on both defense and offense too. I bet right now all you Yankee fans are saying “oh great he’s a Red Sox fan!” Well, I just think the Soxs have more athletic ability and have a lot of heart for the game. Many will think differently while others will agree and be satisfied with my opinion. That is how the debate will start while many of you will have the battle of words to state your opinion. So this is my question for you guys, which of these teams do you think will make it to the World Series this year?

~ RJ Strollo