The NFL season is down to its final four teams. In tomorrow's AFC Championship, the NY Jets face the Indianapolis Colts and in the NFC Championship, the Minnesota Vikings travel to New Orleans to play the Saints.
The Colts, Vikings, and Saints have been the three top teams in the NFL all season long. The Jets, who made it as a Wild Card, are the surprise team still remaining.
As a Patriots fan, I despise the Jets. However, I can't help but admire them. I really like their rookie head coach, Rex Ryan, who's not afraid to speak his mind. Ryan is a brilliant defensive coach who implemented the same attacking style of defense as the Defensive Coordinator in Baltimore that he now runs in New York.
This year's Patriots team was a big disappointment to me. They were a soft, pass happy, flag football style team who fattened up their record against the Weak Sisters of the Poor in the NFL. When facing a good team, the Patriots were outhit and outcoached all season long. The 2009 Patriots were a team that could be bullied. The defense wasn't physical or stout and was seemingly back on their heels most of the time. The offense was very predictable and showed weakness at all the offensive positions other than QB. Even Tom Brady didn't have a very good year.
The NY Jets play the way the 2001 Patriots used to play. They go out there and hit hard. They run the football and they attack on defense. That's the way football should be played.
As much as I despise the Jets, I dislike the Colts more. Therefore, I find myself in the odd situation of rooting for the Jets. J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS!
In the NFC, 40 year old Brett Favre continues on his Redemption Tour. He's had an excellent season with the Vikings and has mostly played within the confines of the offensive system put in place by Coach Brad Childress. The New Orleans Saints are led by QB Drew Brees, who's the best QB in the NFC. The Saints showcase a high flying passing offense that can strike early and often.
The Saints are a sentimental favorite. The combination of Hurricane Katrina as well as the Saints' pathetic franchise history, makes them a team you want to see win.
A Saints and Jets Super Bowl is what I want. After tomorrow, I'll be pulling for the Saints to win it all.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Scott Brown Shocks The World
In a special election in Massachusetts for the U.S. Senate, in which Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-1 margin, little known state senator Scott Brown shocked the country by soundly defeating Attorney General Martha Coakley by a 5 point margin, 52-47. This surprising election result sent tremors across the country and struck fear in incumbent Democratic politicians facing election this November. If Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts wasn’t safe, what seat is for the Democrats?
How big was this? This was huge, really HUGE. This was David vs. Goliath, the Goliath being the Massachusetts Democrat dominated political establishment. The Senate seat has been held by Democrats; mostly the Kennedy family since 1952. This is a bigger upset than the NY Giants defeating the 18-0 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. How can Massachusetts vote Republican for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat?
It is easy to pin the blame on the poorly run Coakley campaign or this being a rejection of the Obama agenda, however there is more to it than that. Below is what happened that brought about a Republican being elected to the Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy for 47 years.
Scott Brown – He worked HARD to win. He pounded the pavement, shook hands in the cold and snow, put forth brilliant TV commercials and annihilated Coakley in the debates. His “every man driving a truck” persona was a big winner. Two keys for Brown – the TV commercial that caught all the Democrats off guard, where he compared JFK’s pro tax cut economic policies to his own, and when he told debate moderator David Gergen that it wasn’t Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat or the Democrats’ Senate seat, but the people’s seat. Brown was a terrific candidate.
Martha Coakley – Martha, or Marsha as Patrick Kennedy called her, was an aloof, stiff, tin eared, gaffe prone candidate. During the last two weeks of the campaign, she couldn’t stop putting her foot in her mouth. Put that together with the fact that she tried to run a Rose Garden campaign strategy gave a vibe to voters that she didn’t care about what they thought and that she her elevation to the U.S. Senate should be a coronation
Massachusetts Democratic Politics – Governor Deval Patrick is despised by Massachusetts voters for not fulfilling his 2006 campaign promises and ultimately turning into the stereotypical Beacon Hill insider. During last year’s recession, Patrick hired 1300 people to the state payroll, plus pushed through a sales tax hike, which rose from 5% to 6.25%. Considering the unemployment rate is 10%, people are tightening up their personal finances, and private sector jobs are scarce to come by, the electorate was in a foul mood. Complicating matters is the fact that the last three Massachusetts House Speakers have been indicted and 3 state senators have left their positions due to various crimes.
Barack Obama and the Democratic Majorities in the House and Senate – Exactly 364 days since his inauguration, President Obama’s agenda was derailed by Scott Brown's election. The Democrats had a filibuster proof majority in the Senate and blew it by overreaching, passing a $900 billion stimulus bill that did not help the economy or the unemployment rate, and trying to rush through deeply unpopular healthcare legislation in a partisan manner. Now that Scott Brown has been elected to the U.S. Senate, the health care bill in its current state is likely dead. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid share the responsibility with Obama for this defeat.
Repudiation of the Liberal Agenda – After one year in power, the Democratic/liberal agenda has already been rejected. The massive debt accrued and the $1.3 trillion dollar budget deficit has put a major burden on our children’s future. In the U.S. Senate, there is no such thing as a moderate Democrat anymore. They are all extreme liberals looking to pass bills that would move the U.S towards Socialism. President Obama ran as a moderate, promising change and rode into office with a mountain of goodwill. He quickly squandered it, by going hard to the left, and not looking to work with Republicans and compromise. Pelosi and Reid wrote bills without any Republican input and worked to ram them through their bills respective legislative bodies. Also hurting the Democrats was their views on terrorism where they wanted terrorists tried in a criminal court of law, instead of a military tribunal, as well as their efforts to close the base at Guantanamo Bay.
Scott Brown holds mostly conservative Republican views, but ran as an independent thinker, reaching out to those who are unaffiliated with either major political party. Brown’s common sense approach on tax cuts, terrorism, and health care resonated with an anxious electorate.
Senator Brown has given the GOP the blueprint it needs to add seats during the mid term elections in November in Washington DC, as well as at the state level. The GOP will definitely pick up seats in November in Washington. What will be most interesting is if the Brown phenomenon makes the GOP a viable party in Massachusetts come November. The beauty of the Brown victory is the hope it gives to every Republican in Massachusetts who’s ever dreamed of running for the Legislature or statewide office. Many Republicans will think, “why not me?” I predict there will be more contested seats in MA than there’s been in a long time. Could the bluest state become purple? One can dream.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Scott Brown for US Senate
Here's hoping the MA voters truly reflect the recent polls taken and Scott Brown wins by a landslide. Brown's stance on taxes, terrorism, healthcare, and the economy are why he should be elected.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Working Out
The New Year has arrived and along with it are many resolutions to work out and eat well. With the holidays now behind us, what better topic to talk about than working out? I've never made a New Years resolution to work out or eat better, because I already eat well and work out 6 days a week.
Last year was an eye opening year when it came to work outs. I did two rounds of P90X - one where I faithfully followed the nutrition program and the second round, where I did my own thing nutrionally. It's an easy guess as to which round produced the best results!
Exercising is easy. Anyone with a little motivation can bring the intensity over 45-60 minutes. Eating well is hard. REALLY HARD. It takes a lot of discipline to opt for a bowl of steamed broccoli over a piece of pizza. It can be extremely difficult being out with friends and opting for the bottle of water over a cold beer.
In 2009, I learned A LOT about exercising and diet. Here are some of the key things you can do to have great success with a diet and exercise program.
1.) Mix it up - falling into a comfortable routine of weightlifting and running is a recipe for failure. Your body adjusts over time to what you are doing and is no longer really "challenged" by your easy, mindless routine.
2.) Tony Horton is a GENIUS. This man with his P90X program taught me so much and he's changed so many lives with his P90X program. An exercise routine for 3 months with no running? How's that going to work? Oh, it works! P90X works like magic.
3.) Running is not the be all/end all of an exercise routine - Weight training is more important, plyometrics is far harder than running, and a Tae Bo/Kenpo karate type of routine provides good cardiovascular exercise. As a fat burner, running doesn't work that well. I've tried it, and it didn't work nearly as well as P90X.
4.) It's gotta be intense - going through the motions whether it be lifting or running isn't going to give you any results. Anyone under the age of 55 who walks as their main source of exercise is wasting their time. You have to get your heart rate up and your lungs out of breath.
5.) The produce aisle is where it's at - salad, broccoli, zucchini, baby carrots, summer squash, green beans. Lunch and dinner should have a vegetable as part of the meal. I'm of the belief that broccoli is the best food you can put in your body. Do I like vegetables? Not particularly, but I know they are very important.
6.) Eat every 2-3 hours. Sounds like a lot, but if the meals are small, it's just the right formula to keep your metabolism burning. Whey protein powder mixed with water or milk is a quick and easy way to get 20g of protein in your body. Almonds are a terrific snack. Don't eat more than 20 of them, though.
7.) Drink your water - lay off the diet soda, regular soda, and juice and opt for the H2O. Your body needs to stay hydrated. A diet soda now and then is ok. My opinion on regular soda is, if I'm going to drink 150 calories, it's going to be a beer. At least beer won't rot your teeth out.
8.) There is nothing wrong with good carbs. Whole wheat breads, whole wheat crackers, brown rice, medium sized baked potatos, are all healthy and should be a part of a good diet.
9.) Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters are a better alternative than meat from the deli counter. Cook the Oven Stuffer Roasters up, peel off the skin, and carve them up. The carved chicken is a very flexible source of protein that can be added to salads, sandwiches, or by itself.
10.) I really, no REALLY despise yoga. Some people swear by it, but it's not for me. I find myself bored by it and not accomplishing much of anything other than seemingly wasting 60-90 minutes of my day. I'd rather stretch or do something light for 30 minutes instead.
In four days, I will begin Insanity by Sean T. It is advertised as the toughest workout ever put on DVD. I'm looking forward to it, but it's going to be hard as hell. The nutritional piece doesn't look to be as difficult as P90X, but when it comes to the workouts, I have my work cut out for me.
Last year was an eye opening year when it came to work outs. I did two rounds of P90X - one where I faithfully followed the nutrition program and the second round, where I did my own thing nutrionally. It's an easy guess as to which round produced the best results!
Exercising is easy. Anyone with a little motivation can bring the intensity over 45-60 minutes. Eating well is hard. REALLY HARD. It takes a lot of discipline to opt for a bowl of steamed broccoli over a piece of pizza. It can be extremely difficult being out with friends and opting for the bottle of water over a cold beer.
In 2009, I learned A LOT about exercising and diet. Here are some of the key things you can do to have great success with a diet and exercise program.
1.) Mix it up - falling into a comfortable routine of weightlifting and running is a recipe for failure. Your body adjusts over time to what you are doing and is no longer really "challenged" by your easy, mindless routine.
2.) Tony Horton is a GENIUS. This man with his P90X program taught me so much and he's changed so many lives with his P90X program. An exercise routine for 3 months with no running? How's that going to work? Oh, it works! P90X works like magic.
3.) Running is not the be all/end all of an exercise routine - Weight training is more important, plyometrics is far harder than running, and a Tae Bo/Kenpo karate type of routine provides good cardiovascular exercise. As a fat burner, running doesn't work that well. I've tried it, and it didn't work nearly as well as P90X.
4.) It's gotta be intense - going through the motions whether it be lifting or running isn't going to give you any results. Anyone under the age of 55 who walks as their main source of exercise is wasting their time. You have to get your heart rate up and your lungs out of breath.
5.) The produce aisle is where it's at - salad, broccoli, zucchini, baby carrots, summer squash, green beans. Lunch and dinner should have a vegetable as part of the meal. I'm of the belief that broccoli is the best food you can put in your body. Do I like vegetables? Not particularly, but I know they are very important.
6.) Eat every 2-3 hours. Sounds like a lot, but if the meals are small, it's just the right formula to keep your metabolism burning. Whey protein powder mixed with water or milk is a quick and easy way to get 20g of protein in your body. Almonds are a terrific snack. Don't eat more than 20 of them, though.
7.) Drink your water - lay off the diet soda, regular soda, and juice and opt for the H2O. Your body needs to stay hydrated. A diet soda now and then is ok. My opinion on regular soda is, if I'm going to drink 150 calories, it's going to be a beer. At least beer won't rot your teeth out.
8.) There is nothing wrong with good carbs. Whole wheat breads, whole wheat crackers, brown rice, medium sized baked potatos, are all healthy and should be a part of a good diet.
9.) Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters are a better alternative than meat from the deli counter. Cook the Oven Stuffer Roasters up, peel off the skin, and carve them up. The carved chicken is a very flexible source of protein that can be added to salads, sandwiches, or by itself.
10.) I really, no REALLY despise yoga. Some people swear by it, but it's not for me. I find myself bored by it and not accomplishing much of anything other than seemingly wasting 60-90 minutes of my day. I'd rather stretch or do something light for 30 minutes instead.
In four days, I will begin Insanity by Sean T. It is advertised as the toughest workout ever put on DVD. I'm looking forward to it, but it's going to be hard as hell. The nutritional piece doesn't look to be as difficult as P90X, but when it comes to the workouts, I have my work cut out for me.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 Favorites
Another year has blown by. The days and weeks pile up and next thing you know four months go by, then all of a sudden, it’s the end of the year. So since the New Year is only one short day away, it is time to compile my favorite things from what I’ve seen, read, and done in 2009.
Best Movie – The Wrestler – this movie featuring Mickey Rourke’s performance as a washed up professional wrestler trying to hold on, blew me away. What a comeback for Rourke, who had toiled in relative obscurity for fifteen years. He gives an absolutely riveting performance. Marisa Tomei as an aging stripper is excellent as well. Honorable mention: Gran Torino
Best TV Show – The Wire - This groundbreaking HBO show lasted for five seasons, each season consistently outstanding. The series started in 2002 and ended in 2008. We rented the DVD’s from Netflix. I will go so far to say as The Wire is the best television show of all time. There isn’t a single episode that doesn’t evoke quality, whether it is the writing, acting, or direction. The Wire is gritty and is said to be a very realistic depiction of inner city life and the struggles of city police departments. Honorable mention: The League
Best Reality Show – Rock of Love Tour Bus – Rock of Love is a skanky version of The Bachelor and stars the charismatic Poison front man Bret Michaels. This was the third and supposedly final installment of the Rock of Love series. There’s never a dull moment on this show with its collection of strippers, adult film stars, and generally trashy women. Honorable mention: Jersey Shore
Best Book – Boys Will Be Boys (The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty) by Jeff Pearlman – This book is about the 1990’s Dallas Cowboys, who played hard and partied harder. A fascinating account of what made guys like Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Deion Sanders tick. I blew through this book in three days. Honorable mention: Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn
Best Newspaper – The Boston Herald – The Herald is a classic example of what companies mean when they say they want to do more with less. Despite a staff that has been decimated by layoffs and defections over the last few years, almost every week the Herald exposed some new controversy with Governor Deval Patrick and the Democratic lawmakers that dominate the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Only in the Herald did you read that Governor Patrick hired 1300 state workers in 2009. The Herald’s writers work hard and regularly expose fraud and corruption; something the so called “paper of record” the Boston Globe fails to do. Honorable mention: NY Post
Best Radio Show – Felger and Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub – FM sports station 98.5 went live in August and quickly provided a legitimate alternative to long time Boston sports radio king WEEI. I always enjoy Michael Felger, because he’s not afraid to take a stand and speak out about issues. Sometimes Tony Massarotti drives me crazy with his defense and loyalty of certain Red Sox players (Jason Varitek), but he generally provides thought provoking commentary. This show really works for me. Honorable mention: Dennis and Callahan on WEEI
Best Concert - Aerosmith – Not only was it a blast because I took my son to see his first show and it was of his favorite band, but the concert exceeded my expectations. Joe Perry’s guitar work was mesmerizing and the band was in great form that night. It also didn’t hurt when my son told me after the show it was the best day of his life. Honorable mention: Paul McCartney at Fenway Park.
Best Sporting Event I Attended – hockey game - UNH vs. Boston University @ Agganis Arena – I could not believe that BU sold out the Agganis Arena for a college hockey game. The atmosphere at the game was electric, with a large cheering section behind one of the goals. It also didn’t hurt that BU beat UNH 5-0.
Best Vacation Spot – Cape Cod - We rented a house in Eastham the week of August 15th, and somehow we managed to get the best weather of the entire summer. The weather during the summer of 2009, was dreadful, but during the week we were in Eastham, every day was sunny and in the 80’s. We also visited some of the most beautiful beaches New England has to offer – Head of the Meadow in Truro, Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, Nauset Beach in Orleans, Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, and Hardings Beach in Chatham. The further up the Cape you are, the more beautiful it is. Honorable mention: Naples, FL in April.
Best Workout – P90X – When most people workout, they get set in a routine and stick with it. The routine is comfortable, and after a while you don’t get anywhere with it. P90X gave me the boot in the rear end I desperately needed. I thought I knew it all about nutrition and working out, but found I was wrong. P90X is not easy. The diet can be challenging, particularly if you don’t like vegetables. However, it REALLY WORKS! I dropped 12 lbs., dropped 2 inches in my waist, and had to go buy all new pants.
Best Movie – The Wrestler – this movie featuring Mickey Rourke’s performance as a washed up professional wrestler trying to hold on, blew me away. What a comeback for Rourke, who had toiled in relative obscurity for fifteen years. He gives an absolutely riveting performance. Marisa Tomei as an aging stripper is excellent as well. Honorable mention: Gran Torino
Best TV Show – The Wire - This groundbreaking HBO show lasted for five seasons, each season consistently outstanding. The series started in 2002 and ended in 2008. We rented the DVD’s from Netflix. I will go so far to say as The Wire is the best television show of all time. There isn’t a single episode that doesn’t evoke quality, whether it is the writing, acting, or direction. The Wire is gritty and is said to be a very realistic depiction of inner city life and the struggles of city police departments. Honorable mention: The League
Best Reality Show – Rock of Love Tour Bus – Rock of Love is a skanky version of The Bachelor and stars the charismatic Poison front man Bret Michaels. This was the third and supposedly final installment of the Rock of Love series. There’s never a dull moment on this show with its collection of strippers, adult film stars, and generally trashy women. Honorable mention: Jersey Shore
Best Book – Boys Will Be Boys (The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty) by Jeff Pearlman – This book is about the 1990’s Dallas Cowboys, who played hard and partied harder. A fascinating account of what made guys like Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Deion Sanders tick. I blew through this book in three days. Honorable mention: Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn
Best Newspaper – The Boston Herald – The Herald is a classic example of what companies mean when they say they want to do more with less. Despite a staff that has been decimated by layoffs and defections over the last few years, almost every week the Herald exposed some new controversy with Governor Deval Patrick and the Democratic lawmakers that dominate the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Only in the Herald did you read that Governor Patrick hired 1300 state workers in 2009. The Herald’s writers work hard and regularly expose fraud and corruption; something the so called “paper of record” the Boston Globe fails to do. Honorable mention: NY Post
Best Radio Show – Felger and Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub – FM sports station 98.5 went live in August and quickly provided a legitimate alternative to long time Boston sports radio king WEEI. I always enjoy Michael Felger, because he’s not afraid to take a stand and speak out about issues. Sometimes Tony Massarotti drives me crazy with his defense and loyalty of certain Red Sox players (Jason Varitek), but he generally provides thought provoking commentary. This show really works for me. Honorable mention: Dennis and Callahan on WEEI
Best Concert - Aerosmith – Not only was it a blast because I took my son to see his first show and it was of his favorite band, but the concert exceeded my expectations. Joe Perry’s guitar work was mesmerizing and the band was in great form that night. It also didn’t hurt when my son told me after the show it was the best day of his life. Honorable mention: Paul McCartney at Fenway Park.
Best Sporting Event I Attended – hockey game - UNH vs. Boston University @ Agganis Arena – I could not believe that BU sold out the Agganis Arena for a college hockey game. The atmosphere at the game was electric, with a large cheering section behind one of the goals. It also didn’t hurt that BU beat UNH 5-0.
Best Vacation Spot – Cape Cod - We rented a house in Eastham the week of August 15th, and somehow we managed to get the best weather of the entire summer. The weather during the summer of 2009, was dreadful, but during the week we were in Eastham, every day was sunny and in the 80’s. We also visited some of the most beautiful beaches New England has to offer – Head of the Meadow in Truro, Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, Nauset Beach in Orleans, Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, and Hardings Beach in Chatham. The further up the Cape you are, the more beautiful it is. Honorable mention: Naples, FL in April.
Best Workout – P90X – When most people workout, they get set in a routine and stick with it. The routine is comfortable, and after a while you don’t get anywhere with it. P90X gave me the boot in the rear end I desperately needed. I thought I knew it all about nutrition and working out, but found I was wrong. P90X is not easy. The diet can be challenging, particularly if you don’t like vegetables. However, it REALLY WORKS! I dropped 12 lbs., dropped 2 inches in my waist, and had to go buy all new pants.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Pre Christmas patter
Good to see the Patriots this past Sunday making more of an effort to run the football. Their offense needs balance, and effectively running the ball sets up the play action pass. The Patriots offense had become too predictable.
The Celtics are currently on cruise control, eleven wins in a row, and a 20-4 record. One of the big surprises is Kendrick Perkins' improved offensive game. Perkins is averaging a career high 12 PPG and is shooting 65% from the field.
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman has made a career out of grandstanding and posturing; being "the conscience of the Senate". Senator Lieberman is always the one who is initially out of step with his liberal colleagues, critical of Democratic Party sponsored bills and policy initiatives. However, at the end of the day, Lieberman always votes with the Democrats. I pay no attention to him, because he's the boy that cried wolf.
After reading the story in yesterday's Herald about Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick hiring 1300 state workers this year after getting a sales tax hike rammed through into law, I was infuriated. In a state where voters paid attention and had common sense, Patrick would never see elected office again. However, in Massachusetts, he's probably going to get re-elected in 2010, because Independent gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill and Republican candidate Charlie Baker will likely cancel each other out. Both Cahill and Baker hold mostly mainstream views. Cahill was a conservative Democrat, before leaving the party.
The Celtics are currently on cruise control, eleven wins in a row, and a 20-4 record. One of the big surprises is Kendrick Perkins' improved offensive game. Perkins is averaging a career high 12 PPG and is shooting 65% from the field.
Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman has made a career out of grandstanding and posturing; being "the conscience of the Senate". Senator Lieberman is always the one who is initially out of step with his liberal colleagues, critical of Democratic Party sponsored bills and policy initiatives. However, at the end of the day, Lieberman always votes with the Democrats. I pay no attention to him, because he's the boy that cried wolf.
After reading the story in yesterday's Herald about Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick hiring 1300 state workers this year after getting a sales tax hike rammed through into law, I was infuriated. In a state where voters paid attention and had common sense, Patrick would never see elected office again. However, in Massachusetts, he's probably going to get re-elected in 2010, because Independent gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill and Republican candidate Charlie Baker will likely cancel each other out. Both Cahill and Baker hold mostly mainstream views. Cahill was a conservative Democrat, before leaving the party.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Presents under the Tree
Despite the hysteria of talk radio yelping about Theo Epstein's comments from last week about this being a "bridge year" and the team wanting to remain competitive with an eye towards the future, I had a feeling that he was using a little misdirection. Theo's a smart guy and knows how to work the media. He never says anything that won't ultimately be to his benefit.
That is why I'm not surprised about the agreements to contracts with John Lackey and Mike Cameron. I'm extremely pleased about both signings. Cameron is a great defensive outfielder and has some pop in his bat. Lackey is a solid #2 starter. The Red Sox starting rotation now looks like this: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Matsuzaka, and Buchholz, with Tim Wakefield still in the picture.
The Cameron signing means that the Red Sox are now probably out of the Jason Bay picture and will mostly go with a platoon of Jeremy Hermida and Cameron in LF. However, considering J.D. Drew's injury history, there will be plenty of AB's for both players.
I still believe the Sox need another bat, and the Lackey signing allows them to consider moving Buchholz. I'd like to see the team keep him, because he showed during the second half of last year that he can be a good big league pitcher. Every year, it looks like the team has enough pitching depth, but guys get hurt or don't pitch to their expectation level, and all of a sudden the rotation looks thin.
If the Red Sox go after a big time bat (Adrian Gonzalez), I'd rather have them trade Casey Kelly. Kelly dominated Single A, but he's years away from Boston, and needs to prove himself at higher levels of the minor league organization. I'd be willing to take that chance for Gonzalez.
That is why I'm not surprised about the agreements to contracts with John Lackey and Mike Cameron. I'm extremely pleased about both signings. Cameron is a great defensive outfielder and has some pop in his bat. Lackey is a solid #2 starter. The Red Sox starting rotation now looks like this: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Matsuzaka, and Buchholz, with Tim Wakefield still in the picture.
The Cameron signing means that the Red Sox are now probably out of the Jason Bay picture and will mostly go with a platoon of Jeremy Hermida and Cameron in LF. However, considering J.D. Drew's injury history, there will be plenty of AB's for both players.
I still believe the Sox need another bat, and the Lackey signing allows them to consider moving Buchholz. I'd like to see the team keep him, because he showed during the second half of last year that he can be a good big league pitcher. Every year, it looks like the team has enough pitching depth, but guys get hurt or don't pitch to their expectation level, and all of a sudden the rotation looks thin.
If the Red Sox go after a big time bat (Adrian Gonzalez), I'd rather have them trade Casey Kelly. Kelly dominated Single A, but he's years away from Boston, and needs to prove himself at higher levels of the minor league organization. I'd be willing to take that chance for Gonzalez.
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