Final swings of the decade while getting ready to tee it up for 2010 . . .
Whatever it was that happened between the Red Sox and Jason Bay, it happened at the All-Star break. That is when the Red Sox backed out of a potential agreement over concerns about Bay’s health. And that is when Bay must have decided that he would rather take $66 million to play for the Mets than $60 million to play with the Red Sox.
I mean really, does this make any sense? Fifth-year vesting option or no vesting option, Bay would have been better off playing at Fenway Park for $60 million than at Citi Field for $66 million. And no matter what anyone says, it defies logic for the Red Sox to give five years and in excess of $80 million to a 31-year-old pitcher with a recent history of elbow/forearm issues while balking at the prospect of giving a five-year offer to a position player.
Especially when the Sox gave a five-year deal to J.D. Drew as recently as three years ago. As we all know, Drew ain’t exactly the Iron Horse.
Now, if the Red Sox have a trade lined up for Adrian Gonzalez that required them to make the Lackey deal so that they could trade away Clay Buchholz, that would make more sense.
But I’d still rather have Bay (at roughly $16 million a year) than Mike Cameron and Jeremy Hermida (at about $10.5 million combined in 2010).
By the way, in case you’re wondering about the effect of canyonesque Petco Park on Gonzalez’s career output, consider this: during his four-year career with the Padres, Gonzalez has batted .305 with a .955 OPS on the road, .264 with an .805 OPS at home. His road performance translates into averages of 42 home runs, 122 RBI and 118 runs over a 162-game schedule.
So why wouldn’t you want him at Fenway?
For the life of me, I just can’t figure out Laurence Maroney. Until his final carry at Indianapolis, Maroney had fumbled just one time in 515 career touches from the line of scrimmage. Now he has fumbled four times in his last 106 carries and receptions.
Thus, the questions remain:
Can Maroney run effectively and hold onto the ball at the same time?
And is this the football equivalent of being able to simultaneously walk and chew gum?
Of all the things I’d like to see in 2010, the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup is at the top of the list.
Actually, I take that back.
First, I’d like to see the Bruins get sniper deluxe Ilya Kovalchuk from the Thrashers.
Totally get Bobby Knight’s point about ethics in college basketball, but it’s not like he has pristine record, right?
Just throwing this out there: would you rather have your child play for Knight or John Calipari?
According to Bruins vice president Cam Neely yesterday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, the NHL will waste no time postponing the Winter Classic to Saturday in the event of inclement weather on New Year’s Day. Neely ensured that there would not be a scenario in which fans were asked to drive in to the game only to have it pushed back a day.
So the NHL and the Bruins won’t do what the Red Sox often do?
"Exactly," said the no-nonsense VP.
That’s an entirely clean hit if you ask me.
Nobody ever said Randy Moss was a bad guy. He’s just a little, er, temperamental.
Stephen Gostkowski is very underrated.
Never thought it would come to this, but it might be time to start taking bets on whether Kendrick Perkins can shoot better from the floor than Rajon Rondo can from the free throw line. Entering tonight’s game in Phoenix, Perkins has a comfortable lead, 64.8 percent to 55.4 percent.
By the way, take away Rondo and the rest of the Celtics are shooting 78.4 percent from the line.
Does anyone else think that Rasheed Wallace can finish with more technical fouls (currently 10) than Brian Scalabrine will have field goals (11)?
Some of us believe the Red Sox are better off with Mike Lowell than without him, but you still cannot help but get the feeling that the Sox will trade him away before Opening Day.
Which brings us to this: If and when Josh Beckett leaves, will we start ruing the day that the Sox traded away Hanley Ramirez? Remember: Part of the reason Theo Epstein has had a revolving door at shortstop is because the team traded away Ramirez when Epstein wasn’t looking.
Said it before and will say it again: If I’m the Pats, I want no part of the Steelers or Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.
As for anyone else, invite 'em in.
But after that, I still have my doubts that the Pats can beat anyone.
Of course, because of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, you always have to give them a chance.
Having trouble figuring out the next step for Tiger Woods. Does he play in Hawaii and invite the media circus there? Or will that merely prolong the saga, assuming that many media folks will wait for him to return to the continent anyway?
After all, you know that he wants this all to be history by the Masters.
Biggest Boston sports story of the decade: Adam Vinatieri’s kick against the Rams or the Red Sox’ comeback against the Yankees? Discuss.
Don’t forget that Victor Martinez is currently eligible for free agency at the end of the 2010 season.
Unless or until they give out a trophy for the NFL Team of the Decade, I really couldn’t care less if the Patriots win it or not.
Come to think of it, a trophy isn’t enough. You have to have a parade, too.
Are we spoiled or what?
Red Sox
Patriots
Celtics
Bruins
Revolution
