Miggy's Big East Dream Team

Hey everyone, Miggy here...time to explain what I'm gonna be synonymous with for the next few months...

I was selected to represent Villanova as one of 16 alumni participants in this year's Biggest Big East Fan contest...just in case that for some reason that wasn't enough to accept, the gracious people at Volvo are sponsoring the competition and putting up a sweet, sweet Volvo S60 to the winner. (If you still don't get it, watch the video)

Let's add on the fact the contestants were sent to Big East Basketball Media Day last month and will send each person to their alma mater for one weekend using the S60 to attend a game (I'll be heading to Nova Jan 28 vs Marquette). Again, I ask, why wouldn't one accept?

So with along with the voting that started at mybigeastvolvo.com (cough, VOTE FOR ME, cough), I'll be asked to blog on 8 challenge topics over the course of the season.

First challenge: Pick your all-time Big East Dream Team (12 players, both old & current players from any Big East team) and why?

So let us start...my dream team is based on...uhh, Winning, of course...me being the fantasy sports legend I am, my team would be basically compiled to dominate competition. Would there be other factors in the decision-making? Yeah, it wouldn't be fun if we didn't go on a tangent or two...but we're not getting too fancy here, this isn't the MLB All-Star game where we're picking a representative from every team, we're just here to display the Big East as the winning tradition it is...

(Note: I'm choosing a specific year which I would want each player...just to be that specific...)

STARTERS:

Center: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown (83-84 season)- Probably the easiest decision of all. Ewing had it all: success, presence, character and performance. He basically defines Big East Basketball. Ewing was part of 3 Georgetown "Hoya Paranoia" trips to the Final Four, including the 1984 championship victory over the University of Houston. He was the Naismith College Player of the Year, three-time First-Team All-American, and two-time Big East Player of the Year. The 7'0, 240 lb Ewing was one of, if not the most intimidating presence in the entire league (even now)...

Personally, I emulated the style he started of wearing a T-shirt under his jersey (if only I could pull off every other facet of his game). Oh, and by the way, his stats during the 83-84 season: just a cool 16.4 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.6 bpg, 1.0 spg.

Power Forward: Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (89-90)- Probably the least heralded of the starting five in my opinion, Coleman was credited with more follies than pure accomplishments to his name, including missing a late free throw that ended up being the difference in the NCAA Championship versus Indiana. That said, 17.9 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.0 bpg, and a 55 fg% statline was good enough to give him a first-team All-American and a Big East POY. I am not picking him for his attitude or financial accountability, but we'll find him the motivation; it's a dream after all.

Small Forward: Chris Mullin, St. John's (84-85)- Let's face it, I could have chosen his pic of him in the Johnnies, but you know you love the flattop more. Let's move on from the haircut and move on to the fact the Lefty Assassin was a three-time All-American, three-time Big East POY, and Wooden award recipient. He lead the Red Storm to the 1985 Final Four, with 19.8 ppg, 4.5 apg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 spg, along with a 52.1 fg% and 82.4 ft%. Even teammate Mark Jackson said Mullin showed him the importance of rigorous practice. So, basically I needed a person to tell Allen Iverson to show up to drills if his accomplishments didn't convince you.

Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton, UConn (98-99)- Was debating if his 97-98 self was a better pick for this exercise, but again, I want winners, and him carrying the Huskies to the title during the 98-99 season was the tiebreaker. Yes, I'm forcing him to wear the mask, even if he wasn't injured until he hit the pros. With a first-team and second-team All-American, along with being a two-time Big East POY, people will still fuss with me selecting him over fellow Huskie Ray Allen for the starting spot. You could make a choice either way, Rip having a 21.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.2 spg with a 34.7% from three is nothing to sneeze at. I just want Allen to be more of a "spark" as a better deep threat than Hamilton; remember, this is my dream team, get your own.

Point Guard: Allen Iverson, Georgetown (95-96)- "Look, we are talking about practice..." So A.I. isn't the quietest guy in the world...so what, wouldn't you dream of being in a press conference with him at the mic? His spectacle of an attitude is worth watching alone. That said, you also have to give Iverson credit, he makes as much noise on the court as he does off it. The 6'1", 165 lb guard's signature crossover, developed during his collegiate tenure, is only part of how he became so successful in his Hoya days. In 95-96 season, The Answer had a stat line of 25.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.4 spg and a 36.6 3pt%. His accolades include being a First-team All American and 2 Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards...in the 2 years he was there.) One of the best players to ever play in the Big East, he definitely deserves to start (although probably woudn't want to play if otherwise anyway...)

RESERVES:

Ray Allen, UConn (95-96)- One of the purest shooters in the game, period. Allen averaged 23.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. I wouldn't mind putting him over Rip in the starting lineup; however, with his 46.6 3pt%, having him come off the bench and just shoot daggers from everywhere is a luxury one can only dream of.

Ed Pinckney, Villanova (84-85)- No, this is not me being a homer here, 15.6 ppg on 60 fg% and 8.9 rpg and carrying the lowest-seed to ever win a national championship should account for something. To lead the 8th-seeded Wildcats over the juggernaut Hoyas shows the leadership, determination and the ability tobe a clutch performer...Ok, it doesn't hurt Ed and I go way back (...to Detroit that is).

Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown (91-92)- 5 blocks a game...is that enough justification for him to be on the team? That's how he ended up with 3 Big East Defensive POY awards. Definitely more suited for the bench though with his health concerns (yes, my dreams take into account health factors). But if he's healthy...that's the blocks plus 21 points and 10 rebounds a game...

Sherman Douglas, Syracuse (88-89)- With all these scorers, why not have the all-time Big East assists leader to get everyone the ball. The General was able to contribute in the points column (18.2 ppg), but it's his 8.6 apg average from that season that would be his most needed contribution to this team. Fun fact- he is also known as the man who redefined the running "floater" as it is today.

Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh (11-12)- So Gibbs is the only current player to make the list...if there was a player to make it, why not the Big East pre-season POY? Yes, he doesn't have the outstanding resumes as the players above, but him hitting 49% from 3-pt range last year, 88% from the the free-throw line (46% overall fg%) shouldn't be dismissed. That alone makes him at least another scoring threat off the bench. Plus, we have another year to see his full potential, so who knows if Gibbs is a true reach on this list or wholeheartedly deserves to be here.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova (08-09)- This will be my official homer pick. Scottie doesn't need to be used for anything else, but just knowing that if the game in down to the last moments and the team needs a score, you know he can deliver, in case you forgot this moment...(besides, aren't dream teams include players who actually made your dreams become true?)

Russell Wooten, Villanova (08-09)- Look, if this dream team were to ever come to existence, between the talent and the egos, there's no way everyone's going to get all their minutes. Furthermore, I believe a Big East dream team should not be only representative of talent, but by character. This is why I picked my 12th man to be someone who would contribute if only by his mere presence. Wooten was a Villanova walk-on starting in the 08-09 season after being a practice player. He doesn't gather many tangible stats during the games; however, this does not mean his presence isn't felt. One could not avoid noticing his tenacity and excitement during every game, whether on the court or on the bench. Even TV cameras couldn't help but be drawn into filming his animated self during games. Experiencing being in the same class as him, I could personally attest he is motivated even in the classroom.

After graduating in 2010, he went back home to California in hopes to venture into the work force. However, after sudden departures and injuries struck the Villanova roster, the team was seeking someone to quickly fill a spot. With eligibility remaining, Russell found this as an opportunity not only to help his team, but to work towards a graduate degree. After serving another year as a player, Wooten is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Public Administration. I recently asked him what he would be like to be remembered for during his tenure at Villanova. His response: "If I were to be remembered I would want to be remembered as the toughest and most enthusiastic walk-on alive with the utmost Villanova pride." This, my friends, is the type of character that Big East basketball should be represented by.

...Also, he'll probably carry the team in any dance competition...just saying...

...So the question really gave me a limited number of players to work with...but this is a dream, so why not throw in a couple other things while at it??

Head Coach: Rick Pitino (Providence/Louisville)

Assistant Coaches - John Thompson Jr. (Georgetown), Jim Calhoun (UConn), Lou Carnesecca (St. John's)

In terms of just focusing on pure strategy-calling, playbook designs and achievements is what allows the rest of the staff to each receive the nod...that said, with dealing with all these various talents (and personalities), the best person fit to handle such an esteemed group of individuals and gather them to believe in themselves and their cause as a unit would be Pitino. Yes, Rick is not without his own blemishes; that said, I believe Pitino should be the leader of this dream team.

Home Court: Madison Square Garden- New York, NY

So why not the arena which hosts our conference tournament? I couldn't think of a place more Big East than MSG...

Designated Charity: The Randy Foye Foundation- So if we are truly, truly going to live this dream team, players would need to be student-athletes and therefore not get paid. So where should any of the proceeds of any game or anything go? Although this is all hypothetical, a charity does deserve mentioning from all this rambling. I didn't get to select Randy Foye as a member of this roster, but his philanthropic contributions is just as worthy of mentioning, if not more, than his achievements as a player. Check out the Randy Foye Foundation website for more details on his cause.

Schedule...because what's the point of a dream team if they don't play anyone? (yes, this is going to be ridiculous, but this is my dream, right?)

Opponent	Venue	Notes
Flint Tropics	MSG- New York, NY	The team from the movie "Semi-Pro"
Washington Generals	MSG- New York, NY	The Harlem Globetrotter opponents
The Monstars	Looney Tunes Land	The villans in "Space Jam"
68-69 UCLA Bruins	Rupp Arena	29-1 record, NCAA Champions
65-66 Texas Western Miners	Memorial Gym- El Paso, TX	1st all African-American starting lineup, NCAA champs, team featured in "Glory Road"
1996 Kentucky Wildcats	MSG- New York, NY	34-2 record, NCAA Champions
Bayi Military Rockets	Verizon Center- Washington, D.C.	Chinese team which fought Gtown earlier this yr
75-76 Indiana Hoosiers	The Spectrum- Philladelphia, PA	32-0 record, NCAA Champions
91-92 Duke Blue Devils	The Spectrum- Philladelphia, PA	34-2 record, NCAA Champions
SEC Dream Team	MSG- New York, NY	Shaq, Pistol Pete among reps

So that's it...I dare you to make a better list, or just make your own contributions...just spread the word like wildfire...comment, like it, re-tweet it, just support the cause

Follow me on twitter @miggyflavored, and GO NOVA!!!

(Many thanks to Volvo & the agency setting up the competition for giving me opportunity to represent, and Eamon O'Meara for the best blog in the world to work with)

...And a Little Bit of Chicken Fried...Cold Beer EVERY Night

So this whole thing has gotten way out of hand in my opinion.  I am not saying that as a Red Sox fan I approve of the actions of no less than three of our pitchers during the games.  However, do these stories really need to continue coming out.  I am a little skeptical about some of the stories.  As someone who has worked in media before, I am inclined to believe that some of these reporters do not have the integrity to not make up these sources, just so they can latch onto the big story in sports and make a name for themselves.  I mean, really.  There are just a few too many anonymous sources making these allegations.  Now, the beer and fried chicken?  I will believe that.  You give me the name of a single man who does not enjoy some good beer and fried chicken at night.  Do I agree that it should be done when your, "On the job"?  No.  These guys are baseball players who are paid GOBS of money to go out every night and do something that as kids we beg out parents to let us stay out late and do for free. If you are playing the sport professionally, it can be assumed that you enjoy it.  And if you enjoy the game of baseball, why not sit in the dugout and cheer on your team?  But then again....sitting in a dugout watching the game, or watching it on tv with beer and fried chicken?  I wont say that I wouldn't consider the latter.

P.S. Can you believe the timing?  A music video just came out recently called Hell Yeah I Like Beer by  Kevin Fowler and all five of the Sox starters are in it singing it.  I'm serious!  Go hit youtube real quick, and I'll wait here until you get back.

See??!!  Even I'll admit that the timing is funny.

But let's get serious here.  There are some holes in this story that I need to point out.  I am inclined to believe Jon Lester in his reports yesterday.  He admitted to the beer and fried chicken.  Thank God.  I just wanted someone to come out and confirm it.  But he said that he, Josh Beckett and John Lackey do not play video games...not in the club  house and not at home.  I believe that.  I have a hard time picturing John Lackey playing XBox or PlayStation, let alone Beckett or Lester.  Why would Lester come out and admit to the beer and chicken and not to the video games?  It makes no sense.  The other hole is this new report that just "leaked" about the Red Sox drinking in the dugout.  Am I supposed to believe that just as Lester comes out and admits to the drinking and chicken in the club house it is just a coincidence that this story comes out the next day?  No.  The media wants to cash in on this cash cow for a little bit longer.  So now that Lester has admitted it and taken responsibility, what should a media member do?  How about fabricating some story about drinking that supersedes the previous story?  What could be more offensive than drinking in the club house?  How about drinking on the field?  Yea, why not.  With all this going on, it could be believable, but not to me.  I know how easy it would be to make up a story.  For God sake, I could tweet to someone at ESPN right now that I heard David Ortiz on the phone with Brian Cashman at D'Angelo's in Boston earlier today.  Do you have any idea how quickly that would be the head story on ESPN.com?  That ESPN person would say a reliable source said it.  Reliable source?!  I don't even have a picture on twitter, and that's what they would say.  That is why when I hear a story like this, something this insane, I cannot believe it. 

Here are the facts, folks.  The Red Sox had the biggest collapse in baseball history.  A team with millions of follower and fans falls apart in a month.  And now all of those millions are asking why?  How?  Who?  Who is to blame? Who is the one person we can blame for this?  And as such, Francona is gone.  Epstein is gone.  Boston media members are calling for the heads of players that 2 months ago they would have bought them champagne for just sitting in the same restaurant as them.  Then this story breaks about the beer and chicken and now we blame the three pitchers on our team for it.  Now yes, we turned to Beckett and Lester to stop the bleeding and they couldn't.  But am I supposed to believe that them drinking on off days lead to that?  Because I don't.  I believe that this is a team that became to confident in their playing and thought they had the playoffs in the bag and that they could let up a bit.  Just like every other person in the world.  When you could try hard and be successful or slack and be only slightly less successful, they will slack off.  Then by the time the team realized they were in trouble, it was too late.  They were nervous, and Tampa was confident.  Even guys like Boston legend (I say gingerly, because he was only here for 5 years) Curt Schilling who said they wouldn't make it.  Let's face it everyone.  The team blew it.  It's not the first time we've seen a collapse in sports.  And it wont be the last.  And this witch hunt that the media is doing to point the finger for it is only hurting the team.  But they don't care.  They just want to make a name for themselves.  "Hey did you know I'm the one who broke the story about the Sox drinking in the club house?"  That's all these people want.  Do you think they really care?  Look, we all know what happened.  We understand about the beer and chicken.  But do we really need some young reporter trying to make a name for themselves by falsifying reports because they could make sense based on the crazy things that have wound up being true?

I applaud Jon Lester for stepping up and admitting it.  He took responsibility saying, "I sucked."  And he admitted to the beer and chicken.  What we need now is for more players to take his lead and admit to stuff.  But until they do this media witch hunt will only continue putting strain on a formidable team.  Just step up and admit to it boys.  And to the people in the media, accept what they have to say and stop making up things to try to make a name for yourself!  Drinking in the dugout...are you kidding me?!  Don't you think if one player was that any one of the dozens of camera pointing in the dugout would have caught something?!  This is becoming a joke.  Media members are supposed to report the news.  Not make it.  Somewhere along the way they forgot that.  And until they remember it again, how in the world can we believe them when stories like this come out?  I don't trust it!  And I certainly hope you don't either.

The Dark Ages of East Coast Sports

It kinda feels like the end of the world here in New York...no, not because of protests in Wall Street or because picking a president for this upcoming election is as miserable as filing taxes...but because hope seems to be lost in minds of all sports fans here in the East Coast.

Let me explain sport by sport-

Baseball:

I don't need to need to look hard to see the disgust with any baseball fan living by the Atlantic...Eamon highlighted in his last post the total embarrassment in the AL East. The Red Sox is living the worst of the nightmares, trumping the Mets in the "worse collapse ever" category. They gave their expected playoff entry to the Rays, who have less fans in attendance than people reading this blog (not unexpectedly, of course). Yet, when the best performance in Tampa Bay comes from a September call-up, it is understandably so that the team flops, the bandwagon fans leave, and management re-starts doomsday scenarios of MLB "vaporizing" your franchise. Then there's the Yankees, the "200 Million-Dollar Underdog". It was the Yankees which took the AL East, only to be cleared knocked out by Doug "Double" Fister and the Detroit Tigers.

Of course that's only half the story...The NL East has as much to cry over. Overshadowed by Boston's epic collapse was Atlanta's last-week fall out of the Wild Card. Their loss leaves the Cardinals with the playoff birth, leaving St. Louis to just eliminate the other "Best Team On Paper": the Philadelphia Phillies, with their Four Horsemen, err, Aces. Granted it was fun bar-hopping along the Lower East Side seeing Yankees and Mets fans unite in joy witnessing the Phillies stumble (pun maybe intended) out of the playoffs. However, now I can confirm there are more fans here lining up to watch "Moneyball" than to sit around and watch Middle America (Detroit, Texas, Milwaukee and St. Louis) hog the playoffs.

Pro Football:

It would be a lie to say that pro football is hopeless along the East Coast. All Patriots fans would just point to New England to say they are as good as ever, Giants and Redskins fans would claim they are the team to beat out of the NFC East, Buffalo is playing like they don't remember what a guaranteed miserable team they are supposed to be, the Ravens are still on top of the AFC North, and let's not forget about the Falcons down south.

Granted, it may be peaches now, but there are still much doubt placed throughout the area. The Jets and the Eagles, while still not dead, easily are winning the "Most Overrated Team" awards in their respected conferences. The Patriots don't remember how to win in the playoffs for 7 years now. The Giants are a perennial second-half collapse team. The Redskins don't know who their quarterback or running back is, so why expect them to succeed long term? Remember the embarrassing playoff losses by the Falcons and Ravens last year? And are you actually pin hopes on the Bills?? Do they even count as a East Coast team?? So yeah, it's cool to root for some East Coast teams now, but come Super Bowl time, there's a better shot we will be watching the Super Bowl to watch commercials, another 80s throwback concert, and to give a reason not to show up to work the next day than to root for your team.

Pro Basketball:

Let's face it, the NBA isn't going to have a season this year...and it'll be one more year my Dallas Mavericks will hold on to the title.

College Football:

Realistically, this sport doesn't exist in New York or Philly. I mean common, this is why the Big East is just counting down days until College Basketball season to show why it is still a legitimate conference. And no, you're not looking for Boston College or Maryland if you're living in Boston or Washington D.C. to find a reason to watch (Yes, Virginia Tech is doing well, but it's also by West Virginia, so try to justify it being a East Coast team...).

Hockey:

Best bet for a lot of East Coast chances of glory...and is holding the only East Coast professional title in the Boston Bruins. And without basketball, what else will you watch during your weeknights? That said, let's face it, I want to convince more people to watch hockey, but I also want to convince more people to watch soccer, tennis, golf and curling...

College Basketball:

Without the NBA, I guess the best shot for sports fans to enjoy in the East Coast is to watch college basketball...there's a reason the Big East tourney is played in Madison Square Garden (knock on wood); it, and not college football, is the city sport. And again are East Coast teams bringing title; just look at UConn last year.

So yeah, it's not the greatest time in the East Coast sports-wise, but hang in there my simple friend, and there'll be light in the end of the tunnel (the kind not coming from the 6 train).

What do you call 200 guys sitting on their couch Watching the MLB Playoffs?

You call them the AL East.  5 teams in this division, 40 players per team in the months of September and October.  I want you to think about that for a minute.  The AL East!  Not a single team in the playoffs past the ALDS.  This is a division that for the last 2 seasons has been projected to set the record for the most combined wins for a division.  How can that be wrong with teams that have the caliber and payrolls like the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, who were just eliminated from the post season by the Detroit Tigers minutes ago.  These teams are in the top four on the list for highest payroll for any sport in the world (the other two teams being soccer teams in Europe).  Then you add the outstanding pitching and the young, capable offense of the Tampa Bay Rays, and you have 3 of the best teams in baseball. Then you have a situation where any other two teams could help set that record that I mentioned above.  Those teams are the Toronto Blue Jays who have a strong offense lead by the two-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, Jose Bautista.  Then you add the Baltimore Orioles.  Kind of the black sheep in the division.  A lot of older players who are past their prime (see Vladamir Guererro), but with a few young prospects who could be good (see Matt Wieters).

However, after digressing for a moment, I would like to point out yet again, that a division that combined for 428 wins on the season, with the top 3 all getting 90+ wins a piece, will not be representing in baseballs version of the Final Four.  It is some what refreshing to see, seeing as how recently it's been Yankees or Red Sox, who's going to the ALCS or World Series?  Now there's a change in a sport that is criticized for letting teams like those two afford so much more talent than the rest.  That is some what refreshing.  But one has to ask, what could lead to this division not being able to send 1 representative to the Championship Series?  Could it be confidence? Comfort?  Are the Blue Jays and Orioles happy finishing nowhere about fourth place every year?  Are the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees just okay with 90 wins?  As we saw this year, 90 wins isn't enough to cut it in this league, especially in that division.  I think the Yankees, Rays and Sox have gotten too confident.  Thinking to themselves, "Oh, we're [insert team name here]!  It's a give in that we'll make the playoffs.  Of course we'll make it to the ALCS.  Now we just have to worry about our flight arrangements to the National League ballparks at the end of the month."  Well guess what boys?  One of you didn't even make the playoffs, after the biggest collapse in the history of baseball.  Another made an outstanding come back in the month of September only to get a single win in October.  And the last has always been synonymous with winning, and they couldn't even win a best of 3 series with 3 games at home.

I'll tell you one thing, AL East.  It's time to step it up.  It's officially a year not one of your teams is in the ALCS.  There will be no AL East pride marching into the Fall Classic that we call the World Series.  No!  The best division in baseball (which in the regular season it was, so don't give me any of that, "Oh well the NL Central had two 90+ win teams too and they're both still in the post season."  I don't want to hear that.  The AL East was the best division in baseball in the regular season.)  All I can hope for now is that at least some of the players will be watching SportsCenter or some other Sports channel and see on the ticker at the bottom of the screen that there is not a single AL East team listed.  It's a crying shame.  They're adding another wild card team to the post season in 2013.  You know why?  The AL East!  Plain and simple.  So now rest up with you're overly expensive homes, cars, and appliances because in 2012, you are expected to show up, and prove why it is that every year baseball analysts from all different sports networks predict the record to be broken this year.  Step it up boys...all of you!

You Give a Guy an Inch and He Takes a Mile!

Jeez, you know, it was only a couple days ago that Miggy came to me saying, "Oh Eamon, your blog is so awesome, can I please be a part of this amazing thing that you've been a part of for so long? Please!!"  And then in his first post he decides to shit on the hand that feeds him.  I mean, look at this guy.  Thinking he's Eric Estrada and everything.  Let me make something perfectly clear, you are no Eric Estrada!  To clarify something else, I started this blog as a nation-wide sports blog, but the facts are that my entire following were from the New England area and wished to hear less about the Redskins, or the Texas Rangers, or the Seattle Mariners (which by the way is Miggy's team, cue the collective "oh...too bad..." in 3-2-1...go!)  So that's what I did. 

Now moving on to Miggy.  I brought him in because I figured he's not from the New England area, and maybe he can bring in a different following.  But now he wants to start stuff with the person who was generous enough to bring him in?  Okay...from now on, I will be reviewing all posts by Miggy before he posts, just to make sure they're up to the standards of this blog!  Way to go Miggy...now you can never write for real as long as your my "employee."  (I put it in quotes, because I will never pay him.)


P.S.
This is the only time I will ever say this.  Miggy and I are great friends and I am very excited to work with him.  We have worked together in the past, as he said on a sports show that he got started (which would have failed without me).  And everything disparaging I say simply to cause controversy for you, my followers.  Just so no one thinks I'm the worst person in the world who is enslaving Miggy simply because he can't write for anyone else (tee-hee).  But I look forward to this blog to taking off now that I can get the followers from New England and Miggy can help to colonize the rest of the country.  Just wait.  Brag about this blog.  Because in 3 months, it will be the greatest blog in the country, and you'll want to brag about it that you knew it before it became a fad!  Pass the word, this thing is going to take off now!  Because both Miggy and myself are completely....Out of Bounds!

New Kid on the Knoblauch

Hello fellow nobodies...

My name is Miggy, and I'm the new contributor for the blog Out Of Bounds...

(Since Eamon is desperate to get this blog on the main, and I'm just desperate for attention, this partnership is just made in heaven)

To give you a (sports) background of myself:

-Born in Sydney but grown in New York City (gasp, a New Yorker in a Boston Blog)

-NOT a fan of New York teams...not saying I despise them, just that they aren't my favorite teams (and neither are Boston teams)

-I root for the Seattle Mariners, the Dallas Mavericks, the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans (and if you feed me enough attention I will explain why)

-Went to Villanova along with Eamon, and produced/hosted/burned-into-ground the sports show "A Miggy-Flavored Sports Show" on campus television (Eamon provided baseball segments along with pulling his impersonation of a Boston-jerk game-show host)

So what the hell would I be doing for this particular blog?

-Well, since Eamon likes to ignore the rest of the world except for New England, I guess I have to fill the world with everything else in terms of sports...and when I mean everything, I was a college medalist in curling, so there's no limit on what I could bring up...however, I'd be too mean a person to bring up Big East basketball (and Villanova basketball) enough to make Eamon feel like recognizes something sports-related (barely)

So starting this week I will be dropping knowledge bombs from time to time, feel free to be obliterated in the process

After a Huge Choke, How Can the Red Sox Prepare to Contend Next Season? Here's How!

Well I know what you're saying.  "Another year, another choke..." "Why can't these guys ever perform in the late months?"  "There's always next year...."  And the biggest question of all, "Who's to blame?"

Well, to answer that last question, just about everyone.  Now I know I haven't blogged since mid-April, but to be honest, I am a superstitious fan.  I wanted to blog every game, and every single time that I was ready to, we lost.  Then I missed a game...and we won.  Then I got ready to blog again...and we lost...it went like that for a few games.  Then, being the superstitious person I am, I said, "My writings can wait, I am a fan first!"  But here we are.  October is 2 days away and the Red Sox are packing up the locker room for a long off season.  But some of these players get to go home and roll around in piles of money that they didn't earn (see Carl Crawford, J.D. Drew and John Lackey).  Meanwhile, those of us fans who have very little money and are all on hard times were looking for one bit of solice from our baseball team.  But nothing. 

But, after passing over some pessimistic tones, I am already trying to move on to the future.  And the future looks a lot like the black hole we're in right now unless some serious changes are made.  I am not the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox.  Nor and I the manager.  In fact, I have no standing what-so-ever with the organization.  But here are a few things that if changed, would benefit the team greatly:

The Manager: I will be the first to admit, I am a huge Terry Francona fan.  He came in his first year and got us a trophy that Boston hadn't seen in 86 years.  And as such, unlike so many others, I don't want him fired.  However, there is one thing I want from him.  Grow a set!  This guy is clearly letting this team walk all over him.  I know it's a perennial All Star team, but grow a spine.  When they're not prepared in April and May, that's on you, Tito.  Now I am all for you being here in Boston, but please...stand up and whip your players into shape!  They need someone to show them that they're [fecal matter] does stink!  So step up, and manage the team like they're your players and not your equals...or even worse, your superiors!

The Offense:  I need to be honest, I don't have many problems with the offense.  I mean, Ellsebury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Gonzalez, Youkilis, and Scutaro...all great.  That leaves the obvious holes...Crawford, the catcher, and the right fielder.  Now I am willing to give Crawford the benefit of the doubt here.  His first full year in Boston?  I imagine it can be scary.  You're not a Freshman anymore though!  Time to really play much better starting now!!  On to the catcher.  We had two, and neither played up to par.  Salty at least was half-decent.  But half decent in Boston isn't good enough.  You're making the big bucks, time to play up to it.  And Varitek...take the darn "C" off your Jersey.  There are only 3 captains in all of baseball.  The other 2 don't have that letter on their jersey, and...oh yea!  They play every day.  The truth is, if these last two days showed me anything, its that Lavarnway is the future of this team.  Varitek's contract is up this year.  If he knew what was best, he would retire before Boston fans begins to resent him. That gives us $2 million that he was making this season.  But I will say let's keep Salty.  If nothing else, he's a cheap coach for Lavarnway since we are only paying him $750,000.  And on to the final position that was a disappointment.  Right Field.  J.D. Drew has never lived up to his salary.  $14 million a year to bat 6th or 7th and have 1 year with 20 Home Runs.  I say make him an offer in the off season for something in the ball park of $2-4 million for a 1-2 year deal at the most.  Any more, and let him go.  Josh Reddick played great in his absence.  Make him the full time Right Fielder.  He may strike out a lot, but so does Drew.  Reddick gives you a similar type player who is younger and is paid much less.  Drew was fun to have around for a while, but I think even Francona knows, it's time to part ways, sadly enough.

And on to the reason we lost this season:
The Pitching: The old saying in baseball is pitching wins games.  And the Sox had no pitching down the stretch.  Look at the facts.  Every Sox fan was looking forward to when Lester and Beckett would pitch.  Every other game was a presumed loss.  Our other 3 starters were an old lefty who gave us 1 win since we traded for him in Erik Bedard, a 45 year old knuckleballer who announced his retirement after this season before the season even began in Tim Wakefield, and a huge let down of a pitcher who is making $16 million a year in John Lackey.  Now here is what needs to happen.  Wakefield is out, we all know it.  Thank you for 17 great years.  You will certainly be missed.  I don't mean to sound cruel, Wakefield is actually one of my favorite players.  But he already announced it.  I hope you return as an analyst or a coach because I want to see you more.  Erik BedardMatsuzaka.  (Side note, I thought this was Dice-K's last year in Boston.  Unfortunately I found out he still has 1 more year of bad performances in a Red Sox uniform).  Bedard is pretty old himself, and I don't think he can perform well enough down the stretch...or even into the middle of the Summer.  I'm sorry, but I am looking to trade him to a team who needs a veteran pitcher to lead a young staff in return for a minor leaguer.  1 minor leaguer will do in return, and not even a huge prospect.  Just clear up some space in our salary.  And on to the biggest dissapointment.  "Big Hoss" as one popular blog calls him.  The only thing big on him is his salary.  Making $16 million per year to set a record for the highest ERA in Red Sox history!  That's over a century of pitchers, and he's worse than them all!  No one will trade with us for him because of that contract.  I say offer a team to take him and we'll eat most of the salary.  I wont mind paying up to $14 million of that to have him pitch else where.  If that doesn't work, pay him $16 million to stay home.  He is a better asset to the team on his living room couch that on the mound.  But I would want to trade him and at least get a few million of that salary per year taken off our plate.  With the return of Clay Bucholz, who I really like for this team, we would have Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Dice-K and some other pitcher.  And by the way, while I'm listing them like that, Beckett should have been the number 1 pitcher all year.  I said it in February.  Lester wasn't ready to lead that rotation and he proved it.  Beckett is the leader, Lester is the future leader (and I mean like 1-2 years future, really soon!!), and Buchholz is the future of the rotation.  In 3 years, if we have Lester and Clay leading the rotation, that's a dangerous 1-2 punch.  But we're Sox fans.  We're not here for 3 years from now, we're here for the now!  So, with that in mind, we need to drop Bedard, let Wakefield retire, and find a way to get Lackey out of a Red Sox uniform.  But who is our fifth starter then?  With the money we will have from Varitek, Drew, Wakefield, and Bedard leaving the team, we should be able to find a decent #4 or 5 pitcher in free agency.  But we'll get to that later.

The last thing we need to cover is the bullpen.  Now I love our middle relief!  Aceves, Albers, Andrew Miller, and Kyle Weiland?  Great!  Now on to the issue...the late innings.  Let's face it, Daniel Bard is done.  A 99 MPH fastball can't help the team if it's all you can do.  AND...he is only brought into games when we're winning and he had 9 losses?!  That means he gave up the tying and winning runs 9 times this season!  Not good for a set up man.  And Jonathan Papelbon.  I am on this guys bandwagon.  I really like him for this team.  I don't like that we're paying him $12 million to pitch 1 inning per game in 63 games.  That's too much.  But the closer is valuable to the team, and let's face it, if he's not the best, he's top 3.  But his years may be numbered.  We need to find a young gun to follow him and train to be the next closer.  That was supposed to be Bard, but that's not happening.  We need a set up man.  Bobby Jenks didn't work out, but I think Theo can find someone for us. 

That brings us to the last topic: The future.

Let's assume for a minute that Wakefield really does retire.  That Varitek finally hangs it up and becomes a catching coach.  That Bedard is gone.  That J.D. Drew moves on to other things.  And finally that Lackey leaves and we only have to pay $14 million maximum to him.  That gives us $21 million to fool around with in the offseason for next year.  That gives us infinite possibilities.  Let's just hope they don't blow it all on one player who can't play up to his salary (see Crawford and Lackey).  But all of Red Sox Nation is asking "Who?"  The Sox were bounced from the postseason just an hour ago, and already it's, "who is there to get?"  Well that's what I'm here for.  Here are some of the notable free agents the Sox should be looking at for next season:

C.J. Wilson - SP
CC Sabathia - SP (he has an opt out clause.  very doubtful we would pick him up)
Scott Kazmir - SP
Edwin Jackson - SP
Joel Pineiro - SP
Heath Bell - RP
Shawn Camp - RP
Jose Valverde - RP
Jason Bartlett - SS (Scutaro is a free agent this year, but I hope we sign him)
Grady Sizemore - OF
Carlos Beltran - OF
Juan Pierre - OF

Most valuable player: C.J. Wilson.  He has pitched great the last 2-3 years.  He killed us all season.  He could be a great pitcher for us.  And he has experience in the postseason, playing against great teams like the Yankees and succeeding.  If we can get him, I'd say it's all we'd need.   That and staying healthy.  But mark my words...if we get Wilson and drop Lackey, we will make the postseason next year.  And by God, we will win!  But until next April, this is me signing off for this season.  Quite a disappointment overall.  But...without the losses, the wins wouldn't be as sweet.