'Fi Were King (or at least Theo)

October 2010

For some reason, a lot of FN readers think we are too negative. I can't image why (insert heavy irony here). "If you're so smart", these readers say, "tell us what you'd do if you were running the Red Sox". Fair enough. Here's my prescription to improve the 89-win, "missed the playoff" Carmine Hose. All these suggestions assume: the NOG is telling the truth about the available resources for non-soccer operations; the signing of David Ortiz and the non-signing of Beltre and V-Mart.

Job One—Fix the Manny Hole. Since Manuel Aristides (Onelcida) Ramirez departed for La-La Land, we have not had a feared right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup. Period. Jason Bay was a nice approximation for a year and half, but he never instilled the kind of fear that Manny did in opposing pitchers. Solution: out-bid everybody for Jayson Werth.

Job Two—Fix The Bullpen. J.J. Putz and Jon Rauch are minimum additions that can be had on the free agent market. Add in Brian Fuentes from the left side and mix in Bard and Papelbon and fans can once again spell "relief".

Job Three—Get Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox need to consummate the long-rumored trade for left-handed first baseman of the Padres. If it means giving up some combination of Ellsbury, Dice-K, Casey Kelly and Josh Reddick—so be it. A-Gon is that good.

Job Four—Sign Miguel Olivo as the primary catcher. Re-sign Jason Varitek to a one-year deal and make him the back-up again.

Thus, the 2011 Red Sox would have the following line-up:

1. Marco Scutaro, SS 2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. David Ortiz, DH 4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B 5. Jayson Werth, LF 6. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 7. J. D. Drew, RF 8. Ryan Kalish, CF 9. Olivo, C

The rotation (assuming a trade of Dice-K) would be:

1. Lester 2. Buchholz 3. Beckett 4. Lackey 5. Wakefield/Dubront

I think this team can win another World Series now.

Sox Favorties In A-Gon Sweeps

October 2010

According to Don Norcross of "Sign On San Diego" (God knows what those Left Coasters mean about anything) the Red Sox are the front runners to land the services (via trade) of San Diego superstar Adrian Gonzalez. Norcross surmises that A-Gon would love to pepper the Monster with an "oppo" swing and (maybe more importantly) the scout who signed Gonzalez (Dave Finley) is in the Boston front office. In our view, this is the move that needs to made this Winter. Anything less than adding an elite bat like Gonzalez (not to mention a revamped bullpen) will scream "Bridge Year Two".

Amazing Pumpkin Carvings

October 2010

(My sister emailed this to me and I just had to share!)

Artist Ray Villafane began carving pumpkins on a lark for his art students in a small rural school district in Michigan. The hobby changed his life as he gained a viral following online and unlocked his genuine love of sculpting. Here are images of pumpkin carvings Villafane created over the past five years.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Gammons: V-Mart Off To Detroit?

October 2010

MLB Netowrk's Peter Gammons told WEEI's Big Show that, in his opinion, the Tigers will offer Sox catcher Victor Martinez a four-or-five year deal which will land him in the Motor City. He also thinks the Sox will go hard after Tampa outfielder Carl Crawford.

Papi: One Year Not An 'Option'

October 2010

In an extensive interview with WEEI's Rob Bradford, David Ortiz made it plain that he does not want the Red Sox to pick-up his one-year, $12.5 million option. Instead, he wants a multi-year deal that may push this scenario to the brink if the Sox balk at signing the soon-to-be 35-year old beyond 2012. Papi's sense of frustration is patently evident and does not bode well for an easy resolution. Stay tuned!

Kalish Is FN Rookie Of The Year

October 2010

The Editors of FenwayNation have named Ryan Kalish as the inaugural FenwayNation Rookie of the Year for 2010. Kalish stepped into the breach when the Sox suffered multiple injuries and proved to have a patient yet potent bat in his first year in The Show. In 53 games, Kalish hit .252, with 4 HRs and 24 RBI. The 22-year old outfielder (pictured above with a young fan at a recent BoSox Club luncheon) also swiped 10 bases and was caught only once. Kalish has all but assured himself a spot on the 2011 roster.

ALL STAR BASEBALL PLAYER/TEAM OF THE WEEK

October 2010

The Warminster 13U Team scored 37 runs and went 2-1 at the Ripken Fall Classic in Aberdeen, MD last weekend.  The team is coached by Phil Kelly (top right), who was pleased with the hot bats and good play in the field.

The team won the ASBA "Team of the Week" award this week.

All Star Baseball Academy is pleased to announce our Players of the Week, and also recognize the players who have been nominated by their coaches:

ALL STAR PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:


Trevor Roberson, 12U Broomall Team— Trevor blasted 2 HR’s in the Sports At The Beach Tournament in DE and also made nice plays in the infield for the Broomall squad.


Bobby Watters, 15U Downingtown Team—Bobby was hot at the plate in the ECTB Wood Bat “Bases Loaded” Tournament in Palmyra, PA. He went 5 for 9 with 4 RBI’s and 2 doubles and also contributed on the mound, with a save.


Justin Rounick, 13U Warminster Team—Justin helped his team earn a 2-1 record at the Ripken Fall Classic with 6 strong innings pitched. He got a win with only 2 earned runs allowed and a total of 7 K’s.


Also Nominated:


Patrick Meenan, 13U Warminster Team— Patrick went 5 for 8 with 5 RBI’s and 4 stolen bases.


Gabe Hofferman, 13U Warminster Team—Gabe was hot with 5 for 8 hitting, 4 RBI’s and 5 stolen bases.


Pierce Greenleaf, 15U Downingtown Team—Pierce tossed 6 good innings in his team’s 7-5 win at the ECTB Wood Bat Tournament near Hershey, PA.


Matt Timoney, 17U West Chester Showcase Team—Matt fired 3 excellent innings with 7 K’s at the Wood Bat World Championships in Jupiter, FL last weekend.



ALL STAR BASEBALL TEAM OF THE WEEK:

13U WARMINSTER TEAM

The All Star Team of the Week is the 13U Warminster squad that went 2-1 with an offensive explosion at the Ripken Fall Classic in Aberdeen, MD last weekend. The team scored 37 runs in the 3 games at Ripken, an average of more than 12 per game! These “Warminster Wallopers” are coached by Phil Kelly.


RUNNER-UP TEAMS OF THE WEEK:


ASBA 15U DOWNINGTOWN TEAM AND 17U WEST CHESTER SHOWCASE TEAM


The Downingtown team was led at the ECTB Tourney by hitters Bobby Watters, David Gibb, and Nick Bulisky and pitcher Pierce Greenleaf. The Showcase Team of Coach Mike Manning was paced by pitchers Matt Timoney, Tony Urban, and Jake Drossner, and also by hitters Andrew Amaro, AJ Koscelansky, and Thomas Spitz. The Showcase squad went 2-1-1 at Jupiter, FL.


Congratulations to all of our weekly winners! Look for Player and Team of the Week updates each week on our ASBA Blog as the Fall Tournament season nears the end of the year….. And keep those photos coming! Send to ken@allstarbaseballacademy.com.

Moving

October 2010

Old House

Starting today I won't be very active on my blogs.  We are moving this weekend and have been bringing loads of boxes over to the new house in Surprise the last couple of days.  By Saturday, we should have everything at the Surprise house along with getting the internet and Direct TV hooked up.  The place will be a mess and I will have my work cut out for me.  Sunday, we are going back to the old house in Phoenix to see if we forgot anything and take pictures.  I don't want to be accused of taking things we didn't.  The little Opie shit that lives behind us and his friends will probably break in and steal things.  (We have called him Opie since he was little because he looks just like him.)  They have broken in several houses around here and because we have loud barking dogs, they left us alone.

Anyhow, I am hoping to have a new post up by Monday if all goes well.  Sunday is Halloween and there are lots to watch on TV, so it may be late Monday before the post is put up.  I am looking forward to the move and change of scenery.  Surprise still has lots of open spaces, farms and cool abandoned buildings.  I will be sharing those pictures on both blogs (http://therandommindofmissjulie.blogspot.com/ and Above the Norm).

New House

Soccer To Me!

October 2010

The NOG made a good effort to "Sneak Sally Through The Alley" while we were distracted by the World Series, ShaqTopia and the mid-term elections. The whopping ticket price increases they announced on Tuesday affect 30% of all patrons and boost a grandstand ticket up to $55 and loge boxes to nearly $100. Of course, this comes days after assuring us all that the ridiculous purchase of the Liverpool soccer team in the English Premier League would not impact the Red Sox at all. Believe them now? Not bloody likely, governor!

ALL STAR BASEBALL TIP OF THE WEEK.......

October 2010

Pitcher Ryan Madsen Throws a Mean Circle Change

This week's Tip is from Ken Brown, Assistant Manager and popular coach of tournament teams at our Broomall Academy.  To schedule a series of lessons with Ken or another of our top instructors at Broomall, call 610-355-2411 or e mail Ken at kenb@allstarbaseballacademy.com.  We look forward to helping your All Star develop his skills over the Fall and Winter so he can star on the field in the Spring!

KEEP THE ADVANTAGE BY KEEPING HITTERS OFF BALANCE!

An important factor of being a successful pitcher is the ability to change speeds well.  If you can effectively change speeds, then you can deceive hitters and keep them off balance!

The best pitch that achieves this is the "changeup."  The changeup is the most effective pitch against hitters at any age. This is because the spin of the ball on a changeup looks just like a fast ball, but comes in much slower.  This change of speed causes the batters to be off balance, thus putting the advantage in the pitcher's favor. 

The most effective changeup is the "circle" change.  To throw a circle changeup, make a circle with your throwing hand (using your thumb & index fingers). You then center the baseball between your three other fingers. The baseball should be tucked comfortably against the circle.  In order for this pitch to be effective, we must throw it with the same arm speed and body mechanics as a fastball.  A great way to develop the fastball mechanics, but at changeup speed, is to practice throwing your changeup as you long toss (throwing beyond 90 feet). Alternate between throwing fastballs and changeups for about 20-30 throws.  Do this a couple of times per week.

 If you focus on mixing your pitches and keeping hitters guessing, you will have greater success on the mound.

Goodyear-Ocotillo Cemetery

October 2010

Farrell To Be Named Jays Manager

October 2010

ESPN is reporting that the Blue Jays will announce this afternoon that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will become Toronto's new Manager.

Red Sox: Team Of The Decade

October 2010

With all the excitement of the Yankees going down in the ALCS, another event over the weekend assured the Red Sox a unique spot in baseball history. When the Phillies fell to the Giants on Saturday, it insured that Boston would be the only team to win two World Series Championships in the first decade of the 21st Century. The Carmine Hose averaged 92.4 wins over the ten-year period and made the post-season six times—finishing third only twice in the toughest division in baseball. So—all things considered—I'd say our Olde Towne Team can legitimately lay claim to the title of Team of The Decade.

San Marcos Resort

October 2010

Since Schnepf Farms is located far east of Phoenix in Queen Creek, Sharon and I decided to spend the night in a hotel closer to the farm. Of course we wouldn’t stay in just any hotel, it had to be haunted. She made reservations at the San Marcos Resort which has many stories of paranormal claims. Some reports are of phantom phone calls from non-existent extensions, an apparition of a woman has been seen wandering the halls, and the loud moaning of a man can be heard in some rooms. Being that it is a hotel, we questioned the last one.

This marvelous hotel is located in the city of Chandler and the brainchild of Dr. Alexander Chandler who founded the city in 1912. He named the hotel after Friar Marcos de Niza, a priest sent north to Mexico City in search of wealthy cities. The hotel’s grand opening was on November 22, 1913 to over 500 people including the vice president of the US, governor of AZ, congressmen, and many celebrities.

Since its opening in 1913, the hotel has undergone many changes and has had a couple of new owners. In the lobby, you can find the elaborate private collections from these owners in the several sitting areas. After adding several hundred more guest rooms and updating their looks, the San Marcos Resort has become what Dr. Chandler always dreamed it would be, an oasis in the desert.

Sharon and I enjoyed our stay there. After returning from Schnepf Farms, we cleaned up and hit the bar. We couldn’t resist the yummy chicken quesadilla. When we returned to the room is when the craziness began. We had a little champagne, did our strobe dance, followed by our lockdown, and the PJ ghost hunt. Check out Sharon’s video of the hunt: http://autumnforestghosthunter.blogspot.com/2010/10/pajama-ghost-hunt-first-ever.html

We had a great time but never saw any ghosties that night.