World Series Hangover? Or World Series Do-over?

OPENING GAME: Monday, March 31 at Baltimore Orioles

OPENING GAME AT HOME: Friday, April 4 vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Scouting Report from The Sister Turned Red Sox Fanatic

Will the Red Sox avoid the dreaded “World Series Hangover?”

Fans and critics are both anxiously watching as to whether the Red Sox will avoid the dreaded fall from grace that followed them in 2005 and 2008 after winning World Series titles. I don’t think the season will be a disaster by a long shot. I also think they have their work cut out for them. 
 

Clearly one of the biggest concerns is whether the starting pitching rotation can stay healthy.  At spring training, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, and Peavy looked strong while John Lackey who is in the best physical shape ever cannot find his groove.  Doubront is uneven but when he’s on, he’s excellent.  Chris Capuano offers the team promise as a starter but might also play an important role as a relief pitcher depending on what happens in the bull pen.  Andrew Miller and  Rubby (pronounced “ruby”)De La Rosa look strong as relief pitchers .  The big question is what will happen for Koji Uehara this year.  At 38 coming off a near impossible to believe season, it would be a miracle for him to repeat his phenomenal World Series win but he appears to have picked up just where he left off.  Let’s hope!

 

A.J. Pierzynski offers the Red Sox great hope as both a solid catcher and a strong hitter although it is hard to see that just yet.  David Ross, a club and fan favorite, offers less flash and a bit more substance in catching but not in hitting.  Both are 37 and need to stay healthy.  Rumors abound that Ryan Larvarnway will be traded to make way for Christian Vasquez or Blake Swihart from the minors.  Whoever comes up, he needs to be young!

Dustin Pedroia (2B), Will Middlebrooks (3B) and Mike Napoli (1B) all look terrific and I think we will see them as great infielders and strong batters. However, the Red Sox are missing a reliable back-up for Napoli at first base. If Napoli who has been plagued by hip injuries gets hurt again, the team will be scrambling. However, good thing is that with so many strong outfielders (too many actually), Mike Carp (LF) or Daniel Nava (LF) could play first. Xander Bogaerts (SS) has been exciting to watch and I predict he becomes a major fan favorite.  Prepare to see a crop of baby boys named Xander now that the Jasons, Jacobys, and Justins are gone. The Sox will miss Jacoby Ellsbury more for his speed and spirit but I think the Yankees bought an expensive “maybe” for the upcoming season. 

Despite his talents, Mike Carp is rumored to be on the list to be traded if difficult decisions need to be made about the outfield. Grady Sizemore’s triumphant return combined with Jackie Bradley, Jr.’s backup give the Sox solid support in center field.  Jonny Gomes who is unbelievably “hot” without the beard seems confident in left field while Shane Victorino (when he has played in spring training) is high-energy and fun to watch. 

I think the Red Sox have an excellent chance of taking the American League East and I suspect it will be Tampa Bay they struggle with, rather than the Yankees. But I also believe that it will take a dozen games or more before we know whether the World Series Hangover will veer its ugly head.  The Sox won’t win if they aren’t hungry—2013 was a great example of what good talent but great spirit can produce! Play ball!

 

NOTE:   This was a serious scouting report. Check out the Sister's Report from Spring Training in the Grapefruit League.

High Hopes, High Anxiety: Scouting Report from the Softball Diva

OPENING GAME: Tuesday, April 1.  N.Y. Yankees at Houston Astros

OPENING GAME AT HOME, Monday April 7. Baltimore Orioles at N.Y. Yankees
 

Report from the Softball Diva and Terminal Yankees Fan

NEW YORK, NY - Oh, yeah, sure, the Yankees totally scrapped the idea of getting their payroll under $189 million this year when the various big cheeses realized zillions of dollars were being lost with lower attendance and fewer eyeballs on YES (Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network).    Amazingly, the Yankees played meaningful games until the last two weeks of the season last year, and that was done with a team ravaged by major injuries.    The only bright spot was the adulation and adoration that greeted Mariano Rivera on his farewell tour.   He was greeted at every stadium like a rock star.   In fact, some big rock stars, Metallica, were instrumental in rocking the Stadium on Mariano Rivera Day in the Bronx.  And now Mo’s gone off into the sunset leaving die-hard Yankee fans with wonderful, poignant memories of the sweet man who was the greatest closer ever.   Sigh.   But I digress.

So, yeah, 2013 was a year of not making the playoffs for only the second time since 1995.  Yep, we Yankee fans are spoiled.   It obviously became time to open up the wallets, and Hal Steinbrenner and his crew did just that.    Oh, it was sweet, just like the days when the old man, THE BOSS, bought every super star he could and then demanded a championship.  Maybe Hal is a chip off the old block.  The Yanks went out and got a great, and I mean great new catcher from the Atlanta Braves ……Brian McCann.   He is a lefty, and he is going to love the short porch in right field where he might hit, say, 30 home runs, and he is supposed to be excellent with the pitching staff.   He’s a tough guy, too, and he is already being compared to  Thurmon Munson, a very beloved Yankee catcher.   

Then the Yanks spent more money on Jacoby Ellsbury, former superstar center fielder from the Red Sox.   Great speed and great hitting and great fielding if…..and it’s the first of many “ifs”…..if he can stay healthy.   Carlos Beltran always wanted to play for the Yankees.    They wrapped him up, too, with a lucrative contract.    He’s a switch hitter, and he, along with Mark Texiera, another prolific switch hitter back from missing almost all of last year, should make the lineup much, much stronger IF they both stay healthy.  

To top it all off, the Yanks went out and outbid everyone for Masahiro Tanaka, the Japanese phenom who was 24-0 last year.   He’s never pitched in the big leagues, but the Yanks have scouted him for years, and most people in the biz think he is the real deal.   Yanks Ace CC Sabathia had a very subpar year last year, but he is back feeling stronger than ever, and he shed 40 lbs.    That may be good or bad.    He seemed to have a lot more success when his waistline expanded.   We shall see IF he regains his form that has made him such a stud in the past.   And just maybe after two years of never even playing in a game for the Yankees, Michael Pineda will be ready to contribute …..or at least compete for the fifth spot in the rotation  IF he recovers fully from the shoulder surgery that knocked him out for two years.   The Yankees will have Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Tanaka, Ivan Nova, and whoever wins the fifth spot.   It will be a much improved rotation, again IF…..everyone stays healthy…..tired of hearing it?   

The Yankees have spent about $450 million for 4 players…..and oh, yeah, lots of money was freed up when A-Rod decided to take a sabbatical to ponder the mysteries of life and how he could better serve the universe.   That sounded almost believable, right? 

So there really is a lot to be excited about.   Of course there is a lot to be worried about, too.   Texiera may still have lingering wrist issues.   CC might continue to underperform.   Ellsbury and Beltran are injury prone…so is Brian Roberts, our new 36-year-old second baseman who has the unenviable task of taking the place of Robinson Cano.   Gulp!   Tanaka could find the rigors of pitching every 5 days and working with a bigger baseball than they had in Japan and the specter of facing major league ball players quite overwhelming.   I doubt it, but he could really stink in his first year in the majors.   And Kelly Johnson (who?) might not handle third base very well.   (Not that anyone is missing Alex Rodriguez at the hot corner.)  David Robertson, our excellent 8^th inning bullpen guy from last year is going to now be our closer.   No one can replace Mo, but Robertson’s going to try.   If he is a bust, there aren’t others lined up to move into that spot.   In simple terms, there is a lot that can go wrong.

In fact, the more I think about it…..oh, brother.     Where is my Prozac?   But wait…..just wait a minute.   DEREK JETER…..the Captain, the face of the franchise, one of the best Yankees ever, has said that this 2014 season will be his last.   Oh, the pain, the inevitable truth that Father Time wins all the battles in the end.   Jeter only played 17 games last year after a broken ankle suffered in the first game of the American League Championship Series in 2012.  He went down in agony, and the Yanks went down swiftly losing four games to the Detroit Tigers.   It seemed the Yanks never recovered from Jeter’s injury all through the 2013 season, but he is back for one final season.    He tells us that his ankle is fine, fully recovered and he expects to play well, very well, up to his usual standards of excellence.  

Of course Jeter will be 40 in June.   No team has ever won a World Series with an everyday shortstop over 36…..and yes, he might break down.   More Prozac, please!

But no one wants to see him fail, and he wants to win more than anything.   His desire should fuel not only himself, but his teammates.   Everyone wants him to do well.   He just wants to win.   It’s really the only thing that matters in the Yankee Universe.

In conclusion, I will boldly state on the record that Jeter and the Yanks go deep, very deep into October.  Furthermore, Jeter gets his sixth ring; the Yanks will win their 28^th Championship!     It most definitely could happen.    Lots of high hopes…..as far as the anxiety, a couple cold ones will help.   No need for Prozac for this fan.

 

GO YANKEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!