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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

Crisis in Boston: Will Red Sox be in the Hunt in October?

Posted on by Max Warner

Despite hovering around the .500 mark for most of the 2012 season, the Boston Red Sox are a team in crisis.  The club is currently dead last in the American League East Division and is foundering as a result of injuries, bad contracts and poor management.  The Red Sox are in danger of missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

The crisis actually began in September 2011 when the Red Sox posted a 7-19 record in the final 26 games on their way to blowing a nine game lead in the AL Wild Card race.  General Manager Theo Epstein and Manager Terry Francona, the men who guided the Sox to World Championships in 2004 and 2007, both departed in the offseason.  The 2012 campaign has been a train wreck, with Carl Crawford, John Lackey, Andrew Bailey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jacoby Ellsbury all missing significant time to injury.  Stars Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Gonzalez both have an OPS in the low .700s, well below their career norms.  Three of the pitchers in the starting rotation have ERAs above 4.38, and Josh Beckett`s WHIP of 1.28 is the best in the rotation.  Acting closer Alfredo Aceves has a 4.15 ERA and a WHIP of 1.30, and of the five relievers with 17 appearances or more, only two have posted ERAs below 4.00.  Boston’s $173 million-plus payroll in 2012 now ranks them third in the Majors.

Not all of the Red Sox’ misfortune is due to bad luck or injuries.  Boston has accumulated several veterans with contacts so unreasonable and performances so poor that these players simply cannot be moved to another team.  Outfielder Carl Crawford was signed to a massive 7 year contract in 2010 to provide a speed and power package for Boston, and he is due to receive at least $20 million each season between 2012 and 2017.  In his first season with the Sox last year, Crawford posted a putrid .694 OPS and just 18 steals in 130 games, and he has yet to play this season because of injury.

Boston’s pitching staff is the anchor of the team, in a literal sense, when one considers the awful contracts handed out by the Red Sox to some of their hurlers.  Lackey was signed to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in 2009 and is due over $15 million per season until 2014.  In 2010, he posted an ERA of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.42, his worst totals since 2004.  Last season, Lackey had a 6.41 ERA, a WHIP of 1.62, and his strikeouts per nine dipped to its lowest level since his rookie season.  He is likely to miss all of this season recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Beckett will collect $15.75 million for the next three seasons and has been wildly inconsistent, posting ERAs above 4.00 in four of his seven seasons in Boston.  Reliever Bobby Jenks was signed to a 2 year, $12 million contract in 2010, and last year posted a 6.32 ERA and is out with a serious back injury this year.  Matsuzaka is collecting $10 million while contributing ERAs above 4.69 in each of his past three seasons, and is currently rehabilitating an injury in the minors.  The contracts given to these pitchers rival the worst in all of baseball.

The Red Sox have also made a number of questionable on-field decisions in 2012.  This past week, the Sox used Adrian Gonzalez in the outfield in order to keep hot-hitting call up Will Middlebrooks in the lineup at third, with regular third baseman Kevin Youkilis shifting to first.  The decision to start Gonzalez in any spot in the Boston outfield is pure folly.  Even as a first baseman, Gonzalez has never demonstrated the type of range needed to play the outfield.  Since becoming a regular first baseman in 2006, Gonzalez’s Range Factor per Inning (“RF9”) has ranked in the top 10 only once.  In 2011, Gonzalez’s RF9 of 8.96 ranked him 19th among MLB first basemen, and Gonzalez also ranked 19th in 2006, and was 15th in 2008 and 2009.  Prior to this season, Gonzalez logged a total of just 21 innings as a Major League outfielder.  All of these shortcomings are compounded by the fact that Boston’s home field, Fenway Park, features perhaps the most difficult outfield dimensions in baseball.  Hours upon hours of practice and game experience are required in order to master defending left field in front of the Green Monster or patrolling the cavernous and winding dimensions in right field.  If Gonzalez continues to play in the Boston outfield, he will be a huge defensive liability and he is going to cost his team runs and wins.

Boston also decided to convert power reliever Daniel Bard into a starting pitcher for this season.  The decision was curious, given that Bard had been a starter in only one of his previous five professional seasons, and in that season posted a 7.08 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP across two levels of Single-A.  The results in 2012 have been nothing short of disastrous.  Bard has posted a 4.69 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in eight starts, and his strikeouts per nine innings have plummeted to 5.3.  Bard averaged better than 9 strikeouts per nine innings from 2009 to 2011, and posted ERAs below 3.33 and WHIPS below 1.00, in two of the past three seasons.  Prior to 2012, he was the primary setup man in the Boston bullpen and was the key bridge between the starting pitchers and closer Jonathan Papelbon.  Bard’s removal from the back-end of the Boston bullpen, combined with Papelbon’s departure via free agency and the injury to newly acquired closer Andrew Bailey has left the Red Sox with few reliable arms in their relief corps.  Bard could surely have filled in nicely in Bailey’s absence or even replaced Papelbon on his own, negating the requirement to trade for Bailey.  The conversion from relief to starting pitcher is notoriously difficult, and one can only hope that the Red Sox haven’t derailed Bard’s career with their short-sighted decision to put him in the starting rotation.

The Sox made a huge mistake in trading promising young outfielder Josh Reddick to Oakland to acquire Bailey.  Reddick has hit 11 home runs and posted an .864 OPS in 2012 while playing in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Oakland Coliseum, and is sorely missed in Boston because of the departure of J.D. Drew and the injury to Crawford.  Instead, the Red Sox are being forced to rely on retreads such as Marlon Byrd and Ryan Sweeney in the outfield, the latter having never slugged above .407 in his career, and the former having slugged .395 in 2011.  New outfield addition Scott Podsednik boasts a .382 career slugging percentage and a birth certificate which says he is 36 years old.

Perhaps the biggest abomination committed by the Sox is continuing to allow Clay Bucholtz and his 7.84 ERA to take the mound every fifth day.  In baseball`s toughest division, the Sox cannot afford to throw away any starts simply because they continue to believe in a struggling starting pitcher.

One of the obvious answers to this crisis is that the Red Sox need to get healthy again.  But the problem is much more deep-rooted than that.  Boston management quickly needs to rediscover its ability to draft and develop premier talent, such as Youkilis, Ellsbury, Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia, all of whom were brought up in the Red Sox organization and all whom remain under team control at very reasonable prices.  In the past few years of the Epstein regime, the Red Sox unsuccessfully relied on big spending in the free agent market to try to patch holes in their roster, rather than drafting and developing talent.

Boston also needs to rediscover the art of run prevention, as they are currently allowing an average of 5 runs against per game, third worst in the majors.  The Sox are also third worst in team ERA.  By comparison, the Sox were second in MLB in team ERA and runs allowed in 2007, and were 16th and 11th in MLB in these respective categories in 2004.  Boston desperately needs Bucholtz and Beckett to get on track, they need a healthy, productive return from Matsuzaka, and they need to develop some starting pitching talent for the future.  Felix Doubront, though still a relatively raw prospect, may be one of the answers.

It’s only the end of May, but without timely answers to some of these problems, the Red Sox’ season will be over well before October.

…and that’s the last word.

What You May Not Know About Didier Drogba

Posted on by Jack Stone

I would like the world to recognize Chelsea FC star striker Didier Drogba (Didier Yves Drogba Tébily).

Your first thought is likely a mental image of his recent successes; scoring the game-tying and game winning goal in this year’s champions league final against Bayern Munich.  He is oft-considered amongst the best strikers of the decade, with good reason.  But for me, what makes Drogba special, and this is coming from a United fan, is Didier’s humanitarian efforts.  He is a class-act as a man, and that trumps the fact that he is a football legend.

Didier Drogba: More than Just a Player

Weeks before the World Cup 2006 in Germany, his native Ivory Coast was in a state of upheaval as civil war spread throughout his homeland.   Using his star power, Drogba announced that he would not compete in the tournament unless the fighting would stop.  Quite a bold move when you consider the violence, and how he might just have put himself in the crosshairs.  The citizens of Ivory Coast responded to his request and put down their weapons.  Quite literally, he had the star power to make a difference, and did just that, saving countless lives along the way.  We will never know how many generations in Cote D’Ivoire owe their lives to Didier Drogba.

This week Drogba was at it again.  Pepsi endorsed him $3 million USD for his MVP role in helping Chelsea FC to a Champions League title.  Drogba had plans for the money, but they weren’t to buy a car or fund the purchase of a yacht or some other high-falutent purchase.  Rather, on the same day he received the money, he donated it, all $3 million, to help build a badly-needed hospital in his hometown of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

These selfless acts prove his character.  He truly believes in helping others.  In the world today, I believe athletes in major sports are making way too much money, and as a result, I think it becomes increasingly important that they give back to their community. I wish more athletes, celebrities and CEO’s would give back to the community like Drogba has done, whether that is through financial contributions as Drogba has done, or by acting as role models for our children.  If they did, the world would be a better place.

Kudos, Didier Drogba, you are a truly classy man.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #50: Andreas Athanasiou

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted 110th Overall by the Detroit Red Wings.

Last summer, it appeared as if the sky was the limit for Andreas Athanasiou.  The London Knights player wowed the Scouts with a very impressive performance, helping to lead Canada to the Gold Medal at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.  He then went to the NHL’s summer Research and Development camp and showed off his skills and created an even bigger buzz.  Athanasiou was being projected as a sure fire first round pick and even a potential top 10 pick.  He raised the bar  and many expected a true breakout season in the OHL.  Unfortunately those expectations were never met, and Athanasiou had what must be called a disappointing year on an excellent London Knights squad, one that will play for the Memorial Cup on Sunday.  He is joined on the squad by the previously profiled, Olli Maatta and a number of other draft eligible players.

Centre/Left Wing
Born Aug 6 1994 — Woodbridge, ONT
Height 6.01 — Weight 179 — Shoots Left

2010-11 London Knights OHL 57 11 11 22 21 -11 6 0 0 0 0
2011-12 London Knights OHL 63 22 15 37 22 22 11 1 4 5 0

Athanasiou has tremendous skill.  He is one of the fastest and best skaters in this draft.  His top end speed is off the charts.  He has great acceleration and agility, and can make pivots and change directions with ease.  His edgework and balance are also exceptional.  All of this makes him a very difficult player for defenders to handle off the rush.

Athanasiou also has incredible stickhandling ability.  He has soft, quick hands and can make extremely creative dangles with ease.  He has the ability to stick handle in a phone booth, and is a menace to goaltenders in the shootout.  Athanasiou combines this with a hard, accurate shot, and quick release, which had NHL scouts salivating over his ability to be a high end goal scorer in the NHL.  He also has decent vision and good passing skills.  Its easy to see flashes of what made him so intriguing to scouts last summer.

So why is Athanasiou ranked 50th?  He has two main issues.  The first is consistency.  There are nights when Athanasiou is dominant, where he looks like the top 10 pick that many talked about last summer.  There are times he can go end to end at will, and he can be an unstoppable force.  Unfortunately those nights are far to few, and far between.  You never know which Athanasiou is going to show up, will it be the dynamic offensive force, or the floating winger?

On the nights when Athanasiou disappears, his issue is a lack of intensity.  He doesn’t drive the net often enough.  He sticks to the outside and takes a low percentage shot, instead of trying to make a play in traffic and risking getting hit.  He can float and appears to be afraid of contact, almost going through the motions.  There are nights where it seems like he is allergic to going to the front of the net, or to battling for a puck along the boards.  This lack of intensity has not gone unnoticed by coaches as Athanasiou was even made a healthy scratch in a few of London’s playoff games.

Athanasiou is a serious boom or bust prospect.  He has all the skills necessary to be a top line NHLer, but he lacks the consistency and intensity to do so.  He will be a long term project and could require a lot of coaching going forward, but there is potential for a huge reward.  His max ceiling is very high and we’d compare him to a player who could be a cross between Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders and Jussi Jokinen of the Carolina Hurricanes.  Unfortunately for Athanasiou, the bust potential is also very, very high as well.

… and thats the Last Word.

Did Toronto FC Salvage Something by Winning the Canadian Championships?

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Another week, and another look at what is going on with Toronto FC.  What I won’t do is reiterate what I already wrote last week about TFC’s horrid success rate.  What I want to consider is the importance, or lack thereof,  of defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0, thereby winning the Canadian Championship and the Voyageurs Cup that goes along with it.  The victory is a culmination of the four team tournament featuring Toronto FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Montreal Impact, and Edmonton FC.

Winning the Voyageurs Cup for a fourth year in a row is at least “something”.  For a team with a history of losing, there have been relatively few bright spots on the pitch.  Why would we, as fans, not want to rejoice in that?  Why would the team not want to celebrate that feat?  At a time where winning the MLS title is just a pipedream, and, heck, even making it to the postseason seems an uphill battle, we need to celebrate the small things and make them part of our culture.

Success breeds success, and a look at any historically successful team, no matter the sport, will prove just that.  Players, especially young players, need to learn what it means to be a professional, and a part of that is experiencing what it’s like to win.  A coach can preach all he or she wants about it, but until the players embrace and experience if for themselves, it’s just not the same.

I was absolutely floored when I read about the comments from Danny Koevermans on Twitter.  Let me dig up some nice quotes about the state of his team:

“(TFC) is the worst team in the world.”in the world.”

“Name me one team in the whole world that’s 0-9… There’s not one team in the world that’s lost 9 x in a row.”

His teammates didn’t all agree, and some retorted on Twitter as well.  Goalkeeper Milos Kocic responded, “”That’s Danny’s opinion. I have a different opinion… You have to talk and communicate and make it better.”

How self-destructive can you get?  This is exactly what I am trying to say – success breeds success.  Teams develop an identity, and unfortunately for TFC fans, the team’s is very negative right now.  When even the star players, the veterans that a teams looks to tutor it’s younger players, are acting in a negative way, what chance is there for success?

So, the Canadian Championships MUST be considered a great feat by the fans, the team, and its players.   If not, expect losing… much more losing.

At least the fans have gotten involved in the fun, chanting “Best in Canada, Worst in the World” as the game came to a close.

…and that is the last word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #49: Lukas Sutter

Posted on by Ben Kerr

 

Drafted 39th Overall by the Winnipeg Jets.

Hockey’s 1st family is back with yet another member.  Young Lukas Sutter of the Saskatoon Blades is the latest of the Sutter clan to come out of the hockey factory they must have on that Alberta farm.  The son of Rich Sutter, Lukas was born in St. Louis, Missouri while his dad was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.  He would however grow up in Lethbridge, Alberta and considers himself to be Canadian.  Lukas has gone from a fourth line player with Saskatoon in 2010-11, to one of the most important and most utilized forwards on the team this year.  He joins Saskatoon teammate Dalton Thrower in our NHL Draft Rankings.  Lukas will look to join his famous father, uncles, and cousins in increasing the presence of Sutters in the NHL.

Center
Born Oct 4 1993 — Lethbridge, ALTA
Height 6.00 — Weight 199 — Shoots Left

2010-11 Saskatoon Blades WHL 71 4 15 19 179 1 10 0 0 0 6
2011-12 Saskatoon Blades WHL 70 28 31 59 165 15 4 0 2 2 14

Lukas Sutter certainly lives up to the family tradition and plays the game in the Sutter way.  There must be something in the family’s DNA that just keeps churning out forwards who play a gritty, physical game, who are defensively responsible, and who work their tails off in all aspects of the game.  Lukas is no different, and the game he plays is not surprising at all, for anyone who knows the Sutter family history.

Lukas is a premier agitator and checker.  He is put out against the other teams’ best players on a regular basis and he understands how to hit, jab, slash, facewash, chirp and generally annoy those members of the other team.  He’s constantly in his opponents’ face and doesn’t back down from a fight, as evidenced by his 179 PIMs in 2010-11 and 165 PIMs in 2011-12.  However Lukas’ enthusiasm and truculence do need to be reigned in as he has a tendency to take too many minor penalties, which can be a liability for his team.  In the defensive zone, Sutter is a responsible player.  He is good at cutting down passing lanes, and is a fearless shot blocker.  He is a smart defender with good instincts, and is clearly well coached in this aspect of the game, which of course is no surprise.

Offensively Lukas’ game has grown a lot in the bast year.  He’s got a good shot and a good release, and we can see this in the 28 goals he scored this season.  His hands are decent, but not great.  He controls the puck well and plays an effective cycle game, but don’t expect him to show off too many dangles that will get by opposing defencemen.  Sutter has good instincts and is a decent passer.  However his best attribute, as you’d expect, is his work along the boards.  Sutter is great at winning board battles, at working down low on the cycle, and at driving hard to the net when he gets the opportunity.  This is where he creates most of his offensive chances and points.

Sutter’s biggest weakness at this point is his skating.  He has a very ugly stride.  It is short and choppy.  He is not overly slow, but we’d classify his top end speed as slightly below average.  His first steps, and his acceleration also need work.  Sutter is strong and well balanced on his skates however, as he is very difficult to knock off the puck and this helps him in the offensive zone and along the boards.

We believe Lukas has the potential to be an agitating presence, and third line NHLer, who can kill penalties, and play a two way game, even chipping in the odd goal.  There is also an outside chance that his offensive game will continue to develop and Lukas could even develop into a second line centre, however we feel the third line is more likely.  As far as a comparison to a playing style goes, do we really need to give one here?  After all, the kid lives up to the family name, and NHL teams and fans already know the style of play they should expect to see from a Sutter.

… and thats the Last Word.

Why This Woman Won't Be Watching "While The Men Watch"

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

It’s time for the NHL to ditch the “Because It’s The Cup” slogan. After reading about CBC’s latest offering to female hockey fans – and I‘m using that term very loosely – may I suggest “Because We Wear Cups”? After all, we non-cup-wearers are just there to ogle hot guys and critique the coaches’ sartorial choices, right?

Yeah, except we’re not. While I don’t have a problem with the content of “While The Men Watch” (although I’d rather go into the corner for a loose puck with Chris Pronger than actually watch it) I have issues with the title, the concept, and what they imply.

Enjoying hockey is not solely for men, and a publicly funded TV station in a country with 85,000 registered female players should realize this. I’ve also known my share of Canadian women who are not registered players, and who enjoy watching and appreciating hockey as a sport rather than some kind of Chippendales-meets-Fashion-Week-on-Ice.

As a registered player with USA Hockey, I find it ridiculous that the tax dollars of my Canadian friends and their families are being used to promote the idea that enjoying hockey as a game is for men, and the appropriate role for women is to complain about which coaches need better haircuts. I may have a tiny crush on Zach Parise (if I didn’t mention that, Ben Kerr would have), but I can also go into detail about his play on the ice and why it’s effective, and what I’ve learned from watching him… It’s not just “OMG HE’S SO HOT.”

A few years ago, I was extremely happy to see Cassie Campbell in an on-air role with Hockey Night In Canada. I’d love to see her have the opportunity to use her experience and knowledge in a more analytical role, but I am happy that at least a female reporter was on the air.

The more recent addition of Andi Petrillo was another step in the right direction as far as acknowledging the increasing roles and capabilities of women in hockey. Don’t get me wrong, I think a hockey show geared toward women is a fantastic idea. It’s just that “While The Men Watch” is exactly the wrong way to go about it. It stereotypes and trivializes, and that never works out.

… and that is the Last Word.

The FA Bans Joey Barton for 12 Matches

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

The FA have issued the following statement in the wake of the incident involving Joey Barton and several players from Manchester City during a match on the final day of the season-.

“There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe.”  The Ranger received a 12-match suspension; four because he picked up a second red card of the season, and another four for two separate incidents in the same match.

The red card was given for a violent elbow to City’s forward, Carlos Tevez.  Following the incident, Barton deliberately kicked, violently I might add, Sergio Aguero, and tried to head-butt Vincent Kompany.  He was so heated that he needed to be escorted off the field by his teammates.

Barton, of Queen’s Park Rangers, has been in and out of hot-water for his entire career.  Often cited as a rough, aggressive and outspoken player, Barton has made many enemies in the Premiership, and amongst its fans.

During the match between the two sides, the game became quite heated.  Both teams had plenty to play for – Manchester City needed a win to secure the Premier League title, while QPR were near to the bottom and had much pressure to avoid relegation in the week’s leading up to the contest.

For whatever reason, Joey Barton remains in the Premiership.  In my opinion, which is not unique, he should receive a full-season ban for consistently violent conduct.

…and that is the Last Word.

Malcolm Glazer, Owner of the Buccaneers and Manchester United, Dead?

Posted on by Jack Stone

It would appear that Twitter and social media hoaxers are at it again, starting a fake rumor about the death of a celebrity. Internet reports and social media have been circulating this morning with a claim that Malcolm Glazer, owner of Manchester United and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has died due to a massive stroke. Manchester United have denied the reports and claim that Mr. Glazer is alive and well.

Glazer was born on May 25, 1928 in Rochester, New York.  The 83 year-old has a net worth of $2.7 Billion.  Glazer is extremely unpopular in Manchester, and has been since he bought out the English shareholders for the Premier League team between 2003-2005.  Since then, ticket prices have increased over 42%.  Due to all this, Glazer is thought of as a businessman first, and sportsman second, and was accused of not spending enough money on the team.  At Old Trafford you still hear many chants of hatred and banners posted in disgust in Malcolm Glazer.

This is certainly not the first time that wide spread rumors of a celebrity death have fooled many on twitter, and it certainly won’t be the last.

…and that is the Last Word.

NHL Draft Prospect Profile #48: Patrick Sieloff

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Drafted 42nd overall by the Calgary Flames.

Patrick Sieloff is yet another American defenceman in this year’s draft class.  The native of Ann Arbor, Michigan was able to stay close to home for his junior hockey as a member of the United States National Team Development Program. Sieloff played big minutes for a team that also featured Jacob Trouba, and Brady Skjei.  He was a member of the United States’ gold medal winning squad at the 2012 IIHF Under 18 World Hockey Championships.  Sieloff will be moving on to play hockey in the NCAA next year, where he has committed to play for the Redhawks of Miami University.

Defense
Born May 15 1994 — Ann Arbor, MI
Height 6.00 — Weight 173 — Shoots Left

2010-11 U.S. National Development Team USHL 36 1 3 4 66
2011-12 U.S. National Development Team USHL 24 0 2 2 55

Sieloff might be the best bodychecker in this draft, especially in open ice.  He may not be the biggest player on the ice, but he is an extremely physically punishing player and he just loves going for the big hit.  Opposition forwards definitely have to be careful not to cut down Sieloff’s side of the ice with their heads down, because he will punish them.

Sieloff is a very good skater.  He has solid speed both forwards and backwords, good edgework and agility, and is strong on his skates.  Sieloffs pivots are quick and crisp.  Sieloff has a great first step and quick acceleration, and this helps him absolutely explode into hits when he gets the opportunity.

Sieloff has decent defensive instincts, and battles hard on the boards and keeps the front of his net clear.  He is a willing shot blocker, and understands how to cut down passing and shooting lanes.  He is a solid stay at home type defenceman and is an important defenseman for the US squad being used for big minutes in matchup situations and to kill penalties.

There isn’t much offensive potential in Sieloff.  He can make a decent first pass in the defensive zone, but he isn’t someone who is adept at handling the puck.  He is a pure stay at home defenceman, and in the games we’ve seen him, he hasn’t been known to join the rush at all.  His point shot is decent, it has good velocity and he keeps it low and accurate, but thats really the only good aspect of his game offensively.  Sieloff’s future is as a purely defensive defenceman.

Sieloff may never put up points at the NHL level, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a valuable player.  His physically punishing, defensive shutdown game is something that is always valued by NHL teams, especially come playoff time.  Sieloff has the potential to become a defenseman similar to Anton Volchenkov of the New Jersey Devils.

… and thats the Last Word.