May 13, 2009

Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but the Celts can win

Look, I know the Celts still need to beat The Magic, and that IS NOT a given. But, if they do beat them, just by virtue of that and other variables that have shaken out through this series, I hafta throw this out there:

This Celts team would win a series against the regular season Celts with KG -- not necessarily because they are better per se, but because they are all being utilized. In all these battles, they have become a compleat team. Rondo and Allen were pretty average last night -- if I told you at the beginning of the game that Rajon would have a triple single would you have thought we'd win? Allen's 3 pointer at the end was awesome, but he was nowhere to be found most of the game.

Hey, I know Orlando snatched defeat from the jaws of vistory, but the Celts had to do their part -- having the bench (which is really the third string in many ways) score 26 points is huge. What if Stephon is just finally getting warm? What if the whole team is truly feeling what's happening? How can't they?

Look, everyone in Boston is saying that just making the Eastern Conference Finals is a victory, given the injuries. Lebron is too much of a Monster to get past. And to that I'd say that everyone agrees with them, except a few guys wearing white and green. What if these guys don't think they're supposed to lose? What if no one tells them?

Think about it: are they tired? Sure -- but without being put through the paces and galvinizing themselves and each other against their opponents, these Celts wouldn't stand a chance. But now, everyone has played a part -- better yet, everyone now knows they need to and can play a part. They may prove more valuable than a team that has come to rely on the stellar defense of one man.

The Celts right now have more options to create a win in any given game than they did at the beginning of the playoffs. Pierce, Allen, Davis, Perkins, House, Rondo, Marbury,... alone no match for Lebron, but - while I wouldn't bet the house they would win - I also can actually see it happening.

May 6, 2009

Red Sox & Celtics & Bears (okay, Bruins)... Oh my!

I like how the Sox are doing, but the crazy thing is that between closing, mid-relief and the starting front 3, the front three have hurt them the most. I do think that will change for the positive as the season progresses.

Love Wake just being there for the team -- love that he's older than me and in the MLB.

Can't wait for Smoltz -- or for Tiger to come to Fenway to watch his buddy pitch.

Wake & Smoltz should open a New England Golf Open for charity up here.

Joba should be suspended, but probaly won't. He dings Back-Back Bay after the HR -- Beckett was suspended for coming close to Abreu. Bay was body, Abreu was near head, but still feels funky.

Joba has the physical attributes, cap-wearing demeanor of a Lambeer-playing-baseball. Love that flat brim pulled down look -- makes him appear the villain before he goes out and proves it w/ his behavior.

That said, he pitched awesome after the 1st - looks like he'll figger out the starting job to our detriment.

I think the Sox brought back Lugo early not because they wanted him to so much replace Green ASAP, but because they wanted to start showing him off to other teams ASAP -- kind of blew up in their faces.

Which actually leads me to another thought I can't elaborate on now, but it is this: I do not think Epstein is a wunderkind of a GM, picking players-wise; now within the org as a whole he may bring more to the table than others, but even in the crapshoot that is topnotch players and their respective rise and falls, I don't think Theo is truly more than above average (and, that said, I'd also posit that Cashman is significantly below average bordering on terrible).

When you have a chance, please comment on your thoughts of Theo, and I'll go into why my thoughts are as they are.

Celts w/out KG have a very slim chance of anything, but still:

- Powe just had surgery on his knee -- KG's injury calls for surgery, yet he hasn't done it and he still plays a little in practices -- Whuddup wid dat?

- Even if KG doesn't play, the Celts will be in the role of under-dog and this second string squad had a trial by fire with the bulls -- I belive they geled together a bit.

- Marbury stepped up, while Rajon stepped back in Game 1 w/ Orlando. Scal stepped up too; given the amount put on the shoulders of Rondo, can we fault him for having a let down after the big Bulls series? What if he steps back up, just as the rest everyone else really learnes to step in. There is just about no way getting past Lebron et al, but this is sports, and I'm not carving the Celts name in the tombstone quite yet.

- B's vs. the former Whalers -- I don't see it going past five fromeverything I've seen and heard, but I am largely hockey illiterate/ignorant

May 5, 2009

The Curious Case of Zack Greinke

Okay, I haven't seen the movie, nor does this man age backwards -- although I do belive Brad Pitt originally hailed from Missouri, land of Kansas City, Missouri, of course.

Greinke is 25 and won't be 26 until October of this year.

He's been in the majors since 2004.

He has the microscopic ERA of 0.40.

He has started 6 games.

He has won 6 games.

He has pitched 3 complete games, or, 50% of his starts.

No other team in MLB has three complete games.

Greinke left the Royals in 2006 and was thinking he would leave baseball -- the Royals soft-talked him back.

By the way, the Royals locked up Geinke for four years this past January for $38 million; he gets $3.75 million this year, $7.25 million in 2010 and $13.5 million in each of the final two seasons of the deal.

From the AP (1/26/09): Greinke, "Each year we've improved and it looks like we're going to continue to," he said. "And that's pretty exciting for me because like I said, three or four years ago I didn't see it coming. It's really taken a good turn for the better.

"Three years ago I was in the minor leagues, two years ago I was in the bullpen not capable of getting hitters out as a starter. Just coming from being so low in those situations to being, after one good year, a really good deal and the chance to stay with Kansas City for four more years. ... It's just really neat to look back at it."

This will be a fun story to watch... (except if & when he's lined up to face your Boston Red Sox)