Tag Archives: Boston Red Sox

Jan29

Time for more MLB Womens Fantasy Camps

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Celebrating Winning the Championship. This is from the Red Sox first ever Women’s Fantasy Camp.

 

Major League Baseball, we want to play. Let me say that again. WE WANT TO PLAY BALL! Not softball, but HARDBALL. BASEBALL.

 

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The Boston Red Sox had a women’s-only fantasy camp. Forty-eight women from all over the globe came to Florida to play at Fenway South. The coaches’ names you know: Trot Nixon, Alan Embree, Rico Petrocelli, Butch Hobson, Brian Daubach and Rich Gedman.

The part that had me more excited was the female coaches there: Justine Siegal, the first female coach to work for a major league team; Marti Sementelli, a pitcher for the U.S. women’s national baseball team; Perry Barber, the first female umpire hired to work spring training games for the Mets; and Shirley Burkovich, who played professionally 65 years ago in the AAGPBL.

Let me take a moment to thank Maybelle Blair, 89, a living member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. She gave the male coaches some sage advice.

“They want to play baseball,” said Blair. “So treat ’em just like you treat the guys. Don’t be nice to them.”

As I was reading the article, I saw the line:

“The coaches had some concerns about salty language.”

I am sorry. When I read that, I laughed and then said, “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

Let me clear up this misconception about women. Women swear! Men swear. We objectify men, as men objectify women, and we readjust ourselves. Who hasn’t seen the guy standing on second giving himself a quick grab? We love baseball, men love baseball. We want to play baseball, men want to play baseball. Men get to play baseball. Women get to play softball.

Until now.  Forty-eight women put on Red Sox uniforms and learned the drills and the history and got to play the wonderful game of baseball. The better question to ask is: Why are there not more of these camps? MLB it is time for more women fantasy camps.

Women make up half of the fan base of Major League Baseball. Yet, it is a novelty that a woman is knowledgeable about baseball. I can tell you from personal experience that when I met a woman fan of baseball, we had a great time talking about the game. I have had too-many-to-count experiences with men who would tell me they were baseball fans and then knew nothing about the game. Blair is right. We want to play. We ask for no special treatment. Having played softball, it is NOT the same as baseball. Personally, I hate softball and I am scared of the giant grapefruit being hurled in my direction. Oh, and it is a misnomer that softballs don’t hurt. Yes, they fucking do. (Some more salty language for you.) The orange-size baseball, I have no problem smacking around. Give me a baseball any day.

Jul21

MLB Predictions: The Surprise Factor

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I hate making predictions. It’s a hard thing to do. You take a roster of men, and based on stats and previous performance and/or scouting reports, you make a prediction.  There is an element in baseball that no one talks about but everyone knows: The Surprise Factor. While self-explanatory, it has many examples: the 1951 Giants — “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” — a dream when on the bottom that you can work your way to the top of the standings.

 

In more recent years, the 2004 Red Sox, during the ALCS, down three games to none, came back to beat the Yankees ( which you know I am always happy about) and later win the World Series against the Cardinals.

This year, I tried my hand at predicting the winners and wildcards. My NL Predictions and  AL Predictions.  I admit fully that I was blinded by Cub fandom. I just really want to see the Cubs in the World Series.  I was surprised at Lester. I thought he had a pickoff move. This is essential in small ball in the NL.  No one could have guessed what the Astros have done. I mean, if I weren’t a huge Ranger fan, I would be cheering for these Texas boys. The Astros have made the AL West a real division, with some real competition.

Who would I pick to win now? Well, being a glutton for punishments, I would say this:

My new AL predictions:

West: I would like to see the Astros beat the Angels, and I predict Astros will win the division. I think that if they make some trades, there could be real Wild West fun. I see the Angels being the wild card again, like last year.

Central:  Royals Royals Royals. They still have the magic from last year, and, no surprise, what make a great team great: camaraderie.

East: If you going to spend some money, you might as well get something for it. The Yankees should be on top, for all they put into the team.

My new NL predictions:

West: I love the Dodgers, where pitching is king. There is going to be some back-and-forth in the standings with the Giants, Dodgers will prevail.

Central: I think we will see The Surprise Factor at work. The Pirates are coming back in a big way. It’s going to make for some fun baseball.

East: Chocolate sauce all around. The Nationals have this in the bag. That being said, I see the Mets coming in as the wild card.

 

 

 

May12

Which game to win?

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Miss baseball is tired, Allergies have me a little sick but mostly I am tired because I have been staying up way past my bedtime to watch some baseball. I watched the Royals and the Tigers go at it till wee hours of Monday morning, and when 5am hit to start getting the kids ready for school well lets just say that hurt. Enough about me. Last night as I watched the Red Sox beat the A’s and it got me thinking Which game is more important to win?

Last night the Royals lost to the Texas Rangers, (Go Rangers!) and while the Rangers are making a much needed comeback I am sorry the Royals were exhausted from the long game the night before. I knew the Royals were going to lose the game but the Tiger game was more important. Why? Well real baseball people know why, but Miss Baseball always wants to bring everyone into the fold. Lets talk about standings.

Major League Baseball has 30 teams and they are divided into two leagues the American League and the National League.  Each of those leagues are divided up into divisions. Here is a pretty picture to help you out.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/

baseballstandings1

 

Standing are important because if you are in the first on the standings you go to the playoffs. To answer the original question which game to win. You always will pick the team in your division.  While no on likes losing it was more important for the Royals to beat the Tigers because they are in the same division. This means they would be one whole game down in the standings and because they are on top and the Tigers are number two then the Tigers would lead the division. The Rangers are not in the same division so they would only lose .5 of a game, which is why on the chart you see the .5.

So a little sample math,( now I should put that if no other teams were playing because all the other teams  playing do change standings)

The Royals play three games with the Tigers and the Rangers

The Royals have a great series and win

They would stay at  first and the tigers would be 4 GB

Tigers:  GB:1+3 losses = GB: 4

If they did the same for the Rangers they would only add 1.5

.5+.5+.5=1.5

If you are going to go all out do it for someone in your division.

 

 

 

 

 

May1

Fun Fact Friday: Miss Baseball’s All Star Ballot

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Well, Its time to Vote for the All Star Game, I am very happy its all online now. This site: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2015/ballot.jsp

is very user friendly and easy. Here are my choices what are yours?

YOUR AMERICAN LEAGUE SELECTIONS

  • Hosmer, E
  • Pedroia, D
  • Andrus, E
  • Donaldson, J
  • Perez, S
  • Ortiz, D
  • Bautista, J
  • Cain, L
  • Jones, A

YOUR NATIONAL LEAGUE SELECTIONS

  • Gonzalez, A
  • Panik, J
  • Tulowitzki, T
  • Bryant, K
  • Posey, B
  • Aoki, N
  • Crawford, C
  • Cuddyer, M

 

Jan13

Inside the mind of baseball

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I am a strong believer in the mind makes the ballplayer. It seems that the Dodgers and the Red Sox seem to agree with me. I just read two interesting articles about the mind and baseball first was from the Boston Globe.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/12/red-sox-create-new-behavioral-health-department/6XJfU2wnt0vw4N1ZvHtaFN/story.html

In short the Red Sox have a behavioral health department to help the team keep their head in the game at all times. Also to help the minor leagues adjust to life in baseball. I applaud this effort to develop the mind of the player and the mind is the greatest skill a player can have. there are going to be times when the mechanics fail and it is the mind that brings the body back.

I have an interesting insight to the next article, I am a part of Kap Lifestyle. Gabe Kapler’s health and wellness website.

( go to http://kaplifestyle.com/ if you are into health and fitness, or just go to it because the information is some of the best out there)

I have had the privilege to read Kap’s thoughts on all topics but one topic  he is quite passionate about is the mind. For instance today post was how Inspirational speeches can be used to motivate you to workout. (check out the article here: http://kaplifestyle.com/2015/01/inspirational-speeches)

So I was very interested to read this from the dodgers blog (http://dodgers.mlblogs.com/2015/01/12/mind-matters-gabe-kapler-on-changes-to-winter-development-program/) Kap has some wonderful insights and to a young ballplayers mind lays the foundation for strong steady ballplayer. to quote Kap:

““We believe stronger and more well-adjusted men are more confident men, and more confident men equal better baseball players, and better baseball players equal a more championship-caliber team,”

All the teams need to be doing this, your body can only take you so far, but the mind can take you anywhere.