"A Duke University official is accused of offering his 5-year-old adopted son for sex on the Internet, according to the FBI and court documents in the case. Frank M. Lombard, 42, was arrested last week at his home in Durham, North Carolina. During an Internet chat, Lombard allegedly offered the child to the person he was chatting with, who was a task force officer from Washington's Metropolitan Police, the FBI said in a statement.
The chat was initiated after a confidential source facing child pornography charges told authorities they had witnessed a man, allegedly Lombard, performing sex acts on a child over the Internet. During the chat, according to the complaint filed against Lombard, he told the officer that he had performed multiple sex acts on the boy and that the officer could do the same if he came to Durham (CNN)."
John Smoltz gets another chance tonight after a rocky first start. If you take out his first inning of his first start he pitched well, capping it off by striking out the side in the 5th. Smoltz is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles. This is his third appearance and first career start at Camden Yards.
The Orioles counter with Rich J. Hill. In short this guy blows. So far this season he is 3-2 with a 6.03. Last time out Hill got rocked by Marlins for 6 runs. Even though the Sox played very well last night they still are not lighting up the scoreboard. Against a team whose pitching is this bad the Sox should have every opportunity to get their offense going again.
The Orioles have been outscored 34-14 and are batting .213 while losing all five games to Boston this season. The Orioles' last win over the Red Sox was 11-6 at home on Aug. 20, 2008.
Game starts at 7:05 on NESN.
***UPDATE***
Mike Lowell is heading to the DL with what the Sox are calling a "right hip strain". Since he is on the DL the Sox called up Jeff Bailey and he is in the starting lineup tonight.
Here is how the rest of the lineup looks...
1. Julio Lugo, SS 2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 4. Jason Bay, LF 5. David Ortiz, DH 6. Jason Varitek, C 7. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 8. Rocco Baldelli, RF 9. Jeff Bailey, 3B
"The Detroit Pistons have fired Michael Curry after his team went 39-43 in his first year as a head coach. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said Tuesday a change was necessary. The Pistons were swept in the first round of the playoffs in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return (Sportsline)."
Don't know how much you can blame this guy, since the team was getting old and then made one of the worst trades ever getting rid of Chauncey Billups. The Pistons do have a lot of cap room, so they are going to be big players in the free agent market this year. I guess they were thinking they would just like to start from scratch.
The print ad for the "BK Super Seven Incher" — a limited time promotion in Singapore, a society known around the world for its strict government controls of social conduct — shows the "mind-blowing" sandwich near the open mouth of a wide-eyed, red-lipsticked woman accompanied by the suggestive tagline: "It'll blow your mind away." "Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled," the ad continues. Mark Duffy, a blogger and an advertising copyrighter at a major New York City firm, said the advertisement is among the "worst" he's ever seen in more than 17 years of industry experience.
"I've seen a lot of sexual innuendo ads and this is about the worst, especially for something as mainstream as Burger King," Duffy told FOXNews.com. "I was a little repulsed by it. It's really misogynistic to women and it's also unappetizing (FoxNews)."
Burger King is fucking hilarious. Their ads are creepy and for the most part don't make sense. Now they are being kinda creepy again, and I just hope they don't back down. Commercials in general usually suck, but at least Burger King keeps you on your toes...
"The Providence Journal reports that Red Sox SS Jed Lowrie, who is rehabbing a wrist injury in the minors, has been slowed by the bruised knee he sustained last Tuesday. He played only half a game Sunday and sat out Monday. "He's overcompensating and he's got a pretty good bruise," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "It's nothing serious (Sportsline)."
He took a ball off the knee and now he is having trouble staying in the games. This kid just can't seem to catch a break. He beat out Lugo in the beginning of the season only to go on the DL before the season even started. Now I really have a hard time seeing Lowrie beat out Nick Green who has been playing very well, and is becoming a fan favorite...
I found this really interesting. I did not know the rules about players who are restricted free agents, and what the compensation is if he chooses to leave the Bruins. Well now I know....
"However, if the 21-year-old Kessel does sign one of those Group 2 offer sheets, the Bruins, if they were to decide not to match the offer and keep Kessel for a minimum of one year, would be due compensation. According to the CBA, if the offer is between $3 million and $4,520,150, the Bruins would receive a first- and third-round draft pick. If the offer is between $4.52 million and $6 million, compensation would be a first-, second- and a third-round pick (Boston.com)."
So at least we know if he walks the Bruins will get some nice draft picks in return...
"Eric Hinske has been acquired by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a pair of minor leaguers. Pittsburgh will receive right-hander Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer for the utilityman. In addition, the Pirates will give the Yankees cash. The 31-year-old Hinske hit .255 in 106 at-bats this season with nine doubles, one homer and 11 RBI, playing right field, first base and third base (Sportsline)."
Hinske was so good his rookie year, and then kind of disappeared. He is a very solid bench player, and put up good numbers with the Rays last year (20 HRs 60 RBI). He'll add some depth to the Yankees bench and give them a power option. Overall not a big move...
"Jason Kidd plans to meet with Knicks officials Wednesday morning reports the New York Daily News. The Knicks could sign Kidd to the mid-level exception or try to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Dallas (ESPN)."
I don't think Kidd has much left in the tank, and I don't see why he would want to play for the Knicks unless he just doesn't care about winning anymore. The Knicks are not going to be position to do any real damage next year, so this really doesn't make sense to me. Anyways, maybe he could sell a couple more tickets....
"Eddie House has until today to pick up the option on his contract, which would pay the Celtics [team stats] guard approximately $2.9 million next season, but last night he still hadn’t reached a decision. “We’re prepared for whatever he decides,” Celts general manager Danny Ainge said. House’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said: “We’re kicking some things back and forth. We just haven’t made a decision on it yet.” Bartelstein recently told the Herald that House wants to remain in Green, but the guard has “outperformed his contract (Boston Herald).”
I really think it would stupid for House not to take the $2.9 million. Sure is a solid player off the bench, but that's about it. He is very hot and cold, and he is replaceable. Don't get me wrong House is one of my favorites, but if he thinks he is worth like 4-5 million he is being just fucking silly.
"Jermaine Dye had no interest in discussing a report in the San Jose Mercury News that he is on the radar of Giants general manager Brian Sabean. Though he's not chatting about it, Dye had better get used to the questions. He has a no-trade clause covering six teams, but the Giants aren't one of them. Dye did talk about White Sox GM Ken Williams position as of last week that Chicago was a buyer and not a seller. "We're still in it," Dye told the Chicago Sun-Times (ESPN)."
The White Sox have a bunch of aging sluggers, so when they fall out of the race I think you are going to see them try to move some of them. Dye is old (35), but he is still a very good player, and very underrated. The Giants could use some hitting and this guy would be a great pickup. There is no word on what the White Sox would get in return, but I do think there is something to this rumor...
"Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell had fluid drained from his ailing right hip Monday in Boston, and received an injection that might relieve inflammation in his surgically repaired joint. The Red Sox will wait at least a couple of days to determine whether the treatment was successful or whether Lowell needs to be placed on the DL, manager Terry Francona said.
"The worst case scenario: He goes on the DL just to buy us a couple of weeks and get him for the second part of the season," Francona said. "We can also wait a few days ... We're just kind of in a waiting mode." Francona said Lowell had an injection of Synvisc -- a gel-like substance that sometimes provides relief for inflamed tissue. He said Lowell will undergo therapy there Tuesday before the team decides how to proceed. "(Lowell) had 15 CCs of fluid taken out, which for a hip, I think, is pretty extensive. I think that's going to really help," Francona said (Sportsline)."
My guess is that Lowell will be out at least till after the All-Star break. To be honest I don't see this whole thing going well. It seems like that hip is not going to go away, and I really think that Lowell could be near the end. Times like these make you so thankful of what Youk brings to the team. Even if the Sox were to lose Lowell they could play Kotsay at 1st and move Youk over to 3rd. Anyways, we'll let you know more as the information becomes available, but I wouldn't expect to see Lowell at any point this week.
“Just be a jumpoff for like one person. Two people, you can be a jumpoff for two people. Now five or six, whoooaaa, you gettin’ your freak on.” - Ron Artest
Which means in white people language; you should just have casual sex with one or two people. If you have sex with 5 or 6 people all the time, more power too you.
“I’m not trying to get a bunch of money,’’ Marbury said. “I know Boston doesn’t have a bunch of money. I’m not seeking out teams with more money. I want to play for a championship-contending team. I can’t play for a young team that’s not in a position to compete for a championship.
“I want to play in Boston. I’m not going to say that I don’t. But I know the way that business works. If I don’t come back it won’t be because of me.’’
“They brought me in when I was going through some things,’’ Marbury said. “They showed a lot of faith in me. They believed in me, even when I wasn’t playing well. The fans and the organization were behind me every day.’’
I like it and I want him back. Marbury was somewhat of a disappointment, but I have a feeling after being back for a little, he will get his legs underneath him and be a very efficient person off the bench. He can still ball, and if we can get him for not much money, why not?
"Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed Monday the team will make a qualifying offer to forward Glen Davis. By virtue of that, if another NBA team were to sign Davis, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, Boston would have seven days to match it (Boston.com)."
I wrote about this yesterday. This is the obvious first step in trying to bring Davis back to the Celtics. It could be tough depending on how other teams around the NBA look at Davis. On one hand he is an undersized forward, who as limited experience, but on the other hand he averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in the postseason and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
Lester vs. the Orioles is about the surest pick you can make in baseball. Lester is now 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA against Baltimore in 10 career starts. Last night he threw 7 scoreless innings while striking out 8. Papelbon got the final out with two on to earn his 132nd career save, tying Bob Stanley for the most in Red Sox history. Papelbon has 19 saves this season in 20 opportunities. Oh yea, and he 20 for 20 in save opportunities against Baltimore with a 0.39 ERA...WOW.
Pedroia started the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single, then in the 4th Tek made it 2-0 with his RBI single. J.D. Drew put the game out of reach in the same inning with a 2 run blast (his 10th of the season).
Once again Boston's bullpen was amazing throwing two scoreless innings while using 4 pitchers. With the win the Sox are now 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.
The Sox are near the top of the league in runs scored, but lately have had problems getting people across the plate. The good news is that Baltimore's pitching is terrible and the Sox should be able to light up the scoreboard even if they have to play without Mike Lowell.
Tonight the Sox have Lester on the hill against Jason Berken. Lester has been pitching very well of late with 5 straight quality starts (a quality start is 6 innings with 3 runs or less). Lester has to be looking forward to this game as he 7-0 with a 2.45 era against the Orioles in his career...damn impressive.
Jason Berken has had a rough season with a record of 1-4 with an ERA of 6.32, but he has pitched better of late allowing only 6 runs over his last 2 starts. This kid is nothing special, and the Sox should be all over him, which is great since the Sox could use a good night at the plate.
Game starts at 7:05 on NESN.
***UPDATE***
As expect Lowell is out of the lineup tonight. Here is how the rest of the lineup looks for tonight's game....
1. J.D. Drew, RF 2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 4. Jason Bay, LF 5. David Ortiz, DH 6. Mark Kotsay, 1B 7. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 8. Jason Varitek, C 9. Nick Green, SS
You have probably never heard of this guy, but he was an MMA fighter, who turned out to be the mastermind of one of the biggest robberies of all time. If you got 15 mins watch this video, very interesting...
He's a bad man....
If that video doesn't work here is the link....(CLICK HERE)
"It was odd to hear that the Rockets were aggressively trying to acquire a high first-round pick in last week's NBA draft, offering such core names as Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, and Carl Landry. Now we know why. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Rockets are gravely concerned that their franchise center, Yao Ming, could miss all of the 2009-10 season because his fractured left foot isn't healing properly. The situation is so serious, according to the report, that Houston officials are privately wondering if Yao will ever play again (Sportsline)."
This is really chocking news. I knew the injury was serious, but I thought he would be ready for nest season. Now it seems like they aren't sure if he will ever be able to play again. The Rockets have gone through so many injuries with not just Yao, but McGrady too. This would be devastating to the Rockets, who always seem to be on the verge of doing something special before injuries kick in. We will have more on this as it develops, but you might see the Rockets blowup this team if Yao is really done, and start from scratch.
"Adrian Beltre singled home a run in his last game before undergoing shoulder surgery and the Mariners beat the Dodgers 4-2 on Sunday. Seattle's final two stops on a nine-game road trip are Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. But they'll be going without Beltre, who is expected to miss six to eight weeks following surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles to have bone spurs removed from his non-throwing shoulder (Sportsline)."
Beltre has not been having a good year he is only batting .259 with 5 HRs and 31 RBIs. It is really too bad that he will not be out for 2 months as he was showing signs of breaking out of his slump. This injury will hurt the Mariners, because they are already struggling to score runs. What really sucks is that they have some very solid starting pitchers who all could be having career years if the Mariners could put any runs on the board.
This is going to be a story that could go on for awhile, but it seems like everyone has a different idea of what Big Baby's value is. On one hand he really picked up his play this year and that is really tough to do when you are playing from a Championship caliber team. He found his way to be an affective bench player, but is that his ceiling? We'll find out as he is a free agent. The good news for the Celtics is that David should be somewhat low on other team's radar as there are many other good free agents David Lee, Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, Chris Anderson, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Villanueva, Martin Gortat, Paul Millsap and more.
Davis could be worth anywhere from $2-$5 million. Reports are coming out that he is in the best shape of his life dropping near 20 pounds. I really want to see him back, but the open market is really going to decide that as the Celtics are somewhat tied down with the cap. Either way it is going to be a nice pay day for a guy who was only making $711,517 last year.
"This morning, Mike Lowell will get an injection of Synvisc for his ailing right hip. How well it will work is anybody’s guess. “For some people, it’s like a miracle,” said manager Terry Francona. “For other people, it’s not. I’ve had it done and it didn’t do a thing for me. (Brad Mills) had the same shot, and two hours later, he felt like he was brand new. “The good news is if it doesn’t work, (it won’t be a setback). It’s just a gel that can really coat that joint. We’ll get that done (today) and see how he responds to that. He’ll probably need a day after that before we can evaluate, but then we’ll see. If he’s good, that’s good. If not, then we have to talk about the next step.” The next step could be a trip to the disabled list (Boston Herald)."
Hopefully this shot will work, but Sox fans have to be worried. Lowell is on borrowed time. he is getting older and hips are a hard thing to fix. Ask A-Rod who is younger and still can't seem to get it going. We will keep you updated, but we do know that he will not be playing tonight, and most likely tomorrow.
"How will Matt Holliday's struggles at the plate affect his trade value? For now, A's GM Billy Beane told the San Jose Mercury News he doesn't feel an urgency to deal Holliday if the A's appear out of contention by the July 31 trade deadline (Sportsline)."
The article goes on to say the A's a reluctant to trade Holliday because if they keep him they will get two high draft picks if Holliday left via free agency after the season. It also can't be helping that Holliday really hasn't played all that great this season (.274 8 HR 39 RBIs), and the fact that he is making $13.5 million with a shitty economy makes the A's more and more likely to just ride out this season and take the draft picks...
"A 26-year-old Hanover man is expected to appear in court on charges that he kidnapped a 6-year-old girl and put her leg in shackles while attempting to rape her. Justin Shine will face charges of kidnapping, attempted rape, assault and resisting arrest during arraignment in Hingham District Court on Monday. Police say a man pulled a 6-year-old girl off of her bike as she rode around her Hanover apartment complex and then tried to rape her. Shine was arrested Saturday. Prosecutors say the girl escaped from his apartment and led police officers who were searching for her to Shine's apartment (MyFoxBoston).'
I have no idea how this girl got away from him, but that's damn impressive for a 6 year old in shackles to be able to get away from a 26 year old. Last week I put up a story about how 60,000 prisoners ever year get raped in prison, well you just read about someone who definitely being butt raped. He tried to kill himself, and I am glad he failed, because for the rest of his life he will be someone's bitch...
Not that I ever really believe the rumors, but....
"Sources have told Michael Lombardi of National Football Post that the New England Patriots have dropped out of the running for Michael Vick. The two greatest factors in eliminating consideration for Vick signing with the Pats was the offensive scheme and the lack of an opportunity for No. 7 to become the eventual starter (ESPN)."
Well this isn't much of a story, but I am glad I don't have to hear anymore speculation about the Patriots talking to Vick. I don't think any of these rumors really mean anything until Goodell sits down and decides when he is going to allow Vick to try to make a comeback. I don't know if he can be a QB again, and it seems like most people are looking at him as more of just a "Wild-Cat option".
I hate the Yankees as much as anyone else, but you have to step back and give this guy some props. Him and Jeter are two players I have always had respect for. Rivera (and Jeter) is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and I have no problem calling him the best closer that has ever walked this Earth. It is amazing how good he is when he relies on basically 1 pitch (the cutter). His cutter is said to be the hardest pitch to hit in all of the majors. He joined Milwaukee's Trevor Hoffman, who has 571 saves, as the only major leaguers with 500.
Anyways, just putt he hate aside for a second, and respect the fact that you were able to see the best closer of all time, and who knows, with the way he is pitching we may get to see a couple more years of him.
Well I actually did sit down and watch this game. I know next to nothing about soccer, but I have to say it was entertaining. USA came out strong and were able to take the lead early, but after that we witnessed how much better Brazil really is. Tim Howard, who plays goalie for USA, was unreal (he also looks like Jason Taylor). USA couldn't get the ball out of their end, and their defense was basically useless. Brazil should have actually won this game by two goals, as Howard actually made a save from within his own net, but the ref didn't see it pass the line.
Anyways, great tournament for USA, but it would have been nice to see them finally win something. Just from watching that game it seems like USA still has a big hill to climb, but at least they are putting up a fight.
The Red Sox failed in their chance for a sweep as Tommy Hanson improves to 4-0 even though he was battling the flu. The much hyped prospect has so far been the real deal, and it has to be helping Braves' fans forget the whole mess with Glavine. Hason went 6 innings allowing only 2 hit 0 runs with 2 Ks. His ERA on the season is 2.48 and he is going to be a good building block for a team that really needs to rebuild.
Boston did not get its first run till the 9th inning when Varitek it an RBI double. Other then that this game was a snoozer. Penny once again pitched well going 6 inning allowing 2 runs, but the Sox gave him no support as they only had 5 hits all game. Games this this happen, but Boston needs to be more consistent with their run support, as they didn't give much in Wakefield win either.
With the loss the Sox are now only 3 games up on the Yankees and 5 games up on the Ray. Both teams are riding 5 game winning streaks. Boston will try to get back on their winning ways as they start a 3 game series against the Orioles tonight.
It wasn't easy, but Tim Wakefield got win #10 yesterday afternoon, thanks to 6 shutout innings, and some shaky bullpen work that bent but did not break.
Jonathan Papelbon confuses me. He's 18 of 19 in save opportunities, but he was very close to blowing it yesterday. He missed by a good 3 or 4 inches with a pitch to McCann, and if Turner Field weren't such a big yard, that game is tied.
It's hard to argue with 18 saves, and a tidy 1.91 ERA. But a 1.36 WHIP isn't what we're used to with Papelbon. Nor are the 16 walks he's allowed (he walked only 8 last year). Is he getting lucky by escaping all these jams, or is he simply bearing down when it matters most? It's hard to tell through only 33 innings.
Anyway, the Sox have now won 8 series in a row, and go for the sweep this afternoon. Brad Penny faces Tommy Hanson.
The Bruins entered the 2009 NHL Draft in an awkward position. There's little that they really need except for depth. And their minor league system is already full of potential 3rd line forwards and 5th defensemen. But they do carry a bit too much money on their ledgers for the shrinking salary cap.
1ST ROUND, 25TH PICK, 25TH OVERALL - RW JORDAN CARON - RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) The Bruins did not trade up in the 1st round, but they did find a guy who seems to fit the Bruins' mold, or at least could. Caron is 6' 2" and around 200 pounds. He scored 26 times in 56 games last season. He'll turn 19 in November, so he has time to develop. He's not a stud, and he's not NHL ready. He's actually a bit of a project. One knock on him is that he has an attitude problem, and he thinks he's tougher than he truly is. But these wrinkles can be easily ironed out in the Bruins' system. Either that, or he'll be thrown out with the trash.
3RD ROUND, 25TH PICK, 86TH OVERALL - D RYAN BUTTON - PRINCE ALBERT (WHL) One thing that was exposed in the postseason was a lack of depth at defense. To be fair, Matt Hunwick and Andrew Ference went down with injuries. But you can never have enough depth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially on the blue line. At 6 feet and 185 pounds, he doesn't bring much size to the position, but he makes up for it in skating and speed. He is an asset on the power play. He just turned 18 in March, so he has time to bulk up, and learn to use that speed intelligently.
This guy's a Boston Bruin. He only has 30 goals in 4 seasons up in the Ontario junior league, but he has 502 penalty minutes. He turns 20 this summer, is 6' 3" and 203 pounds. But the Bruins don't carry pure fighters who do nothing but mix it up with their fists. Just look at Lucic, Chara and Bitz, who can brawl with the best of them, but can also skate and perform in all three zones. So while Macdermid might entertain fans in Providence, he'll have to work on all elements of his game before getting a chance in Boston.
Randell's a scrapper who can check, can fight, and occasionally pick up "junk" goals when he gets near the net. His skating is suspect, and the Bruins have recently become obsessed with quality skating. If he can improve that part of his game, he has potential to be a 4th liner. But without improved skating, he'll struggle to reach Boston.
7TH ROUND, 25TH PICK, 202TH OVERALL - C BEN SEXTON - NEPEAN (CJHL) The Bruins ended their draft with the son of the Florida Panthers' assistant GM. Sexton will play at Clarkson in the ECAC, so fans in New England can get a sneak peak when he plays at Harvard, Brown, and Dartmouth.
So that's the draft. Nothing too thrilling. A few guys who might become solid contributors in the NHL, but could also become journeyman AHLers. Almost every one of these guys has one major aspect of their game to work on, but I think one or two will eventually become staples for the B's down the road.
Josh Beckett continued his streak of shutout innings with 7 innings of scoreless work, and 6 strikeouts. He wasn't at his absolute best, but he was more than good enough to earn his 9th win. He's 7-1 since the start of May.
In the last three weeks David Ortiz has his 7 HR, with 14 RBI, and a .333 average. What makes me happy is that he's turning on balls and pulling them to right field. His solo shot Friday night was a blast in a park that's unfriendly to HR hitters. And it was off a solid pitcher who was having a very good night.
Ortiz's hot streak has come at a perfect time, because Mike Lowell might be missing some time. Youkilis was at 3rd last night, and Lowell is likely to skip the remainder of the Atlanta series. He might even come up to Boston to get an injection of lubricant for stiffness in his hips.
Tim Wakefield gets a chance to make his All-Star case on a national stage this afternoon. He faces Javier Vazquez.
I know little to nothing about this kid, but here is what ESPN says about him...
Chad Ford's Analysis: Hudson is a fun pick here. He's a big-time scorer who jumps out of the gym, can handle and can shoot. For an NBA prospect, he's pretty old, and he hasn't played against great competition, but he can really ball.
Draft Projection: Late first to early second
Notes: Hudson declared for the 2008 NBA draft, but withdrew after failing to get a first-round promise.
Positives: Big-time scorer Very quick Good athlete with good strength Amazing getting the ball to the basket A good shooter with NBA 3-point range Has a good feel for the game and can play the point guard position Excellent rebounder for his size An excellent pickpocket, among the nation's leaders in steals.
Negatives: Turned 24 years old in August Has had very little exposure against top competition Turns the ball over a lot A bit of a tweener
Summary: His strong performances in 2007-08 against top teams like Memphis, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State had scouts wondering whether he can make the jump. The talent suggests yes. His age and a so-so performance at the Orlando pre-draft camp says no. Given his age, he's a likely second-rounder this season.
Tonight the Sox will have their ace ont he hill against Jair Jurrjens. Beckett is 5-0 with a 0.45 ERA in his last six starts against Atlanta, holding the Braves without a run in five of those outings. Beckett started slow this season, but has been nasty of late (other then 1 bad game against the Phillies). Tonight he hopes to get the Sox back to their winning ways after the Nationals spoiled Smoltz's comeback party.
This will not be an easy win for the Sox, as Jair Jurrjens has been very good this season even though his record is only 5-5. Last time out Jurrejens played the Sox and went 6 1/2 innings allowing 2 runs. This kid can strike people out, but Boston is soon good at running up pitchers pitch count that it could come down to the Braves relievers.
The good news for the Sox is that the Braves can't hit the ball, so Beckett should have a great stat line and go deep into this game.
Interesting article written on Boston.com about how Michael Jackson indirectly saved the Patriots....
". . . Two years later he snagged the second piece of the puzzle--thanks to singer Michael Jackson. In 1988 Kraft and a partner put up $25 million to buy the Foxboro stadium from the Sullivan family, besting a $16 million offer from Kiam. (Kraft would buy out his 50-50 partner for a small premium five years later.) Charles Sullivan had used the stadium as collateral to fund the Jackson brothers' Victory Tour back in 1984. Over-leveraged, Sullivan went bankrupt and was forced to sell the arena."
Kind of amazing how things worked out. If you want to read the rest of that article (CLICK HERE).
Anyways it is an interesting and it is scary to think sometimes that New England almost didn't have a team anymore....
On that note the first Jackson is dead joke...
Due to the fact that Michael Jackson is 90 percent plastic they are going to melt his body down and make him into legos so that children can play with him now…
"Scott Kazmir likely will make his first start in more than a month this weekend against Florida, and manager Joe Maddon faces a decision on whether Andy Sonnanstine, rookie David Price or Jeff Niemann will be moved to the bullpen or minor leagues. Price has lost his last two starts and seems like the likely choice to get booted from the rotation considering the fact that he is a rookie and didn't start the season in the team's rotation (Sportsline)."
So far the Rays have underachieved this season. Price has all the talent in the world, but has struggled recently. This is not surprising for a rookie, even with all the hype around him. I think the Rays will take him out of the rotation, and try to plug him into the bullpen, which has been horrible this season. If the Rays can get Kazmir back to be an affective pitchers, and Price can right that bullpen the Rays will be making a lot of noise after the All-Star break.
