The Sacrifices I Make

Usually I'm thrilled when the Red Sox trade for a player already on my fantasy team. After all, I always prefer to have a Red Sox player over another player. If the Sox happen to trade for someone already on my team, I get to have that player without looking like too much of a homer. So, I should have been super-excited when the Red Sox traded for Addison Reed yesterday. 

But, Reed was one of my best closers. Now that he's on the Red Sox, he better not be getting more than a save or two the rest of the year. This move really hurts my team in the worst way.

I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

For one thing, I will always choose real life over the fantasy team. That's why I don't have any Yankees on the team. For another, my team is in ninth place...not sure how much those saves were helping.

Which is good, because this is a huge move. Oh, I know, not Chris Sale big. Or even, probably, Drew Pomeranz big. But, when you're adding a player and you add to the top, it's always so much better than adding at the bottom. 

The Red Sox bullpen was having trouble cobbling together stretches of quality innings. So, the team could have acquired a reasonable bullpen arm. That would have helped. But, it still would have left the cobbling together. Instead the Sox went to the top. The got a guy to try and lock down the eighth inning on the way to Kimbrel. That makes the entire bullpen better. Not just one slot.

Suddenly, the collection of players trying to get through 6-7-8 only need to get 6-7. Or, probably just 7. Getting one inning out of the rest of the pen would seem to be a much shorter task.

It has effects everywhere. The rest of the pen can get a little less work. They can all be a little more rested. They can all be a lot more efficient in holding onto leads. The starters just need to worry about starting. They don't need to be the middle relief too.

Reed isn't as sexy an acquisition as some others. But, sometimes the big splash isn't what you need. The Red Sox are a very good team. A few minor adjustments can go a long way.

It'll make the second half a lot more fun!

The 30-Day Baseball Card Challenge: Day #16

Tony, the wonderful writer of the “Off Hiatus Baseball” blog, started a fun activity based off the “30-Day Music Challenge” that Twitter users were taking. The list of challenges looks like this:

Today, we’ll continue with Challenge #16: A card of a player whom you appreciate but don't like.

First off, mad props to Tony for dropping a "whom." Especially if it's used correctly.

But, right away, I had to make my own ruling. Since I had been going with cards in my own collection, and most of my collection is Red Sox cards...I had to temper things a bit. By "don't like" I decided that meant, not "dislike" but just not a favorite player type. After all, if I actually disliked a Red Sox player, chances are that I didn't appreciate them either. Which is why I don't feel terrible about selecting this card.

Yeah. I'm going to catch hell for this one.

But, it actually illustrates the point exactly. Obviously, I appreciate David Ortiz, and everything he meant for the Sox. But, he was just never really one of my favorite players. Again, I didn't dislike him. I'm not talking about Schilling or Pedroia here. He just didn't do it for me. 

Think "roommate" vs "significant other." Sure, he checks all the right boxes. There just wasn't that spark.

I think some of it is that he came up behind Manny Ramirez. Now, Manny was my guy. He was my guy when he was with the Indians. He was my guy when he was with the Dodgers. So, I already had a connection with another player when Ortiz emerged as a star. Which is fine. He could play a wonderful second fiddle to Manny. Then, when Manny left, the Sox went into a bit of a rut. It was hard to get connected with any of them for a while. 

So, Ortiz was always just there. Plugging away. Hitting clutch home runs. But, if you asked me to list my favorite players, not sure how long it would take for me to get to him.

Which is why he popped into my head as soon as I saw this challenge. Because, again, I don't dislike David Ortiz.

I just appreciate him more than I like him.

Kylee Kurto Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Kylee Kurto is a talented blogger, a Red Sox fan, and the current Miss Merrimack. As we enter the final

few months of her reign, she was nice enough to visit with us to discuss those topics, and more. I’m sure you’ll be glad she did.

So, let’s see what happens when Kylee Kurto visits Section 36!

What made you decide to compete for the Miss Merrimack title?

Last August was the first time I ever competed with the Miss America Organization and actually my first pageant ever. After placing in three out of four competitions I began to feel defeated. The girls I had met through the program encouraged me to keep participating. Two in particular, Katie Masso-Glidden (Miss Captial Area) and Brooke Gatchell (Miss Souhegan Valley) worked with me one-on-one in every phase of competition. In November I finally felt prepared enough to compete and that is how I ended up winning Miss Merrimack! It was also a funny coincidence that I attended Merrimack College at the time, it was a perfect fit for my first title. 

What has been the most surprising part of being Miss Merrimack?

The amount of work and time that goes into being a title holder. Since it was my first year people told me what to expect but you don't really know until you experience it. Trying to graduate college and prepare for Miss New Hampshire was not an easy task. I have to thank my family and my director who helped me get through several mental break downs in the weeks leading up to the competition. But I wouldn't take it back in a heartbeat. Miss New Hampshire exceeded all my expectations and I made Top 12! Hard work always pays off.

For the upcoming Miss America season, you changed your platform to the "National Eating Disorder Association: Feeding Hope". What pushed you to make that change?

When I was told I needed a platform I didn't have a clue what I should do. My mom suggested a rare disease our family friend was battling with and I ran with it. But by the end of last competition season I felt like I really couldn't connect to it and be the advocate I needed to be. So I decided it was time to choose a different platform, one I was truly passionate about and that was my battle with my weight a few years ago. I have received tremendous support from everyone and even have connected with another competitor who has a similar platform. We are planning to do fundraisers, walks and campaigns together.

You’re a fellow blogger. What is “Fun, Fit & Flirty” all about?

Fun, Fit & Flirty just had its first Birthday this past March! It is a blog I initially created to publicize my eating disorder and it has turned into a full-blown blogging site. I wanted to make it a safe place where anyone can go to read or privately share their thoughts with me. A section of my blog features a campaign I created titled "Love Your Lines". This campaign ties along with my platform and means to love all your beauty scars no matter how big or small. I love writing. I don't do it for other people and I certainly do not have perfect grammar but writing has sparked many ideas for me and that includes writing my own book.

If you can’t sit in Section 36, where do you (or where would you) like to sit to watch a Red Sox game?

If I couldn't sit in Section 36 I would love to be right behind home plate. That's where a lot of the action happens and I might get a little TV time, I am not camera shy!

Who was your favorite player growing up? Why?

As a kid I was head over heels for Jacoby Ellsbury. At ten years old I was less concerned about the game and more concerned about the serious crush I had on him.

Which young Red Sox player are you most excited about?

The young player I am most excited about is Andrew Benintendi. He is definitely a player everyone should keep their eyes on!

This is the first Red Sox season in a while without David Ortiz. What’s your favorite Ortiz memory?

Big Papi, what a legend. I don't think I can pinpoint one memory but every time I watched a game with my dad he was hitting home run after home run. What I really love about David Ortiz is his commitment to charity. The David Ortiz Children fund was created to help children in New England and in the Dominican access pediatric care. 

How do you think the Red Sox will finish the 2017 season?

So far the Red Sox are looking great! While still holding down the 1st place spot I am hoping we can win ourselves the 2017 World Series Championship!

-----

Hard to argue with that analysis!

As always, I want to give huge thanks to Kylee for doing this interview. She did a fantastic job. I also want to thank her for providing the pictures to go along with the interview. They add a lot to the post, and make it much more fun to read.

As Kylee continues her time as Miss Merrimack, I encourage you to follow her on the official Facebook page. Of course, you should also check out her blog Fun, Fit & Flirty as often as you can!

And, I want to wish Kylee luck as she enters the next Miss America season. Especially as she takes aim at the Miss Liberty title on Aug 12! 

Thanks again Kylee, and good luck!

The 30-Day Baseball Card Challenge: Day #15

Tony, the wonderful writer of the “Off Hiatus Baseball” blog, started a fun activity based off the “30-Day Music Challenge” that Twitter users were taking. The list of challenges looks like this:

Today, we’ll continue with Challenge #15: One of your favorite cards from the 2010’s.

Yup. Another card that was a pretty easy selection. When you attend a World Series clinching game for your team, and there's a card featuring that game...it's one of your favorite cards.

Like This one.

So, here you go. A 2014 Topps card depicting the World Series MVP David Ortiz celebrating with his teammates. A more glorious card cannot be made. 

At least until the Red Sox win their next title.

Why is Dennis Eckersley So Thin Skinned?

So, last month, word came out abut an "incident" on the Red Sox team plane involving David Price and Dennis Eckersley. There were no details of the incident itself, just that the two had words. For some reason, people immediately assumed Price was to blame. Who was he to not respect a Hall of Famer like Eckersley?

Then, yesterday the details came out. And, boy do they make Eck look bad.

It seems that Eckersley was making his way to the back of the team plane, and passed by Price. David announced Eck's presence with a snide comment "Here he is, the greatest pitcher who ever lived. This game is easy for him." He then told Eck to get the *bleep* out of here. 

That's it. That was the incident. Well, OK. Actually later in the flight, Eck for some reason tried to go down the length of the plane again, and Price again told him to get the *bleep* out. So, Price mocked Eckersley, and told him to get out.

I know. I'm shaking in my boots just hearing about it.

Why did Price do this? Apparently because he didn't like the way Eckersley reacted to a poor rehab performance from EdRo. He felt he was being too harsh on the kid.

So, why did this become a story? Is it simply the media trying to protect one of their own? I've always found it interesting that the media has been able to convince fans that the worst thing a player in any sport can do is not be nice to the media. If a player doesn't make their jobs easier, they're a bad person. I'm really amazed at how often this actually works. 

And, it worked here. People are actually taking Eck's side here. They're calling Price soft. 

Really?

Sticking up for a teammate is soft?

You know what's soft? Saying things about a player on the air, and then whining when someone calls you on it. Because Eck can't take what he dishes out, he's not going to fly on the team planes anymore. (Or, at least that was the reason given at the end of the article. But, the start of the article said he hardly ever travels with the team anyway.)

People have been pointing out that Eck is supposed to tell the truth. If a player performs poorly, he's supposed to say so. He's not supposed to sugar coat it. If a player sucks, he should say he sucks. And, that's true. Television announcers don't need to be cheerleaders. But, that doesn't mean everyone has to like him for it.  Price didn't demand that Eck be fired because he was mean. He didn't storm the NESN offices insisting it was him or Eck. He just called the guy out for the stuff he said. And the media went ballistic. 

Clearly the Boston media is just beside themselves trying to be negative about a team that has been alone in first place for quite some time. Now that they can't make fat jokes about Panda, they don't know what to do anymore. How do you know the incident is really meaningless? In the story about it, they have to go back years to find another story about another player who dislikes Eck. Jackie Bradley Jr took his own innocent jab at Eck, thanking him for supplying motivation with his negative comments. The article even included the Instagram picture from years ago. (The article didn't include the fact that JBJ apologized immediately, years ago, even though he probably didn't need to.) The fact that we generally applaud players for turning negatives into motivation was apparently missed in this case. How many times have we heard the story of Paul Pierce reciting the names of players drafted ahead of him as he took jump shots. Don't most Red Sox fans adore Pedroia for playing with a chip on his shoulder? For turning all the "you can't" in to fuel for his determination? But, in this case it was decided that motivation was a bad thing. After all, the opposite wouldn't fit the narrative.

So, half of the article about the "terrible incident" doesn't even discuss the incident. Because there's nothing there.

Why would the incident even be reported in the first place? Was it because the players insisted the media write a story about the fact that they all hate Eckersley? Or, is it more likely a push from Eck? Or, at least a desire from the media to circle the wagon around one of their own. Then again assert that being mean to them will not be tolerated. That every player must simply take whatever crap the media piles on them, and can say nothing in return. A player must treat the media with kid gloves.

Because they're all so thin skinned.