Hockey is back in Boston

Can this really be happening?

The Boston Bruins - yes, the hockey team - are once again a relevant part of the Boston sports scene. Following their 7-2 trouncing of the Isles yesterday, the black and gold are second in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, two points the behind conference-leading Rangers. (The Rangers have also played three more games than the B's.)

This Bruins team may be the most exciting to watch in my lifetime, thanks in large part to hard-hitting 20 year-old Milan Lucic, the kind of player who you love if he's on your team, hate him if he's going up against you. (I will avoid the dirty hit discussion, at least for today.)

Another key to this Bruins season is that these B's don't seem to be rattled by the hated Rouge, Blanc, et Bleu. Through the first three games of the season series, the Bruins lead two games to one, outscoring the Habs 12-7, and winning at the Bell Centre. I would be getting way ahead of myself to say that Boston has Montreal's number, but at the very least, this year's Bruins have shown that coming out of Montreal with two points is not impossible.

The B's have a huge task tonight at the Garden, when they take on the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. A Bruins win would show many of the doubters in the hockey world that Boston is back in the discussion of legitimate NHL contenders, truly a great step for this once-proud Original Six team.

- MTM

Branching Out

First off, I would like to apologize for my two-month hiatus. A combination of a very hectic first semester of college coupled with a bevy of computer issues has prevented me from working on this little pet project of mine.

Anyways, with the first two-thirds of this blog's title - The Sox and Mets - done playing until the spring (there is no off-season in baseball, I'll get to that later), the focus of this blog will turn to the NFL, NBA, NHL, and college sports. I will certainly be talking about the baseball hot stove season, but with the Patriots currently leading the AFC East sans-Tom Brady (how the heck is that happening?), the Celtics and Bruins both beginning promising 2008-09 campaigns, an exciting finish to the college football season, and the start of the NCAA basketball season, I will have plenty to talk about.

I'll also rant about being subjected to entire broadcasts of Knicks games courtesy of my roommate (considered cruel and unusual punishment outside of the Tri-State Area), why I hate the BCS, Duke, and the New York Giants, and the fact that my beloved South Carolina Gamecocks can't ever seem to do anything right.

It should be a fun winter in the world of sports. Hope to have you along for the ride.

-MTM

"Cardiac Mets"

After the Mets' dramatic 5-4 win over the Marlins last night, SNY's Gary Cohen hit the nail right on the head. This year's ball club is the "Cardiac Mets." I found it a bit amusing, after I gave Mets reliever Aaron Heilman the nickname "Heart Attack Heilman" earlier in the season.

Last night's game was another chapter in a 2008 season in which a Mets fan never knows what will happen. Down to their final out in the 9th, trailing 2-1, New York loaded the bases for Carlos Beltran, who then hit a monstrous home run to right center at Dolphins Stadium to give the Mets a 5-2 lead.

If there is one thing a Mets fan does know about this '08 campaign, it is that no lead is safe. Enter Luis Ayala for the 9th, two Marlins score, and suddenly the Fish are a base hit away from walking off with a win. Thankfully the Mets got out of it, and with a Phillies loss, New York enters play today with a two game lead in the East.

Monday morning quarterbacking (a day late)

Well, it's not Monday. It's late on Tuesday morning. Yesterday was my first day of classes down here in Connecticut at Quinnipiac University, so needless to say, it was a hectic day. So, a day late, here is this week's edition of "Monday Morning Quarterbacking":

• Could this "Last regular season Red Sox-Yankees series at Yankee Stadium" be any more overpublicized? I'm kinda tired of hearing about it, and not only because the Sox are 200 games under .500 at the Stadium. I also love the words "regular season" being thrown into it. So many things would have to happen for these two teams to both make the playoffs, including the Rays imploding, along with the Twins and/or White Sox. It just doesn't seem very likely.
• New York's other team, the Mets, open up a short two game set tonight in Philly. The Phils are only a half-game back of New York, a 7:05 start at Citizens Bank Park. Pedro Martinez goes up against the ageless wonder, Jamie Moyer.
• A.J. Pierzynski's acting job in the 10th inning of Sunday's White Sox-Rays game is up there in my top 10 bush league plays of the decade. Caught in a rundown, Pierzynski stuck his arm out to initiate contact with Tampa Bay's Willie Aybar, and the arm contact somehow knocked the well-built Pierzynski to the ground. After a long discussion, Pierzynski was awarded third (despite being on his way back to second), and scored the winning run later in the inning. There's a reason this guy is one of the least-liked around baseball.
• An Angels win and Mariners loss tonight will eliminate the Mariners from division contention. On August 26th. There goes my pick for the AL West.

Playoff spot far from a guarantee for Red Sox

While enjoying my first few days down here in Connecticut at Quinnipiac University, I haven't had much of an opportunity to follow the exciting playoff races going on throughout Major League Baseball. One of those races, the AL Wild Card, is essentially a two team race, between the Red Sox and who ever is the second place team in the AL Central, seeing as the Twins and White Sox seem to flip-flop on a daily basis.

I wouldn't say it's time to hit the panic button, Red Sox fans, but this wild card spot in the AL is a far cry from a guarantee. Entering this afternoon's action, the Red Sox are one-half game up on Chicago, and even in the loss column.

The Rays-White Sox series this weekend in the Windy City is quite complex, as a Rays win hurts the Red Sox in the division race (Tampa Bay currently leads the East by 5.5 games), while a Chicago win keeps the Wild Card lead at a point where there is no room for error on the part of the Red Sox.

The Red Sox finish their series against Toronto today, with Daisuke Matsuzaka looking to improve to 16-2, before an off day and a three game set in the Bronx. Chicago finishes their series in Tampa Bay before heading to Baltimore, where they will complete a suspended game originally played in Chicago before opening a three game set. Then next weekend, the Sox and Sox square off in Boston for what may be their most pivotal series since the 2005 ALDS. Red Sox fans definitely hope the result is not the same.

Rays, Rays, go away

Can anyone stop the Tampa Bay Rays? A tropical storm headed for the Tampa-St. Pete area last night couldn't. Neither could the Angels, considered by many to be the favorites in the American League.

With 37 games remaining in the regular season, the Rays are 77-48, tied with the Cubs for the best record in the bigs. This Tampa Bay team finished the '07 campaign with the worst record in the majors. Since 1900, no Major League team has gone worst to first in one season. That's 108 years. The Cubs have won a world title since that happened.

All jokes aside, this Tampa Bay team is a force to be reckoned with in the AL. No matter how many injuries they seem to have (Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Troy Percival), they keep winning ballgames. In the end, that's all that really matters.

Going into tonight's action, here are how the AL playoff races shape up:

EAST

1. Rays 77-48
2. Red Sox 73-53 4.5 GB

CENTRAL

1. White Sox 72-53
2. Twins 71-54 1 GB

WEST

1. Angels 76-48

WILD CARD

1. Red Sox 73-53
2. Twins 71-54 1.5 GB
3. Yankees 66-59 6.5 GB
4. Blue Jays 65-60 7.5 GB

You can say that the Rays are banged up, you can say that they're inexperienced, you can say that they have a tough schedule down the stretch (all of which are true), but this team just won't go away, and is one of the best baseball stories, if not one of the best sports stories of the year.

The Sox' "home away from home"

The Red Sox play 81 of their regular season games in Boston's Fenway Park. While that only computes to 50% of the schedule being "home games," the Sox play nine additional games in front of a crowd that heavily favors the visiting Bostonians. Baltimore's Camden Yards, the magnificent ballpark which opened in 1992, is home to the Baltimore Orioles. However, after watching tonight's 6-3 Red Sox win in "Birdland," it seemed like the Red Sox were the home team, judging by the crowd.

The "home away from home" aspect of Camden Yards has been played up for years by Boston media. But it takes on an extra special significance during Tuesday's matchup between the wild card-leading Red Sox and cellar-dwelling Orioles. The 2,861st fan to walk through the turnstiles in Baltimore will be the 50 millionth fan in Camden Yards history, an event that Orioles executives have put a lot of time and money into. That lucky fan will receive a $50,000 cash prize, plus Orioles season tickets for 5 years.

After seeing the Red Sox well-represented in tonight's crowd, what are the odds that Camden Yards' 50 millionth fan is a Red Sox fan? Pretty good. It should make for an interesting night in Baltimore.

Monday morning quarterbacking

• The Mets 'pen did it again. The newest member of the bullpen, Luis Ayala, did not pitch in the 5-2 loss to the Pirates on Monday. Instead, it was Brian Stokes who coughed up the lead in the 6th, and Pedro Feliciano gave up what proved to be the winning run in the 8th. Bring on the Braves, as the somewhat-faded rivalry renews at Shea Tuesday through Thursday.
• Yankees news: MLB.com is reporting Carl Pavano may start for the Yankees on Saturday in Baltimore. He still plays?
• Sox tonight in their second home park, Camden Yards, as they take on the Orioles. After dropping both games of a rain-shortened two game set to the Jays, Jon Lester will take his 11-4 mark to the hill against Jeremy Guthrie.
• In football: Many people who follow the New England Patriots have wondered what would happen to the Pats if star quarterback Tom Brady was unable to play due to injury. In New England's 27-10 Brady-less loss to the Buccaneers last night on national television, Patriots fans - and football fans everywhere caught a glimpse of how that situation would turn out. The answer? Not too great. Fourth-year backup Matt Cassel went 6 of 10 for 57 yards, followed by rookie Kevin O'Connell putting up a not-so-impressive 6 of 15 for 61 yards and 1 pick. Cassel, O'Connell, and Matt Gutierrez, the fourth QB on the Pats' roster, have started a combined zero games in the NFL. Pats fans better hope for a quick return from Brady. If not, maybe New England might want to take a look at Daunte Culpepper, who is still sitting at home.

1-8, 5.77

No, that is not the win-loss record and ERA of Aaron Heilman. "Heart Attack" Heilman is slightly better (2-7, 5.56). 1-8, 5.77 is the win-loss record and ERA of Luis Ayala, the former Nationals righty acquired by the Mets today in exchange for minor-league infielder Anderson Hernandez. The burning question for many Met fans, including myself, is "Why?" Ayala leads NL relievers in losses (8). His ERA in August is 7.36. Heilman's is 12.91, but he's already on the roster.

In searching for any plausible explanation for this deal, I have found two.

1. He was the best right-handed reliever on the market.

2. He owns the Phillies.

The numbers regarding #2 are intriguing. In 35 career appearances against the Phils, Ayala is 4-1, with a 1.47 ERA and .203 BAA. And with five more pivotal matchups against Philly, maybe this move will pay off.

The move also likely means the end of Eddie Kunz's first stint as a Met. Kunz struggled in very limited action with the big club (4 ER in 2.2 IP over 4 outings since being recalled two weeks ago), but expect him to be back once September call-ups roll around, if not sooner.

Meet the Mets

In the fall of 2000, the New York Yankees were on their way to steamrolling their way through the postseason on their way to yet another championship. Standing in their way was "New York's other team," as I like to call them, the New York Mets. Growing up a Red Sox fan, the last thing I wanted to see was another title in the Bronx. That being said, the 2000 Mets were my team that October.

After the Yankees completed that act of steamrolling, I didn't really follow the Mets for a few years. It was the beginning of this 2008 season, when the combination of moving to a house on the southwest coast of Rhode Island allowed me to clearly pull in WFAN on my radio, and more Mets fan friends lead me to follow my second team again.

The 2008 season came on the heels of one of the greatest September collapses of all-time when the Phillies stormed back to win the NL East. And it didn't start much better for "Los Mets." After a 34-35 start, skipper Willie Randolph was canned in an Anaheim hotel room in the middle of the night. Jerry Manuel was brought in as manager, but the Mets' Achilles heel, their bullpen, couldn't have been fixed if Casey Stengel came back from the dead.

Now, on August 17th, the Mets sit 2.5 games ahead of the Phillies, who as I write this are continuing their series of offensive futility in San Diego. The bullpen is still shaky, with Billy Wagner injured, Aaron Heilman pitching BP every time he takes the hill, and talk of Jerry Manuel screwing with the rotation and moving John Maine to the closer's role. The team is being carried by players like Fernando Tatis, who has returned from who knows where to be the Mets' big-hit man, and Daniel Murphy, who is hitting .415 in his first 15 big league games. September is right around the corner for Los Mets, and who knows what will happen for MLB's most inconsistent team.

A little about me

If you're reading this first post, I'm guessing you probably already know me. But if not, I'll tell you a little about me. My name is Miles, and I am a freshman broadcast journalism major at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. Well, I will be in 3 days. Writing a blog had always been something I considered starting in high school, but never had the time. I hope to find the time to do it in college.

As the title says, this blog is about the "Sox, Mets, and More." I was raised a Red Sox fan in Rhode Island, suffering through years of frustration and heartbreak with the generations of my family who had followed the Red Sox ever since my great-grandfather spent a September afternoon at Fenway Park for Game 6 of the 1918 World Series.

The Andersens, Herzogs, and eventually a McQuiggan, suffered through 86 years of a championship drought. My great-grandfather stated in his later years that he would "live to see the Red Sox win another World Series." He passed away in 1992, his guarantee not fulfilled.

But, while many Red Sox fans remember the game where Jason Varitek beat the crap out of Alex Rodriguez, or Dave Roberts clutch steal in Game 4 of the ALCS as the turning point in the Red Sox' run as lovable losers, it is a different moment in that 2004 season for me. On May 8th, 2004, the Red Sox played a Saturday matinee against the pitiful Kansas City Royals. I watched the game, not from Fenway Park, but from a room in Kent County Hospital with my two uncles, aunt, mom, and brother. My grandmother, by far the biggest Red Sox fan in our entire family, was lying in the hospital bed, hours before she passed away at the far-too-early age of 75.

In the 5th inning, Pokey Reese, the light-hitting shortstop, ripped a ball down the right-field line. It was at that point when the quirky dimensions of Fenway Park, coupled with possibly a little help from above, turned what normally would have been a double at best into some Fenway magic. Pokey hit second. Then he kept going. Hit third, and headed for home, in there with an inside-the-park home run.

The rest of that 2004 season is unforgettable not only to Sox fans, but to anyone who follows the game of baseball. As Doug Mientkiewicz closed his glove and leaped into the air, I fell right out of my chair. And I cried. My grandmother, the reason I was a Red Sox fan, had missed a Red Sox world championship by 5 months. Or maybe she hadn't.