MAYBE NOW THE RED SOX CAN CHALLENGE THE YANKEES
Baseball’s best rivalry is – it depends on where you come from:
West Coast – Probably LA Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants
Middle America – Probably St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs
These parts (and many others) – New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox. No contest. End of conversation.
For the sake of competitiveness in the American League East – and for the sake of all fans who love the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry -- I’m glad Boston finally has signed slugger J.D. Martinez.
The DH rule was made for hitters like Martinez. So was the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox got a bargain this week, luring Martinez with a five-year deal worth $110 million, with $50 million paid over the first two seasons. He can opt out after two seasons.
Martinez fills the enormous void created when David “Big Papi” retired after the 2016 season (.315, 48 doubles, 38 HRs, 127 RBI, .401 on-base percentage, .620 slugging percentage, 1.021 OPS).
Boston could not fully replace Ortiz last season. The Red Sox finished last in the AL in home runs (168) and second-last in slugging percentage. And there admittedly was some bad chemistry in the clubhouse. But the Red Sox still won the AL East by two games over the Yankees (93-69 to 91-71).
The two powerhouse teams figure to engage in a two-team battle for the division title again this season. Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay appear to be slipping.
Here’s a possible Red Sox starting lineup for Opening Day March 28 in Tampa:
RF Mookie Betts
LF Andrew Benintendi
DH J.D. Martinez (.303, 45 HRs, 104 RBI in 119 games with Detroit/Arizona last season)
3B Rafael Devers
1B Hanley Ramirez/Mitch Moreland
SS Xander Bogaerts
2B Eduardo Nunez/Dustin Pedroia (recovering from knee surgery)
C Christian Vazquez/Sandy Leon
CF Jackie Bradley Jr.
I still think the Yankees will win the AL East. I give them a slight edge in starting pitching and a considerable advantage in the bullpen.
But I’m pretty sure we can look forward to plenty of slugfests between these two loaded teams.
I’M STILL HOPING THE BILLS SELECT LAMAR JACKSON
Bill Polian isn’t high on the potential of 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson as an NFL quarterback.
Pro Football Talk/NBC Sports quoted Polian on Jackson: “Short and a little bit slight. Clearly not the thrower that the other guys are. The accuracy isn’t there.”
So what does Polian like about Jackson: “Exceptional athlete...Exceptional ability to make you miss...Exceptional acceleration...Exceptional instinct with the ball in his hands and that’s rare for a wide receiver. That’s Antonio Brown and who else? Julio (Jones is) not even like that.”
Polian thinks Jackson should avoid falling into the NFL trap that former Ohio State star quarterback Terrelle Pryor did. He wasted several pro seasons stubbornly insisting that he could become a successful pro QB before finally making the change to WR.
I’m buying what Polian is selling.
It sounds to me that Lamar Jackson is a star NFL wide receiver waiting to happen. If he bought into the idea, I believe he’d immediately become Buffalo’s best WR -- if the Bills select the best athlete in the 2018 draft with the No. 21 or No. 22 pick.
CAN SU AT LEAST SPLIT WITH TAR HEELS AND DUKIES?
The undermanned but courageous Syracuse Orange are battling to make the 68-team NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They’re definitely on the bubble with four games remaining in the regular season.
The next two games are huge tests – home against North Carolina Wednesday and at Duke Saturday.
A sweep would put SU in terrific shape to make the Big Dance. A split would be OK.
Here’s how the three Atlantic Coast Conference teams measure up:
Records – SU 18-9 (7-7 in the ACC)...NC 21-7 (10-5)...Duke 22-5 (10-4)
Scoring per game – SU 68.7...NC 83.6...Duke 87.4 (3rd among the 351 NCAA Division I teams)
Scoring defense per game – SU 63.4...NC 73.4...Duke 71.3
Point differential per game – SU +5.3...NC +10.2...Duke +16.1 (6th in the nation)
Field-goal percentage – SU .428...NC .468...Duke .501 (14th in the nation)
OPP FG percentage – SU .390 (6th-best in the nation)...NC .423...Duke .404
3-Point FG percentage – SU .322...NC .372...Duke .395
OPP 3-point FG percentage – SU .331...NC .385...Duke .338
Free-throw percentage – SU .723...NC .737...Duke .702
Rebounds per game – SU 38.0...NC 43.3...Duke 42.1
Rebound differential per game – SU +5.6...NC +11.7...Duke +9.4
Assists per game – SU 11.3...NC 17.9...Duke 17.9
Turnovers per game – SU 12.4...NC 12.3...Duke 12.2
Steals per game – SU 7.7...NC 5.4...Duke 7.2
Blocks per game – SU 5.6...NC 4.5...Duke 5.4
Average home attendance – SU 20,703...NC 18,245...Duke 9,314.
Worth noting:
SU outrebounds most opponents (38.04 rebounds per game and +5.6 margin per game) but North Carolina leads the nation’s 351 Division I teams in rebounds per game (43.3) and margin per game (+11.7) and Duke ranks second in rebounds per game (42.1) and fourth in margin per game (+9.4).
North Carolina ranks 328th in opposing 3-point FG percentage (.385) but SU ranks 312th in 3-point FG percentage (.322). The Tar Heels figure to let the Orange shoot without much resistance from 3-point range. Maybe SU can take advantage with a rare hot-shooting night.
Duke ranks 5th and North Carolina is 10th in this week’s AP and USA Today polls. SU received zero Top 25 votes from the 65 media voters in the AP poll and 32 coaches in the USA Today poll.
North Carolina has won five straight games (95-65 over Pittsburgh, 82-78 over Duke, 96-89 at North Carolina State, 83-66 over Notre Dame and 93-76 at Louisville) since a rare three-game losing streak to Virginia Tech, NC State and Clemson.
Duke star freshman Marvin Bagley III has missed the last three games with a “mild sprain” of his right knee. He’s averaging 21.2 points with a .596 field-goal percentage. Duke has won all three games without him: 80-69 at Georgia Tech, 74-52 over Virginia Tech and 66-57 at Clemson.
WHERE WAS DANGEROUS DAN DAWSON?
“Dangerous” Dan Dawson, one of the all-time great lacrosse players – indoors and outdoors – has been out of the lineup for the last two games for the Rochester Knighthawks.
He missed the National Lacrosse League 17-10 victory at the Georgia Swarm Sunday, February 11 due to a work commitment. He played in Rochester’s 12-9 home loss to the Toronto Rock the night before but had to return to his full-time job as a fire fighter in the province of Ontario, Canada, the next day.
The Knighthawks broke a six-game losing streak at Georgia minus Dawson and were so impressive that coach Mike Hasen wanted to keep the lineup intact for last Saturday night’s home game against the NLL-best Saskatchewan Rush.
Hasen contacted Dawson to explain the situation and Dan – with his genuine selfless attitude – said he completely understood and wanted what would be best for the team.
The Knighthawks upset the Rush 16-11 to boost their record to 4-6 and remain in the hunt for a playoff berth with eight games remaining in the regular season. The top three teams in each of the two divisions will qualify.
Dawson is 36 but still can play. In 8 games this season he has 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points.
He’s a three-time 100-plus point scorer in the NLL with six teams. He’s won two NLL Champion’s Cups and was the MVP in Rochester’s 2014 title victory. In six seasons with the Knighthawks, he has 132 goals and 294 assists for 426 points in 93 games.
On the all-time NLL career lists, Dawson ranks fourth in games (264) and assists (819), and fifth in goals (478) and points (1,297).
He has played on five Mann Cup championship teams (Canada’s summer indoor competition) and has represented Canada many times in international competition.
He’ll be ready, willing and more than able to return to action with the Knighthawks if and when the alarm rings.
“STOCK UP” RECOGNITION FOR THE KNIGHTHAWKS
The National Lacrosse League’s web site has a weekly feature by Andy McNamara and Brian Shanahan, who select a Stock Up and Stock Down team and player. This week’s Stock Up team is the Knighthawks. I thought their observations were spot on:
“It’s been a streaky season for Rochester. That can be expected from a franchise that’s infused its roster with youth over the last two NLL campaigns.
“A hot start (2-0), a long losing skid (six losses in a row), and now consecutive wins over the two most recent Champion’s Cup title holders in Georgia (2017) and Saskatchewan (2016). When all three phases of their game click, this Knighthawks group can hang with anyone in the league. A rejuvenated Cody Jamieson doesn’t hurt either.”
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO “BIG BABY” MILLER?
Do you remember Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, the colorful and mammoth heavyweight boxer who briefly called Rochester his boxing home in the summer of 2016?
Miller had a 17-0-1 pro boxing record when his management team – then with local connections – made Rochester his training headquarters for his WBO-NABO heavyweight title defense August 19, 2016 at Rhinos Stadium against 37-year-old journeyman Fred Kassi (18-5-12. 10 KOs). Miller weighed in at 296.5 pounds. He was declared the winner after three rounds when the outclassed Kassi said he had an injured right hand and could not continue.
Shortly thereafter, Miller had a falling out with his management team, stating that he had been underpaid. He has had only two fights since: He stopped 35-year-old Gerald Washington in 8 rounds at Barclays Center in New York July 29, 2017, and had a 9th-round TKO over 37-year-old Mariuz Wach at Nassau Coliseum on HBO Nov. 11, 2017. Wach suffered a right hand injury early in the fight and the ringside doctor stopped the fight when Wach couldn’t defend himself.
Miller, now 29, is next scheduled to fight Johann Duhaupas (37-4, 24 KOs) of France in a WBA World Heavyweight Title Eliminator on April 28 at Barclays Center. Duhaupas will be Miller’s third 37-year-old opponent in his last four fights and – like the others – has seen his better days in the ring. It will be on HBO. In Miller’s typical brash manner, he said “Come April 28, the French fry is going to get cooked.”
Sooner or later, “Big Baby” figures to get a legitimate title shot. He’s an American and has the talent, charisma and iron chin (at least to date) to make at least a small fortune if he can stay in shape.
SHORT SHOTS
North Carolina is favored by 4 points at Syracuse Wednesday night. The over/under (total points) is 143. Bob’s pick: Tar Heels 71, Orange 62.
Mike Patrick’s 36-yar career calling games for ESPN is over. His long-time former ESPN colleague Dan Patrick was higher profile but I always thought Mike was an underrated and very talented play-by-play man for football and basketball.
The Rochester Americans entered this week ranked 21st in the 30-team American Hockey League in average home attendance (4,673). They figure to climb a few notches after Wednesday night’s “home” game against the Syracuse Crunch at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The AHL game is part of the package for NHL Sabres season-ticketholders.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, February 21
Donte Greene (30)...Braylon Edwards (35)...Steve Francis (41)...Brian Rolston (45)...Terry Allen (50)...Jason Meyer (53)...Alan Trammell (60)...Bob Ryan (72)... Red Wings Hall of Famer Tom Shopay (73). Jennifer Love Hewitt (39) and Kelsey Grammer (63) are invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, February 22
Elfrid Payton (24)...Khalil Mack (27)...Nicolas Deslauriers (27)...Tommy Field (31)...Rajon Rondo (32)...Daniel Nava (34)...Brian Duensing (35)...Michael Change (46)...Lisa Fernandez (47)...Gilbert Brown (47)...Mark Chmura (49)...Shawn Jefferson (49)...Pat LaFontaine (53)...Chris Dudley (53)...Joe Reekie (53)...Vijay Singh (55)...Wayne Levi (66)...Julius Erving (68)...Nikki Lauda (69)...Dick/Tom VanArsdale (75)....Chet Walker (88). Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem was born on this date in Rochester 144 years ago (1874). He died in 1951 at age 77.