Boston

So I took the fan survey that the Red Sox e-mailed me the link to. And it was quite interesting to say the least-to-near-least. (I recently heard on the radio some stunod talking about "the survey" and how "Chad Finn had it," so, as someone who ignores the Boston sports media, for all I know this is the top story on all the fake-drama sites and shitty call-in shows. If so, I don't know, it's your call what to do from here.)Here's one page worth of questions, divided into three files. (To the right of each one was the five choices, from "Strongly agree" to strongly disagree."I took a little psychology in college. So I'm pretty sure some of these answers don't matter. Like, when they ask you if the most important thing about a baseball game is the food, I don't think they're saying, "hmm, let's see if we need to scrap the actual baseball and turn this place into a restaurant." I think they're using that question to weed out the people they rightfully don't give a shit about. The survey is lightly peppered with questions that seem like the stuff they're really trying to figure out if we want or not.Or maybe I've got it all wrong. Either way, I'm curious about a few topics they bring up. Like the price of tickets changing based on opponent, time of year, etc. Lots of other teams do this. I said "strongly disagree" on these. But, if they meant keeping the prices the same but lowering the April/Astros type games, maybe that would be good. (As opposed to keeping the bad games the same and raising the good ones.)It was cool that they gave us a chance to rip the media, by strongly disagreeing with things like "I think the media is fair in the way they cover the Red Sox" and "I'm the type of asshole who thinks radio callers know what the fuck they're talking about."They also seem concerned about their image as owners. Which I'm sure everybody's bashing, but I wouldn't know because I don't follow this crap on the radio as I said.And they seem worried that we're not seeing enough replays. Anyway they cover a lot, I think if you've bought tickets this year you should get the e-mail. You can try this link but I'm not sure if anyone's allowed to fill this thing out. When I click it now it tells me I've already completed the survey. So, hopefully it works for you. But be prepared for a half-hour of question-answering.

Jose Vinicio, SS Year Age Tm LeagueAL - American League (1901-present)NL - National League (1876-present)AA - American Association (1882-1891)UA - Union Association (1884)PL - Players League (1890)FL - Federal League (1914-1915)NA - National Association (1871-1875)" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Lg Classification of LeagueClassifications have changed over time but have generally ranged fromAAA to AA to A and then Short-Season or Rookie and B, C, D, etc." style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">Lev Plate AppearancesWhen available, we use actual plate appearances from play-by-play game accountsOtherwise estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,which excludes catcher interferences.When this color click for a summary of each PA." style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">PA 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO Hits/At BatsFor recent years, leaders need 3.1 PAper team game playedBold indicates highest BA using current statsGold means awarded title at end of year." style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">BA (H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PAper team game played" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">OBP Total Bases/At Bats or (1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/ABFor recent years, leaders need 3.1 PAper team game played" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">SLG On-Base + Slugging Percentages For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PAper team game played" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">OPS 2013 19 Greenville SALL A 139 3 2 1 6 4 6 34 .167 .228 .246 .474 4 Seasons 789 23 16 7 62 26 33 151 .253 .298 .358 .656 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original TableGenerated 5/21/2013. You would think that, now a year older and with a season of experience under his belt, that Jose Vinicio would be breaking out, or, at the least, improving in his second stint at Low-A Greenville. Instead, his numbers remain awful with May now two-thirds of the way finished, and he's hit .138/.219/.207 over his last 10 games. MLB 2013 draft: Potential Red Sox pick Sean Manaea injured The pitching prospect didn't even get into his game today before he was scratched due to injury. Vinicio is striking out 24 percent of the time, an awful lot for a light-hitting shortstop, especially when you prop it up next to his six walks. He's very raw offensively, so not blowing people away is expected, but this is a tad concerning. Then again, he's still just 19, and jumped from Rookie ball to Low-A, bypassing short-season Lowell. He's now a .241/.290/.330 hitter, which would be less concerning if he hadn't succeeded before failing, rather than the other way around. Defensively, he's getting things done, however. He's made seven errors, but we're talking about a shortstop who made 25 of them last year, many of them unforced due to his aggressive style of play in the field. He's still on pace to end up around there, but it's good to see him contribute to 21 double plays already after 44 last year. The rough edges need to be smoothed out here, but he appears to be pointed in the right direction. There are a lot more questions offensively, but he's still got plenty of room for growth, both in terms of ability and the size he'll need to be taken seriously at the plate. ***** Francellis Montas, RHP Year Age Tm LeagueAL - American League (1901-present)NL - National League (1876-present)AA - American Association (1882-1891)UA - Union Association (1884)PL - Players League (1890)FL - Federal League (1914-1915)NA - National Association (1871-1875)" class="tooltip sort_default_asc" align="center" data-stat="

Here’s a whopper of a trade rumor, courtesy of New Orleans Pelicans blogger Michael McNamara: Just heard strange rumor from EC source: Celtics talking about possibility of Pierce and Bradley for Eric Gordon. Pierce’s contract is only partially guaranteed. Best case scenario: Pelicans can move Pierce for something. Worst case: Buy him out for Five million and have even more cap space this summer plus the young perimeter defender they crave in Bradley. Interesting Apparently Celtics discussing a handful of scenarios regarding Pierce. Would rather get something as opposed to buying him out To be clear, if somehow this deal did go down, Pierce would never play for the Pelicans. Would be moved or bought out About 90% of Celtics fans are disgusted with this idea even being discussed. Cant say I blame them. Pelicans fans about 80% in favor. My initial reaction to this rumor is… NO. Eric Gordon may be a young (24), high-scoring (17 ppg) guard, but his injury history is frightening. Check out this injury outline via Bourbon Street Shots: 2009-10 Season (62 out of 82 games) November 2009 (8 games) – Strained groin December 2009 (1 game) –  Precautionary (hamstring tightness) January 2010 (3 games) –  Sprained left big toe March 2010 (5 games) – Groin injury April 2010 (3 games) – Viral infection(final 3 games of the season; Clippers tanking?) 2010-11 Season (56 out of 82 games) November 2010 (2 games) – Bruised left shoulder January 2011 (18 games) – Right wrist bone chip fracture(which he played through for 17 minutes after first suffering the injury) March 2011(6 games) – Re-injury to right wrist 2011-12 Season (9 out of 66 games) December 2011 (57 games) – Right knee injury 2012-13 Season (18 out of 53 games) October 2012 (29 games) – Right knee injury January 2013 (5 games) – Rest (back-to-back games) February 2013 (1 game) – Sprained right hand (precautionary due to prior wrist injury) And let’s not forget Gordon’s in-game shouting match with head coach Monty Williams, who happens to be a close friend of Doc Rivers. Gordon isn’t cheap. He has 3 years and $45 million remaining on his contract. This is a tough call because Gordon would be fuel-injection for the Celtics offense. Not only can he shoot with range, but he has the ability to get to the rim and draw fouls. I’m prepared for the Celtics to waive Pierce and get nothing in return. It’s Bradley’s inclusion in this deal that has me torn. And would Kevin Garnett return if this deal were made? So many things to consider… Take Our Poll

May 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) warms up before game five against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Thunder 88-84. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Kevin Durant donated $1 million to the ARC for disaster relief in Oklahoma City. By now, I’m sure you have heard about the tornadoes that have been through Oklahoma City. Durant embodies what we want a professional sports player to be. He’s so humble and caring, this only puts a stamp on everything that we initially believed. It didn’t take him long to donate at all and I’m sure he did it without hesitation. Its really hard not to like this guy. 101 people have been rescued from the rubble according to Oklahoma City authorities. Durant’s million dollars should give relief to many who desperately need it. I’m sure that he saved lives with that. If you would like to donate to the Red Cross fund text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. You can also go to redcross.org if you’d like to donate as well.

Apr 12, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon (10) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) during the first half at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports There is a rumor going around that the Boston Celtics could be looking to trade for  the New Orleans Pelicans swingman Eric Gordon according to Michael McNamara of ESPN’s Truehoop blog Bourbon Street Shots. Just heard strange rumor from EC source: Celtics talking about possibility of Pierce and Bradley for Eric Gordon. — Michael McNamara (@McNamara247) May 21, 2013 Keep in mind that EC stands for Eastern Conference here. So the source is closer to the Celtics than the Pelicans. If the trade does go down, the Celtics would have moved Pierce’s contract and Avery Bradley for a swingman coming off of an ankle injury. Gordon has only played in 51 games in the past two seasons, but many believe that is because he didn’t want to play for the Hornets. If there is any truth to that, the Celtics could get some value in Gordon. Gordon’s best season was his third year with the Clippers. He averaged 22.3 points on 45% shooting. He also shot 36% from three that year–just near the league average. Gordon would insert some much needed offense for a team sorely lacking just that. They’d miss Avery Bradley’s defense on the perimeter, though. Bradley was easily the best perimeter defender for the Celtics this season. Once he made his return, he took what was a bottom 10 defense and turned it into a top 10 defense. The Celtics allow 1.9 less points with him on the court. We also have to remember Bradley was coming off of shoulder surgery to start the season. He has an injury history, too. So if this deal does manifest, its likely that Bradley will not be the only thing leaving the Celtics.

Herald Terrence Williams posts bail following arrestTerrence Williams up on charges Celtics Green A Possible Draft Target: Giannis AntetokunpoTerrence Williams UpdateCelticsBlog Level setting expectations for the 16th pick in the NBA Draft NBA Draft Combine observationsCLNS Radio Celtics Draft Prospect: Gorgui DiengReport Card: Paul PierceESPN Williams Tweets after posting bail Report Card: Courtney LeeSomeone to lean on? Jeff Green must show Boston Celtics he can deliver promise Lex Nihil Novi John Havlicek : Merchandiser NonpareilWas Bill Walton Overrated?Red's Army Photo Gallery:The 2012-13 Boston Celtics What do we do with… Jordan Crawford? Your Morning Dump… Where Terrence Williams gives his side of the storyNESN Syracuse Guard Michael Carter-Williams Wants to ‘Play Somewhere Else’ Than for Hometown CelticsTim Duncan Would Have Looked Surprisingly at Home in Celtics Jersey Without Draft LotteryPro Basketball Talk Durant, Thunder players tweet out support for Oklahoma City CSNNE The night Celtics landed fifth pick in NBA lottery Celtics Hub Update: Terrence Williams Out on Bail, Will Be in Court on WednesdayMass Live Terrence Williams tweets about gun-related arrest; in court, Boston Celtics guard disputes some detailsBoston Celtics rumors 2013: Greg Oden still someone the Celtics will monitorBleacher Report Kevin Garnett's Boston Celtics Future Hinges on Paul Pierce's Fate What's Next for Paul Pierce Heading into Uncertain 2013 Offseason? Yahoo Lakers Vs. Celtics Offseason 2013: Who's Got it Worse?

There are few phrases the draw the fire of chowderheads as easily as "this is their Stanley Cup’, and with good reason! It’s an excuse to take the blame away from an underperforming team losing to a non-contender, for reasons like "resting" or "not needing to send a message". The users of the phrase say. If our team is going to make the playoffs, why should we worry about dropping a few games to Buffalo? Because the playoffs are a different beast altogether. Just on the first round, we’ve been on both sides of underestimating an opponent- failing in games five and six to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs, giving them confidence- and eventually- a 4-1 lead halfway through the third period of game 7. Toronto was playing the better Hockey, and it was their Stanley cup. Then the Bruins got confident. Three straight goals, by Horton, Lucic , and then Bergeron sent the game to overtime. The bear had finally woken up. We’ve seen the flashes throughout the season, but something was different this time- the bear stayed awake, winning the game in overtime. The first game against New York was just as promising, despite the, again, close score. Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski stepped up. Game two was a 5-2 dissection of Henrick Lundqvist. Game three is tonight, and this is where we’ll find out if the team is ready to roll over and keep hibernating, or become the beast of the east once again, and step on the throat of the Rangers, and every other team we will have to play. Choke the Breath out of them and keep rolling. This isn’t about this game, or this series. This is our Stanley Cup. There are few phrases the draw the fire of chowderheads as easily as "this is their Stanley Cup’, and with good reason! It’s an excuse to take the blame away from an underperforming team losing to a non-contender, for reasons like "resting" or "not needing to send a message". The users of the phrase say. If our team is going to make the playoffs, why should we worry about dropping a few games to Buffalo? Because the playoffs are a different beast altogether. Just on the first round, we’ve been on both sides of underestimating an opponent- failing in games five and six to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs, giving them confidence- and eventually- a 4-1 lead halfway through the third period of game 7. Toronto was playing the better Hockey, and it was their Stanley cup. Then the Bruins got confident. Three straight goals, by Horton, Lucic , and then Bergeron sent the game to overtime. The bear had finally woken up. We’ve seen the flashes throughout the season, but something was different this time- the bear stayed awake, winning the game in overtime. The first game against New York was just as promising, despite the, again, close score. Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski stepped up. Game two was a 5-2 dissection of Henrick Lundqvist. Game three is tonight, and this is where we’ll find out if the team is ready to roll over and keep hibernating, or become the beast of the east once again, and step on the throat of the Rangers, and every other team we will have to play. Choke the Breath out of them and keep rolling. This isn’t about this game, or this series. This is our Stanley Cup.

It's been a bit touch-and-go for the Red Sox' bullpen this season, but for the moment it seems to have finally settled down. From the beginning, it's been one thing after another for the bullpen that was expected to be one of the team's strengths this season. Craig Breslow was the first to fall, not seeing so much as an inning in spring training as his shoulder sidelined him. While the Red Sox still started the season with an ostensibly strong back-three in Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara, and Joel Hanrahan, it did not take long for Hanrahan to reveal that he was not over his September 2012 struggles. Before long, he was on the disabled list as well. With the fall of Joel Hanrahan came the rise of Andrew Bailey, who proved he still had the talent that the Sox initially traded for after 2011. The problem was that beyond Tazawa, Uehara, and Bailey, nobody was stepping up. Andrew Miller and Clayton Mortensen struggled early, while Alfredo Aceves remained the same wreck of a pitcher he was in 2012. Brief visits from the likes of Stephen Wright and Daniel Bard, leaving the important members of the bullpen called on in games they never should have seen action in. With Felix Doubront and John Lackey's replacements struggling to go deep in games, the bullpen was constantly in distress. The situation seemed ready to go critical when Joel Hanrahan's return proved a disaster, only ending with surgery and the likely end of his Red Sox career. Frankly, though, that was a step in the right direction, part of a positive trend that was arguably well underway by that point. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham Counter-intuitively, the repair process is centered around the least impressive arms in the pen. Simply enough that's because the Sox have never been at a lack for an eighth or ninth inning guy. If Hanrahan was a disaster, Andrew Bailey was there to take his place. Even when Bailey was out, the combination of Tazawa and Uehara would be enough to handle the really difficult situations. The problem was getting the ball to them, and keeping them out of blowouts. In that department, the first man to make a difference was Alex Wilson. His results so far--a 1.26 ERA with runs allowed only in games that were clearly lost or won--seem unsustainable given his 11:7 K:BB ratio. Still, Wilson has a level of reliability to him. As a former starter, he can eat some innings when it's really necessary, and has only been getting better on the mound with more time in the majors. At some point he'll give up a walk and then a homer--fly balls won't always stay in the yard, and walks won't always be stranded--and he's not exactly the guy you want pitching the eighth just yet. But for a sixth-inning pitcher or someone who comes in during five- or six-run games, Wilson is a far sight better than the likes of Daniel Bard or Alfredo Aceves. Then there's Andrew Miller, who can best be described as a roller coaster in pitcher form. Through the first three weeks of the season, he seemed an absolute wreck, but the pitcher we've seen ever since has been a monster. In 10 innings of work since April 21st, Miller has struck out 17 batters and walked two using surprisingly good fastball command and the biting slider which has lefties looking completely helpless. Of course, there was a three-run disaster mixed in there, but it wouldn't be a roller coaster without the dip. While there was initially some question whether the Sox needed a lefty-specialist back before Hanrahan's surgery and the change in Franklin Morales' expected destination, now he certainly seems capable of contributing. The most important return, however, has been Craig Breslow. It's actually surprising to realize he's been back for two weeks and pitched in eight games, allowing just one earned run. While he's clearly still working to get back to full strength, he's managed to keep his recovery period from costing the Red Sox much in terms of runs. For the last five years, Breslow has been one of the leagu

The Boston Bruins face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden tonight at 7:30pm In praise of Claude Julien and his coaching. [WEEI] Counterpoint- Testy John Tortorella is... testy. [BostonHerald] Five issues that led to one big overtime problem for the Rangers. [TheScore] The Bruins have discovered the way around the Rangers' shot blocking. [MetroWestDailyNews] Secondary scoring has been key for a Bruins team that has taken pride in its depth. [SportsMedia101] It is "pedal to the metal" time, as the Bruins will need to be relentless. [BruinsDaily] It isn't Freddy Krug giving Henrik Lundqvist nightmares. Every Bruins line is chipping in. Tuukka Rask is maintaining an even keel. Dismal Rangers power play is dismal. [HockeyBuzz] Might there be more lineup changes tonight? [CausewayCrowd] Dennis Seidenberg is not likely in for tonight. [NHLBruins^CS] Sorry for my late posting, if you missed yesterday's Jack Edwards chat, the transcript is here: [Boston.Com] Dunkin Donuts' Bruins doughnut seems not quite right, somehow. [BostInno] Former Boston College Eagle Brian Boyle, now a Ranger, has had a tough season. [BostonGlobe] Yet more stunning insight from the Masters of the Universe about the relative value of certain teams meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals. [WallStreetJournal] A bit of potourri... Are these the OT Playoffs, the Bad Ref playoffs, the Delay-of-Game Playoffs, or the Unsung Hero Playoffs? What about Raffi Torres, and the fines his employers were levied? [GuardianUK] You need this for your bathroom Throne of Games. [PuckDaddy] Michael J. Fox has a witty quip and picture of each Stanley Cupcake he has devoured as NHL teams are eliminated from the playoffs. Here's the one dearest to our hearts, and do check his gallery of the others. [@realmikefox]

The Bruins have a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead and potentially put a stake in the hearts of the Rangers. The thing we can't forget here is that the Rangers have been down 0-2 in a series this year and then came back to win 4 out of the last 5. Also, Boston has lost a 3-0 series lead before. And I'm pretty sure that Henrik Lundqvist isn't going to play as horribly has he has the past two games. I just can't fathom it. I can't picture him being horrible for an entire series. He's to good to do that. I expect the Rangers to come out and play with some desperation tonight. Losing tonight, at home, and playing another poor game of hockey will probably crush this team. A lot of people are speculating that they're tuning out Tortorella because he's a fucking child with a mustache. Seriously. Who goes on national television and tells the media that a guy stinks because he's too jittery? Because he's god damn jitterbug. Who says that? What's that supposed to do? Fire the guy up? I'm sure Torts doesn't verbally abuse his players all season (but I'm probably wrong) and I'm sure he saves his dickish stuff for the media, but at some point his players are going to tune him out right? In Game 2 the Rangers looked like they weren't even trying. They didn't look like they were into the game at all, especially in the third period. That was Bruins-esque in terms of not caring. I hope that Boston takes care of business tonight. It wouldn't surprise me if they came out and played terribly, because the Bruins will do Bruins things like that from time to time. I mean, I know Game 2 was great, but they still had 16 turnovers. Dougie Hamilton was horrible on both Ranger goals, especially the first one. I think Seidenberg is going to be in the lineup tonight, which should solve the Hamilton issue. He's just not playoff ready. It will come with time. While Seidenberg may come back, the search for Tyler Seguin and Jaromir Jagr continues. I'm done predicting that either of these guys will do anything, because it's obvious it's not going to happen. Jagr can't stay on the ice for more than 30 seconds at a time towards the end of a period. Tyler Seguin can't fucking deke around someone without losing the puck. Seguin is playing with two corpses. Seriously, it's fucking Corpses on Ice out there. Chris Kelly, outside of taking faceoffs, has been rendered utterly useless. 0-0-0 -5 in the playoffs so far. Nine games and nothing. Rich Peverley: 1-0-1 -3 in 8 games. Tyler Seguin: 0-1-1. -2 in 9 games. Pathetic. They're fucking pathetic! And Seguin leads the team in shots with 35. I hope the Bruins buy out Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley when the time comes. They have two amnesty clauses and it's obvious that neither guy deserves the contract that they were given. Yes given, not earned. I'll get more into this in the offseason when I do my "What Should The Bruins Do Now" type of post, but buying these two guys out give the Bruins $6M in cap space on top of the $6M they will already have and the possible $4M from Savard's contract should they long term injury reserve him again. (click the image for a larger res) I mean, come on man. Still - Seguin and the rest of the Walking Dead on the third line need to wake up. After the jump, the rest of the preview... Bruins' Projected Lines Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Tyler Seguin Rich Peverley - Chris Kelly - Jaromir Jagr Shawn Thornton - Greg Campbell - Dan Paille Zdeno Chara - Dennis Seidenberg Johnny Boychuk - Matt Bartkowski Adam McQuaid - Torey Krug Tuukka Rask Anton Khudobin Media TV: NBCSN, RDS, TSN Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub Online Feeds: HERE DOY Flying Bear T-Shirt YO DUDES