Sox Continue Road Woes

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

An alarming trend is starting to form - it's becoming more and more obvious that the Boston Red Sox can't win away from Fenway Park. They are now 11-16 on the road, compared to a dominant 17-6 home record. What is to make of this? To beat an old horse, especially in this space, the starting pitching has been nothing short of horrendous. I have confidence in nobody, save for the 40-something guy who throws 68 miles per hour. To borrow a joke from Bill Simmons, read that sentence again.

The offense has sputtered recently, but has by no means been horrible. Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Varitek have all performed at a high level. Reigning A.L. MVP Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, and even Julio Lugo (seriously, Julio Freaking Lugo) have certainly contributed. The only person who hasn't pulled his (considerable) weight is David Ortiz. I'm probably not alone in saying that I'm getting pretty fed up with him. Enough is enough. He makes WAY too much money to cut him, and Tito would never do that, anyway. Fine. Bat him ninth, then. Seriously. It pains me to see him step into the box. As a Red Sox fan, I'm crushed.

This is hard. Ortiz is one of the most important sports figures to hit Boston since Larry Bird. In my lifetime, there aren't many on the Hick's level: Brady, Pedro, Bourque, the spot posthumously held for Manny, and Papi. That's it. That's the list. Screw Clemens. Garnett and Pierce are knocking on the door, but they aren't there yet. Garnett will be in Springfield on the first ballot, but hasn't been here long enough. Paul Pierce has been a Celtic for 12 seasons, has endured the worst years and enjoyed the best; he will forever have the love and respect he deserves from Celtics fans. But there is something missing. He never gave himself to us the way Ortiz did. And that makes a difference, at least to me.

Big Ten Expansion! Keep out Notre Dame?

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

"I'm oooooold! And I'm not happy! And I don't like things now compared to the way they used to be." - Dana Carvey as The Grumpy Old Man on SNL

If I were 82 years old and was the winningest coach in college football I guess I would speak my mind freely too. That's what Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno did at an alumni event on Wednesday. Paterno would love to see a 12th team join the Big Ten to help with scheduling and of course a lucrative conference title game. That sounds great to me, the problem is "Joe Pa" wants nothing to do with Notre Dame being that school added.

As a huge Notre Dame fan, I believe this would be the best thing for the school and the conference. Paterno says no, he'd like to see either Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Syracuse join the Big Ten. Penn State joined as the conference's 11th team in 1990, so does he get to choose who becomes the 12th. Paterno said he'd like the Big Ten to add an Eastern school, especially one that plays in the New York media market. That would seem to favor Rutgers. "If I had my choice, someone that can give us the biggest TV exposure in the East," Paterno said, offering as possibilities "Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers. Not in that order."

The Fighting Irish rejected an invitation to join the Big Ten more than a decade ago for great reasons. At the time they were still a national powerhouse and NBC was paying big bucks to have the exclusive television rights for all home games. Yes Notre Dame has been down for the past decade, excluding the last two Brady Quinn years. But, there is an ebb and flow to college football that Penn State knows very well with a 26-33 record the first five years of this decade and 40-11 the last four.

"There's some pressure, I would suppose, to maybe go back to Notre Dame and ask again, which I would not be happy with," Paterno said. "I think they've had their chance."

Notre Dame is the most polarizing school by far in the country, you either love 'em or you hate 'em. But, the Irish would bring in more recruits to the Big Ten and much larger TV ratings than Syracuse, Pitt, or Rutgers could ever hope for. Does the elderly Paterno realize what kind of a following Notre Dame has worldwide. If he is looking to add a school for TV exposure it doesn't make sense to take a school from the Big East that nobody watches anyways. There is no need to snatch a school that is already affiliated with a conference. Take the independent ND and watch the TV numbers soar for the Big Ten you old fool.

"Progress?! Flobble-de-flee! In my day, when we were angry and frustrated, we just said, 'Flobble-de-flee!' 'cause we were idiots and we didn't know what else to say! Just a bunch o' illiterate Cro-Magnons, blowin' on crusty handkerchiefs, waitin' in lines for our head to burst into flame and that's the way it was and we liked it!" - Dana Carvey as The Grumpy Old Man on SNL

Sox' hopes rest on the rotation

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Piitching still wins championships. So where does that leave the Boston Red Sox?

The Red Sox should be thanking the baseball gods they are in the position they are in as far as the standings are concerned, especially with the dismal efforts put forth by the starting pitching this season.

As a unit, Red Sox starters - Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Jon Lester, Justin Masterson and Daisuke Matsuzaka have a combined 5.34 ERA in their starts. Tim Wakefield holds the best ERA among the starters despite last night's blow up at 4.55 (Yes, Masterson has a 4.22 ERA, but as a starter, he's at 4.58)

Remarkably, despite those numbers, the Sox starters still hold a 57 percent winning percentage (21-16) and the team's 28 wins are tied for second in the American League and its .571 winning percentage is third in the AL behind the Yankees (.583) and the Rangers (.604).

A large part of the thanks needs to go to the offense, which, despite the atrocious batting of David Ortiz, is in the AL's top 5 in batting average (3rd), on base percentage (2nd), slugging (3rd), runs (5th), home runs (5th) and RBIs (5th). Jason Bay has been enormous this year and is currently on pace to best any season Manny Ramirez put together in Boston in terms of run production. Is he going to maintain that pace? No. He's already showing signs of slowing down, but will still finish with the best numbers of his career. Even with a stint on the DL, Kevin Youkilis has been able to pick up right where he left off last season and Dustin Pedroia is being that sparkplug in the No. 2 slot. Even Mike Lowell, who was a big enough liability over the offseason that the team made a strong push for Mark Teixiera, and Jason Varitek, who got zero bites on the free agent martket, are producing.

And there can be no complaints about the bullpen, which has been one of, if not THE stongest in baseball.

There is no reason why the starting rotation can't turn it around. Josh Beckett has already shown signs of improvement. In his last five starts, the Red Sox ace has a 3-0 record and the team is 4-1, the only loss being a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Mets. In those starts, he's allowed nine earned runs in 34 innings (a 2.38 ERA), going at least seven innings in his last three outings. Brad Penny will be no savior, but ever since blowing up for seven runs in 2.2 innings, he has pitched well enough to win, and has. He's 3-1 in the month of May with a 4.41 ERA. It's not earth-shattering, but what more could any team expect from the fourth starter? Tim Wakefield is being what he has always been and at points this season, he has saved the bullpen from implosion from over work while other starters struggled to get through five innings.

The X factors remain Lester and Matsuzaka. The former has shown good stuff, but seems to have hit that mental block he had when he first came up - when things go bad, he can't prevent them from going REALLY bad. The latter, however, is hard to figure out. He's just a mess. If the Red Sox hope to keep pace with the surging Yankees, these two have to get it together. John Smoltz is not going to come back and light the world on fire and while he's throwing near-no-no's against AAA batters, Clay Bucholtz is not a lock, either. Two seasons ago Beckett, Lester and Dice-K led the Red Sox to the promised land. It's going to take all three of them to get them back there.

Redemption Time for the Penguins

By Matt Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Once the Bruins were knocked out of the playoffs, which seems like months ago, I knew there would be a Stanley Cup Finals rematch from a year ago. The Eastern Conference Champion Penguins, after a hard fought seven game battle with Washington, swept the Hurricanes with ease, propelling themselves back to the finals. The Wings, in my opinion, have had the tougher road getting to the finals. Detroit squeaked past the Ducks in the second round with a 4-3 win in game seven and had three overtime games against the Blackhawks which ended in five.

The biggest factor in this series has to be age. The Penguins are led by the 2 best offensive players in hockey, Sidney Crosby (age 21) and Evgeni Malkin (22). Pittsburgh also has a great young goalie in Marc-Andre Fluery (24). Detroit has pretty much the same team as last year's Cup winning team. They are a team comprised of old veterans that know how to win playoff hockey games. The major problem the Wings are dealing with is that their age is catching up with them and they are starting to break down physically.

Detroit, who won in six games last year against Pittsburgh, is looking to become the first NHL team with back-to-back championships since the Red Wings did in 1997 and 1998 with several of the same players. The Wings, who have won four titles in the last 11 seasons, are built on a foundation experienced (or old) players such as captain Nicklas Lidstrom (39), Tomas Holmstrom (36), Kris Draper (38), and Kirk Maltby (36). But Detroit does have some "younger" players in Pavel Datsyuk (30) and Henrik Zetterberg (28), the two led the team in scoring in the regular season. Not to mention the raised from the dead goaltender Chris Osgood (36 years young) who has come back from obscurity to have a good playoffs.

The banged-up Red Wings expect to have Lidstrom back on the blue line Saturday night after he was forced to sit out the last two games against Chicago because of an undisclosed lower-body injury, who do they think they are the Patriots. Draper, sidelined for all but four games during the postseason, should also return along with defenseman Jonathan Ericsson just a few days removed from surgery following an appendicitis. Datsyuk is still the biggest question mark, will be a game-time decision. The Red Wings clearly could have used more time off, but now face playing four games in six nights and five in eight, advantage Pittsburgh. My prediction for the series is Penguins will win the Cup at home in Game 6 dashing the hopes of another Detroit repeat.

Hockey Note: Red Wings forward Marian Hossa will be playing in second straight Cup Finals. Last year he was a late season acquisition by the Penguins and helped them to the Finals against Detroit. Hossa decided to turn down an offer from the Penguins in the off-season and sign with more experienced Wings team at a lower salary. Now he faces his old team. Karma?

Looks like the Yankees don't suck after all

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Here they come! Watch out Red Sox fans, the Yankees --yes, that team that apparently "sucks" -- are starting to play real consistent baseball and have overtaken first place in the AL East (by a half game) for the first time since 2006.

Will it last? Hard to tell because it's so early, but one thing is for sure: The Yankees should be considered a dangerous club and shouldn't be overlooked.

The Nation has gotten a little too big for its own britches --the Sox have some major issues with their club just like everyone does, but they're still content with taking the first five games against the Yanks this year (the next Sox-Yanks series is in Boston on June 9-11).

Big deal, move on. It's not like they play the Yanks 162 times during the regular season. After a series is over you move on. The players do it, but the Nation always likes living in the past.

But on the field, New York is pretty scary with a staff of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, but its weakness is the bullpen (except for closer Mariano Rivera).

Boston's got a great bullpen, but everyone should and is questioning its starters. Besides Josh Beckett, is there a guy that you're comfortable with every time he takes the mound? No.

Jon Lester has been real inconsistent (although I think he'll find last year's form soon), Dice-K is a mess, Tim Wakefield has come back down to earth with some real shaky starts and then there's Brad Penny. I know he hasn't completely imploded like I thought he would, but do you trust him? Oh, wait, John Smoltz is working his way back to health in the minors ... he'll be the Nation's savior in a month or so. 

Don't bank on it. He's not the 22-year-old Smoltz anymore with a power fastball, slider and nasty split.

With Alex Rodriguez back in the Yankee lineup, it's become a much more powerful and productive team. Mark Teixeira, who the Nation said couldn't handle the pressure of New York after his slow start (do you finally believe that Tex is a notoriously slow starter?) has been a monster with the stick lately. 

Can the Sox keep pace all season with David Ortiz hitting under .200? It's hard to believe that they can. Mr. Mango Salsa, who was all smiles when he could hit a few years back, is now his worst enemy. He's snapping bats in the dugout after striking out and he's even riding the pine at times? Is he washed up? It looks like it, but he can't be this bad all season, right?

Good thing Jason Bay is playing like an MVP candidate and Jason Varitek has delivered with his bat -- who would have predicted that in the offseason? 

The Sox can still hurt opposing pitchers with Jacoby Ellsbury -- he's not a superstar Nation so stop putting him in the elite category -- Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell (he's just a solid all-around player that you can't hate), but Ortiz is really killing that team.

It's still too early to crown the Yanks or the Sox -- I'm still not counting out the Tampa Bay Rays -- but did you really think the Yankees wouldn't compete in the division?

I know the Nation says the Yankees suck, so what does it say about its own team since the BoSox are trailing their hated rival?

To win the NL West, Dodgers don't need Manny

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Dodgers lost 4 out of their first 5 games after the suspension of Manny Ramirez. The team looked lost, and it looked as if the Mannyless Dodger's were going to go in the tank. Thanks in part to Joe Torre, and the resurgent Juan Pierre, this young Dodgers team was able to quickly turn things around and maintain the best record in the Major Leagues. Since that original 5 game stretch, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 12-4 giving them a 13-8 overall record without Manny Ramirez.

You might think a 13-8 record is not great, but that 12-4 stretch is. How have they been doing it without Manny? Well, offense for one. They've outscored their opponents 90-62, and have averaged 5.6 runs per game. That is fantastic for a team that's been offensively challenged for a few years prior to the Manny trade. Most experts, and baseball fans in general, expected the Dodgers to struggle scoring runs during Manny's absence. That has not happened so far, but they are scoring those runs much differently. Instead of Manny's home runs, the rest of the team is chipping in. They're running more and putting pressure on the opposing teams' defense.

Juan Pierre is hitting .397 with a .463 OPB on the season, and has been a revelation at bat and on the base paths. He already has 10 stolen bases and 25 runs scored in only 121 at bats. Orlando Hudson, now entrenched in the 3rd spot in the lineup, has been tremendous all year hitting .333 and is 3rd on the team with 30 RBI. With the exception of Pierre, Casey Blake has taken advantage the most of Manny's 50 game suspension. He's 2nd on the team with 33 RBI. He's had 18 RBI in the 18 games without Manny Ramirez. Not bad huh? You want a young player who's stepped up? Let's talk about James Loney. He leads the team with 36 RBI, 15 of them since Manny's 50 game departure. He's now batting .298 which is 20 points higher since Manny's last game. All this and Matt Kemp has been struggling of late, and Russ Martin has struggled all year. Watch out if they get hot!

Enough offense, let's talk pitching. They still have depth problems in the starting rotation, but Chad Billingsley has taken the role of staff ace to heart. Bills was the tough luck loser today, and is now 6-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 76 strike outs in 74 innings pitched. Randy Wolf has been far better than most thought as well. He is only 3-1, with 7 no decisions, but has a 2.84 ERA. Clayton Kershaw has been somewhat inconsistent, but always shows flashes of brilliance. He is the staff ace of the future. He's only 3-3, but has won 3 of his last 4. They've had good contributions from Jeff Weaver, 2-1 3.63, Eric Stults, 4-1 4.29, and even Eric Milton "pitched" in with a great start last time out allowing only 1 run in 5 innings. What's helped the most is the dominant bullpen. Jonathon Broxton has been fantastic converting 11 of 13 save chances so far. He has a 1.50 ERA and 37 strike outs in only 24 innings. Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Bellesario have been great as the main set up men this year. Troncoso even has 3 saves. Personally, I think the Dodgers need to make a move for a better lefty specialist than Will Ohman and add another quality starting pitcher at the deadline, but have a pretty good staff for the National League.

To be a legitimate contender you need a combination of good pitching, good defense and timely hitting. That is what the Dodgers have been doing without Manny. They are solid defensively up the middle with Martin, Furcal Hudson and Kemp. They've had pitchers performing above and beyond and they've had timely hitting from Hudson, Pierre, Blake and Loney. They haven't hit a ton of home runs, but you don't need power to win in the National League. Now the playoffs and The World Series are another matter. I never said they don't need Manny to win it all!

Sorry I'm Late

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I know I haven't posted in a couple of days - I've been on vacation from work and prepping for my daughter's second birthday party. I know it's no excuse, but hey, the women in my life like to run it. Anyhoo, some thoughts on the last couple of days:

• Holy crap, Dice-K. Throw another wild pitch in an awful situation, why don't you? It's hard enough to watch you pitch in the first place, you don't need to bring stuff like that into the equation. I honestly can't stand watching this guy throw for five innings (and God knows, that's all you're getting out of him). I'm sick and tired of all the three-ball counts, which half the time are full counts. This guy just doesn't get it. THROW STRIKES. I know he's won 33 games his first two years in the majors. He's not fooling anybody anymore. The Red Sox were crazy to invest $100M in this guy. He's not getting any better, his priorities are in the wrong place (opting for WBC over getting ready for the MLB season), and maybe - just maybe - the hype was just that. Hype.
• Jason Varitek took a lot of heat from a lot of people when he re-signed with Boston, myself included. I didn't think he had anything left in the tank. I was wrong. He's been tremendous during the first eight weeks of the season, capped off by a stunning two-homer game in Minnesota yesterday. His latest round-tripper was hit to a place that I'm guessing not too many fans expect a ball to land. That was a majestic shot, one that put the Sox ahead by a run, and showed off the awesome strength of the captain.
• Why can't Jonathan Papelbon just have a clean inning, like, once every five times out? I'm starting to worry about this. I understand that closers are going to give up runs and blow saves once in a while. But he's putting guys on and giving up home runs at an alarming rate. I want my closer to be lights out. Papelbon has been anything but this season, and it is going to come back to bite the Sox, mark my words. I used to have 100% confidence when he came into a game but not anymore. He still has the signature heat, but it seems like the league may have caught onto something. Hitters seem to be on his fastball more than they should be.
• This Red Sox team has a lot more holes than I originally thought. The starting pitching, quite honestly, has sucked. The offense has been OK, but not great. The defense hasn't exactly been stellar. The only constant has been the bullpen. If this team is going to have a shot at the division, not to mention the World Series, Theo needs to get going on some moves. This team, as currently constructed, doesn't have enough to win it all.

Blame compliance, not Cal

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Not surprisingly, things have metaphorically hit the fan with a John Calipari-coached team.

Yesterday, a forest fire was lit in the mid-South when it was revealed that the Memphis Tigers are under investigation for “known fraudulence or misconduct” on a player’s SAT exam and providing more than $2,000 worth of free travel of an associate of the player.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal released the official documentation here Wednesday night. The names have been redacted, but the language of the document indicates that Derrick Rose is the main culprit, that somebody took his SATs and got the minimum qualifying score.

Nobody who’s followed Calipari is shocked by this. He does whatever it takes to win, and get the most out of his players, and sometimes that includes pushing the envelope. Believe me, you should hear some of the recruiting trail stories about him floating around. He hasn’t made a lot of friends on the way, but like his counterpart Rick Pitino, he knows how to play the media and the public very well. Few know how to drum up the masses like Coach Cal.

The University of Kentucky has already come out and said that Cal will not be charged with anything (of course), but that he will need to be present at the June 6 hearing. But the wolfpack has already thrown its daggers in his direction.

After all, he “had nothing to do” with the UMass fracas back in the 90's either. Really, there was no way he could have known that three starters were playing with below a 2.0 GPA; or that Marcus Camby was walking around with $28,000 and a big platinum “21” chain around his neck; or that Calipari was giving tickets to agents. So much did he have nothing to do with the problem that he’s inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame, and has a room dedicated in his name at the library.

But I digress. These are two different beasts.

Amongst all this talk of accountability regarding Calipari, RC Johnson and the UK athletic department, here’s the question I want answered: where’s the compliance auditor in all this?

We can talk all we want about Cal’s cutthroat recruiting tactics, win-at-all-costs mentality or his constant modern-day Othello with the national media. But at the end of the day, this is a problem that demands the accountability of the athletic department’s compliance office. Just because there is no “lack of institutional control” charge does not mean these guys are off the hook. Let’s remember, people, that it is ultimately up to the compliance office to make sure these kids are eligible to participate in college athletics, and that their status as an amateur athlete is not in jeopardy. THEY have the final say.

Now, I’m not dismissing the fact that Cal could have used his clout to strong-arm the department. But let’s remember to see the forest through the trees when explosive stories like these hit the streets.

On a lighter note, the Memphis women’s golf team is SCREWED.

Lakers, Cavs not invincible...but their alpha dogs are

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Last night's playoff game was one of those "Where were you?" moments.

I was at my Boston apartment, relaxing big-time, even though there's like seven Irish pubs within a two-block radius. Incredibly lame, I realize that now.

Anyways...

Not since the Trail Blazers' 2000 playoffs meltdown have we seen such a polarizing string of events in professional basketball. LeBron James scored 32 straight points to carry the Cavaliers to a 10-point victory over Orlando and keep their season alive for at least another two days.

And not since the days of Jordan have we felt so compelled to write such passionate prose about a singular player. This, of course, can be a good AND bad thing.

By propping up LeBron as a damn near Deity, we've created this illusion that the man can win every game by himself. Don't get it twisted, Mo Williams and Boobie Gibson had tremendous nights as well, but this series has been all about LeBron, LeBron, LeBron.

I've always harped on the man through the years for what I see as a flawed game. Primarily, he lacks that defensive tenacity that complete Jordan, and his long-range shooting had been a few notches above abysmal. But I'm not going to diss the guy's game any more after this series -- at least, most of the time.

Sometimes, a win can be discouraging, and that's what I saw last night. You cannot go 1-on-5 the entire night, every night, and expect to come away victorious.

LeBron's freakish game masks what I see as two major flaws in the team:

1) The ol' "stand around and watch somebody" gameplan

This is the standard Cavs' offensive play: high screen for the ball carrier out of a 1-4 set, give the ball to LeBron somewhere on the wing and let him do something. That might work in college or high school, but at the NBA level it's vital that all five guys are moving around, creating space and calling for the ball. Sure, Varejao, Szcerbiak and Ilgauskas have been great, but in the crunch they are often setting picks.

2) Lack of toughness

Dwight Howard's sixth foul on a driving LeBron will be debated much over the next 24 hours. It's a tough call to make, but I wouldn't have blown the whistle on that one, and Dwight has reason to be somewhat outraged. I bring this us up because this is LeBron's style of play more often than not: take off from the wing, barrel into the lane, throw yourself at the basket and hope they call a foul. The Cavs, in my opinion, get more calls than they should, and they spend more time complaining about calls than any other team still playing right now.

The Lakers, in my opinion, have often gone through these two aforementioned phases this postseason (ahem, Houston). The difference between the Lakers and the Cavs is they don't stay still for long. Phil Jackson's gameplan is based on perpetual motion; he makes sure the ball gets distributed evenly around the court before letting Kobe run free out of the triangle for the final quarter.

That's the major difference between the Cavs and Lakers.

Magic in six. Lakers in seven.

Time for Little E to step it up

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I'm a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, but there hasn't been anything to cheer about this season. 

Plain and simple, no sugarcoating here at Fan Fanatic Sports, Little E has been downright terrible. 

Put little old grandma in his Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 car and she could do just as well as 19th in the Sprint Cup Series points standings.

Are you serious, 19th?

Even though Earnhardt is the most popular driver -- hands down -- in NASCAR, his popularity isn't sending him into Victory Lane.

What's his problem?

I'll call Little E out and say he needs to be a better driver, first and foremost. Where's that passion to drive, to trade paint and make the key maneuvers (being aggressive) that made his dad one of the best ever?

We all know the fire is there, but it's been in hiding. He's a great driver, but he's even admitting he's not great right now.

He's eating his humble pie and it doesn't taste very good, either.

Owner Rick Hendrick -- everyone wants to drive for him -- is a great owner and puts out some of the finest race cars race after race. Plus, he wants to win and will do everything he can to make sure his cars and drivers win (Yes, just like the New York Yankees). 

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon aren't having the issues that Little E is having, so much of the blame falls directly on the driver.

But the crew chief is also a reason the No. 88 team has been putrid. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. got the boot by Mr.Hendrick -- deservingly so since that team has been one of the worst on the track -- and that should never happen with the quality of team and driver -- and was replaced by Lance McGrew.

Granted, it'll take some time for Earnhardt and McGrew to mesh, but now is the time for the 88 team to step up. 

No one likes losers, and that's exactly what they are right now.

Just watch, Earnhardt will turn it on and make the Chase. If not, expect more changes to be made.

Earnhardt better get back to his elite driver status fast because his popularity is slipping -- just like he is every week in the standings.

What's the hardest thing to do in sports?

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

One of my facebook buddies, Robert Valera of Leominster, brought up a good point today as he asked the question, "What is the hardest thing in sports to do for the average person?"

He lists hitting a Major League fastball, tackling an NFL running back, hitting a 3-point shot against an NBA player, hitting a hole-in-one in golf or stopping a shot by an NHL player.

Is there a right or wrong answer? No way.

But as far as I'm concerned, I'm going to wipe away two selections right away: 3-point shot and stopping a puck. The puck might be the easiest since you just need to put pads on and hope Sidney Crosby hits you with the puck. If you're 300-plus pounds, you've already taken away the majority of the space in between the pipes so you're chances of deflecting one away is pretty good.

The 3-point shot, I know it's hard, but does anyone really play defense in the NBA anymore? I'm guessing Kobe Bryant would play off of you and allow you to pop in a trey --maybe not.

Tackling an NFL running back seems like a no-win situation -- Adrian Peterson goes 1 on 1 with you and you stand your ground, but he complete smashes your face into the turf. It can be done, but you might never recover from your multiple fractures. 

But my point is that even though you shouldn't have any business tackling a pro football player, it can be done. Not brute strength vs. real brute strength, but dive at his legs and upend him. You don't have to be powerful to do it, cut him low and hope his knee doesn't ring your bell or you'll definitely have a concussion. 

Best advice: flop on the ground and pray he loses his balance while trying to leapfrog over you -- that's still considered a tackle.

I'm not really buying the hole-in-one deal, either. How many 80-somethings do you read in the paper that recorded a hole-in-one on some course? More people do it than just Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, right?

I have no patience for golf and am really bad at it, but I almost did it a long time ago when golfing with my father-in-law. I think the shot was 100-plus yards away, I could have thrown the ball onto the green from the tee, but it doesn't matter the course length.

Hitting a Major League fastball is no joke. 

There's a reason why so many people can't play the game at a high level. Failure is the nature of the beast in baseball. It's one thing to brag that you hit an 84 mph fastball as a college baseball hero, but 92-95 mph and even higher in the majors is a lot different. 

Sure, you could stick out your bat and get a piece and foul it off, but I'm saying that doesn't count. Be a mouse and try to bunt ... again, that doesn't count.

We're talking about being a real man and taking a big league cut. Oh, don't forget, pitchers tend to not always hit their target, too. So look out, getting drilled in the head or ribs should always be in the back of your mind.  Your reaction time is next to nothing while facing real MLB heat, this isn't Wii baseball you're playing. I suppose you could get lucky like everything else and make real contact, but it's not as easy as many might thing -- but those are usually guys who couldn't even make their Little League team. Or if they did, it was because daddy was the league president.

Hitting a MLB pitcher is easily the hardest thing in my book.

Do you agree or disagree?

Lester Continues To Allow Big Inning To Do Him In

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff


Jon Lester took a 1-0 shutout into the bottom of the fifth inning last night in Minnesota. Unfortunately, he left the fifth inning with a four run deficit the Red Sox would never recover from, as they went on to lose, 5-2. In what is becoming a bit of a trend, Lester was once again bitten by a big inning after a strong start. The Sox lefty had been cruising, giving up only two hits through the first four innings, while impressively using two strikeouts to get out of a jam in the second. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Twins third baseman Brendan Harris singled to lead off the inning. After Delmon Young few out, Matt Tolbert reached on an infield hit, which was followed by a run-scoring single from Nick Punto. Denard Span then grounded out, scoring Tolbert before Joe Mauer drew a walk. With two on and two out, Justin Morneau hit a line shot just above the baggy in right field for his 14th homerun of the year, putting the game out of reach in the process. Nick Blackburn pitched well for the Twins, giving up just one earned run on eight hits through seven innings pitched. The young right hander also struck out seven while walking only two, while recording his fourth victory of the year.

David Ortiz moved down to the sixth spot in the order - finally - and doubled his first time up, to go along with a double in the fourth inning. It remains to be seen if Ortiz can start producing now that he has less pressure on him to drive in runs. J.D. Drew took over the third spot in the order, and is likely to remain there throughout the experiment since he bats from the left side of the plate. Jacoby Ellsbury had a big night for Boston. He led off the game with a single, extending his hitting streak to a league-leading 21 games. He singled in the seventh as well, giving him the team lead in multi-hit games with 18. The speedster also stole two bases, giving him 20 for the year, and scored both of Boston's runs. Ellsbury continued to show his defensive prowess, when he made a ridiculous diving catch to rob Delmon Young of certain extra bases on a line drive into the gap in the fifth inning.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2, 10.32) takes the mound for Boston tonight, against Minnesota's Kevin Slowey (6-1, 4.23 ERA). First pitch is at 8:10 from the Metrodome.

Ho hum...Pens sweep away Canes

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

They never stood a chance.

Against a team that matched their skating ability and far surpassed their scoring prowess, the Hurricanes looked like the pretenders we all knew they were, even after they beat the Baby B's.

The difference -both on the ice and on paper - was absurd. We won't get into all the gritty details because the basic ones paint enough of a picture - the Penguins outshot the WhalerCanes 137-118 and outscored them 20-9 in the four-game laugher.

Sidney Crosby, Evegni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury did exactly what you would expect young superstars to do - dominate. Malkin, who often is overlooked because of Crosby had a sensational series, which included a hat trick in game two's dismantling of Cam Ward and a three-point effort in game three that pretty much put the boot on Carolina's throat.

The Canes' big star, Eric Staal, however, disappeared. When the guy who provided almost 20 percent of your team's goals over the course of the season records two points and a minus-seven plus-minus, hang up the skates and don't even take the ice because you don't have a chance. Hey, Miroslav Satan (whose player number on Yahoo is actually 666) only played 17 games all season had a better series than Staal. That's not to say the series flop was all Staal's doing. It's hard to carry a team that essentially has no elite talent besides yourself. However, some glimmer of leadership, some kind of spark would have been nice for his teammates to see.

So while Boston fans a cheering the end of Scott Walker's playoff run, the NHL is also breathing a sigh of relief that the far superior team didn't lay an egg in this series. And with Detroit poised to knock out the Blackhawks after trouncing them, the stage is all but set for a rematch of last year's Cup final.

Big Papi finally dropped in the Sox order!

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Terry Francona and Theo Epstein finally decided to drop David Ortiz in the order. About time if you ask me. He's been an automatic out in the 3 hole so far this season.  He's dead last in average, hits, homers, on base percentage and slugging for designated hitters. Ouch! They tried sitting him down, but that didn't help. Neither will dropping him in the order. Of course it's the natural progression to put him down in the order, but what will they do next. I am of the opinion that David Ortiz is done as a productive major league player. I don't think dropping him to the 6th or 7th spot in the order will do any good. He's swinging and missing by at least a foot right now. 

So, what happened to the beloved Big Papi? Is this a result of stopping a regimen of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs? We don't know. Is it because of personal problems? We don't know. Does he have an eye sight condition similar to the one that ended Jim Rice's career? We don't know. What we do know is that his lack of production is hurting the Boston Red Sox. What we do know is that he looks so lost and mechanically wrong at the plate it's almost sad. He's being blown away by 88 mph fastballs and waving at off speed pitches in the dirt. 

When he goes another 2-4 weeks without increasing his production, what can the Red Sox do? They could send him back to Florida to spend time alone with a hitting instructor. That "seemed" to work when the Yankees did that with Jason Giambi. I doubt this will happen, but it could come to the Red Sox granting him his outright release, or looking at potential trades. The Red Sox have such a surplus of good, young pitching. They could dangle a Clay Bucholtz, or Michael Bowden, to the struggling Cleveland Indians and trade for Victor Martinez. He'd solve the immediate problem of a DH, and be the one to replace Varitek behind the plate in a 2010 or 2011. 

Whatever happens, Red Sox fans will be waiting and hoping for a triumphant return of the good ol' David Ortiz. Unfortunately for you Sox fans, you'll be waiting a very, very long time.

Are you a Fantasy Fanatic?

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Hello everyone! This is one of those unique times that FFS would like to reach out to our readers for their feedback. Chad and I have been blogging each week about Fantasy Baseball. We would like to see if you are enjoying the fantasy baseball content? Would you like 

more of it? Less? Do you even care to read about fantasy baseball? 

Now that we've been up and running for about two months, we want to start looking at the content we provide. What do you like best? Could we cut fantasy sports until the NFL returns? I know I love to research and write about Fantasy baseball because it keeps me on top of my game and helps me with trends, pickups etc.. Once again, what do you think?

Let us know so we can continue to bring the best possible content!

Q&A with Ryan Durand

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(This is the first of several question and answers with Tennessee Titans 7th-round draft pick Ryan Durand. If you have a question for Durand, please email me at cgarner.fanfanaticsports@gmail.com and I'll try to get your question into the next edition).

FFS: What is a Tennessee Titan?

Durand: A hard working guy who loves football.

FFS: How much do you bench press?

Durand: 215 (pounds) for 28 reps.

FFS: What are some of your hobbie?

Durand: Video games and movies.

FFS: iPhone or Blackberry?

Durand: Neither, anything that texts and makes calls is fine with me.

FFS: If you weren't in the NFL, what would you you be doing?

Durand: Going to grad school for physical therapy.

FFS: Best advice for a young athlete that wants to play football in college and pros?

Durand: Work hard on the field, in the weight room and classroom equally. And never underestimate yourself.

FFS: Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Durand: An older brother, Matt.

FFS: Nicknames?

Durand: None.

FFS: Toughest position on the football field and why?

Durand: Quarterback. Knowledge of the game and pressure.

FFS: What's one question you'd like to ask Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher?

Durand: What is he looking for from me to make the team.

FFS: Favorite movie?

Durand: Snatch.

FFS: Biggest thing that's shocked you so far in the NFL?

Durand: How normal everyone is off the field.

FFS: Why don't offensive linemen get any love (respect)?

Durand: People take the good ones for granted and expose the bad ones. No glory.

FFS: You're with Fan Fanatic Sports, are you a fanatic about anything?

Durand: Not sure.

FFS: Is football fun now, or is it a job?

Durand: It is definitely a little of both. You have to treat it with a degree of seriousness for sure but there is no reason why you can't have fun doing it.

NCAA Baseball Committee Drops the Ball … Again

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

For the second year in a row, Larry Templeton and the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Committee screws one of the Top 8 seeds in the Regional tournament.

Last year it was the top-seeded Miami Hurricanes. This year it’s No. 6 UC-Irvine. If the Anteaters show any anger toward the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Committee, so be it. It’s a legitimate beef.

Jim Morris expressed his disappointment in an interview on ESPN about his No. 1 Hurricanes receiving the teams in its regional. Who were they? Oh, you know, just Missouri, Ole Miss and Bethune Cookman & the toughest Regional in the entire tournament.

This year, UC-Irvine has to go through Virginia, San Diego State and Fresno State just to make it to the Super Regionals.

Fat chance.

Fresno State is the defending National Champions. They are a -- you guessed it -- four seed in the Irvine Regional. The Bulldogs were a four seed last year and won the College World Series. The other two teams in the regional are Virginia and San Diego State. Virginia won the ACC title, and San Diego State boasts the best pitcher in college baseball today, Stephen Strasburg (13-0, 1.24 ERA).

It doesn’t matter if Virginia is going to face Strasburg, the Cavaliers -- who I have winning this regional (more on that later in the week) -- boast the third best ERA in the nation at 3.33.

Yep. No cakewalk.

Thank you again, committee, for ruining what is supposed to be the greatest time of the year for your game. I just can’t take them seriously.

Rhode Island Screwed, Too
Another team screwed by the committee was the University of Rhode Island.

The Rams defeated Miami -- at Miami -- and split a mid-week series with Oklahoma State.

When discussing the process of picking teams, Templeton, who is the director of athletics at Mississippi State, said that the fact that URI didn’t win the Atlantic 10 Conference in either the regular season or postseason was a big factor.

Really? A 19-6 record in the conference and a trip to the conference tournament finals means nothing? Interesting.

I’d rather see URI in the tournament than either Georgia Southern or Gonzaga, two- and three-seeds, respectively, in the Fullerton Regional. Hell, they should be there over Utah, who is 26-29.

NCAA Division 1 Tournament Announced

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

For me, this is the most wonderful time of the year. NCAA Regionals.

Nothing like it.

Larry Templeton and the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Committee officially announced the field of 64 at 12:30 p.m. for the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament.

No. 1 Texas (41-13-1)
No. 2 Cal. State Fullerton (42-14)
No. 3 LSU (46-14)
No. 4 North Carolina (42-16)
No. 5 Arizona State (44-12)
No. 6 UC Irvine (43-13)
No. 7 Oklahoma (41-18)
No. 8 Florida (39-20)

Sites and matchups (top 8 seeds in parentheses and bolded)

Austin Regional (Texas)
(1) Texas vs. Army (34-19); Boston College (33-24) vs. Texas State (41-15)

Fort Worth Regional (TCU)
TCU (36-16) vs. Wright State (33-28); Oregon State (35-17) vs. Texas A&M (36-22)

Atlanta Regional (Georgia Tech)
Georgia Tech (35-17-1) vs. Georgia State (39-20); Southern Mississippi (35-23) vs. Elon (40-16)

Gainesville Regional (Florida)
(8) Florida vs. Bethune-Cookman (32-26); Jacksonville (36-20) vs. Miami (36-20)

Tempe Regional (Arizona State)
(5) Arizona State vs. Kent State (42-15); Cal Poly (37-19 vs. Oral Roberts (31-13)

Clemson Regional (Clemson)
Clemson (40-19) vs. Tennessee Tech (30-22-1); Oklahoma State (32-22) vs. Alabama (37-19)

Greenville Regional (East Carolina)
East Carolina (42-17) vs. Binghamton (29-20); George Mason (42-12) vs. South Carolina (38-21)

Chapel Hill Regional (North Carolina)
(4) North Carolina vs. Dartmouth (27-16); Kansas (37-22) vs. Coastal Carolina (46-14)

Fullerton Regional (Cal. State Fullerton)
(2) Cal. State Fullerton vs. Utah (26-29); Gonzaga (35-16) vs. Ga. Southern (42-15)

Louisville Regional (Louisville)
Louisville (44-15) vs. Indiana (32-25); Vanderbilt (34-25) vs. Middle Tennessee (43-16)

Tallahassee Regional (Florida State)
Florida State (42-16) vs. Marist (31-26); Ohio State (40-17) vs. Georgia (37-22)

Norman Regional (Oklahoma)
(7) Oklahoma vs. Wichita State (30-25); Washington State (31-23) vs. Arkansas (34-22)

Irvine Regional (UC Irvine)
(6) UC Irvine vs. Fresno State (32-28); San Diego State (40-21) vs. Virginia (43-12-1)

Oxford Regional (Ole Miss)
Ole Miss (40-17) vs. Monmouth (32-23); Western Kentucky (39-18) vs. Missouri (34-25)

Houston Regional (Rice)
Rice (39-15) vs. Sam Houston State (36-22); Xavier (38-19) vs. Kansas State (41-16-1)

Baton Rouge Regional (LSU)
(3) LSU vs. Southern (30-15); Baylor (29-24) vs. Minnesota (38-17)

OK, the way I listed them may look weird to you, but bare with me.

I put them in order of matchups come Super Regionals time. So, if you look at the beginning of the Regionals, the Austin and Fort Worth Regionals are listed first. Meaning, the winner of the Austin Regional will faceoff against the winner of the Fort Worth Regional and so on.

Red Sox Take Over First Place

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Despite dropping two out of three games to the Mets over the weekend, Boston is the new leader of the American League East. Thanks are in order for the Atlanta Braves, who swept their three game series with the Blue Jays, putting Toronto a half-game back in the standings following their sixth consecutive loss. The New York Yankees are just one game back at 25-19, and Tampa finds themselves four games out to start the day. Baltimore brings up the rear, a distant eight games behind the division leading Red Sox, a place they will probably find themselves for the remainder of the year. Which ever team emerges as the division champ will certainly be battle tested and ready for post season play. The final four months of the season promise to be very tight, and every series has the potential to make or break any of the four teams in contention for the crown.

Tim Wakefield was just good enough to win yesterday, allowing five earned runs in six innings pitched, while walking four and striking out three. Boston put crooked numbers on the board in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, to break what had been a very close game wide open. The Sox got a pair of three-run homers, one each from Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis in the second and seventh innings, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in the second inning, to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. David Ortiz was the only starter not to have a hit in the contest. Papi was 0-for-5, struck out twice and stranded eight runners. Rumors are starting to swirl that Red Sox brass is looking into trading for a bat, to help pick up the considerable slack being left by Ortiz in the middle of an otherwise potent lineup.

Today, the Sox are in Minnesota to take on the Twins and former American League MVP Justin Morneau, whose grand slam led to a sweep of the Brewers over the weekend. Brad Penny (4-1, 6.07 ERA) takes on former phenom Francisco Liriano (2-5, 6.04 ERA). The hard throwing lefty is tied for the league lead in losses, but certainly has the talent to spin a gem any time he takes the mound. First pitch is at 2:10 from the Metrodome.

Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You can crunch the numbers all you want, but for starting pitchers a real simple way to tell if a pitcher has the goods is to look at the win total. I know, sometimes pitchers get robbed of wins by shaky bullpens or are just plain unlucky and can't get the proper run support, but for the most part wins should let a fantasy owner know if a pitcher is getting the job done or that pitcher's offense is stepping up and putting runs on the board even when that pitcher might have an off night.

It's no surprise that a list of guys that headline the wins category are carrying fantasy teams right now, and a couple of surprises that weren't targeted on draft day that are still producing with wins.

Mr. I-Know-You're-Good-But-Never-Get-The-Proper-Respect ... ya, that's Toronto's Roy Halladay, has baffled hitters and teams all year and is at the top of the list with 8 wins.

Mr. Surprise, but one of my sleeper picks, Zack Greinke is right behind with 7. Imagine if your team had both these guys, I'd bet you'd be pretty good in the pitching department.

On the six-win list is Chad Billingsley, Johan Santana, Derek Lowe, Joe Saunders, Kevin Slowey, Jason Marquis, Bronson Arroyo and Mark Buehrle. I'd say the final three guys on the list are early-season surprises, although Arroyo's ERA is 5.79 and it's a slight problem.

This list will change, no doubt, over the course of the year, but bank on Halladay, Greinke, Santana and Billingsley staying in the top 10 all season long. They are winners.

HE'S KILLING YOU

Fausto Carmona (CLE): So much for Carmona being a sleeper pick because he's still sleeping on the mound (2 wins, 5.74 ERA).

Ricky Nolasco (FLA): You know it's bad when the Marlins ship you to the minors and you're suppose to be the ace of the staff, or No. 2 guy. Nolasco has a 9.07 ERA, yikes, and only 2 wins. How'd he get 2 wins? It's a miracle.

THANK YOU, SIR

Zach Duke (PIT): He may not be able to shatter glass with his fastball, but he knows how to get guys out, especially this year (5 wins, 2.77 ERA).

Rick Porcello (DET): This rookie just doesn't have an idea of how to pitch, he knows how to execute (5 wins, 3.55 ERA). Imagine what he'll be like in 2-3 years? Scary. Detroit fans should be worshiping his right arm right now.

Matt Cain (SF): Another one of my preseason sleeper picks, Cain has found a way to put his talents to use, finally. He's got five wins, 2.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.

What we learned: Cleveland is not Murderer's Row

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Go ahead, call me a caveman, an introvert, a hermit. But I haven’t watched SportsCenter in two days (my brain cells need to grow back), so I’ve missed the inevitable media freakout after LeBron’s game-winner in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

But if it was anything like tonight’s “for the 27th time, this is what happened two nights ago” in-game vignettes, I’m glad it passed me over.

There are a handful of organizations in sports that I like to call “Publicity Machines." They have such a top-notch PR staff, and delusional fan base, that when the team is playing well, they tend to get puffed up and their flaws get masked. In no particular order, these are the regulars: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Jets, NY Giants, NY Rangers, Dodgers, Lakers, Pacers, Packers, Colts, Knicks, Maple Leafs, Cowboys, Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball, Kentucky basketball, Ohio State football, Duke basketball, USC baseball. For as long as LeBron is in Cleveland, let’s include the Cavs.

Now, don’t get it twisted. LeBron is the most dominant yet amoebic force to hit the NBA since Michael Jordan – notice I used the term “amoebic." He is charismatic, a quality teammate who makes the teammates around him play better, and is ultimately a great selling point for the game.

With that said, because he is such a polarizing force, the LeBron bandwagon tends to overheat. Two problems I see with the Cavs that get overlooked are their lack of perimeter defense and lack of interior toughness. Often times, head coach Mike Brown will pound the scorer’s table, or a player whose name ends with “Varejao” will get called for being out of position, throw his hands in the air and do his best Miguel Cairo impression (“you mean I’m out?”).

The Cavs are no doubt one of the most explosive offenses in the league. But they also know how to work the media, the refs, and the fans (by the way, who the heck still uses Quicken software these days? I thought online banking would make that company obsolete). They’ve earned their stripes, but they want their brownie points, too.

Which is why I’m glad things turned out in Game 3 the way they did, a 99-89 Magic win that was dominated by Dwight Howard. Winning 66 games in the regular season does not make you a juggernaut; winning physical battles in the playoffs does. Time to let a little air out of the ball.

Score one for the Magic in the intimidation factor, and let the blood bath continue. This one’s far from over.

-- My friends who cover the UMass basketball team at the Daily Collegian just got the press invitation kit for the “100 Years of UMass Basketball”, and one of the interesting points they make is that the Minutemen experienced “one of the most extreme turnarounds in history.”

When you think about it, they actually have a point. When you think about what a dormant program UMass was in the 80s before Calipari took over – 10th worst record in Division 1 for the 80s, period – and what they were able to do in the early to mid-90s, it really gets lost on this generation about how truly special that era was. It’s been taken for granted.

Anyways, it got me thinking about what teams rank as the five most improbable powerhouses. In no particular order, with coach in parentheses: Gonzaga (Dan Monson-Mark Few), UMass (John Calipari), Loyola Marymount (Paul Westhead), Long Beach State (Jerry Tarkanian).

Rick Pitino’s Providence teams miss they cut because it’s been argued many a time that his 1987 squad was the worst team to ever make a Final Four. Dana Kirk’s Memphis State teams don’t count either, because the dude thugged his way to a Final Four and subsequently got cold-cocked by the NCAA banhammer. Tark, for the record, sued the NCAA and won.

In turn, here are my five most underachieving programs of the last 25 years: DePaul, Houston, Rutgers, Maryland, Georgia.

Have we already seen the best the NHL has to offer?

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Even with a great overtime win by the Blackhawks, thanks in part to a terrific effort by backup goalie Cristobal Huet, it seems the greatest story lines in this NHL playoff have played out.
The President's Cup winner is gone.
The East's No. 1 seed Boston Bruins, who exceeded all expectations in snagging the top spot, then exacted revenge on those dirty Habs are gone.
The Blackhawks-Canucks series, which was supposed to be a bare-knuckle, knock down affair, was a flop.
To this point, the two greatest series of these NHL Playoffs has come in conference semifinals and the absolute best was not the one pitting the league's two best stars against each other.
While the fans in New England were developing a collective crush on Marc Savard and his strong playoff push and ESPN spent all their time pimping the Ovechkin/Crosby matchup, the best series of the quest for Cup was played between Pittsburgh and Anaheim.
The upstart Ducks (who to this day I believe have the second-worst name for a hockey team, next to the Blue Jackets) gave the Red Wings everything they could handle. Five of the seven games were decided by one goal, one of which in the third overtime.
Mike Babcock called it the best, hardest series he'd ever been a part of. And the quality of the hockey backed up his claim.
The Washington-Pittsburgh series was also a fine series, but its anti-climactic finish made it lose some of its luster.
Still, those two series' brand of hockey was second to none. After watching those two series and watching the two current series, you have to wonder if you're watching the same sport. That's not to say there haven't been great moments in this round (Malkin's hat-trick, Huet's heroics to keep Chicago in the series), but for those who flat out appreciate hockey at its finest, I'm afraid to say we may have already seen the best of it.
The most the NHL can hope for at this point is to keep fans watching with a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup rematch.

Sox Inch Closer To Division Lead

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

After a three-game sweep of the division leading Blue Jays, the Red Sox sit just a half-game back in the A.L. East as they head into the first round of interleague play this weekend. Jason Bay was once again the offensive hero, hitting his 13th homerun of the season into the bullpen, to give the Sox a 3-0 first inning lead. David Ortiz finished the night 1-for-4 with an RBI, but he was robbed of a second hit due to the ridiculous (although effective) overshift that was put on by the Jays. Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first inning double, and also stole his 17th base of the season.

It was a bit of a wacky game. Toronto out-hit the Sox by four, yet scored just one run. Jon Lester allowed a baserunner in each of the first five innings, but went on to win the game and improve his record to 3-4, lowering his ERA to 5.91. It's nice to see Lester work himself out of trouble, but it would be even nicer to see him not get into trouble at all.

Toronto is starting to feel the effects of finally playing against their American League East brethren. The Blue Jays fattened up on the rest of the league while the Sox, Yanks and Rays all beat the hell out of each other for six weeks. The Boston series was only the third intra-division test Toronto has faced all year. Compare that to the seven Boston has endured, and it's easy to see how the Jays have started out so hot. Make no mistake, readers: the A.L. East is hands down the toughest division in baseball. I'm not saying the Jays are a fraud, and that's obvious from my previous posts praising them, but this series was an eye-opener of sorts. I don't see how the pitching can hold up, and there is no way their offense can maintain the pace it was on prior to the Boston series.

The Mets are in town for the weekend, and tonight's pitching match up is must-see: Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his return from the disabled list to face one of baseball's best pitchers, Johan Santana. The two time Cy Young Award winner brings his 5-2 record and minuscule 1.36 ERA into Fenway, for what promises to be a really exciting game. First pitch is at 7:10 from Boston.

On a side note, as we begin to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend, I'd like to thank all the men and women out there who serve our country in the armed forces. I have the utmost respect for all that you do. I think it's important that we remember it's not a day to just sit on the deck, eat hot dogs and drink beer. It's a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I'm not preaching and certainly not getting into politics - just reminding everyone of the spirit of the holiday. Enjoy, folks!

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Welcome to you Friday fantasy fix! This is where we'll delve into the hottest and coldest fantasy hitters over the past seven days. As always, let's get right into it.

The Good

One of the hottest hitters all season has been Raul Ibanez. He took it to the next level this past week hitting .500, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R & a 1.374 OPS. Wow! That's pretty much all I have to say. Before the season, I thought he'd have better numbers being in the band box that is Citizens Bank Park instead of Safeco, but never thought he'd put up the numbers he has. On the season he's hitting .349 with 15 homers & 40 RBI. Over the course of a season Mark Reynolds will never hit for average, but certainly drive the ball out of the park. He already has 12 home runs this season, but he's put it all together this past week hitting .348, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R, 1.377 OPS and a whopping 5 SB's. The stolen bases are very surprising. He already has 10 on the season, and his career high is 11. He would really increase his fantasy value if he's able to steal 20 or more bases this season. Now that Alex Rodriguez is back in the lineup, it looks like all is right again for Mark Teixeira. They now form a great middle of the lineup, and it's shown this past week. Big Tex put up .462, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R & a 1.626 OPS. His average is on the rise and so are his power numbers. The new Yankee stadium is a band box, and will only get worse as the weather gets better. He should easily hit 40 homers this season.  I still can't believe the numbers Jason Bartlett has put up a quarter of the way into the season. He's already set a career high in homers with 6 and could pass his career high 43 RBI before the All Star break. He hit .440 this week with another home run, 9 RBI, 8 Runs and 3 SB's.  Joe Mauer is well known as the best hitting catcher in the game, but now it looks like his power has finally arrived as well.  He hit 4 homers this week with a .357 average, 10 RBI, 7 runs and a 1.281 OPS. He now has 8 home runs on the year in only 72 at bats. 

The Bad

Hanley Ramirez has had a very bad week for him. He's only hit .179 with 1 homer, 2 RBI, and 4 runs. That is about as bad as it gets for the best fantasy player in the land. He should bounce back in a few days. What is up with Grady Sizemore? He's only hitting .213 on the season, and .105 this past week. He'll never hit .300, but he has a career .275 average. Personally I think this is a good time to try and trade for him on the cheap for when he turns it around. He's just too talented to continue hitting so poorly. After a hot start, Mike Lowell has been struggling, especially this past week. He only has 1 RBI in his last 10 games, with 0 homers and only 2 extra base hits. Put a .227 average in the mix and that doesn't paint a good picture. Watch out for Lowell. He could be feeling his injury at this point, and may need additional time off as the season goes on. I am a big fan of Troy Tulowitzki, but he's been struggling all season. Tulo's hit only .208 this week with 0 HR, 1 RBI, and 2 R. Ouch. His average is only .234 on the season. After being a hot pickup the past few weeks, fast Willy Tavares has been anything but hot. A paltry .120 average, with 0 homers, 1 RBI and 3 runs is pretty awful.  I've never been a fan, so I still wouldn't suggest a pick up unless you absolutely need steals. 

Under the Radar

In case you didn't know Michael Cuddyer is having a pretty good year right now. He's been on fire of late, and his .275, with 6 home runs and 25 RBI. He's always been a pretty good hitter when healthy and that's the caveat with him. He's only owned in 11% so get him if you can. Andy Laroche was a big time prospect when he was with the Dodgers. Now he's with the Pirates and is healthy and getting playing time. The younger Laroche hasn't developed his power yet, but is hitting .279 with 2 homers and 20 RBI. He's hitting .429 this week and may be a decent pick up in deep leagues and NL Only leagues. Nick Johnson is another guy who's having a pretty good season, but most people don't realize it. He's hitting .338 on the season and has 4 homers and 25 RBI and 27 Runs. Like Cuddyer, he's a very good hitter when healthy and getting playing time. Adam Kennedy has been on fire since he joined the Oakland A's. He's hitting.386 on the season. He only has 1 homer and 7 RBI, but is eligible at 2B and OF. Now, don't just go out and get him for your bench unless you really are in a deep league. At this point, you might want to keep an eye on him for later this season. Ben Zobrist has turned into a super utility guy for the Tampa Bay Rays. He's also doing a great job at the plate hitting .286 with 8 HR & 22 RBI in 89 at bats. He's eligible at SS and OF, and should add a few positions as the year goes on. He'll continue to get playing time if he hits.  

(Stay tuned for Chin Music by Chad Garner on Monday)

Tough Titan: Durand participating in OTA's

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(FFS will bring you an up close and personal look into the football life of Tennessee Titans 7th-round draft pick Ryan Durand on a weekly basis in his quest to make the team as a rookie guard.)

Tennessee appears to be Ryan Durand's home for the near future as the 6-foot-5, 305-pound guard from Syracuse officially checked in with the Titans on Sunday for the start of Organized Team Activities (OTA's).

Durand and his Titan teammates have participated in OTA's on Tuesday, Thursday and again today.

"They are two hour practices in just helmets," explained Durand. "There's a lot of team, lot of individual, just basic practice."

But don't be fooled with the players just wearing helmets, these practices can get heated.

"We're going at each other," Durand said. "We pretty much should just have pads on, it's physical. The defense is just going all out and we're going all out. It's full speed and full tempo."

In a telephone interview last night in his hotel room in Nashville, Tenn., where Durand is rooming with Titans rookie guard Ryan Schmidt from South Florida, Durand is quick to point out that he's in perfect health.

"Definitely 100 percent," he said.

Durand, who played right guard at Syracuse, has moved over to left guard with the Titans.

"There's not much difference," said Durand, who is listed as second-string, behind Eugene Amano, at left guard on Tennessee's Web site. "It's a little different technique-wise."

Durand has also been pumped about learning the art of offensive line play from Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, Tennessee's offensive line coach.

"You get to sit down with coach and watch film and he coaches us up," Durand said. "He's spending a lot of time with us, it's really fantastic. He motives us, but he's really laid back. He's a real coach, he coaches you up."

The laid back approach goes all the way up to the head coach with Jeff Fisher, according to Durand. 

"He's a laid back guy, too, but when it's time to get down and dirty, it's time to get down and dirty," Durand said.

Sixteen-year veteran center Kevin Mawae has also impressed Durand.

"Kevin Mawae was helping the young guys out and was going over plays," Durand said. "They've all been really helpful."

Over the years, under Fisher, the Titans have been known for toughness on both sides of the ball. You either play that way, or there's no spot for you on the Titans.

"On the field you get your hard hats out and go to work," Durand said. "I feel like that's the way I am. I respect that."

How confident is Durand at the early stages of his professional career?

"I feel there's a learning gap, there's definitely a speed gap," he said. "But I feel very confident. I feel that I've improved a lot from the first practice to the second."

Durand is still trying to get used to calling himself a pro athlete.

"Sometimes I think I'm just with a different football team, but other times I'm like, 'Wow, this is my job,'" Durand said.

Football is the only thing on Durand's mind at the moment, however.

"It's 100 percent on football now," he said. "It's kind of funny, it's my job. That's where I am in my life. Now I'm in the NFL and it's just football."

It's football, but in completely unfamiliar surroundings. Let's face it, Tennessee is a lot different from Massachusetts.

"I think it's a great city from what I've seen," Durand said. "There's a lot of country roots, it seems like a pretty laid back city. It's like a country city in atmosphere and lifestyle."

It's also a place Durand could see himself living as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Division 1 Conference Tournaments Underway

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I apologize for my lack of writing the past three weeks. I have been absolutely swamped with my baseball season. Now that the season is over --  for us anyway -- I am back and with full force through the College World Series.

Conference tournaments are underway across the nation.

Now, I know the Atlantic 10, Big East, Conference USA, the MVC and the Mountain West are mid-major to major conferences in other sports, but in baseball that’s just not the case. I will go through the first two days of action from the big conferences. You should be able to figure them out from the posting.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Day 1 (Wednesday, May 20)

Florida State 7, Boston College 2
Miami 8, Georgia Tech 6
North Carolina 8, Duke 3

Day 2 (Thursday, May 21)

*Boston College 7, Georgia Tech 3
Florida State 4, Miami 2
Virginia 6, Clemson 5

Day 3 (Friday, May 22)

*Miami vs. Boston College, noon
*Clemson vs. Duke, 4 p.m.
North Carolina vs. Virginia, 8 p.m.

Day 4 (Saturday, May 23)

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech, noon
North Carolina vs. Clemson, 4 p.m.
Virginia vs. Duke, 8 p.m.

Championship Game (Sunday, May 24)

1 p.m.

* = Elimination game

Outlook: There’s too much parody in the league this year. I mean, Boston College beating Georgia Tech, get real. Still, look for a Florida State-UNC final with the team with the rested arms getting the win.

Big XII

Day 1 (Wednesday, May 20)

Kansas State 5, Kansas 4
Baylor 14, Texas 9
Missouri 5, Texas A&M 2
Oklahoma 5, Texas Tech 2

Day 2 (Thursday, May 21)

Texas 9, Kansas 3
Kansas State 9, Baylor 4

Day 3 (Friday, May 22)

Missouri vs. Texas Tech, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M, 8:30 p.m.

Day 4 (Saturday, May 23)

Kansas vs. Baylor, 10 a.m.
Texas vs. Kansas State, 1:30 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Missouri, 5 p.m.
Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech, 8:30 p.m.

Championship Game (Sunday, May 24)

1 p.m.

Outlook: Whoever wins the Texas-Kansas State game will be in the title game against either Oklahoma or Baylor.

Big West

UC-Irvine wins the title. There’s no postseason tournament.

Pac-10

All that’s listed on the Web site is the following: Champion determined by three-game round-robin play.

As of right now, Arizona State (42-11, 19-5) is atop the conference. Washington State (28-23, 16-8), UCLA (26-27, 14-10), Oregon State (33-16, 13-11) and Washington (25-27, 13-11) finish off the Top 5.

Outlook: Arizona State is the clear-cut favorite. They’ve dominated all year long both in and out of conference. Look for the Sun Devils to be the Pac-10 champs. Although, you can never count out Oregon State.

I Bet Papi Got His First Good Night's Sleep In Weeks

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You can breathe a little bit easier, Red Sox Nation. David Ortiz finally hit a baseball over the fence, the first time he has done so in a season that has had just about everyone (myself included, on several occasions) questioning his status among the league's elite hitters. While he still has a long, LONG way to go to get back to where he used to be, it's certainly a step in the right direction for Ortiz, and you could feel the weight lifting off of his broad shoulders as he rounded the bases at Fenway Park last night. After receiving the "silent treatment" from his teammates, which is usually reserved for rookies after their first Big League round tripper, the rest of the Red Sox then celebrated with Ortiz before he stepped out of the dugout to tip his cap to the crowd. Here's to hoping Papi can now relax at the plate, and start to really heat up along with the weather.

Ortiz wasn't the only member of Boston's lineup to homer in an explosive fifth inning. Jason Varitek, Jason Bay and Mike Lowell all joined in the fun, with Lowell's shot putting the score out of reach, 8-0. The Red Sox would go on to win, by a final score of 8-3. The fifth inning blast was Varitek's second of the night, as he hit a line shot into the first row of the monster seats in the third, giving the home team their first run of the ball game. Kevin Youkilis made a triumphant return from the disabled list, going 3-for-5 on the night with a run scored and pushing his batting average to .404 on the year. Jacoby Ellsbury also contributed both offensively and defensively. The young speedster extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a bunt single in the third inning, and also tied a Major League record with 12 putouts in a nine inning game. The feat had been accomplished twice previously.

Brad Penny pitched fairly well, giving up just two earned runs while scattering nine hits over 6.2 innings pitched, lowering his ERA to 6.07. The big right hander is now 4-1 on the year.

The Red Sox now sit just 1.5 games behind the division leading Blue Jays as they go for the sweep tonight. Jon Lester (2-4, 6.51 ERA) takes the mound for Boston, against Toronto's first year starter Robert Ray (1-1, 3.60 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 from Fenway Park in Boston.

Wakefield Dazzles Jays In Season Series Opener

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Tim Wakefield was on his game Tuesday night, pitching eight strong innings to win a pitcher's duel with Toronto's Brian Tallet, 2-1. In earning his fifth victory of the season, the veteran knuckleballer gave up just five hits while striking out three, the lone blemish being a solo homer to Kevin Millar leading off the fifth inning. Tallet was no slouch himself, giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out five batters over six innings. Boston's offense was provided by the very bottom of their lineup, as Jeff Bailey and George Kottaras knocked in a run apiece in the second inning. Jonathan Papelbon came on to pitch a perfect ninth for Boston, his first since late April, in the process picking up save number 11 of the season.

As I wrote in the this space last week, Sox fans need to take the good with the bad when it comes to Tim Wakefield. And in 2009, the good has come far more often. In four of his last five starts, Boston's elder statesman has been spot on with his signature pitch, going deep into games and putting the Red Sox in great position to win, while at the same time saving Terry Francona from wasting bullpen bullets. The 42 year-old is now 5-2 on the year, with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in eight starts.

Where it has been far more bad than good is David Ortiz, who was re-inserted into the lineup last night and continued to disappoint. Ortiz was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk, including a bad swing and miss on the third strike in the eighth inning. The struggling slugger is still homerless on the year, to go along with a .203 batting average, .293 slugging percentage and just 15 RBI. Sox fans continue to wonder just how long Tito Francona is going to stick with his former star, all the while watching him struggle day after day. After a quarter of the season, one of two things in blatantly clear: either he's hurt or washed up. Either way, he needs to be taken out of the third spot in the batting order and either moved down, benched all together, or placed on the DL.

In the middle game of the three-game set against the Blue Jays, the Sox turn to Brad Penny (3-1, 6.69 ERA), who will face Toronto's first year starter Brett Cecil (2-0, 1.80 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 from Fenway Park.

Report card time for Celtics

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

This Boston Celtics season was supposed to be a season of repeated excellence. For the most part, they didn’t seem to lose a step, winning a franchise record 19 straight games at one point and finishing the regular season 62-20.

What it morphed into almost overnight was a campaign of survival, what with the loss of Kevin Garnett over the last three months and the sudden knee injury of Leon Powe. This was a year where the young guys, namely Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins, grew up in so many ways.

Now that the emotions of that game seven loss have sunken in, it’s time to look into the reality of what lies ahead this offseason.

There will be many questions for the Celtics this summer, and I expect most of them to regard the health of Kevin Garnett. Was his breakdown over the last three months a sign of things to come?

The other question is going to be how they’re going to manage the salaries of their Big Three of Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and keep all their ducks in a row. The three are on the books for more than $53 million for the 09-10 season; Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury are all free agents, with the former two likely to demand at least seven-figure salaries. And in a perfect world, Rajon Rondo, who has a $3 million offer for the 10-11 season, would be signed to an extension.

Danny Ainge’s mid-season gambles on Moore and Marbury didn’t pay off quite as well as expected, and Garnett’s absence magnified this. Just what is their future with the organization?

That’s just a few of the questions. For now, though, let’s hand out some grades of the 2008-09 season.


Kevin Garnett: A-minus
I’m deducting some points here because he wasn’t available for the playoffs, but his impact is still too powerful to ignore – even in a double-breasted suit. Garnett, more than any other addition over the last two seasons, changed the fortunes of this franchise forever; he breathed a fresh air of life into a program that was wilting. This is a guy who is as intense in January as he is in May, a guy who sets an example in both the locker room and on the court. Just battling with Glen Davis every day in practice has turned Big Baby into a super-sub who will now have the power to demand some vet money.

But now there are whispers about his age (32) catching up to him, and whether he’s able to go a full season. His $19 million due in 09-10 and $21 million in 10-10 will put the C’s in a grind if he can’t go, and could set them back down the road.
Would I do it again, though? In a heartbeat.

Ray Allen: A
Statistically, Allen had a much better season, improving his field goal percentage by five (48.0) and pushing his three-point percentage into the 40’s (41.0), making 95.2 percent of his free throws and pushing his points per game up a full point (18.2). Yeah, he might have had a cold stretch here and there, but shooters respond. You’d be hard-pressed to find somebody in this town willing to argue that Allen is not one of the league’s best catch-and-shoot guys coming off screens. When they need him to step up, he’s always willing to take the shot.


Paul Pierce: A-minus
Like Allen, the captain saw an increase in points per game and had a three-point percentage hovering around 40. And like Allen, he has been willing to step up and call for the ball in the crunch. This postseason, though, watching him in the crunch was scary at times – the ole’ gather, hesitate, get trapped and throw up a terrible shot from a bad shot, then pray it goes in. Hey, when you’ve toiled in this organization since the 90’s, I guess you can get away with that.


Rajon Rondo: A-plus
Will everyone please stop with the “he is not an elite point guard” arguments and just appreciate the poetry in motion? Best point guard this franchise has had since DJ; if he stays a Celtic long-term, we’ll be hearing more comparisons to DJ, Cousy and Archibald.

Kendrick Perkins: B-plus
Interesting tidbit about the Celtics’ centers: there have been four starting centers on their 17 championship teams. Russell, Cowens, Parish and….Perkins. Sign of the times, no?

In an era where the true center is a lost art, Perkins provided the smackdown this year. He was the team’s most physical player, but sometimes that was a bad thing. He seems to always get in foul trouble, and needs to do a better job of setting screens. Still, Perkins provides that power-punch that all elite teams try to throw around.

Glen Davis: A
The evolution of an undersized, doughy-looking, bubbly, awkward, baby-faced kid into a bona fide starter who can come through in the clutch has been an absolute joy. The game-winning shot he made in game five was one of the defining moments of the season, and announced his arrival to the league. Somehow, some way, I expect the Celtics to throw some veteran money at him while maintaining the salary cap. That’ll be tricky, but it’ll happen.

Leon Powe: B
Had he been available for the second round, I would not be writing this column. Instead, I’d be musing about how much the media hypes LeBron and hates gritty defensive teams. Much like Big Baby, Powe has given the Celtics a better return than expected. Signing him long-term should be a priority.

Eddie House: B-minus
The 3-point specialist set a franchise record in three-point percentage this season and has given us countless hours of the ever-gangstafying Eddie House Face, and made some good defensive rotations when need be. But the guy is not a capable backup point guard, and his final performance of the season was shocking: 16 minutes, 1-3 fg, 0-1 3pt, 2 pts. WHAT?


Stephon Marbury: C
Jury’s still out on whether this guy is going to be part of the organization moving forward, but I might give him another chance – as long as the money’s not guaranteed, similar to how things played out this year and how the Darius Miles situation was handled. Starbury is a known lunatic, but he demonstrated maturity in his reserve role, and to his credit didn’t totally kill the team’s resolve. There were both good and bad stretches for the man, but like a rubik’s cube it’s hard to get a good read on this guy.

Brian Scalabrine: C
Hate to admit it, but for a guy who continually demonstrates the defensive awareness of an oblivious college student crossing Boylston Street with his iPod, he had a pretty decent postseason. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision this guy averaging 30 minutes and not completely killing the team’s mojo. And for that, he remains academically eligible.

Mikki Moore: D
After reaching out to seemingly every guy on the planet over 6-foot-10, from Dikembe Mutombo to Kevin Nash and The Undertaker, Danny Ainge settled on this 7-foot journeyman as the new P.J. Brown. Only, he was anything but. Brown was a long, lean guy in incredible shape for a 39-year-old, who could make key defensive stops in the fourth quarter. Moore was a fish out of water who was often caught out of position. The only thing he really did well was foul.

Incompletes: Tony Allen, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Gabe Pruitt

Sox In Desperate Need Of Home Cooking

Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

After losing four out of five games and getting nipped in the ninth inning of their latest contest, the Red Sox now return home to face the first place Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Toronto has surprised just about everyone while taking the lead in a division many thought would be dominated by Boston, New York, and Tampa. It's been a tough road for the Sox lately, as injuries and inferior starting pitching leave them sitting three games behind the Jays in the American League Eastern Division, and just six games above .500 (22-16). However, Boston is 13-4 at home this season, and that's where they'll be for the next six games. After Toronto, the Mets come to town for the first round of Interleague play of 2009.

Nick Green made two errors in yesterday's frustrating loss in Seattle. On what should have been the third out, the Boston shortstop threw the ball over the head of first baseman Jeff Bailey, allowing Roger Cedeno to reach second base. After Ichiro was intentionally walked to load the bases, Franklin Gutierrez knocked in the game winner for the Mariners, who took two out of three over the weekend. Ramon Ramirez was the hard luck loser on Sunday, his first defeat in what has been a very impressive season.

Terry Francona finally saw the writing on the wall and benched a struggling David Ortiz for the entire series in Seattle. Rocco Baldelli, who subbed for Ortiz in the DH role all weekend, probably wishes he didn't. The local kid took the collar in the series, going 0-for-11 with five strikeouts. That has to hurt. Ortiz is scheduled to be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Hopefully he used his time off to find his power stroke. Last time I checked, he was still homerless on the year.

In the first game of the Toronto series, Tim Wakefield (4-2, 4.03 ERA) takes the mound against Brian Tallet (2-1, 4.68 ERA). Wakefield, who lost last time out but had been hot for the previous few starts, looks to get back on track against a good, young lineup. Aaron Hill and Adam Lind are two names you might not know right now, but you will soon. Hill leads the Blue Jays in batting average (.345) and homers (11), while Lind paces the Jays in RBI (35) and OPS (969). As a team, Toronto is first in the American League in batting average (.291) and second in ERA (3.90). They do all of this while performing in baseball's toughest division. Simply put, this team isn't going to fade and they aren't going to back down. Led by Roy Halladay, arguably baseball's best pitcher, the Jays are gearing up for a slug fest that will last deep into September, if not beyond.