There's a saying in the financial markets, "It's not the news, it's the reaction." You gauge the market's reaction by direction, price change, and volume.
The last place Red Sox have decided it's not the team it's the announcer. Strong organizations have a consistent theme, product, financial stability, and market. Weak organizations chase the latest fads, find new financial models and CFOs, and lose their market. Now they've decided you can't fire all the players, fire the announcer.
The Red Sox have opted to go cheap (got extraordinarily lucky in 2013, which a lot of us said) and won a Championship. They believed their own press clippings, analytics uber all, and that you could but a dollar's worth of goods for twenty-five cents. Yes, Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, David Ross and others overachieved. But they still had Lester, Lackey, and extraordinary good fortune with an unpredictable non-Gaussian performance by Koji Uehara as closer.
Management seems constantly to shift directions...run prevention, run creation at the expense of pitching, go with the local guy (Sam Kennedy), jettison the local guy (Theo, Cherington, Orsillo), the bizarre fealty to Larry Lucchino (Bobby Valentine), get high priced hitters with known warts (Sandoval conditioning, Hanley intensity) and so on.
At the end of the day, the Fan Experience isn't walking up the concourse to see the bright lights and the green grass. It's about seeing quality baseball...guys who play the game the right way night after night. Do more of what's working and less of what's not. We understand that quality people, e.g. Justin Masterson, sometimes won't work out. We recognize that injuries (Pedroia, Vasquez) impact the defense.
Whatever the problem with the Fan Experience, the mercurial management themes and nonsensical decisions show poor judgement by management. That isn't excusing the bad baseball (miscounting outs, shoddy baserunning, swinging at bad pitches) or bad managing (e.g. burying Xander Bogaerts last season and sticking with Hanley Ramirez in left this year).
Making Don Orsillo walk the plank just alienates the fans one more time. When is enough enough?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Monday, June 15, 2015
An Ounce of Compassion
Red Sox fans haven't abandoned the locals. It feels like it's happened the other way around. The Smartest Guys in the Room constructed a team short on pitching and add in general underperformance offensively and defensively and another last place finish becomes distinctly possible.
Rather than calling for John Farrell's head, I feel sorry for him. There's no circling the wagons, no Band of Brothers, barely a heartbeat. Somehow, in less than two years, the slogan at America's Most Beloved Ballpark has gone from "Fear the Beard" to "Baseball Weird."
The games ARE shorter which makes for a poor consolation prize.
Leadership doesn't find problems, it solves them. Of course, baseball's momentum only lasts as long as tomorrow's starting pitcher, and there's the rub. The closest approximation to an ace may be a 22 year-old kid and the rest of the rotation hasn't found a way to take advantage of a PED-free league with expanded strike zones.
The Red Sox don't necessarily need a better lineup; they need the professionals in their lineup to play better. The leaders don't need to plead character, they need to produce. Blaming the media might be popular, but that's not a solution.
Maybe mean reversion will help coffee and sugar prices, and the commodity that represents the Boston Red Sox. "You're never as good as you look when you win or as bad as you look when you lose." The Sox are playing tight, trying not to lose, having forgotten or lost the joy of a child's game. When the game becomes just a paycheck, everybody loses.
Rather than calling for John Farrell's head, I feel sorry for him. There's no circling the wagons, no Band of Brothers, barely a heartbeat. Somehow, in less than two years, the slogan at America's Most Beloved Ballpark has gone from "Fear the Beard" to "Baseball Weird."
The games ARE shorter which makes for a poor consolation prize.
Leadership doesn't find problems, it solves them. Of course, baseball's momentum only lasts as long as tomorrow's starting pitcher, and there's the rub. The closest approximation to an ace may be a 22 year-old kid and the rest of the rotation hasn't found a way to take advantage of a PED-free league with expanded strike zones.
The Red Sox don't necessarily need a better lineup; they need the professionals in their lineup to play better. The leaders don't need to plead character, they need to produce. Blaming the media might be popular, but that's not a solution.
Maybe mean reversion will help coffee and sugar prices, and the commodity that represents the Boston Red Sox. "You're never as good as you look when you win or as bad as you look when you lose." The Sox are playing tight, trying not to lose, having forgotten or lost the joy of a child's game. When the game becomes just a paycheck, everybody loses.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Quarter Pounder
The Red Sox passed the quarter pole mark of the 2015 marathon, and the results haven't been pretty. You don't need a Ph.D. in baseball to recognize mediocrity and the Red Sox haven't quite met that metric.
John Farrell's extension came as a cruel joke to Red Sox fans, and Farrell's 2013 championship may show up in a redo of Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers". The chapter might be called, "10,000 Years" instead of "10,000 Hours" as it may take the Sox a hundred centuries to win another championship with "John Wayne" Farrell.
The "Five Aces" pitching staff hasn't been Five Arces, but overall the rotation has disappointed even fans of 'average'. Recently, Rick Porcello's performance make Whitey Bulger look like Mother Teresa as far as grand theft goes, Clay Buchholz remains an enigma, and the Cardinals' wise exile of Joe Kelly looks even better this season. Wade Miley has turned around his initial woes and maybe Triple A promotions Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez can reshuffle the deck.
The only way a Red Sox position player makes the All-Star team is via a "Lifetime Achievement" award. David Ortiz needs a trip to the Fountain of Youth and steady Dustin Pedroia hasn't outperformed Jason Kipnis or Jose Altuve. He has surpassed the surprising decline of Robinson Cano and Stephen Drew has proven the past couple of years of failure wasn't a fluke.
The good news for Red Sox fans is what? Fans of younger players can watch the struggles of Bogaerts and Betts, the efforts of sparkplug Brock Holt, and hope the offense can 'mean revert' to competence after an indifferent first quarter. Eleventh (of fifteen) in runs scored and fourteenth in ERA converges with the Sox' last place standing in the AL East.
What's even worse is that Sox for the most part have played boring baseball. When lifelong baseball fans watch the NBA playoffs every night and sitcom reruns instead of the locals, baseball has to examine more than the length of games.
John Farrell's extension came as a cruel joke to Red Sox fans, and Farrell's 2013 championship may show up in a redo of Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers". The chapter might be called, "10,000 Years" instead of "10,000 Hours" as it may take the Sox a hundred centuries to win another championship with "John Wayne" Farrell.
The "Five Aces" pitching staff hasn't been Five Arces, but overall the rotation has disappointed even fans of 'average'. Recently, Rick Porcello's performance make Whitey Bulger look like Mother Teresa as far as grand theft goes, Clay Buchholz remains an enigma, and the Cardinals' wise exile of Joe Kelly looks even better this season. Wade Miley has turned around his initial woes and maybe Triple A promotions Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez can reshuffle the deck.
The only way a Red Sox position player makes the All-Star team is via a "Lifetime Achievement" award. David Ortiz needs a trip to the Fountain of Youth and steady Dustin Pedroia hasn't outperformed Jason Kipnis or Jose Altuve. He has surpassed the surprising decline of Robinson Cano and Stephen Drew has proven the past couple of years of failure wasn't a fluke.
The good news for Red Sox fans is what? Fans of younger players can watch the struggles of Bogaerts and Betts, the efforts of sparkplug Brock Holt, and hope the offense can 'mean revert' to competence after an indifferent first quarter. Eleventh (of fifteen) in runs scored and fourteenth in ERA converges with the Sox' last place standing in the AL East.
What's even worse is that Sox for the most part have played boring baseball. When lifelong baseball fans watch the NBA playoffs every night and sitcom reruns instead of the locals, baseball has to examine more than the length of games.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Death by a Thousand Cuts, Self-Inflicted Demise of the Boston Red Sox
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." - Hamlet
Everyone "loses their fastball", figuratively if not literally. We know from watching baseball for fifty plus years that greatness is borne of balance not excess. Yes, there are exceptions (the pitching rich 1969 Mets stand as prime example), but teams constructed to be offensive juggernauts (Air Coryell fans speak up here) don't wind up holding the trophy.
Of course we're talking about team sports, not individual contests where a handful of individuals - Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Secretariat - put up 'silly' numbers.
All of which brings us to the Boston Red Sox, on the fast track to go last, champion, last, and last. Just as on Sesame Street, "one of these things doesn't belong." The Sox had incredibly good fortune, clutch hitting, and statistically aberrant performance from closer Koji Uehara to seal the deal in 2013. You have to wonder if somebody made a deal with the devil to deliver that championship.
Version 2015 of the Bosox looks freakishly like last year's disaster, with the team routinely trailing early, lacking energy, and becoming unwatchable. It's like having a portfolio of stocks that reports bad earnings, CFOs quitting, and changing their product line every quarter.
To make matters worse, management looks short of a few gorilla suits, signing Ben Cherington and John Farrell to extensions, saddled with long-term deals for guys unproven in the American League (Allen Craig, Wade Miley), and developing pitchers at the rate of improvements in Microsoft Windows.
The Commodity Genius, John Henry, looks the Commodity Tool as the fungible pieces on the Red Sox look neither fun nor able. The Sox feel destined to have to sell low on Daniel Nava and likely have to ship both Craig and starter Joe Kelly to the minors to resurrect their careers. The decline of Clay Buchholz is no less a mystery, an athlete whose zenith came early in his career and whose flashes of brilliance come with declining frequency and diminishing passion.
“There is no greater sorrow then to recall our times of joy in wretchedness.” - Dante Alighieri
You need neither books nor numbers to witness the struggles of former Redbirds on the Red Sox, as Edward Mujica is gone, and Craig and Kelly have sunk to Dante's lowest level of baseball hell. Even Daniel Bard must feel sorry for the Red Sox now.
Teams hate to part ways with two realities, unproductive players and their 'sunk costs'. Better to make excuses for the Stephen Drews of the world than to accept the 'eye test' of a player's declining arc. Few organizations adopt the Macchiavellian posture of 'better a year early than a year late' that the Patriots do, willing to jettison a Lawyer Milloy, Drew Bledsoe, or Vince Wilfork before Father Time or Aunt Jemima catch up with them.
A player or two won't salvage the Red Sox now, a team overwrought by their self-importance ("The Nation") and their home ("America's Most Beloved Ballpark"). Maybe it's the curse of Jon Lester.
Yes, the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
Everyone "loses their fastball", figuratively if not literally. We know from watching baseball for fifty plus years that greatness is borne of balance not excess. Yes, there are exceptions (the pitching rich 1969 Mets stand as prime example), but teams constructed to be offensive juggernauts (Air Coryell fans speak up here) don't wind up holding the trophy.
Of course we're talking about team sports, not individual contests where a handful of individuals - Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Secretariat - put up 'silly' numbers.
All of which brings us to the Boston Red Sox, on the fast track to go last, champion, last, and last. Just as on Sesame Street, "one of these things doesn't belong." The Sox had incredibly good fortune, clutch hitting, and statistically aberrant performance from closer Koji Uehara to seal the deal in 2013. You have to wonder if somebody made a deal with the devil to deliver that championship.
Version 2015 of the Bosox looks freakishly like last year's disaster, with the team routinely trailing early, lacking energy, and becoming unwatchable. It's like having a portfolio of stocks that reports bad earnings, CFOs quitting, and changing their product line every quarter.
To make matters worse, management looks short of a few gorilla suits, signing Ben Cherington and John Farrell to extensions, saddled with long-term deals for guys unproven in the American League (Allen Craig, Wade Miley), and developing pitchers at the rate of improvements in Microsoft Windows.
The Commodity Genius, John Henry, looks the Commodity Tool as the fungible pieces on the Red Sox look neither fun nor able. The Sox feel destined to have to sell low on Daniel Nava and likely have to ship both Craig and starter Joe Kelly to the minors to resurrect their careers. The decline of Clay Buchholz is no less a mystery, an athlete whose zenith came early in his career and whose flashes of brilliance come with declining frequency and diminishing passion.
“There is no greater sorrow then to recall our times of joy in wretchedness.” - Dante Alighieri
You need neither books nor numbers to witness the struggles of former Redbirds on the Red Sox, as Edward Mujica is gone, and Craig and Kelly have sunk to Dante's lowest level of baseball hell. Even Daniel Bard must feel sorry for the Red Sox now.
Teams hate to part ways with two realities, unproductive players and their 'sunk costs'. Better to make excuses for the Stephen Drews of the world than to accept the 'eye test' of a player's declining arc. Few organizations adopt the Macchiavellian posture of 'better a year early than a year late' that the Patriots do, willing to jettison a Lawyer Milloy, Drew Bledsoe, or Vince Wilfork before Father Time or Aunt Jemima catch up with them.
A player or two won't salvage the Red Sox now, a team overwrought by their self-importance ("The Nation") and their home ("America's Most Beloved Ballpark"). Maybe it's the curse of Jon Lester.
Yes, the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Feeling the Draft
Jameis Winston is going to the Bucs. Winston has an exceptional understanding of defenses, strong arm, and has won big in college. As for rape allegations, shoplifting, boorishness, and rumors of gambling issues - it's the NFL (see the expose' "Pros and Cons").
The posturing continues regarding the Mariota comings and goings. Tennessee apparently wants three number ones. Mariota is the consolation prize that the Eagles, Jets, and possibly Rams want. He makes touchdowns and controls interceptions, although fumbling has been an issue for him. With a few hours left before the draft, I'll predict that Tennessee moves the pick.
Character issues bit the Browns last year, and rumor of a Manziel renaissance seem at odds with their efforts to move up for the Oregon signal-caller. Then there's the drug test problems for Randy Gregory and Shane Ray, and who knows what with La'el Collins and his relationship to a murdered 29 year-old expectant mother. Before we get sanctimonious, two words, Aaron Hernandez.
The subplots of Mariota and the dumb as dirt guys who fail KNOWN drug tests will keep the non-Patriots parts of the draft interesting. That, plus the strategies chosen by AFC East rivals. Could the Jets take Todd Gurley at six? Will the Dolphins go after receivers to help Ryan Tannehill? Will Rex Ryan take a flyer (a foothold?) on the marijuana crowd?
As for the Patriots, anything is possible. I just finished Michael Holley's "War Room", which focused on the behind the scenes actions of the Pats, Pioli and the Chiefs, and Tom Dimitroff's Falcons. I expect the Patriots to either trade down (wouldn't another 2, 3, 4, and 7 be swell) or take the best player available. The problem with drafting receivers is they don't always meet (don't usually meet) Tom Brady's expectations. No trust, no throws.
The Globe reviews the advantages (extra year of team control) of the first round, ultimately meaning seven years of team control (including franchise tags) and potentially major savings as a result. That has to appeal to the green eyeshades in the Kraft counting house.
By the way, "War Room" totally reviews the Laurence Maroney and Chad Jackson fiasco and Belichick's overruling the scouts who questioned the work ethic of both. Why an elite athlete whose future depends on his work would be a dog totally baffles me. But we see it all the time.
Jon Gruden has a fascinating piece on ESPN about the risk choices in the first round, and there's a great chance the Patriots could get one of these question marks. After the Hernandez experience, I'd expect Collins to be off the board, but you never know.
Well, at least they'll have more fans in the seats in Chicago than at Camden Yards.
The posturing continues regarding the Mariota comings and goings. Tennessee apparently wants three number ones. Mariota is the consolation prize that the Eagles, Jets, and possibly Rams want. He makes touchdowns and controls interceptions, although fumbling has been an issue for him. With a few hours left before the draft, I'll predict that Tennessee moves the pick.
Character issues bit the Browns last year, and rumor of a Manziel renaissance seem at odds with their efforts to move up for the Oregon signal-caller. Then there's the drug test problems for Randy Gregory and Shane Ray, and who knows what with La'el Collins and his relationship to a murdered 29 year-old expectant mother. Before we get sanctimonious, two words, Aaron Hernandez.
The subplots of Mariota and the dumb as dirt guys who fail KNOWN drug tests will keep the non-Patriots parts of the draft interesting. That, plus the strategies chosen by AFC East rivals. Could the Jets take Todd Gurley at six? Will the Dolphins go after receivers to help Ryan Tannehill? Will Rex Ryan take a flyer (a foothold?) on the marijuana crowd?
As for the Patriots, anything is possible. I just finished Michael Holley's "War Room", which focused on the behind the scenes actions of the Pats, Pioli and the Chiefs, and Tom Dimitroff's Falcons. I expect the Patriots to either trade down (wouldn't another 2, 3, 4, and 7 be swell) or take the best player available. The problem with drafting receivers is they don't always meet (don't usually meet) Tom Brady's expectations. No trust, no throws.
The Globe reviews the advantages (extra year of team control) of the first round, ultimately meaning seven years of team control (including franchise tags) and potentially major savings as a result. That has to appeal to the green eyeshades in the Kraft counting house.
By the way, "War Room" totally reviews the Laurence Maroney and Chad Jackson fiasco and Belichick's overruling the scouts who questioned the work ethic of both. Why an elite athlete whose future depends on his work would be a dog totally baffles me. But we see it all the time.
Jon Gruden has a fascinating piece on ESPN about the risk choices in the first round, and there's a great chance the Patriots could get one of these question marks. After the Hernandez experience, I'd expect Collins to be off the board, but you never know.
Well, at least they'll have more fans in the seats in Chicago than at Camden Yards.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Everyone thinks they know baseball. We grew up playing baseball, watching baseball, or maybe reading about baseball. We had the "eyeball" test when looking at young players and had our own version of Sabermetrics (RBIs plus runs scored minus home runs).
The Boston Red Sox came into the 2015 season with a highly touted lineup, thanks to the addition of Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, a healthy Dustin Pedroia, a revived Mike Napoli after sleep apnea surgery, and youngsters Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. What could possibly go wrong?
At best, the Red Sox rotation was comprised of a melange of number three starters, and that was being charitable. News flash, "how's that working out for you?" Paying guys a lot of money doesn't make them better only richer. John Farrell's confidence boosting aside "we have five number ones", doesn't make it so.
In the post-steroid era, the Red Sox early season ERA is over 2 runs a game below the league leader. To be fair, the strikeout to walk ratio portends better results, as this is a better predictor of ERA than ERA itself.
But going inside the numbers, i.e. starting pitching, the Red Sox look every bit as suspect as the "know-nothing" fans thought they would, with an ERA almost FOUR runs worth than league leaders, and nothing encouraging on the horizon.
Yes, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and the Sox have won three series out of four. There's no cause for pushing the panic button, but the Pollyannas pushing the 'Easy' button had better get their collective heads out of the darkness.
If you thought the Red Sox pitching was good enough to win a championship, then you're not smarter than a fifth grader. "I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul."
The Boston Red Sox came into the 2015 season with a highly touted lineup, thanks to the addition of Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, a healthy Dustin Pedroia, a revived Mike Napoli after sleep apnea surgery, and youngsters Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. What could possibly go wrong?
At best, the Red Sox rotation was comprised of a melange of number three starters, and that was being charitable. News flash, "how's that working out for you?" Paying guys a lot of money doesn't make them better only richer. John Farrell's confidence boosting aside "we have five number ones", doesn't make it so.
Yes, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and the Sox have won three series out of four. There's no cause for pushing the panic button, but the Pollyannas pushing the 'Easy' button had better get their collective heads out of the darkness.
If you thought the Red Sox pitching was good enough to win a championship, then you're not smarter than a fifth grader. "I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul."
Monday, April 6, 2015
Looking Out for Number One
You can't blame John Farrell for claiming that the Red Sox have five number one starters. Inspiring confidence is one of every manager's tasks. Unfortunately, inspiring skepticism comes more easily for baseball fans.
Is pitching getting better, supporting Farrell's claim or is hitting worsening? We know that strikeouts as a percentage of outs has risen and that runs scored is falling. Is pitching dominance the cause or the decline associated with random drug testing for PEDs.
Run scoring, via SportingCharts.com
Strikeouts, from the Society of American Baseball Research
Certainly, we can wonder if the changing use of relief pitchers (see Kansas City Royals and this year's New York Yankees) is and will be the most important factor, but we have to wonder to what extent it is the dominant cause.
What can't be in dispute is that compared with watching "continuous action sports" like basketball and hockey or gladiatorial spectacle (the National Football League), baseball has become tedious. Maybe our concern shouldn't be whether the Red Sox have a number one, but whether watching baseball has much merit at all.
Is pitching getting better, supporting Farrell's claim or is hitting worsening? We know that strikeouts as a percentage of outs has risen and that runs scored is falling. Is pitching dominance the cause or the decline associated with random drug testing for PEDs.
Certainly, we can wonder if the changing use of relief pitchers (see Kansas City Royals and this year's New York Yankees) is and will be the most important factor, but we have to wonder to what extent it is the dominant cause.
What can't be in dispute is that compared with watching "continuous action sports" like basketball and hockey or gladiatorial spectacle (the National Football League), baseball has become tedious. Maybe our concern shouldn't be whether the Red Sox have a number one, but whether watching baseball has much merit at all.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Red Sox Predictions
As we move toward the cusp of the baseball season, what are the prospects for the local 10, the Boston Red Sox. After all, with the designated hitter, the starting lineup is really ten, not nine players.
Why would the sum of the parts be so far superior to the parts?
ESPN has recently been listing the top players by position and to be fair it's projection not fact. Position by position, how do the Red Sox fair amidst the top 10 at each position (by memory).
Catcher - not applicable
First base - Napoli not in the top ten.
Second base - Pedroia listed at five
Shortstop - Bogaerts not listed
Third base - Sandoval at seven
Left field - Ramirez at five
Center - Betts not listed in top ten
Right field - Victorino not listed (probably not as good as Castillo at this point)
Starters - none listed (right or left handed)
Relievers - none listed (BTW Betances and Andrew Miller in the top 10)
DH - Ortiz listed first
With Vasquez out, catcher is more likely to be a weakness than strength, pending the eventual promotion of Swihart.
Napoli has had a strong spring after returning from reconstructive jaw surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea. In a contract year, he will be motivated. Pedroia is Pedroia, burning to be better. Bogaerts should be on the rise after his shabby treatment by the water carriers for Stephen Drew last season. Sandoval should be better than last year's hot corner production.
In the outfield, Ramirez, Betts, and anybody should be better than last season's unproductive Red Sox outfield. The biggest question is when the incumbent breaks down in right field, when he starts complaining (contract year), and how this affects the team.
At my age, I'm incapable of remembering any team that won without stud starting pitchers, whether it was the Miracle Mets with Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman or 2014 with the Miracle Madison (Bumgarner). When the Red Sox have won, they got great work from starting pitching and equally great work from the bullpen.
The Red Sox starting rotation is questionable at best, with Porcello the lead dog, Miley 'better than you think', Buchholz unreliable, Masterson vulnerable to left-handed hitting, and Kelly's health a mystery. With health issues at closer, and the attendant role shifts that follow, the Red Sox bullpen has more question marks than Frank Gorshin's "Riddler" on Batman, and John Farrell either a genius (2013) or Chump-dog Millionaire (2014).
At least by comparison with 2014, when the team was virtually unwatchable, this season deserves attention if not scrutiny. I'll say that the Sox don't make the playoffs, that the pitching staff is the predominant reason, and we'll sing "Wait 'til Next Year'.
Why would the sum of the parts be so far superior to the parts?
ESPN has recently been listing the top players by position and to be fair it's projection not fact. Position by position, how do the Red Sox fair amidst the top 10 at each position (by memory).
Catcher - not applicable
First base - Napoli not in the top ten.
Second base - Pedroia listed at five
Shortstop - Bogaerts not listed
Third base - Sandoval at seven
Left field - Ramirez at five
Center - Betts not listed in top ten
Right field - Victorino not listed (probably not as good as Castillo at this point)
Starters - none listed (right or left handed)
Relievers - none listed (BTW Betances and Andrew Miller in the top 10)
DH - Ortiz listed first
With Vasquez out, catcher is more likely to be a weakness than strength, pending the eventual promotion of Swihart.
Napoli has had a strong spring after returning from reconstructive jaw surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea. In a contract year, he will be motivated. Pedroia is Pedroia, burning to be better. Bogaerts should be on the rise after his shabby treatment by the water carriers for Stephen Drew last season. Sandoval should be better than last year's hot corner production.
In the outfield, Ramirez, Betts, and anybody should be better than last season's unproductive Red Sox outfield. The biggest question is when the incumbent breaks down in right field, when he starts complaining (contract year), and how this affects the team.
At my age, I'm incapable of remembering any team that won without stud starting pitchers, whether it was the Miracle Mets with Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman or 2014 with the Miracle Madison (Bumgarner). When the Red Sox have won, they got great work from starting pitching and equally great work from the bullpen.
The Red Sox starting rotation is questionable at best, with Porcello the lead dog, Miley 'better than you think', Buchholz unreliable, Masterson vulnerable to left-handed hitting, and Kelly's health a mystery. With health issues at closer, and the attendant role shifts that follow, the Red Sox bullpen has more question marks than Frank Gorshin's "Riddler" on Batman, and John Farrell either a genius (2013) or Chump-dog Millionaire (2014).
At least by comparison with 2014, when the team was virtually unwatchable, this season deserves attention if not scrutiny. I'll say that the Sox don't make the playoffs, that the pitching staff is the predominant reason, and we'll sing "Wait 'til Next Year'.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
No Sentimentality
The New England Patriots declined the option on nose tackle Vince Wilfork. The two-time Super Bowl winner tweeted that out to his fans.
Anyone familiar with the Patriots and Robert Kraft's business model understood that an 8.9 million dollar cap for a 34 year-old nose tackle was an imbalance of biblical proportions. Wilfork's value to the organization was about toughness, dependability, and leadership at this point, more than production in the "Pro Football Focus" metric.
The Patriots have shown on numerous occasions (Lawyer Milloy, Wes Welker prominently) their willingness to move on from CONTRACTS they don't like. As fans, we have trouble distinguishing sentimental (endowment bias) from the abstract football value. The Patriots assign a number to everyone's production and adhere to it. When they've departed from that approach (e.g. Welker's 9+ million franchise tag), they've had buyer's remorse.
What's anyone's value? I'm sure that someone can put a 'tag' on my value as a physician, part-time basketball coach, market analyst, writer and blogger. I'm not delusional enough to think the number would be that high. It's harder to make those judgments if measured as a father, spouse, and sibling...because of the usual intangibles.
People spend thousands of dollars for some trinket from a celebrity or a piece of toast resembling the Shroud of Turin. Value is what you get and price is what you pay.
Of course, after testing the free agent waters, Mr. Wilfork may decide that he prefers to live and work here, do the good community work he and his family do, and swallow some pride and leave dollars on the table. At the end of the day, I know that he will do what is right for himself and his family.
But let's not confuse players getting paid with greed. Is anyone calling Robert Kraft greedy for being among the lowest in NFL cash payers the past few seasons or moving up 200 spots to 381 on the Forbes' gazillionaire list? Owners and entrepreneurs sometimes are held to a different standard than workers, even those highly paid professional athletes.
If the Wilforks depart, then we should miss them, for their passion, their consistency, and their authenticity.
Anyone familiar with the Patriots and Robert Kraft's business model understood that an 8.9 million dollar cap for a 34 year-old nose tackle was an imbalance of biblical proportions. Wilfork's value to the organization was about toughness, dependability, and leadership at this point, more than production in the "Pro Football Focus" metric.
The Patriots have shown on numerous occasions (Lawyer Milloy, Wes Welker prominently) their willingness to move on from CONTRACTS they don't like. As fans, we have trouble distinguishing sentimental (endowment bias) from the abstract football value. The Patriots assign a number to everyone's production and adhere to it. When they've departed from that approach (e.g. Welker's 9+ million franchise tag), they've had buyer's remorse.
What's anyone's value? I'm sure that someone can put a 'tag' on my value as a physician, part-time basketball coach, market analyst, writer and blogger. I'm not delusional enough to think the number would be that high. It's harder to make those judgments if measured as a father, spouse, and sibling...because of the usual intangibles.
People spend thousands of dollars for some trinket from a celebrity or a piece of toast resembling the Shroud of Turin. Value is what you get and price is what you pay.
Of course, after testing the free agent waters, Mr. Wilfork may decide that he prefers to live and work here, do the good community work he and his family do, and swallow some pride and leave dollars on the table. At the end of the day, I know that he will do what is right for himself and his family.
But let's not confuse players getting paid with greed. Is anyone calling Robert Kraft greedy for being among the lowest in NFL cash payers the past few seasons or moving up 200 spots to 381 on the Forbes' gazillionaire list? Owners and entrepreneurs sometimes are held to a different standard than workers, even those highly paid professional athletes.
If the Wilforks depart, then we should miss them, for their passion, their consistency, and their authenticity.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Football in Mouth
Football season concludes but the discussion only begins.
First, I'm not engaged in the "best ever" narrative. Yes, Tom Brady has his four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, and he's done it in the free agency, salary cap era. Some argue that he had the Belichick advantage, which totally forgets the historical contribution of Bill Walsh as both a coach and offensive innovator, and the brilliance of Chuck Noll.
Does the Montana-Brady debate really matter? We're not talking Ruth and Aaron versus steroid-addled sluggers. On the other hand, Brady has largely closed out the Brady-Manning debate. Sure, you have some teammate loyalists like Von Miller who insist that Manning is better, but the final arbiter of that discussion is Brady's dominance in the post-season. Forget about the fact that most of Manning's career was spent in the comfort of domes or that he was surrounded with superior receivers, when crunch time has come, Manning has far too often failed, with last year's Super Bowl performance a 'tail between the legs' embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Billy Madison, er, Johnny "College Football" Manziel goes to rehab. Apparently, it's a special Billy Madison like rehab, designed to help you grow up and become a better person, a better friend, and a better teammate. Up to this time, Manziel went to the "Five Minute Leadership" course, and left early. Everyone has their demons, and we can't know whether substance abuse is the cause or simply a symptom of the Manziel's extended adolescence. The problem for Browns fans is that you can't separate the athletic component from the emotional, psychological, and 'spiritual' (if you like) needs imposed on NFL quarterbacks. Sports fans will embrace effort and performance, but heretofore as a professional, Manziel has been Bozo not Romo, more Vince Young than Steve Young.
First, I'm not engaged in the "best ever" narrative. Yes, Tom Brady has his four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, and he's done it in the free agency, salary cap era. Some argue that he had the Belichick advantage, which totally forgets the historical contribution of Bill Walsh as both a coach and offensive innovator, and the brilliance of Chuck Noll.
Does the Montana-Brady debate really matter? We're not talking Ruth and Aaron versus steroid-addled sluggers. On the other hand, Brady has largely closed out the Brady-Manning debate. Sure, you have some teammate loyalists like Von Miller who insist that Manning is better, but the final arbiter of that discussion is Brady's dominance in the post-season. Forget about the fact that most of Manning's career was spent in the comfort of domes or that he was surrounded with superior receivers, when crunch time has come, Manning has far too often failed, with last year's Super Bowl performance a 'tail between the legs' embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Billy Madison, er, Johnny "College Football" Manziel goes to rehab. Apparently, it's a special Billy Madison like rehab, designed to help you grow up and become a better person, a better friend, and a better teammate. Up to this time, Manziel went to the "Five Minute Leadership" course, and left early. Everyone has their demons, and we can't know whether substance abuse is the cause or simply a symptom of the Manziel's extended adolescence. The problem for Browns fans is that you can't separate the athletic component from the emotional, psychological, and 'spiritual' (if you like) needs imposed on NFL quarterbacks. Sports fans will embrace effort and performance, but heretofore as a professional, Manziel has been Bozo not Romo, more Vince Young than Steve Young.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
The Turtle Walks on the Clouds
The Patriots stand at the cutting edge of football philosophy, theory, and technology. We spoke with Patriots "football communications" director Harlan Thunder Eagle.
DSP: "What history brought you to the New England Patriots?"
HTE: "Thank you for asking me here today. Like all teams, the Patriots are interested in secure communications between the sidelines and the players. As you know, NFL teams transmit offensive and defensive signals electronically via specially designed helmets. The Patriots look for redundancy in communications security. I have expertise in secure communications."
DSP: "Can you elaborate?"
HTE: "You're familiar with the movie "Wind Talkers?" During World War II, the Marines recruited Native Americans to facilitate speedy, reliable, and 'unbreakable' communications. Several of the Native American languages have unique grammar and syntex, understandable only to a very few outside of native speakers. For example, if you wanted to represent "football", you might use the word "turtle" or call a blitz using the Navajo words for "red dog."
DSP: "Fascinating. And if you wanted to transmit the message to remove air from a football?"
HTE: "That would take some imagination, Doc. I suppose we might combine the words "cloud" and "turtle" or a brief sentence, "the turtle walks on the clouds." That's never really come up."
DSP: "Is this reflected in the Patriots' playbook?"
HTE: "As you know, Navajo is not a written language. So, even discussing a written representation of the signs and symbols we use really has no meaning. You hear discussion about football having its own language, and we believe that to be quite literally true.
DSP: Can you give me an example of a play call? Let's say you want to send Gronk on a deep fly pattern. What might you say?
HTE: We would have a unique name for Gronk. We could choose any animal, but let's say we chose "white buffalo." We could use a bird to signify pass or a weapon or even a type of weather, all of which could change from game to game or quarter to quarter. So deep pass could be 'buffalo wind' or 'buffalo arrowhead' or 'buffalo falcon'. It's very flexible, variable, and of course, we would be using the Navajo for buffalo, not "Y" or "H" or Gronk."
DSP: "You're not in Kansas anymore, Mr. Thunder Eagle."
HTE: "True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others."
DSP: "What history brought you to the New England Patriots?"
HTE: "Thank you for asking me here today. Like all teams, the Patriots are interested in secure communications between the sidelines and the players. As you know, NFL teams transmit offensive and defensive signals electronically via specially designed helmets. The Patriots look for redundancy in communications security. I have expertise in secure communications."
DSP: "Can you elaborate?"
HTE: "You're familiar with the movie "Wind Talkers?" During World War II, the Marines recruited Native Americans to facilitate speedy, reliable, and 'unbreakable' communications. Several of the Native American languages have unique grammar and syntex, understandable only to a very few outside of native speakers. For example, if you wanted to represent "football", you might use the word "turtle" or call a blitz using the Navajo words for "red dog."
DSP: "Fascinating. And if you wanted to transmit the message to remove air from a football?"
HTE: "That would take some imagination, Doc. I suppose we might combine the words "cloud" and "turtle" or a brief sentence, "the turtle walks on the clouds." That's never really come up."
DSP: "Is this reflected in the Patriots' playbook?"
HTE: "As you know, Navajo is not a written language. So, even discussing a written representation of the signs and symbols we use really has no meaning. You hear discussion about football having its own language, and we believe that to be quite literally true.
DSP: Can you give me an example of a play call? Let's say you want to send Gronk on a deep fly pattern. What might you say?
HTE: We would have a unique name for Gronk. We could choose any animal, but let's say we chose "white buffalo." We could use a bird to signify pass or a weapon or even a type of weather, all of which could change from game to game or quarter to quarter. So deep pass could be 'buffalo wind' or 'buffalo arrowhead' or 'buffalo falcon'. It's very flexible, variable, and of course, we would be using the Navajo for buffalo, not "Y" or "H" or Gronk."
DSP: "You're not in Kansas anymore, Mr. Thunder Eagle."
HTE: "True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others."
Monday, January 19, 2015
Secret Weapons of the New England Patriots
Yes, they've done it again. The Patriots have used subterfuge, deception, and sleight of hand to advance to the Super Bowl.
There's no way that the Declining Duo (Belichick and Brady) could possibly extend their incredible lucky streak through preparation, practice, and execution. The Patriots didn't cheat through advanced imaging techniques, manipulating the weather, contrived formations, or even by changing game conditions by tilting the playing surface by adjusting football air pressure. No, something far more nefarious was at work.
And the results? Simply spectacular, as unicorns turned Wonder Boy Andrew Luck into a one-trick pony of sorts, with a career low passer rating of 23, no touchdowns, and a pair of picks.
The NFL promised a swift, comprehensive, and resource-intensive investigation.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
What Does the Fox Say?
John Fox finds himself out of a job. There's an old saying about "great players make coaches great." But when it was accountability time for the Broncos, the coaches were gone, Peyton Manning got the injury "get out of jail free" card, and the rest of the Broncos high-priced roster got off scot free.
First, to paraphrase a famous NFL quarterback's equally famous wife, John Fox might say, "I can't call the pass plays and throw the ball, too." Peyton Manning's 2 for 12 completion record on passes beyond fifteen yards can't be dismissed in the Colts' upset of the Big Horses. Is John Fox accountable for Manning's injury, for Manning's contract, or Manning's uneven (11-13) playoff record? No, no, and only a little.
Manning is an unquestionable Hall of Fame quarterback, among the top half a dozen all-time, but at some point, the "What Have You Done for Me Lately" refrain has to get played. It's not like the Broncos won't sell out without him, and to say Manning is on the back nine of his career is beyond generous.
Wes Welker's career in Denver also proven inconsistent. Like most, I speculate that the cumulative (literal) impact of too many hits and concussions reduced his effectiveness. Welker had a wonderful career, but his 2014/2015 campaign certainly wasn't close to his sizable payday.
Aqib Talib is a ProBowl corner, but got schooled by T.Y. Hilton. That happens in the NFL, where talent meets talented every Sunday.
The reality for Fox is that there are only two kinds of coaches, active and destined to be fired. I haven't seen a lot of criticism for John Elway, and I'm not sure there will be. Elway loaded up and the Broncos went for it, but an aging, injured, and ineffective Manning got outdueled by his Indianapolis replacement. Irony resides for Fox that he was the beneficiary and the casualty of the vicissitudes of Peyton Manning's effectiveness.
First, to paraphrase a famous NFL quarterback's equally famous wife, John Fox might say, "I can't call the pass plays and throw the ball, too." Peyton Manning's 2 for 12 completion record on passes beyond fifteen yards can't be dismissed in the Colts' upset of the Big Horses. Is John Fox accountable for Manning's injury, for Manning's contract, or Manning's uneven (11-13) playoff record? No, no, and only a little.
Manning is an unquestionable Hall of Fame quarterback, among the top half a dozen all-time, but at some point, the "What Have You Done for Me Lately" refrain has to get played. It's not like the Broncos won't sell out without him, and to say Manning is on the back nine of his career is beyond generous.
Wes Welker's career in Denver also proven inconsistent. Like most, I speculate that the cumulative (literal) impact of too many hits and concussions reduced his effectiveness. Welker had a wonderful career, but his 2014/2015 campaign certainly wasn't close to his sizable payday.
Aqib Talib is a ProBowl corner, but got schooled by T.Y. Hilton. That happens in the NFL, where talent meets talented every Sunday.
The reality for Fox is that there are only two kinds of coaches, active and destined to be fired. I haven't seen a lot of criticism for John Elway, and I'm not sure there will be. Elway loaded up and the Broncos went for it, but an aging, injured, and ineffective Manning got outdueled by his Indianapolis replacement. Irony resides for Fox that he was the beneficiary and the casualty of the vicissitudes of Peyton Manning's effectiveness.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Hall Pass
This week we got several newly minted Cooperstown selectees - Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio. Meanwhile, far better players than the latter, tainted with the stain of presumptive PED use, specifically Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens get shut out, likely for eternity.
Maybe personality contaminates part of the process. Neither Bonds nor Clemens were universally loved. Greatness often carries arrogance as excess baggage. One need not review the numbers for either, staggering as they are amidst baseball pantheon of stars. Bonds' and Clemens' statistical achievements are Nintendo-like compared to mere mortals.
Maybe it gets back to the 'appearance' of Hall of Famers.
Veteran Cardinals' slugger McGwire (The Incredible Hulk).
We want our heroes to carry themselves in a certain way, apparently something less than the cartoonish metamorphosis that transformed excellent players into superheroes or super freaks, depending on your point of view.
Baseball doesn't want a separate "Steroid Wing" in Cooperstown. But let's not pretend that sports are as American as apple pie and motherhood. Have you ever had a bad piece of apple pie? I confess that I've had an occasional experience there. But perhaps baseball needs a separate wing, where the "usual suspects" are recognized/scrutinized.
You know who's who on the above list. Sammy Sosa can't carry Frank Robinson's shoes. McGwire versus Killebrew? Puh-lease. I believe that Barry Bonds would have made this list without "the cream and the clear." But the last time I checked, Rafael Palmeiro averaged something like fifteen homers a year for his first five full seasons. His career numbers suggest that a 'good' chess player suddenly became a Grandmaster. I'm not buying that bill of goods.
But how do we resolve the inflated numbers, the misrepresentation or overrepresentation of juiced (or allegedly so) cheaters?
I would have favored an "amnesty" program for those who acknowledged cheating. "If you cheating, you ain't trying." In the Age of Cheaters, being a juicer wasn't really 'outlier' stuff. The Best of the Juicers still were the best of their era, or so that argument goes. But the first part of redemption is admitting you cheated.
Let's face it, this isn't about solving world hunger, Middle East peace, or even agreeing on Global Warming. Whether Jeff Bagwell belongs in the Hall is a pleasant distraction (four homers one season in AA), not redacted CIA data. But I'm coming around to thinking that Bonds and Clemens belong in Cooperstown (and Pete Rose the player), even if it means having a separate exhibit detailing the sordid details of the Steroid Era.
Maybe personality contaminates part of the process. Neither Bonds nor Clemens were universally loved. Greatness often carries arrogance as excess baggage. One need not review the numbers for either, staggering as they are amidst baseball pantheon of stars. Bonds' and Clemens' statistical achievements are Nintendo-like compared to mere mortals.
Maybe it gets back to the 'appearance' of Hall of Famers.
Young A's slugger Mark McGwire (Bruce Banner).
We want our heroes to carry themselves in a certain way, apparently something less than the cartoonish metamorphosis that transformed excellent players into superheroes or super freaks, depending on your point of view.
Baseball doesn't want a separate "Steroid Wing" in Cooperstown. But let's not pretend that sports are as American as apple pie and motherhood. Have you ever had a bad piece of apple pie? I confess that I've had an occasional experience there. But perhaps baseball needs a separate wing, where the "usual suspects" are recognized/scrutinized.
But how do we resolve the inflated numbers, the misrepresentation or overrepresentation of juiced (or allegedly so) cheaters?
I would have favored an "amnesty" program for those who acknowledged cheating. "If you cheating, you ain't trying." In the Age of Cheaters, being a juicer wasn't really 'outlier' stuff. The Best of the Juicers still were the best of their era, or so that argument goes. But the first part of redemption is admitting you cheated.
Let's face it, this isn't about solving world hunger, Middle East peace, or even agreeing on Global Warming. Whether Jeff Bagwell belongs in the Hall is a pleasant distraction (four homers one season in AA), not redacted CIA data. But I'm coming around to thinking that Bonds and Clemens belong in Cooperstown (and Pete Rose the player), even if it means having a separate exhibit detailing the sordid details of the Steroid Era.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Zebras Kill Lions
The NFL clamped down on defensive holding and domestic violence this year. Unfortunately, they now have to face an officiating crisis.
Tonight's Lions-Cowboys contest saw a man bites dog outcome, with a DPI (defensive pass interference) call overturned that WAS clearly a penalty under old or new rules and a series of penalties on the ensuing drive spur the Cowboys on to a victory. The officials called a penalty, then inexplicably picked up the flag.
Former NFL Official Supervisor Mike Pereira commented that it was definitely DPI.
Rumors circulate that Vegas had called this game for the Cowboys. Twitter was lit up with conversations about official intervention in the outcome.
Seriously, sports fans live with bad plays, bad decisions, and bad calls every day. Coaching a basketball game yesterday, I had the OPPOSING COACH come up to me and say, "did you do something to these officials? They're calling everything against you."
Officials are human. They make mistakes, which is why instant replay both came into being and have regularly expanded. But today's series of calls makes you wonder HOW OFTEN games are thrown or fixed. We know from the Tim Donaghy experience that professional sports officiating shenanigans happen.
The sad part of today's game isn't that the Cowboys won or the Lions lost. Rather it's the reality that the officiating calls the integrity of the game into question. And that's a question that just won't disappear as easily as the Lions.
Tonight's Lions-Cowboys contest saw a man bites dog outcome, with a DPI (defensive pass interference) call overturned that WAS clearly a penalty under old or new rules and a series of penalties on the ensuing drive spur the Cowboys on to a victory. The officials called a penalty, then inexplicably picked up the flag.
Former NFL Official Supervisor Mike Pereira commented that it was definitely DPI.
Rumors circulate that Vegas had called this game for the Cowboys. Twitter was lit up with conversations about official intervention in the outcome.
Seriously, sports fans live with bad plays, bad decisions, and bad calls every day. Coaching a basketball game yesterday, I had the OPPOSING COACH come up to me and say, "did you do something to these officials? They're calling everything against you."
Officials are human. They make mistakes, which is why instant replay both came into being and have regularly expanded. But today's series of calls makes you wonder HOW OFTEN games are thrown or fixed. We know from the Tim Donaghy experience that professional sports officiating shenanigans happen.
The sad part of today's game isn't that the Cowboys won or the Lions lost. Rather it's the reality that the officiating calls the integrity of the game into question. And that's a question that just won't disappear as easily as the Lions.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
It Ain't Easy Being Green
Rajon Rondo returned from his liberation to Dallas, and toasted the Celtics with a 29 point performance en route to a rout of his former team. His shooting woes disappeared for a night as he drained 5 of 7 from international waters and put on a vintage 'big game' show.
Gary Washburn describe him in "The Boston Globe" as polarizing. Perhaps even more than that, Rondo's Boston play and attitude was mercurial.
Gary Washburn describe him in "The Boston Globe" as polarizing. Perhaps even more than that, Rondo's Boston play and attitude was mercurial.
Professionalism is the will to 'get after it', even when you don't feel like it. The NBA season is a hundred game marathon, where fatigue and travel intersect 'a sprinting game' and the reality of facing twenty-five to fifty screens a night as an NBA guard. Those 'hard' words of commitment, discipline, energy, and sacrifice trump authenticity. Rondo's acknowledgement of not playing defense for a couple of years indict his desire for megabucks. When your honesty exceeds your integrity, then you have a character flaw, no matter who you are.
Truly great players perform at or near their best more often than near great players. Rondo had many great Boston moments, but his admission of laziness surely sullies his reputation and his quest for a hundred million dollars.
Kevin Eastman would say, "you are responsible for your paycheck." If you want a max deal, then only in a dystopian world do you get it with an occasional triple double punctuating sub 40 percent field goal and free throw percentages. I get the 'body of work' argument AND the Janet Jacksonian "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" one, too. But it's hard to be a 'disinterested' Superman...it ain't easy being Green.
I'm not the biggest Rondo fan, not because of his personality but because of his inconsistent play. Yesterday's candor only reaffirmed my belief that moving him was the right option for the C's. In a perverse way, Rondo's performance last night only proved that point...because he literally lacked the will to do the same on the parquet for the Celtics. If you want to be the face of the team, then you must also be its heart and soul.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Strange Fascination
Rajon Rondo returns to Boston. It will be all Rondo, all the time today as the prodigal Mavericks (how appropriate) point guard returns to the parquet.
Rondo had a mercurial, mostly successful career in Boston. He led the 2008 team to an NBA championship, wowed crowds with his passes, and drove coaches crazy with his independent, sanctimonious streak.
Whether you love him or have a different opinion, he doesn't change. He is the ultimate "to thine own self be true player." He is a pass-first, nonshooter, far above average rebounding guard who has supreme confidence that his way is the right way.
When you think of players likely to become coaches, you don't think of Rondo. Why? It isn't that he lacks the skill, knowledge, or will, but he is Mr. Inflexible.
His free agency should be fascinating. Ultimately, you are worth what your employer agrees to pay. Clippers' exec Kevin Eastman would say, "you are responsible for your paycheck." If Rondo helps the Mavs will a title, he will get paid. If it's something less, along with head-butting with Rick Carlisle, then what will the bucks say?
If I were at the Garden, I'd cheer him enthusiastically back, then anoint him the villain once the game starts. He's not a Celtic anymore, and it's not so clear that he always was. Rondo is his own man, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, until trade do us part.
I don't enjoy his style of play, as I think it inhibits optimal ball movement. I'd rather watch the Spurs or even the Triangle offense. But that's what I like to watch. Welcome back and good buy.
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