2018 World Series Parade in Photos

So now it's all over. Baseball is gone until February.

We'll have to do without hearing the crack of a bat or the pop of a glove until Spring Training, but this year Red Sox fans have the ultimate memories to keep us warm over the long winter.

For the fourth time in the last fifteen seasons, the Boston Red Sox were the last team standing, dominating in the playoffs the same way they had dominated in the regular season, dispatching the Yankees in the ALDS 3-1, the defending World Champion Astros in the ALCS 4-1, and the 2017 and 2018 NL Champion Dodgers in the World Series 4-1.

And that was that. The best Red Sox team in history won it all, and all that was left was the parade. Despite not sleeping for most of October, I decided to make the trip to Boston to watch. On Halloween morning, I left my New Jersey apartment at 3am, made the drive to the Riverside T Station, and (following the mayor's pleas) took the T to Fenway.

I was in my spot by 8:30am, and settled in to wait for the parade to start, making small talk to with the other fans around, some of whom were attending their first ever championship parade.

Below are some of my favorite pictures I took of the festivities - it was hard to narrow things down, as I snapped over 600 shots, but hopefully they do it justice.

At around 9:45am, police told us to make a space, that a car would be coming through on the way to Fenway. We obliged, of course, though some of us wondered why the driver would come over the curb instead of just taking Ipswich Street.

That driver was J.D. Martinez. I should note that J.D. navigated the screaming crowd expertly, not even coming close to clipping one of the many fans surrounding his car and making it to Fenway in plenty of time.

A guy standing next to me asked a police officer, "How many cops you guys got out today?" The officer laughed. "Too many," he told us.

Of course, I felt extremely safe with the all-time best police dog ever on the job. Who's a good boy???

Once the parade started, the owners got a healthy cheer, though we couldn't really see them from my side of the street. Thanks for paying for everything, guys! Also, you're literal billionaires, so I don't want to ever hear you (or fans) talk about staying below the luxury threshold again! You could pay Bryce Harper (or any other free agent out there) with the change from the couch cushions in your third yacht, so pony up and maybe we can do this again next year!

Dave Dombrowski gave us a hearty thumbs up, which seems understated for the architect of the World Championship team, but I'm not here to judge...

Mookie Betts was allegedly on this duck boat, but since he never ventured over to my side, I have no photographic proof of that.

Wally really captured the spirit of the moment once the confetti began to fall.

I wouldn't have blamed David Price if he wanted to thumb his nose at every fan who ever doubted him, but of course he's much too awesome for that.

The only person I care about in this photo is Red Sox legend Jason Varitek.

Craig Kimbrel appeared to be having a normal level of fun at first glance...

But then, he found this giant cardboard cutout...

of Joe Kelly, who was (obviously) extremely excited about it.

But not nearly as excited as Kimbrel, who found the entire situation hilarious.

Christian Vázquez gave fans a lot of love as he took photos of us in turn.

Rick Porcello (also known as Fred-Fred because his full given name is literally Frederick Alfred Porcello III) and Chris Sale got huge cheers from the assembled masses.

 And Sale responded with a lot of emotion.

You can't beat an appearance by absolute warrior Jerry Remy, unless you pair him with Hall of Famer Jim Rice - that is a power duck boat if I've ever seen one.

Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew Benintendi, and Brock Holt seemed pretty casual at first... to be fair, I was in the first hundred yards of the parade route, so things were just getting started.

 But Holt picked things up quickly, feeding off the energy from the fans.

Alex Cora was mostly looking at his phone as he passed my section, but honestly he can celebrate however the hell he wants to.

Can't have a World Series parade without a special edition of the L.L. Bean Bootmobile!

All wrapped up in this beautiful banner. 

I don't know about you guys, but I'm already counting down the days until Spring Training.

Red Sox: Instant Smile

During Game 6 of the ALCS, I tweeted this:

I meant it. For the past two days, every time I've had a setback in class, or someone has cut me off in traffic, or I can't find my keys, I have a magic talisman against frustration and anger.

The Red Sox are going to be playing in the World Series.

I don't know if it's a measure of my devotion, or an actual barometer on the level of insanity in my life, but nothing can tank my mood when the Red Sox are American League Champions.

I won't say it doesn't matter how the World Series ends, because OF COURSE it matters. But I will say that even if the worst happens, it's heartening to know that the worst possible outcome for the Red Sox is better than the best effort of twenty-eight other teams.

That said, I'm picking the Red Sox in six - we'll finally get to see the local nine celebrating a World Championship at Fenway Park.

World Series bandwagon - Go Giants!

I'm living vicariously through former Red Sox and current NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro - and you all know how I feel about short and gritty second basemen.

It's here. Game 1 of the 2012 World Series starts right about now, and I couldn't be more thrilled that one of the teams I picked at the start of the playoffs is still in it.  Sadly, the Orioles didn't make it through, so I will stick with my other original pick, the San Francisco Giants.

Of course, should the Tigers win, I won't be too upset.  Detroit hasn't seen a World Series title in more than thirty years, and we all know that the city could use something to celebrate.

That's really the beauty of being a bandwagon fan - after the horrible slow torture of being a diehard Red Sox fan this season, it's nice to be a casual fan of the Giants and Orioles. I was upset when the Orioles were eliminated, sure - but it wasn't the end of the world.

The same with the World Series. Of course I want to see the Giants take the whole thing - and see Marco Scutaro take the World Series MVP in addition to the NLCS MVP. But if they don't in, I won't be curling up in a ball to sob like I would if it were the Red Sox.

My biggest hope for the Series? That it goes seven games. I'm not ready for baseball to end!

World Series Review: I Suck at Predictions

 Despite worries from baseball elite that this year’s World Series would be boring and unprofitable due to the absence of large-market teams full of superstars, it turned out to be one of the most exciting Fall Classics in years.  Their worries were certainly valid, as the biggest audiences will typically tune in when teams from either coast are involved, and this Series was, as Sports Illustrated put it, “Central Casting,” with both the AL and NL Pennants going to teams far from the coasts, the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.

The network carrying the Series also doesn’t begin to make a profit unless the two teams play five or more games in the best of seven series: since they pay Major League Baseball so much money to gain the exclusive televising rights, the advertising revenue after just four games (like the sweeps in 2004, 2005, and 2007) barely covers their cost.  If a Series reaches seven games, like this one, the network can charge huge amounts of money on advertising slots to get a return on their large investment.

 The games themselves were particularly compelling: on one side you had the Rangers, who have never won a World Series (including in their time as the Washington Senators), who were back after losing to the San Francisco Giants in last year’s Fall Classic, and who had been the no-doubt winners of the AL West for quite some time.  Across the diamond you had the Cinderella story:  the Cardinals had been ten games back in the Wild Card race with a month to play, and had just a 1.1% chance of even seeing the playoffs, before taking down the Braves to make it in, then the favored Phillies (who had been practically crowned World Champs in February), and the Brewers.

While Texas hunted fruitlessly for it’s first title, St. Louis tried to provide more incentive for free-agent to be Albert Pujols to stay with the team this offseason, and it might have worked – when asked if a repeat would be possible in 2012, Pujols grinned and said, “Why not?” 

The Series it self was compelling all the way through, as the two teams traded victories through Game 4, and then Texas gained a 3-2 advantage by winning Game 5.  If you didn’t watch what happened next, you missed a hell of a game.  Game 6 was one for the ages: the Rangers were one strike away from winning their first title – twice.  They had a two-run lead in both the ninth and tenth innings, and then David Freese and Lance Berkman (both with two strikes against them) batted in the tying runs.  Freese would hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning to send the Series to its seventh game.

 After the drama of Game 6, Game 7 was slightly less exciting, as the Cards earned the lead in the third and never relinquished it.  Hometown boy David Freese was named World Series MVP, and the city of St. Louis earned the right to party in the streets for the second time in five years.  Despite the absence of a big-market team, this World Series was one for the ages – it’s only too bad that it’s over.

World Series Preview: 2011

 Typically you would examine starting pitching matchups very carefully when attempting to predict the outcome of a seven-game series like the Fall Classic, but this postseason has been anything but typical for the hurlers of the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.  During the LCS, the Card’s starters managed just one win in their six games, and posted an atrocious 7.03 ERA, while the Rangers’ starting staff didn’t do much better: zero wins in six games with an ERA of 6.59.

            Not a single Rangers starter has managed to make an out in the seventh inning all postseason, and there has never been a World Series Champion that could make that dubious claim.  On the other hand, both teams are averaging less than five innings out of their starters per game during these playoffs, and the last team to win the Fall Classic with that distinction was the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.  Both teams have relied heavily on their bullpens thus far, so it should be interesting to see how the pitching situation shakes out.

            Assuming starters can stay in the game for a reasonable length of time, the Rangers have the edge, despite the fact that the National League Cardinals have home-field advantage by virtue of the NL winning this year’s All-Star Game.  The Cards were just 20-20 this season against left-handed pitchers, and Texas boasts three southpaws in their playoff rotation. CJ Wilson will start the Series off tonight against Chris Carpenter (RHP).  Wilson has turned into a bona fide ace for the Rangers in the last two years, making a seamless transition from his bullpen days.  Tomorrow night will see righthander Colby Lewis starting for Texas, with lefty Jaime Garcia taking the mound for the Cards. The Rangers round out their rotation with lefthanders Derek Holland and Matt Harrison on Saturday and Sunday, while the Cards will counter with righties Edwin Jackson and Kyle Lohse.

            Star power is provided by the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler (2B), Josh Hamilton – hero of the 2008 Home Run Derby (CF), and Adrian Beltre (3B), while the biggest story on the Cardinals’ side of things is free-agent to be Albert Pujols (1B).  The Cards do have other star players (left fielder Matt Holliday, right fielder Lance Berkman), but the big questions revolve around Pujols: will he follow the dollars to greener pastures this offseason, or will he stay in baseball-crazy St. Louis? And either way, will he lead the cards to another Championship?

            The last time the Cardinals won the World Series was just fie seasons ago in 2006 – just two years after being swept from the Series by the Boston Red Sox.  The Rangers have a similar feel of unfinished business to them, as they return to the Fall Classic after falling to the San Francisco Giants in just five games last October.  The consensus in the baseball world seems to be that Texas has a pretty strong edge – even though they will not enjoy home field advantage – but that expecting St. Louis to bow out in four games would be just another fallacy. Texas should take it, but we’ll give them six games to do so, and they’ll win their very first World Series in their fifty year history.

2010 World Series, in Tweets

So that's it. The World Series is over, and it's taking baseball with it. The Giants are world champs, and while I was rooting for the Rangers, I can handle this result. I could tell you my thoughts on the matter, but I think it's more interesting to get the reactions of others, so here are some of the tweets that made the round last evening:
















As always, if you are the author of any of these tweets, and would like yours removed, contact me and I will be happy to oblige.

Rangers in six

The World Series will finally get underway this Wednesday, and since my original prediction is no longer possible (Phillies in six), it’s time to reevaluate. Since all the major sports outlets were hoping for a big market, Philadelphia-New York World Series, there hasn’t been too much conjecture on the possibility of a San Francisco-Texas Fall Classic, and now that possibility has become the reality.

MLB and Fox (who will host the Series) expect a smaller audience for this matchup than they’ve had the past few years, but there’s a few good reasons to tune in even if your team isn’t involved. The Giants have not won a World Series since they departed from New York after the 1957 season. They have, however, won four Pennants in San Francisco (1962, 1989, 2002, 2010), but have yet to seal the deal with a Championship. The Texas Rangers, on the other hand, had never won an AL title until they defeated the Yankees last Friday, and prior to 2010, had won exactly one postseason game in their history. The Rangers are attempting to win their first World Series for new team owner Nolan Ryan (yes, the Nolan Ryan).

On the field the teams are pretty evenly matched. Both the Rangers and the Giants are anchored by a fantastic pitching staff: strong starters, quality bullpens, and dynamic closers. The Giants boast a 3.36 ERA, while the Rangers did about half a run worse at 3.93. This disparity could be almost completely stripped away when you consider that the Giants had the luxury of pitching to pitchers in the nine spot all season while the Rangers had to deal with designated hitters. Star power abounds in both rotations, with names like Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum, and Matt Cain, while closers Neftali Feliz and Brian Wilson have developed cult followings in Texas and San Francisco, respectively.

On the offensive side, the Rangers had the best team batting average in the majors, batting .276 for the season, while the Giants hit .257. Rangers team OPS was a robust .757, while the came in just behind at .729. Each team has their fair share of big name sluggers, though Texas has the edge in star power with names like Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and Vladimir Guerrero. The Giants, for their part, have Aubrey Huff, Pablo “Kung Fu Panda” Sandoval, and ROY candidate Buster Posey.

Game One looks to be an exciting one, as Lee will face Lincecum in a Battle of the Aces. It should be a close one, but I’m taking Lee as the winner, mostly because he will be better rested after Lincecum had to pitch in relief in NLCS Game 6. Lee is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA this postseason (and 2-0, 0.90 this season with 6+ days of rest), while Lincecum is 2-1, 1.93.

I'll do more head-to-head analysis as the Series gets going, but I’m going to go on record right now and pick the Rangers in six games, home field advantage or none.

[This post also appeared in the Trinity Tripod]

Philly's taking it.

Way back in April, I picked Colorado, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Anaheim, Minnesota, New York, and Boston to make the playoffs, which puts my grade at 50%, failure by any professor’s standards. However, in baseball speak, I batted .500, which is impossibly good – it’s all about perspective. (For perspective, Sports Illustrated and Baseball Prospectus were also 4-for-8.)

Hopefully I’ll be more on the ball in my playoff predictions, but let me first start off with the disclaimer that the playoffs are, in the immortal words of Moneyball author Michael Lewis, “a giant crapshoot.” The Major League Baseball season is 162 games long; it’s a marathon that specializes in wearing teams down and weeding out the weak and injured, letting the elite emerge with the best records. However, anything can happen in a small sample-size like the 5-game League Division Series’, or the 7-game League-Championship and World Series.

That said, I’m going to take a stab at predicting the outcome – after all, there’s a 12.5% chance I’ll guess right!

The playoff schedules weren’t set until Sunday afternoon when the last three teams clinched, and the Division Series’ will start Wednesday, with the AL East champion Rays hosting the AL West champions Rangers, the AL Central champion Twins hosting the AL Wild Card entry Yankees, and the NL East champion Phillies hosting the NL Central Reds. Thursday evening will see the NL West Champion Giants hosting the Wild Card entry Braves.

In the first round I’m taking the Giants and Rangers in 5 games, and Yankees and Phillies in 4. Really, it’s all about pitching, and all four of these teams have a legitimate ACE: Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, and Roy Halladay, respectively. All of these pitchers are capable of absolutely dominating, and the lineups behind them are hardly something to scoff at.

The Championship Series’ should see both New York and Philadelphia defending their 2009 Pennants, with mixed success. Philly and San Francisco match up pretty evenly on paper, but the Phillies should take it in six games. The Giants have Lincecum and Matt Cain, but the Phillies will counter with Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. Sure, you could argue that Halladay has never even been in a postseason game before, but its not like he’s a stranger to high-pressure situations, having pitched in the competitive AL East for most of his career.

As for the American League Pennant, I’m picking Texas in seven games. Again, this mostly comes down to pitching. CC Sabathia is close to a sure thing, but he was beaten last postseason by Cliff Lee (then with the Phillies), and after Sabathia the Yankees rotation is anything but steady. Andy Pettitte is coming off of a torn groin (and he’s 38-years-old), AJ Burnett is an enigma at best, and Phil Hughes has more than doubled his innings from last year. On the other hand, Texas has four reliable starters in Lee, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis, and Tommy Hunter. Both lineups are formidable, but the return of Josh Hamilton should tip the scales in the Rangers’ favor.

Because the National League won the All-star game for the first time since 1996 (2002 ended in a tie), the World Series will be hosted by the National League Pennant winner, which in this projection is Philadelphia. The Phillies have distinct advantages in a number of areas: their team ERA is nearly half a run better than the Rangers’ team ERA; they have a wealth of postseason experience, as this could be their third straight NL Pennant; and they have home-field advantage. That said, this should be a close series, going to six or even seven games. The two teams have comparable lineups, and they each boast one of the top-five starting pitchers in the game. The Rangers have the better bullpen, which could allow them to steal a game or two if they can wear down the starters early. However, all things considered, the Phillies should be able to top the Rangers and win their second World Series in the last three years. After all, Philadelphia finished the regular season with baseball’s best record, it would only be fitting if they finished the postseason with baseball’s highest prize.

Wishes Are For Fairy Tales

To the Yankees winning the World Series, I have one thing to say: so what? They should have won... it took them disgraceful amounts of money, but they've finally bought #27.

Do I wish they had choked? Absolutely. But I also wish that I could marry Dustin Pedroia, among other things. The point is, wishes are for fairy tales, and in real life the "bad guy" wins a lot. Don't get me wrong, until I'm confronted with evidence to the contrary, I don't think the Yankees are villains on any real-world level: they're not raping and pillaging, as far as I know (though the centaur thing sure freaks me out).

It's just frustrating to me (and to many of you, I'm sure), to know that whatever the Yankees want, the Yankees will get. For instance, if you still think there was any way Boston could have signed Teixeira last season, you're crazy. Cashman was always getting the last call, and he always will from Boras (hate him if you must, but it's a great arrangement for him). As for players with any other agent (hello, CC Sabathia)? The Yankees can afford to pay anything, even bidding against themselves, to land the talent they want.

I'm calling awkward turtle on this whole picture.

Annoying? Yes. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Life isn't fair, and neither is baseball - just ask CB Bucknor.