Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports

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Ein Deutscher Tag Für Alles

Guten Morgen! The World Cup is finally back today. And I couldn’t be more happy about it, as my brief journey back to baseball quickly made me question the decision. Last night, I went to the Red Sox-White Sox game at Fenway Park. Granted, I’ve learned to expect next to nothing from the Red Sox these days. But I was thoroughly impressed with how unimpressive the reigning champions are right now. You watch them hit and wonder how this team will ever score a single run, let alone win a game that Clay Buchholz starts. How many sub .240 hitters can you start and legitimately hope to put runs on the board? When a 29-year-old rookie pitcher with a plus-five ERA throws six and two thirds innings of one hit baseball, and nobody in the park is surprised, something is wrong. We all know these players are capable of being better. But it’s just not happening this year.

Had the Red Sox not won the championship a year ago, this team would be getting slammed in Boston right now. Imagine the talk radio hosts going off on John Farrell and his group of players that more closely resemble the September of 2006 Red Sox than they do the 2013 team. But instead, we are in this wonderful grace period, a time when anything could go horribly wrong and nobody could get angry. Because we love these guys. The same players that helped rebuild this city last fall won’t ever be capable of breaking our spirits.

So I believe Ben Cherington must use this grace period to his advantage and shop his players while Boston fans will allow it. In my view, hardly anyone on the roster should be untouchable right now, with the possible exceptions of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz. Despite their poor seasons, many players will have relatively high market values, and Cherington would do well to restock his offensive talent in return. He needs to be making a lot of phone calls this month.

But enough of that. It’s time to get back to soccer. Here’s my first semifinal pick.

Germany 2 Brazil 0

This dream semifinal will lack flare at times, but the Germans will be ruthlessly efficient once again, hardly troubled by the weakened Brazilian defense. For Brazil to have a shot, I would like to see Oscar occupy the number 10 role in Neymar’s absence. He has the ability to press higher up the pitch than Neymar ever wanted to, and pressing Bastian Schweinsteiger any time he receives the ball in his own half would lead to a drop in the German’s play, as he does much better with more time and space on the ball. Oscar will also have to pick up his offensive game, as he will need to bring his wingers into the match. Hulk will need to provide the creativity and Luiz Gustavo and Fernandinho or Paulinho will have to be willing to make the late run into the box should Brazil hope to score without their star man. However, the bigger loss might be in defense, where Thiago Silva will be sorely missed. I hope Dante gets the start, as his knowledge of the Bavarians could prove a huge help.

On the German side, it will be quite interesting to see how the front four line up, especially if Miroslav Klose doesn’t get another start. I would like to see Mesut Özil pushed wider than normal, occupying the space behind the attacking fullbacks and away from Luiz Gustavo. If Toni Kroos can keep Gustavo busy, spaces will open up for Özil and Thomas Müller to receive the ball in front of the back four. From there, they should have more success with their final ball, finding openings in between the inexperienced tandem of David Luiz and Dante. In defense, I would like to see Per Mertesacker come back in, either for Jerome Boateng or Benedikt Höwedes, with Boateng shifting to the left. Defending set pieces will be crucial against a depleted Brazilian attack that will be dying for a cheap goal. Fred’s lack of pace shouldn’t worry Mertesacker, so it would be wise to bring his experience back into the side.

I predict Manuel Neuer will not let in a goal, playing more of his sweeper role than of his goalie role. He’ll be able to beat Fred to any ball played in over the top, and when called upon to deny Hulk or Ramires from distance, he’ll be up to the task. Germany will be patient in the first half, allowing Brazil some unthreatening possession, but they will manage to keep the crowd silent and out of the match. Late in the first half, Özil will unlock the defense, threading a through ball in to Müller after a lengthy build-up. Müller’s cool finish will give Germany the lead at half. As Brazil throw on more attacking threats in the second half, Lukas Podolski will come on for Deutschland and will score the clinching goal on the break, beating Julio Cesar near-post. Neymar and Thiago Silva will be sorely missed and it will be a German day in Brazil. The streak will finally come to an end, as Brazil will lose at home. That is, unless the referee decides to help the hosts out. Let’s hope Marco Rodriguez is up to the task.

I hope you all have a great day, and I’ll be back later today with some analysis of the semifinal after the match. Hoffentlich kann ich in Deutsch das schreiben mit einem Sieg. (And hopefully that bit of German was correct.)

 


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The Red Sox Only Deserved the One All-Star, Arsenal Begin Pre-Season and a Thank You to Josh Radnor

Good morning, everyone. With another day before we get back to World Cup matches, I thought I’d take this opportunity to write about a couple different things.

I’ll be disappointed once the World Cup ends, but it’ll be nice to have time to focus on baseball again. The Red Sox seem hell bent on keeping fans away this summer though, as they continue to find ways to lose. Yesterday’s game was yet another in which the Red Sox showed glimpses of last year, this time coming back from a 6-1 deficit with a five run seventh. But yet again, all clutch hitting disappeared and the Red Sox fell once more in extra innings. The late-inning magic epitomized by Jonny Gomes that the Red Sox had an abundance of last year has not existed this year when it is needed. They’re a frustrating team to watch at the moment.

It seems fitting that our defending World Champions have only one all-star on the roster selected by their own manager. Jon Lester will be the only one donning the special all-star game hat next week in Minnesota. Reports say David Ortiz told John Farrell that he preferred time off this year, but really, was Ortiz even worthy of a selection?  While I do think Lester was deserving of a spot, he hasn’t exactly been the stopper his team have needed at times. He’s had a lot of games where he pitched well, but not well enough. For an ace to beat other aces, he needs to be almost perfect. And Lester has been far from that.

I made the case for John Lackey to be an all-star a few weeks back, but he’s cooled down a bit since then. The only other player I think should have made it from the Sox is Koji Uehara. It’s hard to believe there have been many relievers better than him this year, and I would have thought Farrell would have wanted to turn the ball over to his closer at the end of the game. Uehara’s success over the last 12 months certainly merited a spot, but ultimately, his team’s failure cost him his place on the team, as Farrell couldn’t give his Red Sox an extra spot they didn’t deserve. Hopefully Uehara gets in as a replacement, but I understand why there is only one Red Sox on the roster this year.

Maybe this announcement will serve as a wake-up call for Dustin Pedroia. The former MVP has seen a dramatic drop in production this year, and it seems like there’s no injury to blame this time. I’m sure Pedroia likes to think of himself as the best second baseman in the game, but he was not even close to making the American League roster this year. Even if the Red Sox don’t turn things around as a team, for Pedroia, a return to his best could help get next season’s team back on the right track.

On a different front, Arsenal’s pre-season is about to get under way. I love the World Cup, but I am dying to see Arsenal get going again. Personally, I really enjoy watching preseason games, as I like seeing young players like Chuba Akpom, Thomas Eisfeld and Kristoff Olsson get run outs. It’ll be fun to watch those guys get another few games under their belts to prove they belong at this level. The friendly against Boreham Wood on July 19th can’t get here soon enough.

But as pre-season heats up, the transfer sagas begin to get more important. It’s at this point that I, along with just about every other Gooner in the world, would like to see Arsene Wenger get something done. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big slash yet, but I would just like to see some movement. There are a lot of signings needed this summer – backup goalie, right back, center back, holding midfielder, forward – and I would hate to see Wenger need to fill all of those on the last day of the window. Getting a signing out of the way now would help ease some pressure off of his overall load.

I don’t like to comment on transfer rumors because they rarely turn out to be anything more than letdowns for Arsenal supporters. But I will say that a certain Chilean attacker currently heavily linked with a move to North London would be an incredible signing – one that would legitimately put Arsenal squarely in next season’s title race. The other major link – the one with a certain French right back – would also be a useful signing. I’d like to see that deal get done in the next couple days to get things moving towards the new season. I won’t name any names until the signings get done, but these rumors excite me. It’s going to be a fun year.

And on a similar note to yesterday, I’d like to thank How I Met Your Mother star Josh Radnor for reading my post about HIMYM and favoriting my tweet. Little votes of confidence like that inspire me to keep writing, and I’m incredibly thankful for what Josh Radnor and Craig Thomas have done for me over the last few days. If I go on to become a writer full-time in the future, I’ll have them to thank.

As the How I Met Your Mother post has now nearly quadrupled the number of hits that any other post has gotten, I want to ask if anyone has any desire for further HIMYM content. If you have an idea of another piece I could do, put it in the comments or tell me on Twitter (@MrMcGinnis94). Writing a non-sports piece every once in a while would be a nice change of pace, and people seemed to enjoy the one I did. Hope your day is wonderful. And thanks for reading.

 


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Why the Red Sox Should Trade Koji Uehara

Things are bad for the Red Sox right now. Getting swept at home by the Cubs should be the final sign that there won’t be any magic from this year’s team. Now nine games below .500, the reigning champions have been brutal offensively all year. It’s hard to think of a single player other than Brock Holt who is having an above-average season offensively. The promising Xander Bogaerts has only 6 hits in his last 77 at-bats, yet compared to everyone else, he hardly stands out as an underperformer. To quote old favorite Shea Hillenbrand: “the ship is sinking.”

So what now? Surely the Red Sox won’t be buyers at this point, as it would be a shame to waste any minor league assets for any trades in a doomed season. So I think it’s time to sell. This will be an unpopular suggestion, but I am coming to believe that the Red Sox should trade star closer Koji Uehara, among others. Shipping the popular postseason hero out of town would be a shocking move by Ben Cherington a year after Uehara’s unprecedented success, but the Red Sox must capitalize on his value while they still can.

At age 39, Uehara has become one of the very best closers in the game. For the most part, he’s picked up where he left off, posting a 1.40 ERA and a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.8 this year. He’s had a few outings like the one Tuesday night that might suggest he’s going to come down to earth soon – especially given the fact that he’s said he feels slightly fatigued this year – but for the most part, he has been excellent on the mound. At only $4.25 million dollars a year, the Red Sox are getting great value for their dollar.

But that will all change when Uehara hits free agency this winter, as the Japanese star will likely demand a multi-year contract for at least two or three times the amount he is making this year. And as one of the game’s best closers, you can’t say he doesn’t deserve it. However, the Red Sox should be hesitant to sign Uehara to that kind of contract as he turns 40. There is no telling when he might break down at that age. Whether or not he’ll be as effective in two years is unknown, but it’d be a huge gamble for any team that signs him for multiple years.

So if the Red Sox don’t plan on re-signing him, they should capitalize on his value and see if they can start a bidding war this month. Every team would want a closer as reliable as Uehara, so there would certainly be a market out there. Essentially, the team would be renting him for two months plus any games in October, but his postseason success would make him worth sacrificing a prospect or two.

Trading Uehara would be the ultimate sign to the players and fans that they are giving up on the season, something Cherington might not be willing to do. But if he doesn’t believe the club will contend this year – and all results point there – he should start preparing for the future. The Red Sox have a deep minor league, but they do not have much in the way of right-handed power, especially in the outfield. If they can steal a top hitting prospect from someone, they have to make the trade.

There are a lot of pieces that the Red Sox can sell if they deem themselves out of the race in the next couple weeks – namely, Jonny Gomes, Felix Doubront and Stephen Drew among others – but Uehara will be the only one who can command prospects that can significantly enhance the club’s future. It would be a huge letdown to see our high-fiving superstar go, but at some point, frugal decisions must be made. A similar conclusion could be reached about Jon Lester, but I think the Red Sox would be less inclined to trade him given their desire to bring him back on a long-term deal.

I’m not saying I’d give up and trade Uehara this week. But I do think Cherington needs to stir up conversation among general managers around the league. If he hears a good offer, he must listen, because Uehara’s success might do a whole lot more for the Red Sox’s future than it can do for the present.

 


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Cameroon’s Embarrassment, John Lackey and Today’s Picks

Good morning, all. Strange one last night between Cameroon and Croatia. After the Indomitable Lions’ bright start, it was surprising to see them implode as they did. Benoit Assou-Ekotto should be ashamed of what he did. Never, and I mean never, should you show up a teammate on the field, much less headbutt him. If he isn’t suspended by the Cameroon soccer federation, it will be a crime. There is simply no place for that anywhere. And on another note, I guess Alex Song doesn’t read my blog. His action was rather childish as well, and cost his team dearly. As I said before, he needs to be better.

The Red Sox had a big win yesterday. It seems like the kind of stuff that could turn the season around. Nine shutout innings from John Lackey and then some tenth inning heroics from David Ortiz and Mike Napoli. In my eyes, Lackey deserves to be an All-Star this year. When the Red Sox have needed a stopper, he has been the guy, even if he isn’t piling up the wins. He and Koji Uehara should be the only Boston representatives in Minnesota this summer.

Now, to my picks. They’ve been going better lately.

Colombia 2 Ivory Coast 2

I expect this game between the two top teams in Group C to be an exciting one. Coming off of a strong performance against Greece, James Rodriguez will impress once again, setting up Teo Gutierrez for Colombia’s first. The Ivorians will strike next via Yaya Toure. With a match under his belt to regain some fitness, Toure should be better today. Colombia will score their second shortly after half through Victor Ibarbo, whose excellent play will be rewarded with a fine goal. But the scoring won’t be done, as a late penalty will see Didier Drogba tie the game from the spot.

Uruguay 2 England 1

The outcome of this game will depend completely on Luis Suarez. Initially, it looked like he was going to play. But recent reports suggest he won’t. If he does play, I think he scores a brace against many of his Liverpool teammates. Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka won’t be able to contain both him and Edinson Cavani. If Suarez plays, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Uruguay score three. But if he doesn’t, England will dominate. Whether or not that will manifest itself in a win is another matter, but Daniel Sturridge should have his way with the shaky Uruguay defense that will be without Pereira and Lugano. I’ll settle for in between my two predictions. Cavani will score first, and Suarez will add one off the bench for the winner. Sturridge will have set up one for Sterling earlier to get England on the board. This game should be fascinating.

Japan 2 Greece 0

I’m still disappointed in Japan’s performance against the Ivory Coast last weekend. But I expect them to be less intimated by Greece’s frontline. As a couple of my friends pointed out recently, there aren’t too many strikers like Greece’s Georgios Samaras – ones who specialize in not scoring. He certainly shouldn’t cause the same degree of fear that Drogba did. If Greece starts Konstantinos Mitroglou, this might be a match. But should he be on the bench, the Greeks won’t have much going. On the other side, Shinji Kagawa will have his way in midfield. He will set up Shinji Okazaki nicely for Japan’s opener, before scoring the second himself. He will put the Japanese back in the Group C race.

As always, thanks for reading. Check back later for more World Cup coverage. Please share any thoughts or suggestions for content, and have a great day.

 


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Daniel Bard’s Tragic 175.00 ERA

It’s not often that you see a professional baseball player with a 175.00 ERA. Or one with 9 walks, 7 hit batsmen, and 2 outs in 18 batters faced. You’d assume that pitcher had no talent, no hope for making the major leagues. You wouldn’t assume that pitcher was a 28 year-old Daniel Bard.

Most casual baseball fans would know Daniel Bard as the smoke-throwing Red Sox set-up man, the heir apparent to Jonathan Papelbon at closer a few years ago. Some might remember his famously failed move to the starting rotation in 2012, one that saw him lose his ability to throw strikes. But few would recognize Daniel Bard on the mound these days, as he is hardly a shadow of his former self.

When people ask who my favorite Red Sox player is from the last few years, I say Daniel Bard. He was everything I loved in a pitcher. He had a triple-digit fastball and a nasty breaking ball. I watched his University of North Carolina team that made it to the final of the College World Series and instantly liked their number two pitcher (Current Red Sox Andrew Miller was their ace). I then closely followed him as he sailed through the minor leagues. He was the first Red Sox player that I had watched in college, in the minors and then in the majors.

With the big club, Bard was incredible at times as the Red Sox’s 8th inning man. In 2010, he had a 3.1 WAR while posting a 1.93 ERA in 73 appearances. And in 2011, he was even better for most of the year, owning a scoreless streak of 26 and a third innings over the course of the summer. Like most of the Red Sox that year, he imploded in September, but there wasn’t too much concern about Papelbon’s exit that offseason, as Bard seemed more than capable of replacing him. However, Bard wanted to be a starter again like he was in college and implored the Red Sox to give him a chance.

Bobby Valentine did a lot of things wrong in Boston. But his most harmful decision has to be letting Daniel Bard try to become a starter. Bard started the year okay, but quickly lost all control, walking more men than he struck out. A particularly ugly start in Toronto was the beginning of the end. He went to the minor leagues to figure things out but only saw things unravel further. The Red Sox finally gave up on him last September, letting Theo Epstein and the Cubs have a shot at straightening out Bard’s problems on the mound.

The final blow to Bard came this past January when he underwent surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, an injury that might have caused all of his problems from the start, one that forced Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter into retirement. I’m no doctor, but the injury sounds pretty gruesome. After the surgery, Bard faced a long road back.

The Rangers offered him a new start this year. He worked hard to get himself back on the field, and finally returned in early June. But in four appearances in low-A this month, Bard has only gotten two men out. Technically, he hasn’t allowed a single hit. But he’s walked nine and hit seven batters. Bard simply is not the same pitcher he once was. At this rate, his career will probably end soon, and for a player who was seen as the Red Sox long-term closer as recently as thirty months ago, it is truly a remarkably upsetting turn of events.

Alfredo Aceves took over Papelbon’s closer role for Boston in 2012. But Bobby Valentine could have made the simple choice of putting Daniel Bard in that role. That decision cost the young man a long career, millions of dollars, but most of all, it caused Bard to lose his dignity on the mound. One has to wonder what might have been. There aren’t too many baseball stories as tragic as this one.