Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports


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So Long, Doubront

This is my 100th post on the blog. For a few days, I’ve thought about writing a special piece to mark the occasion, but I ultimately decided to save any fanfare for later given the Red Sox drama that is going on. I’m sure there will be a lot more to write by tomorrow afternoon, so I didn’t think I had the energy to expend on a long post about the meaning of being a fan or something like that. I’ll save that for number 200.

While all the big trade talk in Boston has been around Jon Lester, John Lackey and Andrew Miller in the last 24 hours or so, the only trade made today was a deal that sent Felix Doubront to the Chicago Cubs. Having witnessed Doubront’s worst performance in a Red Sox uniform on Monday night, I wrote some pretty negative stuff about him yesterday morning. He looked like he no longer cared on the mound, and for me, that was the final straw. No matter how much you dislike your role, you can never mail in a performance.

So when I saw the news that Doubront was heading out of town, I felt it was the right move even without knowing the return. When a player gives up on his own role, he gives up on the team. A player who has given up quickly can send the clubhouse into a negative spiral, so getting him out of there was necessary, even if the return ending up being only a low-level prospect to be named later.

Doubront was tantalizingly talented on the mound, so much so that many believed he could develop into a top of the line starter in Boston. He showed up at Spring Training this year more in shape than ever before, and it appeared he was on the verge of taking the final step toward becoming that star left hander. But instead, he struggled from the start this year, never finding his rhythm in his return to the rotation following a stint in the bullpen last postseason. Eventually he was demoted to long-reliever as a result of his poor pitching. And he sure didn’t like it.

It’s easy to recall how effective he was at times last year, both as a starter and in the pen. He could always be counted on for 6 innings and 2 or 3 runs, always pitching games that left his team in a position to win. At his best, his plus-stuff left hitters off balance at the plate, and he earned a lot of weak swings. One particular start last June that I attended stands out in my mind as the best Doubront ever pitched – 8 shutout innings on only 93 pitches, 6 strikeouts and 3 hits allowed against a good Rays team – but that game will be more likely remembered for Jonny Gomes’s first Red Sox walkoff home run (i.e. the helmet punt game). And in the World Series, Doubront was excellent as a middle reliever, particularly in Games 3 and 4.

Doubront did some good on the mound in Boston, and he earned himself a World Series ring. But he wasn’t cut out to be a long term starter for the Red Sox, and he drove himself out of town with his poor attitude. Given that he is such a talented pitcher, the Red Sox will be disappointed to be forced to give up on him for next to nothing in return. But GM Ben Cherington had no choice at this point. He had to get Doubront out of the clubhouse. It’s a shame it didn’t work out here in the long run, but I wish him luck going forward. I’ll remember him fondly for that start against the Rays and for his World Series performance. A change of scenery should do him a lot of good.

Many other players will say goodbye to Boston tomorrow, and I’ll have full coverage on all of the goings on with the Trading Deadline. Stay tuned. It could be a sad one.

 


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Arsenal’s Underappreciated Star (And a Few Other Random Thoughts)

Today’s post is the fourth in a series profiling Arsenal players as we near the start of the upcoming campaign. Previously, I have written about Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere. 

When talking about Arsenal’s strong lineup of attackers this summer, everybody has been referencing new signing Alexis Sanchez as the catalyst. And when it’s not him, it’s Mesut Özil, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere that take the headlines. One name that doesn’t come up nearly as much as it should is Santi Cazorla.

The diminutive Spaniard has been rumored to be a target of Athletico Madrid in recent weeks, with some reports suggesting he is currently unhappy at Arsenal. But none of what’s in the news right now about Cazorla makes any sense to me. Cazorla has been nothing less than a star at Arsenal in his two years at the club, and Wenger seems inclined to do anything possible to get him in the lineup. Even when the more heralded Özil arrived a year ago, Cazorla still was a focal point in the attack when healthy.

It’s easy to forget at this point how good Cazorla was immediately upon his arrival in London. He took off from day one, going on to win the team’s player of the season award by a landslide in his first season at Arsenal, contributing 12 goals and 14 assists from his role behind the striker. And even last year, when pushed out wide to accommodate Özil, Cazorla still managed 7 goals and 9 assists in all competitions. His memorable free-kick goal to start the comeback against Hull in the FA Cup Final won’t soon be forgotten

His best position is unequivocally the number 10 role, as his creativity and vision in the midfield rank among the best in the world, but he has to play wider because of Özil. Out wide, Cazorla is not your typical winger. He isn’t going to blaze by any defenders with sheer pace, and he won’t send in many crosses. Instead, he drifts inside to link up with his fellow midfielders and his full backs. His short-distance passes are key to unlocking defenses, as they help create space for runners in behind. His head is always up, and at the edge of the box, his ability to finish with both feet is unparalleled. His two-footedness is part of what makes him so effective in the middle of the park, because defenders can’t gamble on one side versus the other.

But what Cazorla does on the wing better than any other Arsenal player is track back. His work rate has gone relatively unnoticed because of his stellar displays in the attacking third, but Cazorla always gets back when he is needed. Much like Tomas Rosicky, Cazorla buzzes around the middle 80% of the field, always eager to pick up the ball in his own half and take it forward. And on the left, he and Kieran Gibbs seemed to develop an understanding about defensive duties on the counter.

Cazorla might not be in many Arsenal fans’ starting lineup for the upcoming campaign. Most people, I’d imagine, would line up Sanchez, Giroud, Walcott/Oxlade-Chamberlain and Özil in front of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta. But I guarantee you that Cazorla will be on the field more often than not. With Özil coming back to the squad late due to the World Cup, Cazorla will get a chance to start the year in his favorite position and I expect him to have an immediate impact alongside Sanchez. He will make it tough for Wenger to leave him out when Walcott comes back from injury. I think he’s going to have a great year.

At age 29, Cazorla will be one of the veterans in this Arsenal side. And while the young guns might steal some of the headlines, players like Cazorla will always be just as crucial to the overall success of the campaign. I’m not very worried about him leaving this summer because I think Wenger realizes how valuable his little Spaniard is. He’s the type of player you won’t notice how much he does for the team until he’s gone. And although he might be underappreciated and sometimes forgotten by Arsenal fans discussing the stars of the squad, Cazorla is just as important to this team as anyone else.

In a different Arsenal story, I am quite curious about why Calum Chambers was wearing a training shirt with number 5 on it for part of his first day at the preseason camp in Austria. Just yesterday, when Chambers was signed, he was assigned 21 to wear. And given that 5 is currently occupied by the captain Thomas Vermaelen, it seemed odd that the new signing wore that number yesterday, if only briefly. It might signal that the number will be his as soon as Vermaelen leaves on a transfer, and it could also be suggesting that a Vermaelen exit is imminent. Let’s hope nobody rushed out to buy the Chambers #21 kit.

On another completely unrelated note, I wish I lived in a place where people cared about the Commonwealth Games (does that place exist?). I know very little about the competition, but I love the concept. Were I British, I’d be all over it. For all who don’t know, it’s a competition not unlike the Olympics which involves only the nations of the former British Empire. After watching highlights of the ping-pong yesterday, I instantly wished I cared about the event. Oh well.

And lastly, today might be Jon Lester’s last day in a Red Sox uniform. He was supposed to start tonight, but I don’t think anyone was surprised to see him scratched last night. I think a trade could be in the very near future. It might be a very sad day in Boston.

Check back later for reaction to any Red Sox trades. I’m sure there will be a lot to discuss in the next 48 hours.


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A Brutal Performance at Fenway and Chambers’s Arrival at The Emirates

Good morning, all. This will be a brief post, as I didn’t get much sleep last night coming back late from the Red Sox game. The game itself was pretty horrible, as the Red Sox trailed 2-0 before registering an out, and proceeded to surrender nine runs in the 6th inning. While I had fun at the game with my friends nonetheless, it was noticeable that the mood has changed at Fenway in recent weeks.

As recently as a week ago, the players still believed in themselves. So even though they lost a lot of games, it was evident that they were frustrated because they knew they could and should have been doing better. But last night, the players seemed to acknowledge that this is a lost season. There was no energy anywhere on the field. Players were taking weak swings and heading to the dugout with their heads down. And after Clay Buchholz struggled once again, Felix Doubront came into the game and promptly allowed 6 ER on 6 hits without getting through the inning.

I don’t normally boo any Red Sox, but I booed Doubront a little bit when he came out of the game. He more than anyone else has taken the I feel sorry for myself approach to the losing. Having lost his starting spot, he should have focused on stringing together quality relief appearances in hope that he’d earn his place back. But instead, he has whined and moped. When called upon, he hasn’t been ready to do his job. And that is unacceptable. This dreadful outing may well have earned him a permanent mop-up job, as he continues to prove he isn’t cut out to be a top of the line starting pitcher. He also might have pitched his way out of any other team’s plans on the trade market.

The crowd also had a different feel than it normally does in late July. The seats were impressively full all game given the Red Sox’s poor record and the threat of inclement weather. Even when the Blue Jays were up double digits, the fans were still there. However, it was the Blue Jays fans that were the ones getting their team fired up. The Sox faithful didn’t have much to cheer about, but they were all content to stand and sing about how good things are in the 8th inning down 13 runs. Nobody was starting chants or getting into the game much at all. It’s good that crowds are coming to Fenway, but they need to be more involved in the game. And for the record, I think “Sweet Caroline” should only be played when we are winning.

Once the game got out of hand, I started thinking about how it was probably my last time seeing a bunch of these guys in a Red Sox uniform, so I made sure to give big hands to Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes and Daniel Nava when they batted in the late innings. While it’s now inevitable that drastic trades will be made, I’ll be sad to see some of my favorites go.

Now to Arsenal news. Depending on who you believe, Arsenal have either signed 19 year old Southampton right back Calum Chambers for 12 million pounds or for up to 20. His value on the market will have been driven up because he is English, but overall I think this a good signing for the future. He sure didn’t come cheap, but given his obvious talent and versatility, he should prove valuable quickly.

There is no telling when the spending will stop for Arsene Wenger this summer. Who would have thought he’d have bought four quality players before the end of July? Chambers will be labeled as a right back, but I think Wenger envisions him as a future holding midfielder or center back. For now, I assume he’ll be the backup right back, but I expect him to challenge for time in the middle by next year. I haven’t watched him play much, but I was quite impressed with his play against Arsenal last January.

He is a big guy, big enough to play center back, and I think he makes a good extra option at the position. While I still would like to hold on to Thomas Vermaelen at least until Per Mertesacker is fit again, Chambers could be an adequate option alongside Laurent Kosciely in the opener against Crystal Palace if need be. Because he’s only 19, he could still be filling out his body, and in a year or two, he could become a much more physical specimen.

This transfer also has a huge impact on current Arsenal right back Carl Jenkinson. Everybody loves Carl because of his love for his boyhood club, but he needs regular playing time in the Premier League to reach his potential. With now two other legitimate options at his position, Wenger will surely be looking to shop Jenkinson. I would love to see him loaned out with the idea of bringing him back next year if he impresses, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sold. For me, it will depend on where Wenger believes Chambers’s potential lies. Should he believe it is at right back, Jenkinson should be sold permanently. But should it be somewhere else, Jenkinson must be loaned out so he can come back a better player.

The acquisition of Chambers is very much a buy for the future, but he has a place in the squad immediately due to his versatility in the back. I am excited to see him play for Arsenal. Hopefully there’s one last signing coming, but if not, it has been a terrifically executed transfer window by the boss. And lastly, I offer my condolences to Southampton fans. It can’t have been an easy summer.


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Red Sox Trading Deadline Preview – Which Players Would I Be Sad to See Go?

With only four days left before the Trading Deadline to fully acknowledge the season’s premature end, the Red Sox will be fielding hundreds of phone calls about many of their players. Here, I will go through a list of the nine most likely players to be traded in my opinion, commenting on their respective values and how I would feel about seeing them go. It is in no particular order.

Jonny Gomes – Despite his .241 batting average and .365 slugging percentage, I would imagine just about every team would love to have Gomes for the stretch run. He brings all the intangibles of a proven winner to a clubhouse, and he can be a clutch right-handed hitter off the bench. He should command a mid-level prospect or two. Personally, I would be deeply saddened to see Gomes traded because he became my favorite player on the team, but I think he’s the one it would seem most obvious to trade given his value and the logjam in the outfield.

Mike Carp – Carp has had a poor year, with a .215 average and 0 home runs. But he still has some value on the market as he is a left-handed bat with some pop, capable of playing a few different positions. He proved last season that he can pinch hit in pressure-filled situations, so any team looking for left-handed options should be licking its lips. Given his poor production and lack of a clear spot on the team, I doubt Carp will garner more than a low-level prospect in return, but I think he could be the next one to go. I appreciated what he did a year ago, but I won’t be upset when Carp is gone.

Stephen Drew – It’s hard to know what kind of value Drew has right now given his poor offensive performance since re-signing with the Red Sox in late May. Of course though, he would bring one of the steadiest gloves in the league to any team he goes, and I can only imagine he’d start to hit a little better. I’ve always liked Drew, and I want to see him succeed. So if he’s traded to a contender, while I’d be sad to see him go, I’d be happy for the shortstop to get another chance at the postseason.

Andrew Miller – The lanky lefty apparently has been the subject of a lot of attention from opposing scouts. He has always had eye-catching stuff, and he’s looked quite good recently. He could conceivably get the Red Sox a top-level prospect given the value of left-handed relievers at this time of year. Miller has been around a long time, yet never quite lived up to his potential, having had various control and injury problems over the years. So if the Sox sell high on him, I think it would be a smart move. I don’t want to see him go, but I’d be okay with it.

Craig Breslow – Breslow hasn’t been very good this year, and he wasn’t very good in the World Series. But for much of last season, he was excellent as a late-inning left-handed reliever. A change of scenery could help Breslow rediscover his best stuff. When the Red Sox acquired him at the deadline a few years ago, they surrendered two major-league type players. I doubt the Red Sox will get a similar return, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a higher return than many would expect given his production this year. I’m pretty indifferent to Breslow at this point, so a trade wouldn’t leave me in tears.

Burke Badenhop – Badenhop has been consistent in the later innings for the Red Sox this year. His right-handed arm would look good for contenders as a sixth or seventh inning man. He should have relatively high value given his success this year, but don’t expect a huge return for a slightly above average middle reliever. Because he wasn’t on last year’s team, most Red Sox fans won’t have trouble saying goodbye to Badenhop.

Daniel Nava – I think it’s unlikely Nava will be traded, but due to his recent surge in production and his versatility across the diamond, Nava could be an attractive option for a National League team looking for a fourth outfielder/backup first baseman. His story is one of the great ones in baseball, and Red Sox nation has fallen in love with Nava in the last 18 months. Trading Nava wouldn’t have a huge impact on the current Red Sox team or future ones, but personally, I’d be quite sad to see him go.

Koji Uehara – As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Uehara’s situation is unique given his contract and his age. Trading him in many ways would make a lot of sense. And obviously, as one of the game’s best closers, he would have tremendous value. The Red Sox would certainly demand a top prospect or two. If Jake Peavy could garner two top-ten prospects, a deal for Uehara should get the Sox two top-five prospects at least. Obviously, given his postseason heroics and his lovable personality on the field, everybody, myself included, would be devastated to let go of him. But for the right deal, I think I could understand it were he traded.

Jon Lester – Lester has been nothing short of an ace this year. And with a gigantic payday on the immediate horizon, the Red Sox will be fearing the worst. While he’s said he would consider a return via free agency an option were he traded, I think it would be unlikely. So for the Red Sox to trade him now, they’d need to get the equivalent of a first-round pick in return at the very least, as that would be the compensation for losing him in Free Agency. I’d imagine the Red Sox will be holding out for an offer that will blow them off their feet, and I don’t know how likely that is. But should Lester get traded, it would be five times as sad as the day Nomar Garciaparra was traded. Lester has been everything for the franchise, on the field and off, bringing us two championships, a no-hitter and an incredible story of courage. I really hope his time in Boston is not coming to an end anytime soon. But if he is traded, it will be a sad day.

Over the next few days, we’ll see a few of these names leave Boston, and I’ll have much more to say on the subject. Check back for more Red Sox coverage as the week continues.

Who will you be sad to let go? Please comment below

 


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Hello, Goodbye – Jake Peavy Departs the Red Sox and David Ospina Signs With Arsenal

Yesterday saw the first in what surely will be a series of departures in the next few days for the Red Sox. As the losses pile up quickly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Red Sox trade away as many as ten players. If other teams are willing to give up valuable commodities for our players, it would make a lot of sense to look towards the future. And Jake Peavy was the first casualty of the recent slump, getting shipped off to San Francisco for two pretty decent prospects.

The Red Sox got more for Peavy than I expected. The two prospects we got in return, Edwin Escobar and Heath Hembree, are talented pitchers who are certainly capable of making it to the big leagues. I guess the Giants felt they’ve been underperforming, but they are two of their top pitching prospects so it wasn’t a bad deal for the Sox, who continue to stockpile impressive young arms. Peavy is a much better pitcher than his 1-9 record, but I don’t think many expected a return like this given his struggles.

I gave most of my final thoughts on Peavy after his last start in Toronto (you can read them here), but overall, I think this is a needed change of scenery for the veteran pitcher. While he didn’t make as big an impact in Boston as many hoped when he was acquired last July, he did win a championship. And for that, I consider Peavy’s year here a resounding success. He embraced the team and the city with his whole heart – even buying himself a Duck Boat last winter – and was a huge presence in the clubhouse. He is a fighter on the mound and was it was always fun watching him compete. I wish him the best of luck in San Francisco.

The Red Sox won’t miss Peavy’s lack of production, but they will miss his competitive fire and his clubhouse presence. But with Peavy now gone, expect the next few days to be filled with more goodbyes. Almost everybody we will see go brought us a championship last year, and we should applaud them as they leave. When saying goodbye, think about 2013 rather than 2014.

Moving across the pond, Arsenal today announced their third signing of the summer, bringing in Colombian keeper David Ospina from French side Nice. Despite being only 25 years old, Ospina has a vast amount of experience, having been a starter for his clubs since he turned 17. He has 48 international caps to his name with Colombia, and in South American qualifying for the World Cup, he truly arrived as one of the game’s great keepers with a series of man of the match performances.

Ospina was particularly impressive in Brazil last month at the World Cup, showing himself admirably in Colombia’s run to the quarterfinals. For the most part, he looked an assured pair of hands in the back. His shot-stopping was generally very good, with a couple of key saves in the knockout stage, and he did well to claim crosses throughout the tournament. He also was noticeably quick off his line, with one instance of beating Didier Drogba to a ball on the edge of the box standing out. He seemed to be fond of the punch, as he parried shots and crosses far away from danger quite calmly.

However, despite all that is going for him, I don’t think Ospina will take the number 1 spot from Wojciech Szczesny any time soon. Arsene Wenger says they’ll compete for the job, but Szczesny has too much quality for me to see him losing the spot. But even if Ospina doesn’t earn the starting spot, he will force Szczesny to be at his best throughout the campaign. The Pole is an immensely talented keeper, but his lapses of concentration and perceived overconfidence are worrying at times. Now that he has a quality keeper behind him, one who is even better than Lukasz Fabianski, he’ll have to remain focused at all times. It can only help him to bring in such stiff competition.

It was always going to be difficult to sign a keeper knowing they would likely spend most of their time on the bench, but getting an experienced, but also relatively young, international in Ospina for only a rumored 4 million pounds is a great bit of business. This was yet another well executed transfer this summer, and I have to say, I’m impressed with the way that Arsene Wenger is getting things done in the transfer market. With more arrivals appearing to be close, this could turn out to be an even better summer window for Arsenal.