Big Papi becomes captain for Home Run Derby

When fans turn it to ESPN on July 11 to watch the Home Run Derby it will be a little differnt than years past. This year the format has changed a little and it will be an American League vs National League show off. In years past the fans have selected who they wanted to play in this event but that has even changed. I think for the better.

This years HR derby will be selected by a captain of each league similuar to the All-Star game in the NHL. The two captains for this event are the past two derby winners, David Ortiz and Prince Fielder. This will be the fifth apperance for Ortiz and the thrid for Fielder. Each captain will select three sluggers from the league they represent to participate. These players do not have to be All-Stars just have to hit bombs.

As always there will be the overall home run derby champion as an individual but there will also be a winning team. Each team captain will select a charity the winning team will recieve $150,000 while the losing team captain's charity will recieve $25,000. There will also be $100,00 donated to the Boys and Girls of America in the winning team's honor.

As in years past their will be gold balls that are worth $18,000 and 3,000 for every regular ball to be added to be donated to the Boys and Girls of America.

This is always a fun event and makes the All-Star weekend more enjoyable for everyone. I feel like this element of the event will bring more life to the event. I believe Big Papi and Prince Fielder are great choices to represent their leagues both have a lot of life to them.

Cameron Sent Packing

This just in Mike Cameron has been designated for assignment from the Boston Red Sox. This has been something has been long time coming for Cameron who has hit .149 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in his 33 games played this season.

Earlier today the Red Sox called a meeting with team officals where Cameron was in attendence and this is when Theo Esptein must have broke the news.

With issues in the outfield with J.D. Drew and Carl Crawford about to come of the DL. That left the Red Sox out field with one every day player and the duties was orginially up to Cameron. Though in many instances Cameron has been past over by players just as Darnell McDonald or as of recent Josh Reddick.

So for those out their who don't know what DFA is it basically means the Red Sox have 10 days to either trade him to another team or seven days to place him on waivers. There is an extremely small chance that Cameron excepts a minor-league assignment from the Red Sox.

During his time in a Red Sox uniform Cameron has played in 81 games with a .219 batting average and a .338 on base percentage. Cameron will be missed as a member of the Red Sox. He was a great team member and all around great guy but this is baseball and if your not producing you have got to go.

"Lack" of Bats in Philly

After last nights shut out the Red Sox inserted David Ortiz into the line up and shifted Adrian Gonzalez to right field to produce some offence. Did it work? Well lets just put it this way the only RBI of the game came from the pitcher of the Red Sox John Lackey as the Red Sox fall 2-1 to the Phillies.

So John Lackey pitched a pretty good game holding the Phillies to two runs one of which was a home run to Raul Ibanez who was a double short of hitting the cycle. Lackey when 7.2 innings giving up eight hits and two earned runs like I mentioned. He did strike out five pitchers which is very unlike him and only walked one batter. Lackey now has a record of 5-7 with an ERA of 6.81. When ask about the homer to Ibanez Lackey said.

"He's seen me about 800 times in the AL West," Lackey said. "I don't have many tricks that he hasn't seen."

Though as good as good of a start they got out of Lackey the bats was not there as the Red Sox only run come off a RBI double from John Lackey to score Josh Reddick in the fifth inning. Ortiz who was inserted into the line up to give the Sox more offense went 0-4. The Red Sox left 12 men of base and they are back to playing like the team we saw in April. The Red Sox look as if they left their bats in Boston. This is what Ortiz had to say

"Sometimes we get caught on all those days off," Ortiz said. " For me personally, I don't like that many days off. When I'm swinging the bat good and I'm in a good rhythm, I want to continue playing. You get caught up in that. I'm not making that as an excuse, but it has something to do with it when you're swinging the bat good, and all of a sudden, you're not playing. I'm talking about in general, not just about myself. There were two days off in this road trip."

The Red Sox have lost in four of the five games on this nine game National League road trip. With these loses the Sox have fail 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

A-Gon in the Outfield Papi at first

Boston fans have been discussing this topic of should Adrain Gonzalez play right field and David Ortiz play first? Well tonight we are going to find if this is best for the team. The line ups are in and both Gonzalez and Ortiz are in the line up. The reason for all this discussion is the long National League road trip that the Red Sox are on. Ortiz who has been smoking hot has only received one at bat each game for the last four games and the problem is the Sox have only won one of those four games. It is clear that the team bats are all needed in the lineup when the pitcher is batting.

So some may ask why Gonzalez in the outfield and has he ever done this before? The answer is yes, once. When he was a member of the Texas Rangers, when he was playing behind Mark Teixeira. He also knowing he would be playing behind Teixeira played in right field during his winter ball while with Texas to prepare him to get playing time. As we all know how that worked out he didn't have to do that and has been holding on to that skill for awhile. Gonzalez is also not the fastest guy in the major league I mean honestly Ortiz could probably beat him in a foot race but as long as he is just dealing with fly ball i believe he will be just fine. Gonzalez has been practicing the position and has even went to Tito to ask if he could play this position. He has shown to be a true team player and this will allow him to work toward his goal of playing in all 162 games this season.

As for Ortiz playing the field this was his primary position prior to becoming a DH he only does this during interleague play and the World Series. I just pray he isn't to rusty at playing the field. I'm not sure I would have put him into the line up tonight with John Lackey on the mound who is considered a ground ball hitter which means a lot of plays to firstbase. I would have probably done it last night while Beckett was getting shelled on the mound or tomorrow with Jon Lester on the mound which may still happen if today goes well.

The Lineups for tonights games are:

Red Sox

CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
RF Gonzalez
3B Youkilis
1B Ortiz
C Saltalaamacchia
LF Reddick
SS Scutaro
P Lackey

Phillies
SS Rollins
3B Polanco
2B Utley
1B Howard
CF Victorino
LF Brown
C Schneider
P Worley

Book Review on Jackie Robinson's I Never Had It Made

This is a first for my blog but I think it will become a regular. I have recently become a reader, not that I couldn’t read but I have learned to enjoy it. Mostly I am a fan of baseball biographies and history of the game. I thought I would take a few minutes to do kind of a book review on the latest book I finished. I just finished Jackie Robinson’s autobiography titled I Never Had it Made.

I Never Had it Made tells the life story of Jackie Robinson from his time at UCLA playing football up until around the time of his death when he was involved with politics. I learned so much about the man I never knew. I always knew Jackie Robinson was a great player and that it was great that he was the first player to break the color barrier in baseball but I never knew what all went into it for him. The book discusses what Robinson called “The Noble Experiment” which tells the story of his journey’s through the minor leagues and into the majors. How Branch Rickey knew that the breaking of the color barer was what was best for baseball.

He goes into his life after baseball which I knew nothing about. Robinson was a business man and as well as a politician. He discusses his journey campaigning for different candidates which he believed could help improve the lives of black citizens and improve civil rights. I can respect this because I am also involved in politics and believe in supporting candidates who I feel have the best values.

Robinson also goes into the heart breaking story of the journey his son Jackie Robinson Jr. took from his youth, into his service in the army and drug addiction. He tells the story of recovery and how Jackie battled back up until his early death.

I bought this book as a baseball fan of Jackie Robinson but I come out of this book a fan of the man Jackie Robinson. The journeys he went through in life to make things better for all people especially members of the African American community. I encourage all baseball fans to pick up a copy of this book and even if you’re not a fan of the game to read this it is a very moving read.

Beckett Throws a Gem and The Bruins Win the Cup

Ok guys so I know it’s been awhile but I’m back now. It’s been an exciting time for Boston sports fans as you should know by now. Last night the Boston Bruins took home the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years. That was the majority of New Englander’s and Boston fans around the country’s attention was including mine.

It was very special for me to see the last of my favorite teams to bring home the championships. I have got to see my University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team bring home the championship twice in my life, I have saw my Pittsburgh Steelers bring home the championship twice, got see my favorite sports team of all time the Boston Red Sox bring home the championship twice, The Boston Celtics bring it home once and now my Bruins. It is an exciting day to be a sports fan for me.

But while everyone was watching the Bruins bring home the Cup to Boston, something special was happening in Tampa Bay. Josh Beckett tossed a one hitter and faced one batter over the minimum of a perfect game in a full game shut-out. Just to think at the beginning of this season Beckett was considered the fourth starter of this rotation and now he has worked his way back into becoming the “Ace” that he was in 2007.

Beckett came short of the perfect game by a hit that almost rolled foul; he pitched what I consider his best performance of the year. He struck out six of the Rays in this gem and not walking a batter. This amazing performance on the mound has lowered his ERA to a 1.86, which is the lowest in the major-league.

All the offense from this gem came off the bat of a certain third baseman by the name of Kevin Youkilis as he knocked a three-run homer in the seventh inning. This was Youkilis’ 10^th homer of the year.

After last night’s win the Red Sox remain in first place in the American League East now one game ahead of the New York Yankees.

Last but not least the Red Sox have moved their game on Saturday from 1:05 to 7:05 against the Brewers due the Bruins rolling rally parade with the Cup.