Noel Acciari is not afraid to drop the gloves.
The Bruins forward went at it with Canucks’ Bo Horvat in the second period of Boston’s Saturday night game against Vancouver at Rogers Arena. Horvat steamrolled Joakim Nordstrom and Acciari immediately tangled himself up with the center.
The two exchanged blows, but Acciari looked to take the worst of it before they hit the ice.
You can watch a video of the tussle here, courtesy of the Nation Network’s Brady Trettenero.
It was Acciari’s first fighting major of the season, which prompted him to be absent from the B’s bench for quite some time. However, he emerged from the locker room after getting a gash under his left eye cleaned up.
The Boston Celtics found themselves in a nail-biter Saturday night, and they turned to their rising star to help drive them to a win.
Jayson Tatum, who finished with a team-high 24 points, was spectacular down the stretch against the New York Knicks, helping lead the Celtics to a hard-fought 103-101 victory at Madison Square Garden. While Kyrie Irving also impressed in crunch time, it was the 20-year-old Tatum who went to work in the final minute.
Tatum’s thunderous slam with 59 seconds remaining elevated Boston to a 99-95 lead, but Lance Thomas’ ensuing 3-pointer trimmed the Knicks’ deficit to one and got the home fans on their feet. Tatum quickly took back the momentum, though, knocking down a clutch turnaround jumper in the style of a seasoned veteran.
This kid is unreal. https://t.co/RRrkmELJaa
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 21, 2018
Tatum was nails again with 7.9 seconds to go when he calmly sunk a pair of free throws to swell Boston’s advantage to 103-100. The Duke product did commit a foolish foul beyond the arc on Trey Burke with 1.9 seconds on the regulation clock, but the Knicks guard failed to capitalize on the opportunity, sealing Boston’s win.
The Celtics have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to players who can create their own shot, but Tatum’s ability to do so at such a young age is remarkable, to say the least. As such, don’t be surprised if the second-year star is Boston’s go-to man in crunch time as the season progresses.
Here are some other notes from Saturday’s Celtics-Knicks game:
— Aron Baynes sustained a sore hamstring in the second quarter and was ruled out upon the start of the second half. While Brad Stevens didn’t have an update on the big man after the game, the head coach is a bit uneasy about Baynes’ ailment.
Brad Stevens on Aron Baynes’ injury: “I don’t have any update. Hamstrings are scary to me.”
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) October 21, 2018
— Marcus Morris, who is no stranger to technical fouls, logged his first of the season in the third quarter. The veteran forward apparently set a goal for himself pertaining to technicals prior to the campaign, but it’s safe to say he fell well short.
.@MookMorris2 says he wasn't trying to get techs this early in the season 😂 pic.twitter.com/iTq0jWWg3O
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 21, 2018
— Gordon Hayward was inactive Saturday, which wasn’t originally in Boston’s plans. Still, Stevens is not worried about the star’s ankle.
#NEBHInjuryReport: Brad Stevens says Gordon Hayward experienced some general soreness in his ankle, so the medical team decided he should rest tonight. Says it’s nothing the team is “overly concerned about.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 20, 2018
— Jaylen Brown saw an uncharacteristically low amount of action Friday against the Toronto Raptors with 24 minutes played. The third-year swingman led all players in minutes Saturday with 38.
— Tatum recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with his 24 points. The young forward is off to a strong start to the season on the glass, as he logged nine rebounds in each of Boston’s first two games.
For the second straight night, the Boston Celtics didn’t make things very easy for themselves.
After a dogfight with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, the Celtics found themselves in a similar situation Saturday against the New York Knicks. But unlike the prior contest, Boston willed its way to victory, earning a 103-101 win at Madison Square Garden.
Jayson Tatum powered the Celtics with a team-high 24 points to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris provided 16 points apiece. Tim Hardaway Jr. (24 points) and Enes Kanter (17 points, 15 rebounds) shined for the Knicks, but it wasn’t enough to lift the home team to a win.
With the win, the Celtics improve to 2-1, while the Knicks fall to 1-2.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Aron Baynes
Gordon Hayward was inactive Saturday night. While Brad Stevens revealed before the game that Hayward’s rest initially wasn’t planned, the head coach isn’t worried about the star forward.
#NEBHInjuryReport: Brad Stevens says Gordon Hayward experienced some general soreness in his ankle, so the medical team decided he should rest tonight. Says it’s nothing the team is “overly concerned about.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 20, 2018
OFF AND RUNNING
After relative slow starts in their previous two games, the Celtics turned in a much stronger early effort against the Knicks, taking a 31-18 lead into the second quarter. Boston was particularly sharp from distance, connecting on five of its seven 3-pointers, with Tatum and Horford each knocking down a pair. Tatum and Baynes paced the visitors with eight points apiece.
New York, on the other hand, couldn’t get into a rhythm in the first, shooting 22 percent from the field. Aside from Hardaway (seven points), no Knick logged more than three points in the opening 12 minutes.
KNICKS COME KNOCKIN’
New York came out firing in the second, ripping off a 10-0 run to start the quarter before Terry Rozier knocked down a bucket just under four minutes into the frame. The Celtics did a decent job weathering the storm, but the Knicks’ furious rally resulted in Boston’s lead being trimmed to 50-48 at the break.
It was New York’s bench that provided the bulk of the momentum. Allonzo Trier turned in nine second-quarter points, while Damyean Dotson provided eight. The C’s received a lift from their second unit as well to the tune of Rozier’s eight points in the quarter. Tatum led all scorers through two quarters, posting a first-half double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
NO SEPARATION
Boston entered the second half one man down, as Baynes was ruled out of the game after sustaining a sore right hamstring in the second quarter.
It was a back-and-forth affair in the third, as neither team was able to obtain a sizable lead at any point in the quarter. The Celtics received another boost from their reserves, as Morris and Marcus Smart combined for 11 points in the frame. Guerschon Yabusele, who saw five minutes of action in the third, also logged his first points of the season. Tatum continued his strong game with six third-quarter points.
The Knicks did a fine job distributing the basketball, as seven players registered points, paced by Kanter’s six.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
The C’s gave themselves some breathing room down the stretch when Morris nailed a 3-pointer with 6:50 to go to give Boston an eight-point lead, but the Knicks would not give in. Shortly thereafter, New York put together a 10-1 run, culminating with a Hardaway game-tying trey to lock things up at 89-89 with 4:14 left.
But Boston didn’t budge. The Green’s stars took over when it mattered most, as the trio of Tatum, Irving and Horford combined for 14 points in the final four minutes. The Knicks had a chance to tie the game when Trey Burke was fouled on a 3-point attempt with New York down three with 2 seconds remaining, but the young guard clanked two of three attempts.
UP NEXT
The Celtics return home for a Monday night matchup with the Orlando Magic. Tip-off from TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
An unexpected change to the Bruins’ lineup occurred about 20 minutes before Saturday night’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks.
After Charlie McAvoy (undisclosed), Kevan Miller (hand) and Ryan Donato (healthy scratch) did not appear in Boston’s lineup, the team announced it would be without third-line center David Backes.
David Backes is not on the ice for warmups. #NHLBruins
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 21, 2018
Backes appeared to be a go earlier today, as Bruce Cassidy said the veteran would center the third line with Joakim Nordstrom and Anders Bjork manning the two wings.
The good news? It appears the 34-year-old isn’t injured, but rather is just under the weather.
UPDATE: David Backes (not feeling well) will not play in tonight's game.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 21, 2018
Nordstrom now will center the third line with Donato being inserted on the left wing side.
The night Los Angeles Lakers fans long have been waiting for finally has arrived.
LeBron James will play his first home game as a Laker on Saturday night when L.A. welcomes the Houston Rockets to Staples Center.
James kicked off his Lakers tenure on a sour note, falling on the road to the Portland Trail Blazers. L.A.’s second game of the season will be even tougher, as James Harden, Chris Paul and Co. will be looking to spoil the King’s party.
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Lakers-Rockets online:
When: Saturday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: WatchESPN
The next chapter of the Jimmy Butler saga has been written.
It’s been an interesting few months for the Minnesota Timberwolves guard after he demanded a trade from the team. The Miami Heat reportedly pulled the plug on a trade due to Minnesota’s steep asking price, and the start swingman apparently exploded at his teammates and coaches during a practice.
At the T-Wolves home opener Friday night, Butler was introduced to a shower of boos from the crowd at Target Center. The fans’ mood quickly changed, however, as Butler erupted for 33 points. “MVP” chants echoed throughout the building and Minnesota went on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-123.
If you ask Butler, he took the boos as a positive.
“I love it. I love it,” Butler said, via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “I think people kind of love to hate me sometimes. Say whatever you want to say, but it really makes me smile, what people think about me. But no matter what, you gotta respect my effort.
“You may not like me. That’s OK,” he added. “But as long as you know that my mind and my heart are in the right place, that I do everything to win and I would do anything for my guys.”
There’s no telling where Butler will end up by the NBA trade deadline or if he’ll stay in Minnesota. But one thing’s for sure: he’ll welcome any boos or cheers the fans will give him.
If the New England Patriots are going to claim a road victory in Week 7, they likely will have to do so without their star tight end.
The Patriots on Saturday downgraded Rob Gronkowski to doubtful for Sunday’s matchup in Chicago against the Bears, while listing three other players as out.
#Patriots downgrade Geneo Grissom, Jacob Hollister and John Simon to out; Rob Gronkowski to doubtful. #NEvsCHI
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 21, 2018
None of the four players named in the tweet above traveled with the Patriots to Chicago. As for Gronkowski, he was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury before being limited Friday with ankle and back ailments. The ninth-year pro has a history of back injuries, one of which caused him to miss extended time in the 2016 season, including Super Bowl LI.
With Gronkowski unlikely to suit up and Hollister inactive, Dwayne Allen will be elevated to New England’s No. 1 tight end for the tilt with the Bears.
Just four months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, veteran safety Andre Hal has been activated by the Houston Texans to the team’s 53-man roster.
Doctors found lymphoma in Hal’s armpit and abdomen during OTAs in June, but he elected to forgo chemotherapy and chose a less harsh treatment for his body with the hopes of suiting up during the 2018 season, per ESPN. It appears Hal made the right decision, as just four months after his diagnosis doctors found the disease was in remission. Shortly thereafter, Hal returned to the practice field.
The NFL world reacted on Twitter following the announcement.
#Texans activated S Andre Hal.
God is good.
— NFL on Texans (@NFLOnTexans) October 20, 2018
GLORY BOY https://t.co/ohLm7J21i0
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) October 20, 2018
WELCOME BACK @DREHAL29!!! pic.twitter.com/KUa8lIACRn
— TORO 🐃 (@TexansTORO1) October 20, 2018
It certainly will be an emotional scene if/when Hal returns to game action. But no matter what happens, he already has won a much larger battle.
Second base has been somewhat of a revolving door for the Boston Red Sox this season.
With Dustin Pedroia sidelined for all but three games this year, the Red Sox have featured a handful of players at the position, most notably Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez and Ian Kinsler.
Another player who saw brief (and we mean brief) time at second in the regular season was Mookie Betts, who could return to his original position when the Red Sox are on the road in the World Series. But if you ask Pedroia, Betts probably should stick to his usual post in right field.
Mookie Betts will take grounders at 2B during workout today but Alex Cora cautions he has done that all season. Says Betts says he’s great at 2B and Pedroia says “he sucks”
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) October 20, 2018
Classic Pedroia.
While Betts certainly isn’t on the same level as an everyday second baseman, his experience at the position apparently is enough for manager Alex Cora to at least consider making a noteworthy lineup change. And when it comes to the Fall Classic, you often have to get creative in order to come out on top.
The Boston Celtics were served a slice of humble pie Friday night in Toronto.
The C’s, who seemingly are everyone’s pick to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this season, suffered their first loss of the 2018-19 NBA campaign at the hands of the Raptors.
Kawhi Leonard and Co. looked impressive in the battle between the Atlantic Division foes, leading many to believe Toronto could make things very difficult for Boston in its quest for conference supremacy. But despite the Celtics’ loss, Marcus Morris still believes that his team is in another class than the Raptors.
“No,” Morris said when asked if the two teams had a lot in common, per The Athletic’s Jay King. “We’re way more talented than those guys. I think they just played together a little bit more.”
So, Marcus, what makes Boston a better team than Toronto?
“Players,” Morris said. “We have way more talent as far as down the line. Kawhi and K-Low (Kyle Lowry), as far as talented — the other guys just play hard and play their position really well. You know what I’m saying?”
Morris and the Celtics won’t have to wait very long for their second meeting of the season with the Raptors, as Boston will welcome Toronto to TD Garden on Nov. 16.
It all comes down to this.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers will meet Saturday night at Miller Field in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. The winner, of course, will move on to face the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 World Series.
The Dodgers will hand the ball to rookie right-hander Walker Buehler, while the Brewers will counter with righty Jhoulys Chacin.
Here’s how to watch Dodgers-Brewers NLCS Game 7 online:
When: Saturday, Oct. 20, at 8:09 p.m. ET
Live Stream: FOX Sports GO
Both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will be looking to get back in the win column Saturday night when the Atlantic Division foes meet at Madison Square Garden.
Each team suffered its first loss of the 2018-19 NBA season Friday. The Celtics fell victim to Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors in Toronto, while the Knicks lost in a nail-biter to the crosstown-rival Brooklyn Nets.
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Celtics-Knicks game online:
When: Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins will be down another defenseman before their Saturday night matchup.
Before the game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, B’s head coach Bruce Cassidy provided updates on Kevan Miller and Charlie McAvoy, both of whom will be inactive Saturday. Miller has been dealing with a hand injury after he blocked a shot in Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Bruce Cassidy on Kevan Miller: "[A shot] hit his hand. I don’t know what particular part of his hand. So he has to go back and get it further evaluated. We’ll probably have a better idea in a few days what the X-ray shows and whether they cast it or if he has to miss time."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 20, 2018
McAvoy, however, hasn’t been “feeling right” since getting hit in Edmonton, but Cassidy doesn’t believe it’s related to a heart condition the 20-year-old had corrected last season, per The Athletic’s Joe McDonald.
Bruce Cassidy on Charlie McAvoy: "We contacted our medical staff back home and he’s on a plane today to undergo some tests. It’s a vague answer because we don’t know what’s going on. Charlie said he wasn’t feeling right, we want to make sure he gets looked at and go from there."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 20, 2018
Cassidy on McAvoy (cont.): "I think he got hit against Edmonton or he did get hit against Edmonton last week, hasn’t felt well. He was trying to play through it…we want to make sure he’s doing OK, so that’s step one."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 20, 2018
The Black and Gold recalled Urho Vaakanainen on an emergency basis Saturday with both Miller and McAvoy sidelined. The 2017 NHL Draft first-round pick will play alongside Matt Grzelcyk on Saturday night when the puck drops at 10 p.m. ET.
It’s all hands on deck when trying to capture a World Series championship, and it appears the Boston Red Sox are preparing as such.
Manager Alex Cora will have some tough decisions to make when the Fall Classic shifts to the National League park, as the designated hitter, of course, will be eliminated.
Speaking with the media Saturday, Cora made it clear, per NBC Sports Boston’s Evan Drellich, that J.D. Martinez will be in Boston’s lineup for Games 3, 4 and potentially 5, should the best-of-seven series reach that point. While conventional leads one to believe that Jackie Bradley Jr. would be the odd-man out in this scenario, that might not be the case.
Given Mookie Betts’ versatility and upbringing as an infielder, Cora apparently isn’t ruling out starting the 2018 American League MVP frontrunner at second base in World Series road matchups.
Mookie Betts at second base? Alex Cora:
“I don’t know man, he already played second during the regular season. There’s always a chance, I guess."
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 20, 2018
Betts’ big league experience at second base is minimal. The fifth-year star played in 14 games at the position as a rookie in 2014, and logged six innings in an early-August game against the New York Yankees. Betts tries to keep his infield skills sharp, though, as he regularly takes groundballs before games and during workouts, which continued in the team’s training session Saturday.
You can watch Betts take some grounders in the video here, courtesy of MassLive’s Christopher Smith.
If not at second base, Betts likely will start in center field on the road, with Bradley serving as an option off the bench. But Cora isn’t afraid to shake things up, so he could do what he has to do in order to keep the AL Championship Series MVP in the starting nine.
The Boston Bruins look to get back in the win column after two consecutive losses at the hands of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers as their Canadian road trip continues Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
This is the first meeting between Boston and Vancouver this season. The Canucks are looking to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, while the B’s try to get their first win of the four-game road trip.
Jaroslav Halak will be Boston’s netminder for the second straight game. The 33-year-old saved 19 of the 22 shots Edmonton put up in Boston’s 3-2 overtime loss Thursday night. Ryan Donato will be a healthy scratch for the Bruins, while Anders Bjork will play on the right side of David Backes on the third line.
The defensive pairings look a tad different than usual with Charlie McAvoy and Kevan Miller out of the lineup due to injuries. Urho Vaakanainen, the 18th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, will make his NHL debut after being recalled earlier Saturday from the Providence Bruins.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (4-2-1)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Danton Heinen–David Krejci–Jake DeBrusk
Joakim Nordstrom–David Backes–Anders Bjork
Chris Wagner–Sean Kuraly–Noel Acciari
Zdeno Chara–Brandon Carlo
John Moore–Stephen Kampher
Matt Grzelcyk–Urho Vaakanainen
Jaroslav Halak
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (4-3-0)
Nikolay Goldobin–Bo Horvat–Brock Boeser
Sven Baertschi–Adam Gaudette–Jake Virtanen
Antoine Roussel–Brandon Sutter–Loui Eriksson
Tim Schaller–Markus Granlund–Tyler Motte
Alexander Edler–Christopher Tanev
Ben Hutton– Troy Stecher
Derrick Pouliot– Erik Gudbranson
Jacob Markstrom
Chris Sale soon will have a chance to add to his jewelry collection as the Boston Red Sox look to earn championship rings with a 2018 World Series title.
Key word: add.
Speaking with the media Saturday, Sale uncovered the source of the stomach illness that caused him to be hospitalized last Sunday and miss his scheduled start in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday. And let’s just say absolutely nobody could have seen this explanation coming from the left-hander.
Chris Sale says he’s feeling better.
Asked what caused the stomach illness, he said, “I had irritation from a belly button ring. Constantly taking it in and out caused irritation. Doctors and nurses at MGH were awesome. Things happen. You handle them. And keep moving forward.”
— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) October 20, 2018
Chris Sale said he was hospitalized because of an irritation caused by a belly-button ring. Really, that’s his story and sticking to it for now
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 20, 2018
Wow.
To be fair, we’re not entirely sure if Sale is being serious here. But if he is, the veteran southpaw has to be the first high-profile athlete that’s sustained a belly button ring-induced ailment.
Now in good health, Sale is set to take the mound for the Red Sox on Tuesday in Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park, with or without his belly ring.
The New England Patriots reportedly likely will be playing Sunday against the Chicago Bears without star tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Gronkowski didn’t make the trip with his teammates to Chicago, a league source told The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride. Gronkowski is “highly unlikely” to play, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
McBride added that Gronkowski hasn’t been ruled out yet. The Patriots will rule out players who did not make the trip Saturday at 8 p.m. CT.
Gronkowski was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury. The tight end was limited Friday with ankle and back injuries. He was ruled questionable to play as of Friday.
Gronkowski hit injured reserve and missed Super Bowl LI in 2016 with a back injury. He also suffered from back injuries in college. He’s had three back surgeries in his playing career.
The Patriots also have tight ends Dwayne Allen and Jacob Hollister on their 53-man roster. Gronkowski has 26 catches for 405 yards with one touchdown this season. He has playing time and statistical incentives built into his contract.
Boston Red Sox fans likely want their team’s players to hate the New York Yankees, and visa versa.
Well, we’ve got some bad news for you.
David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez competed against each other for over a decade in sports’ greatest rivalry. But even when Yankees-Red Sox was at its peak in terms of on-field vitriol, the two stars remained close friends and were always willing to help each other during a tough time.
During a recent segment on FS1, Ortiz and Rodriguez talked hitting, the rivalry and 3 a.m. meetings with Manny Ramirez. The results, as they often are when Ortiz and Rodriguez are in the studio, were fantastic.
Take a look:
Great stuff.
Right now might be one of those times when Ortiz needs to console Rodriguez. Ortiz’s Red Sox, of course, are days away from playing in the World Series, while Rodriguez’s Yankees are home doing god knows what.
By all accounts, Jeff Gordon is enjoying his retirement.
There is one thing, however, that could pry the NASCAR legend out of the broadcast booth and put him back behind the wheel.
Gordon spends most of his time in North Carolina, but has a soft spot for New York. He has an apartment in Manhattan, vacations in the Hamptons and both his children were born in the Big Apple, according to Newsday.
And if NASCAR ever decided to put a short track in the New York area, Gordon might not be able to help himself.
“Man, I would give anything,” Gordon told Newsday on Thursday. “That might even bring me back to driving if we had a track at the Meadowlands.
” … Going down to Teterboro (Airport) from time to time, going by the Meadowlands all the time and seeing all the things they’re building that are all sports-related, I just wish we could have figured out a way to get a race track there, especially a short track. You look at the schedule and we desperately want another short track.”
Gordon made the comments during a Financial Planning Association of Long Island event. The event was part of Nationwide’s partnership of Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon’s former team.
NASCAR, in fact, nearly realized Gordon’s dream more than a decade ago. International Speedway Corporation owned a plot of land in Staten Island from 2004 to 2013, but never did anything with it. As it stands right now, a NASCAR track in the New York metropolitan area feels like an extreme longshot.
And that, for lack of a better word, stinks. As Gordon said, NASCAR could use another short track on its schedule. Yes, Bristol Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Dover International Speedway are great, but another short track — especially one in New York — surely would provide a jolt to a sport in desperate need of one.
And don’t scoff at the notion that New Yorkers would be interested in something like NASCAR. The state, like much of the northeast, has a rich asphalt racing history, and ranks among the highest in the sport in terms of overall viewership, according to Newsday.
“The number of people watching in New York is huge,” Gordon said. “There are a tremendous number of fans … I think they wouldn’t have any problem filling the stands.”
To be clear: No one is suggesting that NASCAR put a track in the middle of Manhattan, Brooklyn, or any of the five boroughs, for that matter. That would be stupid.
But a short track in the surrounding area? It’s an aggressive idea, to be sure, but it’s not a bad one.
Plus, if nothing else, it could lead to the return of the Rainbow Warrior.
We all know how Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees fans feel about the 2004 American League Championship Series, but what about the players who lived it?
David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez, two players who were at the center of the greatest comeback in Major League Baseball history, relieved the legendary series Wednesday night during FOX Sports’ MLB postseason coverage. And, well, let’s just say that Rodriguez still hasn’t emotionally overcome what took place during that fateful October.
Check this out:
Say what you want about Rodriguez, but the guy is a great studio analyst. Same goes for “tera-pisst” Ortiz.
Ortiz, like all of Red Sox nation, is looking forward to watching his former team compete in the 2018 World Series. Rodriguez, meanwhile, can take solace in knowing his Yankees already have settled down for the long winter’s nap.
For most managers, the idea of another team sneaking someone onto the field to point a camera in their dugout would be, well, uncomfortable.
But Alex Cora is not like most managers.
The Houston Astros were caught sneaking a non-credentialed individual onto the field to record the Boston Red Sox dugout during the American League Championship Series. Many assumed the Astros were spying and/or sign-stealing, but it turns out they were just making sure the Red Sox weren’t the ones doing something fishy. Major League Baseball elected to not punish Houston over the incident, which also occurred during the AL Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.
It’s unclear whether Cora believes MLB should’ve come down harder on the Astros. The Red Sox manager does, however, believe his team benefited from the entire ordeal.
“I took it the other way around because they openly said that they were playing defense,” Cora said Friday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni $ Fauria” program. “They said they were checking on us if we were stealing signs, or doing something wrong in the dugout. … I took it the other way around. I was like, ‘Paranoia is working for us.’ Like they are panicking. Throughout the series we did a lot of stuff as far as like dummy signs and all this stuff to keep the paranoia going.
“That is part of the game — tipping, stealing signs, relaying pitches and paying attention to details. That is the way I took it. If they feel that way about us, we might as well push the envelope and keep doing a lot of things that are going to make them uncomfortable and you saw it. They kept changing signs and the tempo of the games was awful, but that worked into our advantage, I think.”
Cora might have a point. The Astros didn’t look like their normally crisp, confident selves during the ALCS, and it’s fair to wonder whether obsessive paranoia played a role in Houston getting eliminated by Boston in five games.
Will Cora and the Red Sox continue to push the envelope and play mind games during the World Series? We’ll find out soon enough.
Game 1 of the Fall Classic is scheduled for Tuesday night at Fenway Park.