Introducing Monday's Red Sox Rants: Betts, Doubront, and More

Happy Monday! Maybe not for everybody, but alas, Mondays are getting better! Because starting this Monday, Lewis and sports introduces their newest column, Monday Red Sox Rants! Mondays will be used for informative biases against the Boston Red Sox, made with love. They consist of nothing but Red Sox, ranging from player performance, to personnel decisions, to just broad comments about the Red Sox. As a test, this week I will broadly speak about some decisions and thoughts about the Red Sox to see what works and what does not. So, without further ado, I present to you, the very first Red Sox Rant:

Mookie Betts does not deserve the call up.

Sitting at six games below .500 and fading offensively, the call up was waiting in the mist. While Betts was hitting .346 this season in the minor leagues with 46 RBIs and 21 doubles, I understand why Red Sox Nation beckoned for the call up. But still, the timing is very off.  Betts comes to the team as an aid in the struggles, expected to produce the moment he gets into game. There is no room for error here. Why does the team want to do this to the kid? Farrell doesn’t even want Betts up. In a recent article published by Telegram.com, Farrell quotes “It’s a quick ascent, no doubt about it. Players tell you when the time has come,” about Betts’s call up.  In his first game up, Betts didn’t even see play. The Sox are wasting Betts’s time. Keep getting him plate appearances in the minors, then bring him up in September.

Felix Doubront Should Never Come Back to the Rotation ever

Doubront’s stuff is flat, his mechanics have been awful, and he has flat out stinks. Upon coming back from “injury” (how do you injure your arm by hitting it against a car door?), the Sox placed him in the bullpen. And guess what, he actually pitched pretty well. In last Tuesday’s game, Doubront pitched two hitless/scoreless innings. I was able to see him pitch that game and even I was actually semi-impressed with his stuff. Then it got me thinking back to his first time in the majors, where he pitched out of the bullpen. Again, he pitched well then. It makes me think that Doubront’s best bet is to come out of the ‘pen in mop-up fashion, wait it out until the deadline, and then Boston trades his sorry stuff out of this city. Hasta le Vista Doubront.

Mike Napoli is a true dirt dawg

Over the past couple of weeks, I had been thinking about the old days where Red Sox Nation referred to the team as “dirt dawgs.” Missing the days of Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, and Kevin Millar, I started to picture some of the players on this year’s team in a similar role. I came to consider Mike Napoli a dirt dawg, and more and more every day I believe Napoli it as truth. Calling Tanaka an idiot sealed the deal. With his nice tats, mean beard, and hard core attitude, Napoli plays the game with true class and grit. He is hardcore and I love it. Napoli, you get an induction to the dirt dawgs of Boston, Right next to Kevin Youkilis and Trot Nixon.

Why Jake Peavy Needs to Go (To the National League)

     Let's face it. Jake Peavy has been awful so far during his time with the Red Sox. Peavy has earned a 5-7 record with an ERA of 4.57 with the Sox. This year, he has earned a 1-6 record and an ERA of 4.93. Yikes! With both Brandon Workman and Rubby De La Rosa pitching extremely well, and with Doubront and Buchholz coming back from injuries, someone has to get booted out of the rotation. Out of all of Boston's starters, Peavy should be the guy.
     However, Peavy is not a lost cause. In fact, he pitches extremely well against National League teams and in National League Ballparks. Figures, seeing how he won a CY Young award with the Padres. His stats line with and against National League teams has such an extreme difference from the American League that you would think they are from two different pitchers. Let me explain: With the Padres, Peavy earned a 92-68 record with an ERA of 3.29 in eight seasons. He averaged 190 strikeouts a season, 189 innings, and with only 61 walks. In the AL (with the White Sox and Red Sox combined) he averages 97 strikeouts, 114 innings, and with an improved 31 walks a season. A Huge difference between the two.
     The difference between ballparks is also astronomical. In NL ballparks, Peavy has an ERA of 3.18, averages 6 strikeouts a game, 6 innings, and has a winning percentage of .610. In AL ballparks, Peavy has an ERA of 4.01, averages 5 strikeouts a game, 6 innings, and has a winning percentage of .509. Also, NL batters only hit .239 against him-compared to .276 against AL opponents.
     In Boston, Jake Peavy just isn't getting it done. And he probably won't get it done for any AL team either. Boston's best bet-as well as Peavy's- is to try a trade to the NL. How about the Phillies (probably not happening though)? Against teams other than the Phillies in that division, Peavy has 18 wins in 40 starts (not a whole lot of impressing there) but in 261 innings pitched, he only has given up 228 hits with 285 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.43. Seems like a good fit, doesn't it?

Breakdown of the "Redskins" case

     Recently, the most aggressive attack against the Washington Redskins happened. The U.S. Patent Office cancelled their patent on the Redskins brand on the basis of its "disparaging to Native Americans." Most likely this will start the hot pursuit of forcing Washington's team to change their name.
     When I heard the news, I could not help but feel sad. Sad, because when I hear "Redskins" I think of Washington football. Never do I think of it as a derogatory term towards Native Americans.
     See, my generation grew up never knowing racism, sexism, etc. Women have always had the right to vote. There has always been equality amongst all races. We have never once called Native Americans "Indians," and we lived by the rule of treating others the way you want to be treated. So when I see this case, I feel ashamed. Ashamed that people are trying to make this about race and sex once again. We have learned and moved past those bad times.
     So I ask those who want the name changed, if the term "Redskin" offends you, how come "Cleveland Indians" does not? How come "Chicago Blackhawks" does not? How come "Kansas City Chiefs" does not? How come "Dallas Cowboys" does not? The term cowboy was first used as a derogatory term to call southerns who were poor and had to work on farms. It now is one of the most violent gangs in the south, were these cowboys gang up on the helpless and kill them. Bet you didn't know that one.
     Which brings my argument all-together. Our society has erased so many of these discrimination's that these terms mean nothing anymore. They are simply sports terms. So why do we have to make politics about our sports? My generation loves sports because they hate politics. So why make this about politics! And if we are going to make our sports about politics, lets fix all of it. But we won't.
     I do not believe the Redskins should change their name. Not because I am a traditionalist, ignorant (like how some articles would classify me), or stubborn, but because I want my sports to not be about politics.

Why the NBA is a Joke

Before reading, please watch the following clip first:

*Disclaimer. I am in no way a fan of the NBA
The other day, while I was getting my daily dose of ESPN's Sports Center, I watched a segment on photobombs in the NBA. After watching the segment, I lost almost all of the respect I had for the league, which was very little to begin with. The NBA is a joke. It is a league where players do whatever they want and make a joke about it by doing things like photobombs. I have a couple reasons as to how come I feel this way.
Players rule the league, practically hand picking where they play
The league has become about the best free agents. Players switch teams almost yearly and the best all team up and play for one team. It has become the norm that in order to win, a team has to have a "big three". Teams can no longer build through the draft because it takes proven stars to win in the NBA. It has become about the players and their careers rather than the teams and the history.
Players complain and moan about everything and act unprofessional about it
This stems from the photobombs. Those are professional interviews that the players are breaking up. It disrespects the league, media personnel, and networks in which interviews air. These players have become unprofessional. They complain on the court about every foul and flop like they are actors. And now the referees have to buy into this because they can't disrespect the players. It has become a mess
Dunks now rule the league
I am a fan of super dunks just as much as the next guy, but there is a point where it becomes boring. Players dunk so much that they have wikipedia pages on the different types and websites dedicated to the best of the best. To me, the jump shot has become pretty much useless. If players are given a lane and can take five steps before lift-off, why go for the jump shot?

I have never really been a fan of the game. I will always know about the best players, the Boston Celtics, and how "King Lebron" rules ESPN, but I will never become a fan of the NBA. I can't stand the players, their attitudes, and how the league has become a show rather than a sport. And that is just what the NBA is, a show.