Out of the Money

For the first time in several years, the Boston Red Sox did not qualify for the post-season. They finished the regular season with a record of 89-73 with a winning record of 0.549. That record represented the fifth best in the league, but third in the AL East. Both teams that finished ahead of the Sox made the playoffs.

I had initially planned to write this because I expected the Sox to have finished out of the money, but with a better record than at least one of the teams that made the playoffs, but a slump about 2 weeks back dropped the Sox record a bit.

Still, especially given the injuries they had to deal with, they have nothing to feel badly about with the season's results. A look at each division shows the AL East to have a 0.532 record, while the Central has a 0.493 record, and the West has a 0.481 record. Clearly, the Sox play in the league's best division, and this affects their record. Would they have won either of the other divisions if they played there? Probably, but they don't.

Congratulations to the Rays, Twins, Rangers and Yankees for making the playoffs. I guess I have to root for the Rays, as I can't root for the Yankees, ever! Given their records, I have to believe that an AL East team will be in the World Series, but I'm not sure which one. Time will tell.

Of Michael Phelps and A-Rod

A photo of Michael Phelps taking a bong hit was published recently. The leaking of a supposedly secret test result revealed that Alex Rodriguez had used performance enhancing drugs (PED's) in 2003.
Upon publication of the photo, Phelps immediately acknowledged his improper behavior. A-Rod acknowledged his used of the PED's after the test results were leaked. Rodriguez had stated in prior interviews that he'd never used PED's. While there are some similarities, there are some very profound differences.
Marijuana is a banned drug, and may be classed as performance enhancing because it can reduce pain, but its performance enhancing effects, if any, are only in the immediate aftermath of its ingestion.
Steroids are used to build muscle, and have long-term effects on performance due to the added muscle, ability to absorb more training, etc. Simply put, the only reason to take steroids is to increase performance.
Significantly, Phelps might have denied that it was him in the photo. (I don't know if there was anything uniquely recognizable about him in the photo.) He chose instead to acknowledge his misbehavior, and suffer the consequences. I believe he had two endorsement contracts pulled as a result.
A-Rod had lied in the past about his use of steroids. It seems he only came clean when it was clear that the evidence was solid and was out in public. It's not as if A-Rod didn't know about the inherent impropriety of steroid use, even if they were not specifically prohibited by Major League Baseball. He chose to use a drug that had no use aside from enhancing performance, and then chose to lie about it.
As I see it, both made bad choices, but Phelps chose to be a stand-up guy and acknowledge his error immediately, and his bad choice was not made in the interest in giving him a performance edge. A-Rod deceived the public by using drugs specifically to improve his performance and he compounded his crime by lying about it. While neither man's behavior is laudable, Phelps immediately tried to do the right thing, while A-Rod persisted in doing wrong. The really unfortunate thing is that Phelps likely has to face proportionately greater consequences than A-Rod.
(in the interest of full disclosure, I should reveal that I am and have always been a Red Sox fan, though I have great respect for the New York Yankees as a team. Similarly, as a long-time runner, I have great love for the Olympic Games, especially in the traditional summer sports. Still, I think these facts had virtually no impact on this essay.)

My World Series Prediction

I'm going out on a limb by picking the Rays to win, though I think it'll likely take six games. There seems to be a magic about this team this year. They play tough, scrappy ball, and they finished the season with the best record in baseball.

Nervous About The Sox

As the ALDS came to a close, I commented to one of the local crossing guards (another Red Sox fan), that Tampa Bay seemed to be a juggernaut, and that I'd believed they'd be unbeatable in the post-season, but that in the ALDS, I'd seen some signs of weakness. Now, after tying up the series at 1-1 and then spanking the Sox at home last night, it's looking like my initial feeling might be right. I'm a Sox fan from way back, I don't give up hope, but I don't expect much. Only time will tell.

General Update

I missed Wednesday's workout, so it looks like the 45 in 50 goal is going out the window, but progress is being made. I went to yesterday's Yankees vs. Red Sox game (official gloat for JK Running), but saw my beloved Sox lose their third in a row to the Yanks, getting swept in the Bronx. The Sox fans ended saying, "Still 5 games up" while the Yanks fans said, "We've in the wildcard." Only time will tell the real truth. Photos next week.

Somerset Patriots

I spent last night at a Somerset (NJ) Patriots game. It was a lot of fun. The stadium sits about a half-hour out the train line near my home. The Patriots were playing the Long Island Ducks. After 8 1/2 innings, the Patriots, who, if I understood right, are managed by former Met? Sparky Lyle, were behind 2-1. It was then that good managing came in. After one batter hit a long fly, the Patriots put in a pinch hitter. He got a base on balls. Then, he was yanked for a speedster. The speedster seemed to produce the desired effect, distracting the pitcher enough that the next batter put a Texas-leaguer down the first base line. The pinch runner's blazing speed brought him home, and the response allowed the hitter to advance to second. A massive fly ball by the next batter was enough to bring him home. Game over! The Patriots win!

Good-Bye, Mr. Halberstam

I just read of the passing of one of my favorite writers, David Halberstam. While I was aware of him as a journalist during the Viet Nam era, my love of his writing really grew during the 1980's and later when he was working as an author, especially of some very fine sports books. During the mid-1980's, I was dating a rower, and his book, The Amateurs, came out. She loaned it to me, and I became a fan of his. A few years later, I read his Summer of '49, and became an even bigger fan. It also brought me up to speed on some Red Sox lore that I, having grown up in the NY metro area hadn't known. This year, I read his The Teammates, the story of four guys from that era and their friendship of many decades.
This was the article on his passing. As I wrote this, I checked Wikipedia, it was already updated with his death. The power of distributed writing is pretty remarkable.