Category Archives: Go Sox

Two Things to Always Remember When Watching Baseball

26 Saturday Mar 2016

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Of course there are many more than two things that baseball fans need to remember when watching the greatest game ever invented.

But, taking a ‘page’ from Art Buchwald’s wise reprinting each year of his le Jour de Merci Donnant, I want to remind those of you who pay attention to more than just the home runs and final score of games about two articles I have posted in the past:

Read This and You’ll Never Watch Baseball the Same Way Again

The Three Thoughest Outs in Baseball

And since I have your attention, once more let me remind you:

Don’t forget to get in your 2016 Baseball Contest Picks. Deadline is approaching One Week away as I type this.

I know most of you who have not sent in your predictions yet are simply waiting for Spring Training to be over so you’ll have all the information you need to make wise, judicious decisions. None of you, I’m sure, are procrastinators.

(Your next reminder will be a personal email from me with a few choice remarks.)

(Also, for those who may have missed it, this year, at the urging of several of you, I have made and posted my predictions for these Baseball Contests. I’m not eligible for any of the prizes, which is probably not an issue once you see my picks.)

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Join Me for a Washington Nationals’ Game

20 Sunday Mar 2016

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Below you’ll find a series of Washington Nationals’ dates and games available, either to join me or to get two seats to a game I cannot attend.

If you join me, your seat is free, but you’ll probably have to listen to my baseball chatter and maybe even buy me a bag of peanuts.

If it’s a game I can’t attend, then if you agree to take a kid (broadly defined) for one of the two seats, then both seats are free.

If the two seats are for two adults, then you can reimburse me at my cost, $55 per seat.

The seats are good ones, either in Section 127, between home and first behind the Nats’ dugout, 20 rows off the field or in Section 117, four rows behind the visitors dugout.

Let me know (Samesty84@gmail.com) as soon as you can what game(s) you are interested in attending (the more choices you give me the better). I will try to fit everyone in.  If nothing works out for these games, I’ll have another set of offerings (later in the season) with a number of seats for July, August, and September.

Update: Opening Day – Thursday, April 7, 4:05 PM – One Ticket, without me

  1. Sunday, April 10, 1:35 vs Marlins. Two seats. (I can’t attend).
  2. Wednesday, April 13, 7:05 vs Braves. One seat with me.
  3. Thursday, April 14, 4:05 vs Braves. One seat with me.
  4. Friday, April 22, 7:05 vs Twins. Two seats. (I can’t attend. Passover.)
  5. Sunday, April 24, 1:35 vs Twins. One seat with me.
  6. Wednesday, April 27, 7:05 vs Phillies. One seat with me
  7. Tuesday, May 10, 7:05 vs Tigers. One seat with me.
  8. Wednesday, May 11, 7:05 vs Tigers. One seat with me.
  9. Sunday, May 15, 1:35 vs Marlins. Two seats. (I can’t attend.)
  10. Tuesday, May 24, 7:05 vs Mets. One seat with me.
  11. Tuesday, June 28, 7:05 vs Mets. One seat with me.
  12. Sunday, July 3, 1:35 vs Reds. Two seats. (I can’t attend.)
  13. Sunday, July 17, 1:35 vs Pirates. Two seats. (I can’t attend.)

If there’s another/different game anytime in the season you have interest in that’s not listed here, let me know as I can possibly trade some parking passes with a friend to get that game and to go with you if I’m in town.

PS – Don’t forget to get in your 2016 Baseball Contest Picks. Deadline is approaching (see below). Submissions will not have any effect on getting one of the above games.

(Also, for those who may have missed it, this year, at the urging of several of you, I have made and posted my predictions for these Baseball Contests. I’m not eligible for any of the prizes, which is probably not an issue once you see my picks.)

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My 2016 Baseball Predictions

15 Tuesday Mar 2016

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I avoided doing this ever since I began the MillersTime Baseball Contests for fear of showing my ignorance. But several of you have said I should stop hiding and show my baseball knowledge, or lack thereof.

Don’t take any of these predictions too seriously, and certainly, don’t be foolish enough to repeat them in your own 2016 predictions.

Speaking of which, we’re only about two weeks away from Opening Day and the deadline for your own submissions. Get to it.

Of course, I am not eligible for any of the prizes, but in the unlikely event that any of my own predictions would have won, I will send a MillersTime Winner T-Shirt to the next two contestants who send in their predictions following the posting of my predictions (March 15, 6 PM).

Contest #1: Predictions about a favorite team:

A. The 2016 Red Sox win-lose record – 88-74.

B. They will make the playoffs and lose in the ALDS.

C. The positive factors for their season will be outfield defense and bullpen efficiency. Starting pitching, although better than 2015, won’t get them to 90 wins.

Contest #2: Prediction about something in the 2016 MLB season:

No MLB player will play in all 162 games.

Contest #3:

A. The top 10 MLB players’ Batting Average will be .319, lower than the .322 in 2105.

B. The top 10 MLB players’ OPS Average will be .924, lower than .931 in 2015.

C. The top 10 MLB pitchers’ Earned Run Average will be 2.33, lower than 2.38 in 2015.

D. The top ten MLB pitchers will win a total of 188 games, higher than 183 games in 2015.

Contest #4.

A. Two teams with a combined won/loss record closest to .500 – Philles & Cubbies.

B. Team with the most won/loss improvement – White Sox,

C. Pitcher with most relief wins – Mark Melancon will edge out Craig Kimbrel and Trevor Rosenthal.

Contest #5. Who will get the most AL & NL All Star Votes:

AL – David Ortiz and NL – Giancarlo Stanton who will edge out Bryce Harper.

Contest #6. What 10 teams make it into the playoffs, which two to the WS and who wins it all?

AL – Kansas City, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Toronto

NL – Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis, NYM, Arizona

Cubbies beat Royals

Extra Credit: Make up a question for the 2016 season and answer it:

Last year the total number of stolen bases in the MLB was 2,505. Will that number increase, stay the same, or decrease?  What will that number be?

Decrease – 2,412.

Respectfully submitted on The Ides of March, 2016 at 6:00 PM.

To see all contest details, go to 2016 MillersTime Baseball Contests
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It’s Never Too Early…

14 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by in Family and Friends, Go Sox

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…to get them started.

(Turn up the sound on your computer and click on the headline below; you won’t be sorry.)

                              Grandson Knows What’s Important

Actually, on further reflection, I guess sometimes it may be too early to start the grand kid’s education. As can be seen in the photo below, when Grandpapa attempted to introduce three-day old Samantha Lauren to the importance of pitching over hitting, she slept through the entire lesson.

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Now, before you get all upset and consider calling Child Protective Services, know that I did something similar with my own daughters. And read what the mother of our newest grandchild wrote when she herself was 21 in 2004 (when the Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1918):

I guess it started with Mike Greenwell. And Roger Clemens. And Wade Boggs. Two of three of whom went on to serve the evil empire in their quest for baseball domination. Not an auspicious beginning, I’ll admit.  I’d come down for breakfast to study the previous nights scores because I knew I’d probably be quizzed on the box score on my way to school. It was my father’s fault. Some would call it indoctrination; hell, it’s probably a form of propaganda. But I didn’t care. I just wanted them to win. And sometimes I’d watch them win; sometimes I’d watch them lose. As long as they played, it didn’t really seem to matter to me.

But I soon realized that by virtue of being a Sox fan I’d have to accept heartache. And not just in an “oh our team sucks every year” kind of way, but in “oh our team is so close every year” kind of way. Trust me — it’s a lot easier to finish 15 games out of 1st place than watch Aaron Boone clock one of the left field wall.

It’s hoping you never have to say “next year”.

It’s not being comfortable with a six-run lead in the 7th inning.

It’s knowing that bullpen by committee was dead from the start.

It’s knowing when vintage Pedro comes to pitch, he will fuck you up.

It’s knowing that the most contentious issue in your parents’ relationship is the fact that your father listens to the game full blast in the study late at night.

It’s checking bostondirtdogs.com every day in the off-season.

Being a Sox fan prepared me for disappointment; it taught me that there are some things that no matter how badly you want something, sometimes you just can’t make it happen. I think my perspective on life has truly been shaped by the virtue of my fanaticism for baseball. It’s taught me that life isn’t fair, you don’t get what you want, and other people can just be downright heartless.

So this year, can I finally rejoice in our successes? (And I say “our” because I feel as though I’ve truly deserved a spot on the roster). Yes, but I couldn’t do so without a little acknowledgement to my father. It would not be an exaggeration to say I owe it to my father. I mean I blamed him for the heartache for all the years right, so if I don’t give credit now, I probably never will. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be like every other girl, trying to figure out the difference between a curve ball and a change up. Or not be the kind of girl who gets into arguments with strangers on the 4 train about why Jason Varitek is a better catcher than Jorge Posada. I’m glad they won it for me, but deep down I’m glad they won it for him.

More than anything, my father taught me to believe. And not just in the Red Sox, but in myself. Because if my team can come back from down 0-3 to the Yankees, and sweep the Cardinals in the World Series, really, there is no such thing as never.

I guess in the end, my obsession ultimately taught me that good things do come to those who wait. So I sit back and say to the rest of Major League Baseball, sit down; wait ‘till next year.

 

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Bryce Harper: “Baseball…It’s a tired sport…”

10 Thursday Mar 2016

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In an interview published today with Tim Keown, ESPN the Magazine, Bryce Harper, the 2015 NL MVP player, had some things to say about the state of baseball. Take a look at some excerpts from the article quoted below and see what he has to say (if you want to read the entire article, go to Sorry Not Sorry).

Baseball’s tired. It’s a tired sport because you can’t express yourself. You can’t do what people in other sports do. I’m not saying baseball is you know boring or anything like that, but it’s the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair. If that’s Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom or Manny Machado or Joe Pederson or Andrew McCutchen or Yasiel Puig — there’s so many guys in the game now who are so much fun.

Jose Fernandez is a great example. Jose Fernande will strike you out and stare you down into the dugout and pump his fist, And if you hit a home and pimp? He doesn’t care. Because you got him. That’s part of the game. It’s not the old feeling — hoorah –if you pimp a homer. I’m going  to hit you right in the teeth. No. If a guy pimps a homer for a game-winning shot…I mean — sorry.

If a guy pumps his fist at me on the mound, I’m going to go, ‘Yeah, you got me. Good for you. Hopefully I get you next time.’ That’s what makes the game fun. You want kids to play the game, right? What are kids playing these days? Football,, baseketball. Look at those players — Steph Curry, LeBron James. It’s exciting to see those players in those sports. Cam New Newtown — I love the way Cam goes about it. He smiles, he laughs. It’s that flair. The dramatic.

According to the article, Harper’s talking about “baseball’s old-school thinking — the unwritten rule, The Code, a century and a half of shut-up-and-play,” and calling for “a game in which players respect each other and retain the right to express themselves fully without fear of a fastball to the ear hole.”

So what do you think?

Is Harper on to something, or should baseball stay as it has been?

Leave your thoughts in the Comment section.

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Tempus Fugit

08 Tuesday Mar 2016

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Spring Training is one-third completed and rapidly moving forward.

Which is more than I can so for those of you who are considering submitting your predictions for the 2016 season.

No doubt, some, a few, one or two of you, are waiting to see how your team develops in March. But most likely, the majority of you are just slaggards and procrastinators.

In an attempt to get you moving, and at the behest of one contestant, I have made my own predictions for the contests (I’m not eligible for the prizes) and will post them so you can see my own foolishness as soon as 13 more of you send me your predictions.

Go to 2016 MillersTime Baseball Contests to get the questions and send your answers to me at samesty84@gmail.com or post them in the Comment section of this or the original Contest post.

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“There’s a Time to Leave the Party”

25 Thursday Feb 2016

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My dear father Sam Miller told me frequently over the last quarter of his life, “There’s a time to leave the party.”

I told him I understood and continually asked him, “How do you know when that time has come?”

“That,” he said, “is something you have to figure out for yourself.” (I do think he hinted it was better to leave too early than to stay too late.)

Of course, the “party” can be many things. (I think he first mentioned his mantra when I was considering whether to retire from the school a group of us had created and operated for 30+ years, but he also often mentioned “leaving the party” when he was talking about the end of his own life.)

For those of you (un)lucky ones who may not follow the Boston Red Sox too closely, David Ortiz, Big Papi, told the baseball world on Nov. 19, 2015 — his 40th birthday — that 2016 would be his final year in baseball, saying, “After next year, time is up.” (To see and hear his full announcement, go to the video Ortiz posted to The Players’ Tribune.)

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I’ll spare you a review of how good Ortiz’s season was in 2015 and all the things he’s done with his bat, what he’s meant to his team, to the Red Sox Nation, to the city of Boston, to baseball in general, and to his countrymen in the Dominican Republic. There’ll be innumerable articles about all of that throughout the coming season. It’s fair to say, I believe, he’s as close to a lock on getting into the Hall of Fame (may be even the first year he’s eligible) as it’s possible to be.

(Also, check out these two articles, Ortiz still hungry but ready to pass the torch and Papi’s swan song will be a celebration for baseball.)

But the purpose of this post is to give you a heads up for this final year. It won’t be the way Derek Jeter did it, who, in my humble opinion, stayed at the party too long. (Despite his playing for the “Evil Empire,” I always liked Jeter and thought he was one of the class guys in baseball.)

Ortiz’s leaving will be more subdued, less scripted. But if you have a kid, take him to see Ortiz, or just go yourself so you can tell your grand kid you saw him in his final year. You don’t have to go to Fenway to see him. Go to a Sox away game, especially if it’s in your own home town, where it might be easier and less expensive to get tickets to a Sox game.

It’s hard to know when Ortiz’s last at bat will be, but here are two dates to know: the final regular season away game is at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 29th. And the Sox’s final regular season home game is October 2 at Fenway Park. If you’re a Sox fan, you hope, as always, that there will be a post season and that whenever his final at bat occurs, he will be able to match Ted Williams and hit a home run.

And wouldn’t it be something if Big Papi won the World Series for the Sox with a walk off home run? But I digress.

That’s not really what’s important.

Not only has Ortiz has brought much joy to many of us (and three World Series), but he will be remembered as one of the Red Sox all time greats, probably the best Designated Hitter of all time.

On top of that, he’s a mensch. Just ask anyone associated with the Sox, even the just added David Price, who once thought the worst of Ortiz.

Think about seeing Big Papi in his final year.

**          **          **          **          **          **          **          **

For those of you who may have missed an earlier post this week, I’ve announced the 2016 MillersTime Baseball Contests where you can join others who know anywhere from almost nothing about baseball to those who think they’re experts.

Consider joining this year. There’s no cost, other than a bit of your time. And if you don’t know much about baseball, maybe someone in your family or one of your friends does. Pass it on to them, and if they enter, mention your name, and win, then so do you.

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2016 MillersTime Baseball Contests

19 Friday Feb 2016

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Spring

YES.

Spring Training has begun, and so, of course, it’s time to turn to the MillersTime Baseball Contests to test your baseball knowledge, hopes, luck, fears, prejudices, and ignorance.

The contests have evolved from just Red Sox (and Evil Empire) focused questions to ones that involve all of MLB as the majority of contestants are no longer Sox fans (poor souls).

You don’t have to enter all of the contests, and if you’re not baseball obsessed (pity), you can easily just choose a couple of contests to enter (see #1, #2, Extra Credit).

While it might be tempting to wait until late in Spring Training to submit your answers, you do run the risk of losing out to someone who submits a similar winning answer earlier.

Also, in addition to the prizes listed in each contest, all winners get the exclusive, one-of-a-kind “MillersTime Baseball Contest Winner” T-Shirt, a much ‘valued’ prize.

Winner

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Justin B models

his ‘prized’ T-Shirt

 

Contest # 1:

Pick your favorite MLB team (or the team you know the most) and answer the following questions to prove whether you’re just a homer (“Someone who shows blind loyalty to a team or organization, typically ignoring any shortcomings or faults they have”) or whether you really know something about baseball.

a. What will your team’s regular season record be in 2016?

b. Will they make the playoffs, and if so, how far will they go?

c.  What will be the most important factor (hitting, starting pitching, bullpen, an individual’s performance, the manager, injuries, etc.) in determining their season?

Prize: Two tickets to a regular season game with your favorite team (details to be negotiated with moi.)

Contest #2:

Make a prediction about something that will happen during the 2016 MLB season.

Your prediction could be about a team, about a player, about a new record, about an ‘event,’ or about something, hopefully unique, you think will happen in 2016. One prediction only.

Of those that come true, MillersTime readers will determine which one is the best prediction. Voters generally have selected the most specific prediction, one that showed baseball knowledge, and/or one that predicted something unusual.

Prize: Join me to see a Nats’ game next year in wonderful seats. If you don’t live in this area, can’t get here, or don’t want to come to DC, you can give your prize to someone who can get here, or I can take a kid to a game in your place.

Contest # 3:

Part A: In 2015, the top ten MLB players’ Batting Averages averaged .322. Will the average of the top ten players batting averages be higher, the same, or lower in 2016? What will that average be?

Part B: In 2015, the top ten MLB players’ OPS (OBP/On-base Percentage + SLG/Slugging Percentage) averaged .931. Will that be higher, the same, or lower in 2016? What will the OPS be in 2016 for the top ten hitters?

Part C: In 2015, the Top ten MLB pitchers Earned Run Averages averaged 2.38. Will the top ten pitchers ERA average be higher, the same or lower in 2015? What will that average be?

Part D: In 2015, the top ten MLB pitchers won 183 games. What will the number of wins be for the top ten pitchers be in 2016?

Prize: Your choice of one of these books: The 20 Best Books Ever Written About Baseball.

Contest #4:

Part A: Choose two teams whose combined won/loss record in 2016 will be closest to .500.

Part B: Which MLB team will make the most improvement in their won-loss record in 2016?

Part C: Which MLB relief pitcher will have the most saves in 2016? How many?

Prize: A copy of A. Bartlett Giamatti’s wonderful collection of baseball writings entitled A Great and Glorious Game.

Contest # 5:

Predict who will lead the AL and who will lead the NL in getting the most All Star votes in 2016. Which of the two will receive more votes?

Prize: Join me after the All Star break to see a Nats’ game in wonderful seats. If you don’t live in this area, can’t get here, or don’t want to come to DC, you can give your prize to someone who can get here, or I can take a kid to a game in your place.

Contest #6:

Predict the ten (10) teams who will be in the 2016 playoffs. Which two teams will make it to the WS? Which team will win it all?

Prize: One ticket to the 2017 World Series.

Extra Credit:

Make up your own question about MLB in 2016 and then answer it.

Of those that come true, we’ll put it up to MillersTime baseball readers to decide who wins the prize. And that question will be incorporated in next year’s contests.

Prize: Your choice of one of these books: The 20 Best Books Ever Written About Baseball.

Additional Details:

  1. All winners get the ‘one-of-a-kind,’ specially designed MillersTime Baseball Winner T-Shirt.
  2. Enter as many or as few of the contests as you want.
  3. Be sure to answer all parts of each contest you do enter.
  4. If you get a friend (or a foe) to participate in these contests, and he/she wins and has mentioned your name in their submission, you will get a prize also.
  5. Get your predictions in soon. In case of ties in any contest, the individual who submitted his/her prediction first will be the winner.
  6. Submissions should be sent to me in an email – samesty84@gmail.com or can be sent to me by snail mail – Richard Miller – 2501 Tracy PL. NW, Washington, DC 20008.

 Deadline for Submissions: Opening Day: Apr. 3, 2016, 1:05 PM, EST.

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And the Final Two Contest Winners Are…

19 Thursday Nov 2015

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First, permit me a moment of digression:

davis_st2232_spts-15912-8840Photo by Jim Davis/Boston Globe

One of my father’s useful pieces of advice was “There’s a time to leave the party.”

David Ortiz seems to agree.

As he turned 40 yesterday, he announced that the 2016 MLB season would be his last. Despite having an excellent season in 2015 (BA – .273, HRs – 37, RBIs – 108), he has chosen to “leave the party” next year, and thus forgo a likely $11 million paycheck for 2017. (Don’t feel sorry for him, though, he made $16 million dollars last year and will do so again in his final season.)

Better to leave before the inevitable decline (Derek Jeter, for example, was not so wise).

As the picture above indicates, Ortiz was involved in all three of the Sox World Series victories, victories that would not have happened without him. Plus, he has given Sox fans endless opportunities to cheer and ward off that hopelessness and pessimism that all of us who have been raised to be obsessed with the Sox have had to endure.

Thank you Papi for all you’ve given us, and thank you for choosing a good time to leave the party.

Now, on to the original purpose for today’s post — announcing the final two winners of the 2015 MillersTime Baseball Contest.

The polls are closed, and your ballots have been counted.

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A Winning Trade

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Articles & Books of Interest, Go Sox

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aac394a2ea3548f992caf4798605cda5-aac394a2ea3548f992caf4798605cda5-0The best trade, baseball and otherwise, is one that benefits both sides of a trade, imho.

If that is so, then I think the recent Sox-Padres trade meets that definition of a ‘best trade’.

While it really isn’t possible yet to evaluate either the short or long term outcome of what Drombrowski has done for/to the Sox, it seems to me that in one trade he’s drastically changed the Sox bullpen for the better – Tazawa in the 7th, Uehara in the 8th, and Kimbrel in the 9th.

The best evaluation of this trade is the one yesterday by Alex Speier. If you haven’t seen it, take a look: 108 Stitches.

Feel free to add to what he has to say in the Comments’ section of this MillersTime/GoSox post.

I don’t know how many of you follow Alex Speier’s 108 Stitches, but if you’re not getting his daily blog post sent to your email, consider doing so. Sometimes there’s more than even the most obsessed of you might want to know, but he’s always informative.

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Help Choose the Winner(s)

11 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Grind: Extra Fine (Small Circles & Effect: High Contrast), Brew: Color Gels (1/2 Pic & Full Blended Circles), Serve: Stirred (Flash Burn Tone & Brown Bag Texture)

Enough information is now in the record books that a winner can be chosen for the 2015 MillersTime Baseball Contest #2: Make a prediction about something that will happen during the 2015 MLB season.

Below you will see the 46 contestants’ predictions and whether they missed by a mile (20), had some truth in their prediction (16), or basically nailed something that happened (10).

The winners will be chosen by MillersTime readers (see below).

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Winners – 2015 MillersTime Baseball Contests

04 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Spring-Training.th_

That was a pretty good World Series, especially if you’re not a Metropolitans’ fan. But even they did surprisingly well this season. The Royals clearly were not to be denied and deserved the win. There’s something different about watching baseball when you don’t have a ‘dog in the fight.’

On to the winners of the 2015 MillersTime Baseball Contests.

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“Angels of Fenway” & How the Nats Lost It

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

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Angels of Fenway

No. I’m not referring to the new Sox outfield of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Rusney Castillo, tho “Angels of Fenway” might be an apt way to talk about to those three young, exciting players (see more below).

James-Taylor-Boston-Globe_Final_Approved_ResizedBut I am talking about that Fenway and someone familiar to most Sox fans.

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