Josh Beckett is now Kenny Powers

Rob Bradford of WEEI interviewed Josh Becket and rather than attempting to make amends for a disastorous season he just slipped further and further into becoming the real life Kenny Powers.  In 2014, after his contract with the Sox is up, I can see Beckett pitching in Nicaragua complaining about people not speaking "American."

Toucher and Rich on The Sports Hub nailed it.  Josh Beckett is Kenny Powers.

The full article can be found here, but here a few highlights:

"The snitching [expletive], that's [expletive]. It's not good."

"I loved Terry Francona. At the end it got difficult for me sometimes with Tito, with him as the manager. But he didn't deserve to leave like that."

"I'm not going to apologize for being distracted. It's not going to happen."

And, perhaps the most important quote to consider …

"I wouldn't trade what I have now for three World Series rings. I wouldn't do it."

"Baseball isn't my No. 1 priority anymore," he said at that time. "Everybody goes through that change. Some people might go through that change before that even happens, but I definitely find myself thinking about [Holly and the baby] whereas a lot of times I used to be thinking about how I was going to get this guy out, or what I needed to do that day. They're my central focus.

"Maybe a couple of months into the pregnancy, it started to become real," he continued. "When you first find out you're pregnant, there are a lot of different emotions, but it's not quite real yet. But then you get a couple of months in and you go to the doctor's appointment once a month, check in on the baby, do that first ultrasound, and it becomes real then. You realize that person is going to completely depend on me and it literally wouldn't live without us. It's something I'm really looking forward to. Since the time I've wanted it, I've wanted it bad." 

I mean, he has a point, he is the first Major League Baseball player who's wife has had a baby during his playing career.

"[Expletive] happens," Beckett said. "Whether you controlled it, or you didn't control it, or you could have controlled it better. [Expletive] happens. We're human beings playing a human being sport.

F*ckin'-A, brother.  Aren't we all just human beings playing the human being game of life?  I don't come to your office and tell you you're fat from drinking beer and eating fried chicken, do I?

In the words of Kenny Powers a.k.a. Josh Becket:  "Just like in life, all of my successes depend on me.  I'm the man who has the ball, I'm the man who can throw it faster than f*ck."

This season should be fun.

-Big Ran

Big Papi and Sox Agree to $14.75M

Not a bad day at the office.  Let me say this:  If I am offered $14.75M, there isn't much I wouldn't do.  Especially when the job is six months a year and you literally just stroll up to the plate four or five times a game.

@Buster_ESPNBuster Olney 

Sources: There is a settlement in the David Ortiz case, for the midpoint of $14.575 m. He had wanted 16.5m, club had offered 12.65m.

45 minutes ago via web 

The Go and F*ck Yourself Red Sox Report

Just when you think the Sox can't sink any lower or lose in a more frustrating way, they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  Last night was it for me.  I'm f*cking done.  Hide yo kids and hide yo wife.

Let's tackle the current team and events first.  Is there anyone on this team who has any balls?  Where's the person that stands up and takes charge of this mother f*cker?  theo seems to love assembling a team of proficient baseball players who have little to no personality.  Congratulations.  When sh!t hits the fan, you need some dudes that will take the team on their back.  Was Kevin Millar a good player?  No.  But guess what...nothing fazed him.  Down 3-0 to the Yanks in '04, he talking trash before game four about how the Yanks better sweep them or watch out.

Let's go around the f*cking diamond, shall we?  Varitek is technically the captain, but he's a glorified backup now.  Salty is in his first year with the Sox, so he's not there yet.

Adrian Gonzalez is a phenomenal player, but isn't playoff tested.  He doesn't have a personality and I'm not sure if he has the plums to conquer adversity yet. 

Pedroia may be the only guy with the right combo of having enough of a chip on his shoulder, personality, and ability.  Say hello to your next captain.

Scutaro is a solid player, but a lame duck, just as every Sox SS has been since Nomar stopped taking roids.

Youkilis is another good player with some guts.  I don't get the impression anyone likes him though.  I'll take him on my team, but he won't rally the clubhouse.

Crawford.  Good Lord.  Not playing both ends of a double header in a pennant race because of a stiff neck? Not a good look, dude.  Also not a good look?  Getting paid $20M per and sucking all year long.  Wait till next year for him because this one is a lost cause.

Ellsbury is having an awesome year, but again doesn't seem like he has it in him to rally the troops.  What are you gonna do?

Right field is just a mess.  J.D. Drew has a foot and a half out the door, just dreaming about cashing in his chips and retiring to rural Georgia.  He has to be the most frustrating player in recent memory.  Plenty of talent, no heart.  Reddick is scary in the field.  He may be OK, but he's not ready yet.

Beckett is a high maintenance pain in the ass.  On the DL all the time, and everything needs to be perfect for him to make a start.  He is typically money in the playoffs, I'll give him that, but to need a personal catcher at this point of his career is somewhat pathetic.  I need good seasons out of him more than once every three years.  At least he can give a good press conference:

I keep waiting for Lester to get to that next level and be an ace.  Maybe he's not an ace.  have we thought about that?  The dude battled back from cancer to be a great pitcher, so I would love to see him put the team on his back, but he hasn't proven to be a stopper yet.

John Lackey, you are literally, the worst starter in MLB and the worst starter in Red Sox history.  Congratu-f*cking-lations.  On top of all of that, you're ugly and a total dickhead.

The bullpen - Bard and Pap.  Bard was NASTY...until he just lost it all in crunch time.  He hasn't proven to be able to handle the pressure.  Bard is not the answer to the Sox closer question for next season and probably made Papelbon many, many millions of dollars this year.  Pap has been very good all year, so this isn't on him.

Tito, please stop starting Kyle Weiland and give Aceves a shot.  Maybe even take a bat to the clubhouse and break some sh!t.

The front office needs to get their sh!t together too.  How about we sign some free agents that can play in Boston?  How about that?  The last two off seasons they have thrown approximately $380M at three players; Lackey, Gonzalez (plus three top prospects to get from from San Diego), and Crawford.  If they had actually offered Jason Bay, who was a perfect fit for Fenway, to a four year/$60M deal, they could have sign Texiera and probably get Cliff Lee.  I even think if they go the extra mile for Texiera, they could have had Matt Holliday and Cliff Lee.  I'll take my chances with Texiera, Holliday, and Lee, plus the three prospects they sent to San Diego.

Ugh.  Thanks for letting me vent.  This was probably more for me than any of our readers.



-Big Ran

PS:  F*ck Sweet Caroline.

Say It Isn't So!

Derek Jeter & Minka Kelly Split

Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly have called it quits after three years together,JustJared.com can confirm.

“The split was amicable,” sources exclusively tell JJ of the 37-year-old Yankees superstar and 31-year-old actress. “But they remain friends. They still really care for each other.”

When JJ contacted her reps, they did confirm the split.

Last month, HBO premiered Deter Jeter 3K, a documentary that chroniclesDerek’s journey of becoming the second player to reach 3,000 hits as a shortstop (the first was Honus Wagner).

Minka is busy in Miami shooting the ABC reboot of the classic show Charlie’s Angels, which is being produced by Drew Barrymore and Leonard Goldberg. Charlie’s Angels, which co-starsRachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzeh, premieres Thursday, September 22, at 8/7c.

First Will and Jada, now Derek and Minka?!  When will it end?  Maybe it is the end of days.  If Will Smith and Derek Jeter really are single now, you better hide yo kids and hide yo wife.  Well, maybe just yo wife.


-Big Ran

Lunchtime Look-a-Like

I had forgotten about this one, because people have been saying it for years, but I forgot to do this yesterday on the heels of his start against the Red Sox on Sunday night.  Current Yankees (and former Philly, White Sox, and Seattle) starting pitcher, Freddy Garcia and The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson.  These dude honestly could be brothers.

Freddy Garcia:

The Rock:

-Big Ran

Red Sox On Swole!

The Sox took two out of three from the Yanks this weekend, which is always nice even if it is overrated.  Both of these teams are at least 8 games up in the Wild Card race, so they'll both be in the playoffs.  However, it is still always nice to take a series from them because you know if the Yanks won two of three, their fans would be all fired up about being ahead in the division.

How about that guy behind Ochocinco, huh?  Kind of looks like Bill Clinton a little bit, who coincidentally, is KC's favorite President EVER.  Also, Chad is marrying Antoine Walker's ex-fiance?  Interesting.  That's about all I can say on that.

From People:  The couple have also grown closer through adversity, after Lozada – the ex-fiancée of former NBA player Antoine Walker – was attacked on her VH1 reality show Basketball Wives after revealing she had slept with a castmate's ex-husband. She said Ochocinco helped her get through the episode. 

"I was having a hard time [watching]," she says. "I have a lot of followers on Twitter, so everyone has an opinion on your life, and they think they know you. Some of the things they say are hurtful, but he made me keep it together. He's very supportive with everything."

Yeah, nothing could go wrong here.

-Big Ran

PS:  I am going to use "on swole" as much as possible today.

Ho-Hum, Another Childhood Hero Gets Busted

Mark Grace was absolutely one of my top five favorite players of all time.  Probably number three.  Cal Ripken, Jim Rice, Mark Grace, Will Clark, and Ken Griffey, Jr / Nolan Ryan.  Maybe I have a top six. I really think I was Mark Grace TWICE for Halloween.  The dude lead all of MLB in hits in the 90s.  So, I'm sure that if this had happened when I was like 11, I would have been crushed, but now, not so much.  I mean, check out the details:

Cops saw him make a wide right turn, then weave in his lane.  When they pulled him over, Grace admitted to "having a few drinks."  He also didn't have a wallet or his license.

So, the cops gave him a field sobriety test and they asked him out he thought he did..."Not well enough." was his response, so they booked him on suspicion of DUI.

OK, so again, I don't condone drunk driving, obviously, but it has gotten to the point where I kind of say to myself, "well, he wasn't a jerk about it, so I'll give him a pass."  He's not even mad in his mugshot; it looks like his ID photo for an IT firm he works for.

So long as I never find out Cal Ripken took steroids or ruphied college chicks, I think I should be OK.

-Big Ran

When is Spring Training Over?

The Sox know these games count, right? Worst record in the majors at 2-9. Team batting average of .230, team ERA of 6.77, also last in the majors.  Obviously this is pretty terrible and I am torn between this brutal start and the fact that they are still only like 6% through the season.  At least with all this rain, it looks like they won't lose tonight.

-Big Ran

Super Terrific Happy Hour!

SO much to love in this video.  How sloppy drunk she is, the fact that she slept in a bar, willingness to fight chicks, hatred of communism because she has to pay for HBO and birth control, there's just a lot going on here.

-Big Ran 

Sox Can Still Go 158 - 4!!!!!!!!!!!

On the plus side, the pitching was an improvement from the home run derby the Sox just went through in Texas.  However, Cleveland is a legitimately terrible team and the Sox lineup couldn't must any offense.  The bottom of the lineup has been terrible and the amount of pressure the team must feel has to be mounting.  With the free agent signings, trades, and players coming back from injuries last year, the expectations were off the charts.  During spring training some of the players were talking about winning 100 games like it weren't no thang.

For me, starting pitching is still a major concern.  I think Lester and Buchholz will be fine, who knows what you get from Matsuzaka, but Beckett and Lackey scare the hell out of me.  Lackey was BRUTAL in his start, seemingly even worse than the first half of his season last year and while Beckett's line doesn't look terrible for an early season start, he was reminiscent of Pedro when you knew he was headed to the DL; a ton of breaking balls, low velocity, and he wasn't making anyone miss. Daisuke is now our early season stopper.

They can't win 100 games tonight, so they just need to get one and I think things could improve measurably.  It would be nice to get off the schneid before the Yanks come to town over the weekend.

With all that said, I think they'll be fine and at least when they get back to Fenway there will be more fans than the Indians had last night.

-Big Ran

So, the Sox looked good this weekend, huh?

That series was still spring training right?

Best thing to come out of that series was Ortiz looking sharp right out of the gate.  I had him penciled in for two crappy months before lighting it up, so if he can continue the nice start that lineup should only have one potential hole (Salty).  Pap loaded the bases, but got a bad bounce on the double and got out of the jam.  Crawford ended up with a couple of hits yesterday after looking terrible and Gonzo should be awesome.

The pitching was a disaster and I don't want to see the Texas Rangers again anytime soon.  Done.  On to Cleveland.

-Big Ran

Who's Fired Up for the Start of the Baseball Season?

I am a huge baseball and Sox fan, but the start of this season is really weird.  I mean, its friggin' snowing.  Weird.  I feel like there should be football this weekend, not the start of the baseball season or anywhere near the NBA playoffs.  Playoffs?!

The good thing is that now there's sports to watch literally every night.

PS: If Papelbon continues to suck this year, I think we found a slump buster for him.

-Big Ran