"Pete Rose Play Hungry" A Book Review by John Marsinelli

Growing up a baseball fan my father and I would at times talk about Pete Rose and how he believes he was one of the best and that he got screwed. While reading this book I found two similarities that
stuck out to me. Pete Rose admired his dad and I feel even though me and my father have our
differences, at the end of the day he is my best friend. The second similarity was that he had an uncle
Bud as well. I really got inspired by reading about how Mr. Rose worked his butt off to accomplish all
the success he did.
He mentions that he wasn’t even the best baseball player at his high school. This just shows hard work and dedication to a craft from not the best player on your high school team to the all time hit king. I really respect how Mr. Rose played going 100% every single time. I also respect how Mr. Rose admits to the gambling scandal. I still believe he should be elected into the HOF and that players have
definitely done way worse and are still in the HOF. Some things I learned from this book that I had no
idea about was that Pete Rose was in the military, he was Morganna first athlete kiss, that he spent some
time playing for the Montreal Expos and that he was a player manager for the Reds. I also didn’t realize how Mr. Rose played so many positions. He always said that he did whatever his team thought was best to win so if that meant to switch from one position to another then it would be done. He would practice his butt off for every position he played. He was truly a lead by example kind of guy. If he is going to go 100% day after day then you would hope that would rub off on his teammates. I am happy that Mr. Rose did get to win Rookie of the Year with his dad still alive. I wish his father was alive to see him break the hit record.  I thought it was really cool that Mr. Rose played for his hometown team. It was interesting learning about how Mr. Rose followed his father around all the time in his youth. He was either the water boy or the bat boy depending on the season. It was really nice to see how Mr. Rose spoke about his father. His father taught him to always play hard and to do what he can to help his team win. This book is a prime example of how hard work and dedication can take you as far as you want it to take you.  I recommend this book to not only athletes but anyone who is driven for success.

Sports book reviews by John Marsinelli

Hello all, I would like to introduce to you all a very good friend of mine.

John Marsinelli is a coworker, friend and a sports-a-holic such as myself. He is into reading and reviewing sports books. I've known John for a little while now and he continually tells me about the books he has read. So when I decided to reopen this, I figured I would ask him to join so that he can put his reviews out to the masses.

A little known fact about John is that he is a great kid, he constantly is doing things for charity, and is also training to run in the Christie Clinic marathon (which was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus).
John has aspirations to be a police officer and LOVES White Claws!

Lets all give John a warm welcome and I hope you all enjoy his reviews.

Thank you

What now?

As I mentioned in my last post, there is no NBA, MLB, NFL, or NHL. So what is there to do for a sports lover such as myself?
Well, I am constantly seeing that both the NBA and NHL are trying to find common areas where all teams can play, which might make the games play into the late dog days of summer forcing them to make the start of next season later into the year. I for one would welcome the NHL to be playing into the late into the summer, because the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs have to be one of the most exciting playoffs out there. It seems that its the only sport in which a 7th seed team can get hot at the right time and take it all the way to a championship. For me that is the most exciting thing that the NHL provides.

The NFL is stating that they aren't going to be changing anything that they do (schedule wise). I have to say that for the first time in a  long time, I actually paid attention the NFL draft this year. It has to be one of the most entertaining drafts I have seen in a long time. Ones I've watched in the past I have fallen asleep on the couch within an hour, that's mainly due to the drawn out process of the picks, introducing and pop and circumstance that comes along with it.
This years draft moved quicker, gave us a glimpse into these soon to be pro bowl athletes world and even the commissioner seemed human and to enjoy it. The commentary was good and it had very little hiccups (well at least not to my knowledge.)

MLB is, well MLB. They haven't done much, the cheating scandal hasn't been talked about for a while, The Red Sox traded Mookie and Price, but what else is there?... Go on, I'll wait.
Exactly, nothing! I have lost so much interest in MLB that I don't have much to talk about. The players salaries are so high, their replay system isn't working too well, and their product just seems long winded and over saturated.

The NBA is trying to get back to business as usual, but are having a hard time getting teams on board and finding specific areas where they can play. They constantly toss back and forth the idea of playing in empty stadiums, but most players aren't on board with that, and honestly... who can blame them? They deserve to play in front of their fans, just as much as the other leagues. I'm not a NBA expert (nor am I an expert at any sports), but they will figure it out and continue on.

As much as I want sports to come back so I can spend my Saturday and Sunday nights with a ice cold beer and being stressed out watching my beloved Bruins, I'd much rather have a vaccine made and for this to stop taking our loved ones away.
Sports is a a healer, sports unites people. Sports allows strangers to have something in common, makes dinner with extended families more enjoyable. But now is the time to follow the restrictions, stay inside when your supposed too. Thank the Dr's, EMT's, Police and Fire associates.Thank a nursing home associate and all health care workers. Thank a dispatcher, a grocery worker, a retail worker. Thank the Dunkin Donuts worker that's there at 5am to make sure you have you medium regular coffee.

Thank you to all.

“This Team Is Cursed”

Big Papi said it best as he limped off of the field shortly after an Adrian Gonzales 3 run homerun against the White Sox: “This team is cursed.”  Ortiz was simply jogging around the bases after the homerun and injured his right heel.  His heel swelled up and he exited the game shortly after the injury was sustained.  He did, however, receive positive results from Tuesday’s MRI, which showed that he does not have a tear or rupture.  Ortiz will be wearing a walking boot for the next week and will get a second opinion this week.  He could potentially spend some time on the DL, but as of right now he is just inactive. 

This is kind of the worst time for the Sox to deal with this because they just got Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford back in the lineup.  Boston’s lone All-Star, Ortiz boasts a .316 average with 23 homers and 58 RBIs.  Add healthy Crawford and Ellsbury into the mix and there’s great potential for the Sox to have a much more successful second half of the season than their first.  Ortiz has been one of the most consistent offensive players in the Major Leagues this season, and it would be a terrible shame for the Red Sox to lose him for an extended period of time because of some freak injury.

Crawford (left) and Ellsbury (right).  Hopefully we see more of this

Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava will begin designated hitter duties for the Red Sox tonight against the White Sox.  I think I speak for all Boston fans when I say, “Get better soon Papi!” 

Seriously though… I need him for my fantasy baseball team…

Giants Stomp AL in All-Star Game

Where's the ball?  That's a clown question, bro.

The only enjoyable thing about watching the All-Star Game was watching Bryce Harper fail.  I’m sick and tired of hearing that kid’s name. Yes, he has revitalized the Nationals.  Yes, he’s one of the youngest all-stars in the history of baseball.  Should he have been playing in the All-Star Game? No.  He brings in a lot of cash though, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 2 months (look at the NBA playoffs) sports are all run by money.  Whoever brings in the most money will benefit.

I’m not a huge baseball fan by any means… I’ll watch the Sox if there’s nothing else on but other than that it’s a slow sport that can be pretty boring to watch.  That said, I could definitely see how much better the NL was than the AL (as could everyone else watching).  I mean, Justin Verlander with 5 earned runs in the first inning? This is a MVP, Cy Young winning pitcher who looked like John Lester out on the mound.  The only difference is that Lester could never throw a 101 mph fastball.

Giant’s third baseman, Pablo Sandoval, shocked the by critics belting a 3 run triple in the first inning.  Giant’s catcher, Buster Posey, was one of those 3 runs.  Giant’s left fielder, Melky Cabrera had 2 hits including a two-run homer in the fourth and took home the MVP award.  Oh yeah, and Giant’s starting pitcher Matt Cain pitched two shutout innings and got the win.  So what’s the lesson here?  The Giants have a pretty good team!  The NL won 8-0, and Giants players batted in 5 of those runs.  Not bad.

Despite the Rangers and the Yankees playing exceptionally in the American League, there are like 6 World-Series caliber teams in the National League.  I think, now with home field advantage, Washington, Pittsburgh or San Francisco will win the World Series this year. And since Boston doesn’t have a chance, (sorry, they don’t), I’m perfectly okay with that.

Despite many people including commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, believed that the Giants were overrepresented in the All-Star Game, they played the best ball out of any other team there.  I’m kind of pulling for them to take it all.  And if they don’t make it all the way, the NL team that does should thank the Giants.  They are the reason the NL has home-field advantage this year.

By the way, this year the only member of the Red Sox that played in the All-Star Game was Big Papi.  Way to go you big Dominican teddy bear. Hang in there! We love you!

The Perfect Cain

For those of you who aren’t baseball fans or have been living under a rock for the past day, the name Matt Cain might mean nothing to you.  The twenty-eight year old righty is the highest paid right-handed pitcher in major leagues.  His 5 year, $112.5 million contract makes him one of the highest paid athletes in America.  And, to be perfectly honest with you, I only found out about him last year when I joined a fantasy baseball league.  For those of you who don’t know, I’m not a huge baseball fan by any means.  Yeah I’ll watch the Sox if they’re on and sure, I’ll watch playoff baseball. But watching baseball games, for me, can be about as entertaining as watching paint dry.  Or watching golf…

On Wednesday, June 13 Cain pitched a perfect game.  It was the 22^nd perfect game in major league history was the first pitched in San Francisco Giants franchise history.  The Giants defense was fantastic in helping preserve the perfect game for Cain, and Cain himself threw a career-high 14 strikeouts. His 125 pitches were the most ever thrown in a perfect game. 

Is Matt Cain married to Sarah Marshall?

I’ll admit, I only started watching in the fifth inning when my twitter feed started blowing up about the game… but the dude was a machine. I think he only faced two or three full counts all game.  He was pitching straight fire.  Still clocking pitches up in the 90s in the ninth inning shows some pretty crazy resiliency and strength.  I know I had just posted a blog about how baseball is such a slow sport, but this game was an exception.  The Giants offense exploded with 10 runs and Cain pitched 27 straight outs.  Not a boring game to watch, by any means. 

After the game, there was a huge celebration and the crowd was going nuts.  It seemed like everyone stayed in the stadium to cheer him on in the wake of the historic night. It was an inspiring moment.   A perfect game is one of the most respectable and difficult feats to accomplish in sports.  Baseball fan or not, you've gotta give this dude some serious props.  Congratulations to Matt Cain for pitching one of the best perfect games in MLB history.

By the way, doesn’t his wife look like that Forgetting Sarah Marshall actress?

Baseball Announcers Might have the Hardest Job in Baseball

Is anyone else watching the Red Sox game right now?  Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy going off about God knows what.  Even if you are a hardcore baseball fan, you’ve got to admit that it’s a slow sport.  A slowwwwwww sport.  This 8th inning has actually lasted for more than an eternity at this point.  Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy just going off, not even talking about the game, and joking with each other.  Poor Jenny Dell is the butt of every joke.  It's like watching a sitcom!  Orsillo’s cracking voice and high pitched chuckle glaring through my television set.  It’s honestly more entertaining than what’s going on down on the field.

But what else can you do?  It’s like announcing golf, except baseball announcers have to appeal to the masses, not just grandparents.  The game is so slow.  The players get to lounge around the dugout all day and on a good day, they only have to run a few hundred yards over the duration of a four hour game.  Honestly, it doesn’t take much athleticism to be a baseball player.  It does, however, take a lot of social skill to be able to entertain baseball fans.  You have to have a good attitude, and a ton of patience.  Those are two things a lot of people don’t have nowadays.  I mean, check out Jerry Remy's Air Guitar.  He's a good dude. Yeah I can respect the tradition of baseball, and I’m a Red Sox fan, but I honestly think the announcers have a pretty tough job!  And for that, I’d personally like to thank Remy and Orsillo.  And Jenny Dell of course… She’s wicked hot.

I mean, that's entertainment.

Women and sports (No this isn't sexest)

I'm going to go off topic a little bit and discuss something that I have been noticing for awhile now. Generally woman and sports don't mix in the eyes of the everyday male, but believe it or not there are woman who actually pay attention to them and don't just like watching it because of their boy friends, or because they like the colors of the uniforms.
Let me ask you this guys, how many of you been at a sporting event and thought to yourself "She's only here because her Boyfriend dragged her along", or "Oh c'mon I bet she can't even name me 1 player that's not on the roster or the starting line".
Is it possible for woman to actually like a sport and be passionate about it? of course it is. In fact I feel some woman can be a little more obsessed then some men haha. 
Think about the next time you turn around and say to the woman behind you "Your only here because they are winning a lot, so I bet you can't even name me players that aren't on the team anymore" she might just surprise you by naming the entire 1985 Patriots starting line up, stats, and everything under the sun. I'm not saying there aren't any "pink hats" out there but give woman the benefit of the doubt won't you?
My point is to never judge a book by its cover,  Thank you Rowena for bringing this to my attention and the idea for the post. I see her tweets and facebook postings and man she knows her stuff, so guys I would be careful.  

On a lighter note

That's right everyone, the Boston Red Sox are officially 2 games over .500 with a 6-4 win over the Tigers yesterday. The Red Sox will go for the 4 game sweep today when "Texas tough guy" Josh Beckett takes the hill against Max Scherzer.

It's official

The Red Sox have officially gotten over .500 with their 6-3 win over the Detroit Tigers yesterday at Fenway. Have the Sox finally started to click? On other news Dustin is awaiting a second opinion on his thumb. He's going to try and gut it out so he doesn't have to go on the DL, what a warrior. More baseball players should be that way (just my opinion)

In Wes we trust

Is it just me or is this guy the real deal? 40 Receptions, 615 yards and 5 TD's in 4 games. So why haven't the patriots locked this guy up for another 3-4 years? I mean c'mon he only has the most receptions in the NFL since 2007 and he always is ready to play. This upcoming Sunday the Patriots are going to be tested by Rex Ryan's Jets and if the defense can't get their crap together then something will have to change. Don't get me wrong as I feel Tom Brady, Wes Welker and company can score as many points as they need to, but the defense has to play better.

As for the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Bruins they
Start their defense of the Stanley cup this week (10/6/2011) And I can't friggin wait!! I have been excited for this since the end of the parade. The do have some new editions and lost some people but the core is still intact. GO B's





Still no word on who the next manager of the Red Sox might be, but I did hear a buzz that maybe Tony Larussa could possible be a point of interest. This is just a rumor swirling by but he has said that he would be willing to move on from the Cardinals.

Rumors

So there are some rumors flying around, that the Red Sox are interesting in Joe Torre as a replacement. Now don't get me wrong I loved Tito but Joe Torre has won alot of championships in his day, and yes it was with the "evil empire" but he has worked with a bunch of egos and if there is one thing he can do is get this team on a straight path. Will it happen? probably not but it makes for a good conversation. Oh and wouldn't that burn all the Yankee fans out there haha

Terry is out

It was announced a few minutes ago that the Red Sox and Terry Francona. It was a mutual decision. He brought us 8 great years. As for the Sox future? I think it'll get a lot worse before it gets better.

The true Texas Ranger

Offensive explosion, and great pitching against a playoff team what more can you ask for? (besides a world series win). Let's take a look at the numbers 6.0 innings, 4 hits, 1ER, and striking out 4. Fantastic!!
Carl Crawford went 2-3 driving in 5 RBI's
Jacoby "MVP" Ellsbury went 3-5 driving in 2 RBI's
Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 driving in 2 RBI's
Dustin Pedroia went 2-4 driving in 2 RBI's

All in all it was a great game for both sides of the ball, and with it being against the Texas Rnagers it just made it that much sweeter.

Rome wasn't built in a day

Are we seeing a brand new John Lackey?? I know I have been pretty rough on this guy and I won't stop that due to the money this man makes. But last night in a series that has playoff potential he went 6 2/3 innings giving up 7 hits, striking out 5 and 4 ER's. Adrian Gonzalez went 3-4 with 3 RBI's two of those rbi's was a home run. I can't wait for this postseason especially seeing who will be the number 3 starter Lackey or Bedard.

What a thumping

Man the Patriots looked good last night! Offense, defense just are looking great. I can't wait for the season to get going and we can punch Rex Ryan right in the mouth. I'll take a 31-14 thumping any time GO PATS!!

On another note the Red Sox jumped on Pedroia's shoulders in a 4-3 win, even though they are still a 1/2 a game back from the Yanknobs.

Just in case you didn't see it show our new author Paul some love :). More posts coming from him and others.

Ok, ok

Ok another John Lackey loss yesterday, I know its been a year since we signed him and I know that I might be jumping the gun, but we are in the mist of a pennant race. I trully feel that Tito and Theo need to restructure this rotation. Erik Bedard def isn't the answer either, let's bring up a minor leaguer who is hungry. Here is John Lackeys numbers this season

	GP	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	P/GS	WHIP	BAA	ERA
2011 Regular Season	21	21	0	0	122.2	153	85	82	17	37	86	11	9	102.0	1.55	.301	6.02

You make the call..

Today is the Patriots second preseason game (WOHOO!!) I'm hearing that some of the starters might be playing tonight, that is good news because some of the new guys need reps. I am also hearing that some big names will be cut before the regular season so keep it here for your updated roster moves.

That's right people!!!

Patriots and Nate Solder have FINALLY reached an agreement

Also Eric Bedard will make his first start for the Red Sox. How do you see him doing? I for one think he will be pretty good, and the reasoning for that is he doesn't have to be great because of our bullpen. Just 5 strong innings (fingers crossed).

Red Sox Trade Rumor

Apparently Rockies  want Kyle Weiland, Will Middlebrooks from Red Sox for Ubaldo Jimenez

Makes me wonder

Looks like the New York Mets have broke down in their demands for Carlos Beltran. All they want now is a Right Fielder