Boston Sports Radio

“Without a Curse” Episode 571: “Dustin Pedroia’s Greatness Is Under Appreciated” (5/20/13)

Alex Reimer — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:14:45 +0000

Hosted by: Alex Reimer

Inside this edition of “Without a Curse,” Alex talks about the suddenly red hot Red Sox, as they have won five of six games on their current nine game road trip.

Alex talks about two potentially hallmark come from behind wins on Thursday and Friday night, and how though it may sound like a cliche, those kinds of wins are indicative of a team’s character. The 2012 Red Sox would not have won on those two games.

Dustin Pedroia had a terrific weekend, and though the power production is down, he’s had a sensational start of the season. Alex discusses the Pedroia and Robinson Cano comparison, and wonders why this debate hasn’t raged on like the Nomar and Jeter comparison of last decade. Could it be a commentary on the lack of venom currently associated with the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry?

David Ortiz’ power outburst on Saturday night, John Lackey’s superb start on Sunday, Andrew Bailey’s return and more Red Sox notes are discussed as well.

In the “Around the League” segment, Alex looks at the AL East standings, where the Orioles are facing serious adversity for the first time this season.

Terry Francona’s Indians lead the AL Central, as they gear up to head to Fenway Park this upcoming weekend. Alex says starting pitching has been the biggest key to Cleveland’s 14-4 month of May.

The Dodgers and Angels continue to slump, as the Dodgers blew two late leads against the Braves over the weekend. Though the Dodgers and Angels are better than this, they may not be that much better.

Email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1

11 Dustin Pedroia’s Greatness Is Under Appreciated

“Without a Curse” Episode 569: “Steve Buckley Of The Boston Herald Discusses The Appropriateness Of Speculating About PED Use” (5/13/13)

Alex Reimer — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:39:40 +0000

Hosted by: Alex Reimer

In this edition of “Without a Curse,” Alex speaks with Steve Buckley of The Boston Herald. Alex and Steve spend the bulk of their time discussing whether it is appropriate to openly speculate about a player using PEDs, as columnist Dan Shaughnessy did with David Ortiz last week.

The Red Sox have lost seven of their last nine games, and have fallen to third place in the AL East. Alex looks at a disappointing weekend against the Blue Jays, and the Red Sox’ continued struggles with runners in scoring position.

The Red Sox are 3-7 this season when they’ve allowed four or five runs, as it seems as if they can only win consistently when their pitching is dominant. Unfortunately, even with Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz pitched as well as they are, the pitching isn’t always going to be dominant. The Red Sox have to win more games when their pitching is merely okay if they’re to seriously contend for a playoff spot.

In the “Around the League” segment, Alex talks about the first place Yankees, who continue to defy logic. The Yankees have failed to develop more than a handful (maybe) of regular contributors from their farm system over the past decade, but yet they still continue to win. Is it just sustained luck, or is there a formula to their success across all levels of free agency?

Speaking of free agency, the Cubs extended Anthony Rizzo for seven more years over the weekend. Is that extension another nail in the coffin for the future of the free agent market?

To close out the “Around the League” segment, Alex tells you how baseball can win back the 20-somethings, and ascend to popularity among the youth of America. It’s all about making the product more accessible, and a bill that was introduced in the senate last week may begin to start that process.

Email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1.

11 Steve Buckley Of The Boston Herald Discusses The Appropriate

Bruins come all the way back

Eddie Pannone — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:02:19 +0000

A one seed should have no problem beating the number eight seed, right? As we have seen many times in hockey, the seeding doesn’t matter as much as in other sports. With nothing to lose, the Hershey Bears came into Providence facing a deep Bruins team with an MVP goaltender. Someone who didn’t know the seeds would have guessed it was Hershey that was the one seed. Outplaying the Bruins in almost every aspect, the Bears took a 2-0 lead in a best of five series, shocking the Bruins and their fans. Goaltender and Bruins MVP Niklas Svedberg looked like a completely different player than in the regular season. He was uncomfortable and didn’t look very confident while in the crease, something that hasn’t happened all season long. While some of the goals were not really his fault, there were plenty of shots that hit the back of the net that he has consistently stopped all season. One had to wonder if the rookie was struggling because of fatigue after a long first season. The team did not look good in general aside from Svedberg. While in their own end, the team made many turnovers leading to Hershey scoring chances. In a physical two games both teams hit hard and were aggressive, but the P-Bruins aggressive play led to odd man rushes. The penalty kill, which was 5th best in the AHL during the regular season, was awful. The team allowed 5 goals while shorthanded, including a game tying goal with less than 2 minutes left in game two. The team put a lot of heart into game two, and when they lost it was obvious how much it hurt. Anyone in the Dunkin Donuts Center who thought the Bruins were going to come back was lying to themselves. Despite being down, the P-Bruins proved that they were not out. Game 3 saw Hershey score first, riding the emotion of their crowd. Former Bear Chris Bourque scored a huge goal less than five minutes later to swing the momentum of the game and the series. From there everything seemed to click for the Bruins, looking like the team that earned the best record in the AHL. Providence took a 2-1 lead when Bobby Robins scored his first goal of the playoffs, followed by converted a power play by Jamie Tardif, Bourque, and Ryan Spooner to make the score 3-1. A penalty kill that looked dreadful returned to form by stopping eight minutes of second period penalties and were a perfect 6-6 on the night. Bourque and Carter Camper scored insurance goals in the third period, giving the team a 5-1 win and new playoff life. Svedberg looked solid making 30 saves for the Bruins, and the team looked ready to come all the way back. Game four was tightly contested right to the finish. After Providence used goals from Camper and Graham Mink to go up 2-0, the Bears tied the game 2 aside in the third period and if not for a disallowed goal would have taken 3-2 lead. Camper netted his second goal of the day to give Providence the 3-2 instead, but Hershey took a 4-3 lead with less than 5 minutes left in the game. Once again the Bruins looked like they were done, but once again clawed back. Craig Cunningham scored on a late power play to tie the game at 4, once again swinging the momentum in favor of the Bruins. Camper secured the victory and a game 5 by scoring a hat trick goal with 1:04 on the clock, giving the P-Bruins a 5-4 lead. Game 5 was more of the same: tough, close, physical, and exciting hockey. Hershey scored early to go up 1-0, but Providence caught what might have been the break of the series. A Justin Florek shot deflected off the skate of a Hershey skater into the open net, tying the game at 1. Both teams had power play chances, but the first would end in a 1-1 tie. The two teams went back and forth to start the second period, though Providence had trouble with turnovers and puck clearing. That being said, they were still out shooting the Bears in the period. The P-Bruins finally broke through with five minutes left. Camper and Tardif set up Jordan Caron, who ripped it top shelf to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead after two periods. The third period saw Hershey tie the game at 2 with a chance to take the lead on the power play. The Bruins power play showed why it was top 5, killing it off without much problem. The team used that momentum swing on their own end of the ice. Tardif stood firm in the crease, grabbing a loose puck and slipping it through to give Providence a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. The final minute saw the Bears pull their goalie while on the power play, but it did not matter. The defense held up, and the Bruins won the series and the game 3-2. With the win, Providence moves on to Round two of the playoffs against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. This seven game series begins Friday night at the Dunkin Donuts Center at 7:05.

“Without a Curse:” Episode 567: “Rangers Send A Message After Sweeping Red Sox” (5/6/13)

Alex Reimer — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:02:12 +0000

Hosted by: Alex Reimer

In this edition of “Without a Curse,” Alex recaps a disappointing weekend in Texas, in which the Rangers swept the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are now 9-9 on the season against teams that have winning records. How much does their mediocre performance against winning clubs detract from their terrific start of the season?

The biggest issue for the Red Sox over the weekend was their poor performance with runners in scoring position, and Alex says a significant percentage of the blame has to fall on Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. Though both Ellsbury and Pedroia have gotten on base at respectable clips, neither has provided much in terms of power thus far. For the Red Sox to continue to score runs, they need Ellsbury and Pedroia to provide more power at the top of the lineup.

Clay Buchholz takes the mound tonight against the Twins in his first start after being accused of throwing spitballs in Toronto. How will Buchholz respond to his critics? Also, will the Red Sox have Andrew Bailey this week when they return to Fenway Park?

In the “Around the League” segment, Alex looks at the AL East standings, and gives credit to … the Yankees teams that have “bought wins” over the past decade. The Blue Jays, Angels and Dodgers have all tried to buy wins this season, and have failed, just as the Red Sox failed in 2011 and 2012. At least the Yankees teams that have outspent the competition actually won.

At the end of the show, Alex plays his brief commentary on Jason Collins, the first openly gay male American professional athlete in one of the major American sports. The commentary originally aired on Alex’ NFL podcast, “Football Nation Today.”

Email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1.

11 Rangers Send A Message After Sweeping Red Sox

Pawtucket offense on fire

Eddie Pannone — Sun, 05 May 2013 03:28:22 +0000

When the PawSox got off to a 9-1 start, the best start in franchise history, it was to be expected that a drop-off would happen at some point. That is what has happened in recent days, however, the team still is looking good. Pawtucket’s record sits at 17-12 after going 5-5 in their last 10 games. As the Boston roster has gotten more and more healthy over the course of 2013, Pawtucket’s roster has received more talent. This starts with the young OF Jackie Bradley Jr.

After a great spring training, Boston gave Bradley a chance to be the starting left fielder for the club. He showed some of his strengths early on such as his patience and plate discipline, but also struggled mightily after the opening series versus the Yankees. He was only 3-31 at the plate, striking out 12 times. It was clear that he needed time in Pawtucket and with the way Boston’s injury situation played out, he was able to be sent down once David Ortiz returned. With Pawtucket so far he is performing well, batting .302 with 7 walks, 4 RBIs, and 13 hits in 11 games. His strikeout rate is still a little high, as he has 13 in Triple-A, but the 22-year-old looks to improve on that as the season continues.

When Stephen Drew came off the disabled list, Boston was forced to send SS Jose Iglesias down to Pawtucket. Fans know of his elite defense, but Iglesias was very impressive at the plate. His .450 average was unexpected for someone who has been labeled a “weak hitting shortstop,” but this is due in large part to something he worked very hard on in spring training: bunting. He had several well placed bunts and timely ones as well, moving runners along and getting on base from the 9 spot in the lineup. His average is only .235 so far in Pawtucket, but has shown more pop with 3 home runs. This equals his output at any level combined over the last 3 seasons. Whether this is something he is specifically working on or not, it is nice to see the long ball and small aspects of his game improving.

It’s not just one or two players carrying the PawSox offense. Everyone is contributing and opposing pitchers seem to never have an easy at bat against this team. C Ryan Lavarnway is batting .328 with 2 home runs and 12 RBIs. With Boston rumored to be unhappy with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Lavarnway would be the likely replacement for him should he be moved. Bryce Brentz leads the team with 20 RBIs, but his plate discipline remains a question as he has 25 strikeouts. He is batting .248 with 5 home runs and 7 doubles, so it is nice to see him able to get extra base hits and drive in runs. Justin Henry leads all PawSox with a .350 average, and he has been able to bat all around the order as well as play several different positions in the field. Brandon Snyder has arguably been Pawtucket’s best offensive threat early in 2013, batting .329 with a team leading 6 homers and 19 RBIs. His 15 extra base hits also lead the team.

The pitching hasn’t been dominant, but it has still been good. Allen Webster, who earned a recall to Boston earlier this season, has been the best starter for the team. The young Webster is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and averages over a strikeout per inning. Known as more of a sinker ball pitcher, he has increased his velocity to the mid 90s resulting in more strikeouts. Ruby De La Rosa is another young pitcher the team is high on, but is still being gradually worked into action after Tommy John Surgery. He averages less than 3 innings per start, with an ERA over 7. Expect him to get stronger stamina and better statistics as the season goes on. Knuckleballer Steven Wright has also been solid in the early going, posting a 1-0 record with an ERA of 1.93 and a recall to Boston mixed in with his minor league success. Alfredo Aceves had wanted to be a starter in Boston, but unfortunately for him he will only be one for the PawSox. In his first start for the team, he pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

Pawtucket starts a week-long road trip before returning home on May 14th.

Monday Night Throwdown 4/29/13

BSR Staff — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:01:07 +0000

The guys are joined by Mike Munger of CLNSRadio.com and discuss the Celtics’ chances in Game 5 after a thrilling OT win at the Garden. They also touch on the Red Sox, Bruins and the NFL draft.

“Without a Curse” Episode 566: “Chad Finn Of The Boston Globe Recaps A Superb April For The Red Sox” (4/29/13)

Alex Reimer — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:34:28 +0000

Hosted by: Alex Reimer

In this edition of “Without a Curse,” Alex speaks with Chad Finn of The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Alex and Chad discuss some of the biggest topics surrounding the 1st place Red Sox, including the terrific month the pitching staff has had. Are Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester’s stellar performances a commentary on Bobby Valentine’s ineptitude, or do they deserve a share of the blame for not pitching up to expectations last season?

Alex and Chad also talk about David Ortiz, and how surprising it is that he is hitting this well after coming off the DL a mere week ago.

Chad, like Alex, is a staunch defender of all things Drew. Alex and Chad provide a defense of Stephen Drew, and also touch upon the tone of the early season media coverage around the team.

Alex recaps the weekend’s games against the Astros, and mentions how bad the Astros just a few times … or several times.

The only negative from the weekend was Daniel Bard’s poor performance on Saturday, and his subsequent demotion back to the minor leagues after the game on Sunday. Alex says we shouldn’t see Bard in a Red Sox uniform again any time soon.

In the “Around the League” segment, Alex analyzes the AL East standings, and shares the news that the Yankees will likely not make an effort to be below the $189 million luxury tax in 2014. Yankees fans should rejoice at this piece of news, because it means winning, and not pinching pennies, will be the Yankees priority next offseason.

The Angels and Nationals were both perennial World Series favorites entering the season, and both teams have gotten off to disappointing starts. Alex tells you which team will turn it around, and which team may continue to struggle.

Email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1. There will not be a show this Thursday (5/2). The next edition of “Without a Curse” will be published on Monday, 5/6.

11 Chad Finn Of The Boston Globe Recaps A Superb April For The

P-Bruins number one in AHL

Eddie Pannone — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:05:09 +0000

It’s taken since 2009, but the Providence Bruins are back in the postseason. The team not only won the Atlantic Division, but were Champions of the Eastern Conference. They are the only AHL team to record more than 100 points on the season, finishing with a record of 50-21-5 for 105 points. This earned them the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy (AHL Regular Season Point Leaders) as well as home ice throughout the playoffs. Their first round opponent will be the Hershey Bears, who they will take on in a best of 5 series.

Providence has been led by team MVP Niklas Svedberg. Svedberg has taken the goalie position from a liability in past years to a huge strength. The rookie has been named to the All-Rookie Team and AHL First All-Star Team, as well as winning the Baz Bastien award for best AHL goaltender. His numbers stand at 37-8-2-4 with a GAA of 2.17 and a save percentage of 92.5%. All of these marks are top 3 in the AHL, and as Boston fans saw in the Stanley Cup, a goalie can carry you far into the playoffs. If Svedberg continues to play at this level, pencil in a long playoff run for Providence.

Offensively, the team has many weapons that can beat you any given night. Ryan Spooner is atop that list, as he led the team in scoring with 57 points (17G 40A). He finished off the regular season about as good as you can, registering a hat trick as well as the game winning goal in the final seconds in the season finale. The rookie has spent time in Boston this season, and will look to keep up his good play in the playoffs. Carter Camper was second on the team in scoring with 47 points, scoring 10 goals with 37 assists. He too has NHL experience and can not only score but sets up teammates well. Jamie Tardif brings veteran leadership as well as scoring touch to this young group, leading the team with 30 goals on the year. Torey Krug, Craig Cunningham, Chris Bourque, Jordan Caron, and Captain Trent Whitfield also bring balanced scoring to the offense.

The great thing about this team is that they don’t rely on one player, and come playoff time that is good. They can count on production from several players in big situations, so one guy struggling is not as big a deal. The chemistry built amongst this team on the ice is apparent and is much greater than years past. Aside from Svedberg, this is the biggest reason why they are where they are. Several talented players have passed through Providence recently, yet this is the first playoff berth since 2009. With fewer roster moves this year, a comfort level has been built that is so important to success. This is evident in their special teams, another area greatly improved. Providence is top 10 in both the Power Play and the penalty kill this year, obviously two good stats.

The 2013 playoffs will start on Friday, April 26th at the Dunkin Donuts Center with game two set for Sunday. If a game five is necessary, it will be held May 8th at the Dunk.

“Without a Curse” Episode 564: “David Ortiz Gives Boston The Emotional Lift It Needed Over The Weekend” (4/23/13)

Alex Reimer — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:07:14 +0000

Hosted by: Alex Reimer

It was an inspiring weekend at Fenway Park, as the city of Boston attempts to return to some form of normalcy following the tragic events of the past week.

Inside this edition of “Without a Curse,” Alex recaps the weekend at Fenway, including the best Red Sox win in 18 months on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Sox lead the AL East, and have had the best starting pitching staff in the American League to open up the season. John Farrell was hired to correct the pitching staff, and thus far the results have been exemplary.

However, the Red Sox lost both games on Sunday to the Royals, and Alex points out some concerning trends he sees with the offense, and the way the team runs the bases. There is a fine line between being aggressive and being stupid on the base paths, and the Red Sox were stupid at points over the weekend.

David Ortiz returned to the lineup, and in addition to the emotional lift he gave the city of Boston, he gave the lineup some much-needed punch. Mike Napoli has been hitting the ball well, but Will Middlebrooks has struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks. Ortiz gives the lineup some length, and left-handed power.

Plus, Allen Webster made his big league debut on Sunday, and Alex gives you his thoughts on Webster’s performance.

In the “Around the League” segment, Alex analyzes the AL East standings, where the Yankees continue to nip at the Red Sox’ tail. Even with the news that Derek Jeter will be out until after the All Star Break, the Yankees continue to win.

The Braves and Rockies both have the best records in the National League, but Alex tells you one of team is for real, and one isn’t.

Feel free to email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1.

11 David Ortiz Gives Boston The Emotional Lift It Needed Over T

BSR Monday Night Throwdown – 4/22/2013

BSR Staff — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:17:56 +0000

Nick Gelso of CLNSRadio.com joins Aashish and Jake to talk some hoops in the first segment of the show. They also talk about the over-achieving Red Sox, as well as the Bruins as the postseason looms. They close by touching on the Patriots and the NFL Draft.