michael moschella's Boston Bruins fan blog

April 06, 2008

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michael moschella

Somebody answer these two mind-boggling questions for me.  How does Julio Lugo get 36 million dollars over four years from the Boston Red Sox?  And why was Theo always drooling over him?  If he continues to get paid for the current brutal baseball clinic he’s been putting on, then that drool is going to turn into spit. 

Loogie's the boringest (his game made it a word) .271 hitter I’ve ever seen, with a glove that’s as useless as the ones those sweaty lunch ladies wore in my High School.  And after today’s error exhibition, two on throws, Julio Lugo might be moving into Steve Sax territory.  If you don’t remember Sax’ throwing issues, then I’ll just say that Lugo’s a chip off the old Knoblauch.  Sax and Knoblauch (strangely enough both Yankees at time of throwing disease) had one of those mysterious mental issues, where they just could not throw it to first without an array of problems. In the dirt, high, low, pulling the first baseman off the bag, hitting announcers in the press box, every throw was an adventure.  I remember Knoblauch sometimes just shot putting it over to first, or under handing it, praying he’d get an out.  I don’t think he ever came out of it, and his whole career went down hill. Luckily for little Lugo, his game never got near any hilltops.

Continue reading "Lugo: One Shortstop Who Has Been Here Way Too Long"

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April 04, 2008

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michael moschella

The only problem with having 60 wins, is having 60 wins.  The better the record, the more a team becomes a favorite, the more they're expected to win.  And ultimately, constant pressure starts pushing down on them like a fat guy in a kids top bunk bed.  It can be difficult for a team (or a frightened kid below), especially a great one.   I didn't even mention the Patriots. 

The good thing about this year's Boston Celtics team is that they have the players and make up to not only have the best record in the NBA, but to win it all.  I'm hoping that after they do, they throw a little Garden party so I can reminisce with my old friends.  Larry, Chief, Kevin, Danny, Dj, Walton and the others from that 1985-86 team, are the last green guys to bring down the house.

Continue reading "Celts Reach Sixty With Help of Bill Bixby"

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March 25, 2008

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michael moschella

If your going to wait nearly 5 months for opening day, and have to get up at 6am to watch Dice K turn into Nuke LaLoosh, you better win the game. Well, thanks to the Manny/Moss combo, the Boston Red sox eked out a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics. 

Considering that Dice K was the Japanese version of The Wild Thing (5 walks and a hit batter in 5 innings) he managed to pitch a decent game by numbers, only allowing two hits, two runs and struck out six. But after getting the first batter of the game Travis Buck to ground out to second, Matsuzaka reverted to his 2007 inconsistencies.   

After falling behind in the count, the pesky Mark Ellis took a grooved fastball over the left field fence to make it 1-0. Then Dice K walked Barton, hit Cust, and walked Brown to load the bases.  I'm thinking, c'mon multi million dollar Matsuzaka, you're in your home park with your home fans, with a year under your black belt, against an Oakland team that has maybe one guy who could be a bench player on the Sox.  Throw a freakin' strike, it's legal in both countries.

Continue reading "Breakfast With The Bo Sox"

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March 19, 2008

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michael moschella

Six days and not counting.  This might be the first time in 20 years or so that I haven't been checking days off my calendar on route to opening day.  In fact, until right now, 2pm on Wednesday (we'll call it a long lunch break) I haven't even watched more than an inning  of a Boston Red Sox spring training game.  What's wrong with me? Am I sick? Has two World Series Titles in four years spoiled me?  Is it because the Big Schill got hurt and I'll miss seeing his lack of spring training stomach?  Or could it be because Coco Crisp just scooped up a ground ball to his right and when trying to throw it in to second, the ball went about 10 feet straight into the ground? (You know opposing Scouts just dropped their offer of a 50th round pick to 100th round pick for Coco straight up).  The answer is no, no, no and no. The truth of the matter is, for the time being anyway, my usual Fenway fever has been sidetracked by the Gang Green.

Continue reading "What To Do When The Celts and Sox Play On Same Night?"

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March 08, 2008

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michael moschella

Last night was one of those nights when there just wasn't much on TV. The Boston Red Sox didn't have any spring training games to yawn through. The Celtics had the night off. And the Bruins flat out took the night off.  Just when I thought it looked like the Bruins might have found their identity, they went back to skating on thin ice.  They lowly Maple Leafs drowned the B's 8-2. The Big, Really Bad Bruins seem to be back to their old habits, losing.  But luckily for me, I could care less.  I won a whopping $20 bucks in a poker game.

 A group of 6 of us play Texas Holdem on Thursday nights. Holdem's a good game and according to Mike McDermott, it’s considered to be the Cadillac of poker.  None of us are

Continue reading "If The Bruins Are On Play Poker Instead?"

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March 03, 2008

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michael moschella

Making it to the "Big Show" (no, I'm not referring to Glen Ordway and the other not my WEEIdols) would be a dream come true for many aspiring Little Leaguers, including myself.  But like most of you, the readers, I'm just here.  I'll never strike out A-Rod and I'll never blast one of Rivera's 94mph cutters out of the park.   But that's okay, I've come to grips with the fact that making it to the big leagues (and Staying) is about as difficult as attending one of The Steve Miller Band's come back tour concerts.  It takes a lot of patience, can be very frustrating, and you know you can do a better job than them if you could just fight your way onto the stage.

Continue reading "Mirabelli Still Riding In The Wake"

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February 27, 2008

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michael moschella

Even though us Celtic fans have suffered through years of the Danny days, you have to give Mr. Ainge a lot of credit for this year's magic act.  With Houdini retired, it didn't look like the 2006-07 Celtics team would just disappear. There was no way.  But Danny Did It.  Not "Flutie Did It"  Danny Did It.  The young and up and going nowheres were gone and replaced by a couple of Hall of Famers, Garnett and Allen, and a couple of cagey vets, House and Posey.  Add the Hungry Man, Paul Pierce to the mix, and Danny's got a pretty tasty TV dinner on the table.

But winning an NBA Championship this year still seemed like it would take a minor miracle for the Boston Celtics. Compete?  Obviously. Win 50 plus games?  Highly likely. Win the Eastern Conference?  Very possible.  But knock off a powerful Western team and bring the Title back to Boston?  Hmmm.  If we had a leprechaun on our side, I'd say maybe?

Continue reading "Celtics' Guard Rondo Getting The Point"

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February 25, 2008

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michael moschella

After what seemed like 40 years of bad basketball for the Boston Celtics, the boys are back in town.  You all know the story. The new Big Three, some exciting youngsters, a couple of cagey vets, a coach who finally has a chance, and the best record in the NBA.

It all sounds so good, doesn't it?  Well, it is.  But there is one problem that's getting under my skin that must be digging at others too.  I've been watching just about all of the games this year, something I haven't been able to say since the original Big Three dominated the parquet back in the 80's.  I have no problem watching us lose or play badly, but I never realized that these days there's another element in the game that is out of the player's control.  Sometimes it snatches games away from teams at the most unexpected moments.  Other times it happens over and over again throughout the game. What am I talking about?  I'm talking about the inconsistent and terrible, referees.

Continue reading "Do NBA Referees Really Blow?"

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February 24, 2008

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michael moschella

I'm not one to get carried away with facts and figures. But believe it or not, Manny arrived at camp on time (fact) and he showed up looking to be in great shape (figure). I love Manny Ramirez for many reasons, aside from that dreadlock tangled mane thing that he somehow stuffs under his hat.  But other than that, there's nothing else about Manny Ramirez that bothers me or ever has.

Well...check that. Endless people saying "Manny being Manny" when he says or does something out of the ordinary, bothers me.  It's not his fault; it's just a stupid saying that boring people like to say over and over because they can't come up with anything on their own.  I, on the other hand, happen to see eye to eye...with Mr. RBI.

Continue reading "Manny May Be Out in Left Field...But Well Worth The Catch"

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February 21, 2008

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michael moschella

Losing back-to-back games in the NBA is not a big deal, it happens to the best of teams.  You play 82 games and it's bound to happen here and there.  Last year it happened here, there, then, now, yesterday, and tomorrow for the Boston Celtics.  But that was last year.

For only the second time all season the Celtics dropped two in a row after Baron Davis canned a last second fall away jumper.  The Golden State Warriors defeated the men in Green, 119-117, in front of 20,711 people, the largest crowd in franchise history, and largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game in the state of California.  That's great.  We lost!

Painfully, I watched the entire game, just like the night before when the Denver Nuggets and their hand picked referees, beat up the Celts, 124-118.  But last night, I was convinced that the Celtic pride would will their way to a win.  They had a chance to steal one and probably would have if they listened to me in their final timeout.  Instead, they did what the Doc ordered, like he's the coach or something, and lost.  At least with my plan, even if they didn't win, they couldn't have done any worse.

Continue reading "Celtics Western Trip Heading South"

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