New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Sunday Gravy: Red Sox the class of baseball
My son is psyched for his trip to Story Land in New Hampshire this week. My wife said my golf clubs are staying home. Should I take that as a sign of things to come?
1 The Boston Red Sox have been the best team in baseball for a number of reasons. They beat the teams they are supposed to beat — there are a lot of bad teams in the American League — and usually, those games are over early. Their best two players — Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez — have been better than any duo on any team.
In turn, the New York Yankees have played to the level of their competition throughout the season. That would explain why they have played relatively well against the Red Sox and Houston Astros, yet struggled against the Baltimore Orioles and almost got swept at home last Saturday by the Kansas City Royals.
In the most important series to date, the Red Sox have exposed the Yankees’ glaring weaknesses: starting pitching depth, middle relief and the inability to produce offensively in the clutch. These teams don’t meet again until Sept. 18. By then, the race will be just about over and the Yankees will be looking at playing in the American League wild-card game for the third time in the last four seasons.
Rick Porcello’s one-hitter was the first by a Red Sox pitcher against the Bronx Bombers since Sept. 10, 1999. Pedro Martinez struck out 17 that night. I witnessed that game in person — still the best pitching performance I have ever seen.
1 There is good news for Yankees’ fans: rooms are still available in Cooperstown, New York for the 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies. Mariano Rivera is a lock to be inducted. But a three-night stay is required for any of those hotels so book now, save your pennies, or find hotels outside Cooperstown and drive in. Expect a similar scenario when Derek Jeter gets inducted in 2020. 1 The Washington Nationals just scored again ... sorry, couldn’t resist.
1 If Chris Archer being moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates was the main attraction, you know there wasn’t much action at the trade deadline.
1 Jerry Kramer finally got inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last night, something that was long overdue. Terrell Owens has long marched to the beat of his own drummer, so deciding to make his speech in Chattanooga, Tennessee — Owens played at UT-Chattanooga — shouldn’t come as a surprise.
His issue is with the current voting process and maybe, one day soon, it will be looked at and adjusted. “I am a man of courage. Courageous enough to choose Chattanooga over Canton,” Owens said during his speech according to ProFootballTalk.
That’s not courage. That’s being selfish. Owens should have made his point in Canton, Ohio, Saturday night. All he did was draw attention to himself.
1 The Washington Nationals just scored again . ... Sorry, couldn’t resist.
1 I have no idea who will end up coaching the first game of the season at Ohio State, but I don’t think it will be Urban Meyer. On Friday, Meyer said he followed protocol and reported the 2015 alleged domestic violence incident of now former assistant coach Zach Smith of his wife to his superiors. Yet he lied about having knowledge of it just a week earlier at Big 10 Conference Media Day.
My guess, and it’s only that, is Meyer remains on paid administrative leave until the internal investigation is complete and then serves a suspension for waiting until recently to dismiss Smith. How the investigation plays out is anybody’s guess at this point.
1 Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson for $10 million? I’d be more interested if they were putting up their own money. Still, I’m curious to see how the ratings will be Thanksgiving weekend against Michigan vs. Ohio State, Alabama vs. Auburn and Florida State vs. Florida.
As for Mickelson’s new dance commercial? No thanks.
1 The high school football season opens in less than five weeks. Three Southern Connecticut Conference openers catch my eye on Sept. 7: Cheshire at Shelton, North Haven at West Haven and Hand at Hillhouse.
There are two FCIAC games of note: Ridgefield at Darien on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. and New Canaan at St. Joseph on Sept. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
1 The seventh anniversary of Dave Solomon’s passing is Monday. I think about our former columnist every time I’m fortunate enough to write the Sunday Gravy — known as “I Was Thinking” when Solomon penned it. We still miss him a ton as I’m sure some of you out there do.