Bob Lobel: Renaming the Charles River for Big Papi

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

It's almost unfathomable. The major oversights in the House of David (formerly Fenway Park) this weekend were staggering, considering all that took place.  They didn’t want to, but they did play a part in sacrificing what should be an inconsequential home field advantage against the Cleveland Indians, and their certain to be “manager of the year,” Terry Francona (who, by the way, never won that award with Boston). 

Clearly, the focus wasn’t on sealing the deal on the field during baseball time.

Bob Lobel: Brady's Loss Could Be a Win for New England

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Sometimes losing is the best thing that can happen. 

I'm not talking about tanking games so you can get a better draft pick. I'm talking about the courts of law in our land that seem to be able to rule on anything, however unimportant it may seem.  Well, Tom Brady and the NFL are hardly unimportant in our little corner of the universe, but still. 

Brady and the Supreme Court- It seems like they were meant for each other. They may get to meet eventually, but not at the moment. The current moment has Brady serving a four-game suspension to start the season, since the appeals court ruled against his case to have the suspension stayed, or vacated, or whatever legal definition may apply. 

The worst of this may be the best thing. 

Weekly Red Sox Report: July 9th

Outfielder Mookie Betts will make his first All-Star appearance next Tuesday.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

The Red Sox’s offense, which has added two-time Silver Slugger Aaron Hill, was very good over the last week, as quite a few players put up OPS’s above 1.000. They scored double digit runs in three of their last four games, and moved to 11-0 when scoring at least 10 runs this season.

Although the pitching has not been very consistent, eight Red Sox had hits and runs in Wednesday’s rubber match victory against Texas.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: June 28

It may be a small sample size, but catcher Sandy Leon  has been mashing for the Red Sox at the plate.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- Now that summer is here, we're brining back our weekly look at how each of Boston's position players are contributing offensively. Each week, our resident stat guru Adam Lowenstein will break down who's trending up, who's spiraling down, and how it will affect the Red Sox.

Losers of their previous two series, the Red Sox close out June with a three-game series against the struggling Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. However, just like Clay Buchholz, Eduardo Rodriguez continued to struggle in the first inning on Monday. John Farrell tried to keep the newest Pawtucket Red Sox player in the game as long as possible, but E-Rod became the main reason for the Rays setting a new season high in hits.

RF Mookie Betts continues to lead off games well, but his on-base percentage took a dip in Monday’s blowout at the hands of the Rays. His five-game hitting streak ended in the 13-6 loss, as he went 0-for-5, including two unsuccessful at-bats with runners in scoring position. However, he is not a person to worry about, as he readies to start his first All-Star Game.

Bob Lobel: Has David Ortiz Found the Fountain of Youth?

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Wine gets better with age.

There is a revelation that will startle no one. 

However, there are things that would give wine a run for its money. 40 is the new 20, it seems, for David Ortiz, who has people shaking their heads and just exercising their human nature in wondering how this is possible. This is the era of suspicion, and for good reason. 

The proof of others bending the rules to find the Fountain of Youth has plenty of people saying "that is not the way the game was meant to be played."

Not true.

Bob Lobel: Sometimes Being Wrong Can Feel So Right

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

If you don’t like being wrong about anything, don’t give an opinion, and just keep your mouth shut.  

You actually might learn something if you're not talking. In this bizarre business, wrong is a way of life. Like it or leave it. Don’t like it... Well, get used to it. 

This is my "admit I'm wrong" day. 

Bob Lobel: The Red Sox and Republicans are Giving us Plenty to Talk About

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

In a lifetime of hanging around sports venues and being fortunate enough to be there for some of the most exciting moments, it all pales by comparison to the debates on TV staged by the Republicans. 

Send the kids to bed for the 9 pm start. 

They rate it R, and it doesn’t stand for Republican. 

For people to get in and watch in person, be prepared to be carded. The most frequently asked question has been, “have you ever seen anything like this?” The answer, from just about everybody in the know, is a resounding "no!" 

Of course not, you couldn’t make this stuff up! It is a little difficult to see how America will be great again after watching the arguing of these three children and their adult chaperone from Ohio. 

The only bad thing is, we are running out of debates!

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: August 4th

Other than a disappointing Saturday, Mike Napoli has been mashing for the Red Sox lately.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

The non-waiver trade deadline came and went last Friday and Ryan Cook came to the Red Sox from the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named later. Then, on Sunday, Boston placed Rick Porcello on the 15-day disabled list with a right triceps strain and activated Cook.

Henry Owens will take Porcello’s spot on Tuesday, but there also have been some interesting substitutions in the lineup over the last week.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: July 28th

Pablo Sandoval broke out of a slump over the weekend to record back-to-back multi-hit games.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

After seeing how Joe Kelly pitched on Monday, this looks to be a very up-hill climb for the Red Sox. With the team scoring eight runs against the Chicago White Sox, just after plating 11 on Sunday in the rubber match win over the Detroit Tigers, Boston should be winning more games.

If the offense can continue to be consistent, then the pitching needs to hold up its end of the bargain.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: July 22

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Well, those Los Angeles run totals escalated quickly at Angel Stadium on Monday.

The Angels scored the first seven runs of the first game of the doubleheader, en route to their 11-1 victory. Then, later in the evening, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout led the way to six straight Angel runs before the Red Sox scored in the second game.

The sweep at the hands of Los Angeles pushed Boston nine games below .500, and nine games behind the first-place New York Yankees. Boston’s horrific pitching performance against the Angels pushed the ERA of John Farrell’s squad to an American League-worst 4.45 on the season. I’m sure Cole Hamels can change all that.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: All-Star Break Edition

Utility man Brock Holt represented the Red Sox in Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

The Red Sox headed into Friday’s contest against the New York Yankees as winners of their last four series. However, the Red Sox allowed their rival to score first in all three games of the series. After losing two of the three contests to the Yankees, the Red Sox fell to 11-35 when their opponent has scored first this season.

With the series loss, Boston remained in last place of the American League East, two games behind the fourth-place Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are the last team not named the Red Sox to be in last place of the division – it was June 9, the day John Farrell’s squad started a three-game set against the O’s in Baltimore, and it was the beginning of the Red Sox’s season-worst seven-game losing streak.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: July 8th

Utility man Brock Holt is Boston's only All-Star (so far), and Boston's chances of winning jump dramatically from to 36% with him on the bench, to 51% when he's in the lineup.

 By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Just before Red Sox fans witnessed the lackluster fireworks display at Fenway Park on Friday night, the Houston Astros moved to 48-34, tying their season-best number of games above .500 on the year.

Friday’s 12-8 extra-inning loss was only the 12th time this season that Boston was defeated when scoring first. However, the Red Sox bounced back to score first in their wins on Saturday and Sunday.

Entering Tuesday’s series against the visiting Miami Marlins, John Farrell’s squad was 29-12 in games it scored the first run in.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: June 29th

David Ortiz has been inconsistent lately, but belted a pair of home runs last week.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

After registering just one extra-base hit in their loss on Saturday, the Red Sox bounced back to slug three home runs as a part of a 5-3 win in the rubber game against the Tampa Bay Rays. With Boston's victory on Sunday, they have alternated wins and losses every game since June 19th. From Thursday to Sunday, the Red Sox batted their best three wins above replacement players as the top three in their lineup: Mookie Betts, Brock Holt and Xander Bogaerts.

Weekly Red Sox Hitter Notes: June 24th

Now healthy, Mookie Betts has been on a tear lately, and nearly hit for the cycle Sunday.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

The Red Sox continued their success against the Kansas City Royals, taking two of three games from them in the first 2015 series between the last two American League champions. It was nice for Sox fans to see that performance, which included three Boston home runs on Sunday, after the Red Sox went 6-1 against the Royals last season.

Lobel's Question of the Week: Do You Believe Big Papi?

Every week, legendary sportscaster Bob Lobel wants to hear your opinion about a sports question he's been thinking about.

This week Bob has a simple question for you: Do you have believe David Ortiz when he says he never knowingly used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs)?

In a lengthy post on The Players' Tribune, the Red Sox slugger admitted that he did fail that drug test in 2003, but claims he didn't know about it until it became public knowledge in 2009.

Bob Lobel: Big Papi Doth Protest Too Much?

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

This Ortiz thing is putting me between a rock and hard place. Lying or not lying? Taken PEDs or not taken PEDs? Working on the next best thing for himself at the moment? 

Polishing up the Hall of Fame voters to vote for the first time, to overlook that he plays a position that's not really a position.  

Overlooking that he was on a sample 2003 list of the top juicers. No word if it was in alphabetical order or the extent of use. We know of no one who was on the list who was proven guilty but, perhaps the  worst thing of all, is the reputation that sticks after the career years melt away. Ortiz is trying at a very unusual time to create a persona that allows the sanctimonious sports writers, with a vote five years after Ortiz retires, to admit that David is a champion for the elimination of PEDs.  

Why now?

Bob Lobel: The Non-Call Seen 'Round New England

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

The call, or rather, the non-call seems to be the only thing anyone wants to talk about.

Of course it is.

When you stay up that late knowing you have to get up for work in the morning, you at least expect something in the way of a happy ending. No happy endings in Patriot Nation last night. It was one night past a full moon in romantic North Carolina. 

Tom Brady was in the process of pulling off the finishing drive of a lifetime against a very good Cam Newton led Carolina team, with a rare thing in the NFL these days: A very good defense. But, in the final three seconds, the defense wasn’t really good. It was really lucky!

Bob Lobel: Teaming Up With Boston Sports Legend Mike Lynch

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

It was a week ago Monday when I received a call from Mike Lynch of Channel 5.  

Lynchie and I have been friends and competitors for over 30 years at rival stations in one of the nation’s hottest television markets. It has been a hot market for many reasons, but the unusual thing about Boston is that it’s a destination, not a way station. 

There are plenty of larger markets that serve as pass throughs to get to these destinations, but only those in the right place and time get the destination market jobs. Being a local product with institutional knowledge was very important in Boston, a notoriously parochial town with local passions for politics, sports and revenge made this a very unique place. 

Bob Lobel: Baseball Hoping David Ortiz is Clean This Time Around

By Bob Lobel  @boblobel

Editor's Note: Bob wanted it to be known that the point of his blog this week was not to assert that David Ortiz is using any type of performance enhancing drug, but rather to explain that Major League Baseball is hoping Ortiz is clean, given the backlash from the steroid era. The original blog title has been changed.

Remember when a Red Sox player interrupted manager Tito Francona’s press conference to complain about an official scorer’s ruling that took an RBI away from him, by calling a hit an error? 

It was rude, childish and selfish behavior, all done with no regard for public opinion.

David Ortiz wanted that RBI.  

Catching Up With Bob Lobel: Champion Red Sox Were a Team of Destiny

On this week's edition of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel" legendary sportscaster Bob Lobel and host Joe Parello take their best stab at putting Boston's memorable World Series run into historical context. Where does this team rank among the all time great squads in Boston sports history? Has a Red Sox club ever captured the hearts of Boston like this one?

Plus, will we ever see a team like this again? All that, and more, on this week's edition of "Catching Up With Bob Lobel."

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