Tag: Boston Red Sox

Rob Gronkowski spiked his first pitch for the Red Sox and, honestly, what did we expect?

What better way to honor Patriots Day than with a Patriot legend doing the thing that helped make him legendary?

Rob Gronkowski found a way to make one of the NFL’s oldest and simplest touchdown celebrations — the spike — and make it his own. He did this not through a clever twist or innovative move, but because he’s big as hell and found the end zone a lot. 107 times in nine seasons as a pro, in fact.

While the final two years of that career came as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, he’s best remembered for the seven he spent in New England. Gronkowski won three Super Bowl rings alongside Tom Brady in the Patriots’ second dynasty era. Thus, it made sense for him to be invited to Fenway Park to toss out the ceremonial first pick of the Boston Red Sox’ annual Patriots Day game.

And Gronk made sure to remind everyone what holiday it was once he took the mound.

Rather than risk the humiliation of a horrible first pitch — known these days as a 50 Cent but previously a dishonor claimed by Baba Booey and Michael Jordan — Gronkowski leaned in and smashed the ball into the mound. Though it didn’t have the resilient, unpredictable bounce of a football, the point was made. Gronk remains Gronk, whether he’s at Gillette Stadium or Fenway Park.

Tim Wakefield’s daughter throwing a first pitch to Jason Varitek was a beautiful, sad moment

We’re not crying. YOU’RE CRYING.

Pitcher Tim Wakefield passed away in October of 2023 from brain cancer. Still, his iconic knuckleball lives on through baseball and through his daughter, Brianna, who tossed out the first pitch at a recent Boston Red Sox game. The clip from that moment will give you chills.

Tim was part of the 2004 Red Sox team that won the World Series, and on Tuesday, he and his teammates were honored at Fenway Park. Fittingly, the organization asked Tim’s daughter, Brianna, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Not only did she nail it — you’ll see her face light up with glee afterward — but she ran into the arms of her dad’s teammate, Jason Varitek, as Phil Collins’ You’ll Be In My Heart was playing.

The cherry on top? Brianna and her brother, Trevor, raised the 2004 World Series trophy into the air for the home crowd. MY EYES ARE SWEATING.

Every Major League Baseball team’s best promotional giveaway in 2024

What is the best giveaway your favorite MLB team is doing in 2024?

Boston Celtics tied with Red Sox in new fan popularity survey for New England

It has been a long time since the New England Patriots were not the most popular pro sports team in the northeastern United States.

It has been a long time since the New England Patriots were not the most popular pro sports team in the northeastern United States, but for the first time in many years, they have been supplanted by the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics, who also have the Connecticut Sun, Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins competing for eyeballs over stretches of the NBA calendar, were recently voted the region’s most popular sports franchise in a recent survey by Channel Media and Market Research — with a catch. They tied the Red Sox with 19% of the vote, according to a recent article by MassLive’s Nick O’Malley.

Aptly called the “New England Sports Survey,” Channel Media and Market Research has been conducting this research since 2012, right about the time of the ending of the last era of Celtics title contention.

During that period, the Patriots have been dominant among fans, but their recent struggles and rebuild have taken the shine off some of that particular apple, opening the door for the Celtics and Sox to step through.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Red Sox fans were thrilled that Rafael Devers and Kenley Jansen publicly called out the team’s front office

The Red Sox front office is a MESS.

When the Boston Red Sox signed closer Kenley Jansen last offseason and reached a long-term extension with Rafael Devers, the two players had the expectation that the Red Sox were looking to compete immediately in a stacked AL East.

But a last-place finish in 2023 and a quiet offseason in 2024 signaled that the Red Sox are shifting into a rebuilding mode. Needless to say, both Jansen and Devers aren’t thrilled with what they’ve seen from John Henry, Craig Breslow and the rest of the front office.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday with an interpreter, Devers expressed his frustration with the front office. He wondered why the team isn’t doing more to address their needs.

Devers said:

“Everybody knows what we need. And they know what we need. It’s just some things that I can’t say. … Everybody in the organization that knows the game knows what we need.”

Jansen also had similar remarks on a podcast, saying that he almost felt deceived by the team’s vision when he joined Boston from the Braves. Via SI.com:

“I definitely feel frustrated,” Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “I came here for two years where Year 1 we were going to compete but by Year 2 they were really going to go for it… They have a different vision now. I get it. It’s part of the business but at the same time I have one more year left here and I’m going to give the fans the best that I have.”

That frustration is certainly echoed by Red Sox fans, and they were happy to see two clubhouse leaders call out the front office.

Cultivating championships in the city of Boston

When it comes to calling a city “title town,” there may be no better metropole than the city of Boston, Massachusetts to lay such a claim.

When it comes to calling a city “title town,” there may be no better metropole than the city of Boston, Massachusetts to lay such a claim. For decades, the city saw the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics hang banners in their respective leagues.

And while there have been plenty of long pauses for respective clubs in their pertinent sports, Boston as a whole has been among the winningest metropolises in North American sports history. In order to honor that tradition in a moment of transition for New England sports with no head coach having more than three seasons’ experience, the hosts of the WEEI “Gresh and Fauria” show looked to Boston’s past for clues about its future.

To hear what they had to say about the future of championships in the city in their estimation, check out the video embedded below!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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MLB fans roasted Red Sox legend David Ortiz after he somehow whiffed on his swing during a gender reveal

His wife must’ve read the scouting report.

Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz hasn’t played baseball since 2016. But given that he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, you’d think that Big Papi would be able to handle an underhanded toss with ease.

Guess again.

With Ortiz and his wife, Tiffany, expecting a child, the couple hosted a gender reveal party recently. And the thought was to have Papi reveal the gender by crushing an exploding baseball. It’s a popular gender-reveal concept amongst MLB players — and something Ortiz should have been able to handle.

Instead, we got ourselves an epic blooper.

Tiffany’s toss was a bit high and inside (not where Papi typically liked pitches), but still, you have to at least make contact there. Tiffany must’ve read the scouting report.

Despite the swing-and-miss attempt, everyone was thrilled to see that the couple is expecting a baby boy. MLB fans also had jokes about the video.

Chris Sale, Vaughn Grissom trade grades: Who won the Braves – Red Sox deal?

Chris Sale will get a chance at another World Series title with Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves are adding to their world-class starting rotation once again, making a big move to acquire left-hander Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Sale reportedly waived his no-trade clause to join an Atlanta team that expects to contend for another World Series title in 2024. The Braves are sending 22-year-old Vaughn Grissom back to Boston after a logjam in the infield led the team to shop their young bat this offseason.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the most aggressive team in the National League this offseason, landing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Now the Braves have struck back in the race for the pennant by adding a seven-time All-Star.

So who won the deal? Let’s get into it.

What are you getting the Boston Celtics for Christmas this year?

What do you get for the relative who has everything (in this clumsy metaphor, the contending Celtics)?

What are you getting the Boston Celtics for Christmas this year? As one of the biggest days of the 2023 holiday season approaches, the folks behind the NBC Sports Boston “Arbella Early Edition” show crew took some time to discuss what gifts they think they would give to Boston’s major sports teams, the Celtics, the Boston Bruins, the New England Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox, Patriots, and Bruins are like those relatives who are pretty easy to shop for because the things they need are both obvious and attainable. But what do you get for the relative who has everything (in this clumsy metaphor, the contending Celtics)?

From humorous suggestions to serious analyses, the gifting conversation revolves around the teams’ current needs and challenges they are facing respectively.

To hear what they had in mind for the Celtics in particular, check out the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Former Tar Heel Cooper Criswell heading to Beantown on 1-year deal

2018 UNC baseball pitcher Cooper Criswell, who played an integral part in the College World Series run, is shipping up to Boston for 2024.

Even though Cooper Criswell only spent the 2018 season pitching for the UNC baseball team, he was a crucial part of that College World Series run that ended against – who else – Oregon State.

Criswell was part of a loaded, 2018 Diamond Heels pitching staff that included future MLB draft picks in Tyler Baum, Austin Bergner, Josh Hiatt, Brett Daniels and Rodney Hutchinson. Criswell’s six wins tied Daniels for second on Carolina, while his 2.99 ERA (earned run average) was also second.

Criswell also happened to be one of those 2018 MLB Draft picks, with the Los Angeles Angels taking him in the 13th round. The former Diamond Heel played one game with the Angels, spent 11 games with the Tampa Bay Rays over the last two years and – on Wednesday, Dec. 13, signed a 1-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.

As you can see from his pitch arsenal above, Criswell is more of a finesse pitcher. The slider appears to be his go-to pitch, with a majority of his strikeouts in the above video (if you can see it) coming from the breaking ball.

Criswell struggled in major league action with the Rays last year, recording a loss and 5.97 ERA, but he also picked up a win and struck out 27 batters. He enjoyed more success with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, pitching to a 4-4 record, 3.97 ERA and striking out 80 batters.

2024 is a brand-new chance for Criswell to showcase he can be a valuable MLB pitcher, starting with Spring Training in February. He’ll join a Red Sox staff that finished 21/30 teams with a 4.52 team ERA.

Seeing former Diamond Heels in the pros makes me happy. Seeing them succeed in the pros, however, is the cherry on top.

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