MLB
I’ve received e-mails non-stop telling me to take a look at the
RBI distribution for the Red Sox lineup in Games 5, 6 and 7 of
the American League Championship Series. OK, not really, but
if I had, I would agree. Boston drove in 30 runs in those wins,
with just five off the bats of sluggers David Ortiz and Manny
Ramirez. That must encourage manager Terry Francona when
he writes his lineup card before Game 3 of the World Series
Saturday, and the remaining games at Coors Field. The National
League Park will not afford Francona the luxury of a designated
hitter, a spot comfortably occupied by Ortiz. Pitcher Daisuke
Matsuzaka will be forced to bat instead, leaving Ortiz, Kevin
Youkilis or Mike Lowell to be benched. Should Lowell sit out,
Youkilis would assume the vacant third base and Ortiz, a terrible
fielding liability, would be stationed at first. Lowell batted .333
against the Indians with 8 RBI in 10 postseason games thus far,
and Youkilis hit .500 in the ALCS with 7 RBI this postseason.
Ortiz, on the other hand, has driven just three men in while
batting .292. As the weakest fielder and the coldest batter of late,
Ortiz is the last of three men vying for two positions. Francona
can rely on the rest of his batting in order to produce enough
runs to win in Colorado.
NFL
St. Louis Rams tight end Randy McMichael had the nerve to
guarantee a victory this Sunday at home against the Cleveland
Browns. While the Browns’ 3-3 record might not be overwhelming,
it dwarfs the 0-7 mark the Rams have posted. Don’t think for a
second that you’ll have a “dome field advantage,” or that you’re
part of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” Randy (or any other pun,
for that matter). Things are falling apart fast in the Gateway
City. The 2007 edition of the Browns is more reminiscent of a
high-flying offense, averaging 27.8 points per game, while the
Rams average a league-worst 11.3. Last week, Rams quarterback
Mark Bulger got into a heated argument with head coach Scott
Linehan – a well-documented sign of collapse within an organization.
McMichael might be desperate to end chatter of a potential
0-16 season, but making a guarantee just incites Cleveland rather
than firing up his team.