Sports Central

a few random thoughts post-Game 1

OK fine, JD Drew and Julio Lugo are okay. They can hang around some more. My jury is still out on Eric Gagne, however, and that, my friends, is unwavering.

A few thoughts after today's high school sporting playoff action:
Did you know a member of Oxbow's girls soccer team is a nationally-ranked equestrian eventer? I'm pretty sure I didn't, either. The things you learn by making friends with score keepers and clock-runners.

Said Oxbow girls team is No. 2 for a reason, and for none other than the double-local and because I am positive I am not alone in thinking so, I would've loved for the Olympians to take on No. 7 Northfield in the second round. I hear Enosburg is a good team and the game sounds like it could be a good one, but I've really enjoyed covering both Northfield soccer teams and I like the idea of a Marauder-Olympian contest...am I alone here?

--Anna Grearson

Couldn't have Drew it up better

For the better part of the year 2007 I have been taking heat for my steadfast defense of Red Sox rightfielder J.D. Drew.

Early in the season my defense was that he started well, very well, and helped carry the Red Sox during the first few weeks before cooling, and cooling and cooling off. By mid-summer my defense was that he would come on strong and that the Red Sox were in first place with him. By September it was that he was performing better than Trot Nixon. And as the season ended I began saying to all and sundry that he would win a game for the Sox in the playoffs.

Not one of my arguments held any water for the haters I was coming into contact with who seemed to revile Drew more for his big contract than his lack of production. It was as if we could suffer through a .190 hitting season if only we paid the the player the baseball minimum.

On Saturday night Mr. Drew redeemed not only himself but me, and I appreciate it. How much is he worth? Maybe not $14 million, though one batter before he slammed Cleveland Saturday, the $20 million man Manny had struck out. At that point, in fact at every point, the money doesn't matter. It never has except in the minds of the fans. It doesn't matter in the same way that more money is not enough to make us smarter or harder working or better at our jobs. We get as much as we can get, and J.D. Drew got his.

That said, I was running out of games and arguments on J.D.'s behalf so it was nice that he did what he did when he did it.

Now, if I can only come up with something to defend Eric Gagne, and maybe Julio Lugo.

Pete Hartt 

Left, Right...Both?

I read the New York Times sports section as often as I remember to, and I thought I had seen it all when the AP moved a story about Bridgewater State scoring 57 runs in a win over Newbury a few days ago.

Wrong.

I was sifting through the NYT online tonight whilest watching Dice-K's Boston debut, and I see this headline in the Most Read section about throwing batters a curve before throwing the pitch. I figured it was about tipping pitches, which I think is really an interesting conundrum.

It was actually this piece about Pat Venditte, a pitcher at Creighton who is ambidextrous. This kid switches it up mid-at-bat. Two gloves? No. He has a custom glove, of course.

Crazy.

Anybody seen this before? Or something equally cool?

--Anna Grearson