Category: News

The Big Story – Celtics Restructuring Begins: By now we know how the money-induced restructuring of the Celtics began. It may have been by using the 28th overall pick in Round 1 of Wednesday’s NBA draft to get younger. Or they could have traded up for a better pick by adding the 32nd overall pick they have tonight to 28. Or maybe the rumored trades of either Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis happened. Whatever it was, it promises to be the start of an interesting off season for Celtic Nation.

Sports 101: What did the Celtics do the two times they owned the first overall pick in the NBA draft?

News Item – Who’s Hot:

Ceddanne Rafaela: The 24-year-old CF who is often described as light hitting is batting .340 since May 27 with four doubles, six homers and 10 RBI. It’s brought the overall average up from .220 to .255 with 13 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 29 RBI.

Aroldis Chapman: The Sox got him to be the eighth-inning guy. But the 37-year-old lefty with 347 career saves picked up his 14th on Friday with a scoreless, two-strikeout ninth in the 7-5 win over the Giants to lower the ERA and BA against to 1.46 and .144 respectively.

Who’s Not – Red Sox Future Struggling: It hasn’t exactly been the dynamic start of Fred Lynn and Jim Rice from the Red Sox’ vaunted prospect class of 2025. The prized 1975 rookie duo both hit over .300 with 20-plus homers and 100-plus RBI, leading Lynn to be named MVP and the Sox going to the World Series. For Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell it’s been different. They’ve come out of the box with Anthony hitting .111 in his first 12 games, Mayer at .197 after 24 and Campbell being shipped back to the minors after hitting below .150 from May 1 on after being named AL Rookie of the Month for April.

The Numbers:

10 – billion with a B the L.A. Lakers are about to be sold for in the largest purchase in U.S. sports history.

28 & 29 – homers hit by Seattle’s Cal Raleigh after going deep twice in a 9-4 win over the Cubs Friday to break Johnny Bench’s 1970 record for most homers by a catcher before the All Star Game. He then hit two more over the weekend to make it 31.

29 & 12 – points and assists by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in leading OKC to the NBA title with a 103-91 Game 7 win over Indiana.

Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Down – Rafael Devers: For saying he’ll play wherever the Giants want him to in his introductory press conference to show what an absolute petulant dog he was with the Red Sox. Good riddance.

Thumbs Up – Quote of the Week. It’s fromthe young hurler Kyle Harrison acquired for Devers upon being sent to the minors as told to the Boston Globe: “I’ve been in Triple A a decent amount of times in my life now. It’s not about where I want to be today. It’s about where I want to be five, 10 years from now, and where I see myself getting better. I think this is going to be a place where I get better and develop. I’m just excited for the opportunity.” That’s what you want to hear from a guy who gets it.

Random Thoughts: With his trade to Houston on Sunday, Kevin Durant continues his title-hunting travels.

Sports 101 Answer: They traded down both times (1980 and 2017) and still wound up with the best player in each draft.

A Little History – The Trade Down Results: In 1980 they sent it and the 10th pick to Golden State for Robert Parish and the third overall pick, Kevin McHale, while GS took center Joe Barry Carroll. In 2017 they traded it (and their 2018 pick) to Philly, who took star crossed Markelle Fultz, then the Lakers took Lonzo Ball before they grabbed Jayson Tatum with the third pick.

Final Thought – Celtics Questions Going Forward Reshaping: One thing for sure is my hoped-for trade of Jaylen Brown to shake loose up and comers Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith from Houston ain’t gonna happen, because after the blockbuster deal they pulled off to get Durant earlier in the week they got the big dog they were after.

While I’m not opposed to trading anyone for the right price, Brown makes the most sense to me because he’ll bring back the most and getting his $70 million per salary off the books will solve the financial crunch and then some. That would let Porzingis play out the last year of his contract before trying to re-sign the less than durable KP to slide into Al Horford’s big off the bench role. But so much for my thoughts.

The good news is all the decisions going forward are in the capable hands of Brad Stevens — whose track record is better than mine.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

The Big Story – Red Sox Sweep the Yanks: Just when Red Sox Nation was about to throw 2025 overboard the local team came alive to win five straight, with the last three coming against the Yankees. And you can thank the pitching, which held the Yanks to just four runs in their weekend of 2-1, 4-3 and 2-0 wins.

Even more unbelievable was Alex Cora letting both Garrett Crochet (107) and Brayan Bello (114) exceed 100 pitches in their starts, while Roy Hobbs, er, Hunter Dobbins has come out of nowhere to tell tall tales about his dad once playing for the Yankees and win games as he is now 4-1 after six scoreless innings on Saturday.

Sports 101: Ty Cobb won the AL batting title every year between 1907 and 1919 except 1916. Who won it that year?

News Item – Roman Anthony Arrives While Raffy Devers Goes: It took the brass long enough, but they finally grew a pair to send the me-first Devers out of town to SF for four players. It’s more a deal for the future, as they got three players under 22 in return for their best hitter, including two big-armed but unproven pitchers, along with journeyman hurler Jordan Hicks. But there’s also the addition-by-subtraction benefit of removing his selfishness from a clubhouse stocked with young players. Plus it clears more than $200 million off the books to hopefully be invested in pitching at the trade deadline or next winter.It also clears a permanent spot for baseball’s top prospect, Roman Anthony, who arrived earlier in the week. He won’t replace Devers’ production immediately of course. But they feel he’s ready, and given the crowd at OF/DH he wasn’t gonna stay unless somebody was moved and Devers made the most long-term sense.As for Raffy’s past contributions: Thanks for the memories but don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

News Item – NBA Finals Update: Two thoughts on Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle: (1)he’s a great bench coach and (2) with that shaved head he looks like Uncle Fester from the Addams Family.

News Item – New York State of Mind: Knicks owner Jimmy Dolan’s (non-)plan to replace Tom Thibodeau despite his taking them to their first conference final since 1999 ain’t working too well. It offers typically arrogant New York thinking that everyone wants to coach the Knicks because they’re NEW YORK. Even though they’ve only been relevant this year during Dolan’s 25-year ownership reign.

The plan was to steal a coach like Ime Udoka, Jason Kidd or Chris Finch even though they were all under contract and had compelling reasons to stay with their promising teams. Predictably, when asked for permission to pursue them their teams told the Knicks to go fly a kite. So now they’re scavenging the bottom of the failed-coaches barrel for guys out of work for a reason.

The Numbers:

1.8 – chance out of 100 Dallas had to get the first overall pick in the recent NBA lottery.

17 – margin between the AL team with the second most errors and the Red Sox’s league-leading 64.

64 – foot putt J.J. Spaun buried on the final hole at Oakmont CC to give him a gritty two-shot win in the 125^th U.S. Open after bogeying five of the first six holes on Sunday.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Carlos Alcaraz: For the class and sportsmanship the French Open winner demonstrated in (1) conceding a point to opponent Jannik Sinner originally given to him by telling officials Sinner’s shot was actually in bounds and (2) gathering all the ball boys together to celebrate the win in a giant group photo and joyous shoutout. Well done, young fella.

Random Thoughts:

How could the Red Sox possibly wear their Oakland A’s look-alike uniforms in any game vs. the Yankees, let alone at Fenway as they did Friday!

With Pete Alonso closing in on most homers in New York Mets history it amazes me with 252 Darryl Strawberry is still their all-time leader 35 years after leaving the team.

Sports 101 Answer: Ex-Red Sox star Tris Speaker hit .386 for the Cleveland Indians to stop Cobb’s streak. But he wasn’t far off as he finished second to Speaker with a .370 average.

Prediction: Devers eventually becomes SF’s first baseman.

Final Thought: NCAA Court Settlement: It was the right ruling on antitrust grounds that allows schools to now pay players directly in college sports. Especially in light of how much money coaches and the NCAA have raked in while the players got zilch until recently. But can we please finally stop calling it “amateur athletics” and ban the phrase “student a-tha-letes” forever. Call them what they are: mercenaries who’ll move from school to school annually for better paychecks without a care for the new school or the classroom.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.