John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

Thinking out loud…and wondering where the next championship around here will come from. It’s been three days, already…#whosnext

• The Red Sox’ post-season fortune turned on two significant moments…one, was certainly David Ortiz’ grand slam homerun in Game Two of the ALCS against Detroit. Against Max Scherzer. With Justin Verlander on deck. If that doesn’t happen, there’s no duck boat parade this year. And two – has to be the interference call in Game Three of the Series with the Cardinals. They won three straight after that never-seen-before moment. Maybe it just pissed ‘em off…

• Jarrod Saltalamacchia should never have thrown the ball to third base. I mean, I’ve coached my kids’ teams to hold the ball in those situations, and not risk a throw away. Make the other guy beat you – don’t give it to them…

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• Interference was the right call at the end of Game Three. You almost feel like the umpire should “swallow his whistle,” as an official might do in football or basketball…only because the players should decide championships – not rule books. In this instance, however, the point is moot. If Salty doesn’t throw it, there’s no interference…

• Kids, pay attention. The Red Sox lost their two World Series games on throws from home plate to third base. Next time you have the ball at home, what will you NOT do? #yescoach

• Oh, and a pickoff to end Game Four? Remarkable. Also, unbelievable. MLB says it’s the first time in baseball postseason history (1404 total games to that point) that any of them ended on an interference call or a pickoff. Whoa…

• From the “Can’t Make This Up” Department…moments before the pickoff ended Game Four, the Cardinals’ radio broadcast basically laughed at the decision to hold Kolten Wong on at first base. Absolutely, under normal circumstances, it seemed silly. But maybe the Sox knew what they were doing…and who got the last laugh? #doh!

• Did the Sox get everything they could out of Clay Buchholz? Perhaps. But why do I get the feeling no matter how much “rehab” he does in the off-season, this will continue to be a problem with him for the foreseeable future…

• Who had John Lackey on the mound in a World Series-clinching game before the season started? Anyone, anyone? #chickenandbeerishiskryptonite

• Can you name another Boston sports hero who turned his career around to the extent that Lackey did this year? From goat-to-gloat doesn’t do his transformation justice. From chicken and beer to Series-clinching winning pitcher? Now, we love the guy…

• Tweet of the Week I – from Peter Gammons (@pgammo): “The last time the Red Sox clinched a world series at home was Sept. 11, 1918. Babe Ruth was used as a defensive replacement in left field…” That’s not just a whoa…that’s a wow…

• Keeping in line with the “next man up” tradition, it was great to see David Ross contribute to the Game Five win in St. Louis. A journeyman catcher (played in six different organizations), largely a backup who suffered from a concussion earlier in the season with a big night at the plate…yup, good to see the good guys win once in a while…

• Don’t look now, but the Kansas City Chiefs – yes, the Chiefs – are 8-0. It’s the first time in NFL history for a team to start a year 8-0 after having the worst record in the league the previous season…#thisisnotadream #matriculatingdownthefield

• An early favorite for the big game? In the Super Bowl era, 20 teams have started 8-0 and all 20 have reached the post-season. Eight of those won the Super Bowl…

• Gotta mention Megatron. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, who might have the best all-time nickname, caught 14 passes for 329 receiving yards against Dallas last Sunday. The 329 receiving yards were second all-time in NFL single-game history, behind former Los Angeles Rams’ WR Flipper Anderson…who had 336 against New Orleans in 1989. It’s his 5th career game with more than 200 yards receiving, tying him with Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for most such games in league history…

• And if last Sunday didn’t have enough for you, here’s one more reason why it was such a big day. Both Drew Brees and TB12 passed Fran Tarkenton for 4th most TD passes thrown in NFL history. Brees and Brady now each have 343 in their careers, Tarkenton had 342…

• Speaking of TB12…he had Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski at his disposal against the Dolphins last week. It was probably the healthiest the receiving corps has been all year. And he throws for a mere 116 yards? You tell me – what’s the problem here? #Gisellepleasestartchangingthediapers

• If he’s playing through a hand injury as some surmise, fine. If he’s beginning to show signs of wear and tear at age 36, I’ll buy that, too. Put both of those together, it should explain a lot…

• 14 blitz plays called in the second half last week…six QB sacks, all in the second half…a pick for the highlight reel, in the second half…and the three best players all on the sidelines (or at home) watching. Miami’s O-line can’t stop running water, but that was still the definition of a “swarming” defense for New England. In the second half… #dontplaythefirsthalf 

• I said it before, and I’ll say it again. You don’t have to like him, but you do have to respect the results. Bill Belichick may be in the midst of his best coaching job – ever. In case you’ve lost count…Welker, Lloyd, Woodhead and Hernandez gone before the season started…Wilfork, Mayo and Vollmer gone after the season started; Gronkowski, Talib, Amendola have missed most of the season thus far. And the Patriots, somehow, are 6-2. At what point do the diminishing returns begin?

• Tweet of the Week II – from Kerry Byrne of Cold Hard Football Facts (@footballfacts): “Single-season points record held by 2007 @Patriots (589); 2013 @DenverBroncos on pace to score 686…”

• A shout-out to the New England Revolution here…largely unnoticed and somewhat underappreciated around here – except for their die-hard supporters – the Revs have reached the MLS playoffs for the first time since 2009. As a unit, they are strong defensively…with just enough offense to make them dangerous. A Cup team? Probably not. But going into the post-season (Saturday night against Sporting Kansas City), they’re like butter – on a roll. Unbeaten in their last six… #cricketschirping

• Leftovers from the Madness…while Providence had a couple of superstars in DJ Nick Cannon and rapper Drake in attendance at Alumni Hall, did you see where Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard supposedly challenged hot-dog eating phenom Takeru Kobayashi? Willard never even attempted to get one down, instead choosing to watch and (allegedly) marvel at the 10 Kobayashi pushed down without taking a breath, followed by guzzling a gallon of milk in 15 seconds. Lame. Give Villanova some credit though – they had Nicki Minaj on hand. But four straight weekends of “madness” stuff? Give me the old days of one-and-done again, please…

• The Friars did put an emphatic “this is now over” end to their show…thanks to freshman Brandon Austin…

• It’s my understanding that PC played well at times, and without Bryce Cotton at Harvard in their “secret scrimmage” this past week. Apparently, a three-point (76-73) win on the road at a Top-25 caliber team. The same team that apparently whacked UMass (a future PC opponent) by 16 in another “secret scrimmage.” For the life of me, however, I can’t quite get a grip on the real purpose of these private affairs. I understand if the coaches use them as teaching moments, or in a controlled situation, actually stopping play for instruction. But from what I’ve been told, there are game officials, the ball is tossed and the players get after it like a regular game…with no one there to see it or report on it. And this is supposed to do what? Keep amateurism in place? Just sayin’…

• Rumblings from around the Big East: St. John’s center Chris Obekpa was suspended for the Red Storm exhibitions for a violation of university rules. Couldn’t have been too bad, he’s missing games that don’t count; Marquette, the pre-season favorite, had some impressive play from freshman guard John Dawson. With Duane Wilson out for a few months, he might get some minutes, especially early. And Juan Anderson’s decision to come back to the MU program after leaving for a brief period this past summer looks to be a great decision, on both sides; Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono is particularly sharp in the early going, with his squad stomping JayVaughn Pinkston’s in a Wildcat scrimmage last week… #cantwait

• A special deal for you, if you’d like to be a part of the season opener for PC at the Dunk against BC next Friday night and help others in need. Buy a ticket using the promo code “Foodbank,” and $5 of your purchase will go directly to the Rhode Island Food Bank holiday drive. If you already have a ticket, bring a canned food item to the game and receive a ticket to a future game…

• Wanna know how to quit a job? This guy did it with more flair and class than anywhere else I’ve ever seen…and he actually sings pretty good, too…

• Tweet of the Week III – from @EliasSports: “David Ortiz wins 3rd World Series. He’s the first non-Yankee to win 3 rings with one team since Jim Palmer with Orioles…”

• Improbable? No question. But for my money, the most improbable championship team during this Boston title-run still has to be the New England Patriots in 2001. Those Pats were completely off the radar.  That team was 5-5 at one point, after losing to the team they eventually beat in the Super Bowl (St. Louis, ironically). And, that team lost it’s starting QB (Drew Bledsoe), turning to a lowly sixth-round draft pick (your hero, Tom Brady) to lead the way. Who ended up being Big Papi-like, to be sure…

• Not for nuthin’…but last week I complained about annoying TV and radio ads, and this week, I’m going to add to the “please destroy” list the two commercials that Fox played ad nauseum during their World Series coverage. The promo for the “Almost Human” Fox TV series specifically makes me want to NOT turn it on. And the T-Mobile parents searching for Jeremy, their son “lost” in Europe running up data charges on his phone? Serves them right. How about cutting him off, guys? #stupidisasstupiddoes

• I got an email from the “Kars 4 Kids” charity this week, saying they were disappointed that I found their radio jingle commercial “annoying.” While I admit that I had reservations about criticizing such a worthwhile charitable organization, the jingle still rattles around in my head as the earworm from hell some days. So to their credit, they sent me an updated “rock” version, and a list of ten things more annoying than their original song…

• The Series was the swan song for Fox analyst Tim McCarver, who is retiring after 24 years on a World Series microphone – which followed a major league career that began when I was born (1959). Say what you want about some of his “Captain Obvious” comments during broadcasts…but McCarver was one of the first commentators to really “analyze” what was going on down on the field, and broke things down to where we all became a little smarter while watching the game. He prepared. He studied. He was the only major league baseball analyst to work for all four major networks. And he was already smart…

• On the other hand…Erin Andrews, once again, proved why the role of “sideline reporter” is another phrase for “idiot with a stick.” She’s not even really eye-candy any longer. Sorry, just can’t get past the inane, obvious, “I’m your best buddy” questions she throws out there. Now to defend her, the role she has is one of the toughest in broadcasting. Rarely do sideline reporters actually bring us something we don’t already know. Ken Rosenthal does that, he’s a smart guy…if not a little dweeby. He gets a pass, because of his baseball journalism credentials. Andrews? What has she done, other than appear on Dancing with the Stars and get peeped at?

• I will say this…I liked her attempt at interviewing Koji Uehara’s son Kaz. And Kaz’s one word answers were priceless…perfectly summing up the Red Sox season and celebration – “good” and “crazy…” #ueharaskidspeaksbetterenglish

• How about this one? Who remembers David Ortiz, the reigning World Series MVP, was a one-time New Britain Rock Cat? Anyone? Anyone?

• Did Papi put himself in position for the Hall of Fame with his MVP performance? Prior to the Series, I really didn’t think he was Hall-worthy. Now…it might be hard to keep him out of it. That’s the kind of Series he just had, and we all saw…

• The rolling rally just won’t be complete unless Boston Mayor Tom Menino tries to pronounce Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa… #weneedmoremumblesmoments

• The ultimate compliment for the Red Sox title this week, IMO, came from none other than the Death Star. Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman said about his Sox counterpart, Ben Cherington: “He has shown patience and resolve throughout his service with Boston and that dedication has now been rewarded.” Umm, Mr. Henry? Do you have him signed up long term? #theyrenotlookingbuttheyreinthemarket #howcanwebeatboston

• Are you already considering next year? Of course, you are. Wouldn’t be Red Sox nation without some hand-wringing, negativity and angst. The team has exclusive negotiating windows with free agents-to-be Stephen Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, and Joel Hanrahan… #thatstwoyessesandthreenothankyous

• Did you see any of the rants on Twitter this week from former NFL safety Hamza Abdullah? There’s a reason, apparently, why he’s a FORMER player in the league, after playing for parts of seven seasons with four different teams. However, his tirade may just scratch the surface of some of the real problems facing the league and retired players for the foreseeable future…

• We’ve used the “D” word to describe what the Patriots did in a four-year span a decade ago…dare we use it again in reference to the present-day Red Sox? When you consider the parity in professional sports these days, the number of teams (compared to when the Yankees ruled the world) and that players come and go as often as we (well, some of us) change underwear, don’t these Sox belong in a dynastic discussion?

• Before you get after me on this one…I’ll just say this…Boston’s “run,” per se, will redefine what a dynasty really means today, and what a dynasty will be in the future. In other words, it’s dominance, redefined. Even after being, perhaps, the worst team in baseball just a short year ago…

• Wondering about all the #hashtags? Twitter and Facebook have made them a part of everyday social media life, by basically combining similar messages into groups…and if you weren’t aware, an entire generation of teens and 20-somethings incorporate them into actual language. Jimmy Fallon has a segment on his TV show called "Late Night Hashtags."  I’m still trying to figure it all out, myself…#imaybetoooldforthis

• As for where the next championship comes from…let’s just put it this way. Eight world titles among our pro sports teams over the last dozen years definitely qualifies New England/Boston as the sports capital of the universe – for now. You just never know when – or even if – the next one will come along. If you’re a teen or a 20-something, what you’ve been through over this time is extraordinary. Enjoy the ride, kids…#spoiledbrats

• My buddy "Big E" sez he recently saw his ex-wife's Facebook status as "depressed and ready to jump."  So he poked her...#isntthatwhatshewants

• From the mailbag this week – Stephen from North Providence writes via Facebook: “Is (Ryan Fazekas) another Top 100 player?” Stephen: Fazekas is the latest in a line of basketball recruits to tell Ed Cooley he wants to play at PC. However, Fazekas (a 6-7 forward from Michigan City, IN) is just a junior, so he won’t be on campus to play until 2015. He attended the Late Night Madness celebration a week ago and was very impressed, so decided to give the staff his verbal commitment. Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan, Boston College and Big East schools Xavier and Butler all had interest in Ryan. He’s already known as a terrific outside shooter, but he’s not yet ranked by the scouting services. He will be…

• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...

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• The recently released “Rhode Island Radio” from Arcadia Publishing tells the story of the 91-year history of radio in our state through photographs, clippings and memories from many of the personalities who have graced our airwaves. If you’re in search of the gift that says “Rhode Island,” you’ve found it. Or, find it in local bookstores and online right here…