Friday, June 20, 2008

SCHILLING'S SEASON IS OVER, POSSIBLY CAREER AS WELL

Curt Schilling will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday, ending any chance of him pitching in the 2008 season, and probably ending his career. The surgery will correct the tendon problems Schilling experienced in the off-season.

It seems as though Schilling and Dr. Craig Morgan were right. During spring training, there was that huge debate between Schilling and the Red Sox over what the best course of action with his shoulder would be. The Red Sox were worried that surgery would end his season. so they implemented a rehab and strengthening program. Ironically, this program has left no chance for Schilling to return to the team in 2008.

Source:
Associated Press

HOW THE PARADE WENT DOWN ON CAUSEWAY STREET

You know your city is dominating in sports when people have "usual spots" for victory parades. My usual spot is on Tremont Street, right outside Park Street station. Stand up on the elevated flower beds and you have a sick view of the parade without being squeezed or having to show up at sunrise. But for yesterday's Celtics game, we went to Causeway Street, right where the parade pulled out of TD BankNorth Garden.

We got there at about 9:20 AM. Around 9:40, Doc Rivers was dropped off in a taxi. That's right, a plain, ordinary taxi pulled over to the curb and Doc Rivers walked out, which drove the crowd nuts. At 10:00, Tommy Heinsohn pulled into the Garden in a minivan.

Infamous WEEI caller and Foxy Lady aficionado Frank from Gloucester was there, wearing a customized Yankee jacket and a Celtics hat. For some reason he was allowed to stand inside of the bike fences and on the street.

It didn't get really crowded until 10:30. The north side of the street started chanting the most random things. They were big fans of the "Yankees Suck" chant, as well as chanting "M-V-P" toward nobody in particular. "Kobe Sucks" was another popular one.

At 10:50, the players began climbing onto the Duck Boats in the players lot, which sent people climbing the 8 foot fence for a better look. At 11:00, the bike cops lined up on the street. At 11:10, they rolled off and the parade began. I was up front, but hardly saw Paul Pierce. I didn't see Ray Allen at all. But we had a great view of KG and most of the other players.

The best part of the parade was the stink of big fat cigars emanating from the Duck Boats. I love the smell of cigar smoke at a Celtics parade. It smells like...

Victory.

By 11:20, all the Duck Boats had gone past. They were flying. It seems like every parade drives faster and faster. And with no rally, it was quite anticlimactic, leaving everyone wanting just a little bit more. But some pizza and a few beers at Halftime Pizza afterward satiated me.

SO THAT'S THE OBSESSION WITH JD DREW

With the Celtics winning the NBA title, the Red Sox winning a series in Philadelphia flew way under the Boston sports radar. A big reason for this was the performance of JD Drew. He was 5 for 12 with 2 homers and 5 RBI in the series.

JD Drew is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now. In June, he's hitting .441, with a .547 OBP, and a 1.085 slugging percentage. 9 of his 13 homeruns have come in this month, as have 21 of his 43 RBI.

It seems as though JD Drew may be pulling a Josh Beckett; sucking his first year in Boston, and then breaking out. He already has more homeruns in 2008 than he did last season. Here is what JD Drew is on pace for in '08:

28 HR, 93 RBI, 147 H, .327 Avg, .432 OBP, .601 SLG, 114 R.

Those are the numbers we've been waiting to see from Drew. If he continues to produce for the remainder of the season, he adds so much potency and flexibility to the lineup. With his high OBP, he can hit 1st or 2nd. With his power he can hit 3rd or 4th. With his run production he can hit 5th, or 6th.

He and the Red Sox host one of his former teams this weekend as the St. Louis Cardinals come to town. All three interleague series the Sox have played this month have been rematches of previous World Series. The Sox lost to Cincinnati in 1975, beat Philadelphia in 1915, and have played St. Louis in three World Series (1946, 1967, 2004).

Source:
ESPN.com

MORE CHAMPIONSHIP FIDDLE FADDLE

Brian Scalabrine talks trash to the media after the Celtics' blowout win in game 6:



The full "Where I remember happens" commercial about the Celtics acquiring KG:



This put-back dunk by Garnett in game 1 was one of the many little things that set the tone for this series, particularly the 3 games played in Boston.



The Celtics now have 17 NBA titles, more than any other team, and the third most titles in major North American sports. The Yankees have 26 World Series rings (which their desperate fans will not fail to remind you of), and the Montreal Canadiens have 24 Stanley Cups. HOWEVER, there have only been 62 NBA Championships, as opposed to 102 World Series, and 94 NHL Stanley Cups. The Celtics have won 27.4% of all NBA Championships. The Yankees: only 25.5%. The Canadiens: only 26.0%.

The Celtics are now 17-3 in NBA Championship Series, and 9-2 in Championship Series against the Lakers. Not much of a rivalry there.