According to a report by Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Mitchell investigation into the use of steroids and other performing enhancing drugs is going to be released sometime between the end of the World Series and the New Year.

So who will be on it? Only the people familiar with the investigation know the names of the players involved. In the article, Olney states that there will be a plethora of players named, including some big household names. One person familiar with the conference call that happened today went as far to call it “salacious”.

Said one source familiar with what was said on the conference call, “This is going to be enormous … it’s going to be a huge story when these names come out.”

From what I can gather, it’s going to get ugly in the offseason for MLB and it’s players. It’s kind of sad too because it won’t matter who wins the World Series this year because it will quickly become old news as this report comes to light.

So who do we think is going to be on it? I just hope no Red Sox player is involved.

Indians

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Ryan Garko, 1B
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Kenny Lofton, LF
8. Franklin Gutierrez, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B

SP: C.C. Sabathia

Red Sox

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Bobby Kielty, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Julio Lugo, SS

SP – Josh Beckett

Here is a look at how the hitters for both teams have fared against both starting pitchers.

Also be sure to check out the ALCS song posted over at BostonSportz.com.

Lineups courtesy of Amalie Benjamin from the Boston Globe

The 2007 American League Championship Series gets underway in 5 hours and what better time than now to for Steve and I to give our predictions as to our winners. As usual my picks will be blue and Steve’s in red. To see our NLCS predictions, click here.

Some Grade A pitching matchups in the first two games with Cy Young candidates Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia squaring off in Game 1 and Curt Schilling and Fausto Carmona going toe-to-toe in Game 2. On paper, these two pitching matchups are a wash as they all have their strengths. The advantage to me goes to the Red Sox due to the experience that Beckett and Schilling have in the postseason. The Indians have Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko who lead the way their bats. David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, and Dustin Pedroia do the same for the Red Sox. So where is this series won. It’s won from the bullpens. The bullpens of the two teams are evenly matched until you get to the closer. The Red Sox have the premier closer in Jonathan Papelbon while the Indians have a hittable Joe Borowski, who almost gave Indians fans a heart attack in Game 4 of the ALDS. Ultimately with Papelbon as the stopper, I see the Red Sox in 6 games.

Everyone is talking about the two teams top two starters, but you have to look at the 3 and 4 guys and the bullpens and this is where the Red Sox pitching will be better than the Indians. Who would you rather have closing games? Joe Borowski or Jonathan Papelbon? The Sox also have a ton of guys with experience in getting this far, and while Sabathia/Carmona and Beckett/Schilling on paper maybe a wash all you need to do is check the fingers for the bling.

Line up wise, the Indians were very dangerous against the Yankees with two out RBI. It will be up to the Sox pitching and defense not to put themselves into these positions very often. The Sox have thump with Ortiz, Ramirez and Lowell. The Indians have Hafner, Martinez and Garko. The lineups are pretty even but I think in the end the pitching will win the series. Red Sox in 7.

You can also see other predictions over at Red Sox Monster where Dan held another Red Sox blogger roundtable.

And of course it wouldn’t be an ALCS without a Fitzy Wicked Pissah webcast. I think y’all know the drill that his videos (non-ESPN ones that is) are NSFW

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH5XjEcEcI4[/youtube]

Continue reading →

This Week

The New England Patriots visit the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Staduim in Irving TX at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Many in the media are saying the “Duel in Dallas” is a Super Bowl preview. This is the first time since 2004 two undefeated teams who are at least 5-0 have met. The teams are two of three unbeaten teams left in the league. Indianapolis is also 5-0.

The Patriots are 2-0 on the road this season, with wins against the Jets and Bengals. This is their first game this season against a NFC team. The Cowboys are 2-0 at home and 1-0 against AFC teams after a road win in Buffalo.

Here are the rosters for the Patriots and Cowboys.

The Line/Prediction

As of Friday the line on the game from Yahoo Sports is Patriots -5.5. The over/under is 53.

My prediction is Patriots 31, Cowboys, 24. Give the points and take the over. I am 5-0 against the spread and have called the over/under four out of five times in 2007.

Tickets

The game is reported as a sell out.

Tickets to game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check the availability here. Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.

Getting To The Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game in the “Big D” make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from weather.com.

Click for stadium directions, parking information, parking map and a Dallas Stadium seating chart.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

CBS is televising the game, it is cleared for most of the county. The play-by-play duties will be handled by Jim Nantz with Phil Simms doing game analysis. You can check here to see if you are getting the game from CBS and look for your local CBS Station.

Radio

The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Capelleti does the color.

It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresch and the pregame show at 1 p.m. along the network.

The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.

Check this out for the low down on the Patriots Rock Radio Network and stations in your area.

If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

All NFL games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio. The Patriots radio call is available on Channel 122, the Cowboys radio call is available on Channel 123.

The game can also be heard nationally on Westwood One. Harry Kalas and Jim Fassel handle the announcing duties.

Continue reading →

All I have to say it’s about time that baseball is being played. I hate this waiting crap just as much as the players do. There’s only so much network TV a man can handle. The Red Sox announced their ALCS roster yesterday and the only change was adding Tim Wakefield and taking Kevin Cash off the roster. The rotations are set as the Red Sox will be throwing Beckett, Schilling, Matsuzaka, and Wakefield while the Indians will counter with Sabathia, Carmorna, Westbrook, and Byrd. Terry Francona also confirmed what had been rumored about Bobby Kielty starting in right field. If you’re worried about the weather in Boston today, this is what the forecast is calling for:

Friday: Rain likely, mainly before 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. West wind around 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. West wind between 10 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

So now that you’ve had your weather report for Boston, why not take a look at the headlines from the Boston and Cleveland area on the morning of the duel between Beckett and Sabathia. Also be sure to check out Texy’s post over at Center Field about a new book coming out entitled “A Tale of Three Papelbons“. It is written by a front office staffer for the Lowell Spinners. All proceeds of the book are going to a worthy cause.

Red Sox in a favorable position [Boston Globe]

A mature C.C. Sabathia has grown into the role of Indians pitching ace [The Plain Dealer]

Zeroes could abound [Boston Herald]

Staying calm among ALCS storm is key for Indians [Akron Beacon Journal]

Arms Can Carry Them [Hartford Courant]

Sabathia vs. Beckett is a dream match-up [Pro Jo]

The long, painful summer of David Ortiz [Boston Globe]

Aces up for Game 1 [The Plain Dealer]

Lowell: ‘I love it here’ [Boston Herald]

Wedge learns to be lenient [Akron Beacon Journal]

Kielty To Start In Game 1 [Hartford Courant]

In terms of closers, stats say Sox have the edge [Pro Jo]

For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, The Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon Journal websites.

Bobby Kielty gets the start in right field for the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALCS.

Indians reliever Jensen Lewis has toiled in anonymity until this season.

Wily Taveras was back in familiar lead-off spot for the Rockies in Game 1.

Diamondbacks closer Jose Valverde lives off his emotions on the field.

Jeff Francis tossed 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball as the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks 5-1 in the first game of the NLCS.

Brandon Webb gave up one run in the second and three more in the third before settling down and facing just nine batters over the next three innings. Unfortunately for Arizona, that was all of the support Francis would need. Brad Hawpe had a two-run single for the Rockies, who won without the benefit of an extra-base hit all night. Ubaldo Jimenez and Doug Davis will start in Friday’s Game 2.

Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait 

All-time money winning horse John Henry passed away at age 32, just eight years before the Mets would have offered him a contract.

Speaking of things on their last legs, the Carolina Panthers signed 44-year-old quarterback Vinny Testaverde, and actually told people about it. Testaverde will be a great backup in case any of the coaches get injured.

Pothead Ricky Williams has applied for reinstatement after being repeatedly reminded to do so. Williams has said he’ll work for peanuts. As well as twinkies and cupcakes.

Congratulations to Lorena Ochoa for becoming the first female golfer to win $3 million in one year. That will buy a lot of flannel shirts.

Admitted steroid user and Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones will compete next year after all, batting fourth for the San Francisco Giants. Jones’ tearful admission of steroids is under review, as there’s suspicion the tears were also not real.

And after a two-year absence from the NBA, Allan Houston is attempting a comeback with the New York Knicks, because they’re not bad enough. If that doesn’t work, he can always sign with the Carolina Panthers.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

The 2007 National League Championship Series gets underway tonight at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ at 8:30 PM when the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks square off. The NLCS will be broadcast on TBS.

The ALDS and NLDS predictions didn’t go so well for me as I was 1-3. Steve, on the other hand, was 2-2. So here are our predictions, mine in blue, Steve’s in red.

The NLCS brings us a matchup of two teams, the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, that nobody expected to be in the playoffs, let alone in the NLCS. The Rockies come in having won 17 of their last 18 games played, including an improbable sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Colorado is led by MVP candidate Matt Holliday and Rookie of the Year candidate Troy Tulowitzki and the veteran Todd Helton. They have a fine unheralded young pitching staff that has helped propel them this far. Manny Corpas at the end of the bullpen has solidified the Rockies rotation. Arizona sports a lineup of a lot of youth with some veterans mixed in. Their pitching staff is anchored by Brandon Webb, Doug Davis, Livan Hernandez and Micah Owings. Owings is a guy to watch out for because he can hurt you with his bat as well as his arm. We all know what Webb can do and what Livan can do in the big games. Justin Upton and Stephen Drew are just two of the young rookies providing big bats. Chris Young has had a great rookie year and has kept his hot bat in the playoffs. Drew is hoping to be reunited with his brother in the World Series but I’m sorry to disappoint the Drew family as I see the Rockies winning this in 7 games.

A battle between two teams who are really playing well. The sexy choice is going to be Colorado because they’ve won 17 of the last 18 games but I still feel that Arizona has the better pitching staff, especially starters, with a Cy Young winner in Brandon Webb, a World Series MVP in Livan Hernandez, who by the way is a big game pitcher much like Schilling and Beckett, and then you have Doug Davis and Micah Owings with Jose Valverde at the back end.

A line up led by Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Eric Byrnes and a handful of others can produce runs in a variety of ways. Arizona wins in 6 games.

Continue reading →

FOR THOSE COMING FROM GOOGLE OR ANOTHER SEARCH ENGINE AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE RED SOX 2008 ALCS ROSTER, CLICK HERE.

The only change from the ALDS roster that was announced is the addition of Tim Wakefield, meaning that the Red Sox will carry 11 pitchers. The casualty off the roster was catcher Kevin Cash. With Doug Mirabelli healthy, the Red Sox don’t need a third catcher. Terry Francona also stated in his press conference that Bobby Kielty will start in right field tomorrow night as Steve had heard last night. You can also check out the press conferences from today, by clicking on this link. The videos are down the bottom in the multimedia section.

Regulars:
Jason Varitek
Kevin Youkilis
Dustin Pedroia
Julio Lugo
Mike Lowell
J.D. Drew
Coco Crisp
Manny Ramirez
David Ortiz

Bench:
Eric Hinske
Alex Cora
Jacoby Ellsbury
Bobby Kielty
Doug Mirabelli

Pitchers:
Josh Beckett
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Curt Schilling
Tim Wakefield
Jon Lester
Jonathan Papelbon
Eric Gagne
Hideki Okajima
Mike Timlin
Manny Delcarmen
Javier Lopez

Congratulations to Jonathan Papelbon for the winning the DHL MLB Delivery Man of the Year Award for 2007. He ends the two-year reign of Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

Papelbon had 37 saves in 40 chances. He also sported a nice low 1.85 ERA and struck out 84 batters in just 58_^1/3 innings.

He was also the first person in the history of the Red Sox to record back-to-back 30 saves season.

Papelbon is one of the reasons why the Red Sox are where they are in the ALCS. Using his famous “Papelglare” to intimidate batters, he throws a nasty fastball and splitter to get batters out. Plus he does a mean Irish Jig.