Connelly’s Top Ten: Beckett For Mayor (Kidding – Trade Him!)

By Michael in Featured, Now!, Top Story ⋅ May 21, 2012 at 7:00am ⋅ Post a comment

Josh Beckett (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

1. Red Sox:

* Josh Beckett should be an option to pinch hit
* See the sign held by a fan behind the Red Sox dugout that read “Fried Chicken”?
* Phillies pitcher Qualls should be fined for walking Nick Punto, who is hitting .135
* Alfredo Aceves is an insane specimen – waste like Twiggy / back like Hagler
* With Mike Aviles now on a pace for 32 HR and 107 RBI and more-than-sufficient range – I would trade him right now and bring up Jose Iglesias, who is now over .280
* Sox are now on pace to win 80 games
* David Ortiz looked more than adequate at first – might want to think about pushing Adrian Gonzalez to the outfield if production is lacking
* Absolute bomb by Salty

2. Celtics:

* They will win the Philly series but cost themselves the next series with their disgraceful performance Friday
* Doc Rivers’s worst coaching job as a Celtic
* Avery Bradley should cover any player other than a center/power forward that hits two straight shots
* Would you trade Rajon Rondo for Pau Gasol and Ramon Sessions?
* Ray Allen is looking like the end is coming (I’d offer him two years, $8mm)
* Worst thing for the Celtics was Rondo hitting a three pointer early in the series – now he thinks he actually has that type of range
* Paul Pierce had a great 20-second dribble

3. The New NFL:

Similar to evaluating the tenuous status of a player with strikes against him because of negative drug tests, teams will have to assess past concussions (ie. Wes Welker)

4. Watched the NFL Network’s show 10 Guttiest Performances:

1. Jack Youngblood – plays in the NFC Championship, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl with broken leg
2. Dan Reeves – coaching two weeks after a heart attack
3. Ronnie Lott – cuts off finger to play

5. Most hits by active players:

* Derek Jeter (38)………..3,147
* Omar Vizquel (45)…….2,843
* A-Rod (36)………………2,815
* Johnny Damon (38)………2,732
* Chipper Jones (40)…….2,646

6. Facebook’s IPO

With Facebook in the news for its IPO, how is WWE’s (World Wrestling Entertainment) stock doing:

$16.31 per share on 4/26/10 — Friday’s closing at $8.75

7. Amazing Stats:

The last triple crown winner Affirmed (1978) was the Great, Great Grandson of Triple Crown winner War Admiral (info from Wikipedia)

8. Old Laments:

Who were we cheated from watching:

* Ted Williams during the war years
* Bobby Orr after knee woes
* Len Bias and what would have been the Celtics second dynasty with at least five championships
* Babe Ruth
* Frank Lahey and Tom Coughlin as coach of Boston College football
* Marvin Barnes and Jimmy Piersall

9. Just a Little Bit Outside:

From two PBS specials (once you turn them on, you can’t turn them off)

* 112 workers died building the Hoover Dam
* Park developer Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Central Park in New York, also designed the grounds at McClain Hospital and then ironically was admitted there at the end of his life.

10. Randomocity:

* I was surprised to read in the Globe that minor league baseballs are different than those in the majors (raised seams)
* Lance Stephenson of the Pacers, who made the choke sign at Lebron, will be released within two weeks of the Pacers’ season end
* From Baseball Tonight – Pirates struck out 41 times in the three game series in Detroit
* Should ESPN have Mark McGwire footage with Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron for their Going, Going, Gone segment? (considering he didn’t hit many of his home runs… some chemist did)
* I love Ozzie Guillen’s comments on what he would do if one of his players talked to him the way Dwyane Wade talked to his coach
* Mike Mussina struck out David Ortiz 27 times in 74 at bats

About Michael

Lifelong Boston resident who finds equal enjoyment in celebrating the local team's success as I do complaining about their failures. I have been writing the Top Ten for the last decade as well as five sports books: 26 Miles to Boston, Rebound, The President's Team, The Great Book of Boston Sports Lists and NBA List Jam.

Tags: Connelly's Top Ten, Top Ten

Discussion

4 comments for “Connelly’s Top Ten: Beckett For Mayor (Kidding – Trade Him!)”

Tom Coughlin coached Boston College football for about as long as anybody does. I ‘m not sure I get your point.

REPLY – MPC – Coughlin like Lehay had the team on the verge of national prominence when he left (one minute away from Sugar Bowl) – if they offered him a $10mm annuity to stay 10 years maybe he would have felt invested

Posted by TimU | May 21, 2012, 7:54 am
Would add to the cheated comment (on a lesser basis):

Norman Leville-He could have been a very special player

Reggie Lewis

Tony C

Cam Neely could have gone a few more years if it wasn’t for Ulf

It looks like Marc Savard may be added here and I hope that Nathan Horton does not become part of this list.

REPLY – MPC – Cam Neely definitely he was the best power right wing ever and we lost a good five years of greatness

Posted by stevea | May 21, 2012, 10:12 am
Like stevea, at the top of my list is not being able to watch Tony C in his prime. Reggie Lewis and Daryle Stingly too.

REPLY – MPC – Good ones – Stingley and Stanley Morgan were becoming a great duo

Posted by mfcurtis | May 21, 2012, 11:12 am
Emmitt Smith transformed the epitome of toughness on national television in the last game of the season in 1993. With the Cowboys and Giants fighting for the NFC East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Emmitt played the entire game with a sprained and separated right shoulder. He ran 32 times for 168 yards and caught 10 balls for 61 yards. The Cowboys won the game, earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and captured the Super Bowl title. When asked why he played through the pain, instead of watching from the sidelines, Smith calmly responded, “This is why they pay me.”

REPLY – MPC – That moment was in the top ten – he was so steady that he probably didn’t get the LT, Sanders credit – plus he fought through the pain of Dancing With the Stars

Posted by NoBama | May 21, 2012, 10:54 pm