Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Major Life Decision
I am on the doorstep of employment and rather then being excited I am scared to death. I have studied for and passed the state insurance health accident and sickness exam and have a meeting in a couple hours to become a agent for a major company. The problem is the job has no benefits, no employment designation, no salary (100% commission based) and would force to give up my existing income sources, my primary insurance and force me to hire a full time PCA which is no small task. It also an industry (sales cold calling based) that has a high upside but a low success rate and high level of turnover. I would be given no more then three months to prove myself and could wind up out on my ass with no sources of income having paid a ton of out of pocket up front cost. Can a beggar be a chooser? Does someone who's have held down full time employment at the advanced age of 28 really turn down an opportunity? I have two hours to make up my mind and I have no idea what am going to do? I hope I make the right choice!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Red Sox Preview
I hated to say it guys but I've never been so down on a Red Sox team to start a season. I hated the way the team threw a quality manager like Terry Francona completely under the bus at the end of season. It seems like Ben Cherrington has no real power as the team's new GM as he was given no authority over the managerial search. Bobby Valentine is a character but he's a baseball relic who might even have us bunting this season. The team did nothing to improve the bullpen or the starting rotation in the offseason and probably weakened both areas by moving Daniel Bard into the rotation.
There is an extra wildcard spot to play for this season but I see the Yankees, Rays, Angels and Rangers all ahead of the Sox at this point so it seems the team needs to have great health and catch some breaks to make the playoffs. The team's strengths are the top 3 starters Beckett, Lester and Buchholtz and the top five in the batting order. Beckett completely melted down at the end of last season (I was in Baltimore to see it) Lester has never fully lived up to his potential and Buchholtz is coming off a major back injury. Adding to the pressure on the top three starters is the team's totally lack of pitching depth. Felix Doubront has always been a fringe prospect at best and seems unlikely to holding down a starting spot all season. I will never understand the idea of putting Bard in the starting rotation. He's never been able to repeat his delivery and has had an ungodly walk rate at every level as a starter. Turning a solid closer into a fringe fifth starter is the height of stupidity. Even it doesn't work journeyman Aaron Cook is in the minors along with draft bust and constant tease Andrew Miller. Not to worry though Dice-K might be back in June. (God help us)
The Bullpen is a totally mess as the team foolishly traded for the super fragile Andrew Bailey (already out four months) and the vastly overrated Mark Melacon. Things are so bad that Alfredo Aceves who couldn't win a rotation spot goes into opening day as the closer. The rest of the bullpen is a series of washouts, get ready to cough up a lot of leads this year.
The lineup is solid but there's no way Jacoby Ellisbury can be counted on for 30 homers again and Ortiz is always on borrowed time. Two outfield spots are currently held down by Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross while shortstop is maned by Mike Alves none of which I trust to be productive. Even if Pedoria and Gonzalez put up monster numbers I don't see the offense being good enough to carry a suspect pitching staff. (see September)
This seems like a .500 team that lacks chemistry and doesn't yet trust their new manager. I like the Rays pitching to carry the division with Yankees finishing second and getting a wildcard. I don't see third in the division making the playoffs as the second wildcard will likely come out of the AL West with Anaheim and Texas feasting on the bottom of their division to win 95 games. I'm sorry to say it but I don't see the Sox making the playoffs again this year.
There is an extra wildcard spot to play for this season but I see the Yankees, Rays, Angels and Rangers all ahead of the Sox at this point so it seems the team needs to have great health and catch some breaks to make the playoffs. The team's strengths are the top 3 starters Beckett, Lester and Buchholtz and the top five in the batting order. Beckett completely melted down at the end of last season (I was in Baltimore to see it) Lester has never fully lived up to his potential and Buchholtz is coming off a major back injury. Adding to the pressure on the top three starters is the team's totally lack of pitching depth. Felix Doubront has always been a fringe prospect at best and seems unlikely to holding down a starting spot all season. I will never understand the idea of putting Bard in the starting rotation. He's never been able to repeat his delivery and has had an ungodly walk rate at every level as a starter. Turning a solid closer into a fringe fifth starter is the height of stupidity. Even it doesn't work journeyman Aaron Cook is in the minors along with draft bust and constant tease Andrew Miller. Not to worry though Dice-K might be back in June. (God help us)
The Bullpen is a totally mess as the team foolishly traded for the super fragile Andrew Bailey (already out four months) and the vastly overrated Mark Melacon. Things are so bad that Alfredo Aceves who couldn't win a rotation spot goes into opening day as the closer. The rest of the bullpen is a series of washouts, get ready to cough up a lot of leads this year.
The lineup is solid but there's no way Jacoby Ellisbury can be counted on for 30 homers again and Ortiz is always on borrowed time. Two outfield spots are currently held down by Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross while shortstop is maned by Mike Alves none of which I trust to be productive. Even if Pedoria and Gonzalez put up monster numbers I don't see the offense being good enough to carry a suspect pitching staff. (see September)
This seems like a .500 team that lacks chemistry and doesn't yet trust their new manager. I like the Rays pitching to carry the division with Yankees finishing second and getting a wildcard. I don't see third in the division making the playoffs as the second wildcard will likely come out of the AL West with Anaheim and Texas feasting on the bottom of their division to win 95 games. I'm sorry to say it but I don't see the Sox making the playoffs again this year.
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