DHL Dan CCLIX - Talent Needed

Shank's weekly column longs for the return of Red Auerbach and his renowed trading prowess:

Longing for good old days of Celtics trades for championship-caliber talent, not payroll flexibility, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while cursing the first person who uttered “payroll flexibility” …

Remember way back in June 1983 when Red Auerbach traded lumbering center Rick Robey to the Phoenix Suns for controversial guard Dennis Johnson? That was in the good old days when Red’s cigar was just a cigar and an NBA trade was just a trade — a debatable swap of talents.

I miss those days. Sure, there were often forgettable draft picks tossed into the deals, and occasionally some petty cash changed hands, but for the most part it was talent for talent and fans enjoyed making a case that the Celtics had maybe given up too much or (more likely with Red) won the deal and acquired a better player who’d help win another banner. Hello, DJ.

We loved it. Through the years, the Celtics traded Paul Westphal for Charlie Scott, Cedric Maxwell for Bill Walton, and let’s not forget Red’s Mormon grandson, Danny Ainge, swapping Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, and two future first-rounders for some guy named Kevin Garnett in 2007. A horse for five ponies and two picks. It was beautiful. It was sports. It was fun.

DHL Dan CCLVIII - No Sale

In the weekly picked Up Pieces column, Shank's not buying the reason the Red Sox got rid of Rafael Devers last week:

Red Sox are trying to sell that Devers trade was in ‘best interest’ of team. Sorry, not buying, and other thoughts.

Picked-up pieces while thinking that Florida’s Paul Maurice can coach my team any day . . .

⋅ Feel better, Red Sox fans? Happy that your team gave away the team’s best hitter in exchange for nothing that will help this year, other than $254 million in payroll relief for ownership?

Of course you are. Because you’re convinced Devers was selfish and a bad teammate. Not willing to pick up a glove to help the team. He was fat. He wouldn’t do interviews in English. Even management shill Big Papi said Devers is an ungrateful lout. Oh, and did you hear that Devers was poisoning the clubhouse, telling a good kid such as Kristian Campbell not to work out at first base to help the team?

Devers had to go. That’s what the Red Sox want you to believe.

Why can't it be both?

Go West, Young Man

Shank weighs in on yesterday's Rafael Devers trade to the San Francisco Giants:

In dealing Rafael Devers, the Red Sox cash in their good vibes and once again trade their present for the future

This is not going to play well in Red Sox Nation.

It’s shocking.

And demoralizing.

The suddenly surging Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway on Sunday afternoon for their fifth straight win, got on a plane to Seattle for a nine-game West Coast trip, then traded franchise face Rafael Devers to the Giants for mediocre pitchers Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.56 ERA) and Jordan Hicks (1-5, 6.47), plus two far-away prospects.

It’s a big bowl of bad for Boston baseball. The Red Sox are once again saving money and asking their paying population to tolerate a mediocre present in hopes of a better future.

Back then, No thanks.

My only rejoinder - didn't the Red Sox win in 2004 after they traded Nomar Garciaparra in a similar midseason trade? The only difference here - Shank led the bandwagon to run Nomar out of town.

DHL Dan CCLVII - Happy Father's Day

In this week's Picked Up Pieces column, Shank highlights the Red Sox's most recent call-up to the big leagues:

After Roman Anthony’s debut, it’s an especially happy Father’s Day for dad Tony, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while applauding NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran for asking Stefon Diggs, “What was in the bag?” . . .

Happy Father’s Day, Tony Anthony, father of Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony.

Along with Roman’s older siblings, Anthony and Lia, Tony and Lori Anthony have been enjoying our town since they arrived from Florida just in time for their son’s first big league hit, a two-run double against the Rays Tuesday night at Fenway Park. They’ve enjoyed Roman’s first week at Fenway with family and friends.

It must be interesting when Tony makes North End dinner reservations for Anthony Anthony.

Roman Anthony’s great-grandfather, father, and brother are all Anthony Anthony.

“Everybody jokes about it,” said Tony Anthony, a 61-year-old money manager from West Palm Beach. “That was my dad’s dad’s name and he died before I was born. I went to Catholic schools and was always teased about it, but I was a big kid and could handle myself. When my wife got pregnant with our first, we had no plans on naming him Anthony, but we couldn’t agree on another name, and ultimately my wife wanted to name him Anthony so we did. That’s the story.”

DHL Dan CCLVI - It Was A Bad Call, Ripley

In this week's Picked Up Pieces column, Shank gives us a little mea culpa:

Eight years later it’s clear he made the wrong call on Benintendi vs. Judge, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while wondering why Boston’s DOGE Driveline nerds don’t teach Red Sox players any fundamentals . . .

⋅ Eight years ago, Yankee Aaron Judge and Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi were the two best rookies in the American League. Judge was on his way to Rookie of the Year, but the Red Sox had the better team — remember those days? — and I couldn’t help but notice that Benintendi played better than Judge in the first 15 games between the Sox and Bombers that season.

And so in the Aug. 21, 2017, Globe, I wrote a column on the two rookies, citing other Red Sox-Yankees individual rivalries such as Ted Williams vs. Joe DiMaggio, Carlton Fisk vs. Thurman Munson, Wade Boggs vs. Don Mattingly, and Nomar Garciaparra vs. Derek Jeter.

Which guy would you rather have on your team for the next 15 seasons?“

DHL Dan CCLV - No Urgency

With the Boston Red Sox hitting the skids in recent games, Shank wonders if manager Alex Cora's lost his sense of urgency:

Has manager Alex Cora lost a sense of urgency despite the struggles of his Red Sox, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while watching the Red Sox circle the drain . . .

⋅ Did the reeling Red Sox “ruin our summer” before we even got to June?

With the Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots out of season, the Red Sox are all we have left, and they’ve been a tough watch since the Celtics were bounced from the playoffs. Boston’s starting pitching has been abysmal and the sub-.500 Sox were in fourth place after breaking a five-game losing streak on Friday, just 6-15 in one-run games.

“I know, I know, I know,” manager Alex Cora said with a sigh when we spoke over the telephone during Thursday’s off day. “I’ve been here since 2018. I know how it works. We’ve been inconsistent for years . . . We haven’t been good the last four years. I understand it’s still early, but it’s not early. I get that.

“Honestly, you look at our season, close games and one-run games. In my career I’ve never been in a season like this. So close, but so far. I keep saying, ‘When are we going to get our ass kicked or kick somebody’s ass?’ Every game is a one-run game and then it gets to the bullpen and [expletive] happens.”

Sounds like he's identified one problem area...

DHL Dan CCLIV - Loserville?

In this week's Picked Up Pieces column, Shank compares two eras in Boston sports history, with the current era somehat lacking by comparison:

Does the Celtics’ sudden downward spiral mean Boston will soon go from Titletown to Loserville, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while wondering if we’re witnessing The Curse of Steve Pagliuca . . .

⋅ Life happens fast when you invest energy and emotion in the fortunes of local sports teams. You go to bed one night in Titletown, USA, then wake up in Loserville.

Remember those dark days of no championships from 1987-2000? It got so bad we actually hosted a Stanley Cup celebration for Ray Bourque at City Hall Plaza in June 2001 because Bourque finally won the Cup after the Bruins traded him to Colorado!

Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.

It looks like we can send out the duck boats for servicing. Replace all parts. It doesn’t matter if materials get held up in the supply chain. There’ll be no parade down the Champs de Boylston next month. It looks like Copley’s Canyon of Heroes will be quiet for many years to come.