Boston

Recently, Michael Silverman of the "Boston Herald" published a list of Boston Red Sox trade deadline and other late July trades under Theo Epstein's stewardship (which you can see here: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=11...).

In Silverman's list, he virtualy ranked the deals by the amount of success the team had after the trade. While that may be a big part about looking back past trades, it should not be the only way. This article is correcting some of the errors Silverman had made.

You probably won't agree with all my choices.

With 23 games remaining in the regular season, it appears it is safe to say the Red Sox will not be the AL East Champions in 2009—that title will almost certainly belong to the NY Yankees. Hopefully, it is the only title the Evil Empire will lay claim to in 2009.

So, the next goal for the Olde Towne Team is making the playoffs.

We're at the half-way point of the 2009 Major League Baseball season, and with all the statistics and numbers that baseball keeps, it's not too hard to point out how the Sox are at where they are...on top of the American Leauge!

This is my Red Sox mid-season report, and as the title says... it's all in the numbers!

In the summer leading up to the 2007 Major League Baseball season, the Boston Red Sox put 50 million dollars on the table just to speak to a pitcher from Japan. Reports of a pitch known as the "gyro" ball infatuated every baseball fan from coast to coast.

The deal was completed and Daisuke "Dice-K" Matsuzaka was brought to the Red Sox with open arms from The Nation.

His first season went by looking very average and not close to worth the money.  He went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA.

"Not only the Bronx, but anywhere, I think anywhere is a possibility..You always have to keep that in the back of your mind because you can’t just be one-sided and think that, ‘Oh I’m going to be in a Red Sox uniform my entire career.’ Because nowadays that is very, very rare. . . .

In every sport, there’s at least one team that seems to “stack the deck,” meaning rack up all the talent so that no one else can have any and the stacked team wins championship after championship. Sometimes, the team has so much talent, that great players languish on the bench, and they could be starring someplace else. When I say “broken up,” I mean that the teams should get rid of some of their talent so other teams have a chance at having a good team. McMullen’s Musings takes a look at teams that should do just that.

A few months ago, I wrote an article naming 10 players I believe could be in the remaining 103 names affiliated with the A-Rod steroids controversy.

Much to the chagrin of Red Sox fans, one of the names listed was Red Sox DH David Ortiz.

The article was written Feb. 10, and since then Ortiz has done nothing but confirm any suspicions that his better years are in the past.

As the ball sailed off David Ortiz's bat into one of the deepest parts of Fenway Park Wednesday night, it marked the end of a very emotional journey: for Ortiz, for the fans, and for the media who had made hitting that first home run such an important achievement.

If you are reading this blog, you undoubtedly are familiar with the nonstop coverage that has followed Ortiz's lackluster offense this season. Everyone has an opinion about what is "wrong" with Big Papi, and the story of the first home run took on a life of its own.

John Smoltz is a baseball anomaly.

Everyone is well aware of the career that Smoltz had during his 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He compiled 210 victories during his tenure in Atlanta while also racking up 154 saves.

Well, after the embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Red Sox two weekends ago up at Fenway Park, the Sawx travel down to the Bronx for their first games in the New Yankee Stadium.

In honor of this occasion tonight, I have come up with another edition of the Smoking With Hank Top Five, where we take a look at the top five moments between the Yankees and the Red Sox to take place at the Old Yankee Stadium. Enjoy!