D.J. Versailles's Blog

{{{{ NLDS }}}}

Cubs over Dodgers (5 games) Dodgers Won Series 3-0!
Brewers over Phillies (3 games) Phillies Won Series 3-1!

[{{{ ALDS }}}}

Red Sox over Angels (5 games) Won Series 3-1!
Rays over White Sox (4 games) Won Series 3-1!

<Photo 1>

Dodgers over Phillies (7 games)

<Photo 2>

Red Sox over Rays (6 games)

The article I decided to write about struck me like a bolt of lightning the day my professor handed out and discussed the Research Term Paper Assignment. I wanted to understand more about the situation that affected Fenway High School students including myself during my senior year. The article was written by a journalist, Dean Schabner, from ABC News on February 20, 2005. Immigration in the U.S. has a great impact. Dean Schabner did research on a “Boston Education teacher who is beloved by his students, respected by his peers, and valued by school administrators” (Schabner 1). I think the Obain situation fits in nicely with the debate regarding immigrants moving and working comfortably in America.

As a student who attended and graduated Fenway High School in Boston, Massachusetts, there was a special education teacher by the name of Mr. Obain Ottouoman. Mr. Obain Attouoman has been working at the Boston Public Schools for the past 10 years. He has a truly gifted ability to redirect students who display poor behavioral patterns and an unwavering willingness to mentor young males who lack prominent male role models in their lives. Mr. Obain primarily teaches math and learning disabled classes. If there was ever any competition to determine a teacher who was best dressed for success, the gentleman’s name was Mr. Obain Attouoman. There was never any doubt in my mind that Mr. Obain is an incredibly valuable asset to Boston and the Fenway High School community.

Let us begin with why my title is called, “The Fight Is Not Over.” This all started as a teacher’s union official in his home country, The Ivory Coast. During the 1990s, Mr. Obain was arrested because he tried to overthrow a corrupted government. Therefore, he left as a native of the Ivory Coast in 1992 entering the United States of America legally on a VISA. This was mainly due to escaping from political persecution. Apparently, Mr. Obain missed a critical hearing with a judge four years ago and was in prison for three months as well as lost an appeal. The hearing was on his application for political asylum. Mr. Obain admitted that he misread the handwritten date on the notice he received. He was then arrested by Immigration in November ’03 and detained until March ’04.

As a result of public demonstrations by students and teachers, appeals by public leaders, and the skillful negotiations of his attorneys, Mr. Obain's deportation was delayed. In March 2005, Senator John Kerry introduced S 522 and Congressman Ed Markey introduced HR 1179. Both pieces of legislation keep Obain safe in the United States. There is sill one last major step. Mr. Obain still needs passage of the legislation and the signature of President Bush support S522 and HR1179 and guarantee he will never face the danger of deportation again.

On March 3, 2005, the Honorable Senator Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the committee on the judiciary. The S. 522 bill was for the relief of Mr. Obain Attouoman. To find a complete detailed explanation of this particular bill, please click on the following link below:

http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/AboutFenway/obain/s522.
htm

On March 8, 2005, the Honorable Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the committee on the judiciary. The H. R. 1179 bill was for the relief of Mr. Obain Attouoman. To find a complete detailed explanation of this particular bill, please click on the following link below:

http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/AboutFenway/obain/hr117
9.htm

I would like to focus this paper on the main reasons why the immigration authorities decided to deport Mr. Obain back to the Ivory Coast. The views immigration and political parties have on immigration these days. It is clear that many Americans especially political parties have bias and negative views towards illegal immigrants coming to America. Over the last few months, there have been an unprecedented amount of protests by migrants and immigrant rights supporters throughout the country in response to proposed anti-immigrant legislation. According to Action for World Liberation Today, “the anti-immigration legislation entails settling for nothing less than full amnesty and dignity for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the U.S.” El Gran Paro Americano states, “Immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year, earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion. They also contribute to the US economy 25 billion more than they receive in healthcare.” These data are just staggering statistical nuggets. It is clear to me that immigrants make a valuable contribution to society and that should stay consistent for the rest of eternity.

In order to analyze my internet article, I have read and thought about two readings from the class text book Race, Class, and Gender. The first reading is written by Lillian Rubin titled, “Is This A White Country, Or What?” This was a great reading because it talks about ethnicity and migration. Also, it goes to show you how anti-immigrants feel about how guests will come to the American shores and corrupting the society. To understand ethnicity is essential to explain and justify the unequal treatment and discrimination against people. The other reading I will utilize is called, “Policing the National Body” by Jael Silliman. I find this article true by all measures in identifying “the policing, criminalization, and incarceration of large numbers of poor people and people of color” (Silliman 384).

The first article, “Is This a White Country or What,” talks specifically about the social aspect of ethnicity and migration. Lillian Rubin talks about the no-win situation for America’s people of color, whether immigrant or native born. According to Lisa Marshall, a sixteen-year-old white high school student explains, “There are all these things for all different ethnicities, you know, like clubs for black kids and Hispanic kids, but there’s nothing for me and my friends to join. They won’t let us have a white club because that’s supposed to be racist. So we figured we’d just have to call it something else, you know, some ethnic thing, like Euro-Americans. Why not? They have African-American clubs” (Rubin 417).

I think this student shows that we live in a society that still includes racism. As I learned in class, the American society became “racialized” by perceptions of inferiority, denied opportunities, and real subordination. This will never officially end but measures can be made to improve the issue. Supposedly, everyone is supposed to have the same opportunities in life. I do not believe citizens are receiving opportunities to make a living and take care of their families. White Privilege is an example of a belief that has an indirect impact to people of color. White Privilege can be defined as a set of subtle and taken for granted privileges and advantages based on being part of the White majority. Basically, there are privileges that exist for Whites whether they want them or not and whether they like them or not.

It is intriguing to find a student at such a young age be exposed to a situation relating to ethnicity. More so, an act of segregation practices performed in a supposed educational classroom. I think it would take many years to solve issues pertaining to race, class, gender, and ethnicity.
This relates to Mr. Obain’s case because it clearly shows immigrants being mistreated while living in America. The article states, “Integrating masses of people of color into a society where race consciousness lies at the very heart of our central nervous system raises a whole new set of anxieties and tensions.” This is unfortunate because immigrants have done no wrong to anyone. All they want to do is live a life comfortably by earning money to support themselves and their family. It is also important to make a contribution to society to keep the river flowing.

According to Sara B. Miller, a journalist for the Christian Science Monitor, states “Mr. Obain’s case has become a cause célèbre for his students, but it also comes at a time when immigration debate is building nationwide. Congress is considering a homeland-security bill that would make it harder for some foreigners to prove persecution in their homelands, raising difficult questions about where to draw the lines on immigration.” Given that this article was written a year ago, there is a lot of truth to many political parties taking a stand on immigration. In fact, President Bush tried to shed light on immigration in a nationally-televised speech to the country. As I learned from a very reliable source, he does not have a position on immigration.

Mr. Obain’s case is rather intriguing. It includes how he spent more than three months in detention and how students acted in the form of a sense of urgency. Although an asylum officer said in 2001 that Mr. Obain’s claim of political persecution was not strong enough for asylum, students protested fiercely: sending out thousands of postcards and letters, passing out leaflets, meeting with politicians, and painting banners and posters that they've carried across the city on his behalf. I kept thinking to myself why such a positive role model for the school community had to leave. My former headmaster, Ms. Peggy Kemp laid it out just right, “I don't know if people don't understand the importance of a positive experience with a teacher or how detrimental it can be to lose that.”

After reading the national news article and the readings from our textbook, I think that I definitely understand the issue facing Americans on a daily basis. Generally, after completing this course, I am much more mindful of my surroundings when I go out and prosper into the world with human beings coming from different backgrounds on a daily basis. I have never acted superior to other people of any other race, religion, or color but I have realized some things that I have never thought about and how they could be seen negatively. I think that the key evidence for viewing me as respecting all different kinds of people is that fact that I was born and grew up in Boston where in some conditions I was of the minority. My mother had a big impact on my open-mindedness because she always taught me to treat others the way I would like to be treated no matter who the person. Imagine if more people were more considerate to other people? I think it would help the society accept each other who share common morals, values, and ideology.

In Sociology 106 (Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity) class, Professor Le talked about how illegal immigrants receive more benefits than they contribute. Majority of research shows illegal immigrants offer more benefits to the U.S. than they receive but with geographic differences. There is no question immigration is a big issues that faces America these days. Hopefully, there will continue to be improvement to make sure every citizen foreign or native-born receives their land of opportunities.

In the end, Mr. Obain took his first step to true freedom. If it were not for the love and kindness of countless people across this globe, Mr. Obain Attouoman would not be in the classroom today at Fenway High School. You can thank the students who would not let their teacher go. As the Honorable Senator Kerry stated, “They were impressive kids and they gave personal stories of how Mr. Attouoman had affected their lives. One young man said he was a role model, and he hadn’t had a role model before. This is a man who was making a difference in the lives of young people, and this is what we need to do.” Hopefully, there will be many other Obain Attouoman’s who can get the same treatment he received by giving the opportunity for immigrant rights. Only one question remains: Can we who support immigrant rights win the fight?

Let’s help Mr. Obain Attouoman return to America where he needs a second chance in the "land of opportunity" where he will get his freedom of speech, justice for all, and most importantly continue educating the young students at Fenway High School.

“Don’t hate the player; hate the game.”
In other words, "Don't judge the man; judge the system."

Bibliography / References

Miller, Sara B. 2005. “Living civics lesson: teacher’s asylum bid” Christian
Science Monitor. < http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0303/p02s01-ussc.html>a>. (March 03, 2005).

Rubin, Lillian B. 1994. “Is This A White Country, Or What?” in Race, Class, and
Gender: An Anthology, edited by Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Schabner, Dean. “Beloved Teacher Facing Deportation Wins Reprieve.” ABC NEWS. Good Morning America. (February 20, 2005), p. 1-4. <http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=504775&page=1>

Silliman, Jael. 2002. “Policing the National Body: Sex, Race, and Criminalization.” In Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology, edited by Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Walker, Adrian. 2005. “A victory for good sense” Boston Globe. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/03/07/
a_victory_for_good_sense/>. (March 07, 2005).

The article I decided to write about struck me like a bolt of lightning the day my professor handed out and discussed the Research Term Paper Assignment. I wanted to understand more about the situation that affected Fenway High School students including myself during my senior year. The article was written by a journalist, Dean Schabner, from ABC News on February 20, 2005. Immigration in the U.S. has a great impact. Dean Schabner did research on a “Boston Education teacher who is beloved by his students, respected by his peers, and valued by school administrators” (Schabner 1). I think the Obain situation fits in nicely with the debate regarding immigrants moving and working comfortably in America.

As a student who attended and graduated Fenway High School in Boston, Massachusetts, there was a special education teacher by the name of Mr. Obain Ottouoman. Mr. Obain Attouoman has been working at the Boston Public Schools for the past 10 years. He has a truly gifted ability to redirect students who display poor behavioral patterns and an unwavering willingness to mentor young males who lack prominent male role models in their lives. Mr. Obain primarily teaches math and learning disabled classes. If there was ever any competition to determine a teacher who was best dressed for success, the gentleman’s name was Mr. Obain Attouoman. There was never any doubt in my mind that Mr. Obain is an incredibly valuable asset to Boston and the Fenway High School community.

Let us begin with why my title is called, “The Fight Is Not Over.” This all started as a teacher’s union official in his home country, The Ivory Coast. During the 1990s, Mr. Obain was arrested because he tried to overthrow a corrupted government. Therefore, he left as a native of the Ivory Coast in 1992 entering the United States of America legally on a VISA. This was mainly due to escaping from political persecution. Apparently, Mr. Obain missed a critical hearing with a judge four years ago and was in prison for three months as well as lost an appeal. The hearing was on his application for political asylum. Mr. Obain admitted that he misread the handwritten date on the notice he received. He was then arrested by Immigration in November ’03 and detained until March ’04.

As a result of public demonstrations by students and teachers, appeals by public leaders, and the skillful negotiations of his attorneys, Mr. Obain's deportation was delayed. In March 2005, Senator John Kerry introduced S 522 and Congressman Ed Markey introduced HR 1179. Both pieces of legislation keep Obain safe in the United States. There is sill one last major step. Mr. Obain still needs passage of the legislation and the signature of President Bush support S522 and HR1179 and guarantee he will never face the danger of deportation again.

On March 3, 2005, the Honorable Senator Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the committee on the judiciary. The S. 522 bill was for the relief of Mr. Obain Attouoman. To find a complete detailed explanation of this particular bill, please click on the following link below:

http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/AboutFenway/obain/s522.h
tm

On March 8, 2005, the Honorable Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the committee on the judiciary. The H. R. 1179 bill was for the relief of Mr. Obain Attouoman. To find a complete detailed explanation of this particular bill, please click on the following link below:

http://fenway.boston.k12.ma.us/AboutFenway/obain/hr1179
.htm

I would like to focus this paper on the main reasons why the immigration authorities decided to deport Mr. Obain back to the Ivory Coast. The views immigration and political parties have on immigration these days. It is clear that many Americans especially political parties have bias and negative views towards illegal immigrants coming to America. Over the last few months, there have been an unprecedented amount of protests by migrants and immigrant rights supporters throughout the country in response to proposed anti-immigrant legislation. According to Action for World Liberation Today, “the anti-immigration legislation entails settling for nothing less than full amnesty and dignity for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the U.S.” El Gran Paro Americano states, “Immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year, earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion. They also contribute to the US economy 25 billion more than they receive in healthcare.” These data are just staggering statistical nuggets. It is clear to me that immigrants make a valuable contribution to society and that should stay consistent for the rest of eternity.

In order to analyze my internet article, I have read and thought about two readings from the class text book Race, Class, and Gender. The first reading is written by Lillian Rubin titled, “Is This A White Country, Or What?” This was a great reading because it talks about ethnicity and migration. Also, it goes to show you how anti-immigrants feel about how guests will come to the American shores and corrupting the society. To understand ethnicity is essential to explain and justify the unequal treatment and discrimination against people. The other reading I will utilize is called, “Policing the National Body” by Jael Silliman. I find this article true by all measures in identifying “the policing, criminalization, and incarceration of large numbers of poor people and people of color” (Silliman 384).

The first article, “Is This a White Country or What,” talks specifically about the social aspect of ethnicity and migration. Lillian Rubin talks about the no-win situation for America’s people of color, whether immigrant or native born. According to Lisa Marshall, a sixteen-year-old white high school student explains, “There are all these things for all different ethnicities, you know, like clubs for black kids and Hispanic kids, but there’s nothing for me and my friends to join. They won’t let us have a white club because that’s supposed to be racist. So we figured we’d just have to call it something else, you know, some ethnic thing, like Euro-Americans. Why not? They have African-American clubs” (Rubin 417).

I think this student shows that we live in a society that still includes racism. As I learned in class, the American society became “racialized” by perceptions of inferiority, denied opportunities, and real subordination. This will never officially end but measures can be made to improve the issue. Supposedly, everyone is supposed to have the same opportunities in life. I do not believe citizens are receiving opportunities to make a living and take care of their families. White Privilege is an example of a belief that has an indirect impact to people of color. White Privilege can be defined as a set of subtle and taken for granted privileges and advantages based on being part of the White majority. Basically, there are privileges that exist for Whites whether they want them or not and whether they like them or not.

It is intriguing to find a student at such a young age be exposed to a situation relating to ethnicity. More so, an act of segregation practices performed in a supposed educational classroom. I think it would take many years to solve issues pertaining to race, class, gender, and ethnicity.
This relates to Mr. Obain’s case because it clearly shows immigrants being mistreated while living in America. The article states, “Integrating masses of people of color into a society where race consciousness lies at the very heart of our central nervous system raises a whole new set of anxieties and tensions.” This is unfortunate because immigrants have done no wrong to anyone. All they want to do is live a life comfortably by earning money to support themselves and their family. It is also important to make a contribution to society to keep the river flowing.

According to Sara B. Miller, a journalist for the Christian Science Monitor, states “Mr. Obain’s case has become a cause célèbre for his students, but it also comes at a time when immigration debate is building nationwide. Congress is considering a homeland-security bill that would make it harder for some foreigners to prove persecution in their homelands, raising difficult questions about where to draw the lines on immigration.” Given that this article was written a year ago, there is a lot of truth to many political parties taking a stand on immigration. In fact, President Bush tried to shed light on immigration in a nationally-televised speech to the country. As I learned from a very reliable source, he does not have a position on immigration.

Mr. Obain’s case is rather intriguing. It includes how he spent more than three months in detention and how students acted in the form of a sense of urgency. Although an asylum officer said in 2001 that Mr. Obain’s claim of political persecution was not strong enough for asylum, students protested fiercely: sending out thousands of postcards and letters, passing out leaflets, meeting with politicians, and painting banners and posters that they've carried across the city on his behalf. I kept thinking to myself why such a positive role model for the school community had to leave. My former headmaster, Ms. Peggy Kemp laid it out just right, “I don't know if people don't understand the importance of a positive experience with a teacher or how detrimental it can be to lose that.”

After reading the national news article and the readings from our textbook, I think that I definitely understand the issue facing Americans on a daily basis. Generally, after completing this course, I am much more mindful of my surroundings when I go out and prosper into the world with human beings coming from different backgrounds on a daily basis. I have never acted superior to other people of any other race, religion, or color but I have realized some things that I have never thought about and how they could be seen negatively. I think that the key evidence for viewing me as respecting all different kinds of people is that fact that I was born and grew up in Boston where in some conditions I was of the minority. My mother had a big impact on my open-mindedness because she always taught me to treat others the way I would like to be treated no matter who the person. Imagine if more people were more considerate to other people? I think it would help the society accept each other who share common morals, values, and ideology.

In Sociology 106 (Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity) class, Professor Le talked about how illegal immigrants receive more benefits than they contribute. Majority of research shows illegal immigrants offer more benefits to the U.S. than they receive but with geographic differences. There is no question immigration is a big issues that faces America these days. Hopefully, there will continue to be improvement to make sure every citizen foreign or native-born receives their land of opportunities.

In the end, Mr. Obain took his first step to true freedom. If it were not for the love and kindness of countless people across this globe, Mr. Obain Attouoman would not be in the classroom today at Fenway High School. You can thank the students who would not let their teacher go. As the Honorable Senator Kerry stated, “They were impressive kids and they gave personal stories of how Mr. Attouoman had affected their lives. One young man said he was a role model, and he hadn’t had a role model before. This is a man who was making a difference in the lives of young people, and this is what we need to do.” Hopefully, there will be many other Obain Attouoman’s who can get the same treatment he received by giving the opportunity for immigrant rights. Only one question remains: Can we who support immigrant rights win the fight?

Let’s help Mr. Obain Attouoman return to America where he needs a second chance in the "land of opportunity" where he will get his freedom of speech, justice for all, and most importantly continue educating the young students at Fenway High School.

“Don’t hate the player; hate the game.”
In other words, "Don't judge the man; judge the system."

Bibliography / References

Miller, Sara B. 2005. “Living civics lesson: teacher’s asylum bid” Christian
Science Monitor. < http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0303/p02s01-ussc.html>. (March 03, 2005).

Rubin, Lillian B. 1994. “Is This A White Country, Or What?” in Race, Class, and
Gender: An Anthology, edited by Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Schabner, Dean. “Beloved Teacher Facing Deportation Wins Reprieve.” ABC NEWS. Good Morning America. (February 20, 2005), p. 1-4.

Silliman, Jael. 2002. “Policing the National Body: Sex, Race, and Criminalization.” In Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology, edited by Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Walker, Adrian. 2005. “A victory for good sense” Boston Globe. . (March 07, 2005).

The preseason envelopes, please:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MVP: Manny Ramirez, Red Sox
Cy Young Award: Roy Halladay, Blue Jays
Rookie of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
Manager of the Year: John Gibbons, Blue Jays
Comeback player: JD Drew, Red Sox
Manager most in trouble: John Gibbons, Blue Jays
Batting champion: Joe Mauer, Twins
Reliever of the Year: Joe Nathan, Twins
Most home runs: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP: Andruw Jones, Dodgers
Cy Young Award: Johan Santana, Mets
Rookie of the Year: Tony Gwinn, Brewers
Manager of the Year: Joe Torre, Dodgers
Comeback player: Brad Lidge, Phillies
Manager most in trouble: Charlie Manuel, Phillies
Batting champion: David Wright, Mets
Reliever of the Year: Eric Gagne, Brewers
Most home runs: Andruw Jones, Dodgers

So how will the 2008 MLB season pan out?
Here's my take and hopefully I can replicate last year's success in my predictions.

DJ's MLB Predictions for 2008:
AL EAST:
-Boston Red Sox
-New York Yankees**
-Toronto Blue Jays
-Tampa Bay Rays
-Baltimore Orioles

AL CENTRAL:
-Detroit Tigers
-Cleveland Indians
-Chicago White Sox
-Minnesota Twins
-Kansas City Royals

AL WEST:
-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
-Seattle Mariners
-Oakland Athletics
-Texas Rangers

NL EAST:
-New York Mets
-Atlanta Braves
-Philladelphia Phillies
-Florida Marlins
-Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL:
-Chicago Cubs
-Milwaukee Brewers**
-St. Louis Cardinals
-Houston Astros
-Cincinnati Reds
-Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST:
-Los Angeles Dodgers
-San Diego Padres
-Arizona Diamondbacks
-San Francisco Giants
-Colorado Rockies

** denotes Wild Card Winner

Division Series:

Red Sox over Angels
Yankees over Tigers
Cubs over Dodgers
Mets over Brewers

League Championship Series:

Red Sox over Yankees
Cubs over Mets

World Series:

Red Sox over Cubs

Hello everyone!

This weekend features a matchup of the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers at the New England Patriots. I think this game will determine whether the Patriots continue to go undefeated. Before the season, I predicted the Patriots to go 15-1 and win the Super Bowl over the Seattle Seahawks. I had the Patriots losing to one team but still have not determined which team will derail the undefeated season. As much as it pains me to say, I predict the Pittsburgh Steelers to come into Gillette Stadium and knock off the New England Patriots on Sunday evening. I hope I'm wrong but this is the one team I feel can do it.

According to Adam Schein of Fox Sports, "Dick LeBeau's defense plays with that physical style Baltimore displayed last night, only better. Ben Roethlisberger has a knack for being clutch. And if A.J. Feeley and Kyle Boller can play well against New England, so can Roethlisberger. Assuming he can hold onto the ball, Willie Parker can run against the Pats. And a player like Hines Ward was built for a game like this."

I could not agree more. Pittsburgh is the only team remaining that has the personnel to pull off the upset. Our defense has been having trouble stopping the run. Willie Parker could have a huge game if this trend continues for the Patriots. The offensive line needs to protect Tom Brady. He is getting hit hard and that is a problem. We'll wait and see .

I hope New England wins and I will wear my Patriots hat. The two games I did not wear it, the Patriots almost loss. I put it on the last minute. This Sunday, I have a a bit of bad news. I will not be able to wear my hat until later in the game. As you can see, I'm a bit superstitious.

After Pittsburgh, I don't see the Jets, Dolphins, or Giants giving us much trouble. As Adam Schein says, "Eric Mangini created the word "Spygate." New England is going to rightly treat the Jets like the freshman team. I don't think a 35- or 40-point win is out of the question. Don Shula, in ultra-bitter fashion, wondered aloud if the Pats should have an asterisk attached to their record. New England is going to win by the same type of score against the hapless, winless Dolphins. Eli Manning gets confused against the Vikings. Wait until he sees the Patriots."

Your thoughts?

~D.J. Versailles~

This is what seems to be a valuable source from Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press in Minnesota. I'm starting to get excited about the possibility of Johan Santana becoming part of the Red Sox organization. Your thoughts?

CHARLEY WALTERS

A little birdie says the Boston Red Sox have become the favorite in the Johan Santana trade sweepstakes.

The Twins would receive four players for the Twins' two-time Cy Young Award winner, including center fielder Coco Crisp, 28.

Others would be shortstop prospect Jed Lowry, 23; left-handed pitcher Jon Lester, 23; and right-handed pitcher Justin Masterson, 22.

Before a deal could be made, the Red Sox would have to have time to negotiate a contract extension with Santana, 28, who can become a free agent after next season and could have a market value as high as $150 million over six years.

Lowry did not play in the major leagues this year but is considered ready and is a good-fielding shortstop who also can hit. Lowry had a slugging percentage of .500 at Class AA and Class AAA this year.

Lester made a comeback from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a year ago and is said to be cancer-free.

Masterson, 6 feet 6, 245 pounds, had 59 strikeouts in 58 innings at Class AA Portland.

The New York Yankees don't have the prospects available who the Twins figure have a reasonable chance to play in the major leagues by the end of 2008.

Greetings Everyone and Happy Sunday!

 

It all comes down to Game 7. The third Game 7 of my lifetime as a Red Sox fan. I attended my first Red Sox game on April 25, 1995. It happened to be against the New York Yankees. At the time, I did not know anything about baseball. My friend taught me that day how everything works. Mo Vaughn and Nomar Garciaparra went deep in a 13-6 victory. At least around that neighborhood for the final score. I was born in 1987. Therefore, I was not around for 1986 and did not find out about the World Series until later on. Now, I know so much about baseball because I attended Fenway High School from September 2001-June 2005. I learned a lot from people during my time at the school. The school is adjacent to the right field line of Fenway Park. Every Spring, I attended a Red Sox game with the school. It was one of the highlights of my life. How fun to walk behind the Green Monster on Lansdowne Street every morning and evening in 9th grade? It was a pleasure to see America's oldest, smallest, and beloved ballpark.

Last night, it was great to see J.D. Drew erase a season of frustration with one swing of the bat on a 3-1 count. Julio Lugo was able to get going offensively. Jacoby proved that he should be in the lineup again tonight. He showed his contributions last night with speed and plate discipline. I have a feeling we may see some more flashes of greatness tonight. Schilling left a lot of pitches in the zone and was shaky. However, he pitched his heart out. It was a nice game. One more to go!

Here is an insight from a special inside source of mine. "In many ways, this rally to Game 7 has gone much better than in 2004, not just because they were down three back then or because we were playing on the road for the final two.  In 2004, Game 5 was an extra-innings affair, while Game 6 was pressure-packed from start to finish (Schilling’s bleeding sock, Bellhop’s home run, A-Rod’s karate-chop).  This year, Game 5 was fairly close for a while, but Beckett was on the mound and seemed in total control, while Game 6 was a cakewalk.  So going in to Game 7, we have a starter going on full rest (Game 7 was a brilliant Derek Lowe on short rest), a rested bullpen, the added extra arsenal of Beckett and Wakefield being available out of the ‘pen, and a rejuvenated offense with a lot of momentum and backed by the home crowd (kind of - more on that in a second).  I’m not saying I’m extremely confident about the outcome of the game; I just like the fact that we’re not handicapped by anything going in.  Anything can happen in a Game 7, because both teams are playing like there’s no tomorrow."

My projected lineup for Game 7:

Pedroia
Youkilis
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Drew
Varitek
Ellsbury
Lugo

Keys to the game:

Again, the Red Sox need to jump out to an early lead to alleviate the pressure on Daisuke Matsuzaka. It would be nice to score in the first inning. They put the pressure on Cleveland. I'm not comfortable with the Red Sox playing catch up. Cleveland has fewer holes on offense.

Step up Fenway Faithful - Fans need to get into this game and be the 10th or 11th man. The Red Sox need you to be electric. So far, Jacobs Field has won in that category. Let's change that tonight.

All hands on deck. The bullpen needs to be ready in case Daisuke is having trouble. My suggestion for this bullpen by committee is Lester, Beckett, Wakefield, and Papelbon on the back end.

Be aggressive Daisuke with first pitch strikes consistently. Try to mix it up with offspeed pitches because Cleveland is a fastball hitting team.

I don't want to make any predictions for this Game 7 at Fenway Park. I hope the Red Sox find a way to win tonight.  It should be interesting. Hopefully, the Red Sox can get the job done.

~D.J. "Little Papi" Versailles~



 

 

 

Hello Everyone!

First off, fans should boo Ryan Garko tonight. He was quoted as saying, "The champagne tastes just as good on the road as it does at home." The Red Sox appear to be the underdogs heading into this game.

My lineup for Game 6:

Ellsbury (The breaking news is he will be starting tonight in place of Coco Crisp).
Youkilis
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Drew
Varitek
Cora
Pedroia

Keys to the game:

"Could Ellsbury provide a spark? Of course. Crisp isn’t getting on base, and Ellsbury had proven in the regular season that he could do it, and do it often. Like Crisp (if he could ever get on base), Ellsbury could steal a base and immediately put the Sox in position to score with a base hit. (According to a great friend of mind with terrific insight)."

Need to lay off Carmona's sinker and get his pitch count up like in Game 2. Hopefully, the batters can get the sinker up in the zone. "Hang them and they'll bang them."

We need to score a lot of runs early. By the 5th inning, we need to have at least 5 runs.

Schilling needs to make it to the 7th without allowing too many runs. We’ll see; I think it is going to be interesting.

~D.J. "Little Papi" Versailles~

Hello Everyone!

I want to get right to my point.  As a Red Sox fan, I don't plan on giving up
on this team. I am not ready to throw in the towel.  Hopefully, the Red Sox can show up
on Thursday that they belong in the ALCS. I expect Josh Beckett to pitch well on the mound and feel confident he can put us in a position to bring the series back to Fenway Park. If I'm manager Terry Francona, I would bench Julio Lugo and insert Alex Cora.  He is a veteran presence and can replace the ice-cold Lugo.  I would plug in Jacoby Ellsbury for Coco Crisp. Besides, I think he is gone after the season based on his performance. They need to play from in front. It is difficult to play from behind. Two things I did not like about Game 4  One, I did not like the way Manny Ramirez stood and admired his home run. Second, it was painful to hear Joe Buck remind Sox fans of the Aaron Boone home run. That totally took the enjoyment out of the game for me.  It's unfortunate because I really do like and respect him.  

My lineup for Game 5:

Ellsbury
Youkilis
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Varitek
Kielty
Cora
Pedroia

The Red Sox are running out of time. Your thoughts?

~D.J. Versailles~

Hi Everyone!

 I have long heard about Red Sox fans dislike for emmy award winners Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. The fact they do not like the Red Sox. What are your thoughts on them? How about Ken Rosenthal? I find him to be a fantastic reporter and love his articles. How about Jeanne Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy? I look forward to hearing your opinions.
 

May the best team win!

NLDS Series -

Prediction: Cubs in 4.
Prediction: Rockies in 5.

ALDS Series -

Prediction: Red Sox in 4.
Prediction: Yankees in 5.

NLCS Series -

Prediction: Cubs in 6.

ALCS Series -

Prediction: Red Sox in 6.

World Series -

Prediction: Red Sox in 5.

Enjoy the postseason everyone who loves baseball just as much as me. I promise these are my final predictions.

 First of all, I would like to say that I hope everyone enjoys the postseason. There is definitely going to be some exciting baseball played this month. May the best team win!

 

Division Series on TBS:

Red Sox over Angels (3-1)
Indians over Yankees (3-2)

Cubs over Diamondbacks (3-1)
Phillies over Rockies (3-2)

ALCS on FOX:

Red Sox over Indians (4-1)

NLCS on TBS:

Cubs over Phillies (4-1)

World Series on FOX:

Red Sox over Cubs (4-2)

 

By Dayn Perry In some senses, it's fitting that the Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball. They are, after all, the model organization in the game today.

 

This may sound like a strange thing to say about a team that hasn't won a division title since 1995. However, from top to bottom there's no organization that's as smart, efficient, dedicated and forward-thinking as the Red Sox. This season, they're on pace for 97 wins, they've clinched their 10th straight winning campaign, and they're also the odds-on favorites to win their second World Series in the last four seasons. In other words, right now the Sox are ascendant in every way. Here's some of what's gone into Boston's way of "building the perfect beast."

 

Dedicated ownership

Since a consortium led by John Henry, Tom Werner and the New York Times Company purchased the Red Sox from the Yawkey Trust in 2002, the team has consistently ranked near the top of the league in payroll. This season, they're second only to the New York Yankees with a payroll of more than $143 million.

The Yankees still have a higher payroll, but the Red Sox have leapfrogged them in other respects. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

Henry and company have shown a terminal willingness to invest in their product. That means locking up veteran performers, being active on the free-agent market and taking on salary at the deadline and also plowing money into the scouting and development budgets. With skinflint owners like Jeffrey Loria and Carl Pohlad too much with us, it's nice to see a "sporting gentleman" type like Henry who sees the value of putting a good product on the field.

 

A gifted and varied front office

Boston's many-tentacled front office is of course led by wunderkind Theo Epstein. Despite his youth, Epstein has proved himself to be a gifted operator, but he owes much to his impressive support staff. You've got seasoned baseball men like Allard Baird and Craig Shipley, new-school types like Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer and, of course, the wisdom of Bill James. It's up to Epstein to build a consensus and evaluate all those inputs. Needless to say, he does that exceptionally well.

 

Rebuilding while contending

Here's perhaps what's most impressive. Remaining in contention while improving the farm system is one of the most challenging things for an organization — most often, teams focus on one to the neglect of the other. Under Epstein, however, the Sox have pulled it off, and this season provides the perfect example. As mentioned, the Red Sox are the best team in baseball in 2007, and much of that success is attributable to rookie bestowals. For instance, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia, Hideki Okajima, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Kason Gabbard (since traded to Texas) have all made vital contributions this season. Much like the great Braves teams of the 1990s, the current Red Sox aren't afraid to plug in young talent in the midst of a pennant drive.

It's also impressive that the Sox have been able to improve their young talent base to such an extent despite not having high picks in the June draft. In the Henry era, the Sox have picked 55th, 27th, 23rd, 65th, 17th and 57th in the drafts. Those are low picks, but the Sox have still been able to dig up useful talents like Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Matt Murton (now with the Cubs), Cla Meredith (now with the Padres), Buchholz and Brian Bannister (unsigned and redrafted by the Mets a year later), among others. Indeed, the Sox have cultivated a keen eye for digging up talents in the draft. Becoming players in the Pacific Rim

The Sox shelled out a lot of bucks to sign Matsuzaka, and the results have been mixed at this point. However, he's only going to get better. On another level, inking Matsuzaka and Okajima was a coup for Boston, and it now establishes them alongside the Mariners and Yankees as the destinations for high-profile Asian talents. The influx of Asian ballplayers is only going to increase, so Boston's strong presence in the Pacific Rim is a valuable thing.

 

Building the brand

This season, the Red Sox lead the majors in road attendance, which speaks to the prominence and far-flung popularity of Red Sox Nation. According to Forbes, the Red Sox have increased their franchise valuation from $230 million in 1998 to $617 million in 2006. Suffice it to say, that's strong growth, and it's made even more impressive by the fact that the Red Sox toil in a media market that's smaller than New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the Bay Area.

 

Sticking to the plan

Of course, all of it would be for naught if the Sox were burdened with leaders who can't adhere to the prevailing vision. Henry, CEO Larry Lucchino and Epstein all buy into the mission, and they all pursue it with relentless consistency. Recently, we've seen this quality borne out in the deployment of Buchholz. How many organizations, in the throes of a pennant race, would be willing to dispatch a popular young pitcher back to the bullpen immediately after he throws a no-hitter? Credit Epstein and manager Terry Francona for not bowing to pressure and keeping their minds and eyes on the ultimate goal. The Buchholz affair is but one example of this.

On the whole, you've got an organization that should be the envy of all others in baseball. The Boston Red Sox in 2007 are the best team on the field, and they're the best team in the front office. So don't be surprised if they're hoisting a few more trophies in the years to come.

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

First Base: Ortiz, D., BOS
Second Base: Polanco, P., DET
Third Base: Rodriguez, A., NYY
Shortstop: Jeter, D., NYY
Catcher: Posada, J., NYY
Outfielder: Ordonez, M., DET
Outfielder: Ramirez, M., BOS
Outfielder: Suzuki, I., SEA 

NATIONAL LEAGUE

First Base: Fielder, P., MIL
Second Base: Utley, C., PHI
Third Base: Wright, D., NYM
Shortstop: Reyes, J., NYM
Catcher: Martin, R., LAD
Outfielder: Beltran, C., NYM
Outfielder: Bonds, B., SF
Outfielder: Soriano, A., CHC