Latest news with #DuckBoats
Boston Globe
17-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Craig Breslow, Red Sox desire to rid themselves of Rafael Devers was greater than their will to win
To represent the right choice, Breslow needs to deploy the Duck Boats for a championship joyride during his tenure. Otherwise, the Sox committed another critical error in continuing a trend this decade of emphasizing the minds in baseball operations over the men in uniform. Advertisement Give Breslow credit, dealing Devers in the middle of a five-game winning streak and hours after his team authored the first sweep suffered by the first-place Yankees this season is an unflinchingly bold move. This trade is now Breslow's version of Reaganomics — an unyielding ideological stance forever knitted into his legacy. It will define his tenure. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'A lot of the moves he has made have been bold and decisive and rooted in what is in the best interests of the baseball team,' said Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy, ownership's PR proxy. Breslow believed so deeply in the culture-undercutting divisiveness created by Devers's refusal to play first base following a season-ending injury to Triston Casas on May 2 that he excised him from the clubhouse at the expense of this season and for a tepid return. Advertisement Despite what Breslow and Kennedy tried to sell in a Monday media session, this wasn't a baseball trade. It was a calculated dumping of Devers, both personality and paycheck. The Sox freed themselves of his insolence and pricy salary. The Giants assumed the rest of his salary this season and the remaining $254.5 million left on the 10-year, $313.5 million extension the Red Sox blithely handed him in 2023 to save face after the departures of Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. It's worse than the MLB version of the Mavericks jettisoning Luka Doncic (Luka and Raffy do sport similar physiques, no?) because Two of the three pitchers the Sox acquired, Jordan Hicks and minor leaguer Jose Bello, profile best as relievers. All the chips are on lefthander Kyle Harrison, a highly-touted prospect who has yet to live up to the hype. Prospect James Tibbs is another left-handed hitting outfielder; the Sox need those like you need another streaming service subscription. Players are people, and people are imperfect. Devers displayed warts that would make a dermatologist blanch, initially balking at moving off third base for Alex Bregman and extending to his standoffish stance with team personnel and the media. Rafael Devers (right), speaking with assistant general manager Eddie Romero, made it clear that he saw himself as the Red Sox' third baseman, even after the team signed Alex Bregman. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff But the team was winning, and he was producing at DH. It's not his fault the thought leaders at Fenway didn't recognize that he's not a franchise frontman, a leader, or a winner. He's only a hitter. Devers's recurring recalcitrance bothered ownership, led by John Henry (you know what else he owns), and Breslow, Advertisement It 'I do think that as we think about the identity, the culture, and the environment that is created by great teams, there was something amiss here,' said Breslow. 'It was something that we needed to act decisively to course-correct.' The timing feels tone-deaf. Just when fans think they're turning the corner, the Sox throw it in reverse by telling Raffy to hit the road. Whether you believe in Breslow or not, this trade simply doesn't jibe with Suddenly, that line feels like British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain pledging he has secured peace for our time. Trading your best hitter in June for pieces that don't improve your major league roster displays the antithesis of 'extreme urgency.' Both Kennedy and Breslow worked assiduously — yet unconvincingly — to put that toothpaste back in the tube. 'I think it's important to point out that this is in no way signifying a waving of the white flag on 2025,' said Breslow. 'We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field, to competing for the division, and to making a deep postseason run.' We must call the yearly pledges of prioritizing contention what they are — the mendacity of hope, misleading messaging inconsistent with the club's actions. While the Sox were preoccupied with the message Devers's defiance/aversion to sacrifice sent to the clubhouse, what's the message delivered by trading their best hitter during a winning streak to cultivate a culture suited to baseball baptizing prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell? Advertisement Kids over wins. Among the first teammates to congratulate Roman Anthony (right) on hitting his first career home run on Monday night was fellow rookie Marcelo Mayer. John Froschauer/Associated Press A disconcerting disconnect between baseball ops and the clubhouse remains. A former Sox pitcher, Breslow was supposed to bridge the gap that his predecessor, Chaim Bloom, couldn't. Instead, he managed to alienate the team's highest-paid player and last link to World Series success. Bravo, Bres. It's worth remembering Devers isn't the only intransigent party here. There's a fine line between intelligence and conviction vs. arrogance and obduracy. To his credit, Breslow acknowledged, 'I need to own things that I could've done better.' There's zero reason Breslow and the Sox couldn't have at least tried uber prospect Anthony at first base in Triple A. Also, the team hastily pulled the plug on using Campbell at first, right before he was slated to debut. The only 'alignment' — a business-speak buzzword justifying the trade — Breslow foresaw for a roster problem he's responsible for was Devers sliding to first, knowing another position shift was anathema to Devers. That pushed the detonator on this relationship implosion. Breslow got the final word in his standoff with Devers, but the 2025 Red Sox and their fans got a raw deal. Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ranking which team — Bruins, Celtics, Patriots or Red Sox — is closest to a title?
The Duck Boats will be running on schedule through the rest of 2025 and presumably all of 2026. The next championship parade through the streets Boston doesn't feel imminent. All four of the city's big-four teams are at different stages of their building processes and nobody is near the finish line just yet. Depending on how drastically the Celtics overhaul their roster with Jayson Tatum, all four could miss the next round of playoffs in their respective leagues. Advertisement All of which begs the question: Which Boston team is closest to a championship as the region's long, painful title drought is likely to reach two years? This list isn't a guess at who'll finish closer to the top of the standings in their respective leagues in 2025-26. This is who is likely to next be drinking champagne, whether that happens as soon as October (not likely) or not until 2044. Think of it like golf. It wouldn't have been that long ago that all four of these teams were on the green, a putt away from hanging a banner. Now they're all much further from the hole. This will be the first of two times I do this, this summer. I'm creating this list now to have a frame of reference after the NBA and NHL Drafts and free agency, as well as the MLB trade deadline. Everybody has a chance to get better with some shrewd maneuvers, or in the Patriots' case, strong camps. Advertisement Anyway, here's the list in reverse order. 4. Bruins — The Bruins are currently furthest. But the offseason will shine better light on how far away they really are. They have some key pieces in place, some money to spend, a high draft pick this year and a lot of draft picks in the years to come. Internally, they'll hope to have a healthier Charlie McAvoy, an available Elias Lindholm and an improved Jeremy Swayman alongside David Pastrnak in years to come. But there are tons of unknowns. Marco Sturm is a first-year coach, and through signings and potentially trades, they'll have a lot of new players. Advertisement There's a good chance their high draft pick won't be in uniform next season, but they'll hope he can be an impact rookie in a year or two. ESPN Bet has them at +10000. 3. Red Sox — Let's run through the ifs. If Alex Bregman and Triston Casas had stayed healthy, the Red Sox might have been in better position to make trades for bullpen help and a starter for a playoff push. Now those guys are injured and the pitching, other than Garrett Crochet, is questionable and the lineup is weaker, and the Red Sox aren't close to contending this year. Spend a little money and get a little healthy and they can take a pretty big step in the offseason. Advertisement They're going to have to make smart bullpen acquisitions in the offseason and figure out how to add another arm in front of the rotation. But if Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer or Kristian Campbell become stars, there's a nice foundation for the near future. ESPN Bet has them at +3500. 2. Celtics — Playing off the golf analogy, they're probably closest to the pin, but they're sitting in sand trap. As of now, Jaylen Brown is still on the roster and Jayson Tatum is expected to make a full recovery. So the 2026-27 Celtics will still likely feature two All-NBA players and potentially Derrick White. That scenario has the Celtics at No. 2 on this list. Advertisement What if Tatum doesn't come back at full speed or Brad Stevens chooses to do a hard reset and trades Brown, White, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and rebuilds around Tatum? That might be the right call, but if it happens, they're much further away. ESPN Bet has them at +1100 to win the 2026 NBA title. 1. The Patriots — The Patriots aren't close to the hole, but their ball is on the fairway with a clear look at the pin. Being No. 1 on this list speaks as much to their other teams' troubles as it does the reasons for optimism in Foxborough. Drake Maye has taken the first steps toward being an elite franchise quarterback. That doesn't mean he'll get there. His development and continued health are critical to any of this. Advertisement New England's defense should be better and it looks like they drafted well. In Mike Vrabel, the Patriots appear to have a capable coach. ESPN has them at +7500 to win the Super Bowl. What's Hunter Dobbins got under the hood? Major League Baseball is going to learn something about Hunter Dobbins this weekend. The rookie has spent much of this week looking foolish because his dad appears to have fibbed to him about the quality of his baseball career. He's obviously not the first dad to stretch the truth about their athletic career to impress their kid. But most of the exaggerators don't get unmasked on the back page of the New York Post. Advertisement Adding to the drama, Dobbins pitches against New York on Saturday on national TV on Father's Day Eve. If he gets knocked around by the Yankees, he'll be the guy whose dad made him look foolish. BUT... If Dobbins overcomes whatever embarrassment he felt or feels and pitches well, suddenly he's a guy with some toughness and guts out there. If that happens, Red Sox fans who already wanted to like him for talking trash to their first-place rivals will embrace him even more. Don't bounce it... Marco Sturm threw from the mound, reached the plate. That made the new Bruins coach's ceremonial first pitch better than about 85 percent of people who attempt them. Advertisement Woe be to anyone, especially anyone who has a sports background, who bounces it, or worse, throws way high or way wide. Football has a ceremonial coin tosser. Hockey drops a puck, while basketball flips the ball in the air. Imagine if football forced its dignitaries to try to kick the ball off a tee? Baseball honors people by giving them a chance to embarrass themselves. Rooting for a legend If you only know Bill Plaschke from his regular appearances on Around the Horn, you're missing the best stuff. While Plaschke is good at being a sports guy on TV, he's one of the best writers alive. His story this week on his own battle with Parkinson's Disease is a powerful read. Real Jeopardy! Clue Sports clues from actual editions of America's favorite quiz show. As always, mind the date Advertisement CATEGORY: ADDRESSING THE BALLPARK - $1000 - July 18, 2012 100 Joe Nuxhall Way — Answer below The Top 5 Top 5 Boston Athletes Under 25 5 - Mason Lohrei 4 - Christian Barmore 3 - Christian Gonzalez 2 - Roman Anthony 1 - Drake Maye Today in Boston Sports History June 13 2011 —The Bruins scored four times in just over four minutes to in Game 6 to force Game 7 vs. the Canucks in Vancouver. NON-BOSTON BONUS — 1935 — Jim Braddock stunned Max Baer in a 15-round unanimous decision to win the world heavyweight title. Spoiler alert: That fight is the climax of the movie Cinderella Man. Lightning round Roman Anthony was an excellent hitter against left-handers in the minors. If he is what the Red Sox are hoping he'll be, platooning him now is overmanaging and slowing his development. The United States Men's National Team isn't exactly instilling confidence, a year out from the World Cup. A clown parent in Vermont sued the Burlington Free Press for not covering his son's basketball games. According to VTDigger, the suit suggested the lack of coverage 'hurt his son's college prospects and caused him stress and anxiety, gastrointestinal distress and panic attacks.' The suit was thrown out, but note to delusional dads everywhere: college coaches don't find prospects via the Burlington Free Press. Would the cap-strapped Avalanche trade Martin Necas for some of the Bruins' draft capital? Seems worth finding out. Happy Father's Day to Dads everywhere, especially mine, who spent the better part of the 1980s driving this mediocre defenseman to rinks all over Massachusetts. The rides were as fun as the games. Real Jeopardy! Question: What is Great American Ballpark? Finally... If you need me, I'll be trying to make new plans when it rains for the 13th straight Saturday. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We just have so much opportunity': Boston is one of the top areas for women-owned businesses
Women-owned businesses are helping to drive economic growth, employing millions of workers and generating billions of dollars. And one of the best places for women to start a business? Right here in Boston. It ranks among the top five best metro areas for women-owned businesses, making it a hub for female entrepreneurs. 'I think there's a huge network of really strong women leaders in the Boston area,' said Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston. Those female leaders are everywhere. From the political landscape with the mayor, attorney general, governor, and lieutenant governor to major event planners for First Night and Sail Boston, and the tourism sector with the iconic Duck Boats. 'Bostonians and Massachusetts residents in general really respect strong women leaders,' said Sheridan. 'And I think business owners are no different. So they know that they have a place here, and there's a strong network among them where they can count on each other to, you know, bounce off ideas, get support.' That support and compassion has helped Wendy Tatlock launch her business, Care Patrol. Wendy left the corporate world after 20 years and now helps seniors and their families figure out their options when they can't live alone in their homes anymore. 'It's also been very rewarding personally to give back,' said Wendy Tatlock, owner of Care Patrol. 'I have helped so many families and they are so grateful every week.' Care Patrol opened just before COVID hit, so Wendy admits it was hard to get going at first. But she's been able to lean on a whole network of small business owners virtually in the Boston area that are willing to help each other. 'I think women are so resourceful and so resilient, and I think corporate America can be so rigid and political,' said Tatlock. 'I think when women put their mind to something, they can get things done. And around here, we just have so much opportunity.' With that opportunity also comes resources from the International Women's Forum to Meet Boston, which is also female-led. 'Women-owned businesses are incredibly important to our sector in general,' said Sheridan. 'And I think the ones that are really, really managed with strong, solid female leadership do generate a significant amount of revenue not only for themselves, but really for the entire region because their particular businesses attract people here.' Whether it's the restaurant scene, tourism, or health care, these female leaders rely on their work ethic and a network of strong women to succeed. 'It's had its challenges, I'm not going to lie,' said Sheridan. 'Being a woman in this sector. But I can tell you that I love the fact that I can now mentor and grow other women to do what I'm doing in this, in this segment, and that it's not there's nothing more gratifying to me.' 'So when you combine the hard work with the research and believe in yourself, I think anything is possible,' said Tatlock. A recent Wallet Hub study also found that Massachusetts is the best state for women in 2025, in part because it has one of the lowest unemployment rates for women. It also ranks as the best state to have a baby in and the best state for working moms. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
