#21 has been retired by the Celtics since 1966 in honor of Bill Sharman. Maybe he'll honor old friend Ricky Davis and wear his #12 instead.
Damn, I meant to check that. Thanks for the heads up.
I'm guessing he won't wear Szczerbiak's number.
Re: Dye's Gold Glove
Around these parts, we oughta be pretty skeptical of anyone described as possessing "Gold Glove" defense. It seems to have more to do with calm eyes than with any sort of actual ability.
Gagne for Gabbard and Murphy? A close to lights-out reliever for a 5th starter and a 4th outfielder? Who's running the Rangers, Kevin McHale?
Okajima, Gagne and Papelpon at the end of the bullpen? Sounds pretty good to me. I will have a drink to the health of their arms tonight.
Garnett's going with the immortal Ron Mercer's #5. Looks like Wyc and the fellas are already trying to recoup some of that money they're paying because the new shirts are already on sale.
http://celticsstore.seenon.com/?
...mePageNav030807
The Garnett deal is an intelligent response to circumstances, namely...
-- the weakness of the NBA East. The trade makes them instant contenders.
-- the inadequate results of Ainge's youth movement. He's basically admitted that the team he had assembled was never going to win anything, and was going to waste the prime of Paul Pierce's career.
So the Celtics will stink in three or four years. Better to have the short-term contention and the long-term pain, than being endlessly stuck in the middle. And McHale is getting dangerously close to Chuck La Mar territory, as a GM who keeps on occupying his plush leather chair for no apparent reason.
As for the Sox' deadline deals, I couldn't be happier. They gave up two second-tier prospects to create the deepest bullpen in baseball, they outmaneuvered the Yankees, and they didn't give in to Kenny Williams' insane demands for a Dye deal.
The Sox, unlike the Yankees, have impressive organizational depth. Cashman doesn't have enough prospects to deal any away, while the Sox have plenty to spare. After several years of supposedly focusing on the farm system, the Yankees sure haven't managed to produce very much.
I'll be interesting to see how the Yankees replace Proctor. (Or what Proctor used to be, before his arm fell off.) I think they're convinced Joba Chamberlain (who is a TRUCK) can be what Papelbon was for the Sox at the end of '05. That might to be a lot to ask of a kid who just moved up to Triple A.
I still think the Sox need a bat. I was never convinced it should be Dye, but there's gotta be someone they can get through waivers. Nady, maybe?
I was all ready to disagree with John W about organizational depth (I think the Yankees have some of the best prospects in the game) when I realized it was, specifically, depth that netted Gagne. The Yanks probably have at least as many high level prospects, but they either overvalue, or just don't have, middle level prospects like Murphy. At any rate, it was a great deal.
Let's just not get too giddy: the Yankees do have plenty of chips to trade if they so choose; I think their problem at this deadline lay more in their assessment of prospects and of the situation.
Dave B: I don't have the expertise to evaluate the Yankees' organizational talent, but I have a sense (unsupported by evidence) that their prospects are somewhat overrated. There seems to be a widely-held assumption that Hughes and Chamberlain can ride to the rescue immediately; that other prospects can come up and fill holes in the bullpen; that the Yanks can dramatically overhaul their rotation for 2008 with young pitchers. Earlier in the year, there was way too much hype about marginal guys like DeSalvo and, espcially, the Yankee Clippard.
My sense, again unsupported by evidence:
--Any organization would love to have Hughes or Chamberlain.
-- Opinions vary on Horne and Kennedy.
-- There are major question marks about the Yanks' other pitching prospects.
--Cano has established himself as a major-league regular, but he's really a poor man's Alfonso Soriano: good power, nice BA, and marginal 2B defense.
-- Melky's a nice fourth outfielder, but marginal as a regular.
Not much of a haul, in my book. One other big question: When was the last time the Yankees successfully turned a pitching prospect into a major-league contributor? And Brian Bruney don't count.
Wang, and he's about the only one.
I saw Horne in Portland not too long ago, and he's much more impressive than, say, Michael Bowden. But he also has a history of arm problems.
I think Chase Wright was their version of Gabbard, but ever since the Sox made him infamous, he's slipped back down to Double A.
Chad: You're right, I forgot Wang. Score one for Cashman.
I'll add here that lately, the Sox have been compiling an impressive record of turning prospects into pros. They used to be terrible at it (exhibit A: Casey Fossum). But now: Youkilis, Pedroia, Gabbard, the Ramirez boys (Hanley and Anibal), Freddy Sanchez, Cla Meredith, MDC. That's one big reason I'm very reluctant to part with top-level prospects: the team's recent ability to translate them into big-league talent.
I am one of the many lapsed Celtics fans (especially since I moved to FLA) you spoke of, but this trade has made me want to renew my NBA package.
All I can say is it's about damn time the Green Machine became relevant again!
How sweet would it be to have all three teams win titles in the next year? At least now we can realistically dream about it.
BTW, found your site through Blog Interviewer and I'm glad I did.
...and Manny Fernandez leading the Bruins to the promised land!!!
CF,
Was the title from a From Good Homes song?
Augustana, one of those piano-based, wimpy bands whose lead singers unfailingly convince chicks like Gwyneth Paltrow that they're deep. I like 'em.
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