Why does the WNBA hate Caitlin Clark, the Red Sox suck at the plate; and why did they let so many good players leave over the years?

Posted on by Tim M

Random Thoughts by EB – Why does the WNBA hate Caitlin Clark, the Red Sox suck at the plate; and why did they let so many good players leave over the years? What’s going on with my sports world? Oh, and I loved my Memorial Day weekend!

By Eric Berry

After doing some brief research in regards to Caitlin Clark’s economic impact on the WNBA it’s a wonder why the officials and league allows her to be bullied, grabbed, pushed and damn near physically assaulted. Do they really want someone who could bring in over 875 million to 1 billion in revenue(estimated by finance professor Ryan Brewer) in 2025 alone mind you, get hurt and be unable to play? While we know the answer is obvious, why does the dirty play continue? It’s quite perplexing. 17% of all flagrant level fouls during her rookie season and into the 2025-2026 year as well. In the meantime she is not viewed as an especially physical or dirty player. She is definitely an antagonist where the officials are concerned but who could blame her for sticking up for herself when some obvious hard hits go unpunished against her. She has committed 1 to 2 flagrant fouls, one at least in retaliation for a hard hit on her but has a Rodmanesque 8 technical fouls. She definitely is a bit of a bitch at times. I just wonder why the officials don’t adequately protect her or other star players for that matter.

I went to a game at the Mohegan Sun a couple of weeks ago and I had a hard time watching. In fact, I left after about ten minutes of grabbing and clutching and no purity in any way or form of the game of basketball I enjoy. I like fastbreaks and passing, great passing that leads to easy hoops. Some would say, “well EB, you wanted to hit the blackjack table”, and they wouldn’t be wrong but I’d rather lose to six straight 20’s and 21’s/BlackJacks than have to put up with rugby basketball. It’s what the NBA is now too. Rugby basketball and shoot a 3. Such a paradox really because they call fouls that are ridiculously soft then let everyone grab and clutch and push and shove. It’s why I would rather watch any other sport now like football and hockey, for example. It’s supposed to be physical and it is. Basketball while certainly a tougher sport than hockey players give it credit for, and now highly physical as previously mentioned, needs to change. I offer the following rule change: Any fastbreak points, scored within 6 to 8 seconds from a steal or defensive rebound should be awarded 4 points. Any team that scores in half the shot clock time it’s 3 points. Also, widen the court by six feet. I’ve digressed. Leave Caitlin alone.

The Boston Flop Sox

My cousin Al Berry, who was as crazy as a shithouse rat, used to call them that. I didn’t like it but I was honestly amused even at a young age by his incessant use of said term. One time, unbeknownst to me, as we were working on the barn that eventually became Berry Tire, Al hurt his thumb really badly. I didn’t realize it and he looked over at me and said “hey watch this”! He took his hammer and appeared to hit his thumbnail like he would a regular nail. There was blood everywhere. I thought to myself, “Holy Hell – this guy is crazier than I thought”! He duped me. Years later he told me he had already injured it and wanted me to think that he was even crazier. He didn’t need to do that to prove his point. Where am I going with this you ask? I’m talking in essence about John Henry, the once revered(maybe strong) owner of the Boston Red Sox. He brought the goods to get the Sox over the hump – or so it would seem anyway back in 2004. The Sox have won multiple World Series since that time but over the last few years haven’t so much as sniffed it – an expectation this generation of fans can hardly fathom. 2021 was the last time they were in the ALCS, a six game loss to the Astros. Of course, 2018 was the last World Series title which, given the previous drought we all know about, isn’t a long one. But, what has transpired since the awful trade of Mookie Betts in 2020, including the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2020 World Series has been disgusting. It was a cost cutting measure by Henry and his band of losers. Betts was homegrown. So was Xander Bogaerts. We replaced the X man with Trevor ‘sad’ Story. Since that brutal sequence of events Bogaerts has played 225 games more than Story, has a higher batting average and OPS, eight more home runs, 59 more RBI. Story has been superior defensively there is no argument there but we all know we lost out on reliability, leadership, and consistent offense. We still would have overpaid for Xander if we kept him but suffice to say we’ve overpaid for ‘sad’ Story.

And what about other Red Sox we’ve let go over the years either via trade or free agency? The list is long and equally sad. Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs(both he and Roger won WS Titles with the hated Yankees), Carlton Fisk, Tris Speaker, Lefty Grove, Red Ruffing(also to the Yankees like Ruth in a trade), Johnny Damon(2009 WS winner with the Yankees), Manny Ramirez, Fred Lynn, and Dwight Evans! Don’t forget we also let future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre leave Boston. He went off with the Texas Rangers for nearly seven years right after that. The dude was a stud. Played 1,098 games from 2011-2018 and hit .304 with 1,277 hits, 199 home runs, 699 RBI, and a .857 OPS. We didn’t need players like that. In Boston he hit .321 with 28 dingers, 102 RBI and a .919 OPS and won the Silver Slugger award. No thanks Adrian, we do not need your services here. In the immortal words of Hank Stram, former NFL coach, “what the hell is going on around here”? Granted, Rafael Devers came on from 2017 to 2024 and was an offensive juggernaut at times, but we missed the boat from 2011-2016 right?

Is this some sort of ruse by Henry and his band of losers? Honestly, I can’t stand their aloofness. Or aloofity. Aloofity, calamity – same dang thing. I know, it’s not a word. Sam Kennedy just kills me. Jack Healey, Vermont’s legendary sportscaster, refers to Sam as an “empty suit”. It’s apropos. We’ve got a guy playing third base that is barely taller than third base! He can’t hit himself out of a wet paper bag – to coin a longtime phrase. They wouldn’t pay Bregman. They wouldn’t bring in a big time bat. Durbin is hitting .168. His on base percentage is a woeful .247. I won’t bore you with his other God-awful statistics. What the hell is going on around here?

My Sports World
As a Boston fan for three of my four professional sports that I mainly watch, what has gone on with the Sox franchise has left me disenfranchised. I can’t watch the games with any kind of enthusiasm. If they are behind they aren’t coming back. If they are ahead you watch and wait for a collapse. I can’t stand Craig Breslow and I probably would like him in person I am guessing. He will be the next fall guy.

The Canadiens, albeit, down 3 games to 1 but not out of it, are still playing hockey, and the Bruins are in Cancun. The Knicks have a chance to win the NBA title – I think they have a better chance than anyone is giving them. The Celtics are in Cancun. I would rather regurgitate than have the previous scenarios ever come true. And yet that’s the reality right now. The Yankees are in second place and will eventually see the postseason in 2026 while the Red Sox are an abomination. The offseason has many doubts or concerns for the B’s and C’s. I hope things can get straightened out. I have faith in Brad Stevens, not sure I have faith in Don Sweeney, and I have zero faith in Craig Breslow, Sam Kennedy, and John Henry.

Here is one of my biggest fears for the B’s and C’s offseason. Lebron James, already part owner of the Red Sox(man this kills me), will come to Boston and play for the Celtics on a contract friendly deal for the C’s. I don’t know if I could watch if this comes true. I fear we will trade Jaylen Brown for a bag of balls for Giannis who is getting older by the second. I fear the Bruins won’t do anything big, per usual. Can they get an Alex Tuch or a Rasmus Andersson? That would be great but very unlike the Bruins ownership to spend money. They are ranked 15th to 22nd overall in total unrestricted free-agent spending in the last 11 years. Don’t get your hopes up.

Memorial Day

My Memorial Day weekend was filled with some grilling and family time which was awesome. My grandson was here for 3.5 days and we did a lot of four wheeling and side by side rides! He is three and loves to go for rides. I am 58 and feel like I am a kid again around him. The weekend culminated with him, my son,, my daughter and son-in-law going golfing at St. Johnsbury Country Club. It was a fun nine holes of golf – not so much for them but for me it was. Both scorewise and family timewise. It’s also nice to see St. J CC is busy and the new owners are having great success. Rudi and Emily Grass will elevate the course to levels that will be fun to see over the next few years. Having Todd Rainville back righting the ship on the course itself has the entire NEK community excited. I wish them good luck.

The opinions expressed by EB are solely his and do not reflect those of NSN. If you’d like to reach out to EB, please contact him at eberry@nsnsports.net. You can read all of Eric’s blogs at www.nsnsports.net.