Friday’s Links – One More Step

Photo by Kelly O’Connor of sittingstill.smugmug.com

It’s the last weekend of full-on 30-team baseball. Kinda bittersweet, as now we’ve wanted the postseason to start, but now that it’s ending…sadness.

• Just because the Red Sox have sewn up the AL East doesn’t mean they should let up off the gas. There’s quite a few thing that still need doing in the net three days. (Sox still have work to do)

• One of the most important things? Home field advantage. Boston leads, but if the Oakland Athletics go on a run, it might not be the same come Monday. (The Red Sox fight for postseason home field advantage)

• The Red Sox have to prepare for a higher quality of opponent come October. How successful they could be may just be based in how good they were against them this season. (Scouting Potential Red Sox Playoff Opponents)

• His first postseason start was Game 4 of the 2007 World Series. He’s rebounded in a big way in 2013. Jon Lester is ready to dominate in the postseason. (Why Jon Lester Has Positioned Himself To Be A Postseason Ace)

• Acquired in a footnote of a trade, John McDonald has not just been a solid bench player, but a great mentor to Xander Bogaerts as well. (McDonald has helped make Bogaerts playoff-ready)

• Todd Helton‘s last home game was one to remember, and the Red Sox helped make it so in a few big ways. (Helton: Red Sox show ‘ultimate class’)

• This is going to be a big deal very, very soon. Hold on to your seats, the signing frenzy is going to be intense. (Cuba to allow athletes to sign foreign contracts)

Him pitching is just a bonus, really.