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Between the Hedges. Any college football fan knows what those 3 words mean and what team and stadium it’s associated with. The University of Georgia football team plays in Athens, Georgia in Sanford Stadium. Sanford Stadium is surrounded by English privet hedges, blocking the field from the fans, hence the phrase between the hedges.

The University of Georgia football program has a rich tradition of productive teams. Nevertheless, there’s 1 season in certain that took the program from a regionally well-known program into a national recognized program. The 1980 football season for the Georgia Bulldogs is one of the greatest seasons that a college football program can have. The 1980 team won the national championship and dominated most teams on their schedule throughout the year culminating with a Sugar Bowl victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 17-10. Even so, this 1980 season, which included exceptional play from upperclassmen, including Buck Belue and Lindsay Scott, is recognized for a freshman that would begin his college career with such impact that it catapulted him to a level of infamy that few following him have come close to attaining.

The freshman that took the country by storm during the 1980 season was running back Herschel Walker. Walker, from the state of Georgia, came to the University of Georgia amongst a lot hoopla following coming off a season in which he won the national high school athlete of the year after leading his high school team to their lone state championship in 1979. So to say the least, the expectations were quite high for Walker coming into to his initial season at Georgia, however what he would accomplish was well beyond any of the high expectations that quite a few had prior to the season began.

Walker becoming a highly touted freshman had a lot of eyes on him, even so, it seemed as if Walker welcomed the pressure and basked under it. During his first season he rushed for over 1,600 yards, averaging nearly 150 yards a game which includes 15 touchdowns and was third in the Heisman voting, which was almost unheard of for a freshman at that time. He also set the record for most rushing yards by a freshman by running for 283 yards against Vanderbilt University. With the success of Walker, he was a driving force behind the 1980 National Championship season for the Georgia Bulldogs . He was able to take pressure off the other players on the team due the teams focusing all their energies on stopping Walker, although no team was successful and Georgia would go undefeated in Walker’s very first season.

To this day, all freshman running backs are compared to the statistics that Walker was able to put up. This not merely consists of Georgia running backs, but running backs from all over the nation. Walker’s freshman season is regarded as by lots of to be the most beneficial ever by a freshman as well as the greatest ever overall due to the ease by which Walker was able to dominate opponents with his speed and strength. Walker is synonymous with Georgia football and several now lengthy for the days of Walker dominating on the field.
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The St Louis Blues have been a part of the National Hockey League or NHL since their humble start in 1967. There is a rich history that includes some of hockeys all time great players behind this impressive team. The team rosters over the years have had a lot of the all time great players from the past and even in more recent years.

Doug Harvey, Dickie Moore, Jacques Plante, and Glen Hall are some of the first pro stars for the game of hockey and each one of them played and integral part of their time on the Blues. In addition Peter Stastny, Brett Hull, Dale Hawerchuk and Wayne Gretzky have been some of the hockey all stars of recent years. The team has not just been fortunate enough to have amazing players but also been blessed with some great owners and staff over the years.

A pair of the most famous owners were the architects Emile Francis and Lynn Patrick. There were some amazing and well known team builders that were a part of the team including Jimmy Devellano and Cliff Fletcher. Plus the coaching staff has included just as many greats like Al Arbour, Scotty Bowman, and Jacques Demers.

The team has had many successes although has yet to win a Stanley Cup. However with those successes have come a whole list of tragedies from the tragic deaths of players, to that of sports casters and even staff. So the team has had to learn how to persevere through the tough times in order to be able to celebrate during the good.

The different owners have often set the moods that the players had while spending their time playing for the Blues. Some of the owners have been tough and offered few things besides a chance to play a sport that one loves. While other owners have given their players cars and other gifts that were meant to attract them to stay with the team.

There have been many times where there has been more than one owner. During the time period of 1971 through 1977 co-owners had some serious problems and the strife caused one of them to leave. In addition at this time finances became a struggle and between 1976 and 1983 which ended in the doors being closed.

This could have been the end for the Blues but later that same year a new owner bought the team, actually missing out on the draft because it was already over. The team quickly became an industry leader at this time making handsome profits yearly. There is also a special spirit that fans feel about the team that was part of their coming back to the game to find success.

So it can easily be seen why a St Louis Blues fan is completely different from most sports fans. They have been through the good, bad, ups and downs with their team and continue to have pride in what could have been. There is no reason to predict anything but a positive future at this time.

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Bring up the Detroit Red Wings in a conversation with a hockey fan, and you are sure to get a reaction. The Wings have become a bit like the New York Yankees of baseball. People either love them or they hate them. This is really no surprise. Just like the Yanks are considered baseball’s best team, the Wings have become hockey’s best. They are the model of hockey success. First of all, they have won more championships than any other team based in the States. Furthermore, they rank third in number of Cups won. With this in mind, we are going to talk today about their interesting history.

They joined the NHL in 1926. The first year saw the team play their home games in Windsor, Ontario, under the team name of the Cougars. The following year they did play in Detroit at the Detroit Olympia. Both years were not exactly kind to the club. They finished last in 1926 and fourth in 1927 with a 19-19-6 record.

Wing fans didn’t have to wait long for success. By 1929 the Cougars made the Stanley Cup playoffs. They were defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 1932 the team was renamed the Red Wings. It was to be a good omen for the team. From 1933 to 1966, they missed the playoffs only four times.

1934 saw Detroit make it to the Cup finals for the first time. They faced-off against the Chicago Black Hawks. In the best of five series the Hawks prevailed 3-1. Two years later would see a different result. Again the club was in the Cup finals, but this time versus the Maple Leafs. The franchise went on to win their first Cup in four games. For an encore, they knocked off the New York Rangers the next year for the championship.

In 1946, the sport saw the arrival of one of its best ever players. In from Saskatchewan skated Gordie Howe, a Hall of Fame legend. People call him “Mr. Hockey” and for very good reason. For one thing, he is the only player to play over the course of five different decades: the 40s-80s.

Adding to the credence of the Mr. Hockey moniker is Howe’s innumerable accomplishments on the ice. He has been a member of four Stanley Cup winning teams. He has been the league’s MVP six times and led the league in scoring six times. At age eighty he was the first to be awarded the NHL’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Hockey’s teams were not always successful. Red Wing teams had a horrible stretch of time from 1967 to 1983. Fans were repeatedly frustrated year after year as they saw their team only reach the playoffs twice and win one series.

Nowadays, the team is simply good. There is no other way to say it and there is no arguing it. After surviving those dreaded years, the Wings have played consistent hockey. They have been in the playoffs every single year since 1990, a streak that is the longest of any sport.
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I dare you to go to New England, especially Massachusetts, and tell a hockey fan that you are not a Boston Bruins fan. Good luck to you if you do that. Because the Bruins have a special place in the hearts of hockey fans from Bangor to Boston. This team is one of the so-called “Original Six”. With that comes a whole collection of stories and tradition. Here we will take a close look into this famous hockey franchise.

The Bruin team was assembled in 1924 as the first team to become part of the NHL. They faced many commercial conflicts for many years. Things started to really become a viable business in 1942, in the middle of World War II. There were six teams in the league, hence the name “original six.” Boston was one of those six.

The early years of existence, those before the War years, were not unkind to the team. Within three years of their founding they competed for the treasured Stanley Cup. It was at this time they landed future hall-of-famer defenseman Eddie Shore. By 1929 the team was a force to be reckoned with, having defeated the New York Rangers to win the 1928-1929 Stanley Cup. The following season they tallied the incredible record of 38-6, a winning percentage that has never been topped.

Boston won the Cup again in 1939 with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and in 1941 with a victory of the Detroit Red Wings. But after that, from 1942 until 1970, fans of the team were given nothing to cheer about. And it was especially depressing for fans during 1959-67. During that stretch of time, the team was ghastly and did not once go to the playoffs.

This is why during the 1969-70 season fans flocked to their club once again and with much enthusiasm. The team finished second in the division and qualified for the playoffs. After that it was just like magic. First they beat the NY Rangers 4 games to 2 in round one. Then they trounced Chicago 4 to 0.

By this time the excitement in Boston and its surroundings was palpable among fans. For the first time in twenty-nine years their team had a chance to take it all. They did not disappoint. Their opponent was the St. Louis Blues. And the Blues never had a chance. They were dispatched by the Bruins four games to none.

When folks look back at that championship team, two names come to mind right away: Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. These guys both played huge roles in the success of that team. Orr has been called the best defensemen in history and Esposito is still one of the most prolific scorers.

It is worth noting that from that 1969 season until 1997 the Bruins qualified for the playoffs every year, quite a remarkable string of success. Even today the team is one of the league’s most competitive franchises. So you can’t help but think that Bruin fans everywhere are still as passionate as ever.Bobbie Barton is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on href="http://www.sportsfantreasures.com/nhl-detroit-red-wings.htm">Detroit Red Wings Blanket, href="http://www.sportsfantreasures.com/nhl-pittsburgh-penguins.htm">Pittsburgh Penguins Blanket and href="http://www.sportsfantreasures.com/nhl-phoenix-coyotes.htm">Phoenix Coyotes Merchandise

After the retirement of Cito Gaston, John Farrell has taken over as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Farrell inherits a team full of good young pitchers and a lineup of hitters with explosive power. But as fans know, the American League Eastern Division is perhaps the toughest in baseball to win win because of the presence of perennial contenders New York, Boston and recently, Tampa Bay.

Gone from last years team is closer Kevin Gregg who saved 37 games and also Jeremy Accardo, both of whom left to join the division rival Baltimore Orioles. Replacing them though are a cast of pitchers who once were closers on other clubs.

Aaron Hill also had a disappointing 2010 following a big 2009 season. In 2009, Hill hit 36 home runs and drove in 108. A . 285 hitter in his first five major league seasons, his average fell to . 205 last year, though the power was still there with 26 home runs and 68 RBIs. Hill did battle injuries early in the season so a bounce back 2011 is possible.

Also added to the relief mix is former Rangers closer Frank Francisco. Francisco saved 25 games for Texas in 2009 and has averaged 66 strikeouts, a 3.43 earned run average and an impressive 1.16 WHIP. Along with the solid Shawn Camp and Jesse Carlson, the additions to the Toronto bullpen should make them deeper and even more effective.

With a few all or nothing hitters in the lineup, the Blue Jays made some moves in hopes of getting more contact hitters who can get on base ahead of their big sluggers. Rajai Davis was brought in after hitting . 284 last season with the Oakland Athletics. Davis stole 50 bases while providing speed in the outfield and he could hit lead off for Toronto. Another lead off candidate is Scott Podsednik, a key member of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Last year while playing for the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers, Podsednik hit . 297 while stealing 35 bases.

Of course, one of the biggest developments in the off season for Toronto was the trade of long time fan favorite Vernon Wells. Wells was traded to the Angels in a salary saving move designed to give the Blue Jays payroll flexibility in the future. In the trade, the Jays got Mike Napoli, a power hitting catcher, and Juan Rivera, an outfielder, in return. Just days after the trade, Toronto flipped Napoli to the Texas Rangers in exchange for reliever Frank Francisco. Rivera is another power bat option capable of 25 home runs if healthy.

Toronto has three young players who appear ready to step up and contribute. Pitcher Kyle Drabek is a potential Rookie of the Year candidate and likely will slide into the young rotation behind Brett Cecil, Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow. Outfielder Travis Snider is coming off of an injury plagued 2010 season but is still just 23 and already has two years of major league experience. Many feel that he can become a top run producer. Second baseman Brett Lawrie came over in a trade with the Brewers. He is also a Rookie of the Year candidate and projects as a possible future all star, though he is currently blocked by Hill.

In addition to strong pitching and an improved bullpen, the Toronto Blue Jays feature one of the most powerful lineups in the American League. Leading the offense is third baseman Jose Bautista who had an unbelievable season in 2010, pounding out 54 home runs while driving in 124 with a . 260 average and a . 617 slugging percentage. The Jays are sure to score plenty of runs and with the potential contribution from Drabek, Toronto could contend with the Red Sox and Yankees in 2011.

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1969 saw the introduction of four new teams into Major League Baseball. The two expansion teams added to the American League were the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots (later to become the Milwaukee Brewers.) The National League added the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) and the San Diego Padres. Success for these new teams was to be elusive. This was particularly true for the Pads.

When the Padres burst on to the baseball scene, the city of San Diego was filled with excitement and hope for their new franchise. This was not surprising, after all the team could boast of a brand new ball field, an experienced front office, and a young team. The fans’ enthusiasm proved to be premature. The Padres were dreadful. They finished dead last in the NL West in each of their first six seasons. Four of those seasons saw the team drop at least one hundred games.

There were a few highlights along the way. First was Nate Colbert. This first baseman proved to be a power hitter who once hit five homeruns during a double header. Hall of Fame player Stan Musial was the only other player to have this accomplishment. During that double header, he also drove in thirteen runs, a record he still holds today.

The next bit of hope came with the sale of the team to Ray Kroc. Kroc was owner of the largest fast food chain in the world and he wanted to win. Among the first things he did was to make an introduction to Padre fans at a game over the PA system. During his speech he apologized for his team’s “stupid ball playing” and vowed improvement. Unfortunately for Kroc, a streaker ran across the field as he spoke, probably mitigating the impact of what he had to say.

The club did begin to improve slowly but surely. They finished over . 500 (5 games over to be exact) for the first time ever in 1978. This accomplishment owes a lot to some of their better players like Gaylord Perry, Dave Winfield and Rollie Fingers. Sadly for the Pads, Winfield and Fingers both left as free agents.

San Diego did ultimately achieve baseball success by snagging the National League Pennant and reaching the World Series in 1984 and 1998. The Detroit Tigers were the 84 team’s opponent. Alas, the Padres were up against a baseball juggernaut in the Tigers. Earlier that year the Tigers had raced off to a 35-5 start and had never looked back. The Friars went down four games to one.

The 1998 series proved to be another uphill battle against another premier American League foe – the Yankees. The Yankees had won 114 games during the regular season and were regarded by many as one of the best teams to ever take the field. But even though the Yanks swept the series, the Padres played with pluck. Three of the four games were nail biters.

The new millennium has seen much disparity for the Padres. On one hand, they won their division in 2005 and 2006. On the other hand, they played dismally other years in the 2000s.
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While playing for the New York Yankees Louis Gehrig participated in 2,130 games, he had four hundred and ninety three home-runs and had thirteen continuous 100-RBI seasons, three hundred and forty was his average for his career and he was in six world series. He had a dream of reaching 2,500 continuous games before he ended his career, if he hadn’t been diagnosed with ALS he would probably have achieved that dream.

Henry Louis Gehrig or The Iron Horse as he was best known passed away in 1941 after fighting ALS, he said said so long in the Yankee Stadium two years prior to that. He enjoyed baseball and loved playing every game.

The normal person admires people who adore their profession and work at it every day of the year, we witnessed this in 2002 When Iron Horses continuous game record was broke by Carl Ripkin Jr. This is the most commemorate time in baseball history.

The movie about him called “Pride of The Yankees” featured Gary Cooper. It is said that he once told a tale where he was ill and his mother told him to stay in bed but as soon as she went to work he went to school, she picked him up later that day, even as a child he didn’t like to miss school. In 1925 the Iron Horse took over being first baseman for Wally Pipp.

Louis Gehrig was after Babe Ruth in the batting line up and his RBI numbers were always extremely high. On his first day with the team he didn’t bring his own bat so when the team manager led him to the batting cages he chose one from the fence line, the bat he chose was Babe Ruth’s bat (his favorite bat) amazingly he didn’t demand that he return the bat but instead said hi to him.

While he was growing up he liked to play baseball, football and do gymnastics. It is believe if he had not been over the draft age at the beginning of World War II he would have enlisted to be in the Navy. Louis Gehrig went to college on a football scholarship not baseball. In 1939 he was honored with being placed in Baseballs Hall of Fame. He is among the top ten best baseball players in the major league. Babe Ruth was the only person to get more home runs then the Iron Horse, he had forty seven home runs in the 1927 season. Gehrig has the American League record of 184 runs to this day.

Louis Gehrig was born In New York on June 6, 1903. He was 14lbs when he was born. His parents were German immigrants. He grew to be 6 feet tall and weigh 200lbs. His Jersey #4 was the 1st number to ever be retired in American professional sports.

Louis Gehrig was an amazing asset to the New York Yankees before his death in 1939. His parents Christina and Heinrich Gehrig had four children of which he was the only survivor. One child passed before his birth and two passed after his birth.Bobbie Barton is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on Boston Red Sox Bedding, Atlanta Braves Bedding and Milwaukee Brewers Bedding

In Major League Baseball, teams can get into the playoffs even if they have not won their division. Teams who do this are referred to as wildcard teams. They have the disadvantage of never having home field advantage in a series. The Florida Marlins have entered the playoffs twice as a wild card team and both times won the World Series. That is no small feat. So let us now look at the Marlin history.

In 1993 Florida was awarded an expansion team. They play in Miami. Since the beginning, they have played their home games at Sun Life Stadium (a stadium that has had several name changes, including Dolphin Stadium.) Beginning in 2012, the club will have a new home: a new park where the Orange Bowl used to be.

The 1993-1996 seasons were not exactly kind to “the Fish”. Starting in 1993 the team finished last in the division, dropping 98 games. Interestingly though, over the course of the next three seasons the team progressively climbed the standings. They went from sixth to fifth to fourth to third. 1996 saw the team fall just two games below . 500. So it was no surprise that Marlin fans became enthusiastic about the team’s steady improvement and future prospects.

The fans did not have to wait long. 1997 turned out to be a magical season. The club finished second in the National League East behind the Atlanta Braves with a 90-72 record and qualified as a wildcard team. They swept the San Francisco Giants in three in the NLDS. They then went on to dispatch their divisional rivals the Braves 4-2 in the NLCS. The only team left to vanquish was the Cleveland Indians.

The Marlin team entered the series as a big underdog. The Indians had just beaten the New York Yankees in impressive fashion. The series was a good one, going all seven games. In an eleven inning final game, the “Fish” took the prize. They tied the score in the 9th and won in the 11th.

Looking ahead to 2003, we see them again coming in second to Atlanta. Again they were the wildcard. Now we can look ahead to 2003. Again, they finished second to Atlanta and again were a playoff team. Again they beat the Giants in the first round. This time, the second round opponent would be the Chicago Cubs. It was a series for the ages. Just as it seemed Florida would lose the sixth game, and the series, a Cub fan got in the way of a Cub defender from making the third out of the 8th inning. With hope renewed, they went on to overtake Chicago and head to the whole thing.

If the Marlin team was the underdogs in 1997, they were given no chance to win the series in 2003. The New York Yankees were prohibitive favorites. After an emotionally charged comeback victory over their arch rivals the Red Sox to win the AL pennant, the Yankees came out flat. The young pitching talent of Florida took control, and the Series went to Florida 4-2.

Lately the Florida Marlins have been finishing near the middle of the standings. The team’s payroll has been consistently one of the lowest of the league, which has contributed in no small measure to their present results.
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For the past 13 years, Todd Helton has been the face of the Colorado Rockies franchise. When his free agent years came, the Rockies signed Helton to a long term contract, making sure that he would be able to spend his entire career with the team. This past winter, Colorado signed all star short stop Troy Tulowizki and young superstar in the making Carlos Gonzalez to new contract extensions.

At 37, Helton may be on the down side of his career. He still plays solid defense at first base, but his power is dwindling and his batting average slipped to . 256 last year. Helton has battled back problems in the past and may need to be spelled at first from time to time by Jason Giambi.

While Tulowitzki and Gonzalez lead the offensive fire power, they do have capable assistance in the batting order. Helton could still be productive, though his power is long gone. Helton last hit more than 20 home runs in 2004. Dexter Fowler provides range in center field which is important in spacious Coors Field. Fowler is also capable of stealing bases and scoring runs from the top of the lineup. Ryan Spillborghs and Seth Smith will platoon in right field. Both could possibly play full time for other teams.

Carlos Gonzalez was drafted by the Arizona DiamondBacks and was labeled early on as a player with limitless potential. Arizona traded Gonzalez to the Athletics before he had a chance to establish himself in the big leagues. The Athletics did not give Gonzalez much of a look either and traded him to the Rockies for Matt Holliday.

In 2010, Gonzalez lived up to the promise that many saw in him. He hit . 336 with 34 home runs, 117 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. A true five tool player, Gonzalez is just 25 and most players are said to hit their prime at age 27, so the numbers that Gonzalez could put up is staggering.

Colorado closer Huston Street saved 35 games in 2009, but he has battled injuries throughout his career, first with the Athletics and now with the Rockies. Street has averaged just 59 innings over the past three seasons, with an average of 24 saves. It is because of Streets uncertain health that the team brought in Matt Lindstrom from Houston. Last year with the Astros, Lindstrom was asked to close for much of the season as Brandon Lyon also battled injuries. Lindstrom responded with 23 saves in 53 innings, though his ERA was a bit high at 4.39.

Also in the bullpen for the Rockies are Matt Belisle, Franklin Morales, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Daley, Matt Reynolds, and Esmil Rogers. Handling the pitchers is catcher Chris Ianetta who is expected to provide power as well. With the departure of Miguel Olivo who signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners in the off season, Ianetta is expected to take over primary catching duties with young Jose Morales serving as his back up.

With a solid starting rotation and a hard throwing bullpen, the Rockies pitching staff should be capable of winning games and holding late inning leads in 2011. With a good blend of speed and ample power, the team should also score plenty of runs, giving them a chance to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants this season.Bobbie Barton is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on Washington Nationals Watch, San Francisco Giants Watch and Atlanta Braves Bedding

The 2010 season began with Boston Red Sox fans again thinking about a World Series Championship. But instead, injuries hampered the Red Sox hopes and fans watched as the Tampa Bay Rays went to the playoffs instead of their beloved team. But the team has made a key trade and several free agent acquisitions that should propel them even further in 2011.

Manager Terry Francona leads a team that was beset by injuries in 2010. Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Josh Beckett, and Kevin Youkilis all missed significant time due to a myriad of injuries. They are all recovered though heading into 2011 and Francona also has new pieces that have been added to the puzzle as well.

Last years third baseman, Adrian Beltre, left as a free agent to sign with the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. But Boston had traded prospects to the San Diego Padres to acquire slugger and perennial all star Adrian Gonzalez. With Youkilis able to move back to his original position at third base with Gonzalez now playing first, Beltre had become expendable.

Adding another dynamic bat, the Red Sox signed free agent outfielder Carl Crawford away from division rival Tampa Bay. Crawford, with a combination of speed and power, slides into the third slot in the batting order behind Pedroia and Ellsbury and will be on base often in front of the middle order hitters Gonzalez, Youkilis, and David Ortiz.

Injuries were not just limited to the batters last year as the pitchers also battled injuries and subpar seasons. It began with former ace Josh Beckett. After throwing 212 innings and winning 17 games in 2009, Beckett crashed to earth last season as injuries limited him to just 6 wins and 128 innings. A return to form is key to the teams hopes in 2011.

In the bullpen, the Red Sox have added Dan Wheeler, Bobby Jenks, Denys Reyes, as well as several other left-handers vying for roster spots in spring training. Wheeler signed as a free agent from the Tampa Bay Rays and is a top middle reliever. Jenks is the former closer for the Chicago White Sox and Reyes was a key member of the St. Louis Cardinals for the last few years.

Fans might also be concerned about Daisuke Matsuzaka durability and consistency going into the new season. At age 30, Matsuzaka has many innings under his belt from his time in Japan. Over the last three season, Matsuzaka has averaged just 127 innings and 10 wins, a far cry from his tantalizing 2008 season when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Last year Matsuzaka threw 153 innings and won 9 while losing 6 games, but his ERA was up to 4.69 and his WHIP jumped to 1.37 as his walks were up.

Also signed as a free agent after he was let go by the White Sox is their former closer Bobby Jenks. Jenks saved 27 games in 2010, though his ERA was a bit high at 4.44. He throws hard though and pairs with Daniel Bard to form a solid set up tandem, getting games to closer Papelbon. Along with the additions to the lineup, these key bullpen additions should help Bostons chances over the long haul of the regular season and post season.

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