I dedicate these videos to my brothers. It’s that time of year kids. I’ve even gotten into the spirit, joining up in their fantasy league. I don’t know baseball, so we’ll see how well I do. I’m holding out for September when the Patriots take the field again.

I’d also like to welcome the newest Derosby brother, Keene Robert Derosby, who joined our family on March 28th. Congrats to Keith and Elaine for yet another gorgeous Derosby kid. I’m still not sure how we pulled off so many cute kids, as it’s certainly not because of the Derosby genes.

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How can you not celebrate with some great Irish rock from the Dropkick Murphys? They’re an Irish-punk band from Boston who I was introduced to when the alternative rock station here in Maine started playing their cover of Tessie, the Red Sox anthem from 1902. Here are a few of their songs for your listening enjoyment as you kick back with your frosty beverage (preferrably green) of choice tonight.

This is “Tessie”. I even found a version with the lyrics so you can follow along (you’re welcome, you wouldn’t have figured them out without it).

“I’m Shipping up to Boston” just rocks. It’s one of those tunes that belongs in a really violent action movie. Keep it in mind, Alan. 3 brothers vs. every zombie in Waterville with this playing in the background. Just saying.

And this is their new song, “Memorial Day”. While not as rocking (in my opinion) as the other two, it’s definitely got me in the holiday spirit.

You can find out more on the Murphys by visiting their website, www.dropkickmurphys.com. Happy Holiday everybody.

Tosh.0 is a TalkSoup style show that focuses on the stupid human tricks people post on youtube. Sounds like WebSoup you say? Well it’s quite a bit like that show, but it’s so much funnier (sorry Chris Hardwick). Once a week, your host Daniel Tosh takes one of the most popular videos he showed in a past episode, tracks down the participant, and gives them a chance to be on the show and redeem themselves. He calls it, appropriately enough, the Web Redemption.

Here’s one from earlier this week highligting two high school girls who turned out to be the worst hurdlers I’ve ever seen.

New episodes of Tosh.0 air Tuesday nights at 10:00 on Comedy Central. Check your local listings for other times, because Comedy Central airs reruns almost every night.

Personally, I think Pepsi MAX is by far the worst tasting soft drink to ever be poured out of a can, and yes I’ve tried Moxie.  It’s even worse that that crap.  Their commercial campaign is kind of funny though.

Thanks to Mashable.Com and YouTube for posting these up for all of us.

So I’m looking forward to two things at the end of this season, the Pro Bowl (with it’s plethora of my favorite Patriots who wouldn’t be playing if they had won last week) and the Super Bowl’s commercials.  Even before I became a fan of the game a few years back, I always tuned in to see some of the best commercials to hit the small screen every year.  Among them this year are a few movie trailers we’ve all been waiting to see for quite some time now.

Captain America:  The First Avenger:  Come on, I just want to see SOMETHING from this movie, and it looks like we’ll get our chance next weekend.  The few leaked photos we have seen just aren’t cutting it anymore boys.  We need a trailer now.

Thor:  The other movie that will be making 2011 a banner year for me.  Here’s the link to the trailer I found on Youtube a month or so back http://derosbybrothers.com/2010/11/20/new-thor-trailer/.  So far everything I’ve seen has been amazing.   Here’s hoping Marvel doesn’t let us down this year.

Cowboys & Aliens:  I saw the first trailer for this one a few months back, thanks to Dan http://itsadansworld.blogspot.com/search?q=cowboys+%26+aliens.  I’m really looking forward to this one too.  Jon Favreau hasn’t let us down yet.  Throw in Harrison Ford (the Real Indiana Jones…hear that Shia?) and Daniel Craig (hands down the best 007 in my opinion) and this could be the sleeper hit of the year.

Priest:  I really liked what I saw in the trailer I posted last week http://derosbybrothers.com/2011/01/14/trailer-for-priest/ and I’m hoping this one lives up to the trailer.  I’m getting tired of being let down by horror movies lately.

Kung Fu Panda 2:  My kids are really looking forward to this one, and I have to admit, the original is one of my favorite Dreamworks animated movies.  Jack Black never fails to deliver and the rest of the original voice cast returns to make this a family movie must-see.  As you may know, all three of my kids are enrolled in karate and the two older ones compete on the Huards Sport Karate team.  Their sensei was talking about going to this movie as a group.  I’m all for it (any excuse to go to the movies I guess).

 Transformers:  Dark of the Moon:  I enjoyed the first of Michael Bay’s installments in this movie series, but the second film really turned me off to this director’s vision of my favorite franchise ever.  I’m not saying I won’t go and see this in the theater because I can’t help myself when it comes to Transformers.  I’m just going in expecting the worst and hoping for a miracle.  The teaser trailer released a few months ago did show some promise, http://derosbybrothers.com/2010/12/08/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-trailer/, but so did the first sneak peeks of Devastator last time around.  Keep your fingers crossed on this one kids.

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides:  My wife Jenn is a fan of both Johnny Depp (don’t want to talk about it) and this series of films.  I’ll probably end up going to this one.

Battle:  Los Angeles:  Kind of indifferent about this one.  I’ve seen the trailer and it looks okay, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to the theater to see it.  Hello Redbox.

Super 8:  From J.J. Abrams, the man who brought us Lost, Cloverfield, the Star Trek reboot, and Fringe (my favorite show on TV) comes yet another one of his top secret film projects.  I’m sure the hype surrounding the top-secret nature of this movie will far exceed the actual film itself (Cloverfield anyone) but he rarely lets us down, so I’m willing to give him a chance.

Limitless:  I hadn’t heard about this one until I read the article about these movies (thanks to MovieViral.com for the article), but the trailer looks pretty good.  Definitely a rental, maybe a date night movie if the reviews are promising.

Nothing like a few great commercials and some long-awaited movie trailers to keep your mind off the fact that Tom Brady isn’t marching our New England Patriots down the field to victory on Super Bowl Sunday.

What movies are you looking forward to this year?  Any trailers or commercials you’re looking forward to seeing on February 6th?

This morning I woke up to hear the news that Cliff Lee, the top free agent of this year’s baseball class, had signed a five year 120 dollar deal with the hated Philadelphia Philles.  Of all the teams out there, I despise them them most, for their obnoxious attitude and their winning of the NL East year after year.  They are successful and the results of their winning allow them to spend.  It is a current situation of spending money to make money.  They have built up a solid fan base and with each successful year, they bring in more money due to games, clothing, etc…  That is why it is sometimes important to step up to the plate and spend the money when it is called for.

That being said, I must admit that this rotation is downright nasty, but only for the 2011 season.  First of all, for those that know little about baseball, their rotation stands as

1.  Roy Halladay

2  Cliff Lee

3.  Cole Hammels

4.  Roy Oswalt

5.  Joe Blanton

That is a scary rotation as the top four can be an ace on almost all teams.  However there is reason to worry at 2012 and beyond.  First of all, the Phils rotation is expensive; very much so.  They have two starters in their rotation making over 20 million dollars.  And while Roy Halladay is a beast, he is still in his 30′s.  Lee will be 33 when his contract begins, and with his contract having a 6 year in there or a 13 million dollar pay out, he will be 39 when it ends.  Lee was ok this year, better in the postseason, He also struggled with back issues all year so I would be worried he would break down.  Does that mean I would not sign him?  Hell no, they were smart to do so.

The Phillies have an opportunity to have a rotation that rivals the 1990s Braves rotation of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, and Leibrandt.  They were downright dominant and have three Hall of Famers in the rotation.  Currently I would just say that Roy Halladay is a HOF, maybe Oswalt but I think the Astros team he was on will hurt his numbers.  Cliff Lee, while good, is not HOF worthy, especially if Jack Morris isn’t in.

The Phillies farm system is in tatters.  They have traded everyone away and have little left in the minors to bring up.  The current starting 9, while good, is getting older.  Utley has been dealing with injuries for the past year, Ibanez fought in the First World War, Rollins has slipped since is MVP season, and Ryan Howard will slowly make the Phils regret that contract.

Again, would I have signed Lee?  Yes.  Will they be hampered by huge contracts and an aging team in two or three years?  Definitely.  But they are built to win now.  The only thing I could give for advice is that one day you will be like the Mets, tearing down a team that was built purely on money.  The Mets are now having to stand pat as everyone, including the Phils get better.  They have set aside a 5 million dollar spending limit; though Sandy Alderson says there is no limit.  But after this year, they will drop almost $60 million dollars from their budget.  Maybe they will spend smarter than before.

Now on to the Boston Red Sox.  This winter they started by trading three prospects for Adrian Gonzalez.  I think this is a good move, except his surgery, he should be a monster in Fenway.  He is a great defensive infielder and a heavy hitter.  He will give the Sox the hitter they have missed since Manny Ramirez.  The major issue will be the length of the contract.  Rumors are that it will be 160 for 7 years.  That is a long contract and if he gets hurt or hits a downslide, like Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Carlos Beltran.  That is a large hit it he fails or does not respond how Red Sox nation demands.  But overall, this is a smart move.  They are a big market club and they showed it.

The other contract worries me more.  I like Carl Crawford and think he is a good player but is he worthy of being one of the highest paid players in the game?  I am not so sure.  He will make 142 over 6 years and play OF for the Sox.  Crawford is very athletic and young.  Those are two good components to have and  a major reason they were willing to give both Gonzalez and Crawford contracts like that.  However, Crawford is all about speed.  He has stated that he is moving away from that.  What happens if he has hamstring issues?  Jose Reyes has been plagued by it and has become a major issue.  I would be more concerned by this.

So in the end, I think they are all very smart moves, Crawford being the only suspect one.  I like the Lee move but hope his back doesn’t go out in the first few years of the deal.  In the fifth and six year, it does not matter.  I think they will be an old club by then looking to rebuild.  Sure they will have to sit on those deals until they run out, like Beltran, Perez, Castillo, but they will have a few more playoff appearances by then.  The Sox made some great moves and have a strong lineup, but how will the pitching staff support them.  Will Lackey, Beckett, and Dice-K make it back to form?  Will the Phillies have enough bullpen help to keep those wins.  The only thing I do not want to hear is that the Yankees only win championships by buying them.  The Red Sox and Phillies just did the same thing.  The Sox have bought or traded and paid for the following players:  Gonzalez, Scutaro, Saltamacchia, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Cameron, Crawford, JD Drew.  Their homegrown talent is good but they have definitely used their Red Sox money to trade then pay for guys.  The Phils whole rotation except Hammels is bought and paid for, including two 20 million dollar pitchers there.  They have a homegrown infield, counting Pollanco for second run as a Phil, but that rotation is the key.

The key to success is to build talent, then trade it for major league players.  Keeping minor leaguers, like the Royals, only equal to having great minor league teams.  All the while, their major league club sucks, big time.  So the Sox and Phils made some great moves, however no more crying when the Yankees sign the latest free agent by throwing money around.  There is more than one guilty party there.

Now what do the New York Yankees do considering they planned on signing Lee, and maybe even Crawford.  Crawford is an excellent Plan B, but his early signing hurt Brian Cashman’s chances of picking his second choice, if for some reason, Lee signed somewhere else.  I think this will truly show if the Yankees just buy their talent or if Brian Cashman really is a good general manager.  For years, I have said that one major attribute that few clubs had, except teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, was an ability to make their farm system look like the Garden of Eden.  Every minor league player in each organization is a future HOF player.  Teams are willing to trade with both clubs because they feel their lower, cheaper talent is better than in other organizations.  However, teams like the Royals have major talent at the low levels but are never buyers, always sellers in the market.

Some of the steps taken by the Yankees are interesting, yet necessary.  First of all, they signed Russel Martin to a one year deal. This ensures that Jorge Posada has likely seen his final days behind the plate, providing them with a power DH.  The problem the Yanks have is that they have several of those exact players, as age is catching up to them.

The next player they signed is the oft injured, arm of a God-body of an old woman, pitcher Mark Prior.

This exact scene has been witnessed multiple times throughout his career.  Just one look at the picture and  I already know that we have a Prior and a trainer.

This is a low risk, high reward signing if he even comes close to reaching the potential he had out of college.  Will he?  I would not draft him in any fantasy league but one never knows.

So what do they do?  I have heard the names Zack Greinke or Carlos Zambrano.  Can they really handle the NY spotlight?  I wouldn’t think so, quickly reviewing their past issues.

In the end, who really won here.  Well in the short term both the Phils and Red Sox won.  Teams like the Mets, while unhappy, are not as affected as one might think.  They were not going to contend this year, as they do not currently have one ace, much less four.  It hurts teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, who were torn apart by free agency and the lack of finances.  It hurts teams like the Yankees and Blue Jays, who watched the Red Sox virtually take the AL Title.  It hurts the Rangers, who now need a plan B in finding someone to replace the loss of Cliff Lee.  It will be an interesting year, seeing how these contracts play out.  But more importantly, it will be fun to look back, say four years from now, to see who really was most affected by these moves.

“THANK YOU JESUS”

That is what Carl Crawford is saying at this moment.  Just yesterday, Jayson “Jesus” Werth signed a 7 year 126 million dollar contract with the Washington Nationals.  He will be 32 when the season begins and goes from a bandbox known as CBP to a cavernous stadium in Washington.  In total, he has had only one and a half good season.  Seems like a lot of money .  This will soon be on the worst MLB contracts of all time list, if it isn’t already.

If Werth got that contract, what will Crawford get?  8-10 years, 180 million?  Stay tuned true believers.  The Nationals just screwed up the market…Big Time.

As a Mets fan, it pains me to put this in writing.  In fact, I think I am currently throwing up in my mouth as I type.  But I believe that Roy Halladay has to be the best pitcher in baseball and deserved the unanimous vote for the 2010 Cy Young.  First off, I will just give you the numbers.

21-10

2.44 ERA

1.04 WHIP

219 Ks

1 Perfect Game.

1 Playoff No Hitter (only the second in playoff history)

9 Complete games

What has always awed me was the fact that the manager, whether Manuel or Gaston, can easily rely on Halladay to complete 1/2 of his games.  In the past three years he has 27 complete games, 10 more than anyone else.  This is at a time where many pitchers might have one or two throughout the entire season.

Roy Halladay has been a stud since 2002.  What made me realize how dominant he is was a short special on the MLB network.  They were reviewing the CY Young voting and talked of his past.  In 2001, he was dropped of the MLB roster, as the Blue Jays sent him back to the minors, and not to AAA but to their Single A affiliate.  Since he has returned to the major league roster, he has now won two Cy Young awards, one in each league, as well as been in the top five for voting.

My personal Roy Halladay experience came this summer.  My wife, as well as Keith’s, bought us Mets/Phillies tickets for an August game in NYC.  This was our first time there, and I should write a post about our experience there, but we also were able to see a game in lovely Citi Field.  The pitching match-up was ripe for a no hitter, with the masterful Halladay pitching against future HOF pitcher Pat Mitsch (ok probably not).  The game was over in about 2 1/2 hours.  Seriously, Halladay just mowed them down, one by one, running through innings, in no time flat.  Our wives missed three innings just by going to the concession stand.

So where does Doc Halladay rank as active pitchers in baseball?  Unfortunately, he is currently the best pitcher in the planet.

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