LAS VEGAS – It was 110 here Tuesday But it’s a dry heat. In much the same way a blizzard
often buries everything with light and fluffy snow covering a sheet of ice. Or in the way the fury
of those nuclear weapons once detonated north of the city only sent mild doses of radiation
toward The Strip.
Las Vegas continues to evolve. New and colorful ways to take your money are everywhere.
Lights and mayhem mask the losses while aggravating your hangover. The decibel never drops
below “What Did You Just Say?” They need to mask the sound of all that digital cash being
vacuumed up by casinos, hotels, sports books, and other forms of entertainment.
The lights are darkest at the dawn. Morning is the ugliest time of the day here. Those who work
behind the scenes are either coming home from or heading into another day of work at the
tables, in the kitchen, at the desk, behind the counter, or cleaning up the mess left from the
night before.
Sunshine remains the ultimate disinfectant. It cannot, sadly, do much about the smell on
Fremont Street.
The Circa is among the newest and swankiest joints in town. Its décor offers an homage to the
past. Sadly, the biggest sin in Sin City these days is the “dress code.” The attire throughout its
casinos and clubs has slipped from a “night out on the town dressed like Frank and Dino” to
“Honey, I gotta run to Wal-Mart for some toilet paper.”
The most unique feature at Circa is something called Stadium Swim. At its core, it’s a multi-
level, multi-pod swimming pool with a few hundred longue chairs, scores of cabanas, and all
the chemicals and filtration necessary to wipe out whatever dangerous microbes one may find
in a sportsbook’s swimming pool.
All those poolside face a monstrous video board akin to what you see above centerfield at
Fenway Park. The board shows whatever is going on in the world of sport, plus the latest
relevant odds available at the hotel’s sportsbook.
Stadium Swim played host to an All-Star Game watch party Tuesday night. The Red Sox weren’t
going to make much of a splash in the Mid-Summer Classic given that the team had just one
representative – pitcher Kenley Jansen.
The Red Sox have been relegated to “every team gets one spot, who can we squeeze in” status.
Such is the plight of the 2023 Red Sox.
About two weeks ago, the Red Sox were on track to crap out for this season. The hate flowed
with ease. Not only was the venom spat toward ownership, but the negativity also found its
way toward the roster. The hitters could not hit. The fielders could not field. The pitchers …
were Corey Klubering.
Sticking to our Vegas storyline, the Red Sox hit on 16.
They had no choice.
The dealer showed a king.
Surprisingly, the Red Sox drew a deuce.
Still in it.
A sweep of the Blue Jays. Two out of three over Texas (a very good team). A sweep of the soon-
to-be-Las Vegas A’s.
Boston is clearly the best last-place team in baseball right now, if not ever. (Wink, wink.)
The Red Sox are 48-43. That’s good enough for last in the AL East, first in the AL Central, and
third in the AL West. Even better, or bettor, the Red Sox are on pace to crush their pre-season
win total. I got them at over 76 wins at WynnBET on Jan. 31 when retail betting began in
the Bay State.
Boston is nine games back of the suddenly very-mortal Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston is “just” two games out of the final wild card spot. John Henry’s TV station reminds you
of that fact at every opportunity. Two of the teams ahead of Boston in the playoff race are the Yankees and Blue Jays. They are a combined 1-12 against the Red Sox this season.
The Red Sox are standing on 18 right now. That’s as close to purgatory as you can get without
dropping dead.
Act II of the season begins at Wrigley Field on Friday. The “buy or sell at the deadline” debate
continues to burn up the local airwaves, social media, and actual human conversation.
The Red Sox have made watching baseball fun again. State Run Media is much more palatable
when the team can execute the most routine of plays or get hits with runners in scoring
position. Fenway Park rocked last week. The fans were into it and the players responded in
kind.
Contempt toward the ownership group and its tentacles elsewhere in sports and media has
metastasized in the soul of the fan base. The GM has carried a target on his back all season.
But “fan” affection has grown toward this team, especially concerning its young and dynamic
pitching core. Jarren Duran offers the rare combination of athleticism and baseball talent. Justin Turner, Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo have found a groove. Raffy Devers is Raffy Devers again.
This recent surge could be a mirage. Or not. Give it two weeks.
Talk of dealing for Shohei Ohtani remains the stuff of fantasy, much like those $1 million
jackpots offered by progressive slot machines.
The Red Sox will – in all likelihood – work around the edges at the trade deadline, especially
if they keep winning.
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” Michael Corleone exclaimed in the
otherwise forgettable “Godfather III.”
Well, the Red Sox have pulled us back in.
Will they hit on 18? Or temp fate?
Stick around.
Thankfully, the Patriots start training camp in two weeks.
Bill Speros (@BillSperos & @RealOBF) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com. When he is not at Stadium Swim, he is Senior Betting Analyst at bookies.com).