mr. blackandwhite

Fu Manchu, B's debacle, Sox new old closer...

I went to see Fu Manchu play at The Middle East in Cambridge last night and I was up waaaay past my bed time. I did not get home till around 2 AM this morning and now I am super, super sleepy. I am basically in a semi-caffeinated, trance like state right now. Very non-productive.

Fu Manchu was great and they did a bunch of songs off of 'The Action Is Go' album which is the one that I have, so that was nice. Even better they did the song, 'Saturn III', which is my favorite song on that album. They also did 'Grendel, Snowman', 'Evil Eye' and a couple others. I wanna say the did 'Anodizer' but my brain is failing me and I cannot confirm or deny whether that song was actually played. In any case, super cool all around. All of their songs rocked. The songs they played off their new album, 'We Must Obey', were very good. I'm going to have to put that one on my list of albums to buy. They ended the night, after the obligatory walk off the stage and come back out thing, with a cover of 'Godzilla'.

/Guitar nerd - I noted that Fu Manchu's lead guitar player was playing a Gibson SG. /Guitar nerd

I got to The Middle East extremely early. I was one of the first ten or so people in the club so that was interesting since a lot of the band guys were in there just hanging out. I did not talk to them. It was just interesting to see them in that environment, sitting around in an empty club, relaxing and getting ready for the show.

I thought the band that played before Fu Manchu, Valient Thorr, was ok. Their singer is a madman. He was all over the place. Getting up on the bar and walking around in the crowd on the floor. His antics were pretty entertaining to watch.

There were two other bands that played as well, but one of them I don't remember so obviously I was not that impressed with them. The first band of the night to play were actually pretty good. I think they were a local Boston band called 'Bull by the Horns' or something like that. I kind of missed getting their name...

{looks up band name online}

They are called Mess With the Bull. I liked those guys. I'll have to keep an eye out for them in the future. Also, I noted the singer / guitar player played a Gibson Firebird guitar. You don't see a lot of those these days. I am easily impressed.

Oh and the other band that played was called Seemless. I should say, they were not a bad band. They were ok but I did not find them to be exceptional. To be honest I  was not paying a lot of attention to them when they were on because at the time I was sitting at the bar watching the infuriating debacle that was last night's Bruins / Habs game.

Since I've meandered onto the subject of sports, when I was not hiding my face in my hands at the dismal-ness of the Bruins, I caught a between periods segment that featured Jonathan Papelbon commenting on his recent switch from the starting role back to being the Sox closer. It seems he truly wants to be the closer, and the change was something he asked for, so that is cool. I kind of assumed that he would prefer to be a starting rotation guy, but if Papelbon is really happier working as the closer, then even better!

I am getting excited for The Sox to start playing some real games.

Paps to closer role, Fu Manchu show tonight...

So it looks like The Sox now have their closer. Jonathan Papelbon is going to be moved out of the starting rotation and into the closer role.

Interestingly, I first read the news over at 38 Pitches, Curt Shilling's personal blog, as opposed to a 'normal' news outlet like ESPN or the Boston Herald. Even though I have not seen anything officially official out of The Sox, I'd say this information is pretty reliable and it's minty-fresh. Which is nice.

Admission time: While I am glad that The Sox now have the closer spot squared away, Papelbon is guaranteed nails, I have to admit I was looking forward to seeing Paps in the starting rotation. Based on my deep and unquestionable baseball fan knowledge, (HA!) I feel that Papelbon has what it takes to be a great starting pitcher so it is tough to see him not getting his chance to show what he can do as a starter.

However, the team has a need at closer and if you have a guy already on the team who you know you can count on to shut the door in the ninth, you have to do what is best for the team, so in that sense, this move makes perfect sense. Sense-wise... (Now I'm just being stupid.)

According to Curt Shilling's post, Papelbon is ok with moving to the closer spot and his health does not seem to be an issue (for now). So in the end, though there is some wondering of what might have been with Paps as a starter, moving him to the closer makes the Sox a better team in the long run and that is the bottom line.

And since I'm admitting things: I have not watched a single inning of Spring Training baseball. Not one. No Dice-Man, no Shilling, no none of it. Spring Training holds no interest for me. The things that happen on the mound and in the field and even at the plate are of no consequence. Everybody is just working on their stuff, different pitches, different batting stances, etc etc, so what you are watching in Spring Training is about as meaningless as it gets. Guys can look like crap during Spring Training and then start the season en fuego (have not pulled that phrase out in a while, must be getting close to baseball season). Guys can look awesome during Spring Training and then go right in the shitter once the season starts. So I don't pay a lot of attention to Spring Training, other than the fact that I am glad it is happening and that the games will be for real, real soon.

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In other non-related to anything news, I'm heading into Boston (ok, technically the People's Republic of Cambridge) to see Fu Manchu play at The Middle East tonight. It should be a good show and I am looking forward to it. I don't know a ton of Fu Manchu's stuff, I only have one of their albums, 'The Action Is Go', but that is a great album and thus, they are a great band. Plus I was told by a very reliable source that Fu Manchu is also great to see live, so for 12 bucks, I figure I can't go wrong!

In honor of going to the Fu Manchu show, I have decided to grow a Fu Manchu mustache. The only problem is, I am facially-hair challenged, so my Fu Manchu is pretty lame mustache-wise... Maybe in two months or so, it might start to look ok.

It's Spring AND Free Coffee Day at Dunks!

Wednesday odds and ends:

1. It is now officially Spring, which is awesome, even though it was 12 degrees outside this morning and there is still a foot of snow on the ground. That nasty white stuff will soon be gone as the unstoppable force of Spring continues to grow even more powerful with each passing day.

Sorry Winter, just because you woke up late and didn't get your ass in gear until February this year, that does not mean you get extra time during Spring to make up for lost time. Now go away. Birds, time to get a-chirpin'...

2. Because it is now officially Spring, Dunkins is giving out free iced coffee today. YAY! Who cares if it's only 25 degrees outside. FREE ICED COFFEE!

3. I'm still pissed and irritated over the Bruins loss to the bleeping Habs last night, which for all intents and purposes, ended any hopes of them making the playoffs. Therefore, hear me now, as I am officially rooting for the NY Islanders now. The Isles are now my Eastern Conference Backup Team for 2006-7. Unless they don't make the playoffs either. If the Isles don't get in, my fall-back team at that point is The Toronto Maple Leafs. And if THEY don't make the playoffs, my backup backup team is the Ottawa Senators. Yes, I know it is somewhat odd that 2 out of 3 or my backup teams are still fighting for a playoff spot. At least I know the Senators will make the playoffs this year.

4. The Dugout has a funny post today all about Manny and his gas-grill auction on e-bay, which, by the way, is not really his grill, but his neighbor's grill.. (I don't know what is more absurd, Manny selling his neighbor's grill on e-bay or the fact that this has turned out to be such a big story..)

5. I got disk one of Miami Vice Season 3 in the mail yesterday. Woop!

Update:
E-Bay has taken down the page for Manny's neighbor's gas-grill. Maybe somebody bought it. It did come with an autographed baseball after all...

Shilling starts blog. Old Media dies a little more...

With Curt Shilling recently unveiling his own personal blawg*, 38 Pitches, we are are once again presented with another example of the continuing erosion of 'the old media'. I'm talking specifically about news outlets, print, television and radio, whose reporters and columnists make a living by twisting people's words and injecting their own bias into everything they write.

The old media is becoming a dinosaur and it is happening right before our eyes.

Sites like Shilling's are rare these days. Not too many athletes have the inclination or the interest to start up their own interactive website, where they share their personal thoughts with the world and trade comments with their readers, but I have to believe that there are other athletes and public figures out there who are tired of having their words and ideas re-interpreted and re-purposed by reporters and newspaper columnists. Once those people learn that they can talk directly to the rest of us without having to go though the dirty filter of the main stream press, sites like Shilling's will become more and more numerous.

As personal websites like 38 Pitches become more and more predominant, people will no longer need to rely on the the likes of The Boston Globe, whose columnists can't even be bothered to write an original article, for their insight into what athletes, politicians and other public persona's are thinking.

Why read some newspaper or magazine columnist's edited and biased interpretation of what a public figure has said when you can go right to their blog-site and get it straight from the source?

The filters are coming off and the walls of the old school media are crumbling. Enjoy.

On a side note, I would love to see someone like Shilling keep their own recordings of their interactions with the press and then post the unedited version after the reporter's version has been published. I'm sure it would very interesting to compare the two versions of the same story.

*PS> I still hate the word 'blog'.

Various Pats / Sox related thoughts... (and a snowblower fight story!)

Corey Dillon is no longer a Patriot. He has asked to be released by the team and The Pats have granted him his wish. He may or may not retire, depending on what kind of offer / opportunity he gets from other teams. Apparently he feels that he still has enough gas in the tank to carry the load as a number one running back. Based on his numbers with The Patriots the last few years, I am not so sure about that, although last season I thought he was very productive and was under-used by The Patriots... Hopefully he does not go to an AFC East team, or some other big AFC rival, but I would not be surprised if he did, since that is how things always seem to work with players that leave The Patriots.

Wherever Dillon winds up, I wish him the best. When he was still on the Bengals I used to always think how cool it would be to have him in a New England uniform and then when it actually happened, I was psyched. I appreciated the effort and the work that Corey put in when he was on the team and I never fell for any of the crap that the local press tried to shove down our throats about him being a bad person or whatever. The Pats helped Dillon escape from what was, at the time anyway, a perennial loser in Cincy, formerly known as NFL Siberia, and in turn Dillon helped the Pats win a Superbowl. Things worked out quite nicely.

Best of luck Corey (except when facing The Patriots of course).

--

Well it looks like I will have soon have something else in common with Tom Brady besides the fact that we are both men and both really like football. Yes, it's true. In case you haven't heard, our man Tom is about to join The Daddy Club. All I will say about this 'story' is this: I now have to find a new millionaire-playboy-superbowl champion-aw shucks-seems like a regular guy like me but also dates super-models and plays for my #1 favorite team-athlete to live vicariously through. Damn. Do you know how hard it is to find a guy like that?? It's not easy. It's easier to find a white whale or a white elephant or a koala bear or something. I don't think it can be done actually. I mean, who out there in the sports world can offer what Brady formerly had to offer as an imaginary double life? Nobody, that's who. Who am I supposed to live vicariously through now? Petyon Manning? Phhht!! Yeah right!!

--

The Sox are not going to offer Curt Shilling a contract for 2008 and will allow him to become a free agent after this season. My thoughts on this subject are somewhat cloudy because I happen to have a huge man-crush on The Shil. Shilling is the fucking balls dude. I fully fucking love that guy (in a very masculine, manly way of course) so it goes without saying I'd like to see him finish things out as a Red Sox.

Of course, I can understand the Red Sox side of things too. He has been injured (mainly due to his risking his baseball future for our sakes in 2004, I might add) and is getting up there in age at 40 years young, so in that vein I can see why the Sox would want to wait and see how things pan out this season before signing any kind of guaranteed contract for future years.

And it is still possible that The Sox could work out a deal with Shilling after the season ends as well, provided he has a good year, etc etc. I read the article about him basically brushing off Sox owner John Henry as he tried to approach Shil during spring training by speeding up his pace and walking away too quickly for The Henry to keep up and have a conversation with him. On one hand I thought it was funny. Classic Shilling. On the other hand, it was not funny, if you know what I mean, because Shilling is obviously annoyed by the situation.

Whatever. We've got a long baseball season in front of us for things to play out in so we'll see what happens when it's over. I just hope that if Shilling has a good year, he does not hold this against The Sox when he becomes a free agent. Hopefully he doesn't decide to pay The Sox back for their wait and see attitude by donning the hated pinstripes in 2008... That would fully hella suck...

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Manny is being Manny again. What? No way!! How dare he show up for Spring Training late, just like he does every year!! Yup. Yawn. This is a story? I've noticed the press is doing their best to try and stir us up about Manny's annual 'late to Spring Training because of [insert reason here]'. Thankfully this time around it does not appear to be working. Seems like most folks have finally learned to ignore the flailing of the sportswriters on this subject. Yay! You can fully count me in on the 'Manny Rules and can show up to camp whenever he feels like it' side of things.

The Dugout had a really funny post on this subject by the way... Good for a Friday laugh.

--

Well I think that basically about covers things here... Oh, yeah I forgot. I woke up this morning to the glory of a snow covered winters morn today... and then cursed every last flake as I went out to shovel. I hate snow. All snow. Any snow. Hate it.

This last storm was pretty mild. Couple inches, not too heavy. I was not expecting a problem getting cleared out today. SO I'm out there with my snow-blower, and things are working fine. The Airens is chugging along and I'm just mindlessly going up and down the driveway. I was actually thinking to myself that even though I hate snow and I hate shoveling and snow-blowing, I am very, very thankful and glad that I have a snowblower, because manually shoveling the driveway really, really sucks. So even though my snow blower has generally been a pain in the ass and has needed several repairs over the years, as well as temporarily serving as a comfy nest for some mice (fuckers), I was still extremely appreciative and thankful for it's presence.

Just as I was thinking these nice, happy thoughts about my finicky snowblower, I noticed that the chute that the snow comes shooting out of was kind of wiggly and loose.

'Hmmm. That's kind of odd,' I thought. 'I have not seen that before. I'll have to check that out when I'm done...'

I got to the end of the driveway, turned around to go back up, turned the crank to swivel the snow chute over to the other direction and, 'CLANG!!' The shute fucking fell right the fuck off the snowblower and landed on the ground.

WHAT THE FUCK!!!

So now I'm pissed. 'You stupid snowblower!' I yelled to no one in particular.

I took a minute to calm down and then proceeded to scour the driveway and the street for the little nut and bolt that held the chute onto the snowblower and had apparently come loose and fallen out somewhere while I was walking up and down the driveway. I actually said a short prayer to God in Heaven to help me be patient and calm and to help me to find the little pieces in all this snow and ice. It took several minutes but, YES!! There is the nut. Found it!!

Now I needed to find the screw. That should be easier. The nut was really little, so if I found that, I should be able to find the screw, right? Plus it should not be too far from where the chute fell off... Well not so fast because I had a a hell of a time finding that little screw. I was almost ready to throw in the towel and see if I could scrounge up a replacement from the box of assorted screws that I have on my workbench in my basement when I found it. YES! Thank you God! Big ups to you for your help! You are THE MAN! (or the being, or whatever God is...)

I put the chute back together and finished clearing the driveway. As I was putting the snowblower away, I noticed the chute was loose again. 'I bet there was a lock-washer on there and now that's gone,' I said to myself. 'Well there's no way I'm gonna find that.'

Down to the basement I went to get my box of assorted nuts and bolts and washers. I was in luck again because I had one single lock-washer that fit just right on the screw. Woo-hoo! Somebody really was watching out for me today. I put the thing back together and tightened it all up. I checked all the other nuts and bolts on the ornery machine while I was at it because I did not want to have to do this again.

They don't have to deal with this kind of thing in St. Thomas I bet...

Happy Valentines Day Snow Storm Day...

Happy Valentines Day internets. Hope you're having a good one. It is snowing outside and the weather is generally rotten around here today.

After hearing the forecast calling for snow and sleet throughout the day today, I decided to pick up the flowers for my Wife after work last night, so Valentines came a little early to my house. I also got some Valentines balloons for the kids and they were very excited about those.

Balloons are very, very exciting, dontcha know? Not only do they float in the air, but you can also bop people with them, right on the head even, and that's fun.

I generally dislike Valentines Day, mainly because I don't like having things forced on me, and also because it is not a real holiday. It's a manufactured greeting card holiday. Everyone knows this of course, but like sheep, we follow along with the Valentines Day charade anyway. I buy flowers for my Wife all year round, so I know how much a bunch of roses cost and I can't help but feel somewhat annoyed when the same flowers that I know were $16 last week are now $35 this week. But, I went out and met my societal Valentines obligations. I went out and got the flowers and the cards, etc etc etc.

Every year at Valentines Day, my Wife tells me, 'don't get me anything'. I am not foolish enough to believe that, so every year we play a little Valentines Day game. She says, 'don't get me anything, flowers are too expensive'. I then go out and buy over-priced roses for her. She tells me I shouldn't have, smiles and gives me a hug. The flowers make her happy and I like hugs, so it's not such a bad game, really.

Even though I don't necessarily like it, I play along with the greeting card company's scheme. My Wife likes to get flowers and I like to see her happy, and the kids get all excited about making Valentines cards and handing them out to their friends at school, so I guess the bottom line is, Valentines Day makes them happy and they have fun with it and in the end that is all that really matters to me.

As far as this winter weather goes, I don't like it. I was really starting to believe that I was going to make it through the whole winter without having to use the snowblower. We came close! But, at the same time, we're half-way through February and this is the first snow-blower worthy storm of the year, so I can't complain about it too much. If I only have to run the snow-blower once this year, that is still a pretty good winter as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, and I took The Red Sox ball-cap off the bed-post this morning... Some internal clock went off today that said it was time to start switching over to Red Sox baseball mode. I think it might have been a reaction to the snow coming down outside my windows. I needed a reminder that Spring, and everything that comes with it, is only about a month away.

Plus, pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training down in Ft. Myers FL this week and that has me excited. I'm looking forward to some Red Sox baseball.

Killing time while waiting for Truck Day...

As I mentioned earlier, now that Football is over and done with, there's a definitive void in interesting stuff to talk about right now. Once The Pats were eliminated from the playoffs, most Patriots fans, who usually double as Red Sox fans, immediately started looking forward to Truck Day and Spring Training.

I myself am still wearing my Pats hat. I can't turn this football thing off and switch gears into Red Sox mode like flicking a light switch. It's something that has to happen gradually and I am still fully in Patriots Football Mode. Eventually though, one of these days, probably around the time that The Truck heads down to Fort Myers, FL, I'll decide to take the Sox cap off of the bed post and put The Pats cap in it's place, but not just yet.

In the meantime, we've got The Pro-Bowl this weekend, which generally holds next to zero interest for me. I find a couple of the skills competitions to be minorly (is that a word?) interesting, like the kicker competition, QB accuracy, longest throw, fastest runner, that sort of thing. I don't really care about the outcome of any of the events, it is just something that has to do with football so I watch it.

As far as the Pro-Bowl game itself goes, I really could care less about it. I don't even think the players care that much about it to be honest. I would imagine they are just happy to be there. Personally, I like it when Patriots players are selected to the Pro-Bowl and then decide not to play. Why risk getting some freak injury playing in a completely meaningless Pro-Bowl game? I think Patriots Pro-Bowlers should go, soak up the sun, hang out and enjoy the honor of being selected, but decline to actually participate in the game. Two words: Robert Edwards. Nuff said.

One interesting twist to this year's Pro-Bowl is that Pats coach, Bill Belichick, will be scouting the AFC's Pro-Bowl players, I mean, um... COACHING the Pro-Bowl this year. I find this to be quite intriguing. Talk about letting the fox into the hen-house. Coach B gets to spend a week watching and evaluating how players from The Patriots' AFC rivals, such as the Colts and Chargers, go about preparing for a game, and learning about them, whoops! I did it again! I mean, WORKING with them, first hand.

Ok, yeah, it's the Pro-Bowl, so is Belichick going to be able to gain substantial amounts of info that could carry over into the regular season just from coaching an exhibition game? Probably not, but, any sneaky little nuggets of information that he can glean from working with the AFC Pro-Bowlers for a week could potentially be useful somewhere down the line. Cue the spy music...

While we are on the subject of Belichick, I would just like to say that I am really tired of all the negative talk about him lately, whether he is a classy individual or not classy, a good hand-shaker or a bad hand-shaker... What a bunch of nonsense. This is football, not celebrity gossip. Coach Belichick is not the most media-friendly guy, we are all well aware of this, but just because he does not like to play grab-ass with the press, does that make him a bad guy? Not in my mind, no, but it does make him an easy target for a vindictive main-stream sports media.

Let's just make this clear: Coach Belichick is THE BALLS. Thank you.

GO PATS

I'm The Beast from The East I'm The Dice-Man...

Friday quick hits:

Even though it's Friday, the morning did not start off too good. I got stuck behind a school bus that was stopping every 10 feet to pick up kids in front of their houses. What ever happened to all the kids waiting at a street corner for the bus to come? What's with this thing where the bus stops and waits at the front door of every kid's house?

My Wife tells me it's some kind of a law and that they have to do that if there are no sidewalks. I did not have sidewalks where I grew up and I walked to the corner and waited for the bus with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood... Uphill. Both ways. In the snow. Carrying a bag of rocks...

People seemed to be extra surly when I went in for my sammitch and coffee at the Dunks today. I almost got hit by two cars in the parking lot and for some reason people were pushing, shoving and jostling each other while waiting in line for their coffee. Merry fucking Christmas.

When I got to work, I was getting out of my car and went to grab my lunch, not realizing that the top of the food container was loose, and I wound up spilling spaghetti sauce all over myself. It was all over my jacket and pants, right in my crotchable area. Fantastic.

I went into the bathroom and wiped it all off with a wet paper towel, which of course made it look like I had pissed all over myself, but what was I gonna do? I couldn't spend the day walking around covered in tomato sauce. I got most of it off and it is not too noticeable now that it is dry, but I smell like a big pot of spaghetti sauce. Fantastic.

After work today I will be heading into the hell that is The Mall at Christmas-time to get those last minute gifts and try and find some decent Christmas cards for my Wife and Kids. I am not looking forward to that one bit. I already have a plan of attack on which stores I need to go to and what items I need to get, and I will have my iPod on while I shop so hopefully that will help me get through it quickly. Depending on how interesting my mall adventure is, I might write a post about it later...

So The Red Sox finally signed Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and he was introduced yesterday as an official member of the team. He even got to drop the puck at last night's Bruins game. Hmmm. I don't recall the Bruins' big free agent pickup, defenseman Zdeno Chara, throwing out any pitches at Fenway when he was signed... Anyway, Matsuzaka, heretofore to be referred to on this site as 'The Dice-Man' or 'Dice', better live up to his expectations. I have to admit I am somewhat skeptical about him and I think all this hoopla over a guy that has never pitched in a Major League game is a little over the top. He is more than free to prove my skepticism wrong come spring though. Feel free to win 20+ games next season Dice. I won't mind at all. I also noticed that The Dice-Man will be wearing Johnny Damon's old number 18, which prompted me to say, 'Hmmmmmm..'

Finally, onto things that are important, The Pats play Houston at home in The Razor this weekend and The Pats need this win, not only to bounce back from last weeks horrendous loss to The Fish, but to keep The NY Jets at bay for the AFC East. The Jets are playing the Minnesota Vikings and I expect they will win that game, meaning the Pats MUST win on Sunday to keep their lead in the AFC East comfortable and prevent the division race from becoming 'interesting'.

I've got my weekly football post, The End Zone, up at Faster Than The World today too, so head over there and check it out and leave a few comments while you're at it.

FTTW will be featuring an open NFL game day thread starting this Sunday that is sure to be an absolute free for all. It should be fun so feel free to go over there and leave some comments while you watch the games on Sunday.

Youk!! Pats playoff scenarios and other stuff...

Well, first off, let me send out a warm welcome to those of you who are reading this nonsense and happen to have the extraordinary luck of being family members of mine. Yup after nearly three years I decided what the hell, why not tell a few people about this dumb thing.

I've come a long way with this whole online writin' thing I think, going from being afraid to post anything at all and just keeping everything stored locally on my home computer, to posting completely anonymously, to giving up my first name, to yes, actually telling more than three people about this. I know a couple people have checked out the site already because I have gotten a few e-mails about it, so hi there! Leave me some comments.

Ok, on with the nonsense...

After The Pats' disastrous game yesterday, I spent the day today trying to figure out what needs to happen for The Pats to clinch the AFC East. Since it is still possible for The Jets to go 10-6, and, with the way The Pats are playing, for them to go 9-7, the division is certainly not a lock, but hopefully the planets will align and The Pats can win a few more games and maybe even cut down on the number of turnovers while they're at it..

The best The Jets can do is go 10-6, so obviously The Pats will clinch with 11 wins, or a Jets loss along with a Pats win also clinches it, since that would mean that the best the Jets would be able to do at that point would be 9-7 while the Pats would have 10 wins. Clear as mud? Yes, it took me all day to figure that out.

Yesterday a local restaurant had a visit from Kevin Youkilis of The Boston Red Sox and I just happened to have a ticket that granted me access to go over and say hi. So I did. Accompanying me was fellow Red Sox maniac, (actually I think she is a bigger Sox maniac than I am), my sister-in-law, as well as her friend, a Red Sox maniac in training..

It was a fairly low-key event. We waited around outside for about an hour for our turn in line to meet Youk. My sister and her pal had a few things to sign, a Topps player card and a ball. I did not bring anything for Youk to sign. I'm not all that into signatures so I did not bother to get anything for Youk to sign. I was just there to meet him and say hello. Yeah, I am lame. But I met Youk, so I nyeah!

Meeting Youk was pretty cool. He seemed like a real nice guy and he had a brief conversation with my sister-in-law who was wearing a 'YOUK!' t-shirt. He seemed to like the shirt as well as the Topps card that sis-in-law had for him to sign. I also could not help but notice that Youk had a Cincinnati Bengals cap next to him on the table. I guess that is ok, since he's from Cincy...

Youk signed all the stuff and we said thanks and headed out, just in time to catch the start of The Patriots game. (Most of the time while I was standing in line I was concerned about getting out of there in time so as not to miss any of The Pats game.)

I took a couple photos while my sis-in-law talked to Kevin but they are not anything spectacular. Just Youk sitting at the table signing stuff. I can upload them if anyone really wants to see them, but it's not like they are awe-inspiring photos or anything. You just let me know if you really NEED to see them, ok?

Memo to The Boston Red Sox...

Lets keep this short and sweet today:

1. Don't trade Manny.

2. Don't trade Manny.

and finally, 3., (I think you know where this is going...) Don't trade Manny.

(Seriously Red Sox, don't fucking trade Manny.)

Thank you.

Please note:

I would just like to note the following:

It's the middle of November and the temps here in the Northeast U.S. are in the 60s. Fabulous. I hope it stays like this all winter. I hope it is 55 degrees in the middle of January. Global warming rules.

You may have noticed that I've been throwing around the word 'awesome' a lot lately and I feel the need to point out that 'awesome' is not a word that can be applied to just anything around here. 'Awesome' is definitely not an adjective to be taken lightly. To receive the 'awesome' moniker on this site, something must be truly AWESOME. So if I tell you that I think something is awesome, that means that I think it's really, really good and super cool too.

Unless I am being sarcastic.

Like when I describe getting cut off in traffic by a person talking on their cell phone while driving their Ford Expedition as awesome, that's not really awesome. That's the opposite of awesome. Or if I describe the feeling of finding out that Jessica Biel has been dating Derek Jeter as awesome, that is total sarcasm right there. That is definitely the opposite of awesome. Oh my sweet Jessica, what were you thinking?

Please don't tell me that Jeter has also dated Jessica Alba. There are some things I'd rather not know. Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't. I honestly don't know, but if he has, then don't ruin it for me. Let Jessica Alba remain pure in my mind. Thank you.

While I have been using the word 'awesome' quite a bit recently, on the flip side, I have been trying to curtail my use of the word, 'fuck'. Overuse of this word limits it's effectiveness. Plus it's naughty.

A couple people have e-mailed me, ok one person, has e-mailed me, asking what I thought of the The Sox shelling out 50 million just to talk to some Hekimatzuizilla guy. (Apparently he's a pitcher?) My answer: The Pats are playing Green Bay this weekend.

Seriously, talk to me when pitchers and catchers report. I'll see who shows up at The Fort and tell you what I think then. Right now it's football season.

This may be one of the most pointless posts I have ever written. And that's saying something.

One last thing. The End Zone is on Fridays now, so head over to Faster Than the World and check it out if you get a chance!

Ok as you were. Happy Friday.

Tingly Tingles...

Last night I watched the Red Sox 2006 Hall of Fame show. The first part of the show featured the induction of Dave Roberts.

I felt all tingly watching the replays of Roberts and 'The Steal', the play that started the greatest comeback in sports history back in 2004.

There was also an extremely comical moment with Kevin Millar that had me laughing out load as he pretended that he was being inducted into The Sox HOF for getting the walk that put him on first base and allowed Roberts to come in and pinch run for him. Well it is true that if Millar did not get that walk, then Roberts would have never had gotten his opportunity to come in and eventually steal second. Much appreciation to Kevin Millar.

It was really nice to see Dave and listen to his comments after being inducted. He seemed to truly appreciate the honor.

Later in the show former Sox Manager Joe Morgan was inducted as well as The Rem Dawg, Jerry Remy.

Warm fuzzies all around.

Awesome.

Now, for the grand prize... define the word, 'Schadenfreude'

'OH FUCK! Serious?? Damn.'

That would have been my reaction a few days ago if I were an imaginary game show contestant with the grand prize on the line.

After the MFY were eliminated from the post-season last weekend, I read post after post at various Red Sox sites using this word. It kind of got on my nerves that I had no idea what the word actually meant.

'Schadenfreude... Schadenfreude. What the hell is Schadenfreude? And why is it always capitalized?'

So I looked it up. Schadenfreude: Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

See, reading Red Sox sites makes you smarter.

Yankees lose, Patriots win. Yay!

Ok, I could not say this until now but, REVERSE JINX!! Ha ha! It worked!

All that time I was going along saying that Detroit could not beat the Yankees and how if The Tigers lost, the A's could not beat the Yankees, it was the classic, 'Reverse Jinx'. And it worked. And I am happy.

My Wife is happy too because my 'Yankee Elimination' beard was getting really scruffy.

Now we can enjoy the rest of the MLB playoffs in peace, which is nice, but there's one thing I've gotta say about the baseball playoffs that really bugs me though. What is with all the champagne in the MLB playoffs? They love to pop the cork in baseball don't they?

There's a champagne shower for making it into the playoffs, then a champagne shower for each series win. I don't get that. I mean, I'm sure it's fun and all but here's the thing, YOU HAVEN'T WON ANYTHING YET!!

Do you ever see this in any other sport? You don't see people popping open the bubbly for advancing into the next round in hockey or football and I'm pretty sure it does not happen in basketball.

The champagne should not come out until you have won the championship and you're walking off the field / ice / court with the trophy held high over your head. That's just what I think.

The Pats got the 20-10 win against The Fish today to improve their overall record to 4-1. Meanwhile, The Bills and Jets both lost their games, so The Pats continue to pull away from the rest of the AFC East.

Todays' game was pretty much low stress for me. I had a good feeling about this one all week going in and even though The Patriots were facing The Fish, who always play The Pats tough, I was never really worried about this game, even when, at one point in the game, it was only a 3 point Patriots lead.

That is very unusual for me. Usually I'm acting like a maniac during games, but today I was quite calm throughout the entire game. I had the Lucky Pats Beer Mug and my lucky Patriots socks and my confidence in the Pats ability to get the win. It was quite zen-like. Ohhhhhmmmm.

The Pats running game was not really there this week, and the passing game was not spectacular but the bottom line is they got the job done. Kevin Faulk fumbled the ball on a return at one point in the game, which I was not happy to see, but that is Faulk. He has a tendency to fumble every now and then. Thankfully there was no damage done.

On the other hand, The Pats were able to take advantage of several Miami turnovers and turn them into points and that was pretty much the game. Overall I thought it was a good win for The Patriots heading into a bye week.

I watched some of the Philly / Dallas game. It was looking like Dallas was going to get a game-tying touchdown in the closing seconds of the game, but Dallas QB Drew Bledsoe had the ball intercepted in the end-zone and Philly took it all the way back for a back-breaking TD. Too bad for Drew. I kinda felt bad for him. Oh well.

I saw that Indy managed to beat Tennessee in that game, 14-13. Tennessee gave The Colts a game there. I was hoping Tennessee would hand Indianapolis their first loss. Disappointing.

I was surprised to see Green Bay take the 23-20 loss to St. Louis today and I was also surprised to see The J-E-T-S get annihilated by Jacksonville, 41-0. Oakland lost again by a score of 34-20 to San Fran and now they are sitting at 0-4. Good.

I'm rooting for whoever is playing the Yankees...

Despite what I wrote yesterday, I'm compelled to break my own rules and get a quick post up here.

I've got my little baseball scoreboard updater thingy up on my compy screen and I'm keeping track of the MFY / Detroit game during my occasional visits to my desk.

1-0, Detroit in the 3rd. Obviously, I'm rooting for Detroit in this series, as my mantra for the entire playoffs will be, 'I'm rooting for whoever is playing The Yankees' until they are eliminated.

I hope Detroit is up to the task but my gut, which, god-dammit, is almost always right, tells me they are not. I hope they can at least make it go 5 games and wear out the MFY geriatric pitching staff.

My #2 team, The Twinkies, are on the brink of elimination against Oakland. Oakland has not been known for their ability to finish off teams that are down 0-2 during their last few post-season appearances (heh, I said 'finish off'. so immature), but they will probably accomplish that feat this time around against The Twins.

I'd almost rather see Oakland sweep the Twins at this point so they can rest up and get ready for the ALCS, but I don't know if Oakland has what it takes to beat The MFY either...

I am very nervous about this whole MLB post-season. The Yankees MUST be eliminated at some point, preferably before they can reach The World Series, but their eventual elimination is imperative.

The thought of tools like Giambi and A-Fraud wearing World Series rings, and Johnny Damon sporting a Sox ring and a MFY ring... well lets just say I don't want to talk about it anymore because my stomach is starting to get all burbley just thinking about it.

2nd place or 3rd place in the A.L. East. At this point who cares?

There is a story on ESPN about how The Red Sox would like to try and finish in 2nd place in the A.L. East, preserving the 8 year 'streak' of second place finishes in the division behind the MFY.

I don't know, but if you ask me, finishing in 2nd place for the previous 8 years is a dubious distinction at best, kind of like how the Boston Bruins made the playoffs for 30 years in a row but never won a Cup during all that time.

At least the Red Sox can say they won a Championship during that 8 year span (thank God).

As far as this season goes though, 2nd place or 3rd place, eh, at this point, who cares? We're not in the post-season so what's the diff? To me it's kind of like finishing second at the Daytona 500. Second is just the first loser.

Now that the teams that are in this year's MLB Playoffs are nearly decided, we're just waiting to see if it will be the Astros or Cardinals in the NL Central, it's time to pick your backup teams.

Of course, my main backup team at any point during the post-season is whoever winds up playing the Yankees, but I will say that in the National League, I'll be rooting for San Diego and in the American League, I'll be rooting for Minnesota.

What are your backup teams? Got any? Or are you completely checked out of baseball at this point?

Wake goes for the Sox tonight. A win for would be nice, for Tim and for me too.

Fall Friday...

I got home from work with a cheese pizza for the kids and a chicken sandwich for me. My wife had to go out to attend to some family stuff over at her Mom's. She took the baby along with her so it was just me and the kids tonight.

We had our dinner and it was good. After dinner we went downstairs to the (almost) finished basement and listened to some records. I still have a lot of my old records from when I was little, the ones that have stories on them like Peter Pan, Horton Hears a Who and stuff like that. The kids really like listening to them and that's cool. It's neat that I was able to keep those records in good shape and they are still around. Now my kids are listening to, and enjoying the same records that I used to listen to when I was young. That's just cool.

It was fun listening to the stories with the kids.

After that we came back upstairs and my daughter noticed the sun was going down, so we got our jackets on and grabbed some blankets and went and sat outside on the porch and watched the sunset.

It was a half-moon and there were a lot of wispy clouds moving across the sky, all lit up by the fading sun in pink and purple colors. We talked about what we could see in the clouds. It was nice. My daughter and I saw horses running across the sky. My son saw space-ships taking off.

When it was nearly dark, we came back in and they got ready for bed. I let them watch a video tape, Bob the Builder, and have a little milk before bed.

It was a very nice evening.

Now the house is quiet, so I think maybe I'll have a beer and watch some of the Red Sox / Orioles game. Maybe I'll play some tunes on my guitar while I watch.

It's the last series of the season for the Sox. No post-season for The Red Sox this year. I have to admit, it makes me feel a little sad. Like, I'm not gonna go break down and cry or anything, but, with the whole baseball season coming to a close, the chilly fall weather and the sun going down earlier and earlier, I can't help but think about how the nice days are slipping away and soon it's going to just be cold and gray around here. I hate Winter, so hopefully we'll have a bunch of nice Fall days this upcoming October to get outside and enjoy before the bitter days of Winter arrive.

In the meantime, it's one last series for our Boys of Summer so I'll be trying to soak some of it in. I made sure to watch Curt Shilling's last game the other night. I think that guy is great. It was good to see him get the win.

And on that note here is a list of the Red Sox players that I thought were 'The Balls' this year for The Sox:

Jon Papelbon
David Ortiz
Curt Shilling
Mike Lowell
Willy Mo Pena
Kevin Youkilis

These were the players that stood out for me this season. I know some of the names, you may look at them and scratch your head, wondering why, but these were the guys that, to me, were not about flash, they were about showing up every day and playing the game right. These were the players that really made the games enjoyable for me to watch. Thanks guys. Now, how about going out on a high note eh?

Over .500 all-time. Sounds nice...

With the Patriots win over the Jets this past weekend, The Pats now have an all-time winning percentage as a team over the course of their entire history (357-356-9).

That is pretty damn cool.

Lets' keep it going this Sunday against Denver.

Other than The Pats, things have been kind of slow around here lately... Not a whole lot going on that's really worth writing about, unless you want to hear about me mowing the lawn or working on my never-ending basement project. Yes, that's right, it's still not finished. Oy, don't get me started...

It was good to see the Red Sox take 3 out of 4 this weekend in New York. The MFY may clinch the AL East, again, but at least it won't be against The Sox.

Gotta take the small victories where we can get them.

The Sox start a series with the Twins tonight that I was hoping would have a little more meaning to it a few weeks ago. Hard to believe there is only a little more than a week and a half left till the end of the regular baseball season.

Of course, there is the playoffs. Just because the Sox are out of it, that does not mean I won't still follow baseball in the post-season.

My backup team to the Red Sox is the Twins this year, so I hope they can get in as the Wildcard. In the West I'll be rooting for San Diego, so I hope they can get in too.

Next year...

I don't usually quote other sites, but Beth wrote this last night as the Sox were laying the smack down on the Birds, and I have to say, I was touched.

"This is, in a way, another dimension of appreciating 2004. This is another opportunity to savor it. This is exactly the kind of listless, hopeless, go-nowhere September night we knew it'd see us through. A listless, hopeless, go-nowhere September night on which no one can bring up Babe Ruth or 1918 or even Grady Little. I'm keeping that in mind."

I have not written about this yet, but last Friday, I was there and in person at Fenway, and last Friday, I watched and I cheered 'till my throat hurt and I clapped my hands 'till my palms hurt and I put my hat on backwards and inside-out and I rubbed my lucky Patriots socks as the Red Sox came back from a five run deficit, to take the lead in the game... only to have Mike Timlin come out and give up the go-ahead runs in the 9th as the Sox were eventually beaten by the K.C. Royals, 10-9.

That was the moment that I threw in the towel on this baseball season.

It's over, and for me, that is hard to say, but it's time to face the cold reality of it. It's over.

I bought a new Red Sox ball-cap that night after the game was over and I've got a feeling this one's got some luck in it. I have not taken it off, even though it's Patriots season. I'm getting it infused with some Patriots magic dust, see?

We'll get them next year.

GO SOX

God-Damm I love Rodney Harrison

This is from a story in the Boston Herald today that talked about how things work in the Patriots locker room.

One locker room scene yesterday had Willie Andrews kindly agreeing to an interview. The first-year defensive back was about five words into his first answer, when Rodney Harrison walked by.

“You don’t have anything to say,” Harrison said, without breaking stride. “You’re a rookie. You haven’t done anything yet. What could you have to talk about?”

Andrews gave a sheepish look back at the 13-year-veteran.

“I guess I have nothing to say,” Andrews said.

Dude. I fucking love this shit. Rodney Harrison is 'THE BALLS'. He makes me want to swoon. (In a very manly, masculine sort of way of course...)

And how about Tedy Bruschi, out there on the field practicing while wearing a cast on his broken wrist with the words, "Bear Down," written on it.

The Patriots are going to win the Superbowl this year.

Meanwhile the always bright and sunny Boston press is doing it's best convince Sox fans that the season is over and not to waste their energy hoping for the Red Sox to make the playoffs. Well I say, FUCK THAT. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no.

Ok, so maybe the Red Sox playoff chances are slim to none. I'm going to keep rooting for them and hoping they get in anyway. I'm just kinda crazy like that. 'Some people say that I'm nuts, I'm crazy, I'm a little wacked... Welcome to the show!'

2 out of 3 ain't bad...

Ok, so the Red Sox did not get the sweep against the Other Sox tonight, losing by a score of 8-1, but come on, taking two out of three from this team is nothing to complain about.

I kind of expected the Sox to get their ass kicked in this series to be honest. I mean, obviously, I hoped the Red Sox would do good against the Other Sox, but I can't really say that I expected it to happen, especially when I saw that Kason Gabbard was pitching yesterday, but it was an enjoyable surprise to see him pitch so effectively in last night's game and get the win.

The good news is that The Twinkies also lost tonight to the Tampa Bay Devil Dogs, so we did not lose any ground to them in the Wildcard. The Sox remain at 6 games behind Minnesota.

Speaking of Minnesota, lets take a look at their schedule. They're playing some tough teams over the next few weeks: Detroit, Oakland, Chicago and of course, The Red Sox.

Chip, chip, chip. That's what the Sox need to keep doing. Just keep chipping away and try to gain a little ground with every series.

I'll be going to the Sox / K.C. game this Friday where some guy named Jarvis will be pitching for the Sox. Who? I don't know but I don't care. Now that the Sox are not as trendy anymore I've got some tickets to a game and I am psyched to be going to Fenway this year (psyched: that's my new over-used word these days by the way.) If you're heading to the game, let me know! Maybe we can have a beer outside of Fenway.

I wonder how much beers cost inside the park this year... When I went to the Pats pre-season game a few weeks ago, the beers were 7.50 inside the stadium. 7.50! Can you believe that?? 7.50 for a frikkin bottle of Bud! Phhht. Fuck. That.

No quitting allowed...

You know, as much as I would like to just shut it down, give 100% of my attention to The Pats and forget about any post-season hopes for The Red Sox this year, there's something in me that simply won't allow me to do it.

I just can't bring myself give up all hope for The Sox making the playoffs until that magic elimination number, which currently stands at 20, is down to zero.

The Sox are 6 back for the Wild Card spot. Climbing back from a six game deficit would be extremely difficult to overcome, but it's still not completely out of reach.

I know, roll your eyes and tell me I'm nuts. See, I talk myself into this stuff. I can't help it. I know it's irrational. When it comes to The Red Sox, I am insane. That's the only way to explain it.

Now that I've gone and convinced myself that there is still a reason to believe, I went and checked the Sox website and saw that Kason Gabbard and his 6.35 ERA is starting for the Red Sox tonight vs the Other Sox.

All I can say is, 'Ooog.' Talk about slapping me in the face and bringing me back to reality... but GO SOX anyway! I've still got some positive vibes for ya.

That's your answer?

So last night I asked a question. A rhetorical question, but a question none-the-less. What are you going to show me tonight Red Sox? Are we playoff contenders or pretenders?

And what do they do? They put some guy nobody had ever heard of before out there on the mound, I think maybe they found him on a street corner in Oakland, to pitch against one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. End result: 9-0 A's and The Red Sox are now 7 back in the A.L. East.

The Sox starter Kason Gabbard took the loss. ('Scuse me, who is he again? No offense Kason.)

Look, I realize that like, everybody on the team is hurt, so I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the team. You know I don't bash. I'm just frustrated that's all. I mean, the pitching is patchwork, and we've got backups in for the backups in key positions all over the place. Tek's out, Trot's out, Willy Mo's hurt, Manny's hurt and Big Papi's heading back to Boston because he's having heart problems. What the hell is that all about?? Jezus. It's nuts. (Bottom line: Just be ok David.)

This is like fucking sand in my teeth to say this, but, I think we're done my friends, so stop worrying about the wins and losses and just enjoy the games for what they are, the last moments of the beautiful summer game of baseball at the end of another season. Maybe the Sox aren't playoff bound this year, barring a miracle anyway, (see, I still hold out hope,) but you've still got another month to enjoy the games.

I'll be going to a game next week. Seems people don't want their seats so bad anymore and I was able to score a couple. I'll take the leftovers. Fuck yeah I will.

Even though the playoffs are just about out of reach at this point, I still can't wait to see that game at Fenway next week. Why? Because in the best times and in the bad times, I'm a Sox fan. Through thick and thin my friends. Fuck yeah.

Show me watcha got Sox...

During the month of August, The Red Sox have played 8 series of games and have won only two of them. Ouch.

Starting tonight they'll close out the month with a series against A's, a team that, as Jerry Remy reminds us, has the best record in baseball since the All-Star break.

- wince -

So, are The Sox gonna fold like a tent and collectively shut it down for the season? Or, are they gonna give me a reason to believe in them for the month of September...

Show me watcha got Red Sox.

Trying to 'Keep the Faith'

Anybody that reads this site with any regularity knows that I always try to stay positive when it comes to the sports teams that I follow. Even when things are at their worst, I always like to believe that there is a chance to win a game or have a successful season, but I gotta say, The Red Sox are sure making it hard for me to continue to believe in them right now.

They had the chance to pick up two games against the Yankees this weekend while playing against a struggling team and instead they got swept and fell further down in the standings. The fact that The Red Sox have remained in striking distance in the standings has been like a life-vest for my belief that they could still make a run for a playoff spot, but they continue to slide further and further back with almost every series.

Is this the same team that was closing in on a team record for consecutive wins earlier this season?

Sometimes I'd really like to just throw in the towel on this baseball season and just enjoy the games that are left, regardless of their meaning in the standings. September is almost here and this next series against The A's could be the straw that breaks the camel's back, or it could be the series that rejuvenates my hope that The Sox can still remain in contention for the playoffs.

It's not as bad as it seems. Really.

Ok so The Red Sox lost AGAIN last night, which is annoying, and somewhat depressing, I mean 6 in a row, what the FUCK! But anyway, the good news is that The MFY, The Other Sox and The Twinkies all lost as well, so no change in the standings. The Sox remain 6.5 back in the East (Ug!) and 4 back in the Wildcard and we will have another crack at all 3 of those teams in September.

By the way people are talking right now, you'd think the Sox were completely eliminated from contention, but that is not the case. I know this horrid string of losses is enough to make somebody go batshit, but look at the standings before you head for the nearest bridge.

Despite this ridiculous losing streak, The Red Sox are still in the race, for now at least. This West coast trip is going to make or break the season.

Can we please win tonight?!

Positive Vibes people!!

(Oh and GO Padres!! Mikey, you keeping up your end of the bargain? I'm counting on you man!)

GO SOX

Digging in for the long haul

Earlier this morning we got all the, 'So you moving on to The Patriots after this weekend' banter out of the way with the local office MFY fans.

My response, 'Like my shirt?' as I pointed to my blindingly red colored Red Sox 2004 ALCS Champions t-shirt.

'That didn't really happen,' was the MFY fan's response.

'Oh yes it did pal, and I got the shirt on right here to remind you of it.'

It serves as a reminder to myself as well. Despite the fact that The Sox have only won a single series during entire the month of August so far, we are still in playoff contention and I'm not about to throw in the towel on the season yet.

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO!

The Red Sox just like to get their backs up against the wall before they come out swinging.

I'm going to continue to believe that The Sox are going to pull this season out of the dumpster, put the last month behind them and start kicking ass. I hate throwing in the towel. Fuck throwing in the towel. Did Rocky let Mickey throw in the towel? No he didn't. He made Mickey cut his eye open then he got back in the ring and punched Apollo Creed in the ribs till he was spitting blood.

That's what the Red Sox need to do now.

'Cut me Mick..'

How about this for an analogy: right now the grass in my lawn is brown, dry and crunchy. It looks dead, but it's not. It's just waiting. Waiting to pounce. And come September it's going to be lush and green again, pissing off the neighbors and making them all jealous with it's lush green-ness. All it needs is a little bit of rain and some cool temps and it will be right back. That's what the Red Sox need. Lots of water and some cool weather.

Ok. Time to stop with the analogies. You get the idea.

This post is unraveling quickly so in closing, don't ask me to save your seat on this bandwagon. Either strap in or get off now.

I just hope The Sox don't go on a run and then wind up missing the playoffs by 1 game. They did that a few seasons ago, I don't remember which one, 2002 maybe? Or was it earlier than that. That might have been the infamous 'more days in first place' season. I'm not sure. I think my sub-conscious has blocked it out. I just remember we missed the playoffs by 1 game. 1 friggin game! That sucked. So let's not do that again Red Sox. Thank you.

Defiance

I am wearing my bright red, 2004 ALCS Champions t-shirt to work today as a show of defiance to all the MFY fans in my office.

Yeah, after The Sox were completely embarrassed by the Yankees this past weekend, their fans have earned the right to give me a hard time if they want to, but they're going to have to look at my Red Sox, 2004 ALCS Champions t-shirt while they do it.

Weekend wrap up

Hey whats up everybody! Hope you had a nice weekend, outside of Red Sox baseball related matters anyway.

I did not get to see the Pats / Cardinals game on Saturday because I was out that night, but I caught the end of the game on the radio as I drove home. I was somewhat surprised at the outcome to be honest. I was expecting a little bit more of a challenge from the Cardinals, but I'm sure not going to complain about a game that was totally dominated by The Patriots, who won 30-3.

I'll be going in person to the next Pats game, vs. The Redskins, this upcoming weekend. That should be a lot of fun. The 3rd pre-season game is usually the final 'tune up' game for the regular season and it generally features the longest amount of playing time from the starters, so I am looking forward to that.

I went to see Rollins Band play in Boston Saturday night and had a super-fantastic time.

This was my first time seeing Rollins live and he did not disappoint. It was an incredibly good show. I'm not going to say too much about it right now as I will be posting more on that later. I was working on an incredibly over-long post all about the show last night, so look for something on that a little later in the week.

I did not see any of the Red Sox game last night since I was busy doing other things, and you know what, that is just fine. I was irritated when I got up and saw the score this morning, but, I would have been even more irritated if I had actually sat and watched that debacle.

I am not throwing in the towel on The Sox playoff hopes, but if they don't get things turned around soon, they'll be playing for pride in September.

3 1/2 back. (Make that 4 1/2) No problem...

Hey so what if the Red Sox lost both of their double-header games to the Yankees yesterday.

No problem!

All the Sox have to do is win these next 3 games vs. the Yankees and they'll only be half a game back in the standings by next week.

No problem!

Update:
Hey so what if the Red Sox lost to the Yankees again today.

No problem!

All the Sox have to do is win these next 2 games vs the Yankees and they'll only be 2 1/2 games back in the standings.

No problem!

What the hell happened?

Ok so I'm at work, meaning the only way for me to monitor the Sox / Yanks game is through one of those little computer scoreboard update thingys.

I went in the lab to cable up some cables and the score was 4-3 Yankees.

A short while later, I came out of the lab, went to my desk, checked the score, and now it's 8-3 Yankees.

What the hell happened?? Never mind. I don't want to know.

Ug.

It's not easy figuring out the best way to have fun

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

I've been having a small inner battle with myself for the last couple days, trying to decide what my best plan of action will be for Saturday, when I will be going to see The Riverboat Gamblers, Rollins Band and X at the Avalon in Boston.

I live about 50 miles west of Boston and normally I would just drive in, find somewhere to park, get a beer at a local bar and then head into the show, but here's the thing: The Avalon is located right across the street from Fenway Park and the Red Sox just happen to be playing an afternoon game vs The Yankees Saturday. That means that area of the city is going to be absolutely packed with people tomorrow.

So, do I drive in early, maybe even try to get a ticket to the Sox game, hang out and then go to the show?

That would be fun, but, if I go in early and can't get a ticket to the game, then what do I do, hang out around Yawkey Way, The Cask n' Flagon and The Baseball Tavern for 7 hours? That plan has trouble written all over it.

Plus, if I go in early for the Red Sox / Yankees game, whether I get into the game or not, will I be wiped out for the show afterwords? I would not want to be all tired and worn out before the RG/Rollins/X show even got started. What would I do after the game ended, take a nap in my car?

Or...

Do I just wait till later in the day to drive in to Boston, hope the area around Fenway has cleared out a little and pray to find a parking place?

Maybe it would be better to take the train in?

What to do, what to do, WHAT TO DO?

It all boils down to a basic decision that needs to be made, go in early or go in later.

Right now I'm leaning towards going into the city after the baseball game is over. I mean, what are my chances of getting into the Sox game anyway? Unless I want to pay a minimum of $200 for a ticket, which I don't, getting into the game is highly unlikely. I could try to get a game day ticket, but that means standing in line for 5 hours. No thanks.

The good news: no matter what, it will be a fun day.

On the hunt...

The Sox got the much needed win tonight vs. Detroit, 6-4 while the O's managed to beat the Yankees 3-2. That keeps the Red Sox in the hunt for the A.L. East with 5 games against the Yankees coming up this weekend.

I don't need to tell you how important this next series with the Yankees is, but I will do it anyway. This next series vs The Yankees is critically important.

The Sox will head into the weekend 2 games behind the MFY in the A.L. East.

David Wells is starting to grow on me. Winning games will do that. The Red Sox are in desperate need of some reliable pitching right now, from somebody besides Curt Shilling that is, and Wells has been solid since his return from the D.L.

I'm actually considering trying to go to the Sox / Yanks game on Saturday. I will be going into Boston anyway for the Rollins concert later that night at Avalon, which is right across the street from Fenway, and with the Yankees playing that day, I know that whole area is going to be jam packed.

I'm thinking it might actually be easier to go in for the game and make a day of it, than to try to drive in afterwards and try to find somewhere to park and all that stuff n' nonsense.. I'm sure I can get a single ticket for the game in the bleachers or maybe better. We'll see...

Sound familiar?

It's that time of the year again, the time of the year when the Red Sox make me turn into a basket case. It happens every year and now I have historical proof.

From an unpublished blog I was writing in 2003:

8/14/2003

Title: Sox win in Oakland

Abstract: They just keep stringing us along, like a fish on a hook...

Body: The Sox split 4 games in Oakland, leaving 1 game ahead in the wild card. They were 3 back of the fucking yankees. We'll have to wait to see what happens there.

They do this to us every year. Arggg! I wish they would make the playoffs at least! They will probably finish 1 or 2 games out, just like always.

Thank god the Pats are starting up soon!

I will not mention the Bruins. They are almost as bad as the Sox. Celts are on the rise and will be contenders again this year.

Sounds familiar huh? Hey, at least I'm consistent.

How about this one?

7/28/04

Title: Sox Lose, Pats start camp (finally!)

Abstract: Sox lost. The Pats started training camp today. Thank goodness.

Body: The Sox lost to Baltimore, even with Shilling pitching. Dang it. I did not bother to check to see if the Evil Empire won or not. At this point, focus on the Wild Card.

Thank goodness today The World Champions start training camp. The team looks real good this year. I can't wait for the first game to start. GO PATS

You get the idea.

Might as well continue the trend of becoming a bat-shit Sox fan during the month of August.

Another painful loss for the Red Sox again tonight, going down 3-2 to Detroit. I hate it when Shilling gets beat, but when he gets beat because there's no run support, those losses hurt extra. It looked like we had a chance at making a comeback in the late innings but it was not to be. Dammit.

Last night's loss for Beckett was just plain ugly. Honestly, I kind of expected the Sox to get beaten last night after Detroit had dropped 5 games in a row. I had a feeling during the day that The Tigers were going to come into Fenway looking to open a can of whoop-ass, but it would have been nice to have seen Beckett put up a fight, or something. Anything.

People keep saying that Beckett is the 'Ace of the Future' for the Red Sox. How about being the 'Ace of Right Now', Beckett. What the fuck? This guy is not a prospect. He's supposed to be a fucking 'big game' pitcher. Isn't that why we got him? What's with this 'he's young, give him time' shit I'm always hearing?

Fuck that.

Beckett needs to pull his shit together now if this Red Sox team is going to go anywhere this season. The Playoffs are most definitely not a lock right now. That is for sure.

Lets hope Wells can get it done for the Sox tomorrow night.

Red Sox / Tigers: Must win for Sox

Tonight's Red Sox game vs. The Detroit Tigers is a must win game, not just because of the pennant race and it's possible effect on the standings, but because my Wife and her Sister-In-Law, as well as her Mom and Dad, are at the game tonight.

My Sister-In-Law actually got to throw out the first pitch in tonight's game! How friggin' chock full of awesomeness is that?!

Of course, as her guest, my Wife got to go on the field with her Sister. Yup. My wife, the lady that gives me a smooch and tells me, 'don't stay up late' as she heads off to sleep when the Sox games go too late at night, got to go on the field at Fenway tonight.

But I'm not jealous.

Ha! What are you nuts? Dude, of course I am jealous, but, I am very, very happy for my Wife and Sister-In-Law too, because that is a once in a lifetime thing that they got to share together tonight, something that I'm sure both of them will never forget.

The whole experience must have been just incredibly cool.

Throwing out the first pitch at Fenway. Wow. Just wow!

So, as you can see, this is a must, must win game for The Red Sox. They can't lose a game where my Wife got to go on the field at Fenway and my Sister-In-Law threw out the first pitch. A loss in this situation just can't be allowed by the Baseball Gods to happen.

Unfortunately, someone forgot to let Josh Beckett know about all this excitement in my family, and he was terrible tonight, but I'm not going to start with that. (That will probably be tomorrow's post for your fans of the f-word.)

Right now, it's all about sending out some of those ultra-positive vibes to Fenway, where the score is 5-3 7-3 (!!&*$# Seanez) Detroit in the top of the 8th.

Positive Vibes. Positive Vibes. Positive Vibes.

GO SOX

Update:
The score is 7-4 Detroit in the top of the 9th. If you don't have your rally cap backwards and inside-out yet, well? What're you waiting for?

Final update:
The Sox lost, 7-4. Blah.

Standings Salve...

Here's what's helping me maintain my cool regarding the Red Sox right now: despite losing the last 3 series to bottom feeding teams like K.C, Tampa Bay and Cleveland, The Sox are only 3 games out of the AL East and 2 out of the Wildcard. It is certainly not an insurmountable task at this point to climb back up in the standings.

The team has faced similar, if not worse, situations before. Heck, just go through this site's (I hate the word 'blog') archives and look in August. You'll see me writing the same kind of junk as I am right now. Same shit. Different season.

The thing that has me worried is, the next two and a half weeks are going to be critical, season defining weeks, against good teams, with winning records. If The Sox can get swept by a last place team like K.C. what's going to happen when we play 1st place teams like Detroit and NY next week?

Hopefully the Red Sox can remember how to win a game or two against Baltimore this weekend. Positive vibes. Positive vibes.

Link: Major League Baseball : Wild Card Standings.

Unbelieveable... Sox about to be swept by K.C.?? Believe it.

I can't believe I'm sitting here sweating the Kansas City Royals. I fucking can't believe it.

Bottom of the 8th and it's 4-3 Sox. Shilling's got that look of determination on his face. I love the guy but he just gave up 2 doubles and now has walked a man on to make it 2 on with one out.

I think maybe he's cooked, but, he does have that pissed off look... A visit from the pitching coach and Shilling's still on the mound. I don't like this. I think Timlin should come in here.

Come on Curt.

Dammit he just gave up the tying run and now there's men on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. FUCK.

Terry's standing on the dugout steps as Shil gives up yet another hit to give K.C. the lead in the game, 5-4... and NOW Francona comes out to fetch Shilling. What the fuck dude?

Here's Timlin in the game, a couple runners too late. Doy.

I am disgusted right now.

To the top of the 9th we go.

The Sox go quickly in the 9th. 3 up, 3 down.

Final score, 5-4 K.C.

Patriots pre-season starts tomorrow.

Repeat after me: We are still in the playoff hunt...

As disconcerting as the last two weeks have been for Red Sox Nation, watching The Sox lose series after series to Cleveland, Tampa Bay and now, I still can't believe I'm saying this, Kansas City, the fact is, the Red Sox are still in the playoff picture.

With the MFY playing Anaheim, (I'm boycotting the whole, 'Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim' nonsense,) the Sox will have one more chance to make up some ground with this weekend's series against Baltimore before the road becomes much more difficult in the second half of August.

Curt Shilling will get the win tonight vs K.C. End of story. Not up for discussion. Double-stamped it.

That means we'll make up some ground, either in the AL East or in the Wildcard, before Baltimore comes in to Fenway this weekend.

I know I've probably sounded a bit irrational at times regarding the Sox lately, but that is just me. When it comes to The Red Sox I am bi-polar and I can't help it. After a game like last night, I usually need about half a day and a cup of coffee to calm down, let things settle in and get some perspective on where The Sox are at. I have resisted the urge to go into panic mode, even though at times I've felt it creeping up on me.

As the saying goes, 'It's only August' and The Sox are still in this thick of the playoff hunt.

Side note: Didn't I just say that same thing at the start of this post and also a few days ago? See, it's like a soothing mantra. Just keep repeating it over and over and you'll feel better...

I have a feeling the Red Sox playoff picture is going to come into sharp focus over the next few weeks. By the end of August, we will know where we stand. Hopefully I will still be repeating the same mantra and we'll still be in contention for a playoff spot, but if we're not, well, Patriots season kicks off on September 10th.

At a loss...

I can't believe the Red Sox dropped another game to the Kansas City Royals last night. I'm simply dumbfounded by what's happening to this team lately.

I saw the first portion of the game last night, but I found it to be so frustrating to watch, my Wife and I decided to put in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm instead. (We have been watching season 5 on DVD.)

The Sox still had the lead when I went to sleep, (way too late once again by the way).

I woke up this morning and checked the score. 5-4 Kansas City. WHAT??

Disgusted, I threw on some clothes and went out for my walk. When I got to the end, I grabbed the newspaper as I came back in. I flipped to the sports section and was even more surprised to find that Papelbon had given up the winning run.

I am at a loss. All I can say is Shilling goes tonight. Hopefully he can put an end to this skid.

Looking for that silver lining...

The Sox lost to the K.C. Royals, a.k.a the worst team in baseball, last night.

Rather than delve into how sucky that is, let's focus on the somewhat good news that the Yankees happen to be playing the Chicago White Sox at the same time that the Red Sox are playing K.C.

That means that the Red Sox should be able to make up some ground, either in the AL East or in the Wildcard standings, assuming they can actually win some of these effing games that is...

Yes, I know I'm probably being a little hard on the team right now, and things with The Sox are not 'that bad'. We are in the thick of the playoff chase and that is a good thing. I'm now stepping back and taking a deep breath.

Beckett goes tonight for The Red Sox. Opportunity is knocking.

Sox / Royals - If you can't beat these guys, we have a serious problem RSN...

Ok, as I write this, the Red Sox / Royals game is in progress and the Sox are losing the game, 2-0 K.C.

It's only the bottom of the 2nd so there's still plenty of time left in the game to get the scoreboard fixed.

I don't need to remind you that the Royals win / loss record currently stands at 38-73. Without trying to be too disrespectful, I mean K.C. is a professional baseball team, but come on Red Sox, if we can't beat these guys, we have a problem, a serious problem. This is a team we need beat. End of story. Statement of the mutha-fuckin obvious.

As ms. brightside so aptly put it:

"I swear, if the Red Sox drop a single game against the Royals, I will personally chop off my left leg and mail it to them with the following message: "See what you're doing to your fans?"

That pretty much sums it up, I think.

Update:
We are in trouble. 6-4 K.C. The Red Sox can't get a win against the worst team in baseball. The hell??

Pats '06 schedule for iCal, Fixation on AL East standings worsens...

Let me get this out of the way first:

If you're looking for a good place to grab The Pats '06-07 schedule for Apple iCal, check out the ones that are in Google Calendar. Just do a search for 'Patriots' and a bunch of them will come up. There are several good ones in there that you can subscribe to right from iCal. Go Pats!

Next: My fixation on the AL East Standings:

My fixation has now officially switched over to the AL Wildcard Standings. Yes, I know the Sox are only 1 game back in the East, and they could easily return to the top spot, especially considering some of the teams we'll be facing over the next few weeks, but then again, if they can't take 2 out of 3 from Cleveland...

I don't want to sound like I am pushing the panic button, even though it looks like I am. Ok. Fuck it. I am. Sort of... Maybe I'm pushing the 'really nervous' button...

Hey, I'm allowed to be irrational sometimes. I am a Red Sox fan after all.

I'm not giving up on winning the Division but the bottom line is, all I really care about is making the playoffs [Insert Jim Mora rant: PLAYOFFS??] and the Wildcard represents the minimum that the Sox have to achieve in order to get in. Am I lowering my expectations? Well fuck. I guess I am. But so what, as long as we're in the playoffs at the end, who cares?

The Sox are looking at a golden chance to make some hay over the next few weeks with games against Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Baltimore coming up. Unfortunately, the team is pretty banged up at the moment so none of these series are necessarily locks for The Red Sox to win, but hopefully The Sox can still take advantage of some, so-called, 'weaker' teams before the 2nd half of August rolls around and the schedule becomes a lot more difficult.

Irritating 'Tek talk...

With Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek about to undergo knee surgery, I've heard several comments lately about 'Tek that go something like this, 'Now that he's hurt, you have to wonder if he'll ever be anything other than a .250 hitter who calls a good game.'

Comments like this get under my skin so I'm just going to say this and get it out of my system: A catcher's primary job on the team is not to hit home runs at every at bat. A catchers primary job, is to 'call a good game'.

That Varitek's ability to handle the pitching staff and manage the game is somehow considered by many to be secondary to his batting average is befuddling to me.

'Calling a good game' is the most important job on the team and Varitek is very good at it. Stop focusing on his batting average and look at the big picture. Thank you.

Go Bird!

You know it's been a slow Red Sox baseball game when the primary focus of the game for the last few innings has been a small black bird that has been hopping around on the base-paths.

People in the stands are actually chanting, 'Bird! Bird! Bird!' and Remy and Orsillo are talking about Bird's base-running skills.

I can't believe I'm actually writing about it, but it's 6-1 Cleveland going into the top of the 9th. What else am I going to talk about, Tek's impending knee surgery? No thanks.

West coast baby. Pretty Cool Huh?

Anybody out there every had Reiner beer? Awesome stuff. Ok. It's the West Coast equivalent of Budwieser. But still. I don't care. I love it. Is it still around? I can't seem to find any references to it in google. What's up with that?

Earlier:
10 PM

Wife: What, is the game just staring now?

Me: Yeah, they're playing in Seattle.

Wife: Well I'm not staying up for this.

Me: I probably won't either...

And yet, here I am, still watching the game, wondering if I should grab another beer out of the fridge. At 11 PM.

Tek just hit a home run to make it 4-0, Sox. That is good because the AA starter on the mound for The Sox will need all the help he can get tonight.

So, while you're here, what's goin' on? Happy Reward Friday.

How about Shea Hillenbrand and his little tirade up in Toronto? Remember when he was considered 'un-tradeable' by many in Red Sox Nation? Till all of a sudden he got traded for pitcher Bun Yun Kim, who did nothing but irritate me... and Hillenbrand called Theo 'A Fag' on the way out of Boston. Hmm. I wonder what Shea called the guys up in Toronto? Dumb-Ass.

I was watching 'NFL Tonight' on ESPN earlier this evening and they did a feature on Tedy Bruschi and the day he spent with a young boy from the 'Make a Wish' foundation who had lived through a heart condition very similar to Tedy's.

Tedy had him down to Foxboro and gave him the grand tour of Gillette Stadium, with a locker all decked out for him, uniform, pads, helmet, a game ball, the Lombardi Trophy.. everything. Bruschi had this young boy run out onto the field through the big football helmet, run down the field for a touchdown, dude, he gave this little kid the works, the fucking works.

I gotta say, Tedy Bruschi made me cry. Watching how happy he made that little kid with all the stuff he did for him, I was all misty and choked up. Somebody punch me in the arm, quick.

Tedy Bruschi is the best. '54'

Sox take win. No wondering, 'What If...'

Shilling was not dominant but he was good enough to get the job done for the The Red Sox, who got the win today, 6-4 over The Texas Rangers. That was good to see. I got out of work just in time to hear the bottom of the 9th inning on the radio as I drove home, so at least I got to catch at least some of the game.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that Wake is going on the DL due to a stress fracture in his ribs. He will probably be out for a month. David Wells is close to returning but he is probably 2, maybe 3 weeks away. The Sox are going to have a rough stretch these next few weeks, playing Seattle and Oakland with a patched up pitching staff. Strap in and hold on tight.

I actually watched some of the new NESN TV show, 'What If...' tonight. I did not see the whole thing but I caught the last 40 minutes or so. This was the first episode and in this particular show, they focused on Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS between the Red Sox and Yankees, and what might have happened if Pedro Martinez had been lifted in the 8th inning.

I will admit, the outcome of the show was interesting, if not surprising, and I have to say, it did feel kind of nice, in a soothing sort of way, to see Pedro taken out of the game in the 8th, as he should have been. It was kind of like, vindication, or something. I don't know how to explain it. Too bad it did not happen in real life, but hey, that's the way it is. (What a philosopher, eh?)

It looks like they have some other interesting scenarios planned for this show, such as what if Bledsoe had played in the Superbowl instead of Brady, what if Belichick had remained as Head Coach of the NY Jets, Cam Neely had not been hurt, stuff like that.

Hmm. Some of these questions I don't want to know the answer to.

Red Sox vs. Rangers. Let's Go Sox!

In order to help the Sox get the win today vs. the Rangers, I'm trying to pitch in any way I can, so I've got the Sox t-shirt, Sox socks and other Red Sox related garments on. Good Karma baby, good Karma!

Something tells me this is going to turn out to be an important game today. I am not sure what it is, maybe it's just the oatmeal I had for breakfast, but I feel like this could be one of those 'key' games that come up throughout the season. Or maybe it's just that the close proximity of the Yankees to the Sox in the standings has me all on edge.

The MFY have a 4 game set against a tough Toronto team this weekend, while the Sox are going to be taking the long flight out West to play Seattle. Maybe the Sox can put a little distance between themselves and the Yankees by the time Monday rolls around again.

I need to keep reminding myself not to get all caught up in the standings already, but I find I'm already thinking about what's going to have to happen to make the playoffs this year. With the way things are in the A.L. Central, a Wild Card berth is looking like it will be very difficult for The Sox to attain this year. Of course, it would be nice to win the Division for once and not have to worry about getting the Wildcard, but there's still a lot of baseball to be played before that outcome is decided. 

For now, Shill is on the Hill today and as we all know,

(AP)

Curt's The Man.

Taking the good with the bad...

By the time this afternoon's game had ended, I did not even realize it was a whole new game that had been played, since my computer's scoreboard checker did not change from the 'Red Sox 1, KC 0' it had been displaying from last night.

The good news, The Sox got the win and the MFY lost, giving us a 1.5 game cushion. There's a long way to go in this season so I don't want to start getting fixated on the standings just yet.

The Sox have a difficult game on tap tomorrow, a make-up with Texas in the afternoon before flying out to Seattle to play the Mariners. Thankfully Shill is on the hill, so I am confident that he and The Sox will get it done tomorrow.

They've got a killer cross-country trip once the game ends though and that will be tough.

There is word on the street that Wake has a stress fracture in his rib (thanks to Beth for the link). That is bad news. The Sox have yet to confirm this info. I'm going to knock on wood (a.k.a. my head) and hope for the best here.

David Wells seems like he's just about ready to return to the rotation. I'm not his biggest fan, but the sooner he can get back, the better. He should bring some duct tape and a ball of string with him. You never know when The Sox are going to need it with all of the injuries to our pitching staff lately.

Dougie to the rescue, again!

It was good to see the Sox get the win last night. I think if we had lost to KC last night, I might have had a minor Red Sox meltdown.

I have to admit though, I did not watch most of the game. After we got the kids into bed and got the dishes and everything else in the house squared away last night, by the time I got a chance to check the score in the game, it was 4-0 KC. Not good.

I watched a little bit of the game but I could feel my Red Sox Annoyance Level beginning to rise, so my Wife and I decided to switch over to a different channel and watch a movie, 'Die Hard With A Vengeance'. Yes, it's a bit of a ridiculous movie, but it's entertaining. There are lots of explosions and car chases, which I like.

After Bruce Willis had taken out the last bad guy and uttered his final, one-liner joke, I switched back to the Red Sox / KC game. I was expecting to be aggravated by the score, but instead I was happily surprised to see the Sox had taken the lead in the late innings and went on to win the game.

Yippee-Ka-Yay Mutherfucker. 

Even better, the Sox comeback victory was mainly due to a game-tying Monster Shot from Doug Mirabelli. Doug is one of my favorite players on the team. He catches Wake, which is wicked haahd, and he takes his at-bats bare-handed, and that is cool.

Of course, on the flip side, Wake seems to be hurt and the Yankees won their game vs Seattle, so they are still right on the heels of the Red Sox in the standings. Hopefully, Wake's back will be ok with some rest, and with a little help from Seattle, maybe The Sox can gain a little ground in the standings tonight.

Does anyone in Red Sox Nation really wonder, 'What If?'

NESN has been plugging the heck out of their upcoming show, 'What If...', which is purportedly going to answer the question, 'what would have happened if Grady Little had not left Pedro on the mound in Game 7 of the '03 ALCS'.

The ads for this show have been seemingly non-stop. I even heard a promo for it on the radio today, while waiting for the Sox vs A's game to start.

The ads for this show have finally gotten to the point where they are now getting under my skin and I have to wonder, has somebody somewhere at NESN decided that Red Sox Nation is just too happy and content after finally winning the World Series in 04, so they need to stir up some shit and get us all irritated and annoyed by dredging up the outcome of the '03 ALCS and what 'might have happened'?

Does anybody that watched that game really wonder what would have happened? I mean, come on, we all know what would have happened. Why do you think we were all so god-damm pissed off after the game!?

The Sox were up 5-2 in the 8th. Pedro had barely escaped the 7th, and it was obvious to everyone watching the game that he was cooked. I remember watching that game, thinking, 'just get through the 7th and you're done Pedro. Just get through the 7th...' and when he finally did manage to get out of the inning, I felt great. Timlin would be coming in next. We were almost there.

The tandem of Timlin and Williamson had grown to become sure-fire nails for the 8th and 9th innings. Everybody in the entirety of RSN was expecting to see Timlin come in for the bottom of the 8th and I was nothing less than shocked when I saw Pedro come back out for the 8th inning. I remember thinking, 'what is he doing going back out there? Grady, what the hell are you doing here?'

As the 8th inning wore on, I remember I actually felt the presence of 'The Curse', (or whatever you want to call it).

I was not one of those people that went around saying, 'they're cursed, The Sox are cursed,' and I did not go around blaming all of the team's misfortune over the years on that ridiculous 'Curse', but as I watched in disbelief and horror as the 8th inning of that game unfolded, I literally felt it. I could feel the hair on my neck go up. I could not believe what I was watching was happening. It almost did not seem real, like it was some kind of bad dream that you could not wake up from but it was real. What I was seeing was actually really happening. Not only was Pedro in the game in the 8th, but Grady was leaving him in. On purpose. Intentionally. With Timlin's killer arm wasting away in the 'pen, just sitting there waiting to go.

I swear to God could actually feel the presence of that fucking Curse as I watched the Red Sox 5-2 lead wither away and die.

Earlier in the game, my wife had decided she had had enough. She had escaped the insanity and had gone upstairs, leaving me alone to watch the game. I remember pacing around my living room by myself talking to the TV. 'Doesn't he (Grady) know what's on the line? What is he trying to do, help Pedro feel better about himself? It's a little bit late for that kind of stuff now! Timlin in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th, God-Dammit!! Timlin in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th!! GET PEDRO OUT!! GET HIM THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!!'

Here is an extract from an unpublished journal that I kept in 03. Here is part of what I wrote during that game:

Title: Tension and Relief

Abstract: Top of the 8th... ALCS

Body: Tension... and Relief. Tension... and Relief. Relief! As David Ortiz hits a home run off David Wells to make the score 5-2 Red Sox in the top of the 8th. A little breathing room with Timmlan coming up.

When the Yankees are at bat, it is tension. Waiting for Pedro to throw strikes. Hoping nobody gets a hit or a home run.

Relief comes when the Sox get up. I can relax a little. Nothing bad can happen when we are at bat, only good things like, hopefully, runs coming across the plate.

Now we are back to tension. The Sox got one in the 8th and are done. Pedro is coming back out. I don't know if that is such a good move. He gave up a homer in the 7th. Looked a little tired. I'd rather just go with Timmlan here. Tension starts. 2 more innings left (I hope!)

GO SOX!!

UPDATE:
I can't believe what I just watched. I just cant believe it. They left Pedro in in the 8th. He gave up three runs. Now it is a tie game going into the 9th. I just cant understand / believe it. Why didn't they bring in the closers. They just blew this game. I... just... cant.. believe it.

A friendly note to the folks at NESN: EVERYBODY IN RSN THAT FOLLOWED THE TEAM IN 03 KNEW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL US 'WHAT IF?' BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THE RED SOX WOULD HAVE WON THE SERIES. JESUS!

TIMLIN IN THE 8th. WILLIAMSON IN THE 9th, GRADY. TIMLIN in the 8th. WILLIAMSON in the MUTHER-FUCKING 9th. JEZUS! FUCK!

I remember somewhere during the extra-innings, I went to bed. The game was not over but I just knew in my gut The Sox were done and I could not stand to watch it. I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't and I tossed and turned in bed wondering what had happened. Finally at some point in the early morning I got up and put the TV on to try and find out. The first thing that came up when the TV came on were two anchor-people for ABC News, both of them wearing those shiny blue Yankees jackets and wearing big smiles. I just turned the TV back off.

Here's another excerpt from my '03 journal:

Title: They lost

Abstract: Loss in extra innings

Body: Well the Red Sox lost the game. They blew it. Thanks Grady. Way to go. They lost in extra innings. I am too disgusted to write more about it.

And finally:

Title: Aftermath

Abstract: Still feeling the pain

Body: Well it's been over a week now since game 7 and what will be forever known in Red Sox lore as 'The 8th inning'. I still find it mind-boggling what I witnessed. Unbelievable! However, I am not alone. Millions of people feel the same way. Grady will probably be fired (or whatever) this Monday. I still feel a dull kind of ache over it.

Watching the Pats beat the Dolphins in Miami (for the first time ever!) in overtime helped take the sting away though.

I guess the other good news is the Yankees are down 3 games to 2 in the World Series to the Florida Marlins. Another year hoping for the Yankees to lose.

See?

Remember?

Quit trying to stir us up with the bad old days NESN. We like being happy. As my Wife so eloquently put it, 'Didn't The Red Sox win the Series in 04?'

Yes. Yes, they did. Thank God.

Sox / A's game 2: This is a joke, right?

Seeing that tonight's Sox / A's game was completely out of hand in the early innings, (Thanks for nothing Beckett. Yeah, I am pissed at you, fucker.), we decided to watch an episode of 'Miami Vice' and hope for things to look better when it was over.

Well, Crockett and Tubbs got the bad guys at the end, but when 'Vice' was over and we checked out the score in the Sox game, it was still completely out of hand and right now it's standing at 15 - 2 in the 8th.

This is not how I was hoping we'd be heading into the 2nd half of the season.

(Pats camp in 2 weeks people. 2 WEEKS. I'm gettin' all itchy and jittery thinking about it. FOOTBALL!!!)

Oh my god. 7-0??

I've been busy all night and I just now checked the Sox / A's score on the computer. The Sox are down 7 to nothing in the 5th??

What the hell?? What is the matter with these guys (Beckett! WTF!!)

I guess it's a good thing I have not been watching so far...

Extra inning losses make me sleepy...

I tried to stay up late and catch the final result of the extra inning game between the Red Sox and the A's last night, but I could not keep my eyelids open past 11:00 PM.

I managed to stay up just long enough to see Paplebon get the final out in the 10th. He was not his normal, 'lights out' self, but he got the job done, leaving the mound shaking his head.

Using the telekinetic link that exists between the TV set in my living room and Fenway Park, I let him know, 'It's alright dude, you got it done.'

With that I headed off to bed with my usual mantra of, 'well, they're just going to have to win it in my sleep,' but in the back of my mind, I did not have a good feeling about this one.

I awoke this morning and checked the score. I was disappointed but not really surprised to find that The Sox had lost, 5-4.

Julian Tavarez, (fucking Tavarez) gave up the winning runs in the 11th. I just don't know what to say about that guy. I don't like to bash players but I have no confidence in Tavarez when he comes into a game. When I see him coming out of the pen I just shake my head and say, 'here we go.."

It is not good when you are continually more surprised to see Tavarez get out of an inning unscathed than you are to see him give up home runs. There have been games where he's been lights out, but it seems like those moments are not as frequent as the times where he gets himself into winning-the-game-is-now-on-the-line jams.

I have a feeling that Tavarez's continued presence in our bullpen is going to bite The Sox in the ass at some point this season, and it's going to happen at some critical juncture, like the October time-frame... That would be bad. I'm hoping to see Theo work some magic and bring in somebody more confidence-inspiring for middle relief. We'll see.

For now, let's hope Beckett is solid right from the start in his outing vs. Zito tonight.

Sox avoid embarassment, take the final game against the Rays...

My wife was watching some pre-hottie Natalie Portman / post-hottie Susan Sarandon chick flick so I was left to getting updates on tonight's Sox game via the computer.

I watched with mounting consternation as the Sox seemingly comfortable 4 run lead over the Rays continued to shrink as the innings wore on, going from 4 runs down to 1 run as we hit the top of the 9th.

If the Sox blew this one, it would not have gone over well.

The movie ended and I clicked over to the Sox game just in time to see a bunch of the good guys rounding the bases in the top of the 9th inning. Suddenly the lead was back to being comfortable again and I could relax.

The Sox bats finally woke up, (and for Wake! There's a pun in there somewhere..) and they avoided the sweep.

On to Chi-town...

(Oh. And it's 3 weeks 'till The Pats training camp starts. Just in case you were wondering...)

Bitch, Bitch, Bitch...

Pet Peeves:

- When guys walk around the office wearing just their socks, or worse, in their bare fucking feet. What the fuck dude? This is work, not your fucking living room at home. Put your god-damn muther-fucking shoes on. I don't want to look at your stinky, overgrown toenail havin', crusty-skinned feet. Hygiene alert! Sheesh...

- The Red Sox losing 3 out of 4 to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Notice I said, '3 out of 4', because losing tonight's game is not an option. The Sox are getting the win tonight and that's it. Getting swept by The Rays is simply not going to happen. Not. Gonna. Happen. End of discussion.

- Bitchy people. Oh wait. That would be me right now.. Never mind.

Wakefield 1-5-0

Congrats to Tim Wakefield for career victory 150 today. Congrats to Manny for his 2,000th hit. Of course, with all these milestones, is seemed inevitable that one had to end, and Boston's streak of error free games ended at 17 games. I was bummed out to see the streak end, but it had to happen eventually.

I actually sat and watched some of the game with my Dad today, which was pretty cool. My Dad knows absolutely zip about baseball. I mean zilch. Nothing. He does not even know how to tell what the score of the game is. He does not know that there is an away and a home half to every inning...

I'm not trying to rag on him or anything, I'm just trying to get across how little the man knows about baseball. See, that's why I think it's cool that I watched some baseball with my Dad today. I explained how to understand the score (runs, hits, errors), I explained how the innings work, how to know wether it's a ball or a strike, and what's generally going on in the game. It was kinda weird too, because explaining baseball, for most people anyway, is normally the Dad's job, but it was still cool.

Maybe I'll get him to Fenway Park someday. We'll probably have to start with a Worcester Tornadoes game and work our way up.

Looking straight down the barrel of a nice long weekend...

Hey! It's Friday night and the weekend has officially started for me. I don't have to be back in the office 'till Wednesday. The weather around here is great right now. Nice Sunset goin' down outside, cool breeze, just a nice summer evening. I'm having a few Coronas and getting ready to practice a few tunes on the gee-tarr while I watch the Sox in the background.

The Sox are not doing too good tonight, down by 5 in the 4th. That streak is in jeopardy. Oh well, it can't last forever. Then again, it's only the 4th inning. There's a lot of baseball game left to go here.

As I watch this Sox / Marlins game, I am amazed at how empty that stadium is down in Florida. The place is almost completely empty. The bleachers, fucking empty. It's incredible and at the same time, kind of sad. I mean, this is a team that won the World Series just 3 years ago and their stadium is friggin' empty. As a fan, it makes me appreciate what we've got here in Boston. Hopefully that goes for the players on the field too...

I'll be working on a few songs tonight, trying to learn some of the tunes that the band plays. This is hard for me to believe, and it's actually gotten me quite irritated over the last few days, but there is already some friction with the band. I guess one of the guys is pissed off at me because I was busy busting my ass in my basement this past weekend and could not make practice. That really gets under my skin, but my wife tells me to just show up to practice and see how it goes. Maybe I am making more out of things than is really there. We'll see.

Last week I left my Last.FM counter on while I was practicing and now my stats are all skewed. The fucking BEATLES are at #2 on my most frequently played list last week. Yeah, because I played that damn 'Birthday' song over and over again to figure out how it goes... humph.

Well I better start working on some tunes. I don't know how much I'll be posting this weekend so everybody out there have a safe and happy 4th of July. Don't blow your fingers off with an M-80 or anything.

I would like to say a sincere Thank You to all the men and women in uniform who are out there serving for us and putting their asses on the line for us right now. Think about them while you're kicking back this weekend and make sure you give the Vets a good, loud round of applause when they march by at the 4th of July Parade this weekend.

Tonight's Songs, for those who care:
Turn The Page - Bob Seger
Skulls - The Misfits (mine)
Prison Bound - Social Distortion (mine)
Volcano Girls - Veruca Salt
Megalomaniac - Incubus
Mother Mother - Tracy Bonham

The magic number 100...

Sox vs. Mets, Game 2:
It's the 4th Inning and Pedro Martinez is already up to 75 pitches heading into the bottom of the inning. As Red Sox fans know well, Pedro has a nearly unbreakable limit of being able to throw no more than 100 pitches in a game.

The Sox got to Pedro early and thanks to a couple of goofs, one by himself and one by Lastings Milledge in left field, the Sox grabbed a nice big lead for Josh Beckett.

3 innings and that's it for Pedro. After giving up 8 runs he's out of the game already as the Mets go to their bullpen. Pedro had said he would have preferred to miss this start at Fenway and I guess we can see why. He is an emotional guy and is known for sometimes getting too keyed up for some opponents. It's almost like he psyches himself out, as we have seen numerous times when he was facing the MFY as a member of the Red Sox..

8-1 Sox, going into the 5th and this one has not turned out to be the pitching battle that I was anticipating, but that is ok. I can deal with a stress free game. Let's hope it stays that way...

Top of the 8th and it's 10-2, Sox. Stress free. I'm curious to see if they bring Pap out to close this one or if they save him and go with Timlin or Option C...

Pedro and The Mets...

Hey waz up you-all? It's been a few days since I've posted anything. I try to post something every day or at least every other day, but sometimes there's just not that much goin' on ya know?

Wake up. Go to work. Come home. Put kids to bed. Wake up. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Today is a very blah day. Rainy. Damp. Depressing. Just 'Blah'.

Earlier I took an afternoon ride down the road to the nearest Dunk's just to get me a pick-me-up. The office coffee machine was not gonna do it for me today. I needed the real juice.

Now I am awake and alert again, but the stuff that I'm supposed to be working on here is broken. Stupid computers... Always breaking. 

Anyway...

The Red Sox will go for their 11th straight win tonight, which is simply amazing, especially when you consider that these wins are all against National League teams. As has been mentioned in the papers and on about 15 other Sox sites, the Red Sox have traditionally sucked at Inter-League Play, but this year things are different, much different. There's been no 'June Swoon' this year. Let's hope The Sox can keep this winning pace going into July, where we'll be seeing teams from the AL Central and AL West...

Before I get to looking too far ahead into next month, tonight's game should be interesting for all kinds of reasons. Unless you are living under a rock, or maybe don't follow baseball at all, by now you are assuredly well aware of the fact that Pedro Martinez will be pitching at Fenway tonight for the first time in a visitors uniform.

The fact that he'll be going against the Sox new young gun, Josh Beckett, adds flavor to the sauce.

Some added spice includes the fact that Pedro will be pitching for The NY Mets as The Sox celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the 1986 Red Sox team, the team that lost the '86 World Series to said Mets in a most painful fashion.

All the elements are there for a potentially classic game tonight.

This Mets series and Pedro's return to Fenway has me thinking about a couple of things...

Regarding the '86 team:
Although the '86 World Series loss is often held up as the most painful of all the Red Sox gaffes over the years, I have to admit that it had hardly any affect on me at the time that it happened. In those years I did not follow the game of baseball at all. In '86 the only teams I followed closely were The Patriots and The Celtics. I had a mild interest in The B's and zero interest in The Sox back then. Of course it did not help that at the time, the Sox and B's were both shown on Channel 38 out of Boston, a UHF channel that was nearly impossible to tune in at my parent's house.

The Pats and Celts were both shown on the major network channels, which were VHF, meaning we could actually tune those channels in and watch the games, though there were occasions when The Pats were blacked out and we had to try and tune The Pats game in on Channel 22 out of Springfield, MA, an extremely difficult operation. When we were forced to watch The Pats on Channel 22, we ended up seeing more static than actual plays in the game. The Pats were the only team that was worthy of such an eye-squinting effort at our house.

In 1986 I knew that the Sox were in the Series that year and I knew they lost, but that's about the extent of my experience regarding the '86 World Series. Back then I was more concerned with finishing my homework, trying to get my drivers license and getting some chick, (ok, any chick,) to make-out with me. I was more upset about The Patriots getting embarrassed by the Chicago Bears in Superbowl XX and Rowdy Roddy Piper losing Wrestle-Mania to Hulk Hogan than I was about the Red Sox losing the World Series. 

Regarding Pedro:
Pedro's return has had me thinking about the 2 occasions I got to see him pitch at Fenway. The first time I saw him in person was vs. the Phillies, which turned out to be the last game he played during that year before going on an extended stint on the DL. I remember I was really looking forward to seeing that game because hey, Pedro was pitching, and I also remember taking a ton of shit from some Phillies fans in the stands that day as Pedro was out there sucking wind on the mound. They were sitting right in front of us in the right field box seats and they would turn around and goad us every time Pedro gave up a hit. 'What's going on with your man Pedro? I thought this guy was supposed to be good!'

I was wondering the same thing myself. A few days after that game, he was on the DL and pretty much done for the season.

The second time I got to seem him was a few years later. I had awesome seats that day, five rows back from the visitor's on deck circle, and Pedro was RIGHT THERE, in real life, not some little speck viewed from a distance in the stands, not an image on the television set; here was the man, up close and personal. I could see the expressions on his face as he pitched. I don't get to a lot of games and for the ones I do get to, I am usually not very close to the field, so being that close to the game that day, it was just incredible. I remember being surprised at how small his frame is. He is not a big man, as far as physical size goes, but man could he throw that ball in there, so fast I could hardly follow it. Believe me I tried. Pedro pitched a masterful game that day.

I have always liked Pedro. Sometimes the little melodramas that he seemed to have once a year would get a little old, but I generally ignored that stuff, and that seemingly unbreakable barrier that seems to exist with him where he's got an arsenal of 100 pitches to throw and no more, could get frustrating, but still those are issues that I could live with for what he brought to the team. After 2004, I knew he would not be back with the Sox and I was bummed to see him leave the team, but that is the business of baseball.

So now with Pedro on the mound wearing a visitor's uniform, it's time to stow those memories away. He's the enemy, for tonight anyway.

Go SOX

Playing along with the Sox..

The band I had been playing with for the last few weeks decided they liked me and offered me the position, (or should I say, 'gig'?). I was pretty happy about that. They are a good bunch and it turns out we have a lot of stuff in common besides music, like being Patriots and Red Sox fans for one thing.

In fact, the singer in the band is a humongous Red Sox fan and she knows her shit cold when it comes to the game too. She's like a walking baseball encyclopedia. That's fucking cool.

They told me they had a couple other guys besides me come in and try out a few weeks ago, but they did not work out. I guess one guy had a weird personality, like he thought he was still living in 1985 or something, and the other guy told them that he could play, but when he showed up to the practice he could not keep up with any of the songs they were doing. (It's not like we are doing any incredibly difficult stuff either...) I guess there were some ego issues involved as well.

Hey whatever. I'm in. I'm happy to be in. That's all. I'm pretty easy going when it comes to this stuff. All I care about is that they are open minded about the songs we are playing. I'll put up with a few Beatles tunes as long as we can throw a Social D or Misfits tune in there somewhere down the line.

I worked on a few songs tonight while I had the Sox game on in the background. Beckett was in cruise mode and it was a low stress game, which the Sox eventually won, meaning I could concentrate more on the songs and not what was going on in the game. I saw Gabe the Babe's homer. Awesome.

To learn the songs, I have been looking up the lyrics and copying them into a text document. Then I fill in the chords in the right places with the lyrics. I am not trying to get the exact notes written out right now, as long as it is the right base chord. This is just for me to use as a cheat sheet to help me learn the songs faster.

It seems to be working good so far. I had been trying to download tabs off the interweb but that was not working out. Half the time they were wrong or I could not make sense out of the way they were written. I find this new method I am using is working out good.

The songs I worked on tonight were:
Already Gone - Eagles
Birthday - Beatles
Bitch - Meridith Brooks
Cochise - Audioslave
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Joey - Concrete Blonde
Rockin In the Free World - Neil Young
Don't Take Me For Granted - Social Distortion (That one was mine. Shocking.)

RUN SUPORRRRRRt.. oh wait. They listened!

Wake was on the mound tonight for the Sox and finally, the bats had some life in them. The Sox put up 6 in the second inning to give Tim a nice big cushion to work with.

I was a little surprised that the Nationals Manager, Frank Robinson, actually left pitcher Livan Hernandez in the game as long as he did before he finally gave him the hook.

Hey, I'm not complaining. 11-3, Red Sox.

I was working in my basement while I listened to the game, a nice stress free game while I started clearing out our work area for the next phase. We're putting the floor in this weekend. Woo! I'm hoping it won't be too painful. Once the floor is in, it's cabinets, shelves, trim, closet doors, done. Oh, what a glorious day that will be. The beer is gonna flow like wine...

Don't call it a comeback...

I lied. I could not, not watch the Red Sox game.

The Sox loaded the bases twice in the 8th but only managed to get 2 runs across the plate to cut the lead in half, 4-2 Twins.

Now Tavarez is getting the hook after allowing a leadoff hit in the bottom of the 8th. Thank you.

And now here is Javier Lopez, just acquired earlier today by the Sox. Fresh off the plane and into the game... This will be interesting.

... or not. 5-3 Twins. Rats.

Just. Can't. Watch...

I just can't bring myself to watch the Sox and Wake go down in flames again tonight, especially not Wake.

Run support people!! Run SUPPORT!!!

I feel like Tom Cruise in that crazy movie where he wore the mask, and ran around yelling TECH SUPPORT!! TECH SUPPPOOOOORRRRTT!! What was that flick called again? I can't remember... Anyway, RUN SUPPORRRRTTT!!!

Three nights in a row of watching the Sox swing and miss in frustrating futility is just too much, so I'm taking a break. If that means I'm not hard-core, so be it. Whatever. Feel free to make me say, 'boy I wish I'd watched that incredible comeback by the Sox' a little later fellas.

Freed from the commitment of watching the Sox / Twins game, my Wife put on 'The Office', The American version, just to check it out and see how different it is from the original.

Well it did not take me long to come to the determination that it hella sucks!!

As David Brent would say, 'been there, done that, got the t-shirt, next!' Nice try NBC, 'it's always good to have pipe dreams, yea?'

Effin' Tavarez...

There's nothing like watching a good pitching duel, and last night's Sox / Twinkies game featuring Curt Shilling vs. Johan Santana was living up to its billing as a battle between aces, but when it got to the end of the 9th and the game was still tied 1-1, I was done.

I looked over at my Wife, who was already conked out, and told her, the Sox are just going to have to win this one in my sleep, because I can't stay up any longer.'

'mmmfft,' was her reply, and with that, out went the lights and off went the TV.

The first thing I did when I got up this morning was check the final score. 5-2 Twins.

Dammit.

Next I did a quick check of the game report to see how it happened and noted with much irritation, though unfortunately, not much surprise, that Julian Tavarez had given up the game winning runs. Tavarez. Fucking Tavarez...

Still the balls...

Last night, sitting on the couch with my Wife, watching the end of the Sox game, top O' the 9th...

Papelbon's got that coiled snake look about him, and as Remy points out, he seems to be annoyed with himself for blowing the save in the previous inning. Thankfully the Sox batters had his back and re-took the lead, giving him a second chance. Papelbon gets the first two batters with emphasis on swinging strikes, but the 3rd batter follows up with a single in-field hit.

Mike Lowell knocks the ball down at 3rd before it reaches the outfield but with his bare-handed throw off the wet grass, the ball is a little wide of the plate at first. A nice play by Youk to keep the slick ball inside the lines. 'You want them at the corners, you need them at the corners...' (I still think that thing is a god-damn jinx by the way.)

A pinch runner, now in at first, steals second base, but Pap is focused on home plate and putting an end to this nonsense right here and now. A few giant, swinging cuts at the plate later and it's strike 3. Game over.

Back on my couch, after my own, big, double-pump of the fists, Papelbon style, I look over at my wife, who is shaking her head at the antics.

'That guy Papelbon is the balls.'

"The balls huh?" she asks wryly.

'Yup. The Mutha-Fuckin' BALLS.'

'Awesome!'

One of the most over-used words in my vocabulary is the word, 'awesome'. An extremely versatile word, it can be used to describe both the good and the bad.

For example:

- The insanity that is I-84 in Hartford, CT: Awesome. It's like driving on the highway version of a back-ass country road; the twists, the turns, the left hand lane you're driving in suddenly becoming an exit ramp! One minute the speed limit is 65 MPH, the next minute it's 50. Whee!

- The person driving in front of you doing their best to get somebody killed by cutting off not one, but two tractor trailer trucks: Awesome

- Hanging around doing nothing for three hours because the person you are supposed to meet with today forgot they have meetings all morning: Awesome

- A vending machine bag of peanuts and a Coca-Cola for lunch: Awesome

- The Slayer / Garth Brooks play-list you made for the 2 hour ride home is exactly long enough to get you from door to door: Awesome

- Soft tacos for dinner: Awesome

- With Shilling on the mound and 'Tek at the plate, the Red Sox finally get a win vs the MFY: Awesome

Yo Paul-ey!

It was tough to see tonight's game vs the Yankees wind up as a loss for the young Sox pitcher, David Pauley. He pitched well all evening and deserved to get a win, but he made one critical mistake in the 7th when he failed to scoop up a ball that was hit back to the mound for what should have been the last out of the inning.

Once the ball got past Pauley, you could also say that Sox 2nd Baseman Mark Loretta probably should have been able to get to that ball as well, but that did not happen either as he whiffed on a one-handed grab attempt and the ball wound up getting through the infield for a hit.

Pauley left the game with the bases loaded and gave way to Rudy Seanez, who allowed the Yankees go ahead run on a bases loaded walk. The MFY went on to eventually take the game, 2-1.

Yes, Pauley could have ended the inning in the 7th had he gotten that ball, but it should also be pointed out that the Sox bats left him out to dry as well.

I'm not sure which game was more painful, last night's or tonight's. Pick your poison, an embarrassing blow-out or a tight, one run loss... Ug.

Thankfully we've still got two left vs the MFY and a chance for a series split. Shilling needs to be the stopper tomorrow...

Random thoughts during last night's Yankees batting practice session...

- Who kidnapped Josh Beckett and replaced him with this horrible, sucky, look-alike impostor version of Josh Beckett, and, more importantly, why is Francona leaving him in this game?

- I thought batting practice was before the game, not during the game.

- It's the eve of the most evil day ever, 6/6/06. That has got to have something to do with how bad the Sox are playing right now. Satan obviously wants his team to win.

- NESN needs to stop showing that damn Mike Lowell / Kevin Youkilis, 'The Guardians of the Lines' promo. 'You want them at the corners, you need them at the corners...' That thing is a fucking jinx. Ever since NESN started showing that promo, the infield errors have been mounting. STOP IT NOW NESN!

- Well, at least I don't have to worry about annoying the wife by flipping back and forth between this and the Stanley Cup Finals... (Go WHALE!)

- That's gotta suck, losing your goalie in the 1st game of the Cup Finals (we've switched to hockey now, in case you are wondering what's going on.)

- OH MY GOD HE BLEW IT!! FUMBLLLLLLE! (as a 'miscommunication' betweeen Edmonton goalie Ty Conklin and defenseman Jason Smith allowed Carolina to score the game winner).

Sox win, but take a big loss...

It was tough to see David Wells get hit on the knee by a come-backer last night. I'm not Wells' biggest fan, actually if he were not in a Red Sox uni, I really would not like him at all, but to see him just back off the DL and pitching well, and then have this happen... I really felt bad for the guy. I hope he will be ok.

His injury was described as a 'contusion, with no initial signs of serious injury'. Lets hope it looked (and felt) worse than it is and Wells can come back from this.

From a purely selfish, Red Sox perspective, I was happy to see Wells back on the mound. The 5 spot in our current pitching rotation did not exactly fill me with confidence, and with Wells back and pitching well, it was looking like that problem was going to be fixed. Now with Wells out for who knows how long again, maybe forever, The Sox will still have that big empty hole in the rotation every 5th day.

It would be great if The Sox could move Papelbon up into the rotation, but unfortunately, that would leave us without an effective closer.

Keith Foulke just does not have what it takes to step in at closer, at least not at this point anyway... I'm still in his corner, but reality is reality.

Oh and by the way, to the two 'fans' who were hassling Foulke on his way back to the dugout last night, you guys are fucking dick-heads... As a Sox fan, you embarrass me. Way to support your team fuckers. In case you didn't know, we need Foulke to be effective and getting his head all screwed up and pissed off again does not help The Sox, in fact it has the opposite effect. Nice job ass-hats...

Shill goes for win #200 tonight. Lets hope the D-Rays, and the rain, will not spoil his chances...

Baseball Terminology fun...

Not much to post about today.

The Sox lost to the O's (had to happen eventually), the Sun is finally OUT, and if I don't cut my lawn tonight, it will be 3 feet tall by the time I get a chance to mow again. I am a slave to my lawn... (but it looks good, nice and green!)

Yup, not much goin' on in this wape of the woods, neck of the wape right now, but there is a great post over at Two Grim Dudes listing fun Baseball Terminology. So check it.

Yo, The Hell*??

Despite what my wife might like to believe, our baby daughter loves the Red Sox. She has been all out of whack with the lack of baseball games the last few days due to all the rain. She is never, ever fussy, except when she's hungry, and she was cranky this past weekend. My wife could not figure it out.

'No baseball,' I said.

I got the big, 'you are insane' eye roll from my better half, (but she knows deep down that it's true).

To make matters worse for my little Angel, Dad had to wake up early and go visit some customers on Monday morning, meaning no 5 AM-ish Sports Desk and Bottle... She was all out of whack.

Thankfully the last few nights, we've gotten her back into a routine. Red Sox baseball has been on and the game results have been good. That puts a smile on baby's face.

Tonight we were watching the game together, as is our usual routine in the evenings. She was resting comfortably in my arms while I described what was going on to her, and things were going smooth. Shilling was not dominant but was getting the job done, so she looked up at me, spit out the binky and closed her eyes. She obviously felt the lead was safe enough to head off to sleep. Once she was out, I put her to bed and came back downstairs, pretty much on the same wave-length.

'The Sox are in good shape. Shill is not mowing them down but they are fine. What's the score? 4-1 in the 4th? I think it's safe to pop in that Miami Vice Season 2 DVD that arrived in the mail the other day...' [Go ahead laugh, I don't care. I fuckin' love Miami Vice]. No sooner had Crockett called somebody 'Pal' for the umpteenth time in the 2 hour season 2 premiere, than it was time for a quick 'intermission' for Dad, along with a quick score check first...

"6-5, Sox?? THE HELL*? What happened?? Don' know, but know what, they're winnin' anyway... THEY. ARE. WINNING... Now, back to Vice."

As the season 2 premier ended and Crockett and Tubbs headed back south after a tough job in New York, I clicked back over to NESN to check the Sox game result: "This will be a win when I click it over," I said to myself, just in time to see Pap throw the game ending strike. Game ovah. Sox win.

Nice.

*"The Hell": The origin of this somewhat goofy saying comes from a comment I read once on Beth's site from someone who was talking in the comments to a person who apparently does not watch football. It was something along the lines of, 'The Hell, you don't watch The Patriots??' It was probably just a typo, but I always found that funny so it stuck with me.

Sox / MFY - Round 4, Pats Rookie Camp...

I've been watching the Sox / MFY game all night while I goof around with this site, making a few changes to links and what-not. I know, really exciting stuff. Yeah. Right.

As I write this, it's the bottom of the 7th and after trailing the entire game, The Sox just recently took the lead in the top half of the 7th. This has been a pretty tight game. The Sox have had about 80 men on base tonight I think, but they have not been able to take advantage.

Wake was solid for the 1st 6 but as is usual when he pitches, he did give up a couple runs and it was looking like the Sox bats were going to leave him hanging again. Thankfully the Sox were able to get a couple runs across, with a little help from a bad throw to 1st by Jeter, to take the lead, currently 4-3...

I have been tired all week and this is part of the reason right here. I should be in bed with my eyes closed but instead I am up watching the baseball game. When it's over I'll get some sleep for about an hour if I'm lucky before the baby wakes up hungry. I have late night (11 PM-ish) and early morning (5 AM-ish) bottle duty. My wife gets the 2 AM-ish feeding duty.

Timlin looked like his old self in the bottom of the 7th. No fooling around. Jeter got on but that was it... E-Rod struck out to end the inning. Hopefully the Sox can add onto this 1 run lead and get a little cushion, just in case... Something tells me they will need to tack on a few more to keep the lead. Of course, I would love to be wrong here...

The Pats rookies will report to camp this weekend. I will be looking forward to hearing the reports on all the new players on the team.

Pats tickets go on sale Saturday and I will once again be trying to get some. I am hardly ever successful at getting Pats tickets by ordering them online, but I will be giving it a shot anyway.

Bottom of the 8th now and Foukie is in there against Bernie Williams. Keith is off to a good start with a strike but then proceeds to give up a lead off double. Oy... A fly ball and an out at 1st base gets Foulkie 2 outs but Williams advances to 3rd.

Papelbon is coming in.

Time to stop typing and watch the game. Lets Go RED SOX!

Weekend update...

A post just for the sake of posting, so you know it will be good. (Phht...)

This past weekend was great. My baby daughter was baptized on Sunday and we had family and a few friends in attendance. The ceremony was short but very well done and enjoyable.

The Reverend at my church is an extremely nice man who is also a very down-to-earth person as well. He is an easy person to talk to and is able to explain mysterious things like 'church stuff', as I call it, in a way that is easy for me to relate to. He has helped me a great deal over the last few years since first I met him.

After the ceremony we had everyone over to our house for lunch. We kept it casual with sandwiches and various other snacks. It turned out to be a fantastic day weather-wise, so people were able to hang out in the yard, relax and just enjoy themselves.

I turned on the television when the Sox game started and also put an AM radio outside for the benefit of those (myself included) who did not want to miss out on the sunny day but still wanted to hear the game.

I happened to be inside watching the game on television when Tek hit the second grand-slam of his career and I announced Jason's accomplishment quite loudly, 'GRAND-SLAM FOR THE CAPTAIN!!'

The sarcastic response from the women gossiping in the other room went something like, "I think something just happened in the ball-game."

I then stuck my head out the window to inform those outside who might have missed it as well and was greeted by more sarcasm:

"Tek just hit a grand slam.'

'Um, yeah, we heard... How could we miss it?'

Later in the day I got my wife to throw the wiffle ball for me while I took a few at bats. She tried to bean me a few times, prompting me to yell, 'HEADHUNTER!'

She had me swinging at a few balls outside, which drew a comment from my sister in law, 'Aw man you should not have chased that one, that was way outside!'

Damn peanut gallery... I was able to launch a few balls into orbit (the other side of the yard) as well.

I must admit that I was very bad diet-wise Sunday, eating chips, brownies, ice-cream and beer throughout the day, but I (rationalized) told myself that it will be The 4th of July before I allow myself to eat so much junk in one day again, so I forgave myself and got back on the right path with a rice-crispy treat. (Those are healthy snacks).

Touchable...

Well, it had to happen eventually. A run was finally scored off of Jon Papelbon, formerly of the 0.00 ERA. Unfortunately it came during a tie game and gave the Jays the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th inning for a 7-6 lead.

Even so, it looked like the Baseball Gods were going to smile upon the Sox in the bottom of the 9th. On what should have been the final pitch of the inning, the ball got past the Jay's catcher and Dustan Mohr was able to take 1st base.

Pinch runner Harris then came in, stole second and was able to take third when the throw to 2nd wound up in the outfield. Now all of a sudden there's a man on 3rd and I'm thinking to myself that after enduring the rain and cold all night, Iain, who flew all the way to Boston from France to catch this one in person, is going to get to see a hell of an ending to this game. Unfortunately it was not to be. Tek struck out to end the game and that was that. Damn.

Once again, Beckett was not sharp last night. I'm not sure what's going on but it seems like the last few games he has not had the focus and intensity that he had displayed in his earlier starts. Eck's description of his performance as 'mediocre' in the post game was a perfect summation. The Sox left a ton of guys on base last night as well.

After going 3-6 on the last road trip, it's been a long time since we won a series. Toronto is a tough team this year. Hopefully Matty Clement can get the Sox back on track tonight.

The rain needs to stop now...

Normally I don't mind the rain this time of year. It makes my lawn happy, so as long as it does not last for too many days in a row, it's ok, but this week the rainy weather needs to take a break, because Iain from the The Baseball Desert is flying all the way from France to Boston to catch a Red Sox game tonight.

As I sit at my desk writing this, it is pouring rain outside my window. For Iain's sake, let's hope Mother Nature gets it all out of her system early, and hopefully there will be a baseball game tonight at Fenway Park.

Sox / MFY: Round 1...

Sox / MFY. Round 1 of 19. Bottom of the 8th. So far this has been a pretty tight game. I missed Johnny's introduction as I was outside cutting the lawn, but I got inside just in time to see Dougie's return to a standing O.

Somehow I find that rather fitting, as my reaction to Johnny, were I to have been at Fenway tonight, would have been to ignore his existence, but my reaction to Doug would have been to cheer loudly, and that's pretty much what I did, though I was not physically at the Park. Even though I was not there, I still felt part of the collective.

Dougie had a great night. No past balls, threw a man out at 2nd and I thought sure he was goin' long with one of those balls, but the wind knocked it down. I've always been a fan of Mirabelli. It was good to see him back at Fenway.

My kids came in for JD's second at bat and asked me why Damon was a Yankee. They were not sure what to make of Damon in a Yankee uniform. They seemed to be confused and obviously did not understand what was going on. To be honest, I did not have an easy time digesting Damon in that MFY uniform either. It just seemed wrong to me, like in that Star Trek episode where everything is reversed.

I told my wife how Damon got booed and her reaction was perfect. "Good," she said. Fuckin A.

Back to the game:
Big Poppy just absolutely crushed a Mike Myers ball into the bullpen. Even the strong wind that has been blowing in and knocking balls back into the park all night could not keep this one from going out. How perfect is it that the MFY got Myers just for this purpose, to handle Ortiz, and what does David do? He hits a 3 run homer. Ka-Pow! Nice.

The 8th inning is over and they're showing a Dunk's Smoothie ad right now. Let me just take a moment to point out that those things taste most excellent with some Cruzan rum added to them... especially the mango/passion fruit one, for those who might be intersted...

Top of the 9th now and the Sox have a 4 run lead, 7-3. Pap's in to finish it off, 1-2-3, circle the mound, pump the fist and it's ovah, Johnny. It's over!

Dougie's goin' long!

'Belli's back baby! And just in time too! WOOOO!!

Link: ESPN.com - MLB - Red Sox reacquire Mirabelli to catch Wakefield.

Welcome back Doug! We missed you man!!

*Note in the article the MFY tried to cock-block the Sox in order to try and prevent Mirabelli from returning to Boston. Fuckers.

I'm building a monster in my basement...

A Green Monster.

Right now it's a work in progress. It needs a couple more coats of paint. When this part is finished I'm going to get some stencils and paint the scoreboard on there too. I want to try and paint letters and numbers that are approximate to the actual size of the real scoreboard, so it will wind up looking like a section of the Green Monster, not a full, mini-sized scoreboard.

I'm thinking I'll paint a little doorway and in a darker green paint, that you'll have to look closely to notice, I'll write something like 'Looking for Manny?' With an arrow pointing to the door, or something goofy like that. (I'd be open to suggestions actually...)

It should be pretty cool when it's finished. (If it's ever finished...)

Thank Adam Stern...

Those pesky Devil Dogs are back.

Matt Clement pitched a very good game but despite the overall good outing from Clement, the D-Rays managed to stick around and keep things interesting as the game wore on.

Thank goodness for timely hitting on the part of the Red Sox to keep the Devil Dogs at bay.

To be honest, I was kind of in cruise mode during this game, watching out of the corner of my eye and doing other stuff. Things were back and forth but in the back of my mind I felt the Sox had this one in the bag the whole time.

When Papelbon came out, I said to myself, 'The Sox have the lead, Pap's on the mound, this one'll be over soon...'

Except it wasn't.

For the first time this season, Pap got himself into a big jam in the 9th, putting man after man on base and loading them up. The unpleasant thought of this game turning into Paplebon's first blown save started to creep into my mind. Thankfully a fly ball to center wound up leading to a game saving, diving catch by Adam Stern, scooping the ball up before it could hit the ground and clutching it in the end of his glove like ice cream of top of a cone.

Final result: 7-4, Boston. Whew!

An exciting finish on Patriots Day...

Today I was stuck and work and it looks like I missed out on a hell of a Sox game. Mark Loretta took on the hero's role today with a bottom of the 9th, 2 out, 2 run, game winning walk off homer. Damn. That would have been so cool to see!

During the course of the game, I checked in for an occasional update via CBS Sportsline but the computer generated experience leaves much to be desired compared to the real thing, especially when the score is going back and forth on the virtual score-board and you're dying to know what is happening in real life.

Getting the game updates via computer gives me a very disconnected feeling. My head tells me I should be excited, because there are obviously good things happening at the ballpark, but without any visual or audible connection to what is happening on the field, my heart does not get that adrenaline rush feeling of excitement when something happens. It's just full of anxiety and questions, "What's going on? What's going on? What's going on?? Come ON you stupid computer screen thing! Update already!!"

Well, there's always the highlights when I get home...

Since I'm on the subject of Patriots Day baseball, my first trip to Fenway happened to be a Patriots Day game and now every year on this day, I think back to my first visit to Fenway Park and my first live Red Sox game experience.

Here's the problem: I don't remember very much of it.

I don't remember who the Sox were playing that day, I don't remember who pitched or any of the players on the field. I don't even remember who won or lost. All I know is, I sat in the bleachers, The Sox were playing and I had way too many beers in me.

I also remember that I had a blast at the game, and I recall going out into the jammed streets of Boston afterwards to watch the marathon runners and to visit, then shortly thereafter get thrown out of, several nearby taverns... Ahh, youth.

Papel-balls

Watching Pap stare down batters with the rain coming down around him... Mesmerising. Especially going against Ichiro, (my favorite player who's not a Red Sox), getting the swinging strike and circling the mound... Letting the fury reign for a brief moment... That's the outlet after getting the big strike out. The right foot follows through and comes down and he circles the mound letting that smoldering intensity flame up and then burn off quick, reigning it in for the next batter... Papelbon of the 0.00 ERA. I fucking love that guy.

Rally cap needs some mojo...

Last night I flipped on the TV and put the Red Sox game on. It was 1-0 Sox.

I went upstairs to get the kids into bed and when I came back down it was 6-1 Jays and I was asking myself what the hell happened here? Is this a repeat of last nights game?

Unfortunately it was not a repeat, but it was more of the same from The Sox starting pitching, allowing the Jays to build up an early inning lead that would eventually prove insurmountable.

The Sox rallied in the late innings once again last night, but unfortunately, the early inning deficit proved too much to overcome. I had the rally cap on but it just did not have enough mojo in it to help the Sox get over the hump.

Thankfully, we have a stopper. My son's favorite player, 'Curt Shilly' is on the mound tonight versus my 'B' team, the Seattle Mariners...

The Pink Hat Brigade has a new member...

No, it's not me... (wise-ass)

The other day, I got home from work and my kids were outside, enjoying a nice spring day. As I got out of my car, my daughter came running up to me and I was surprised to see that instead of wearing her 'batting practice' red and blue Sox cap, she had switched over to a (brace yourselves) pink Red Sox ball-cap.

"Daddy look at my new hat! It's pink!!

"It's very nice," I said. "I really like it!"

"I know, isn't it cool? See ya!" and off she went, running down the lawn (I wish I could harness that energy).

To be honest, I prefer the red and blue batting practice cap, but I'm not going to tell her that, and if it makes her happy to wear a pink Red Sox cap, that's all that matters to me.

I hope the Anti-Pink Sox Cap Gang will cut her some slack. After all, she is four and her favorite color happens to be pink. The thing that counts is not the color of the hat but the 'B' on the front right? And if you could see the way she can hit the ball off a T at her age, pink hat or no, the only thing you'd probably say about it would be some thing like, 'Wow that little girl in the pink Sox hat can really swing the bat!"

2 out of 3 ain't bad...

Coming off an ugly loss to Texas on Tue, I was hoping to see Josh Beckett come out and blow people away on Wednesday night. While that did not exactly happen, he put up a hell of a fight and got stronger as the innings wore on. I liked Beckett's intensity and the 'no quit' attitude and you're not going to hear me complain about giving up only one run during the game, that is for sure.

Timlin came out in the 8th and gave us a scare, putting a bunch of guys on base and bouncing one past Tek to advance runners, but like Beckett, he was able to bear down and get 'er done, (with a little help from Texas 3rd base coach, Steve Smith, doing his best Dale Sveum imitation in waving home an obviously surprised Mark Teixeira.)

Jon Paplebon, who is quickly becoming my new favorite player on the Red Sox, came out in the 9th and was like, 'enough of this shit. 1, 2, 3 and we're outta here boyz. We will be having none of this ground out, pop-up, relying on our defense crap. Expect no contact muthas. The only place this ball is going to wind up is in Tek's glove...'

I had some serious hetero man-love goin' for Pap as one batter after another came up to take huge a swing at a ball that had already gone by them. I love the controlled intensity of Paplebon and his 'no fear' stare, and I love how that intensity seems to boil over after he gets a strike out and he circles the mound to reign it back in for the next victim.

The end result, 2-1 Sox and we're off to Fenway South in Baltimore. Nice.

Opening Day thoughts and indoctrination techniques...

Just a few quick thoughts on Opening Day:

The game tracker of choice at work is CBS SportsLine. The graphics are very well done and it provides a lot of good information. One thing that was interesting was this thing they have called the glog. Basically it's somebody live blogging the game. Nice gig...

It was good to 'see' Shilling come out and dominate. I think he's out to prove something this year. Paplebon was impressive as well. Foulke was shaky. I'm not one of those people that's going to jump all over him right off the bat, but he needs to show that he's got his shit together fairly quickly. Luckily The Sox had a big lead in the game, so no harm done, but if that was a one or two run game... Nuff said there.

Earlier tonight I finally broke the news to the kids that Johnny Damon is now a Yankee. Johnny was their favorite baseball player... They seemed to take the news well. My daughter still wanted to root for Johnny, but my wife suggested she root for Big Poppi instead.

"What does Big Poppi do?"

"He hits baseballs out of the ballpark. He hits lots of home runs."

She had to think about it, but after a few minutes she seemed to be ok with that. My daughter is 'the hitter' of the crew. She likes to hit balls off of a T and she takes it very seriously. If I tell her that she had a nice hit when she only got a peice of the ball, or hit the T, she's all, "No Dad, that wasn't a good one," so I think that might be part of the reason she was able to make the switch over to Ortiz.

My son liked Damon a lot too, but he took the news a little easier. He likes to throw the ball so he is a Shilling fan. "Is Curt Shilly still on the team?"

"Yup!"

"I like Curt Shilly!"

"Good. He is a pitcher. He throws the ball."

"I'm going to root for Shilly."

"OK"

My daughter asked, "Who does Johnny play for now?"

"The Yankees."

"We don't like them. They are stinky."

"That's right, they are."

"Just like The Steelers, right Dad?"

"RIGHT."

After the big sister and brother went to bed, I sat with my baby daughter and watched a little of tonight's Sox game while she drank her bottle. It has not been a good game to watch as your first Red Sox game, ever. I told her, "Don't worry, tomorrow they'll be better..."

She gave me a look, as if to say, "Ok Dad. If you say so," and headed off to sleep.

It's on

According to the Red Sox schedule magnet that's stuck on my refrigerator, in a few hours, there'll be some Red Sox baseball.

If you're going to be stuck at work and you're on a Mac, you'll need this. If you're on Windows, you'll need this.

If you're going to be in a bar, sipping a beer, eating wings and watching the game live, blow me.

1st Baseball Post: 5 reasons why the Yankees will win the A.L. Pennant

Reason #1: They have one of the best if not the best pitching staff in baseball. Two words: Randy Johnson.

Reason #2: They have the best shortstop in the game in Derek Jeter.

Reason #3: A-ROD breaks out this year and finally claims his unfulfilled championship destiny as a NY Yankee.

Reason #4: Johnny Damon is the best lead off hitter in the game, and now that he's cut his hair, he'll be even faster on the baselines.

Reason #5:
APRIL FOOLS!!

Ok. I know. That was an easy one. Did I get ya? Yeah. Didn't think so, but it was fun anyway. The Yankees win the A.L. Pennant this year...Phhht! Hah!

This morning I tried to explain to my kids the concept of April Fools Day:

"Here's what you do. When Mommy comes downstairs, tell her something like, 'we don't want any jellybeans for Easter'.

They gave me a befuddled look and said, 'Nnnoooo Dad, we do want jellybeans on Easter!'

'No, you're not getting it,' I said. 'It's a trick. It's not real, you're just playing a silly joke on somebody. So when Mommy comes down, say something like, 'I want some carrots for breakfast'.

'But Dad, we want waffles for breakfast, not carrots!'

Forging onward, I tried to explain again, 'You guys are not getting it, April Fools is a joke, you don't really mean it.'

'A joke?'

'Yeah'

'Okaay. Dad, why was six afraid of seven?'

'Why?'

'Because seven ate nine!'

I give up.

It's all happenin down in FLA

There's all kinds of action down in the Sunny Sunshine State this weekend. Pitchers and Catchers have been arriving down at the Fort, playing some long toss and showing off some goofy t-shirts. I was glad to see that the Red Sox were 'ok' with Shilling's choice of smart-ass t-shirts for long toss sessions. There was some cause for concern there, but thankfully it all worked out.

(boston.com photo)

(In case you're wondering, Curt's shirt reads: "I’m trying to see things from your point of view but I can’t stick my head that far up my ass.")

On a less sarcastic note, it's good to see the Sox getting back into action, even if it is only Spring Training. The temps may be somewhat frigid up here in New England right now (currently 11 degrees), but that warm weather is coming soon. Seeing baseball players take part in real live baseball type stuff helps to remind us that the end of winter is in sight.

Along with Spring Training, in case you have not heard, there's also a big race taking place down in sunny Florida today. I'm looking forward to hearing those magical words, 'Gentlemen, start your engines!'

Meanwhile, I'll be taking part in some scintillating activities myself this afternoon. I'll be down in my basement today putting up sheet-rock. Should be fun... WOOOOO!

Hope Springs Eternal on Truck Day...

With the Red Sox equipment truck beginning it's journey down south today, I was thinking about the current state of the Sox and you know what? I think our team is in pretty good shape right now.

The Sox got the best player they could to replace Johnny Damon in CF with Coco Crisp and they signed a high quality SS in Alex Gonzalez. They got a very good defensive 1st baseman in J.T. Snow and a former Gold Glove winner in Mike Lowell to man 3rd Base. I have a feeling that both of those guys will be responsible for several wins this year simply from their infield playing skills.

This may be a football term, but I think it applies in baseball too. Defense wins Championships.

Looking at our pitching staff, on paper at least, we've got a quality rotation with depth in the bullpen. Of course, there are some big 'ifs' that have to be answered before we find out exactly how good our rotation really is, but looking at the names on the list, Wake, Beckett, Paplebon, Arroyo, Wells, Shilling, Timlin, you can't help but get a little bit excited to see how this year's pitching staff is going to do.

There is a good mix of experience and young, up and coming pitchers there. I am looking forward to watching Jon Paplebon's ongoing development as well as seeing how Shilling and Foulke look this year in Spring Training.

I am admittedly bi-polar when it comes to The Red Sox, and I threw some tantrums over some of the Red Sox off-season escapades this year that would have made my kids proud. In general though, I tend to maintain a positive outlook towards The Sox and the players on the team. I always try to be supportive of the team and I rarely get down on a player, unless they are in an extremely prolonged slump or have done something totally stupid to piss me off..

Take for example Keith Foulke and Curt Shilling. I get the feeling from some of the things I have read over the off-season that a lot of people have written those two players off. Two of the heroes of the 2004 Championship season had a down year last year, so they have been cast aside, thrown in the trash heap.

Personally, I have never understood the Shilling-bashers. I think Shilling is the balls. I honestly don't see how you can't like the guy, but I guess he is one of those 'love em or hate em' type players. Count me in the 'love em' group. I have a feeling Shilling is going to dig down this year and remind people why The Sox went out and got him in the first place.

I have a good feeling about Keith Foulke as well. He's got something to prove too, not only to Red Sox Nation, but to himself as well and I am backing him all the way.

After all the ups and downs this past off-season had, I think things have turned out pretty good for the '06 Red Sox and as you can see, I have a good feeling overall about this team as we head into Spring Training.

Players came and went, Theo left and returned, but with everything that happened, The Sox managed to keep things from falling apart. Now that this tumultuous off-season is coming to an end, my feeling toward The Sox could best be described as 'serene'.

Pitchers and Catchers report this weekend and something tells me that this is going to be a pretty good year for the Boston Red Sox... I'm looking forward to feeling the hot sun on my face and listening to some some enjoyable baseball games.

Guess I should start reminding my 'sources' to keep me in mind for tickets...

GO SOX

Truck Day!

Today is Truck Day, (a day for you and me, hooray!)

After digging out of yesterday's snow-storm, truck day helps me forget about winter and reminds me that Spring Weather is not too far away.

Time to get that Red Sox gear out of the closet...
 

Pats / Sox Nation Frapper Map...

The Patriots and Red Sox Nation map on Frapper has been slowly but surely gathering new members.

I am glad to see people seem to like the map. If you have not added yourself, swing on by and stick a pin in there! No obligations. It's all just for fun!

Ho-Hum...

Waz up yo? Nada. Very boring around here right now, eh? Yup. This is what we call, 'The Sports Lull' that exists during the week prior to the Superbowl. Not much goin' on at all... And this is just the primer. After the Superbowl, that's when things really slow down.

Thankfully, there is hockey this year. Last year's NHL lockout, in a word, sucked.

The B's face the Isles tonight and will go for 4 straight wins. After flailing around for the majority of the season so far, The B's are finally starting to figure out how to win games on a consistent basis. I don't want to get too excited about this, but it looks like The B's are beginning to get their shit togethah.

Actually there is other stuff goin' on, but it's stuff that I'm just not motivated / interested enough in to write about. Theo's back. Yay. I was pissed when he left and I'm glad that he's back. Now get to work building the 2006 Red Sox. That pretty much sums up my feelings about the whole 'Theo' thing.

I love the Sox but I really can't stand all the off-field drama. I know some people think that the drama is what makes The Sox, 'The Sox', but personally I could live quite happily without it. Give me a well oiled machine [The Pats] any day of the week. Whatev...

The Sox have acquired a center fielder who should provide a reasonable replacement for Johnny Damon and I expect they will have a SS in place soon, possibly within a few days if reports are accurate. Whew, what a relief. Phht. The talk shows and papers sure did a great job whipping people into a frothing lather over this whole CF / SS situation.

I still have not told my kids that Damon is a Yankee. They were asking me about him the other day. I had told them that football was over and it would soon be time for baseball.

"OOOOOHHH! That means it's time for JOHNNY DAMON!!"

I'll wait till spring training to break it to them...

Finally, this is the last weekend in January and that is a great thing. The hardest part of Winter is in the rear-view mirror now. February is no picnic but it goes by quick. Then, before you know it, Springtime baby.

He's Back, Baby!

Great news that I am very glad to hear, Theo Epstein will be returning to the Red Sox, though I am curious to know what his actual position will be.

Apparently we have to wait till next week to find out. Why? Well to annoy us of course! Hey, I'm just glad he's going to be back. I needed some good news to shake me out of my, upcoming weekend with no Patriots Fooball, funk.

Speaking of this weekend's games, I'll be rooting for the lesser of two evils, The Steelers, in the AFC match-up and the Seahawks in the, "In all honesty I really don't care who wins as long as it's a good game", NFC matchup.

Stay or go Manny, I don't care...

Manny Ramirez recently told reporters that he no longer wants to be traded and now wants to stay in Boston. What a fucking tool he is. I am so goddam sick of him and his antics. At this point I actually wish he would leave but as I have said many times, that is never going to happen thanks to his ridiculous contract.

Manny, you might as well face it. You are stuck with us and we are stuck with you, at least till 2009 anyway.

Somebody remind me, how much does this asshole get paid to hit and occasionally catch a fucking baseball? Fuck you Manny.

Final thoughts on Damon...

Mainly for my own benifit I'm sure, I want to get down my final thoughts on Damon, and then, unless there is some blockbuster move like Manny getting traded or The Sox landing some ace pitcher, I don't want to hear about Baseball again till after the Superbowl in February.

1. The MFY overpaid for Damon. I wanted Damon back, but not at that price.

2. My primary annoyance with the whole transaction stems from The Red Sox tactic of late to wait till the last possible moment before signing a player. I don't understand this game they play. They are lucky it did not backfire on them with 'Tek last year. The Sox should have started the process on getting JD signed a long time ago. It should not have come to this.

3. Unlike some people, I am unfortunately unable to get past the loss of his bat at the top of the lineup, his speed in the outfield and on the bases, and his willingness to crash into all kinds of objects in order to make a catch.

4. Yes, he's got a weak arm. I know that. I think what I said in #3 makes up for it.

5. Saying, "Oh The Sox will just go find another center fielder to replace him," is like saying, "Oh The Sox will just go find another SS to replace Renteria," or "Oh, the Sox will just go find another pitcher to replace Pedro." Why don't The Sox just go find another GM to replace Theo too?

I was unable to break the news to my daughter. I started to tell her that I had bad news for her at dinner last night, but then I chickened out when she looked at me with those big hazel eyes. Instead of telling her that her favorite player was a Yankee, I told her that it was the shortest day of the year.

"That's ok Dad, it's almost Christmas right?"

6. I am not pissed at JD. How can I get mad at a guy for doing what I would do? Company A makes me an offer, Comapany B makes me a better offer, I'm going with company B. The idea of loyalty in the workplace is for the naive. There is no loyalty from companies to it's employees and there is no loyalty from employees to a company, unless you are one of those rare, lucky people who loves their job so much that it's not even work.

It hurts us to see these guys go to other teams, because we as fans are loyal to the team, but for the players, this is a job. Players do not sign oaths of loyalty along with their contracts.. Yeah, Johnny made statements about how he loved Boston and didn't want to leave. Yadda Yadda Yadda. I used to tell my old boss at my old job that things were fine whenever he asked how things were going. Then I went home and worked on my resume...

7. It seemed to me that JD actually did want to come back to Boston. Too bad the Sox management did not get the deal done when the opportunity was there. Instead they waited around and Johnny got a better offer. End of story.

8. Seeing JD in pinstripes is gonna be weird, but if people boo him at Fenway, well that's just lame.

9. I remember after the Sox won the Series, there was Johnny Damon graffiti showing up all over NYC and he was getting called Johnny Fucking Damon by MFY fans. Johnny Damon now is a Yankee. Surreal.

Blow up the Red Sox World...

Unless you live under a rock, you've no doubt heard that Johnny Damon is now a Yankee. My first reaction to the news involved lots of steering wheel bashing, swearing and strange looks from passing cars.

Is it just me or does it seem like the Red Sox are imploding? Are they trying to suck or is it just coming naturally to them?

Now The Sox will try to put all kinds of spin on this move, citing Damon's age and his throwing ability. That's pretty weak. Does Larry really think we're all going to just nod our heads and agree with him when he tries to explain this away?

I can hear the spin already, "Yeah, he was the best lead-off hitter in baseball, had great speed on the bases and in the outfield, where he played with reckless abandon, but he had a weak throwing arm."

The Red Sox are still 'Idiots', except now they're up in the front office instead of out on the field.

I know the Sox have made lots of moves this offseason, but I can't really say I'm all that thrilled with any of them so far. The only move that seems decent to me was the Beckett signing, and even that move is a big 'if' depending on the guy's ability to stay healthy. Plus, the Sox gave away their best prospect, Hanley Ramirez, the supposed 'future' at SS and then they trade away Renteria? What the hell kind of plan is that?

I was not a big Renteria fan, but if you know you're going to unload Rent, would'nt you want to keep your #1 prospect who happens to be a short-stop?

From this fan's perspective, The Red Sox seem to be in total disarray. Is anybody thinking ahead over there? The Red Sox are like a ship with a broken rudder. They're a complete mess right now and this GM by committe thing is working about as well for them as closer by comitte did.

There is literally going to be an almost entirely new team on the field next year.

If one of the goals of the Red Sox front office is to lower everybody's expectations a notch, mission accomplished. It's amazing how quickly the Red Sox went from being a team that finally had it's shit together in a cold, methodical, New England Patriot-Like way, to becoming a complete cluster-fuck.

Now more than ever...

(The Red Seat)

Johnny Damon, you need to stay in Boston...

It seems I'm not the only one who's ready for Spring already. This morning my daughter came downstairs wearing shorts and her Red Sox 2004 World Series Champions T-Shirt. She says she "can't wait to see our best player, JOHNNEEE DAY-MOONNN!!" Well, that settles it. You're just going to have to stay on The Red Sox Johnny. You would not want to upset a cute little girl now would ya??

After breakfast, we took the kids outside to let them romp around in the snow. They had a lot of fun, making a snow-man, (actually it's more of a snow-mound, but they like it), sledding and looking for polar bear tracks.

Now my Wife is making us some hot chocolate to warm up. (I could use some Yukon Jack Peppermint Schnapps in mine... I'll have to put that on my list for later to pick some up...) While the water is getting hot, my daughter has changed back into her Red Sox summertime clothes. Ha. Maybe we should watch the World Series DVD later instead of Christmas Movies. :-)

Thank you, Jim Lazar...

Hey I actually read an article about the Pats that was positive! How about that? Despite the Pats problems this year, they are in a good position for the playoffs and hopefully this weekend will lock up their AFC East Championship and at a minimum, a 4th seed and a home game in the post season.

Admission time. In the article, Lazar mentions the period a few years ago when the Pats were looking at Tom Donahoe as a potential GM candidate. I am ashamed to admit this, but at the time, I was one of those stupid people who wanted to see Donahoe and whoever was the Coach of Carolina to come in and run The Pats, not Belichick.

As I type this, I can't even remember who was coaching Carolina back then, if that doesn't tell you something. Oh, the shame! It's painful to imagine what might have happened. Get out of my head you terrible thought! Thankfully for all of us, Bob Kraft is smarter than me, much smarter. Feel free to give me an interweb punch in the arm for being so dumb back then. OW!

Oh and by the way, Eric Moulds, I'd like to send a big thank you out to you too! I appreciate your complaints last weekend, as does the Patriots secondary I am sure. As Richard Seymour said:

“He’s one of the best receivers in the NFL...He’s a guy, especially the last couple of times we’ve played them, who’s put up some pretty big numbers. We’re definitely not complaining about him not being in the lineup.”

This weekend's game is not an automatic win for The Pats. The Bills are always very tough at home, but the loss of Moulds is a big weapon removed from the Bills arsenal. We'll take it.

We'll also take Tejada for Manny, but I would not get my hopes up... It seems like every year there's always a great big carrot that gets dangled before Red Sox Nation's eyes during the off season, and I have a feeling this could be it. I'd love to be wrong again though...

GO PATS

See ya Dougie...

Even though I am deep into full-on Patriots mode right now, I still keep an eye on The Sox and their maneuvers in the off-season. Today the Sox made a move that actually broke me out of Patriots mode (for a moment) and made me want to write something Red Sox related.

As I've said, I don't generally get 'attached' to players, but I have to admit, I was bummed out when I heard Mirabelli had been traded. I've always liked Doug. Yes he was the backup catcher, but I think it's safe to say he could be the starter on a lot of teams. He just happens to be on the same team as Jason Varitek. I mean, happened, that is. Damn.

I liked the way he would take his at bats with bare hands. There was something cool and very tough about that I thought. I also liked the home runs he seemed to whack over the Monster whenever he was in the game. I liked the way he handled catching for Wake and the way Wake would generally win a game when Doug was his catcher.

I have to wonder, who's gonna catch Wake now? I was joking with my friend, maybe that guy from the Reebok commercial (you're welcome Reebok) can do it. "I just spent 6 weeks in fantasy camp!"

Doug caught the first pitch of the 2004 World Series.

I'm sure this move will wind up being better for him since he'll probably get to play a lot more and it also fills a gap in the Sox infield.

So far I think the moves the Red Sox have made during the meetings have been productive. It just feels weird and it's kind of a bummer to see so many pieces of the Sox core guys from the last few years gone, but hey, that's what happens. That's why I root for the laundry. There's going to be a completely new team on the field next Summah but hopefully not a return to the same old Red Sox...

Even though things seem to be going ok with the Sox off-season move so far, I'm still not 100% sold on this whole GM by committee thing. Hopefully they can sign Damon. If they don't my kids will be crushed and I have to admit, the thought of him in pinstripes is not a pleasant one. Manny will be back. It's the same thing every year. It's almost boring. Manny wants out but he's got that boat anchor of a contract that nobody wants to take. (Must be rough... phhht.)

Now back to the Patriots. Clinch time in Buffalo.

Papi gets robbed...

Well as all of us in Red Sox Nation know by now, Big Papi got robbed in the MVP voting, getting beat out by A-Fraud. I don't really have too much to add that has not already been said elsewhere.

We all know what Ortiz meant to the Sox last season. Just because the codgers who vote for the MVP award are biased against the DH, it does not take away from Ortiz's accomplishments.

When the game is on the line, who do you want at bat, A-Rod? (He really helped his team out in the playoffs eh?) Didn't think so.

When the game's on the line, we all know that you want to see Big Papi striding to the plate.

Unfortunately, I guess the people that voted for A-Rod didn't take that into consideration. Most valuable, my ass... Wait a minute, maybe the people that voted for A-Rod were looking at his salary when they were deciding between him and Ortiz and they got confused. It's Most Valuable Player, not Most Over-Valued Player, dummies.

Still can't believe it... COME BACK THEO!!

It's been a few days since Theo resigned as GM for The Red Sox and I have to say, I'm still in shock, I still can't believe it and I'm still totally pissed. (I'll try to cut down on all the swearing though. I know it's gotten a bit out of hand...)

I've been reading some of the Sox blogs, kind of hoping some of them would help cheer me up and make me feel better, but it looks like everybody pretty much feels the same way I do; upset, confused and afraid for the future of the Red Sox. Misery reigns supreme. Thanks Larry. Thanks Shank. Yes. I do blame you Lucchino, both you and that scum columnist 'writer' (an insult to other writers). The blame is squarely at your feet. Completely. Spin it all you want. I will NEVER forgive you for this. NEVER.

Lucchino, you now have no leeway to work with from me and if you look around, I think you'll find out most of RSN feels the same way. Enjoy sleeping in the bed you have made for yourself. I think you know that you have made yourself universally despised among RSN, along with your good snuggle-buddy, CHB.

Sox fans, you don't need me to tell you this but the Red Sox were SET with Theo running the show. SET! Ok. Maybe the Red Sox didn't do so great in the playoffs this year, this year. See what I'm saying? With Theo in charge, I was totally confident in the future of this team. I don't expect they Sox are going to win the Series every year, but I knew that at least they had finally put things together and that they would be in contention for many years to come. Next year we'd be back in the show come October. I had no doubt that we would be. Now I have no confidence whatsoever that that will happen. Right now all I feel is disheartened and despair when it comes to The Red Sox. Now I'm totally prepared to sit back and watch the killer farm system the team had built up be dismantled, prospects traded away, replaced with a bunch of high salary slackers to fill the void. Red Sox armageddon.

We were set for the future because we had somebody that actually had their act together making the moves for us. Theo ran the Red Sox with intelligence and was methodical in his methods. He ran the Red Sox in a very 'New England Patriot' like way. All business. No emotion. Whatever it takes to win. It's about what's good for the team, not the player. It's about winning Championships. That's what I love about The Pats and that's what I liked about Theo. Now he's quit because of some b.s. with Lucchino and the front office.

Theo says that's not why he quit but I think he's just taking the high road. Everybody knows when you leave a job, no matter how much you hate it you don't burn your bridges. You suck it up and you play nice with that person you can't stand one last time, cuz you never know, you might meet again somewhere else. Smart.

What's the matter Larry, you didn't like the taste of champagne? You didn't like the feeling of finally winning? Well F YOU!!

Who are you and the other geniuses in the front office going to get to come in and run this circus now? WHO?? Nobody decent is going to want to step into this pile-o-you know what.

As if the fact that Theo leaving is not bad enough, the timing for all this could not have come at a worse time. The Sox are a ship without a rudder in the free agent waters right now. Who's gonna do all the wheeling? Who's gonna do all the dealing? Who's gonna go to the big free-agent pitcher's house for Thanksgiving dinner, look his wife in the eye and tell her that her mashed potatoes are the best he's ever tasted?

We are screwed.

Damn this bleeping bleepity bleep-bleep-bleeeeeeeeeeeep sucks! FUCK!!!

RSN WE ARE FUCKED

Theo resigned. Not RE-Signed as in re-signed for 3 more years, but resigned, as in quit. As in, he flipped the bird at Laughin' Larry Lucchino and walked away from The Red Sox clean.

Red Sox Nation, we are totally fucking fucked.

FUUUCCCCK!

Dear Larry Fuck-head Lucchino,

Prepare to feel our wrath.

Yours hatefully,
Red Sox Nation

Break out the whiskey bottle...

Some things that are scary...

With Halloween approaching, a few scary things are a - brewin'...

FROST: We had the 1st frost of the year this morning. Winter is nearing closer. Can you feel the dread in my voice?

Also on the weather front, there's another dang killer hurricane on the loose. GO AWAY HURRICANES! We've had enough out of you!

Looks like this weekend will be another washout. Blah.

Manny trade rumors are back again. I get so tired of these. Personally, I like the guy and all his little 'issues' or 'quirks' or whatever you want to call them don't really bother me that much. The media in Boston loves to help run players out of town and Manny has been high on their target list for quite a while. Stupid media.

Yes, sometimes, Manny does not run hard to get to 1st base. That can be a little annoying at times, but his bat more than makes up for that stuff in my mind. Tell me how you replace Manny's bat in the lineup with anybody else in the league (Ortiz does not count). Plus, laugh if you want, but I think Manny does a decent job out there in left field. He's thrown some strikes to Home Plate to get runners out on several occasions.

I guess in the end, whatever happens, happens, but I personally would like to see Manny stay in Boston. DONT TRADE MANNY THEO!

A few Halloweens ago, my wife and I started a fun tradition where we rent a movie that scared the hell out of us when we were young kids. It can't be a scary but cool movie, one that creeps you out, but you like watching anyway, like 'The Shining' for example. It has to be a movie that scared you so bad, you were unable to watch the whole thing. You were either too afraid to actually sit and watch it, or you closed your eyes through half of it.

Last year, we rented 'The Exorcist', which scared the hell out of both of us way back when. It's still scary, (but in a good way now). We also rented 'The Omen', which was not too scary for either of us but is still a good Halloween flick as well as 'The Amityville Horror', which actually did scare me quite a bit when it first came out, but I've seen it enough times now that it's not scary anymore, but still creepy and fun to watch.

This year, my wife has picked 'Pet Cemetary', which I have never seen, but she says she was unable to watch all the way through. I have picked 'Hellraiser', a movie that has always freaked me out, big-time. I have never sat through the whole thing. I almost picked 'Night of the Living Dead', but I've seen it too many times. I don't think I would get scared enough watching it. I'll save that one for next Halloween.

Another movie that I always enjoy watching every year around Halloween is 'The Crow', not for any scare-factor, just because it's a cool Halloween flick. I dig that whole 'Eric Draven comes back from the grave to wreak vengance' thing. (Too bad about Brandon Lee though. That guy was really on the way up. Damn shame.)

I'm open to any good Halloween movie suggestions anybody has! If you've got a good one, let me know.

Astros or Other Sox. Tough choice...

So now that the World Series contenders have been settled, I've been trying to decide who to root for in the series.

On one hand you have the White Sox, who as we all know, have not won the Series since 1917. Red Sox fans all know how that feels... That sucks. It would be cool for those guys to win one after all this time.

On the other hand, you have the Astros who have not even been to a World Series since their inception in the early 60s... I'm sure it would make a lot of people down there happy to see The Astros get their 1st championship and be a big morale boost to all the hurricane weary people in the area too.

Hmmmmm...

Other factors:

My wife has relatives in Chicago. I'm sure they would like to see a World Series championship...

Clemens is on the Astros. Like most Sox fans, seeing him win the whole thing as a Yankee really stuck in my craw, but I'm pretty much over that now. I guess I would not mind seeing him win another one. Plus it would piss off King George to no end I'm sure...

Pettite is also on the Astros: I have no animosity towards him, now that he's no longer a MFY. Frankly, I wish he were on the Red Sox. Plus, seeing him win a championship on another team would really piss of King George.

Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions... I guess I'm leaning towards Chicago, due to family ties influences...

I wanted the Astros to win the NLCS and that happened, so no complaining there, but dammit, I wish the RED Sox were in there facing off against the Astros and not the dang Other Sox. [Sigh].

My wife says I'm better off. She says I have enough going on without adding baseball stress to the equasion. I still wish it were the Red Sox playing anyway... (I have a feeling she is the one who feels better off for not having to deal with Red Sox related antics from me. Ha.)

I guess I will lean towards Chicago, but if the Astros win it, that's cool too. Yes, I'm being completely wishy-washy about the whole thing. Whoever wins, it's all good and it will be a good World Series for sure. Whatever.

(The Red Sox are not in it so who cares. [childishly stamps feet])

A kinder gentler Red Sox fan...

So the Yankees lost last night. Yay.

Yes, I am obviously happy to see the Yankees get beat. I will always want to see them get beat. But just as the sadness of seeing the Sox lose the last game of the year is not nearly as sharp as it once was, seeing the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs just does not have that same bitterly euphoric feeling either.

Just to compare, in 2001, when the Yankees lost to Arizona in The World Series, I was jumping around my living room and cheering. Now I'm just like, hey The Yankees lost. Whew.That's good.

It's just not quite the same feeling as in years past, and really, that is fine with me. I look at it as a good thing. Let's face it gettting all excited and celebrating another team's loss year after year gets kind of lame, don't you think? Admittedly, the thought of seeing the Yankees in the ALCS was a bit nauseating, not so much because of my dislike of the team, but because in my opinion, they did not deserve to be there.

(I guess you can say The Red Sox probably did not deserve to be there either, but my bias in this area over-rules logic.)

Anyway, I think the whole Sox / Yankees thing has died down several notches since The Sox won the Series, at least it has for me. The dragon has finally been slain and now we can all move on. I still want to beat the Yankees, and I still hate them, but now it's more of a 'respectful hate' (if there is such a thing) towards a long standing rival. Like how I feel when The Pats play The Jets, or The B's play The Habs. I always want my team to crush those guys into oblivion, but I can't honestly say that I 'truly hate' the Jets or Miami or The Habs or The Devils and I kind of feel that way about The Yankees now. I'm a kinder, gentler Red Sox fan.

Now that the team that I root for and the team that I always root against are out of the post season, I need to decide who to throw my support behind and I think I will pick The White Sox, just because they have not won it since 1917, and fuckin'-a, we all know how that feels, and we know how great it feels to finally win it after all those years, so I will root for The White Sox. Just imagine all the good vibes that will flow if The Other Sox can win The Series. Warm Fuzzies for everybody!

Oh, the irony...

The Red Sox season ends on a pathetic ground out by Edgar Renteria. How incredibly ironic and at the same time, appropriate.

I'm feeling pretty bummed out right now and a little frustrated at the same time. Bases loaded and nobody out and the Sox could not capitalize. Unreal. I know we won it all last year, so it does not hurt as bad as in years past, but it's still a pretty sucky feeling. I'm not going to pile on with the depression here.

I made sure my kids paid attention when Johnny Damon was at bat. They both love Damon. Hope he's back next year. I guess we'll see what happens.

FUCK.

Time go to see a great band and maybe get some frustrations out.

Go Angels, Go Bruins. GO PATS.

Reach for the Sky...

Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it in my bones.

Reasons:
It's Friday and Friday rocks the howwse.

The Sox are playing this afternoon and I believe they are going to win. There will be no White Sox celebration at Fenway tonight. No. Fucking. Way.

I'm going to see Social Distortion tonight.

{Digression:

E-mail to friends(?): 'Hi! Hey I was wondering if you guys would be interested in going to see Social D with me in October... If you'd like to go, just let me know!'

[Mr BnW then buys a single ticket, refusing to miss the show and knowing in advance what to expect from extremely lame people that he used to hang around with]

Responses: 1, "I'll think about it" (then never heard from again), 2, "Dude, I'm too old. I might break a hip. But if you get tickets to 'Sesame Street Live' let me know" and the rest did not even bother to respond.

I guess I just refuse to grow up.
{End of Digression}

So here's some Social Distortion Mojo for The Sox. I am fully expecting to go to the show in a great mood after The Sox extend the series at least one more day.

So if you please take this moment
Try if you can to make it last
Don't think about no future
And just forget about the past
And make it last

Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come

"Time's up, what's it gonna be, Merv?"

GO SOX

Rough way to start the playoffs...

Okay... Well. That pretty much blew. What was the final score in today's Red Sox / White Sox playoff game, 1132 - 2 or something like that?

Hopefully The Red Sox (and The Patriots, now that I think of it,) have gotten all the 'suck' out of their systems and are ready to play for real from here on out.

We need a big game from our big, big game pitcher tomorrow [Mr. Wells, that's you].

After watching the 'game' this evening, I got an e-mail from The Red Sox that said, 'ALCS Ticket Purchase opportunity'. I got all excited because I thought I had been selected for the chance to enter the virtual waiting room and once again try my hand at getting some Red Sox tickets. Unfortunately, the e-mail said I was not selected, but I'm auto-magically entered in the World Series Tickets drawing. They should make the title of the e-mail say, 'Better luck next time' or something so they don't get folks all psyched thinking they're gonna have a chance at tickets when really it's just a big let down. Oh well. The Sox will just have to get to the World Series now so that I'll have a chance to get tickets.

Oh and in case you forgot, starting tomorrow, NHL HOCKEY IS BACK and regardless of what the media may have you believe, people care and we are excited about it! I watched some pre-season hockey over the weekend and it was great to see The Black and Gold skating again. Hockey Rules. The B's face off against the much-hated Habitants of Montreal tomorrow. The last time we saw them, they were sweeping us out of the playoffs.

My wife is very irritated with the current number of sports teams playing right now.

"Football, Baseball, Hockey... It's a nightmare!"

She likes to go see games live, but does not get into watching sports on TV. She'd rather watch some home makeover show or something. Plus putting up with all my antics during games can get a little... ridiculous (or so I'm told.)

Playoff hopes...

Well, the Red Sox made it into the playoffs. It feels great to be in the post-season and not have to feel the weight of 86 years without a championship on your back. No curse talk, no taunts about Boone or Bucky, (although ESPN will show the clips anyway, despite their irrelivance.) That junk just does not bother us anymore. It's very nice to have all that garbage gone and in the past. Despite the networks insitance on trying to drag back ancient history, The Red Sox are just another post-season contender now. From now on, it's just about Playoff Baseball. Awesome.

I'm actually feeling kind of relaxed about this post-season. Obviously I want The Red Sox to win, and there will be the usual tension and hoping for them to do so, but at the same time I am looking forward to kicking back a little and actually enjoying the games, as opposed to the last few years, where I was climbing the walls and hanging from the ceilings by my fingers and toes with the stress meter maxed out for the entire playoffs.

I have said all along that I just wanted the Red Sox to get into the Playoffs and I would be happy. They made it and I am happy. Now it is time to take it to the next level and not get too far ahead of myself. I want the Red Sox to win the ALDS and I have a good feeling that they will. I think it goes 4 games and thanks to the magic of Karma, Reb will get to see the Red Sox win the series in person.

Here's my LDS Wish List:

White Sox / Red Sox - Red Sox. (Duh!)

Angels / Yankees - Angels. - I know there are a lot of people who want to see an ALCS rematch of last year but, you know what? Fuck the fucking Yankees. I'm so sick of them. I want to see them knocked out of the playoffs early, and not because I'm afraid to face them in the ALCS (I'm not), but because I want to see them have to sit at home and watch somebody else play for a change. Plus, it would make all the people at FOX TV seriously depressed. Fuck the Yankees, Fuck FOX, Fuck. Them. (Sorry, went on a bit of a rant there.)

Eventual ALCS Winner: Red Sox (Duh!)

Padres / Cards - Padres. Dave Roberts is on the Padres. Nuff said right there. Plus, my blogger freind Melissa is pulling for them, so there you go.

Astros / Braves - Astros. Sorry but I just can't bring myself to root for The Braves and my animosity towards Clemens has mellowed quite a bit since he left the Yankees so I will pull for him and his team. And, not to get too far ahead of ourselves (Baseball Gods, take note), think how cool it would be to see the Astros make it to the World Series and face The Red Sox.

Eventual NLCS Winner: Astros

Thats' as far as I'm willing to go.

Mission 11W 2005 starts tonight.

GO RED SOX

Do it Again

I have always been of the opinion that Ray Bourque brought the Championship Karma back to Boston with him in 2001, (even if The B's have yet to take advantage of it).

This worked last year, so I'm rolling it back out again.

Here's my Red Sox Playoff MOJO. MISSION: 11W 2005
 

(The Sporting News)

DO IT AGAIN RED SOX

Lets just WIN ok?

The Sox had Randy Johnson on the ropes yesterday, but couldn't land that knock out punch. It still seems incomprehensible to me that the MFY somehow won the Division again, but sickening as it may be, that is the way it is.

The Sox can still get into the playoffs with a win today.

Hopefully the Sox take all the drama and mystery out of the playoff situation and get it done. How about a nice big offensive attack to ease everybody's blood pressure, hmmmm?

The Pats have a tough challenge ahead of them as well. San Diego is an offensive powerhouse. The home win streak is definitely on the line today. The Pats need to stop the run. If they can do that, I don't think Brees can beat them, even without Harrison in the backfield... Richard Seymour has been an absolute force so far this season. He will the key player on defense.

I've been busting my butt this weekend getting some sorely needed chores done around here, staining the deck and front steps, washing windows and all kinds of other junk. Now, my whole body is sore.

This afternoon I am going to take the wife and kids out to an orchard to do some apple picking before the games start. Then I'm going to come home and sit my exhausted ass down and enjoy some sports.

GET YOUR MOJO OUT

LETS GO RED SOX!!

CLAP-CLAP, CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!

LETS GO RED SOX!!

CLAP-CLAP, CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock...

Today has been one of the slowest days ever! Will the clock ever get to 5:00? It has been a grind to try and stay focused but thankfully I was able to get some stuff done today and now the clock is getting close to the magic weekend time.

Fred Flintstone is almost ready to slide down the dinosaur's neck!

Pluggin' away...

Well those pain-in-the-ass bastards from Tornoto are finally out of here.

GOOD RIDDDANCE to you and your ugly black uniforms! I friggin hate those guys. The Jay's are like an annoying mosquito buzzing in your ear. You're fully capable of smooshing it, if you could just land a direct hit on the damn thing, but you just can't seem to.

To be honest, The Sox are pretty much right where I expected them to be right now. I knew the Yankees would take 3 out of 4 from The O's and that the Sox would have a hard time with The Jays. Too bad we wasted a great opportunity on Tue, but that can't be changed now. Things could be better, but they could also be a lot worse. 

I'm finding it hard to concentrate today but I'm pluggin' away at it anyway. I'm not too worried about it because I'm certainly not the only one here who is distracted thinking about the games this weekend. Everybody around here, myself included (naturally) is wearing some kind of Red Sox gear and talking about tonight's game.

Looking at the weekend's matchups, I'm feeling pretty good about the Red Sox chances.

Friday: Chien-Ming Wang vs. David Wells
Saturday: Randy Johnson vs. Tim Wakefield
Sunday: Mike Mussina vs. Curt Schilling

A sweep by The Sox would be wonderful and is certainly within the realm of possibility... Let's visualize it and hope the Sox bats can get things started tonight.

And dont forget, GET YOUR MOJO OUT

"Whatever it Takes"
GO SOX!

Bring it on, Bitches

First, a Jonathan Papelbon Haiku:

Wicked Intense
Never look up
Zeroed in on the Plate
Swing and a Miss

Dude, I FUCKING LOVE THAT GUY. HE IS THE BALLS and he is MONEY. MONEY!!

I love the intensity. I love the way he's got that ballcap pulled way down, they way he looks down at the mound, looks in at the plate, throws strikes and then walks off looking down at the grass, never looking up. Total Bad Fucking Ass, with a barely contained fist pump. He's my favorite guy out there. No doubt.

It's playoff time fuckers. It's playoff time. It's been building all week. I've been cranky and tired. I've had a short fuse and I'm not ashamed to admit, The Sox have been a big part of it. Sports affect me. I can't help it, it's just the way I am. I get into it and it affects my demeanor.

My wife's already got that uncomprehending look where she sees me watching the game, sees the intensity on the face, sees the stupid superstitions all coming out, the candles, the Octoberfest Beers, the Hat has to be placed in a particular part of the couch, and don't move it! She sees me choking on curses and trying not to swear and say stuff around the kids... She's got that, resigned, 'well, here we go' look. (and she looks at my daughter wearing a batting practice style Sox cap backwards and tells me, "You're creating a monster you know...")

When things are not going well and I'm pissed off, she reminds me "It's only a game, don't let it ruin your day". I just look at her. I wish I could think that way, sometimes. It would have saved me a lot of anguish and near-heart attacks in the past but I can't. For me its The Pats. It's The Sox. During the Bledsoe years, when the Patriots would lose on Sun, I would be in a bad mood till about Wed and she'd get pissed. "LET IT GO," she'd tell me.

Thankfully, it's not as bad anymore. A lot of that came from year after year of frustration. Winning has helped with that but I still live and die with these 2 teams.

I don't get all upset so much during the season. If they win one, I'm happy, if they lose one, I'm bummed but it's Ok. I can let it roll off. But when it's playoff time and you're fighting for a spot, like The Red Sox are now, the intensity cranks up.

I want the playoffs. At this point, I don't care how we get in, just get in. I want the Division, but I'll take the Wildcard. As long as we're in The Show.

I can't wait another day. I switched the calendar to October tonight.

There's like a million different scenarios that could happen this weekend, things that can happen if the Sox do this and if Cleveland does that. Lets take the mystery out of it Red Sox and JUST WIN!!

GET YOUR MOJO OUT

"Whatever it Takes"

GO SOX

Another post about Red Sox frustration...

Hi! Todays theme in Red Sox blog-land is: Frustration.

As we all know quite well, the O's finally won a game and beat the Yankees last night. At the same time, Cleveland lost to Tampa Bay.

1st place in the Division and The Wild Card were there for the taking but it was not meant to be, so The Red Sox remain tied for The Division and The Wildcard.

My gut predictions have been quite accurate lately and unfortunately, it's telling me that the Yanks take the remaining 2 games against the Birds, who probably put up their last big fight last night for pride's sake and are now ready to pack it in and play golf. That leaves The Red Sox margin for error against an excruciatingly, annoyingly, persistent Toronto team pretty much at zero right now... Arg. Why can't Toronto just roll over and die like the O's? Bitches.

At the same time though, my gut is also telling me that Cleveland may split the last 2 with The Devil Dogs before heading into their climactic battle for 1st place in the Central against the Other Sox... We want the Division, but I'll take a Wildcard saftey-net if it comes to that...

6 to go and everybody's tied up...

Wow. With 6 games left check out the standings. The Sox are tied for 1st in the East with the MFY and at the same time, The Sox, MFY and Cleveland are all tied for the AL Wildcard spot. Incredible.

My gut is telling me The O's finally win a game tonight, so The Sox need to do the same and take advantage if it happens. Shilling's on the mound and I have total confidence in him.

(AP/ ESPN)

I love this picture from last year and I'll say it again Curt,

YOU - ARE - THE - MAN.

(By the way, if you have not started with your superstitious Karma enhancing rituals yet, now's the time...)

GO SOX

Be like Tom Petty...

It seems the Football Gods and The Baseball Gods, along with The Weather Gods have decided to mess with us.

The Football Gods are coniving to see how The Pats will do without Rodney Harrison and Matt Light this year. I can't really complain too much about the Football Gods for all they have bestowed upon us Pats Fans, but I certainly hope Rodney and Matt will both be ok.

Besides, the Football Gods tried this trick last year and look how far that got them. The Football Gods need to get more creative. (Actually, no they don't. The Football Gods are Wise and Merciful. Thank you Football Gods.)

Meanwhile, The Baseball Gods and The Weather Gods have gotten together to make things just a tad bit more difficult for The Sox and our Nation's playoff dreams by raining things out at Fenway last night and forcing the Red Sox to play a double header against an always extremely pesky Toronto team.

So now all we have to do is win 2 games in one day. No problem! As Red mentioned over at SG, I can just imagine the lineups for todays games...

You wanna test us? FINE. Have at it. Like Tom Petty said, "I Won't Back Down"

Rally Cap is in place. Bring it on.

Sox grind it out, Pats need to come out flying...

The Sox got it done in what turned out to be a grinder of a game, beating the O's 4-3. Timlin made things a little interesting to close out the game, but a win is a win and I'll leave it at that. Thanks to some help from Toronto, The Sox are now tied for first place in the Division with the MFY.

Unfortunately, my gut is telling me that the Skankees are going to win today's game. I wish it were not so, but that's how it is, so the Sox must win today. Feel free to prove me wrong Toronto...

The O's are a real pain in the ass and it will be difficult to pull off a sweep against them. Maine is pitching for the O's. He did not pitch well in his last start so let's hope for more of the same from him. Hopefully the Sox will lay the smack down with their bats today and make things a little easier for Wells. I'm glad this is the last we'll be seeing of Baltimore. Let's hope Wells' knee is feeling ok today.

As far as The Patriots go, I'm hoping to see them come out of the gates flying today after a somewhat embarrassing display last week. Cut down the penalties and eliminate the turnovers and The Pats will be in good shape. Our defensive backfield is a little beat up right now but I still feel that the key to beating the Steelers will be to take away the run and make Rothlessburger throw the ball. I have a feeling Belichick has something in mind to confuse the young QB.

On the offensive side of the ball, let's hope the running game can kick into gear this week. Our O-line is still coming together and may be missing Joe Andruzzi's leadership. Hopefully they will open up some holes for #28...

4:00 games rock. Now it's time to get some stuff done around here before the games start, as my wife just reminded me...

GO PATS, GO SOX

Sox do their part. Need to keep it going...

First off, I just want to say that I am thinking about the people affected by this latest hurricane, Rita. From the reports I have read online, this one is not as bad as Katrina but it is still going to have a terrible effect on thousands of people. Try to do what you can to help.

The Sox got the job done last night, beating the O's in a comeback win. Arroyo pitched well and went deep enough into the game that we did not have to rely too much on the pen. I have to admit, I have very little confidence in our relievers right now. I hate to say this but I feel like no lead is safe once we go to the pen so I was a bit nervous about who was going to come in for Arroyo.

Gonzalez and Delcarmen are 'decent' but can be scary to watch at times. Bradford just scares me to death. I feel like every pitch he throws has the potential for disaster. I have no numbers to back any of this up, this is just my gut feelings about those guys.

Thankfully the generally reliable Myers came in and did his job. He is usually good for an out for that 'specific' hitter, as long as he is not left in to long. Then I was glad to see Paplebon come out to finish out the 8th. In my mind, Paplebon is probably the most reliable middle relief guy we have. He seems to exude confidence and makes batters miss without having to get all tricky with his pitches. I hope we will see him used in this role during the next week. Timlin did his job in the 9th and thankfully there were no hair-raising, run scoring antics to finish the game. Paplebon in the 8th, Timlin in the 9th? That could work...

The Jays are holding onto a 7-4 lead over the MFY in the 8th. Hold the line!! I had a feeling this morning that the Jays would take this one. Hopefully they can hang on for the win. If it happens, The Sox need to take advantage... (but you know that!)

I'll be wearing my rally cap all day today. In fact, I think I'll keep it that way until we get back that division lead. Whatever it takes...

Voodoo
"I'm not the one who's so far away
When I feel the snake bite enter my veins.
Never did I wanna be here again,
And I don't remember why I came."

Time to strap in...

The Orioles, The Blue Jays and The Yankees. That's it. That's all we've got left on the schedule.

The Yankees will face the same teams over the next week and 1/2. We play our last week at home, The MFY play their last week on the road.

The Sox are a game back in the division and 1.5 back for the wild-card. The stage is set. As frustrating as it has been watching the Sox slide out of first place, I'm not throwing in the towel on The Sox. Fuck the Wild-Card. We can still win the Division. Time to go on a run.

Allowing the Yankees to pull the rug out from under us and slip into the playoffs is simply unacceptable and cannot be allowed to happen.

The Sox finally got a day off yesterday. I hope everybody (fans included) got plenty of rest because I have a feeling we're all going to need it. Pop open an Octoberfest Ale, light that Pumpkin-Flavored candle and get out your voodoo dolls. If you have to stand in your living room wearing your baseball glove to help Edgah make a catch, do it. If you have to pace back and forth at the bar like a wack job so you can send positive energy out to our bullpen, do it! Time to stir up some Red Sox Karma. Rally Caps are now in full effect!

GO SOX

Red Sox Rant...

MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE FUCK YOU DUQUETTE!!! MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE

Renteria = Head Case...

I'm starting to think all the errors Edgah Renteria keeps committing are caused by psychological factors. I think it's in his head now and he's psyching himself out every time a ball comes near him. He's afraid he's going to fuck up the play and then he does. That is the only reason I can think of that could possibly explain the ridiculous number of errors this guy is committing. Maybe Theo should bring in a shrink.

It feels like Renteria's committing an error in every game. Anytime the ball is hit to him now, I tense up and I'm like 'Come ooooooon Edgar.... Catch it! Catch it!'

If he catches it and makes the play (like he should), it's a relief. Whew! If he blows it, which he invariably seems to do, well, lets just say I often get 'shhhhh-ed' by my better half.

"7 Million a year for this? COME ON!!"

"You're going to wake the kids up!"

The Red Sox are walking away with this one tonight, 13-2 in the 7th, which is fine, since Shilling can 'work on some stuff' with the big lead, but at the same time, they need to save some of this for tomorrow. Whenever they have these big run games, the next day they struggle just to get on base. Save some for tomorrow boyz.

Of course the MFY are beating Baltimore... thanks for nothing O's.

No I'm not hiding under a rock...

Posting has been pretty light this week...

Have I crawled under a rock after the last Pats game? Has watching the Red Sox continually lose ground to the goddamm Yankees driven me bonkers?

No, I am not cowering in a corner somewhere.

My laptop needs a new hard drive and until the drive arrives and I can get it installed, I'm not using the computer very much. Add that to the fact that I try not to write while at work, and posting has been light.

And to be perfectly honest, I've not been happy with my writing lately. I've been very stressed out the last week or so and I feel that it's been showing through in my posts, so I'm using the wait for a new hard drive as an excuse to take a little break.

Once I get the drive installed in my laptop and I can sit in my living room again, instead of sitting at a cramped desk surrounded by giant piles of junk, I'll get back to doing some regular posting.

What a difference a week makes...

Coming out of last weekend I was feeling pretty good about The Red Sox. Despite the fact that we lost 2 out of 3 to the MFY, Shilling looked back to form on Sat and Wake looked very good in a loss to The Beanpole Bitch, Randy Johnson.

Then we took a 3 game Division lead into Toronto and won 2 out of 3. That would normally be considered an overall good strech, except we lost ground to the MFY with the one game we lost and then we dropped another one to the A's in an absolutely wretched game last night, leaving us clinging by our fingernails to a 1 1/2 game lead over the MFY.

The high confidence I had in The Sox on Monday has completely eroded into a hang-on-for-your-life, holy shit, how are we going to be able to make it through these next few weeks as the 1 1/2 game ledge we are holding onto is crumbling away underneath us and Dan Duquette is standing at the top of the edge screaming, "MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE, MORE DAYS IN FIRST PLACE," nightmare.

Wake needs to get it going against the A's tonight. While we're at it, hey Toronto, a little help please? Can you help pull us away from the edge and get Dan Duquette out of my head while you're at it?

Evan over at Firebrand is not in the quitting mood. I'm with him. Let's project some Positive Thought for tonight's game.

GO SOX

Thank you Papi (again)...

We won't talk about the pitching disaster / meltdown that occurred in last night's game. Instead, take a moment out of your day today to recognize the awesomeness that is David Ortiz.

They should put a picture of Ortiz in the dictionary next to the definition of the word "Clutch".

I'll take that 1/2 game over the idle Yankees too...

Great outing by Wake today...

Wakey got robbed today. He deserved to get the win but the offense just could not come through for him. It seemed like there was a chance for the Sox to at least tie it in the 9th, but it was not to be. Too bad. It was a magnificent effort by Wake.

Putting some positive perspective into the loss, it's bodes well for us to see Shilling's performance yesterday followed by Wake's performance today. Our pitching staff seems to be peaking at just the right time.

I was hoping to take 2 out of 3 against NY, but was willing to settle for 1 out of 3 and a 3 game lead over the MFY heading into Toronto and that's what we got... Ok fine. Meanwhile, the Skanks have to take on their nemesis, Tampa Bay. Lets hope those guys will help us out.

Is it ok to mention the magic number yet? I've heard people are arguing about wether it should be spoken out loud or not. I am as superstitious as the next guy but I think it is ok to state that the number is at 18. There's still a lot of games left against some tough opponents so The Sox can't let up.

Unrelated to Baseball, how great was it to have a Sunday afternoon with Football again? Even though the Pats were not playing, I watched a little bit of a few games. For me, September is always the toughest month for Football because the weather is still so nice. I just can't see spending a beautiful day inside watching TV. There will be plenty of time to stay inside in a few short weeks. It will be cold and miserable soon enough. I like to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. When the Pats are on and it's a day like today, I tape the game and watch it later. That's what they made VCR's for. The key is to route the FM Radio into the VCR Audio inputs in order to get the full 'Gil and Gino enhanced' experience.

Sox looking good so far...

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the Sox are doing their part to help make it a Beautiful Day (don't let it get away, Sox). Shilling has been locked in and so have the Sox bats.

Now that it is the thick of September, we are getting into that time of year when my superstitious side begins to emerge in full-force, so I am not going to say anything more about it other than The Sox are in good shape going into the bottom of the 6th...

UPDATE:
Sox get the win, 9-2, and get back to a 4 game lead for the Division heading into tomorrow's match-up between Wake and The Bean Pole Bitch.

By the way, note to Tim McCarver: It's BRONSON not BRANDON, ya stupid jackass fuck! You'd think that idiot would know Arroyo's name by now. Get a clue, will ya "TIMMY"? Anyone else find that annoying, the other Fox guys calling McCarver "TIMMY"? Fuck you TIMMY. How's that suit ya?

Irritated...

I'm feeling irritated.

I bought some RAM for my computer, 512 MB. Then I opened it up expecting to see a single 512 DIMM and an open memory slot. Instead I discovered 2, 256 DIMMs, taking up both slots. So instead of having a full Gig of RAM, I've got 768MB and a chip that I can't use. It's totally my own fault for not checking but it's still irritating.

I also bought a new drive for my computer because the the original drive is jam packed. Apple has this neat program that moves all your files and stuff for you called the Migration Assistant. There's just one problem, it doesn't work with FileVault, which of course, I have turned on. To make a long, boring story short, in order to be able to turn off FileVault I needed to make room on my drive and wound up having to delete 10 gigs of music to do it. I had to effing trash my music library. I've got most of it on CD so I can get it all back, but again, irritating.

The rest of my irritation I blame on The Red Sox, who are down 8-4 right now to the MFY after blowing a great opportunity in the 7th with the bases loaded. Instead Tek grounds into an inning ending double play. Grumble. I won't even talk about what happened in the 6th with hitter after hitter getting on base while Bradford just stayed and stayed and stayed in the game, and I'm yelling "WILL YOU FRIGGIN LIFT THIS GUY TITO!! JEZUS! GRRRR.

Shilling better be sharp tomorrow. I was hoping to take 2 out of 3 this weekend but I will settle for no less than 1 out of 3. A sweep by the MFY is not an option. You HEAR ME RED SOX??

Brain Dump...

I've been feeling very run down and tired lately. I've got all kinds of shit going on and I feel like I just can't keep up with it all. I feel like I keep falling farther and farther back on stuff. Then, just when I think I'm making some progress and start to feel like I'm getting caught up with things, something happens to set me back.

It's as if I'm clawing to barely keep up and keep my head above water lately. Of course, most of these feelings are probably all in my head, but they are there none-the-less. In the meantime, can somebody toss me a life jacket please?

The Sox won on Ortiz's awesome walk-off homer last night and the Yankees lost to the Devil Dogs, making our lead in the East, 4 and our Magic Number, 22. I'm hoping we can win this series against The Angels and head into this weekend series against the MFY with a 3 game lead, minimum. I hope the Sox see the opportunity that is in front of them this weekend. They could really slam the door on The Yankees chances for the division and put a serious kink in their Wildcard hopes too. Seize the moment Red Sox!!

But, first things first. We still need to get past the always tough Angels...

The World Champion New England Patriots kick off the NFL season tomorrow vs The Oakland Raiders. It's still hard to believe it's already time for football! I am pretty excited about this NFL season and am really looking forward to tomorrow's game. It will be so cool to see the 3rd Superbowl Championship banner unveiled at THE RAZOR. I'll probably be bouncing off the walls tomorrow waiting for the game.

I found a cool site, massachusettsgasprices.com. Use it to find the cheapest gas stations in your town. There is a Konfabulator Widget you can use to go along with it here. There's probably a Dashboard widget for gas prices too, but I have not tried any of them out yet.

I've been listening to a really cool podcast that features some great jazz guitar, No Idle Frets, on the way home from work and it really makes the commute fly by. I start listening to it and just zone out driving. The next thing I know, I'm half way home.

I finally reached critical mass on my computer drive, with barely 500 Megs available, so I ordred a new drive to replace it. I bought some RAM too so my computer will be much happier once I get it all put in.

I've been toying with the idea of dropping the silly psudonym that I use around the interweb and just using my first name when I leave comments and stuff on my friend's sites but I'm still building up the nerve to do it. I know, I know, talk about making a big deal out of nothing. I can be such a goof about some things! Oh well.

I'll end this one with a quote to get you ready for The Patriots game tomorrow:

"I had an equipment manager at Michigan. He's got so many Big-Ten rings, he doesn't have enough fingers. He said, 'You know, Tom, you know what my favorite ring is?' I said, 'What's that?' And he said, 'The next one. The next one. That's my favorite."

-Tom Brady

 

Mike Ness, Sox Fan...

Anyone that's read this blog more than a few times probably knows that Social Distortion is one of my all-time favorite bands, currently listed in my all-time top 5 favorite bands list* (along with Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, Danzig (incl. prev. G. Danzig bands The Misfits and Samhain, and no, I don't consider that to be cheating), and George Strait).

Earlier I was surfing Wikipedia, and I typed in Social Distortion, just to see what came up, and was happily surprised to see this:

Very cool.

*The all-time top 5 band list is always subject to change, but it does not happen very often. It's very difficult to be unseated from the All-Time Top 5. You either have to kick some incredible ass to get on there or start sucking very, very badly so that you lose your spot on the list (Sorry Metallica...)

Sox win, MFY keep pace...

The Red Sox got a quality win yesterday with Boomer going 9 strong and 'The Magic Helmet', as he's affectionatly called, slapping in a 3 run homer.

I was truly hoping that The A's and Barry Zito would enable the Sox to take that magic 4 and 1/2 game lead over the MFY as well. Unfortunately, The A's gave us no help and might have wrecked their own shot at a Wild Card at the same time. The Spankees are idle tonight while we play a make up game against The Other Sox. Hopefully Shilling has his shit to-gethah tonight and we can take another 1/2 game to move to 4 up on the Spanks before The United Federation of Anaheim Baseball Players from Los Angeles Angels come to town.

In the meantime, I got this in an e-mail from The Red Sox. Yes, for only $150, I can buy a piece of the field that the Red Sox played the World Series on, I can buy a piece of grass. Wow. You've got to be kidding me. I know The Sox are trying to make money in any way they can, but selling grass?? I'd love to know who actually buys this.

Even if I were to buy a piece of Fenway Sod, I'm sure within the first week of planting it in my yard, it would have a weed growing in it.

Now, if Dave Mellor were to come to my house to plant it, fix my lawn and cut one of those awesome designs in it, that would be a much different story!

4 days to The World Champion New England Patriots kick off the NFL Season and try to do what's never been done before in the history of The NFL. THREE-PEAT.

Agricultural Art featuring The Red Sox...

My Dad sent me this. Click on the link to see a really (I mean really) neat Red Sox design.

Pre-season finally over, Sox sweep...

Before I get into last nights games, a rhetorical question:

Why do people feel the need to speed up if you come up behind them on the highway and then attempt to pass them? And I'm not talking about being an ass and tailgating somebody on purpose to annoyingly try and get them to move over. I'm talking about when you're a normal car-length or so behind somebody, and you want to go around them. Why do people speed up and try to prevent you from trying to pass? I don't get it. Then, after a mile, they have slowed back down to their original speed... Ah, the joys of commuting.

Last night was, thankfully, the final pre-season game for The Patriots. Belichick did not play any of the starters and that was fine by me. The Pats did not do to well, losing 27-3 "in what could loosely be called a game", to steal a line from Patriots.com.

Last night was more about guys on the bubble getting one last chance to make the team. I felt bad for the receivers on the that bubble, since QB Matt Cassell pretty much threw over everybody's heads.

To be honest, I only half-paid attention to the game. To give you some idea of the level of interest I had in watching it, the highlight for me was seeing the new Dunkin's commercial with Troy Brown teaching the Pats mascot dance moves and answering phones in Bob Kraft's office, (along with playing offense, defense and special teams of course!)

Of all the pre-season games, game #4 is the least meaningful. When pre-season started, I was excited to see some football again, even pre-season football, but now I am sick of it and ready for the real thing. Well, the real thing is less than a week away now. Bring on The Raidahs and let the smack-talk begin!

In Baseball-land, The Sox won and the Yankees lost, getting us back to a much more comfortable, but still tenuous, 3 1/2 game lead. Thank you, Seattle!

Personally, the magic number that will make me happy is 4 and 1/2. Anything over 4 and 1/2 games makes me feel safe about the race for the division. That reminds me, what's the magic number? Do the Sox have a 'magic number' yet?

This weekend the O's come into Fenway while The MFY are playing out in Oakland in what could wind up as a pivotal series for the Wild Card race.  All we have to do is beat these dang pain in the ass Orioles, a team that the Sox always seem to have trouble with, and I think we will be in good shape. Hopefully we can take this series with Baltimore and the A's will help us out in the West.

Think Positive!
 

Projection of positive thought...

So over the last few days, I've been thinking, I've been getting a little down on some of the Red Sox 'under performers', particularly Kevin Millar. Every time the guy came up to the plate I've been saying, "here we go, automatic out..." and I decided, you know what, instead of just being negative and thinking to myself that he's gonna whiff, or pop out, I'm going to think positive and root for the guy. Not only that, I am going to try and project this positive, you can do it attitude out to him. After all, I did take on the motto, "Keepin' it positive, All Summah long" this year.

So, last night, Kevin came up and I said to myself, "Ok. Come on Kevin, you can do it. I know you can!" WHACK! Hit hits one off the Monster. "Oh Yeah! Nice Job Kevin!!" I gave him a 1 man standing-O in my living room for emphasis.

Tonight, more of the same for Kevin, with 2 homers. Now some will tell you the wind helped him out, but I'm going to think the power of positive thought had something to do with it too! Next up Shilling, though I have a feeling he doesn't need my help. He's going to pull it together on his own. Wait and see.

On a side note, I can't believe tomorrow is Sept 1st. Fuck. Summah's ovah. Ok, technically it's still summer I guess, but when Labor Day arrives, lets face it, it's Fall. Not that I don't like Fall, it's just that this has been one of those 'special' summers for me, the kind that you remember for years afterwards, so it makes me a little sad to see it ending. Even so, I'm going to keep that positive attitude goin' strong.

Now, how about some help Seattle? We appreciated it last night. More of the same tonight please!

Pats look good in game 3, The Sox... Not so much

The Patriots looked sharp in their regular season dress rehersal last night, crushing the Packers 27-3. The Packers shot themselves in the foot quite a bit last night with penalties and such so it's hard to gauge how much of that factored in to making The Pats look better than they may actually be.

All in all though, I thought they got good pressure on Farve, who threw a lot of errant passes. The corners and safteys seem to be set. I think Bill Belichick is going to have a hard time making cuts in the defensive backfield. There's a lot of good players back there. The Pats seemed a little up and down with defending Green Bay's run game, but most of the time they seemed to hold Green Bay's running backs in check. Right now, the run defense is the only area that I have some concerns with but I have full confidence that by the time the real games start, things will be set.

Earlier in the day, a friend at work said that he had heard that Tedy Bruschi may be manning the sidelines in a semi-coaching role. I was looking for him but I did not see or hear about this happening. Maybe he was there and I missed it... I think it would be great to see Tedy take on this kind of a role during the season. I'm sure having him on the sidelines would be a big help in getting the new inside linebackers up to speed and with dealing with situations that come up during games.

I have a lot of confidence in our Offense. Brady and his receivers looked sharp. Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk both looked primed and ready to carry the ball. There was a scary moment where David Givens appeared to be hurt after catching a touchdown but seemed to be ok later in the game. I let out a big sigh of relief there. We don't want to lose that guy, especially in a meaningless pre-season game!

Now that pre-season game #3 is over, I am officially sick of pre-season football and am ready for the real thing. There's one more pre-season game left for the guys on the bubble to show their stuff and try to make the team or at least get onto the practice squad.

The Sox won the game last night, barely. In trying to keep things in perspective, a loss would have obviously been worse, but that was one of the least enjoyable wins I've ever watched. At the end of the game I said to myself, "Thank god that one's over!"

Even though the Sox got the win, last night's game really gave me a lot of cause for concern about this team right now. The Tigers are not as bad as The Royals, but what does that mean? The Royals just took 2 out of 3 from us... These are the teams that we should be rolling over. Instead of stretching our lead in the division, we have allowed the Spankees to creep up closer and closer. Talk about blown opportunities...

I feel like our pitching is totally unreliable right now, up and down the line, from the starters right through to the closer. The only guy in the rotation that I have real confidence in right now is Clement. When he takes the mound, I always feel like we're going to get a win. When the other guys are in there, it's more like I'm hoping we can get a win.

Of course, this is all based purely on my own feelings. I'm sure if I were to look at the stats, things would be as bad as they seem. I've just got this lack of confidence in our pitching staff right now. The overall pitching inconsistency is troublesome...

If the Red Sox want to keep their AL East lead, they pretty much have to sweep Detroit this weekend, because, like Iain said, you know KC is going to get swept by the MFY. After this weekend we've got that pesky Tampa Bay team while the Spankees have Seattle. That is favorable for us, if we can finally take advantage for a change and win some of these series against weaker teams, teams we should be able to beat!

Bad start for Shilling, Pats pre-season game 3...

Hey everybody,

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been kinda busy catching up with work crap and getting everything cleaned up and put away from my camping trip. I had over 500 e-mails to delete read when I got back to work yesterday, plus the normal barrage of disasters. Yay. At least it was a short week for me.

I can't believe how poorly The Red Sox performed on this road trip, especially losing 2 of 3 to the worst fucking team in baseball. The Sox really blew a great opportunity to put some distance between them and the MFY this past week. I guess they want to just keep things interesting till the end of September for us.

I keep telling myself that I should not be so upset about the current state of the Red Sox, since they still have the [slim] lead in the East, as opposed to fighting for a Wild-Card spot, which is the position the Sox are usually in this time of year, but after Shilling's performance last night, I have a sense of impending doom deep down in my gut.

I am admittedly bi-polar when it comes to the Red Sox though, so if they kick some ass this week while the Spankees, hopefully, lose a few, things will be sunny and happy again, but in the meantime I'm gonna be all, fuck fuck fuckity-fuck annoyed.

The Pats play meaningless pre-season game # 3 tonight against the Green Bay Packers. This game stirs up some memories of the last game of the 2002-2003 season. On the day of the game, I happened to have a bunch of my wife's relatives over the house who were full-blown Cheese-Heads so I cooked up some chili and went out and got a bunch of Wachusett Country Ales. The AFC East Title was on the line that day and it was either going to be The Pats or the Jets walking away with the division and a trip to the playoffs. The Pats needed a win and a Jets loss to get into the playoffs. All the Jets had to do was win and they were in and The Pats were out.

During the Pats / 'Fins game, I wound up putting on quite a display for the relatives, jumping around my living room, yelling and cursing at the TV and generally acting like a maniac as the Pats came back in the 4th Quarter and beat the Dolphins on an Adam Vinatieri overtime kick. They were all set up for the AFC East Championship. All that had to happen was for Green Bay to beat The Jets in The 4:00 game.

The Cheese-Head relatives smiled at me and were all, "You're set dude! Farve's gonna crush the Jets. No problem." They had such confidence, so Yay! I was all smiley and sunny-happy too! These Green Bay fans must know what they're talking about since they've watched them all year, right? The Pats were set! Here we come playoffs!

As we all know, The Packers had their playoff berth already locked up at that point and it turned out that Brett Far-v-re didn't really feel like playing that day.

Things did not go well for Green Bay in the 1st half of the game and they were down by 4 at halftime, 14-10. It was not an insurmountable lead but I was starting to get a little agitated and I turned to the Cheese-Heads and was like, "What's goin' on with your boy Farve here. He looks like shit. You know we're counting on him to win this game..." and they said, "Don't worry about it. It's Brett Farve. They're only down by 4. Green Bay will come back strong in the 2nd half. No problem."

Yah.

Well it turned out that Brett and the boyz played like crap in the 2nd half of the game too and got their asses handed to them by The Jets. As the game wore on to the end and things got more and more out of hand for Green Bay, I horrified my Cheese-Head wearing relatives by shouting "NO HEART, NO FUCKING HEART!!!" at Brett Farve's image on the TV. Then, turning to look them in the eyes, I yelled, "BRETT FARVE HAS NO FUCKING HEART!! HE SUCKS! All you Cheese-Heads, GET OUT of my house!!"

The Cheese-Heads were totally shocked. They had never heard anyone talk about Brett Farve that way and were completely flabbergasted. Welcome to New England Cheese-Heads... Thankfully my wife stepped in and calmed things down, telling her relatives they didn't have to leave and that I didn't normally act like a lunatic.

The Jets won the game and the AFC East, beating Green Bay and a heartless Brett Farve 42-17. The Pats missed the playoffs. To this day the Cheese-Head relatives still can't believe that I actually told them that Brett Farve has no heart (and I have'nt changed my mind about it either..)

Back to the here and now. Of all the pre-season games, # 3 is generally considered to be the closest thing to a game that counts for something. We should get a good look at most of the starters tonight. I'll be flipping back and forth between The Pats and The Sox. Feel free to chat me up if you want to and if anybody wants to try that Google Talk thing, let me know and I'll send you an invite...

It's game night

I just turned on my radio and was greeted by the golden, soothing tones of Gil and Gino during the Pats pre-game report. Ahhhh. It's time for football, people.

At the same time, The Sox are playing what some folks are calling an ALCS preview against the White Sox tonight. Despite this appealing prospect, I will be showing my true colors and watching The Pats pre-season game vs The Bengals. Actually, what I'll most likely be doing is driving my wife nuts switching between the two games...

We are quickly reaching that time of year that she dreads the most, The Sports Nexus, when Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball and NASCAR are all in season. I don't really follow Basketball or NASCAR that much, but according to her, Football, Baseball and Hockey are more than enough to deal with.

The 1st Pats game of the year is something to look forward to, even if it is only pre-season. I'll be interested to see who's doing what on defense, who's calling the game on offense, and the usual, pre-season battle to find out who's going to stand on the sideline and hold the clipboard for Brady.

In my living room, I'll be taking a good long look at the pre-season competition between mini-prezels and chips and salsa for the football snack of choice this year. A long time, veteran starter, Mini-prezels will be tough to unseat, but a little competition is always good.

In a completely unrelated topic, Joe Thornton signed a 3 year deal with The Bruins. I've got a good feeling about the B's this year.

Go Pats!

bags under my eyes...

I'm very tired today after staying up to watch the entire Red Sox game last night, a game that never should have gone into extra innings but did none-the-less. Thankfully, after committing some costly errors earlier in the game, Edgah Rrrrrrenarrrria (rolls tounge like the announcer at Fenway does) rrrrrrredeemed himself with a game-winning hit so we could all, mercifully, get some sleep.

Adding to my tiredness, my children are now at the stage where they can go to the bathroom on their own. Hooray! Except that they now like to make an announcement to the world when they have accomplished this feat, even if it is 3 AM. Ohhhhh... Plus, they sometimes get to wondering where a particular toy is at 3 AM and wander around the house looking for it shouting "MOMMMM! DAAADD!! I CANT FIND MY [whatever the fuck it is]!!!!"

"GO TO SLEEEEEEP!!!

The MFY lost earlier today, 2-1. Thank you, Chicago. So, hopefully the lanky-one can get the win for the Sox tonight and widen the gap to 5.5 games.

Captain Slam...

Grand Slam for The Captain!

(espn photo)

Wish I could'a seen it...

Update:
Bottom 8TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Jason Varitek doubles (24) on a fly ball to center fielder Chip Ambres.   
Edgar Renteria scores. 

'Tek is En Fuego...

Various topic quickie...

Multiple topics in this post.

First, The B's. Yes, that's right. The Boston Bruins. Hockey. Regardless of what the press wants you to think, a lot of people like hockey and I am one of them.

I was very happy to hear the news a few days ago when The Bruins signed Glen Murray. I'm used to reading about the B's losing guys like Murray to other teams because they're so effing cheap. This time the Bruins stepped up and did the right thing for the team. This is great news for the B's offense.

Then, in today's paper, I read that The B's have signed Brian Leetch. Another great move. It makes me think that the Bruins are actually trying to build a Stanley Cup contender. They even made a concerted effort to sign Mike Modano. Even though it didn't happen and Modano signed with The Stars, the fact that the B's were in the game was very cool. Very un-Bruins like, but I'm not complaining!

The Bruin's will open up the season against the much-hated Habitants, which is quite fitting. In case you forgot, the last time we saw them, they were sweeping us out of the 1st round of the Playoffs.

Next, The Sox. The Manny / Edgah collision last night was scary. The pucker-factor on that one was very high and I was seriously worried that they had hurt themselves. Thankfully both Edgah and Manny seem to be ok. Guys, don't do that again!

How about Manny holding onto the ball and getting the final out even after Renteria bashed into him? Awesome job by Manny. You're a gangstah!

Between this and Clement getting hit last week, that's 2 serious injury near-misses. No more horrifying, potentially terrible injury producing plays for The Red Sox please. We've had enough now. Thank you.

Saving the best for last, The Pats. Richard Seymour is back on the field and recently interrupted a meeting with the Offensive Linemen to tell them he's "been eating raw meat and gunpowder."

I'm tingling.

Manny bein' Manny

Based on his performance tonight, Manny is feeling much happier and it's great to see.

With the Sox down 4-0 to the K.C. Royals, a team The Sox should beat, and me thinking it could be a long night against a team we need to beat, Manny effin' crushed a 3 run homer to bring the Sox to within 1.

After that the RBI attack was on and the Red Sox got the win, 6-4.

Oh by the way, Happy 1st Annual 39th Birthday Wake!

August is here. There's 9 short weeks of baseball left and The Sox have a pretty favorable schedule ahead of them.

The Sox need to take it one game at a time, (and I need to come up with some new cliché's). It feels like the baseball season roller coaster ride just clanked it's way up to the peak of the tallest hill and now it's about to drop in. Whoooaaaaaaa!

TGIF: Thank God it's Football... Jon Papelbon's MLB debut... Christmas in July

The Pats have been in camp for 2 1/2 days and they're already getting pissed and feeling disrepected. When asked about how The Patriots' outside linebackers will deal with the loss of their Defensive Coordinator and their 2 starting inside linebackers, here's what Mike Vrabel had to say:

"When the coaches call for the first defense, eight guys don't run out there. Eleven do.''

Quotes like this one literally give me goose-bumps. Effin'-A I love The Patriots. I'm so glad that football is starting.

It's been raining on and off today so I've been watching the Patriots' 3 Games to Glory III DVD. I felt like I was going to float off my chair at some points as I watched The Patriots completely dominate The Colts in the Divisional Playoff game.

Later on in the day I was going to start watching the AFC Playoff game vs. Pittsburg but I got sucked into watching Jon Papelbon's 1st outing in the majors for The Red Sox instead. He's given up a solo homer but other than that, has been very impressive so far. He struck out his first 2 batters and then got the 3rd to pop up for a 1-2-3 first inning. As he headed for the dugout he got a standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful. How's that for a way to start your first Major League ballgame? Pretty cool.

I was enjoying the baseball game until my kids woke up from their nap. I had promised them they could watch a video when they got up. They came downstairs and wanted to watch... 'Frosty the Snowman'. Unbelievable... I can't believe they want to watch a Christmas special in the middle of summer.

Looks like the sun's trying to come out so I'm going to head to the backyard and listen to Joe and Jerry on the radio.

Update:
When Frosty ended I put the Sox back on and found the Twins now have a 3-2 lead. What happened? Dammit...

Handling the press, not the other way around...

Last night after the Red Sox game I watched Terry Francona's press conference. The jackals in the press must have asked the same question 10 different ways. Even as the frustrated Francona stated that he's gone over the Manny situation 'about 9000 times', the press bitches just kept at it. Francona even started to mock the press and began counting, '9002...' as they continued to ask the same question over and over.

When his press conference ended, Francona jumped up and got out of there as quick as he could. He seemed so annoyed, he practically tipped over his chair in his rush to get away from the press bastards. Who can blame him? I like Francona but I think he could use a few lessons from Bill Belichick on how to handle the press and not let them handle you.

Take for example the ongoing situation with Richard Seymour sitting out The Pats training camp. The Press have latched onto the issue and it's now a daily, ongoing question for Belichick. From Felger's story in the Herald, here's a quick sampling how the state of the art team in football deals with the press bitches:

``Here's what we'll do - you don't need to ask the questions every day,'' said an irritated Belichick. ``If there is something, I will lead right off with it and I'll tell you right off the bat. But right now, I'm focused on the players that are here . . . and I have no news to report at this time.''

Talk about a bitch slapping somebody in the nicest way possible. Heh.

I love the way Belichick stomps on the press but it's not just the Head Coach, it's the whole team. The Patriots Organization as a whole owns the press the same way they own Peyton Manning. When the press jackals don't get the answer they want out of Belichick, they descend on The Patriots players... and still get nothing.

Willie McGinist, in a quote from the same story regarding Seymour, slaps down the press like an annoying horsefly that's been buzzing around his head a little too long:

"The players continued to play it close to the vest, even those, like Willie McGinest, who are close to Seymour and talk to him regularly. ``He's doing what he has to do and we're doing what we have to do,'' said McGinest. ``It's only been two days.''

Heh.

Manny Manny Manny Manny

The Manny Ramirez saga is now totally out of hand in my opinion.

He's been scratched from tonight's game for uncertain reasons.

He better not get traded just for the sake of making a trade. That would be pure stupidity. I have faith in Theo to do what's right for The Sox. In the end that's what matters, what's the best move for the good of the team but the fact that a guy taking a day off has come to all this is crazy.

Manny's antics can be annoying at times. I've sat and watched a game with Manny coming to the plate while I uttered "Come on Manny, earn yo' money..." and threw my cap on the ground if he struck out or grounded out. But at the same time, how many times has this guy made an awesome play from the field, nailing a runner at home plate, especially this year, and we don't even need to talk about his hitting.

With Manny, I think the good outweighs the bad. Is he overpaid? Totally. But the bottom line is, I don't want his bat out of the lineup because it hurts The Sox and in the end, I only care about THE TEAM. How does losing Manny's bat help the team? None of the trade scenarios I've read about seem worth it to me.

Manny was out on the field in uniform at the end of the game tonight. (Sox got the win. Nice.)

Manny bein' Manny

This whole thing with Manny wanting a trade and taking a night off, even after being asked by Francona to play, does not bother me. Maybe it should but I really don't care that much. It kinda bugs me a little but not enough to get all riled up over.

Manny's request to be traded is just ridiculous. Did he forget the Red Sox tried to give him away last year and there were no takers? Who does he think Theo is going to trade him to? Trade him for who? What team is going to take him with that insane salary? Nobody.

As far as his not playing today because he needed a day off, do I think it's kind of lame? Well yeah, but he does this kind of junk every year. It's nothing new. I guess I don't get in a twist over his antics anymore.

Like it or not, Manny is not going anywhere. At least for another 3 years anyway...

Finally an uneventful game...

2 outs bottom of the 9th with the Sox leading 4-1. Finally an uneventful game for The Red Sox. Tim Wakefield was solid through the 8th, which was great to see. As had been explained by our intrepid Sox broadcasters, the bullpen needed a starter to go deep in the game.

Speaking of the broadcasters, did they all get together for a few pops before this game? Jerry Trupiano was acting really goofy during his radio call, making all kinds of silly comments and bumbling over a couple of promos. One of the silliest exchanges I've heard in a while started during one of Joe and Jerry's usual tangents between pitches, when they somehow got onto the topic of the air conditioned Tropicana Field.

"You know air conditioning can dry out your skin. Better use some skin lotion," Trup cracked.

Ok. It does not sound too funny right now. Guess you had to be there.

Then when I got home, I started watching the game on TV and Orsillo and Remdawg were acting kind of funny too, with Remdawg showing his x-rays from some recent dental work he had.

Silly broadcasters...

Meanwhile, here we are still in the bottom of the 9th. The Sox still have the 4-1 lead but Shilling has the bases loaded.

Damn these Devil Rays have become a pesky team.

0-2 to Crawford and he's fouling off pitches all over.

Crawford grounds to 1st and Olerud tags the base for the out. Thank you.

Hey 7:13 PM and the game is done. I kinda like this!

Hope Matt Clement is ok!

My wife and I were both horrified when we saw Matt Clement get hit in the head by a line drive in tonight's game vs. the D-Rays. It was a very scary moment as he was practically motionless on the mound after getting hit.

At that point the game means nothing and all that matters is Matt Clement's health.

Reports during the game were saying that he was conscious and alert. That is a good sign. I hope they will be able to let us know how he is doing after the game.

We will be thinking of you Matt and hoping that you are ok!!

Update:
NESN reported during the game that Matt's cat-scan was negative and he is in good spirits. That is good to hear. Whew... hopefully Matt will be out of the hospital in a few days with no ill effects.

Damn Devil Dogs...

I watched last nights game until the top of the 9th when Manny popped out with the efffin' bases loaded.

*click* Goodnight.

If Stern did not get caught off the bag at 3rd, last nights game might have had a different outcome. Remdawg said to always try to make the play happen at homeplate. Well, now we know what to do next time at least.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have officially moved up in status from 'push-overs' to 'pesky'.

Current A.L. East team status vs the Sox:

New York: Mutherfuckers
Baltimore: Bitches
Toronto: Pains in the ass
Tampa Bay: Pesky

Sheer marketing genius...

I normally pass right by the ice-cream section at the grocery store completely unfazed and with my will-power intact. However, some genius at Hood Ice Cream came up with this:

How can I be expected to resist a box of ice-cream that has a Red Sox logo and the word 'CHAMPIONS' in extra large type splashed across the front? I faltered. Then when I saw there were Red Sox shaped peanut butter candies in the ice-cream, it was just too much for me and I caved.

Now I know how a bass feels when presented with a Slug-go. It's a little bit scary how easily I got hooked.

I bought two cartons, Peanut Butter Nation and Green Monster Mint.

I shake my fist at you, Hood Ice Cream Marketing Devils!

Cool moments...

Last night's game vs the White Sox had several cool moments that really stood out.

I liked Wade Miller's overall play last night, particularly when he got into a pretty big jam early in the game and pitched his way out of it with some strike-outs. He got stronger as the game went on and that was nice to see. It was not a fantastic outing but it was good work for him.

Cora made a couple of standout plays again last night, helping Miller out with some nice defense. The play that stuck with me was his making a tag on a base-runner at second. The runner momentarily popped off the 2nd base bag and Cora kept the tag down on the runner to get the out.

Tek hit a homer and l love the fist pump that he does as he rounds the bases. He reminds me a little of Ray Bourque when he does that.

Another cool moment that I'll remember was in the bottom of the ninth with Shilling closing out the game. With 2 outs, Timo Perez hit a long and scary fly ball out to Manny. Manny caught it just in front of the wall and immediately did a crazy looking, no-look, over the shoulder throw of the game ending ball into the stands.

The classic moment was during that same play.

As Perez hit the fly ball, Shilling turned to the outfield to watch it go and he had a wide eyed, "Ohhhhh shit..." look as he watched the ball going, going... Manny made the catch and Shilling's face immediately turned into a smirky smile as he quickly turned back towards home plate to shake hands with Tek. He must have been thinking, "Got out of that one". Manny's got yo' back Shil.

By the way, I've been wondering, what song does Curt have them play when he comes out of the 'pen?

The O's and Spankees both lost last night, giving the Sox a little bit of breathing room in the division, which is good considering it's looking like there's going to be a split here against the White Sox, currently 5-2 Chicago in the 6th. Still time left for the Good Guys tho... Rally cap time.

Sox take the 1st of the series...

I am weak. I admit it. When the clock strikes 10:30, my eyelids feel like they have lead weights attached to them and I just - cannot - stay - awake.

I watched the Sox vs. Sox untill the end of the 7th. The Red Sox had the lead and I told myself, "You know what, they're going to win and that's it." No worries. And with that, I went to sleep.

Sometime later in the dead of night, I woke up and was like, "I wonder if they pulled that one out. Maybe I should check the score... Nope. They won and that's it," I told myself, and went back to sleep, feeling as though I would force a Red Sox win, wether the scoreboard read the wrong way or not, simply by sheer willpower.

Well, this morning the first thing I did when I got up was check the score, and yes, the Sox were in the win column. After reading the stories about the game later in the day, I was kind of bummed out that I did not stay up to watch the whole thing.

Sounds like I missed a good one... but there will be others.

Oh, by the way, Happy Reward Friday everyone. We made it. Go reward yourself and have a great Friday!

Sox vs Sox...

The Red Sox are about to start a 4 game set against the White Sox and I am a little nervous about this series. Maybe I am more worried than I should be but this White Sox team scares me. Normally I don't get this way about the Sox, no matter who they're up against. I think I'm probably a little bit more nervous than usual because I know the MFY and O's are right behind us licking their chops and hoping the Red Sox stumble against one of the best teams in baseball.

Of course, this is also a good opportunity for The Red Sox to show what kind of team they are.

In other news, Tedy Bruschi made it official. He's sitting out the 05-06 NFL season. I'm a little surprised he did not make an announcement sooner in the year, simply to make the ultra-annoying Boston press go away, but at the same time, he probably wanted to take as much time as he needed to determine his best course of action.

Personally I think Tedy is doing the right thing with this decision. Hopefully he will be back on the field next year, but if he's not, I will have no problem with that. In the meantime, Bruschi is still a Patriot this season and will remain a contributor to the team from the sidelines and the meeting rooms, much like Ted Johnson did when he was battling through his arm injuries.

F WEEI...

First off, what day is it today? I'm having trouble keeping track... Thursday? Good. One more day to Reward Friday.

Last night I found a cool podcast called "The Boston Sports Massacre". It's a sports-talk show who's topic is, you guessed it, Boston Sports. If you're like me, and are kind of sick of what's out there on sports-talk radio, you will probably like this podcast.

I am not a big fan of WEEI and am at the point where I hardly even listen to it anymore. I think the WEEI morning show sucks ass, frankly. I won't even mention the morning hosts names here because I hate them both so much.

The afternoon show on EEI is 'ok'. I don't care too much for Dale Arnold but I like Michael Holley so it balances out. Those guys are on while I'm at work so I never hear them anyway.

The Big O show is not too high on my list either. It depends on who they have on for guests whether I can tolerate it or not. Do you really want to know what my opinion of Pete Shepard is? I think you can guess...

I listen to The Zone sometimes but the reception fades quick once you get off Rt 495. 

So as I'm sure you can guess by now, I was pretty psyched when I found the Boston Sports Massacre podcast. I think it is a nice alternative to what's available on the radio and I can listen to it anytime I want to. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I like it, so I thought I would help give those guys some exposure and let others know about it.

So, if you're like me and are pretty much completely sick of the Boston Main Stream Sports Media, check out The Boston Sports Massacre podcast. Here's the link to their feed so you can subscribe in iTunes:

http://bostonsportsmassacre.com/bsm.xml

This promo brought to you by... my very low opinion of The Boston Sports Media.

Extra cookies...

When I donate blood, I listen to, Keith and the Girl!

Ok, so I donated blood today and for some reason the juice just was not flowing so I had to get stuck in both arms for them to get the amount that they needed. It was not a big deal and I got Nutter Butters out of it, which is really cool because I am normally not allowed to have such delectable treats. On my way out of the blood-mobile, I stole a bag of Oreos too. I figured I earned it for going the extra mile. Plus, I'm sure eating Oreos is one of the healthiest ways for my body to recover from giving my life-fluid. Now it's time for some coffee.

Alright, if you're not totally grossed out and are still reading this nonsense, I'll move along to my next topic, The 1st Place Boston Red Sox.

It turned out The Spankees and the O's both lost last night, giving The Sox sole possession of 1st Place by 1/2 a game. I'll take it. The Sox are putting a beating on The Devil Dogs to the tune of 9-2 in the bottom of the 7th, while the O's and Twinkies are tied in the 8th. It would be nice if the Spankees could lose again tonight (duh.)

Lets hope the bats stay strong tomorrow as The Sox head out to Chicago to play 4 against the other 1st Place Sox. Unlike The Red Sox, The Other Sox really own 1st place, with a 12 game lead over the 2nd place Twinkies. Must be nice. I'd like to see the Sox start to put some distance between themselves and the O's and MFY. You've got to start somewhere.  1/2  a game will hopefully become 1.5, then take it from there. One game at a time.

Switching gears slightly, I could not help but feel a little sad to see Alan Embree designated for assignment. It's too bad he could'nt pull things together this year but he had become a heart-attack waiting to happen with every outing. Every time Embree came trotting out of the bullpen I would roll my eyes and say, "Ok, here we go. Come on Chaw..."

I'll always apprecitate Embree for what he did with The Sox over the past few years, especially in the playoffs last year. Plus, the guy's a Chris LeDoux fan, so that right there makes me like him. I'm sure Embree is bummed out about this desision but it had to be done. He was part of something special and he'll always be able to look down and appreciate that fancy ring on his finger. No matter what happens that Sox Championship Ring is something they can never take away from him. Good luck Alan.

"In Theo We Trust"

Update:
The Sox won, the O's lost. Texas, now it's your turn.

Scoreboard watching...

The Sox picked up the win tonight against Tampa Bay, 5-2.

Arroyo was solid (that's my new word, in case you can't tell, 'solid'.) Timlin and Cora combined to make made a nice play to pick a man off at 2nd. Shilling looked good tonight in the closer role. It's nice to see him throwing in the 90's.

Watching the scoreboard, Yankees / Rangers are tied and The O's have the 1 run lead in their game vs. the Twinkies... doesn't sound like there'll be much change in the standings tonight but I'll keep my fingers crossed for a Texas win. Hopefully they can beat up on the MFY bullpen...

I want to hear about these trades the Sox made recently but I can't keep my eyelids open. I'll have to read about them tomorrow.

Remain Calm! All is Well!

The Sox lost to Tampa Bay last night and temporarily gave up first place in the division to the MFY. I've had the mounting feeling of a 'What the FUCK is going on?' Red Sox Outburst for a while now and with the losses starting to pile up, it's beginning to become hard to contain. When was the last time the Sox  won a series? I can't even remember.

When I feel a big the outburst coming on I try to remain calm and remind myself of the following:

- The Sox always seem to go into a slump at this time of year.

- The Sox are only 1/2 a game back.

- There's still plenty of baseball season left.

- Theo is going to make a move by the trade deadline that will set things straight.

A couple other quick points:

-  Hitting-wise and defensively, the outfield is solid. 3rd Base and SS are also solid. Catching is solid. If Theo can get a fix for what's going on at 1st and 2nd, we'll be in pretty good shape.

- I've tried to be supportive of Bellhorn all year and I don't want to give the impression that I'm glad that he's hurt but I do have to say, I'm glad he's not playing. His fielding is fine, not spectactular, but he gets the job done. Hitting wise, he's just awful. He's practically a guaranteed out every time. You may as well just have the pitcher hit for him. I think if I had to see Bellhorn stand there and watch a called strike 3 whiz by one more time, I might have lost it.

- Millar needs to start hitting or he needs to start sitting. I'm sorry but this has gone on long enough. 

- Starting pitching has been solid, especially when you consider the Sox have been near or at the top of the division without Shilling all year. Wade Miller has been dissapointing. I was expecting a lot more from him this year but maybe I set my hopes too high.

- The 'pen is a source of worry, as we all know. No need to elaborate there.

Here are those reminders again:

- The Sox always seem to go into a slump at this time of year.

- The Sox are only 1/2 a game back.

- There's still plenty of baseball season left.

- Theo is going to make a move by the trade deadline that will set things straight.

"In Theo We Trust"

Red Sox Nation... +1

Hey everybody! I have not posted something in here in almost a week! I've had a few days off so I have not done much geekin' out lately. Every now and then I would think about posting something but I never go around to it.

I had a long weekend as it was my 10 year Wedding Anniversary last Friday so I took that day off from work. The Grandparents took the kids for a couple nights and my wife and I actually went out to a movie and a dinner.

When I got home on Thursday, my wife was still out. It was totally weird to walk into my house and not be jumped on by crazy, giggling little people. It was very quiet and it felt strange.

After about 1/2 an hour my wife got home and I suggested we go see a movie. We still had not seen Revenge of the Sith yet, so we decided to see it.

When we got to the theater, my wife went and got the candy and popcorn while I went up to the ticket counter and asked for 2 tickets. The lady smiled and said, "You're kidding right?"

"No...." I said, a little confused.

"Oh, I thought you were here to see the Sox / Yankees game."

The theater we had gone to also shows the HD broadcast of the Sox games up on the big screen and apparently the fact that I was standing at the ticket counter alone, wearing a Sox / Pats "CHAMPIONS" t-shirt and my World Series ball-cap made the lady think that's what I was there for.

"Sounds cool, but not today," I said.

"There's already 250 people in the theater for the game." I can't say I was surprised. I was tempted to check it out myself.

Can I just say, holy shit movies are fucking expensive. $20.00 bucks for 2 movie tickets and 7.50 for a small box of popcorn and a box of junior mints (they're so refreshing!) And the movie studios can't seem to figure out why not as many people go to see movies anymore... Hmmmm.

Ok. Anyway. Revenge of the Sith. I am an admitted Star Wars nerd and I thought this was definitely the best of the 3 prequels. Unlike the first 2 prequel movies, I actually liked Revenge of the Sith a lot, even though it was a sad story.

On the way home, I turned the Sox on the radio. It was a tie game going into the late innings. I kept the volume on low so my wife and I could talk about the movie and our day, but I could still hear if something happened in the game.

We talked about my job and the anxiety it caused me to be looking for a new one. For some reason, the job searching made me worried. My current job offers security and the ability for me to take care of my family. Potentially making a change would be a step into the unknown with a lot on the line and that is something I fret over at times. We talked about the ongoing battle I have with myself about wether to suck it up and deal with work or keep looking for a new job. It was nice for the two of us to be able to just talk.

By the time we got home, the Sox / Yankees game was still tied going into the final innings. We sat down on the couch and I reached for the remote to switch on the game and catch the end.

"Before you turn that on and get into the end of the game, I have something I need to talk to you about, but I don't want to make your anxiety worse..."

She had a serious tone so I was immediately worried. I was afraid something was wrong.

Then for some reason it just popped into my head.

"You're pregnant."

She nodded her head, "Yes" and smiled. "Happy Anniversary. Hope you like your present."

I loved it.

It turned out the Sox lost the game and I didn't see a single inning, but that's one that I'll always remember. How often does a happy memory get tied in with a Sox loss to the Yankees?

Get ready for a new member of Red Sox and Patriot Nation!

So, here we are...

Here we are bottom of the 9th and Gonzalez has done well. I like that guy. I saw him in person against Seattle a few months ago and I think he's got what it takes. I don't want to jinx him but he seems to be a smart pitcher, lights out when it's needed.

1 out left to the win and here comes Embree.

Is this 'closer by comitte'? Fuckin' A. I'm having bad flashbacks. If it is, I'm not sure I like it. We need a solid closer and if it's got to be anybody, in my mind it's got to be Timlin. Its... GOT TO mister... (Kirk imitation there) Seriously. I'd love to see Timlin (whoa black betty bam-a-lam) be the closer.

Shilling in the pen, not sure I like it. Have to agree with recent commentary by my homeboy Johnny. He's a starter, not a closer. Big difference. Shilling needs a number of pitches to get warmed up. Can he come in after a few warm up throws and be effective? I dont know. I just don't know, especially in a close game. Don't get me wrong, I love Shilling, but from the pen? I guess we'll see what happens. It's July, so it's not like the season is immediately blown if the experiment is a dismal failure.

Easy ground out for Chaw and the Sox win, 7-2. Nice to see the Sox get the win for Cornrollio. MFY won too and the AL East is getting bunched up again. Effin Yankees are in 2nd place now.

By the way, Billy-Ba-Roo Meuller, awesome plays tonight. Especially to close out the later innings of the game, Bill made a catch at 3rd but just could not beat out the runner at first with the throw. Still a great play though.

Sox Post Game: Bob Lobel wants to know, between beers, Ace Starter or Closer. Starter. Starter. Starter (ya drunken fuck).

Catching up with Baseball

I have not written about baseball here in a while and I wanted to get down my recent trip to Fenway to see the Sox play the Jays before it becomes totally irrelivant.

On Sun July 3rd I went to the the Red Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway. It was a 2:00 game so I headed out around 10:00 AM to pick up my friend and drive in to Boston. As we were cruising down Storrow Drive, getting close to Fenway, my friend had me get off at an unfamiliar exit. Assuming he knew where he was going, I followed his directions.

It turned out he did not know where he was going and we wound up taking a lovely tour around Boston.

We checked drove by the Prudential center and various other spots, evenutally finding our way down Newbury street and Beacon street, making our way back to Fenway. Driving in Boston is always an adventure for me since I almost always get lost. Whatever the situation is that caused me to lose my way, I never get angry over it because I just assume that if I'm driving into Boston, I'm going to get lost. I just consider getting lost as part of the whole experience of driving into Boston. I always find my way to where I want to be eventually and thankfully it was a Sunday so the traffic was light. 

We got to the ballpark around 12:00. With the game starting at 2, we had plenty of time to do some stuff around Fenway so we pahked the caahh and headed over to the park. The weather was awesome for a baseball game, warm and sunny with very low humidity.

My friend needed a new Sox cap so the first place we went was the Souvenir Store to get him a lid. While we were in there looking around I seriously considered getting my kids a Johnny Damon t-shirt. Johnny is their favorite player. My daughter loves to hit rubber balls and whiffleballs off of a tee and say, "Home RUN! Just like Johnny right Dad?"

"Even BETTER!" I always say.

I checked out the Johnny D t-shirts and they were 20 bucks a peice. As much as I wanted to get my kids some shirts, the thought of paying 40 bucks (plus tax) for a couple t-shirts was just too much. "I'll see if they've got some cheaper at Bob's," I told myself.

Once my freind procured the proper headgear, we were on our way.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked.

"Lets go to the Baseball Tavern, I've always heard that it's a cool place."

My freind had never heard of it so we made our way over.

The Baseball Tavern is on the othe side of Yawkey Way, and normally you would just walk through Yawkey way and go another block down and you'd be there. But, you can't walk down Yawkey Way anymore, because it's now considered part of Fenway, so you have to go around the whole ballpark to get to the other side (not that this is a big deal).

So we walked down past the Cask where all the street vendors hang nowadays, made sure to note the location of the Sausage King for the return trip, took a right, walked past Ted Williams' statue and the players parking area, checked out all the playahs cahhszz, wondered who's HUMVEE was who's and who's BMW was who's, and eventually got over to the other side of Yawkey way. As expected, just down the road was the Baseball Tavern and we made our way over.

The Baseball Tavern is a pretty cool place and I liked it a lot. When you walk in, there is a large open area with barstools and small round tables to hang out at. Unlike other bars, its got nice big windows in the front of the building so it's well lit with nice natural sunlight. It's not all dark and dim in there. At the back of the building is a grill where you can order some tasty treats and off to the right is the bar. There's lots of TVs and cool sports paraphenalia up on the walls and they've got an outdoor area in the front of the building where you can hang out as well. In short, it's a very nice sports bar.

Because The Baseball Tavern is kind of an out of the way place, it's not crowded at all. You can actually walk right in without standing in line, head up to the bar and not have to push and shove to get there. I liked that. Being packed in at Boston Beer Works or The Cask can be fun when that's what you're in the mood for, but sometimes it's it's nice to just chill out and not be jammed in like a sardine and not have to shout in somebody's ear to have a conversation. At The Baseball Tavern you can actually sit and relax, talk about the game and see what's going on on the TV's. They've got a great bar menu and, (I really liked this part,) it's $3.00 for a draft beer. And I'm not talking crappy bud-light draft. $3.00 for a quality, brownish-colored, IPA draft. I was impressed by this, considering that the beer at Boston Beer works is like 8 bucks a cup. NICE.

My friend, who is more of a Rico-Suave kind of guy, said liked it in there too but he did not seem as impressed with the place as I was. He is more into the crowded scene but said that he thought the Baseball Tavern was a good place to have as an alternative spot to go when you don't feel like being jammed in together and paying $10.00 for a beer.

We hung out for a while and had a few beers and talked about the game and The Sox in general. Since I had a J.D. shooter along with a couple beers, I managed to get a small buzz and then we headed back to go into the ballpark. We took the long way back around the park so we could hit The Sausage King.

I told the guy at the Sausage King, who was wearing a big red crown on his head, that I needed "2 with peppers and onions".

"14" he said.

I had $13.00 handy and went to dig through my pockets and find my wallet.

"Close enough for government work," The King told me.

We headed into Fenway and found our seats, which were in the grandstand behind homeplate. The game was a close one with both Arroyo and Holiday pitching well. In the 2nd inning I went up to get dogs and beers and of course, while I was in line, this is when all the action started and I heard all kinds of yelling and chearing and groaning.

"Either something really good or very bad is happening," I said to myself.

Toronto scored a couple of runs but I missed all the action, dang it. It turned out that The Jays held that lead for the entire game.

As if the Sox being behind the whole game was not bad enough, we were sitting next to some Bluejays fans who went out of their way to be extra vocal about it. I don't have a problem with folks cheering for their team, but after a while I was like, "Yay. Good for you. I see you're happy that your team's beating my team and I can see the damn scoreboard. I don't need you screaming about it directly into my ear for emphasis."

I set my rally cap into position, inside out and backwards, and started to try and will some runs in for The Sox. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. They came close, loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th and I was all primed up for a potential game winning home run with Johnny Damon at the plate with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, Johnny popped up and the game ended with the Jays winning, 5-2.

After the game we headed over to check out this new bar that is near Fenway called Game ON. We did not even get a beer in there. It was a little bit too upscale for us. If you want a martini, I guess that's the place to go, but we were not in the mood for that kind of place so we headed over to The Cask N Flagon for a beer before we headed home.

Even though the Sox did not win, it was a great day to go to Fenway and be at a ball game. That was probably my last trip to Fenway this season, (unless I can get tickets for a late August or early Sept game).

All in stride...

Last night I went to bed after watching the Red Sox take the lead. Timlin had come in for the 8th and got into a bind. At that point, I practically had toothpicks keeping my eyelids open and just could not hold them up anymore. Tito headed to the mound to pull Mike T and gestured to the bullpen.

As Foulke strode out of the pen, I shut off the tube and went to sleep hoping he would be able to hold on for the win.

"You can do it Keith." I tried to project this positive thought out to the ballpark but in the back of my mind, I had a bad feeling.

When I woke up this morning and checked the score, I was, unfortunately, surprised but at the same time, not surprised. "Dammit" I said quietly. I had no idea what had happened in the game but I had a pretty good idea. Later when I got to work I scanned the game log and got the gory details before diving in for another day of fun and fulfillment (yeah, right).

Thankfully the afternoon game turned out much better. The Sox got the win and put the memory of last nights blown save in the rear view mirror. In the end, the standings did not change dramatically.

Foulke's problems are troubling but I still have faith in him. I guess I'm just dumb. Most people want to rip him but I've still not given up on him yet, though I am officially getting nervous when he comes in to close out a game, especially if the score is tight...

In other news, I scored some tickets to the upcoming game this Sunday vs The Jays and I am really looking forward to it. The weather is looking good and unless there is a drastic move made in the rotation, which I highly doubt will happen this week, I expect Arroyo should be pitching on Sun. I am looking forward to seeing he of the extra high leg-kick pitch.

I was showing some folks at work how high his leg goes when he winds up, of course I had to hold onto a desk and a chair while doing it... Then another guy tried to do the Arroyo wind-up sans chair for support and nearly landed on his ass. See, that's why Cornrollio makes the big bucks and guys like me are just workin' stiffs. He can kick his leg really high without holding onto something and throw a baseball really hard.

Tough loss for The Sox...

Well The Red Sox got their butts beat by Cleveland 7-0. Things seemed to be going smoothly early in the game but I have to admit that I didn't watch the whole thing. I only watched a little bit of the beginning of the game and then we put in a DVD. We've got Season 5 of The Soprano's from Netflix so we watched another episode tonight. (Season 5 has been very good so far.)

Anyway, the score in the game was 0-0 when I put the DVD in. When I took it out, it was 7-0 Cleveland. So much for that.

Meanwhile the Yankees beat Baltimore tonight so the Sox did not lose any ground in the standings, though I have to say I'm not sure how to feel about the MFY getting a win. I guess, in this case anyway, it's a good thing... I guess...

Like Tony, I'm all conflicted.

Accomplishments with numbers...

Some meaningful numbers this weekend:

159: My weight on Saturday. I don't usually toot my own horn but I have to say I am quite proud of myself for getting down to this weight. Getting into the 150's is a major accomplishment for me and I've taken off over 25 pounds. I have not seen the 150's on my scale in almost a decade. With 3 weeks left to my ten year wedding anniversary, I am now 4 pounds away from my goal of 155, which was what the scale read on the day I got married.

I need to be really good and maintain discipline over the next few weeks if I want to lose about a pound a week. 4th of July will be tough, with beer, hamburgers, brats and other temptations, but as long as I indulge a little without over doing it I will be ok.

0: The Red Sox number of games back in the A.L. East, i.e. zero. Meaning The Sox are in sole possession of first place in the division. Hee. Hee. Heh...

1.5: The number of games The Sox are ahead over the 2nd Place O's in the A.L. East (for now...)

8-5: The current score in the Sox / Phillies game. It was 8-1 when I started writing this, but Wells seems to be having some problems and may have tweaked his injured foot again. Effin-A...

It's the bottom of the 5th... long way to go with the bullpen warming (oh shit...)

8-1: The current score in the O's / Braves game, going into the 9th. The Braves have the 8-1 lead. It's looking good for the Braves to swweeeeeep the O's. Hopefully the Sox can hang on to win this game and get a little 2 game buffer in the standings.

580: As in, AM 580 WTAG, the radio station that I'm listening to Joe and Jerry call The Sox game on as I hang out in my back yard oasis. (Side note: I'm loving the wireless network right now...) I love it back here in my back yard.

When we first moved into our house, our back yard was literally a swamp. After a lot of back breaking, hard work over the last few years, it's now an awesome summertime hang-out. If you want to see it, let me know, maybe I'll put up a before and after pic.

I hope McDonald's does not want to move into my neighborhood. (Yes, I'm still fuming over that New London thing. I'm not going to let it go either.)

1-2-3: The correct combo of Tequila, Triple-Sec and Green Juice to make a nice pitcher of Margaritas. Throw some ice in the pitcher. Then, using a juice glass, use the 1, 2, 3 method. 1 glass of tequila, 2 glasses of triple-sec, 3 glasses of the green juice. Squeeze in juice from a lime. Add some salt to the top of a glass... Now we're talkin'...

91: The current outdoor temperature, and I absolutely love it. Love it, love it, love it. Not a snowflake in sight out here. If you hear me bitch about the heat this summer, feel free to smack me. Enjoy this Summah-time while it lasts my friends.

:-)

Nice comeback win for The Sox last night...

When I checked my mail this morning I was surprised to have a trackback notification from Typepad. Having never gotten one of these before, I was pretty suprised by this. It turns out that Universal Hub liked my recent story about my trip to New York and linked to it. That's pretty cool!

Hello to everybody that arrived here via Universal Hub and thanks for stopping by!

It's totally frantic today here at the ol' Software Factory (like always) but I feel a lot better now after my little rant about work the other day. Sometimes it's good to get stuff that's bothering you off of your chest. The search for job happiness continues...

Moving on to things that might actually interest somebody, I watched the Sox come from behind win last night and was impressed with the methodical hitting and base-running attack The Sox put on The Indians to take the lead in the late innings. Even Big Poppi stole a base last night. You don't see that every day! 

I like Keith Foulke and have been one of the people that have stuck by him despite his problems earlier in the season. That being said,  I have to admit that I was a bit nervous going into the bottom of the 9th with a 1 run lead. Although there were some nerve rattling fly balls, none were hit hard enough to get out of the park and the Sox got the win and the shaaawweeeep over the Indians.

To make things even better, both the O's and the MFY lost last night.

The Pats added more depth to their punt return team by signing RB Chad Morton. The Pats have some speedsters that can return the ball, but outside of Troy Brown, a lot of the guys on the return team have a history of injury problems; Tim Dwight is a prime example of this type of player. It's good to see Belichick adding some insurance just before camp starts.

Hopefully guys can actually stay healthy through camp and the pre-season. If they can avoid the injury problem and not have any linemen retire this time around, The Pats are going to have one of the deepest teams in the league when the season starts.

Finally, before you forget, go over to MLB.com right now and stuff the ballot box for Johnny! Vote early, vote often folks. 

Stress free game (so far...)

Last night I watched most of the Sox game till about 10:00. At that point I just could not keep my eyes open any longer so I turned off the tube and headed to bed. The Sox had a comfortable lead in the late innings so I went to sleep peacefully without a worry in my head about the eventual outcome of the game.

This morning when I woke up I checked the final score. "Holy crap!" I exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" my wife asked in a concerned tone.

"The Indians almost came back to win it last night. The Sox won by 1 run!"

She just looked at me incredulously for a second and then rolled her eyes emphatically.

"Now I'm glad I didn't watch the end. I've got enough crap to stress me out going on."

Which brings us to tonight's game, where it's currently a stress-free 6-0 in the top of the 7th. This is the kind of game I like. The Sox are cruising with a nice comfortable lead. Ahhhh. Nice and relaxing. No worries in this one right? I can just kick back and chill.

But what's that irritant in the back of my brain?

I keep thinking about last nights final score. Who's going to come in from the bullpen tonight and are they going to allow another comeback? I hope not. I need some non-stress baseball right now.

On a side note, happy first day of summah everybody! Hope you enjoyed the longest day of the year. The days start getting shorter after today but I'm trying not to think about that. Forget I said it.

NYC: Day 3

Hey what's up everybody!

Today is my 3rd and thankfully, final day of work down here in New York city. I'm a country-boy at heart so after a few days in the Big City I start to miss grass and trees and fresh air. New York is a cool place to visit but the non-stop bustle can get kind of tiresome and after a while all the buildings and concrete starts to make me feel a little claustrophobic.

Yesterday was a very long day for me. I was at the customer from 6AM till sometime after 8PM, and oh, what fun it was... I won't bore you with the details...

The bright spot of the day, or more appropriately, night, since that's when I finished work, was my planned excursion to the Red Sox Nation hideout, Harrison's Tavern.

After work I headed over to my friends apartment where he was, once again, having a beer and watching The Yankees / Pirates game. At least this time he had gotten his computer out and was monitoring the The Sox / Reds game on the internet.

I was a little frazzled after a long day and needed to decompress a little before we headed out so I grabbed a beer and settled into his bizzaro, Yankee watching universe and relaxed for a few moments. Once I finished my beer we grabbed a taxi and made our way over to Harrisons.

If you are a Sox fan stuck in NY and want to catch a game, Harrisons is a good place to go. Its a nice little bar with big open windows that let in the night air and give it a very open feel. They've got good brews on tap like Harpoon, Newcastle and Guinness and the bar food is good as well. The woman tending bar was cool but she was kind of an airhead. She was entertainment all by herself.

In the back of the bar there is a widescreen projection of The Sox game on a big pulldown screen and there are tv's over the bar showing the game in HD. They have The Yankees and other sporting events on too.

One of the nice things about Harrison's is that they have the game audio turned up so you can actually hear Orsillo and The Remdawg call the game.

I settled in at the bar, had a couple Newcastles and just relaxed while watching this final game in the Sox / Reds series. The Reds are not the best team in the league so The Sox pretty much cruised through this one and completed the sweep. It was good to see Arroyo get the win and also to see the Sox finally win a series. After St. Louis and Chicago had their World Series vengeance, we got ours against The Reds. Even if it was not against one of the upper echelon teams in baseball, I'll still take it.

Once the Sox game ended, we turned our attention to the Yankees game and hoped the Pirates could hang on for the win. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. As we were all groaning in disgust at the Yankees comeback, some Yankees fans in the bar did their best to drown us out with some overly loud clapping and hollering. Whatevah...

On location: NYC...

Yo, whats up everybody? I'm down here in NYC for work related purposes. I'm all about making customers happy. That's me in a nutshell. (Help help! How did I get in this bloody nutshell??)

I arrived here yesterday. On the trip down, I first sat in some Boston traffic on the way to the airport, then I took a short plane ride, and finally, I sat in some NYC traffic on the way to my hotel. I spent less time in the plane than in the car... Hmmmm.

Anyway, couple quick observations:

1. Its hot down here and very humid, but I don't mind it. If I start to think it's too hot, I just think about the time I spent pushing my snow-blower up and down my driveway last winter. Nuff said.

2. Eye-candy abounds down here.

3. The people working at Dunkins could use some training on making breakfast sandwiches, especially the part where they actually cook them. I'm not really complaining though. The mere existence of a nearby Dunkins is like an oasis in this land of Starbucks.

[Side note]

The first time I came down here, I really had to bust my ass for this customer and I wound up drinking lots of coffee because I would get so tired and frazzled. The only coffee I could get was Starbucks and got sooo godamm sick of it, but I needed caffeine to keep me going so I was forced to drink it. As I was walking back to my hotel after a long day, I saw a guy crossing the street with a Dunkin's cup in his hand. I ran up to him, pointed at his Dunkin's coffee and frantically asked him, "WHERE'D YOU GET THAT??"

The guy was taken aback a little since he was probably not used to crazy people getting in his face and asking about his coffee, but he quickly realized what was going on. He pointed down the street and said, "Right down there dude, but it's not as good as Boston Dunkins."

That is true, but New York Dunkins is better than no Dunkins.

[/side note]

4. The people I'm with think I'm a little nuts because I walk all over the place and don't take cabs. I like the exercise and besides that I'm too cheap to pay cab fairs to get around. Plus I hate dealing with receipts and filling out expense reports.

5. My first day here I secretly wore my 04 ALCS Championship shirt under my work shirt. It was like I was a spy hiding my secret identity while I was in Enemy Territory. 

So, last night after I got out of work, I walked over to Hells Kitchen to visit a friend of mine who has an apartment there. It was a long day with the customers so it was nice to just chill out and way better than sitting around in my hotel by myself. We were just hanging out, relaxing, drinking a beer and watching baseball. Sounds normal right? Wrong. We were watching The Yankees game. WHAT??

I was in bizzarro world. Here we were, 2 Sox fans, sitting around in NYC having a couple beers watching The Yankees play The Pirates. I felt like I was in some weird alternate dimension as I listened to the YES network announcers gush over the different Yankees players as they came to bat and watched the YES network promos that all seemed to start with, "The New York Yankees are the GREATEST TEAM IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS..." Gack!!

It was most disorienting, kind of like that Star Trek episode where there's a transporter malfunction and the Kirk winds up in that parallel universe where Spock has a goatee and Sulu wants to assassinate him so he can become Captain of The Enterprise... (Yes. I'm a nerd.)

Getting back to reality... As we watched the game, I was rooting for the Pirates (of course) and muttering insults at each Yankee player as they came up to bat.

After a couple of innings in this strange parallel universe, I asked my friend, "Don't you get NESN down here?"

"Nope."

"Dude ya gotta get game day audio or something, come on! Spend the 10 bucks and become an official member of Red Sox Nation. How can you live like this?!"

After a couple innings I had started to have enough of the Yankees game, especially since the Yankees were winning, and I asked my friend, "Aren't there any bars around here that show The Sox? Where are all the secret Red Sox bars?"

We wound up going down to a bar called The Mercury, where they have large screens showing both The Sox and The Yankees. We walked in and I saw Fenway and The Sox playahs dressed in their whites along with the familiar NESN graphics. Ahhhh. Much better. Good old, soothing green Fenway Park.

We were served by a lovely Irish lass who served a strong gin and tonic and put the Sox game on the TV screen right where we were sitting.

David Wells pitched a gem of a game and the Sox were swinging the bats and scoring runs. Mike Timmlann ("whoa Black Betty, bam-a-lamm..") and Keith Foulke came in and were both were lights out. Wells, Timmlann and Foulke combined for a 1 hitter. Nice.

Today is going to be a long day. I'll be at the customer from 6AM till after 7 PM.

When I get out of work, my friend is going to take me to a place called Harrison's to watch the final game in the '75 Vengeance Series vs The Reds. That's my light at the end of the tunnel for today. No matter how long and sucky today may wind up being, at least I can relax and watch The Sox tonight.

Sox vs Cubs. We're gettin our butts kicked...

In my previous post I was saying that I wished I was not at work so that I could watch the Sox play the Cubs for the first time in almost a century. However, I've been monitoring the game on MLB and right now it's 7-1 Cubs going into the 5th.

So, although I still wish I was not at work, I'm not feeling quite so bad that I'm not able to watch this Sox / Cubs game. Actually, maybe that's a good thing...

Update:

Bottom of the 6th and it's a painful 11-2, Cubs. I've got my rally cap on, but I have a feeling it may be too late...

The Cards just got their measure of revenge for '04 and now the Cubs are working on getting their pent up revenge for 1918 I guess... Oy.

Wade Miller goes against Zambrano tomorrow. Hopefully things will go a little better.

Is it time to go home yet? I can't wait till beer o'clock...

2nd Update:

Aiiight. Well it's about that time. I actually got quite a bit done today. Do I want to check the score before I leave. No, but let's face it, I can't help myself.

14-3 in the 8th. Ouch! Well, there's always tomorrow I guess..

Have a nice weekend!

Motivation level = 0

First off, it's Friday. Thank God it's Friday. Make sure you reward yourselves today.

As I went into Dunkins for my traditional 'Reward Friday' breakfast sandwich, I was dissapointed to find that the Steak, Egg and Cheese bagel sandwich is no longer on the menu. After choking down a momentary wave of saddness, I quickly pulled myself together and went back to gool old, reliable Ham, Egg and Cheese bagel sandwich. Yummy.

After a very hectic week, I'm feeling pretty burnt and right now my motivation level is extremely low. I'm pretty much hiding out, doing busy-work and waiting for The Sox / The Cubs game later today. The suck-factor of today's 2:00 start has already been pointed out over at Surviving Grady. Even though I'll be forced to 'watch' the game with MLB Gameday, Sox / Cubs is still going to be cool.

Thankfully it's a weekend series so I'll be able to watch some of the games on TV Sat and Sun. (Tryin' to keep that positive vibe...)

Today's Sox / Cubs game makes me think how cool the 2003 World Series could have been if certain events had not transpired in both teams League Championship Series that year... But we won't go there, if you don't mind.

The 're-match' series with the Cards earlier this week was painful. You might have noticed that I did not write any posts during that series. That's because I was A. Too tired and B. Too frustrated by the results of the 1st two games. At least Wells came in and prevented the Sweep. So The Cards took 2 out of 3. If it makes them feel better about themselves after getting swept by The Sox in last years World Series, thats fine, but we still keep the Trophy and the Rings...

On a side note, I've decided David Wells is just a wierd guy and I'm just not going to be able to get used to him in a Sox uniform.

He has the capability to make me like him if he keeps up his recent pitching performances, but was I the only one that found his recent tour of Yankee Stadium's Monument Park on NESN really annoying? What was NESN thinking with that segment?

I know Wells is a big Yankee fan and that deep down, he is a Yankee. I try to get past this fact and focus on the job he's been doing for The Sox, which so far has been decent. I tried to watch him play tourguide in Monument Park but after a while the sight of seeing a Sox player walking around Monument Park and gushing about all the great Yankee players enshrined there was too much for me. I wound up becoming totally irritated by the whole segment and turned it off.

Note to Wells: Dude, you're a Red Sox now. WTF? Go be a Monument Park Ranger when you retire. For now, focus on your current team. Thank you.

<GO SOX>

Come on Foulkie, no problem...

My wife was watching some crazy Friday nite flick so I have had to 'watch' the Red Sox game on MLB Gameday again, even though I'm home.

I 'saw' the big hit from Damon to score the go ahead runs in the bottom of the 8th and then, fortunately, the movie ended just in time for the top of the 9th...

Foulke is up on the mound. 'Mother... Tell your children not to walk my way...' Come on Foulkie, you can do this. Nice and smooth. No problem. 'Tell your children not to hear my words. What they mean, what they say... Mother..'

Ok lets finish this out.

Nice. 1st batter pops up to Damon and gives us the 1st out...

Next up, here's The O.C. I love ya man Orlando but I wanna see ya whiff. Swing and a miss. 1 out away. This is just what Keith needs...

Top 9TH B:0 S:0 O:2
Adam Kennedy singles on a ground ball to center fielder Johnny Damon.

Ok. Kennedy gets on base. ::Grumble::

Next, Figgins. Ok Foulkie. Game ovah time... 2-2. On your feet Fenway... Foul. !!

Top 9TH B:2 S:2 O:2
Chone Figgins singles on a ground ball to shortstop Edgar Renteria. Adam Kennedy to 2nd.

Fuck. He gets a hit to Renteria but Edgah can't control the ball and Figgins gets on.

2 on 2 out, 1-1 to Erstad.

Top 9TH B:1 S:1 O:2
Darin Erstad singles on a ground ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez. Adam Kennedy to 3rd. Chone Figgins to 2nd.

DAMMIT!! Erstad gets a hit and now the bases are loaded.

Ok. Come on Keith. Time to bear down. Ignore those assholes in the stands... You can do it.

Finley up. Ball. Ball. Strike! 2-1. Next pitch... foul, so now it's 2-2. No problem Keith. One more and it's ovah.

The pitch... SWING AND A MISS.

Top 9TH B:2 S:3 O:3
Steve Finley strikes out swinging.

Nice job Keith. Never a doubt. Never a doubt...

Sox get the (comeback) win, 7-4

KEEP THE FAITH

'The Face of Baseball'... phhhht.

Tim Kurkjian gushes that Derek Jeter is the 'face of Baseball'. Please. Gag me with a spoon.

Is this some lame attempt to help Yankee fans feel better after watching their team get swept by the K.C. Royals? Whatevah...

We've got the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (what were they thinking with that name change) on deck tonight...

Welcome back to Fenway O.C.

Let's hope Wells is sharp...

KEEP THE FAITH

Sox / O's tied in the 7th...

So I'm 'watching' the Sox vs O's game on MLB gameday while doing my thing here at The Software Factory. The Sox need to get this game to split the series and keep the O's within striking distance.

Currently it's the bottom of the 7th with the score tied 3-3 and the bases loaded. Manny is up. Come on Manny... I need to go to my desk and put my rally cap on... Ok. Rally Cap is now in place. Time for Manny to hit a Granny...

Dammit. He grounds out. Bases loaded opportunity wasted... Grrr. Off to the 8th inning we go with Mike Myers heading to the mound for The Sox... Man these damn Orioles are tough..

Ok. Back to work :-/

Update:
Sox win on a walk off homer from Big Papi. YEAAHH Baby, Yeah! Good thing I put my rally cap on. You guys can all thank me later ;-)

Nice win for Miller and The Sox...

Last night's Red Sox game against the O's started out with a lot of tension, with the O's holding a 1-0 lead for half the game until The Sox broke things open in the 5th.

Wade Miller did a great job and really seemed to bear down to get out of a potentially scary 7th inning uscathed, even though he was obviously tiring. It was great to see Miller get the win and The Sox make up some ground on the O's.

One thing I did not need to see was Johnny Damon bashing his head against the bullpen wall trying to make a catch. Not that I don't appreciate Damon showing no fear for himself and sacrificing his body to try to make a play, I just hate to see him get injured. And I did'nt need to see all those re-runs from 2 years ago when he collided head first with Damian Jackson. Thanks anyway NESN but I chose not to watch them.

Hopefully Johnny will be fine.

Oh, and Edgah is Playah  of the Week...

Wake goes against Ponson tonight...

On a completely unrelated note, today is June 1st, which means Patriots training camp starts next month. As much as I want to squeeze every ounce of summah-time fun out of the next few months, I can't help but think to myself that Football will be here before you know it, and that is exciting.

KEEP THE FAITH

It worked.

Saturday I wrote that I was going to stay positive this weekend no matter what and it worked. The weather was really nice all weekend and The Sox took 2 out of 3 from The Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

I was nervous about Wells on Sunday and he did not do anything to rid me of those nervous feelings early in the game. Thankfully he got into a groove and shut down the Yankees bats while the Sox bats woke up and chased Moose out of the game early. 

Hopefully that brief stint at 4th place will be the only time spent near the cellar this year..

Last night's Oriole's game was disappointing. Lopez seems to have The Sox number. Miller goes for the Sox tonight against Cabrera. Hopefully we can make up some ground on the O's by the end of this series.

My posts have been sporadic and kind of, well, sucky lately. I know I sound like a broken record but I've been real busy at work and when I get home, I'm just burnt and I don't want to look at a computer screen. I just want to sit on the couch and veg out.

It seems like whenever I think of something good to post I am nowhere near a computer, like when I'm driving, or I'll think of something just when I'm about to fall asleep. Then when I get up in the morning, I've forgotten what I was thinking and I don't have time to write anything anyway because I'm getting ready for work. Oh well. That's life I guess!

Sox / Nerd convergence

Baseball related nerdery:

Mac OS 10.4:

iCal: Download the Red Sox (or your favorite team's) schedule into iCal from here or here.

Next, get this Dashboard widget and turn on the Sox calendar. You'll never wonder when the next game start is again.

This next one is my favorite: MLB Scoreboard. This is a very well done widget and the guy that made it is always working on it to make it better. Pick your team or let is scroll through several teams. It shows innings, who's on base, balls and strikes, the score... the thing kicks ass.

Windoze users, don't think I forgot about you. (I sit in front of Windows all day long at the Software Factory.) Since there is nothing like Dashboard built into Windows, you're going to have to shell out 20 bucks and get Konfabulator. To be honest, it's not as good as the Dashboard, but it's as close as you can get on Windows. There are a lot of useful Widgets that you can download, including a Baseball Scoreboard Widget. Check out the gallery and see what interests you.

Ok thats enough nerdery for today. It's nice outside. Get out there before it starts raining again!!

By the way, Wells vs. Moose tonight at 8:00. Wells has all day to recover from whatever he did Saturday Night... I am deferring further commentary to ms_brightside, since I agree with everything she said in her last post which also caused me to wonder, why can't I find a job that is wicked easy and pays a shitload of money? ;-)

Positive attitude prevails...

Well, the weather today is great. The sun is out and it is nice and warm. Mother nature has chipped in and done her part, now let's see if the Sox can keep up their end of the deal and get a win today vs the damn Yankees.

Currently it's 3-0 Sox, top of the 3rd. I'll be listening to the game on the radio while I get some long overdue things done outside...

KEEP THE FAITH

Update:
Sox win 17-1. That was great. Now I need to dredge up some confidence for Wells vs Mussina tomorrow... This positive attitude thing is working. Prove me right Dave...

Frustration Level continues to climb...

Its been a pretty frustrating month for Sox fans. This Yankee game tonight is not providing any relief. Squandered scoring opportunities in the 6th, thanks to a certain coach who stands at 3rd base but will not be named, were the cause of much cursing and punching of couch cushions tonight...

Top of the 9th with the Sox down 6-3. Tom Gordon closing out the game for the MFY. Hmmm That's funny... Are the MFY afraid to bring out Rivera or are they just giving him a break? Never mind. Here he comes...

Lets look at the standings for a sec. The Sox are 5 games out of first right now. Although the Sox position in the standings is disconcerting to say the least, (4th, WTF!) in trying to remain positive, lets ignore the standings and focus on the games back. 5 back is not totally out of hand. They remain within striking distance and still have an opportunity in front of them this week to make up some ground. I'm going to remain positive. The other option is to throw a hissy fit and stomp around the house. Hopefully it won't come to that...

The Sox have played some pretty piss poor baseball all around lately. They really need to pull things together here. Randy 'BEAN POLE BITCH' Johnson got off the hook big time tonight.

Millar gets a hit by the way... I'm still paying attention to the game as I write this. Rally Cap is on... Mueller up with 2 men on.... Come on Billy. (Oohhhh. Billy Billy Billy...) FUCK. Strike 3 called. Fucking Yankees... I fucking hate them. ANYWAY....

Clement vs Pavano tomorrow. That will be an interesting matchup.

6-3 Evil is the final. Now the bitch-fest is going to start. I'm sure there will be much finger pointing and arm-chair Managing going on. I'm not happy with the team's performance but I'm not going to bash anybody. I think there's been too much finger pointing. Guys need to step it up and that's the bottom line. Bashing people does not help. Maybe it helps other people feel better but not me.

I'm guess I'm just kind of sick of all the pissing and moaning in general. I don't even read Dirt Dogs anymore. It seems like all that site does now is tear people down or post stupid rumors (that turn out to be false). Fuck that. I have enough shit to deal with right now without getting all aggrivated over something I read on a baseball site.

Case in point. Edgar Renteria. The guy is a good player and I personally don't care for the way Edgah's been treated. I think he is going to prove a lot of people wrong in the end..

5 games back. Call me a fool if you want to but I'm going to stay positive. The sun is going to come out tomorrow dammit and the Sox are going to start climbing back into this thing.

KEEP THE FAITH

Long time, no post...

Hi Everybody!

Sorry I have not posted something in a long time, well, a few days, which I guess is a long time for me. I've been wicked busy at work and at home and have just been too burnt out to post anything.

Another weekend, another rainy day. Are we ever going to have a weekend where it does'nt rain? I am really sick of this weather pattern we are in. At least it was nice on Saturday and I was able to finish up my kid's swingset / slide / rockwall / clubhouse thing. That was a huge project. It was not hard to build, just very time consuming. It took me, my Dad and my Father-in-law 2 days to put it all together. Now it is done and the kids really like it so that makes all the time spent well worth it.

It was actually fun to spend some time together with my Dad and Father-In-Law working on that project and now we can all look at it with pride and watch the kids enjoy it, which is a nice feeling. Warm fuzzies all around!

I did not see many of the games this weekend but I kept up with the results, as I always do. I saw the end of the game Sat and watched Wake's press conference afterwards. Man, poor Wake looked so bummed out after the game. Sitting in front of that brick wall answering questions from the press, he looked like he was up against a firing squad or something. I'm sure it must suck having to sit there and answer questions from those a-holes in the Boston press. That's got to be the worst part of what those guys do...

I listened to most of the game on the radio yesterday. It was nice to hear Clement go the distance for the rubber game of the series.

I also saw in the news that Troy Brown is back where he belongs on The Patriots. Bingo! That is great news. I had hoped he would be back. The Pats also made what I thought was a pretty cool and classy move in signing Otis Smith and then allowing him to retire from the game as a New England Patriot.

"I wanted to retire as a Patriot because the greatest success of my career came in a Patriots uniform." - Otis Smith

My man, OTIS!

Patriots game tickets went on sale at 10:00 AM on Sat and were sold out at 10:05. Unbelieveable... After my failed attempt to buy Red Sox tickets online, I did not even bother with trying to get Pats tickets. As much as I would love to go to a game, I did not want to waste any more time in any virtual waiting rooms so I'm glad I did not waste my time trying to get Pats tickets.

How the heck is your average Joe fan supposed to get tickets to a Patriots game?

Ok now I feel dumb...

Yesterday I wrote that last nights game (a win, Yay!) was the last in the Oakland series. Maybe I should pay closer attention when I'm looking at the schedule because there's a day game today starting at 3:30 (EST).

Thankfully I read Soxaholix everyday and got the heads up but I still feel like a dummy.

The AL East is starting to bunch up... The next couple of weeks will be interesting.

Late Update: The Sox are currently getting their asses beat, 9-1 in the 5th. I've got my rally cap on but I don't know if they are going to be able overcome that many runs, even with my rally cap's help.

Looking at the scoring plays, it looks like Welles got his ass totally kicked up, down, and sideways in the first couple innings and then gave way to Gonzalez, who just gave up another run to make it 10-1. Yeesh. I was going to listen to the end of the game on my drive home. Now I'm not sure I want to subject myself to that...

Looks like Bellhorn just homered to cut the lead down to 10-2. Too bad nobody was on. Oriz is up and I'm outta here...

West Coast Trip..

I have not watched any of these West Coast Red Sox games and frankly, that's probably a good thing, since The Sox blew another game last night while leaving 13 men on base against the A's..

When you have to wake up at 5:30 AM, you can't start watching a baseball game at 10:00 PM so the last few days I've just been waking up, checking the score, cursing quietly and then going ahead with getting ready for another glorious day in the windowless, incredibly noisy, cold and always fun Software Factory.   

Thankfully tonight is the last game in this terrible road trip before heading home for a series vs Atlanta but right around the corner is Toronto, The MF Yankees and Baltimore again. I told you May would not be an easy month... Dammit!

Another game, another walkoff homer...

I'm sittin here at work, being productive (as I always am, of course) and monitoring the Sox vs A's game in the background with MLB Gamecast. I'm not really paying too much attention to it, just keeping up with the score, so I have no idea who made the good plays, or what really is happening in the game cuz, hey, I'm working.

So, I'm working along, pressing buttons, sending e-mails, and doing all the other really exciting stuff that fills up my day, and the next thing you know it's the top of the 9th, with the Sox up 4-1. Foulke comes in.

"Ok, cool," I'm thinking to myself, "we've got this one in the bag." I read an e-mail or 2, check Gamecast, and there's 2 outs in the top of the 9th with a man on 1st.

"Ok, no big deal, there's a man on, but there's 2 outs. Foulkie should be able to get these guys..."

Somebody comes in to the lab to ask a question about something, so I hide the Gameday in the background and have a little work related conversation, yadda, yadda, yadda. Bingo-bango-bongo, the work related conversation ends and I bring back Gameday to see what I expect to be the final winning score of 4-1, Sox.

Nope.

Its 5-4 A's. WHAT??

I turn around and tell the other guy in the lab with me, "Dude, the Sox are now losing!"

"WHAT?? You gotta be shittin' me! What the fuck happened?? I thought they were up like 4-1 or somthin..."

"So did I," I reply disgustedly.

"Aiiiight, well, I guess that's that," I said, and went off to do some more work, mumbling under my breath about Foulke, who I still like but am now annoyed with at the moment...

A little while later, I come back in the lab and check the final, fully expecting to be depressed.

It's 6-4. Sox win.

"HEY!" I say to the other guy in the lab, "The Sox won!"

"What?? What the fuck happened? I thought they were down like 5-4 in the 9th?"

"Walk off homer by The Captain," I said.

"NICE..." my co-worker lab drone replies.

"Yeah," I say, "but it looks like the mutherfuckin Yankees are winning too."

"Fucking bastards..."

So The Sox pulled out another win in the the bottom of the 9th inning. I'm glad they won, and they did it once again in a very cool fashion, but at the same time, they can't keep winning games like this. Well, they can, I guess, but they probably are not going to.

Come on Foulkie. I refuse to give up on ya...

Oh by the way, is it time to go home yet?? This work shit is for the birds!

Walk off homah for Millahh!

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber, you go and do something like this..."

(boston.com)

"and totally redeem yourself!"

Sox vs. Mariners

I was unable to unload my Sox tickets and rather than just waste them, I went to the game today. I felt kinda funny about it since it was Mother's Day, but my wife assured me that it was ok. She did not want the tickets to go to waste.

I went to the noon-time game, which was last night's makeup game, and re-joined the Red Sox Nation group-mind collective that seems to exist at Fenway Park. There is something about seeing a Sox game at Fenway that is different from visiting any other arena, stadium or sporting event, for that matter. I always get an odd, but somewhat soothing and enjoyable feeling when I go there of 'one-ness' with all the other Sox fans at the game. We're all there for the same reason. Everyone there has the same objective. We're all on the same page. We all follow the same rituals.

As you sit in the stands you hear other people urging on the players and calling them by name, or by some nickname, just like you do. Everyone 'YOUKS' for Youkolis, when Manny gets up, you hear the scattered variations of the same call all around you, "Come on Manny!", "MAAANNNY!" When a player is at bat, you can hear people supporting the batter, Come on, Man!" "Good eye." "Relax... nice and easy." It's like they are coaching their own kid or something. If a pitcher is behind in the count, you'll hear people saying stuff like, "Come on Kev, you can get this guy, no problem." And as this is happening around you, you are doing all the same things. It's pretty cool.

I imagine it can be an imposing situation for the visiting hitters at Fenway.. Especially when the hitter gets behind in the count and everyone starts clapping as the pitcher is winding up. The clapping starts off slow and then gets faster and faster until the pitcher throws the ball. If the pitch is not a strike, the clapping repeats until there is a strike, and everybody cheers, or until there's a hit and everybody groans. I always love the end of the game, when the Sox go into the 9th and have the lead. Top of the 9th inning, 2 outs, 2 strikes. Everybody at Fenway gets on their feet and claps, throwing all their support behind the Sox pitcher to help get that final strike and the win. The crowd at Fenway really can be like an extra player at times.

Misc from the game:

- Pudge Fisk was there. The did a really cool montage of the great plays he's made set to "Like a Rock" by Bob Seger. Then at the end, the video dissolved to a shot of Mr. Fisk waving to the crowd. He was there at the game. I was at the same game as Pudge Fisk. I thought that was pretty cool.

- I saw Elvis walking around Fenway. Yes, that's right, The King of Rock and Roll was at the game this afternoon. (Actually, it was an Elvis impersonator.) "Soon all will become Elvis..."

- There was a really cute little kid leading the fans with a chant of "Lets go Red Sox!" You could hear her little voice yelling "Lets go Red Sox!" and then everybody would clap. You could tell she loved it. Pretty funny. It made me think about my kids. I can't wait to bring them to a game there someday.

- Damn Ichiro is good. I'm glad I got to see him play in person, even though he wears the wrong uniform.

- Everyone boo's when Brett Boone comes to the plate. The person I was with said, "It's pretty bad when you're getting booed for something your brother did."

"Well, he deserves it," was my reply to that.

- At one point in the game people started chanting, "Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!" I looked over in the section that was doing the chant and said to my freind, "What's there somebody walking around over there wearing Yankees gear or something?"

"No, they just updated the out of town scoreboard. The Yankees scored a run."

"Bastards..."

- The person working the cash register for hot dogs was drinking a Dunkin's coffee. I asked her, "Is there a Dunkin's in the ball park now?"

"No"

Less than a min later, somebody else noticed her coffee and asked her where the Dunkin's was inside Fenway. She must have been asked about 100 times where you could get a Dunkin's at Fenway. The answer: You cant.

- I consumed 2 Fenway Franks and 1 bag of peanuts. I drank 1 cup of coffee.

- This is the first time I have been to a game at Fenway and not gotten a Sausage and Pepper sandwich at the Sausage King.

- Today was the first time I have ever seen a game at Fenway and not had a beer. I had coffee instead because it was kind of cold (but at least it did not rain, like in the 2nd game today).

- My seats were great. I sat in the Grandstands behind home plate, to the right of the net, just under the roof. I could see everything perfectly but still got some protection from the weather being under the roof.

- I was really impressed with how nice and clean Fenway was, and there were some really cool old-style Red Sox paintings on the brick walls that I had not seen before. It was not that long ago Fenway used to be kind of dumpy but it is not like that at all anymore. I think the new owners of the team are really doing a great job with fixing up Fenway.

- If the wind was not blowing in so strongly today, Kevin Millar would have had a grand-slam. I've heard Kevin's wife recently had twins so cut him some slack on the hitting. He'll be ok. He had a great day today, that's for sure.

- Mike Timmlann has the best 'coming out of the bullpen' music, 'Black Betty' by Ram Jam. Keith Foulke comes in 2nd with 'Mother' from Danzig.

- Sweeeet Caroline... "Bah! Bah! Baaaah!!"

Mother Nature, I'm sorry for whatever I did to offend you

I think sometimes Mother Nature has it out for me.

I had tickets to tonight's Red Sox game but it is washed out due to this wonderful weekend rain storm. I was pretty excited to go to the game too.

Trying to think positive, I say to myself, "OK, no problem. Maybe they will reschedule the game to a day later in the summer when it's nice and warm."

Nope.

They are scheduling the game for tomorrow at Noon as part of a day / night double-header. Tomorrow is also Mother's Day. I can't go to a baseball game on Mother's Day, so I'm fucked.

The weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow too, so I'm going to continue to try and be positive and pray for another rain out for the afternoon game. Otherwise, I'll have to find someone who can use the tickets, which is practically impossible since it's Mother's Day... Of course, with the way Mother Nature has been lately, it will probably be just dry enough for them to play the game tomorrow afternoon, in which case I'll be stuck between a rock and a hard place, with tickets to a game that I can't go see and practically nobody wants to buy...

Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts...

With this weekends non-stop dreariness, I've had some time to start watching 3 Games to Glory III.

All I can say to describe it is one word: "AWESOME". If you're a Pats fan, you need to get this DVD. It's got tons of great behind the scenes stuff, some of which is really funny, and it's also got every play of the Divisional, Conference and Superbowl games. There are some definite 'spine-tingling' moments as well as a few parts that make you laugh out loud and other parts that can make you feel a little misty too. In short, the 3 Games to Glory III DVD totally kicks heinie.

So far, there has been only one downside to watching 3 Games to Glory III. It makes me remember how much I miss football...

Another reason to like Shilling... Strikeouts For Troops

News & Press - Strikeouts For Troops

I think Curt Shilling is great and when I read about him signing on for these kinds of things, it just makes my opinion of him even higher.

I am one of the people who is not bothered by Curt Shilling's general love of the microphone. I actually think its funny when he calls into a radio talk show and bitch-slaps some uppity Boston media sports 'expert'.

For me, his involvement in Strikeouts For Troops is just another reason to like Shilling.

Randomness...

- First off, what do you think of my banner?

It's just something I slapped together and I'm not sure if I like it or not, which means expect me to tweak it endlessly till I'm satisfied... and don't be surprised if I change the colors around again too... Hey at least I keep all 10 of my readers on their toes!

- Sometimes I wish this site got more visitors and other times I'm happy to just kind of fly under the radar... Sometimes I like what I've written and sometimes I think what I've written totally sucks... Sometimes I do and sometimes I dont...

- The Sox won today, beating Detroit 2-1. I need to say sorry to Arroyo for accidentally wrecking his No-No. Yes, I accidentally said the words 'no-hitter' in the middle of the game and shortly thereafter, the No-No was history. Sorry Cornrollio. It was an accident. What was I thinking??

- I am very happy because I scored some tickets to the Red Sox game this Saturday against Seattle. I was wondering if I was going to be able to get to a game this year, so I am wicked psyched!! (Emphsis on the Boston accent there.) I'm just hoping the game does not get rained out. The forcast is not looking good right now. I will have to burn something when I get home and make a plea to the Weather Gods and the Sports Gods for some clearing of the rain clouds on Sat.

Besides going to the Paahk and seeing the 2004 World Chapmpion Red Sox, I am excited to see a game against Seattle, mainly because of Ichiro. He is my favorite non-Red Sox player. I love the way that guy plays the game and the way he holds his baseball bat like a samurai sword when he's at the plate.

I'd like to see Pokey too but he's hurt. Oh well.

It's a night game so I'll be heading into towne early to drink and eat sausage sandwiches and stuff. If you're in towne or going to the game and want to hang, look for the guy wearing the Sox cap and holding a beer in either An Tua Nua, The Baseball Tavern or Boston Beer Works. I'll be around in there somewhere. If you don't see me, check the line at The Sausage King... ;-)

- Finally, file this under 'What a friggin' tool'. RAC must be having a fit...

- Tomorrow is 'REWARD FRIDAY'!!

Aggravation. Sox lose 7-2.

7-2 Rangers. No offense or defense for the Sox. (Manny, Damon, yes that's you I'm talking about...) Welcome to .500. It doesn't get any easier in May boyz...

Who is going to right this ship???

The Celts... What was that debacle?? Sox vs. Texas...

First off, what is the deal with all the days off between games in this Boston / Indiana playoff series? After what seemed like forever, The Celts finally got back to playing basketball last night. Unfortunately, they did not get back to playing good basketball. The Celt's lost the game last night. I don't even know what the final score was and I don't think I want to know. All I know is they got stomped. I checked in on the score in the 3rd and they were getting their butts kicked. I watched a little bit of the game and said to myself, "They're playing like crap. I'm not wasting my time staying up to watch this..."

I think the long break between games is partially to blame, especially since I became totally confused as to what day the games were on and accidentally wore my good luck Celts t-shirt yesterday, completely screwing up the team's karma. So I guess I can take part of the blame there....

Yes, I am under the belief that my choice of clothing can have an effect on the team's performance. Yes, I know I am a freak. Don't worry though, I'm wearing Red Sox gear today, including Red Sox socks, which are key, so hopefully The Sox will get back on the winning track tonight vs Texas with Wake pitching against Park.

Meanwhile Foulke is aware that there is a problem (how can he not be) and is working to fix it. I have faith in him and I refuse to get down on Foulke. I think know he will work his way out of this funk he's been in.

Meanwhile some more, Wade Miller is close, very close to being ready to go... Oooooo... so tantalizing...

"Keep the Faith"

Ok. How much longer do we have to endure the "Keith Foulke Face"?

It seems that even though Derek Lowe has left The Sox, "Derek Lowe Face" has remained and is now affecting Keith Foulke. I don't want to sound like I'm bashing Keith. I like the guy a lot but his last few outings have been, well, bad.

Now it seems like he's got himself all psyched out every time he goes out to the mound. It's like the problem is in his head now and I for one have seen more than enough of 'The Keith Foulke Face'.

Can somebody hit Foulke's reboot button and get him back to normal??

Come on Foulkie, pull it togethah. You'll be ok.

Oh, and has anybody seen this yet? Fitting that it comes out on the day Shill goes on the DL for ankle problems...

Hmmmmm.

Ohhhhhhh FUCK!

Boston.com: Ankle injury sidelines BoSox's Schilling.

This is very bad news. Shilling is going on the DL. I keep hearing 'It's only April, It's only April'. Yeah that's fine but The Sox still need to keep pace with the other teams in the AL East. Right now they are playing .500 ball and only 3 back but still... I'm not in 'panic' mode yet but I am definetely in 'nervous as hell' mode.

I knew that the AL East was not going to be a 2 team race this year like it has been the last few years but that does not mean I'm happy about it.

What I'm up to right now

What I'm up to:

Watching the Sox.

Wearing a rally cap.

Listening to The Misfits: 'Static Age'. Glenn Danzig... His voice... really. I don't have the eloquence to describe how amazing that voice is.. Cliff Burton (RIP) described him as having the greatest voice he ever heard. Hard to disagree with Cliff.

Side note: One of the best shows I ever saw (Actually, the best show I ever saw) was when I saw Corrosion of Conformity, Soundgarden and then Danzig as the headliner. Amazing. Absolutely Amazing show.

Half heartedly banging head and curling upper lip like Elvis to 'Angelfuck' as I type...

Importing Mother Love Bone: 'Stardog Champion' into iTunes.

Watching the Sox tie the game. Rally cap is working....

Pre-ordering Colby Buzzell's book. What are you waiting for?? Go get it!

Watching Embry give up the winning run. 'Awwwww FUCK.' ::shit::

Taking off my rally cap.

Finishing up a beer.

Sending a thank you note to militarybrat for the heads up on C.B's book.

Going to bed.

Goodnight.

Various topics and lets not forget, Happy Reward Friday!

First off, it's that day, the day we all wait all week for, REWARD FRIDAY!! So have a good Reward Friday.

My wife had a girls night out last night and did not come home till like 2AM this morning so I was up late worrying about her since she did not call me to let me know she was ok. I can't complain since I've done that to her plenty of times in the past before I learned my lesson, (though I'm not going to give her the silent treatment like I used to get...) In any case, I had a hard time getting up this morning since I only got about 4 hours of sleep.

It was my carpool partner's turn to drive and I was in a bit of a surly mood due to the lack of sleep. He likes WEEI, which is fine, but I can't stand Dennis and Callahan. Cannot. Fucking. Stand them. I hate Mitre too. So, being forced to listen to those jackasses on WEEI's morning drive did not help my mood. Today they were all haughty and uptight about some picture depicting Johnny Damon as Jesus and the other Sox players as deciples. First off, who cares? Get a clue, it's meant to be a joke! 2nd, that picture came out months ago and you're just discovering it now? Get the fuck over yourselves lame-asses... I am continually amazed at the supposed popularity of the WEEI morning show.

Thankfully, being Reward Friday, we stopped at Dunkins before heading into The Software Factory and that immediatly fixed my bad mood. My Dunkin's steak egg and cheese sandwich and medium coffee this morning were perfect. Bad mood ovah.

The Celts will play their first game of the playoffs tonight against Indiana and I have yet to sit through an entire Celtics game. It's going to be rainy this weekend so in true Fair-Weather Celtics Fan Fashion, I will probably watch one of the weekend games. Like I said before, if they get into the second round, I'm set. Everything after that will be gravy. Of course, a 17th banner would be nice, but lets get through the first round of the playoffs first...

Matt Clement pitched brilliantly last night, or so I read, since I did not actually watch the game. My wife was out being a party animal, so I watched the directors cut of "Aliens" and got that out of my system.

Ripley: You know Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage!

Anyway, just yesterday I was comparing Clement to Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn from the movie 'Major League'. Hmmm. Did Clement read my post and say to himself, "Hey, I'm really gonna prove that guy wrong tonight!" Well, you can all thank me now because it worked! (Yah. Right...)

Ok, maybe it was not my post from yesterday that did it, but whatever it is, I hope it continues. The Sox starting rotation has been doing great.

Enjoy your Reward Friday alcoholic beverage(s) of choice this evening after work. I might go with the Jack and Ginger tonight...

Sox dominate, Draft Weekend, Celts vs Pacers...

David Wells dominated the O's last night and after several scoreless innings the Sox bats errupted. The final score was 8-0, Red Sox. Wells went 8 innings and looked great against a scary Orioles team. Baltimore always makes me worried. For some reason they seem to have the Sox number so it was nice to see Wells shut them down last night.

Also, have I mentioned that I love 'Widescreen Wednestday'? The letterbox thing NESN does kicks ass. I wish NESN would do that for more than one game a week. It's not gonna make me buy a new HDTV set, but it's still cool.

Tonight it's Clement vs. Lopez. We'll see how Clement does tonight. I'm rooting for the guy but he has not inspired a lot of confidence in me so far...

Eric Wilbur has an article in The Globe today where he wonders which pitcher goes to the bullpen when Wade Miller joins the team. If Wake and Arroyo are still pitching like they are now, and Clement is still pitching like Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn (before he gets his eyeglasses), I don't see how you can put either Wakefield or Arroyo out in the pen and leave Clement as a starter.

That's all about a month away though, so we'll see what happens...

I'm looking forward to the NFL Draft this weekend. Even though I don't really follow college football and I have no idea who any of the players are, it will be cool to see which players The Pats end up picking and then learning about them after. It will also be interesting to see what kind of maneuvers they make to move up or down the draft board. Belichick never picks the player that the so called 'experts' expect him to. I'll be keeping my eye on the results as the Draft progresses. 

It turns out The Celts will go up against the Indiana Pacers once the playoffs start. That should be interesting... I'm not setting my expectations too high. If they get into the 2nd round I'll be happy.

Despite the loss, no complaints

The Sox were in command last night but Embry gave up the tying runs in the 8th and Keith Foulke gave up the go ahead run...

The Sox had a chance to still come back in the 9th but just could not get it done. Too bad for Arroyo though. He should have gotten the win. I'm not really worried about Foulke. I know he will get his shit togethah... I just hope the recent problems he's had does not mess with his head too much.

Despite the loss and the blown opportunity for the sweep, there's really not that much to complain about. The Sox are winning and the Yankees are losing. (Even with The Beanpole Bitch Johnson pitching the Spankees still lost to Tampa Bay. Ha ha ha..)

In other news that you really don't care about, my recent obsession with the movie 'Aliens' has spilled over to work, where my friend and I now spend the day trading 'Aliens' quotes.

Hudson: That's it man, game over man, game over! What the fuck are we gonna do now? What are we gonna do?
Burke: Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh? Why don't we try that?

Sox extend Wakefield

Theo and The Sox did the right thing today and signed Tim Wakefeild to a contract extension that will hopefully keep him in a Sox uniform for the remainder of his career.

(Boston.com)

This is great to hear. I've always said, I root for the laundry, not the player wearing it, but Wakefield is one of the only players on the Sox that I have a genuine attachment to. The guy is all heart.

If Tek gets to wear a "C" on his uniform, then Wake should get the "A"

Nice job Theo. You did a good thing for Wake and for The Sox. (You're funny as hell in that Dunkin's ad with 'Baldy' Johnny Damon too...)

The iced coffee at Dunkin's now comes in a cool cup that has The Sox logo and says '2004 World Champions' on it that totally makes me want to buy more iced coffee from Dunkins. Sheer Marketing Genius.

Happy Patriots Day a day late!

Happy Patriots Day everybody! Ok, I know Patriots Day was yesterday, but I hope you enjoyed it, especially if you were one of those people lucky enough to get the day off. I was not one of those lucky people but my day at The Software Factory was not too bad. We are in the middle of ripping apart our lab to make way for some new equipment and that made the day go by quick.

In between cleaning up and untangling a spaghetti-like mass of ethernet wires and moving machines in and out of racks, I kept my eye on the Sox game using MLB.com Gameday.

It's funny to 'watch' a game on one of these internet game update web sites. People crowd around a computer and stare intensely at the screen, waiting for the web page to update and show you what's happing in the game.

When the Sox are on defense, people watch the pitch count and the strike zone and wait on pins and needles for the web page to update. Those who are actually doing work listen and wait for an update...

There is always one guy watching the computer screen giving the rest of us both the play by play and color analysis... "Ok. 3-2 count. Come on... Come on... You can do it... Strike this guy out... Heres the pitch... FUCK!"

The people who are working drop everything and come rushing over to the computer asking, "What happened??"

"Another foul!" the play by play / color guy will say.

"Dammit!!! Lets strike this fucker out," the people who are working will say as they go back to being productive.

Inevitably there will be something displayed on the web page like, "Hit! Ball in Play..." and everybody will get all excited and crowd close to the screen to see the result of the play.

This is the point where the web page's automatic update becomes excruciatingly slow and the wait becomes extremely agonizing. For some people, it's too much to take and they can't wait any longer.

They'll yell, "OK! Ball in play. So what happened, is it an out or is it a hit?? Did anybody score? WHAT'S GOING ON?!!" and they start hitting the web browser refresh button over and over again like crazy, as if doing that is going to make it show you what happened any faster.

"DUDE, what the FUCK! Give it second to update will ya?! You're gonna crash the stupid thing!!"

When the page finally updates and you find out what happened, everybody will yell or sigh or groan depending on the outcome of the play. It's almost as if we are really watching or listening to the game. People get into it.

Yes, insanity continues to run rampant in Red Sox Nation...

"Why can't we just have today off like those bastards in Boston so we can watch the game at a bar or something?"

My thoughts exactly...

Which reminds me, the first Red Sox game I ever attended was on Patriots Day. I was playing rugby back then and the whole rugby club got tickets to the Sox game. Other than sitting in the bleachers and having great fun watching the Sox win, I don't remember much else about the game because I was completely smashed out of my gourd. All I know is that I had a lot of fun.

We had a good time after the game too. The marathon was still going on and we stood around and watched the runners as they went by. One of the guys got a little over-enthusiastic and jumped in and started running along with the other marathon people. We never saw him again the rest of the day. I think he wound up running all the way to the end of the marathon...

The main thing remember about my first Red Sox game and Patriots Day was that it was a just great, fun day, although after the Sox game we did get get thrown out of one bar when somebody on the rugby team got into a bit of a scuffle... It did not turn into a full-on fight or anything, just some good clean friendly drunken pushing and shoving. No big deal.

Ahhh, youth...

It all evens out in the end...

The Yanks take 2 out of 3 in NY, The Sox take 2 out of 3 in Boston. It all evens out in the end. I thought The Sox had a good chance to win the other night with Curt too, but he obviously became fatigued and gave up a couple runs.

Last night's game was certainly 'interesting'. Cornrolio (my nick name for Arroyo) pitched well and he was obviously frustrated as he left the game. I thought that fool of an umpire really did a poor job. The irratic strike zone got everybody worked up. I thought Randy Johnson was going to get booted from the game at one point when he started throwing his arm in the air, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

When Francona went out to argue with the Ump I'm sure I was not the only one thinking, "Stay calm Tito, we don't want you to have to go to the hospital again!"

It was great to see The Captain smack a gigantic homer off that Beanpole Bitch, Johnson. Take that ya surly Fuck. Welcome to the AL East.

Finally, about that fuckin idiot "fan" that reached out and hit Sheffeild... First off, I hope that guy gets banned from Fenway. Second, the fact that this asshole has a prime seat for Sox vs Yankees and I can't get tickets to see a single game really irks me. Third, keep your fucking hands away from the field of play ya dumb fuck! You're lucky that they didn't call it fan interference on that play. 4th, you actually made me feel bad for Sheffeild. You have to be a real ass-hat to accomplish something like that. Finally, you are an embarrassment to me as a Red Sox fan and you make other true Red Sox fans ashamed that you consider yourself part of our Nation. I hope they revoke your RSN membership card.

I don't know about you, but I've seen enough of the Yankees for a while now. I need a break. Bring on Tampa Bay thankyouverymuch.

Opening Day thoughts...

The first thing I read when I turned on my computer this morning was this:

Boston.com: Young hopes are shaken

I don't want to come off as a mean son-of-a-bitch here but, YAY!! Welcome to the real world kids. There's no hand shaking in baseball...

Yankee Fan teacher Ed Kaufman said, of the poor Yankee fan kids at the school, "''They also feel much more comfortable wearing Yankees hats around the building."

Oh that's good. I was really concerned for those poor Yankee fans (rolls eyes...) Give me a fucking break... Maybe I'm a little 'old school' but are'nt you supposed to remove your hat inside a school? Hmmmm.

Ok, I feel a rant coming on so I'm just going to stop this stupid topic right here and now.

Moving right along...

I got home yesterday and had high hopes of seeing some highlights of the Opening Day ceremonies on the local cable outlets. I really wanted to see the rings handed out, Bruschi throwing out the First Pitch and the 2004 Championship Banner, but for some reason, both FSN and NESN were showing Poker. POKER! Poker?? What the fuck is the deal with poker lately? I just don't get it. I really dont. Poker TV shows, Poker advertiesements. It's everywhere! We're being bombarded with poker. Maybe someone should start a 24/7 poker channel.

Needless to say, I was thoroughly annoyed at the lack of Opening Day highlights...

Thankfully, (mercifully) NESN did show the Opening Day game replay and that was very enjoyable to watch. The new field looked absolutely fantastic. I could not get over how beautiful it looked. With the vibrant green grass and the majestic blue sky, contrasting with the white of the players uniforms, it was picture perfect. I was glad that they did not cut a Sox logo into the grass for this one. The classic 'cross-hatch' cut on the field was perfect. (I wish I could make my lawn look like that!)

Tim Wakefeild pitched an absolute jem of a game. How fitting was it to have him start the opening day game at Fenway? Wakefeild is a consumate Red Sox and one of my favorites. I can't think of a better scenario than to have him start this game.

I remember after 2003, there was a picture on Dirt Dogs of Wakefeild with his head in his hands in the visitors locker room with Trot Nixon consoling him after Game 7. When I think back and remember that terrible moment and imagine how Tim must have felt, and now to see him pitching the Opening Day game vs. The Yankees, the 1st game at Fenway after winning the World Series, I can't help but think that everything over the last 2 years was meant to happen and now it's all fallen into place perfectly. Talk about taking a trip to the depths of heartbreak and then rising to the pinnacle of glory and redemption... Wakefeild truly deserves the honor.

Very cosmic, I know... I wonder what color my aura is right now? Har!

I loved the 'AAAAAAA-ROD! AAAAAA-ROD!' chant. Loved it. It really gave me a good chuckle.

All in all, it was a perfect day to enjoy everything that happened last year and then put 2004 to bed.

Now that Opening Day is out of the way, it's time for The Sox to focus on 2005. Today is a day off. Time to take a quick little breather and then start kicking some ass. Shilling starts Wed vs. Wright...

GO SOX

Sox Home Opener...

(boston.com)

It's hard to believe this day has finally arrived and I'm finding it difficult to find the appropriate words to capture the moment. Just look at the picture instead.

For extra added coolness, Tedy Bruschi threw out the 1st pitch.

(ap)

Nice.

I'm stuck at work so I have seen none of the ceremony or the game. I'm just relying on Boston.com and MLB.com gameday to keep up with what's going on.

Currently, bottom of the 5th... Sox lead 7-1... time to get Joe and Jerry on the radio for the ride home...

GO SOX!

A few things...

What is UP with that shit in the outfield in Toronto... those things on the boards in the outfield. Those scoreboard light-up / advertisement things... What the fuck is up with that shit??? That's not going to last.

2nd. Trot. Dude. How old is that hat? Seriously. Not that it's a problem... whatever works for ya... I mean hey, I wore the same Sox hat for years and years too. I've got a new one with a World Series Patch on it now... but... whatevah.

Finally, Foulke. It's ok. It's ok dude. Its the 1st week. I have no doubts, you'll get yo' shit togethahh.

6-5 Sox. Works for me.

Sox vs. Jays... Finally a night game...

The Sox will play the Jays in Toronto's home opener tonight. It will be nice to finally have a game that I can watch as opposed to having to see what's going on using my computer.

Since I'm at work all day, I did'nt see any of the Yankee games. I know they re-run them on NESN at night but it's not quite the same, since I already know what's going to happen. I watch a few bits and peices of the re-runs, but never the whole game.

Since the games have all been during the day so far, we here at The Software Factory have sampled several different 'game update' web browser apps in order to keep up with the game, pitch-by-pitch.

The consensus:
MLB.COM gameday has the best computer play by play. It updates the quickest, shows you pitch location and was generally found to be the most informative.

Coming in second was CBS Sportsline and coming in last place was ESPN's play by play.

So there you go fellow lab / cube dwellers. Take it from us. If you're stuck at work with no radio or tv, MLB.com's gameday is where you want to catch the live game update.

Check out Evan's articles on 'Goat Riders of the Apocalypse' (Cubs Site)

Hey everybody! I got an e-mail from Evan, who writes the excellent Firebrand of the A.L site, asking to help him get the word out on his guest column on Theo Epstein over at Goat Riders of the Apocalyse.

Evan is really making some waves lately and has gotten some great recognition.

Its great to see one of our own in Red Sox Nation doing so well.

Check out the articles:
Theo Epstein is the best - Part I
Theo Epstein is the best - Part II
Theo Epstein is the best - Part III

Sox / Yankees: Opening day...

Bottom of the 6th. Wells came apart in the 3rd and allowed 3 runs, one came in on a bases loaded balk, as if I need to tell you about it...

(boston.com)

The Sox had men at the corners in the Top of the 6th but got nothing out of it...

Currently 4-1, MFY have the lead. Now we'll see the Sox bullpen. Neal comes out and does not start off too good with a lead of walk to F'in Jeter. Now here's Slappy... and he gets a hit and Damon must have been thinking about his wife out in center... F'n Jeter scores. 5-1 MFY. Not good. Not good... Sheffeild sac fly advances Slappy to 3rd. Bye bye Neal. Thanks for coming... (Good grief...)

Now Sierra gets a hit off Embree. Slappy scores. 6-1 MFY. Chop-Suey is up now. Still only 1 out with a man at 2nd. Rally cap time...

Top of the 8th... it's been an exercize in futility so far... 6-1 MFY. 2 out. Ortizzle up. He strikes out.

Well, that's going to be it unless the Sox pull off a miracle in the 9th. Dissapointing.

The Sox seem to have issues with opening day games. At least we did'nt have to hear '1918'.

161 to go...

Opening Day is finally here

Well, Opening Day of Baseball 2005 has finally arrived. I have a lot of different thoughts about opening day.

There has been a new advertisement on TV that has a guy sitting at a red light wearing a Sox cap. The guy is waiting for the red light to change when suddenly he starts jumping around in his car.

He just remembered that the Red Sox won the World Series. That's how I feel a lot of the time. I'll just be going about my day and it will suddenly hit me. Then I always smile or something and somebody will say, 'What's so funny?' or 'What are you smiling about?'

I tell them, 'The Sox won the Series,' and then the person who asked me the question will usually burst out smiling too. Then we'll both have a little moment of happy rememberance and then get back to work or whatever we were doing.

Last night we got a chance to go out to the movies. We looked through the paper and saw that Fever Pitch was playing. When this movie was being plugged by Fox during the World Series, I admit I was pretty indignant about it, especially when they had the actors running out on the field during the celebration when The Sox won. After seeing the previews for it though, I have to admit it looks like a decent movie and it would have been cool to go and see it the night before opening day, as kind of as a capper for the whole 2004 season.

Unfortunately, since 'Fever Pitch' is not opeing till April 8th, there was only one show and it was at 7:30. It must have been an early screening or something. 7:30 was outside of our babysitter window of opportunity so we went to see a different movie instead, 'Ms. Congeneality 2'.

Sandra Bullock, you little monkey woman...

I'm pretty excited about the baseball game tonight. Even though it's Opening Day, Sox / Yankees, I still feel like I'm maybe a little too keyed up for this. I mean, in the end, it's only one game.

Hopefully the Sox come out and kick Johnson's ass and chase him from the game early, letting Wells get into 'cruise mode'.

However, if the Sox lose, as dissapointed and pissed as I may be about it, it's not going to be the end of the world. There are still 161 games left after this one.

In the larger sense though, I feel it is important for the Sox to come out of the box strong and set a winning precident to start the season. In the month of April they will be facing The Yankees, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Texas. If the Sox have a slow month of April, they could quickly find themselves way behind in the standings heading into May, which is not going to be an easy month either.

Hopefully The Sox have learned a lesson from what happened to The Pats after their first Championship. Their 1st Championship... heh heh... yeeeaaah... Ooops! Where was I? Oh yeah, after the Pats won their 1st (of three!) Superbowls, they came out and went 9-7. They spent too much time thinking about 'last year' and not enough time focusing on 'this year'.

As hard as it is to let go of last year, that is what The Red Sox have to do. The opportunity is there for the taking tonight.

And you thought there was going to be a grace period for the Sox this year since they won The Series. WRONG.

I am curious to know what the fans at Yankee Stadium are going to do for chants tonight. They can't use '1918' anymore, they can't use 'Who's Your Daddy' anymore, what's left? Nothing. HA!

On a final note, lots of people look at last year's ALCS and refer to it as 'The Greatest Choke in Sports History'. Personally, I prefer to think of last year's ALCS vs The Yankees as 'The Greatest Comeback in Sports History'. See the difference?

GO SOX

YANKEES RULE!! GO JETER! A-ROD, YOU ARE THE BEST!!

April Fools!! Ha ha!

GO SOX

Sionara Kim...

Byung Hyun Kim is gone.

(reuters)

HOORAY

I will not miss Kim one bit. Supposedly he had lots of potential but we never saw much of it. His biggest accomplisment as a member of the Red Sox was that he caused a great deal of annoyance and frustration to Sox fans everywhere whenever he pitched.

I've read he had a hard time with the English language, but he did once display his knowledge of sign language to the Fenway Faithful.

With a 6 million dollar salary, I'm sure head-case Kim will land on his feet. (Can you tell I don't feel bad for him?)

Kudos to Theo for unloading this guy.

"Other than that I have no strong opinions on this subject."

Encouraging news on Shilling

This article on Boston.com is extremely encouraging. I get all revved up just reading it.

With Opening Day less than 5 days away now, it is very exciting to see Shilling starting to get his rythym down. I'm hoping we will see him during one of the Yankees series games at Fenway this April.

Pats, Celts, Sox, Snowblower

From what I can tell, there is not much to talk about today in the world of sports.


(DreamWorks)

The Pats released Earthwind Moreland and signed a few new assistant coaches. No news on the Pats Offensive Coordinator job...

It's looking like Antoine Walker is coming back to the Celts. Interesting. Very interesting. The deal is not final yet but it looks like they just have to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's and it is going to happen. This should make Paul Peirce happy. I liked Antoine so I'll be glad to see him wearing The Green again. Maybe I'll even watch more than 1 quarter of basketball before the season ends. 'Twan may provide the spark this team seems to need right now.

Curt 'THE MAN' Shilling threw 47 pitches from the mound today down at Spring Training. This article in the Globe reports he was not happy with his performance but Francona and pitching coach Dave Wallace were 'encouraged'. Personally, I'm more than encouraged. I'm thrilled.

In other 'Life in General' news...

The Snow-blower Saga continues... My now famous snow-blower was picked up today so that whatever is wrong with it can be repaired. Normally I would attempt this kind of manly repair-work stuff myself, since a snowblower is really not that complicated a machine, but since I don't have a garage, working on it outside in the middle of winter can be rather unpleasant, especially if your numb fingers run across a sharp edge or drop a bolt or nut or something else important in the snow and it gets lost. Violent swearing and other nonsense usually ensues when that kind of thing happens. So, in my mind, it is worth it to shell out some dough to get it working again. I'm just hoping I can get it back before the next big storm...

Shilling is a wise ass...

And I like it!


(boston.com photo)

His shirt says:

If I got on a train at 2PM traveling at 60 MPH

And you left on a train going in the opposite direction

How long would it take before I could stop listening to you?

There are 2 guys outside my cube here at the Software Factory talking about the Sox, David Welles, the Ring Ceremony nonsense and baseball in general. It's that time of year.


(The Red Seat)

Blah...

I'm feeling very un-inspired since The Superbowl. Now that there's no sports to talk about, (yeah, yeah, I know, The Celtics are playing, yawn.) I've got very little to write about.

I did not intend this blog to become so sports oriented but somewhere along the way that's what happened. As a matter of fact, when I started this thing, I purposely avoided writing anything about The Sox because one of my insane superstitions was that it was bad luck for me to write about them. In a previous blog to this one, (I have started and deleted like 3 blogs prior to this one. Lame-ass, I know...) I wrote about the '03 Sox, The Playoffs, The ALCS... Well, we all remember how that turned out and I actually came to believe that my writing about The Sox was bad luck. Timmlan in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th... Timmlan in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th. Fucking Grady.

Maybe some wounds go too deep to ever heal completely, like Frodo and that cut he got from the Ring Wraith in The Fellowship of the Ring... Wow. Could I be more of a geek?

Sorry. There I go, digressing again. Anyway, when I started this blog I was able to go quite a while without saying a word about The Sox but eventually, the pressure became too great and I decided to tempt fate and actually write down my thoughts about The Sox. There were some tense moments but thankfully, we all came through it ok.



You may be wondering, "What about The Pats? You write about them no problem."

I have always felt it was ok for me to write about the Pats since they are impervious to such nonsense as getting jinxed by some idiot writing about them in a online journal. There ya go.

Moving right along...

It snowed today and nothing puts me in a bad mood like having to shovel snow. I fucking hate hate hate it. But, today is different, because today is "Truck Day", the magical day when The Red Sox load up all the gear and get ready to head down south for Spring Training. That means Spring is getting closer and that puts me in a good mood.

Happy Truck Day!

Finally (or mercifully, whichever you prefer) this Sunday is the Pro-Bowl. The Pro-Bowl means no more Football till August, which is an awfully long time (sniff). At least we'll soon have those new Superbowl DVDs and '3 Games to Glory III' to help pass the time till Training Camp starts up in July.

The Pats offseason will be very interesting with all the changes in the front office coming, as well as dealing with players, the draft, etc.

I would like to set the following objectives for The Pats guys who are in the Pro-Bowl this weekend:

1) DO NOT under any circumstances play any beach football games. In fact, avoid walking on the beach all together. Just hang by the pool where it's safe.

2) Try not to gloat too much around Peyton and and Donovan while you're there.

3) It's officially "The Offseason" so hey,


you stay classy Patriot Nation.

Oh Captain, My Captain...

"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;"
Walt Whitman

Dear MLB, you are like school in summertime...

You got no class



It's lame that MLB has latched on to the 'Red Sox Nation' thing to try and make another buck.

The product by itself is 'ok'. (Note the lack of enthusiasm). It comes with gameday audio. I had the game day audio last year and it actually was a nice service that I did like. So I guess if you like the gameday audio, this is a way you can save 5 bucks on it. To me, this is the only worthwhile part of the whole thing. If MLB had just marketed the stupid thing as a discount to Game Day audio and thrown in the Sox card and all the other junk, it probably would not have made such a big deal.

It's the insulting way they are marketing it that is pissing everybody off and it would not be surprising to me if they get very few sign ups to their 'membership'.

"Red Sox fans who are basking in the glory of the World Series championship now have the opportunity to be Founding Members [of Red Sox Nation] by registering at redsox.com for official Red Sox Nation membership. Years from now, you still might be telling future generations of Red Sox diehards how you saw the team win the last eight games of the 2004 Major League Baseball season and then became one of the first to make it official with Nation membership."

[RANT]
After all the shit I went through waiting to get to the promised land this year... Guess what MLB I am already a member of Red Sox Nation so FUCK OFF!. As a matter of fact, I've been a member since I was a little kid and I've got the pictures of me heading off to my 1st day of school with my Sox cap on to prove it.

I've already shelled out well over a thousand dollars over the years in tickets to games, hats, t-shirts, sweaters, pennants, etc, etc, etc and that is just the money side. This does not even get into the emotional price I've paid over the years of following this team.

To be a member of our nation (which is not MLB property, wether you like it or not), you don't have to spend a dime. All you have to do is follow the Red Sox. My Grandma used to go to Fenway and watch Ted Williams play. Is she a member of Red Sox Nation? Fuckin A she is. How about my kids? They are 2 years old and love Johnny Damon. They run around the house yelling "GO JOHNNY!" Are they a member of my Nation? Fuckin A they are. This is something that is passed down from generation to generation so keep your slimy money grubbing hands off and take your stupid, lame-ass membership card and your 'RSN citizenship ID number' and shove it very far up your ass.

[/RANT]

Ok, now that I've got that little tirade out of my system, lets take a look at this offer by itself, just as a product. For 10 bucks, my 'membership' (mutters obcenity) comes with the following:

Game Day Audio. Yay.

An 'official' membership card with an RSN ID Number (mutters another obcenity).

Other stuff I can get:

Access to members only offer page: Wooooo. I can log on to MLB.com and have special advertisements tailored just for me so they can try and sell me more shit. SO my 'official membership' in RSN allows me the privelidge of buying more shit from MLB. WOW! What a Deal! Great!

A special message board where 'official' citizens can gather. Holy shit I can hear the outrage over at Sons of Sam Horn now. I guess if they wont let you in over at SOSH, you can always pay to get in here. Ha.

Preferential tickets: HMMM. Sounds dubious. Tickets are already hard enough to get, now you've got to be an 'official member' to get the tickets to high demand games? Or maybe this will be the only way to get Monster Seats or something like that? Sounds a bit fishy to me... I can generally afford 2 games a year (prices just went up again this year by the way...) so will the tickets I can get here even be within my realm of affordability? And, is affordability an actual word? Hmmmm.

If you read all the way down to the bottom of the offer you'll see this:
"You already are a proud member of Red Sox Nation if you are reading this, so you might as well {shell out some cash and} make it official."

Can you say damage control? There was so much outrage after the 1st time they tried this, they decided to throw us a bone to help us feel better. Thanks MLB. I guess I am just being over sensitive. Now I do feel better.

The Red Seat's "The Nation" greeting card

Dammit and I just got my Christmas cards all taken care of...

Dear Santa...

I'd like to amend my Christmas list

Mission: 11W. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I have perma-smile. My good mood is impregnable.

One Game to Glory...

Game 3

They did it. We are one game away...



Pedro pitched great. His first World Series start and he made the most of it. He got into a few jams but thankfully, no harm was done. He went seven stong then came out. Perfect.

Manny hit a homer to get us on the board early and made a great play from the outfeild to take a run away from the Cards too. Way to go Manny!

The team got some clutch runs to make things a easier for Pedro (and those watching).

Ortiz made a couple nice plays at first.

Timlann pitched a great, stress free 8th.

I have to say, for the most part, this was a relatively stress free game (for me that is). There was a moment in the bottom of the 9th when they got a run back that perked my blood up a little, but Foulke quickly put that fire out.

The game started late and actually ended before mid-night for a change. I can actually get a decent night sleep.

I can't believe how close we are to doing it. Don't let up now. Time to drop the hammer.

D-Lowe... D-Lowe... D-Lowe... D-Lowe

Mission: 1W

KEEP THE FAITH

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

I want to write somethin about the win in here but I'm just so tired and I'm still just having a hard time believing it happened. It has not sunk in yet. I have to keep reminding myself this is not a dream. We BEAT THE YANKEES and WON THE PENNANT. Amazing. Unbelievable. Incredible.... and the way they did it... The Greatest Comeback in Sports History. I don't think there is anything I can possily add that has not already been said and that is just fine! Just sit back and enjoy it baby!

I've got so much swirling around in my head right now. I can't keep it all straight. I need to settle for a day and just let this all sink in. This is fun.

Simmons has a great article online, as usual.

Some quick snippets:
People here at the software factory are walking around on very light feet. We're on a cloud right now. We just can't believe it.

My eyeballs are red from watching these late night games. My shirt is red in celebratory style. My Red Sox heart is very happy. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted. It's not gone all the way, we still have 4 Games to Glory, but the load just got about 5 tons lighter. That was a big mutherfuckin gorilla we got off our backs last night. Man does it feel good.



Not a lot of work getting done today and nobody seems to mind. We're all feeling the same way. Everybody wants to see the pictures, read all the stories and just soak it in.

I'm not the kind of guy that usually enjoys the misery of others, but how great is it to see the NY papers just ripping the Skankees and especially A-Fraud. I don't feel bad for those Yankee fans at all. This is how it feels guys. How do you like it? All those sad faces in the crowd last night, fans leaving the stadium early, the shots of Cashman as the game was ending, wondering when the axe was gonna fall, it was great to see. Fuck the high road. I love it. I wish I could find a picture of Billy Crystal on the verge of breaking down at the end of the game. Hey, how come I did not see any shots of Jack Nicholson, the famous Yankeee fan, at the end of the game? Things that make you go "Hmmmmm".

What's Adam Sandler gonna do for his next movie? He can't throw in a shot of the Sox losing to the Yankees this time. Do you think he'll put a shot of Johnny's Grand Slam into his next movie? Yeah. I kinda doubt it.



Maybe Matt Damon can get this into his next flick instead.

A lot of people are saying, even if we can't win the Series, this is still great. Yes, it is true that no matter what happens now, this is one of the greatest moments ever as a Bostson sports fan. But let's not forget this is still just a step toward the ultimate goal. I want it all. Imagine how great it will feel when we win that Championship someday.

I'm kinda reminded of the 85 Pats, beating the Dolphins down in Miami after getting killed down there for what seemed like 20 years straight, only to go on to lose in Superbowl 20. Let's be like the 01' Pats instead and win it all against impossible odds. That is much more fun!

Alright, I should probably try to get some work done. I'm goin' to bed at 7:30 tonight. I need to get rested up for the WORLD SERIES!

"KEEP THE FAITH"

Mission 6W: Bloggin Game 6...

So in order to keep my mind on an even keel, as opposed to chewing my nails, pacing, swearing, pounding my fists on the furniture, etc, etc, I'll write down what's happening with the game.

Warning: expect vulgarity.

Let's pick it up.
AM radio is tuned in perfect. This is the way to watch a game. Fox announcers, go to hell. I'm done with you. Pats Superbowl 38 Champions T-Shirt is on. Sox hat on the top of the couch next to me. (It's bad luck to wear it tooo early.) Ball and glove at my side close at hand. Wachusett Octoberfest in the fridge if necessary. In case of emergency, start pourin' (Are you getting a good picture of this insanity?) I don't care if its stupid. Good karma... good karma...

Shill looks pretty good so far. Lots of scary pop-ups but he is not out of hand. Not walking guys, giving up hits, etc. This is so far so good...

The Sox have gotten tons of men on base but have, infuriatingly, wasted base runners. As an example see: Mark Bellhorn. Bases loaded and he grounds to a inning-ending double play. MOTHER F....

Bottom of the 3rd. Way too many fly balls, making me very nervous. They eventually get a double. 2 outs with a-hole Jeter up. Need to strike out Jeter here. Make him look really stupid if at all possible. Pop up. Thank You!!

Top of the 4th...
By the way, on a side note here, when it comes to the Red Sox, I am done asking for help from the man upstairs because I always get slapped down. I'm focusing all positve thought on the Sox players. I am still hoping the prayers I made in earlier games will be answered later, kinda like what happened to Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" when he get's punched in the mouth after saying a prayer. He thinks that's his answer. Well we all know what happens in that movie...

The man upstairs likes to make you sweat for it. Instant gratification is not his thing... Ok. Enough of the metaphysical graphitti.

MILLAR HITS A DOUBLE! YEAH BABY!!

TEK DRIVES IN A RUN! NIIICE! 1-0 SOX. Now here's another hit by Cabrera. 2 men on, 2 out. Fuck here comes Bellhorn. Dang it... OH MAN!!! HOME RUNN BELHORN!! YEAH!!!! (Jumping, jumping, jumping, jumping...)

Now wait a min. The ball hit a fan and came back into the park. The stupid ump says fan interference. Now they're all in a huddle. These god-damn umpires are about to fuck us. They always are on the Skankees side...

WA-HOOO they say it's a HOME RUN!! WAAA HOOOOOOO!!!!!

Johnny flies out. Darn it. but it's 4-0 SOX!! YEAH BABY...

Bottom of the 4th..
A-hole-Rod gets a hit. Fuck. Now Sheffield. "WHOS YOUR DEALER??" Come on Curt... show em whatcha got. Damn it Sheffeild got on. Now there's 2 on, no outs... teeth gritting time... Chop-Suey coming up... and he pops-up. Whew. Very nervous, very nervous...

Ok, Shill's in a jam here. Men on 2nd and 3rd 2 out. Posada up. Time to pace with the ball and glove... I friggin hate Posada... Pacing, pacing... he grounds out to first.. Ohhh. Big relief!!! Inning over.... Ok. I gotta stop for a while. I need a beer. Time to go with the Octoberfest.

Top of the 6th
Feeling a little better with some calming alcohol in me. I lit an 'October' seasonal pumkin candle for more karma. Yes, very gay, I know... Wachusett Octoberfest brew is in the Patriots Superbowl 31 Championship Commemerative Mug. Let's relive the moment for a sec, shall we?


Oh yeah. One of the greatest moments of my life....

Ok. Back to the game... Joe Castiglione keeps reminding us when the last time a Spankee scored was... (Notice I do not write this down. Bad luck.) STOP DOING THAT JOE! The Sox could use some more runs here. We need lots and lots of runs. 4 is not enough. We need more... but we don't get any damn it. To the bottom of the inning we go... back to the beer.

Bottom of the 7th
Ok. This is painful. This is agonizing. Definetely the most stressfull inning so far. The Spankees got a run back and Curt is getting tired. Just get out of this inning man... Come on, this is why you're here. Be the hero, become the legend... You are the horse. Shut 55,000 up... YES. He strikes out Sierra.


YOU - ARE - THE - MAN.

Top of the 8th and a tenuous 4-1 lead. We need more. Time to get some RIGHT NOW!! 1 out with Manny up. Come one, time to earn you money Manny!! Ok, he got a single. Man on. Pitching change to that, hopefully, oh so tired Skankee pen. Ortiz up next. WHOS YOUR PAPI? Come one David... beer time.

Shit. We got 2 men on but no runs. Damn it!! 3-1 is too close for comfort.

Top of the 8th
Arroyo coming out. Cornrollio. Nervous level just shot up. Can we get a 1.2.3 inning? Please??? Lots of pacing. Lots of throwing the ball into the glove. Lots of tugs off the brew. Legs feeling a little jelly like. Come on Arroyo...

GOD DAMN IT WE'RE IMPLODING!!! 4-2. FUCK FUCK FUCK

Now A-Rod hits it to 1st and then SLAPS THE TAG AWAY!!! Another conferennce huddle by the umps. THEY'RE GOING TO FUCK US NOW. NO! They say it's an OUT!! YES!!! Get back to 2nd Jeter!

Now the loser fans are throwing shit on he field.

GET back to the Dugout A-ROD. Get back to 1st Jeter you fuckin asshole.. Stress level is at the max here.

Ok Sheffield, WHOS YOUR DEALER, poped out. Inning over. Thank god.

Top of the muther effin 9th
CAN WE PLEASE GET SOME INSURANCE RUNS!!??? PLEASE!!!!

*Disclaimer: At this time I would like to apologize for those offended by all the swearing.*

Still in the top of the 9th and the Spankee fans are throwing all kinds of crap on the field. LAME!! They have to line the field with riot police for cryin out loud... Way to embarrass yourselves, your team and your city fuck-tards.

Ok, Bellhorn is up with a man on and 1 out. Come on guys. Come on MAAHHK. INSURANCE!! INSURANCE RUNS NEEDED!!! Cabrerra steals 2nd. Runner in scoring position... 3-2 count to Bellhorn. Come on man...come on. Ball 4. Pokey comes in. Yeah, Pokey. 'Bout time. (beer.SWIG. Ahhh!) Come one Johnny. Passion of the center-fielder... pops out. GRRRRRRRRR! Mueller up. Come on Billy 2 men on, 2 out. Come on. Come on. God-damit. Pop up.

Funny sign in the stands: "There's no riot police in baseball".

Bottom of the ultra-stressfull, bottom of the 9th... get ready heart. Here it comes. Time for the steel. Keith Foulke, this is why we got you. I'm gonna steal a line from "Saving Private Ryan"

"Earn it".

Ok here we go. I can't take this... I've got to stop now....

12:16 AM
THE RED SOX WIN GAME 6. Sox 4 - Evil 2

Ohh... Can I just tell you what I just went through in that inning? I dont think I can describe the stress... I have not felt that much stress since last year's ALCS Game 7. Just Indescribeable, heart in your throat, tight chested, gasping for air, rolling on the floor (FREAK SHOW!) I could hardly even watch the last 2 outs. I was on my knees, rally cap backwards, inside out, head buried in my hands... I almost could not watch the last out, but I am no pussy. I can't stand it when people close their eyes in moments like this. How can you not watch? I had my hands covering my face but I watched through my fingers and saw the strike out.

Sweet relief...

I have to admit, I thought Foulke was gonna blow it. I was fully preparing myself for a 3 run game winning, series ending, homer. Thats how it is when you're a Sox fan. You come to expect the worst but it did not happen tonight.

Wow. Looking back on where we were, down 3 - 0. Embarrased in Game 3... Just scroll down and look at what I wrote... this in-credible. Hope stays alive.

Awesome. Just Awesome. I'm a little at a loss for words. I'm starting to ramble.

They keep showing that bitch Jeter in the dugout waving his arms 'safe' from that play in the 8th. What an a-hole. I friggin hate Jeter. Game 7 muthafucka...

Goodnight all. Thanks for reading the Red Sox ALCS Game 6 freak show, wack job, happy Sox Fan, swear-fest, blog. Hope it was entertaining. I can only imagine what my behavior would have been like if I did not have writing this to distract me...

"KEEP THE FAITH"

Game 5: The Sox Survive!!

Bottom of the 12th...

"I tell you what, my gray hairs are getting gray hairs."
~ Jerry Trupiano

Bottom of the 14th and it's been rough. A looong grinder.

2 outs. 3-2 count...
Comon David. Just drop one in. Just get a hit...



OH PAPI!! The RED SOX WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There'll be no champagne opened tonight you Yankee mother-effers. Not at Fenway.

Man, I'm friggin tired... but relieved.. and happy!

Red Sox 5 - Evil 4



Game 6 will be necessary. Curt Shilling gets the start. Hope that ankle is feeling good.

Just can't let it go...

I'm wondering to myself if I should turn on the TV and check the score of the Red Sox game. I tell myself, 'why torture yourself with futility? They could be up by 100 runs. In the end it does not matter.'

I've said all day, I'm done and I don't care anymore and I'm not even going to watch 1 inning of the game tonight because nobody comes back from 3 games down. The problem is I really do care, deep down (idiot). This is the real curse. A curse on my existence as a Red Sox fan.

So is it too much to ask for them to save some measue of respect and avoid a sweep? I'm reduced to this.

3-3 in the 6th.



I can't stand it.

Mission 8W: Game 3... ARRRRRGGGHH. (It's over Johnny... IT'S OVER!)

Here it is, Game 3 and I've been angry since the first inning. The wife had had enough by the 2nd inning and headed (escaped) upstairs to read. I've always said she's the smart one..

I think rooting for the Sox could possibly be diagnosed as a form of Autism. Every year, hopes dashed, frustrated and just pissed off in general, yet we keep coming back. WHY WHY WHY?? I feel like one of those poor kids banging their head against the wall, unable to stop themselves. Can I at least get a helmet?

It's the 5th inning and I've pretty much given up. It's over. I'm done. Its 11 - 6 Evil and as far as I'm concerned the next Pats game could not start soon enough.

Yup. Optimism is gone hope is gone, gone gone.. ("Cryin' won't bring it back") Try and name that tune..

Even if they do somehow manage to come back in this game... (Ha! You stupid fool. See, there's that idiotic 'hope' popping up again. Come on man, it's not gonna happen).

Phhht. Now its 12-6. Ha. Now it's 13 - 6! I mean the fucking spankees are scoring runs against the Sox faster than I can type this stupid thing and the anger has pretty much given way to a dull sort of numbness to the whole thing. At this point I just dont care anymore.

They've done it to us again. In some ways, this is better. I mean, this is much less painful than last year Game 7. (I shudder and grit my teeth just to think of it... Timlann in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th. Timlann in the 8th, Williamson in the 9th...)

... and let me tell ya how much the Fox guys are loving this. Just loving it. I think we need to see more shots of dejected Sox fans in the stands. At least I dont have to listen to Fox's shitty call. I managed to get Joe and Jerry tuned in real good on the AM radio. That's my only solace.

Yeah, I know there's one more game after this, but why torture myself? I mean really. Do I really want to see the Yankees celebrate the AL Pennant on the field at Fenway? Um, no. Thanks anyway. There are some things I just don't need to see.

I had some good movies I could have watched. "The Day after Tomorrow" came in the mail. I could have watched New York get washed away by a giant tidal wave and then frozen into a glacier. I could have read my book (currently I'm reading "Jurassic Park"). Oh well.

But I'm not bitter.

Thank God for this guy.



Go PATS! Here we go, 20 in a row!

Oh, by the way.. it's top of the 7th, 13 - 6 Evil... oh no wait! Now it's 14 - 6 with runners at the corners. Oops. I spoke too soon. 16 -6 now.... Nope. Correction. 17 - 6.

I mean come on! I have to laugh at this point. What the fuck else can you do? The only guy left in the stands at Fenway is Stephen King. Hey Terry Francona, great job by the way. You should be proud.

19 - 18! 19 - 18! 19 - 18! 86 years and counting. I fucking hate the Yankees.

Abadee, Abadee, Abadee, that's all Folks!

Goodnight all. Thanks for reading.

Mission 8W: A little rain never hurt anybody

So I didn't write on Game 2 yesterday. Before you think it, I was not curled up in the fetal position hiding somewhere, too depressed to write anything. No offense but, fuck that. It just was a busy day.

Was I pretty pissed off? Well of course I was. Me and everybody else at the ol' software factory were in a pretty surly mood yesterday after watching Pedro go out and pitch a great game, only to get zero run support. One run does not cut it. That was an emiently winnable game and they should be tied right now, not down 2 games. Actually, they should really be up 2 games, if Curt did not blow out his ankle, they probably would be... but, that does not matter. The stark reality is they are down 2. To try and improve my mood yesterday, I consoled myself in the comforting reflection from this fancy item.



Ahhhh....

As far as the rest of the ALCS goes, 'reality bites', BUT I have not given up, down by 2 or not. I have a feeling we are going to claw our way back and get no less than 2 out of 3 here at Fenway, if for no other reason than, that's what the Sox do to us. They push us to the edge, then reel us back in. Unfortunately, they then gut us once they get us on the boat...

NO! POSITIVE THOUGHT! POSITIVE THOUGHT!

Tonight's rain delay is nothing but helpful for the Sox and I expect to see Pedro pitch in Game 5. In other good news, Curt threw today and reports were that he was feeling 'ok'. Hope remains...

Some funny (or maybe not so funny) things from Game 2. Bill Simmons diary from game 2 was once again, right on the money. I had a very simelar experience to one he writes about in his article.

Sitting there watching Pedro's pitch count get up to that magical number of 100, I looked up and said a little prayer out loud, "Hey God, we could use a little help here, how about it?". Literally seconds later, Olerud hits a 2 run homer. "THANKS GOD!" I suddenly remembered the scene in "Bruce Almighty" where Bruce meets God, and God is wearing a Yankee cap. DAMN IT!

Ok, ok. So this is a test I'm thinking, and if I'm good and faithful, I'll be rewarded later... It's a modern day biblical story. Well, the reward did not come in Game 2 so I now choose to believe maybe the reward will come later in the series.

Earlier tonight, while the wife and I were watching the amazingly lame FOX pre-game broadcast, she made a couple funny comments. Joe (S)uck and his crew came on and he began to speak. "WHO is that?" she says, "I haven't even listened to him for a minitue and I'm already annoyed by him" Ha. I found that pretty funny, coming from someone who really has no idea who this guy is.. See! It's not just me!! "That's why I turn the sound down really low when I watch the game hun". She was not impressed by the gang at FOX. (Shocking.)

Off on a side track here, watching my little tirades during the playoffs here has her wondering when the whole thing will be over and we can get back to watching Sex and the City on DVD. Another week and a half or so I tell her. "It's not fair" she says. "I get no break. What's there a month between the Superbowl and the start of Baseball season?! Its not fair!"

I try to console her. "Sorry hon. Hey, there's no hockey this year.." She is un-impressed.

Anyway, I will have had 2 days to stew on this series by Sat. I'm not complaining, I wanted the rain out and I actually jumped up off the couch and did a dance when the game was officially called. "HA! F-U FOX! Now you've got nothing for your prime time lineup but some crappy movie. HA! HA!."

"Can we watch Sex in the City now?"

Mission 8W: Subdued but confident for Game 2

As usual, Bill Simmons manages to encapsulate everything us Sox fans are thinking perfectly.

Today was a pretty subdued day here at the ol' software factory. All the Sox fans were walking around shaking their heads. "Man we almost came back there!" Just as everybody was about to wave the white flag, cry "uncle" and turn off the TV, the Sox started getting some runs and we all got sucked right back in!

Even though they lost the game, it was still a good confidence boost to get those bats going and put up some runs. We need to keep it going tonight!

The general feeling around here is, even though the Sox did not get the win, at least they made a game of it. The bats woke up and they nearly pulled one out of the dumper.

So tonight Pedro goes. Hopefully he can pitch a strong game and not have a meltdown. He's going to hear plenty of "Who's your Daddy" chants tonight and I hope he can use it to motivate himself to pitch a champion caliber game. You know it bugged him that he was not the #1 starter. This is his chance to show he is still "THE MAN" in Boston and get the Yankee monkey off his back at the same time. You say you live for this Pedro? Here's your golden opportunity.



We're still in this thing but tonight is a must win. This cannot be stressed enough. If we can split in NY, then we will be in good shape coming back to Fenway for 3 games.

Please, please, please.... let's have a good stong game from Pedro and some run support! ARGGG! The tension is building as we get close to quittin' time and it's friggin' killing me! I-CANT-TAKE-THE-PRESSURE DAMMIT!!

It's not easy being a Red Sox fan..

The battle begins tonight

I normally don't blog about the Sox due to supersitious reasons, (Yes, I know it's crazy. Red Sox fans are lunatics. Didn't you know?) but this deserves an entry..


(Erica Mari / Boston Models.com)

Tonight the Sox and Yankees meet up for the 1st of three Epic Games in the Bronx. The AL East is on the line here. The Sox are 3 1/2 games back. Arroyo pitches tonight. Lets get some run support tonight guys (defense would be nice too.)

Next weekend we'll have a re-match at Fenway. Hope they do good this weekend. That's all I'm gonna say about it.