The New Style

There's been some talk of Johnny Damon's return (to Fenway wearing pinstripes) over here. To that end, I just signed this.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that silence is more powerful and satisfying than booing. Think about it:

1. It's only done when honoring a dead person or persons.
   
2. It can be bone chilling.
   
3. It would be unexpected.
   
4. So much can be read into it, thus giving it head-scratching potential.
   
5. It's easy.
   
6. No one can accuse the Red Sox fans of being bitter and immature, as you know the NY papers are chomping at the bit to do.

Booing, while very tempting, is obvious. I think it has its place later on down the line (Why should he be treated differently than any other Yankee, since that's what he now is? If he were a different kind of Yankee, shouldn't he wear a different kind of uniform?). Repeated silence through every at bat in the 1st game would be the most appropriate response, I think.

(I know that this strategy has been going around for a while, and I did give it some initial thought when I first heard about it. I've just recently started the official switch to this strategy, but only for the first game.)

Turn the Page

Alright, today's a totally new day. We're playing a totally new (meaning - not the team we played yesterday) team. Let's hope for a totally different outcome.

Have you seen Fossum's player pic? Huge beard:



I must admit that it makes him look a little older, which I'm sure was the goal. He's still a little too slight, though. I think I''m going to send him a couple dozen Krispy Kremes.

Bobby's Favorite Player

Do any of you get the feeling that there's some little kid Cleveland fan in the hospital and this game is for him?

Ouch

That salami hurt. One strike away from ending the inning, Beckett walked a batter, only to bring up Broussard who put 4 runs on the board for Cleveland in the bat of a lash. Not a good start. And now with Youk's "no foot on the bag" call (I saw the replay and he had the foot on) - oy. It's just the 1st inning.

The cat just pooped in the litter box. Fitting.

Movin' On Up

Hansen's moved from Portland to Pawtucket:

The 22-year-old Hansen has been dominant for the Sea Dogs, going 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in 5 games for Portland to begin his first full year in pro ball since being selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2005 draft.

He's got one freakish mug:



You know, when I think AAA, I automatically think "lower tier." Because it's 3 As instead of 2. Double A should be switched with triple A. Maybe this is because triple A batteries are smaller - I am unintentionally applying this logic to the minor league system.

Also, I just had an Amy's frozen lunch, which always leaves me in awe of her culinary skills. Oh, Amy, how can you make a Shepherd's Pie that tastes marvelous and yields a mere 160 calories? She's a miracle worker. Either that, or the caloric information is false - like that episode of Seinfled with the "non fat" frozen yogurt.

Local Yokel

Delcarmen has a good curve ball. And good hair. I'm really pulling for him this year.

Horrible defense tonight. Just horrible. I feel like we're asleep at the wheel. Nixon just sort of messed up 2 hits. He really should have made both of those catches (bottom 7th). Our real issue this game was not capitalizing on the bases loaded situation in, what, the 2nd? Right where Papi struck out to end the inning. Okay, and Bard is sucking ass, too (as previously noted).

The new Foxwoods commercial isn't helping. The Wizard of Oz one with the Foxwoods dude caught "behind the curtain" singing the tail end of the infamously annoying jingle. Awful.

Oops-a-Daisy

Do you think that Wakefield is missing Dougie Fresh tonight? I'm sure Bard's going to get the hang of things sooner or later, but it's cringe time until then. Wicked cringe, as we say here in the 02145.

Sweet homer by Wily Mo, incidentally.

No Decision

Good news in Witch City land (which is actually Somerville, as you know) - I just secured a 2-bedroom apartment 3 doors down for September 1. I can finally get out of my cramped (albeit cozy) studio and into something more ... human. My cat will be psyched, I can assure you. Also, the landlord is totally down with pets and was fine with me getting another cat (I've been wanting to do this for a while). Furthermore, my friend will be living 1 floor below with her dog and cat, so we can have regular pet-togethers (yeah, that's pretty corny and bad). To summarize - good news, got bigger place, cats happy.

Sweet game last night. Schilling's pitch count was pretty high. The highest Red Sox pitch count since '01 (Pedro = 136). I hope it doesn't affect him in the shoulder-cuff-ankle-whathaveyou. Incidentally, I'd love to apply the phrase "no decision" to something in my everyday life.

Horrible

Does anyone understand the point of this ad?



First of all, the monster playing the guitar is actually animated. It's, like, tapping its big monster foot and its eyes bulge out, adding some sort of expression to an otherwise boring animated monster. The ad is for a mortgage company, I think, so I don't quite get the whole monster deal. And what kind of guitar is that, anyway? You see how it gets all pointy at the end? Also odd are the the 2 adjoining hearts in mid-air and the rose in the monster's mouth. I'm guessing that this ad was developed around Valentine's day (snow on the ground), but I hardly see the significance. And lastly, could the type be bitmapped any more severely? Ads like this just infuriate me. Internet ads, in general, get on my nerves, but when I see something like this, I just go nuts.

Title-Wise, I've Got Nothing

Well, at least the 3 game series with Toronto ended on a high note. Clement gets the W, and I'm pretty sure he needed that for his confidence. I heard the last 2 innings in the car, as I was attending my friend Cubby's bridal shower. It was so cool to go to a Red Sox-themed shower. Cub opened her gifts wearing a Sox t-shirt and a Sox cap with a veil attached to the back. The cake was jersey-shaped and was decorated half Sox and half Yankees, as her fiancé is a Dunbar fan. It read, "Is the Rivalry Over?" (At least, I think that's what it read - Cub, correct me if I'm wrong.) Baseball plates and inflatable ballpark containers graced the table. Pretty cool.

I, for one, am looking forward to a night off from Red Sox baseball. Why? (A) I am checking out a 2-bedroom three doors down which is slated to open up in September and (B) I need a bit of a breather. My friend - the one who lives in the building and told me about the place - emailed me this morning and told me that someone else looked at it over the weekend and is also interested. It's April. Since when did Somerville turn into New York City, with people perched and ready to pounce on real estate months in advance?

U-G-L-Y, And We Ain't Got No Alibi

I can't imagine how tired both the Red Sox and the Jays were today. Last night's name was exhausting to watch, let alone play. The Jays, since they won the first game, might have had a little extra energy at 1:05 today. One thing's for sure - if you're a Red Sox fan, these last two games were ugly. The Sox blew a lead last night, only to go into extra innings. tax their bullpen and lose. Today's game was a disaster. Did any of you think that Trot was making an effort to go to 2nd base? That was so bizarre. Not only was he the victim of this bullshit call, but his one RBI saved us from the humilation of no score.

I hate the Granite City Electric commercials. They showcase the worst jokes I think I've ever heard in my life (Q: Why did the light bulb quit his high pressure job? A:Because he was burnt out. Come on.) They annoy me a lot more when we're losing. On a similar note, I did some research on the new Dunkin Donuts commercial (Doing things is what I like to do ... YES!) and it turns out that They Might Be Giants actually wrote it. How 'bout that?

I'll try to end this entry on a fun note. Papelbon got one of these:

J.B. vs A.J.B.

Although the Tampa Bay series ended on a sour note, the Red Sox are going into their upcoming Toronto series with a pretty impressive record (11-5). One word about last night - I think the reason that Kazmir didn't hit any batters was because Millar is no longer on the team. He was hit twice last year by Kazmir. This is mainly because Millar gears himself up like a storm trooper when he plays, making himself a pretty easy target for an inside pitch. Also, Kevin does tend to get pretty close to the strike zone with his person. Ever think that Kazmir was claiming the plate? If Youkilis is the Greek God of Walks, then Millar is the King of Hit Batters. Either way, the Sox get a base runner. [Kazmir also hit Manny last year, and for this, I have no explanation.]

So, it's going to be J. Beckett vs. A.J. Burnett. This should be a pretty interesting match up.

I've stated on this blog - way back when - that Geddy Lee has season tickets to all the Jays games. Look for him behind home plate.

Kate and Tom

I've read all this bullshit about the Scientology approach to child birth, and it seems that it's supposed to be all silent and whatnot. To what extent do they take this? Was Katie not allowed to scream her head off during contractions? What kind of "religion" is this, anyway? No wonder Nicole Kidman went the adoption route.

What to do, what to do ...

Now that we've discovered that Wily Mo Pena is not quite as polished in the outfield as we had hoped, what are the options? I will say that there is evidence that Wily Mo is becoming more patient at the plate (although, there is a difference between facing Casey Fossum and say, Bartolo Colon), but (at least this is my interpretation), he is frigid in the field. Seemingly scared or something. He hesitates. He misjudges. He's too anxious. At least he isn't throwing the ball into the infield, Knoblauch style.

I accept what Theo did in the trade with Arroyo. I'll never love it, but it is what it is. I also accept that Wily Mo needs a lot of major league at-bats in order to blossom. To be whatever he's supposed to be (I am sure that Theo has gant charts the size of Texas, projecting his growth down to the tiniest detail). Offensively, bringing him into the lineup is a risk, but it's the kind of risk that we can afford. We did it with Pokey Reese and his defense was so incredible, it was totally worth it. The difference here is - Wily Mo is struggling defensively and this could cost the Red Sox in close games. So, he becomes a liability in the outfield. too. That's like a double risk with no upside. Apart from the potential one, which we've seen little evidence of to date. I don't mean to sound impatient, but I think we need some kind of damage control. Or plan B.

It's not Wily Mo's fault. He's trying his best. I'm sure that there's nothing this kid wants more than to light it up in a big way. But it takes time. And I'm not sure that his defensive skills are going to sharpen overnight. I think he should be sent back to the minors. It's not fair for him to have to deal with this pressure if he isn't ready. He should continue to work on his fielding and plate production in an environment that won't negatively impact the Red Sox. He's been signed to a major league contract, though, so can they send him down? I honestly don't understand how that all works. But, there's got to be a solution in here somewhere.

And please, don't tell me that it isn't all that bad. Don't throw your numbers at me and say, "But look at how he compares to so-and-so. It's not far off." That would mean that you haven't been watching the same games as I have. And comparing him defensively to someone isn't necessarily fair unless Pena's offensive numbers are compared to the same person who is somehow managing to escape criticism.

Enemy Update

Yowzers, are the Yankees getting pounded. We're still tied at four, but at least our ace didn't get yanked in the fourth after allowing *gulp* seven runs. Not a good outing for the Unit.

Lowell just got a sweet off-the-wall double in the eighth. Trotter's up with no outs. {Sidebar: Lugo, the relief pitcher for the Rays, is Julio's brother. Julio's birthday is the same as mine.] Trot's trotting to first after working a walk.

Papelbon's warming. Oh, happy day. I mean, night.

Patriot's Day Game

Walk off game winning home runs are the best. Especially if you're at the park. Jere and I went to the game together, and you can probably see from his latest post, he was successful in attending two games on Patriot's Day - one in Boston, and one in New York. He witnessed Pedro obtaining his 200th win last night at Shea Stadium. Lucky guy. I guess that Shea delivers a rather disappointing park experience. Thanks to Jere, I no longer feel the need to go.

I shot some digital video of one of Manny's at-bats, hoping that it would result in a home run - something I could share with you all. Instead, I wasted lots of card space on a strike out. So, I've got that going for me. Trot had a couple of key hits in the game, which made me realize how much I had missed him. But, oh, that's right, Trot is totally overrated. DiNardo pitched okay - had he not received all the run support, though, he probably would have been scrutinized a bit more today. Foulke's first inning of relief was great. But he unraveled in his second. Timlin got us out of the jam with only one additional run scoring (charged to Foulke). He pitched another scoreless inning, setting the stage for the fantastic two-run homer by Loretta (his first with the Sox). Youk deserves credit, too, for getting on base a bunch of times, specifically in the key moment before Loretta's at-bat.

The weekend contained a few random coincidences, though one was rather bizarre for me. I volunteered for an Animal Rescue League event on Saturday and in the midst of setting up tables, I became acquainted with another fellow volunteer. She and I got to chatting and she happened to mention that she lived in Somerville. I told her that I, too, lived in Somerville. I mentioned the street, and she replied, "What number?" As it turns out, she is two doors down. Same side of the street. On top of this, she mentioned that both a one and a two bedroom apartment would be opening up in her building in September, which is when my lease is up and I was planning on getting out of my one-room studio living situation. Pretty sweet.

Catch Up

So, I had my first game in the beloved shrine of baseball heavenliness that is Fenway on Wednesday night. And lame as I am, I only snapped two pics. The first is of Wily Mo, which is basically from my vantage point during the game. The other is of one of the wackiest names in the majors - Lyle Overbay. I think this name is insanely funny, though I'm not sure why. Milton Bradley is probably a funnier one.





Both the Wednesday and Thursday night games were total pitching poopers. Wells was embarrassingly off. Clement had horrible location problems. But I appreciated the rally last night. That's the best summary I can surmise at this point. I've been pretty busy these last few days and my next blogging opportunity might not present itself until Monday night. I will be going to the Patriot's Day game - sweet seats, too - so I am predicting a decent post with some nice shots then.

In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying Schilling's outing thus far. Manny's record against Moyer is really decent. 16 homers in 44 at bats or something like that. Plus a bunch of hits. His average against Moyer is in the high .300s. God, I'm lazy. I can't even do the 5 seconds of research required to post accurate information. He can't get anything done tonight, though (bottom of the 5th).

Oh, and Trotter's wife is running in the marathon. As is Timlin's and Curt's. Word on the street is that Trot might be healthy enough to pinch hit this weekend.

Lastly, Lowell is kicking serious ass, in general.

"You can't really dust for vomit."

Am I the only one with a cat who strategically vomits on things? I have lived in a hardwood floor environment most of the time I've had Obi Wan, yet he consistently targets throw rugs, shoes, and sofa cushions when he pukes. Never mind the expanse of hardwood and linoleum. No. It must be something that could potentially be stained or ruined. Also, I've noticed that he's a nocturnal puker. His favorite time for gurgly projection is somewhere around 3 AM, when I'm enjoying a nice, deep sleep. The heaving wakes me, but I'm too exhausted to do much about it. I'm awake enough to realize what's going on and make a silent plea to the universe to keep his vomit on the wood or tile. Never happens, save for the occasional foamy splotch. And there's nothing worse than sliding an unknowing sock through the ick.

I love the guy, and I know that vomiting is par for the course when it comes to felines, but he pelted a pair of brown Mary Janes last night and it really annoyed me.

Opening Day

Unfortunately, I had to listen to most of the game at work, with distractions flying around. My coworker has a radio that we fire up during day games and folks hover around our area and periodically check in every couple of innings. I'm sorry that I missed watching Kevin Youkilis' supposedly great defensive play (Trupiano nearly fell off his chair delivering that one). I'm not sorry, however, that I missed watching Foulk give up a huge hit and Wily Mo make sure that it was a homer. I'm going to have to get myself one of those squeeze balls for when they put him in the line up. So far, he's demonstrating swinging skills ala Darrin Lewis and fielding proficiency ala me. I know that he's going to improve. I know. There's just going to be a lot of teeth grinding in the meantime. And even you unconditional proponents of Wily Mo have to admit to that.

Lowell is really stepping up and this pleases me a great deal. I'm equally impressed with Loretta. We seem to be getting key hits at key times and most of the line up knows how to work the pitch count. Oh, yeah, and Stern = wow. Having him in for Crisp, as I've said before, is no hardship. He's a decent lead off hitter and his defensive work is fairly solid.

I guess we are learning that Beckett usually has a rocky first inning. This isn't so bad for a team like the Jays, but it could be an issue when facing teams that know how to capitalize on weaknesses. I won't mention any team names here, but you know who I'm talking about. The good news is, once Beckett settles down, he's great. And if he can get out of first inning jams with only one run on the board for the opponent, the next six innings should be a breeze.



I don't have to continually sing the praises of Jon Papelbon, but I will. I love this kid. Unrattled. Scary. Dominant. I'd love to see him start a game against the Yankees, just to see how easy it would be to put them away. Looks like I might have to wait until next year. *Sigh*

Tonight is my first official game at Fenway. I've started a countdown here at work. One hour down, seven hours to go.

Signed and Sealed

Looks like David will be crushing balls for the Red Sox through 2010 (with an option for another year). I'm really glad that is done. I didn't expect that Front Office would ever let Papi slip through their fingers, but it's a relief to see the thing inked. Also, it's great to know that Steinbrenner will have to continue to salivate over Ortiz from afar. I wonder if he's asked some of his staff to Photoshop David in pinstripes, just so he can fantasize with it in his spare time.

In other Red Sox news: Crisp has "non-displaced fracture at the base of his left index finger." They're going to splint him up for 10 days, then reevaluate. Coco actually said that he felt as though he could have played yesterday. What a nut. A Coconut.

No Co

Coco's out for an indefinite period of time due to a broken finger. I'm a little peeved because the injury was preventable. I still support the steal from a "general baseball" perspective in that even unsuccessful attempts teach pitchers that they should never be comfortable when Crisp is on base. But Coco wasn't even close to making it and it cost him. And us. I hope he isn't out for long. Good thing we've got Adam Stern to cover for Crisp in the meantime. He is a fine replacement, both defensively and offensively. At the very least, Coco should not feel any pressure to come back before he's ready. But, damn, I can't wait to see Crisp take centerfield when I'm at a game.

Awesome game yesterday. Both Papelbon and Foulke were used in relief. The main difference is that Papelbon was brought in after Foulke. From boston.com:

Francona felt Foulke might be effective in the eighth facing a pair of lefthanded hitters in No. 9 hitter Corey Patterson and leadoff man Dave Newhan because of his changeup, and his hunch was right. Foulke struck out leadoff man Brian Roberts (a switch-hitter who pinch hit for Chris Gomez), and Patterson, then got Newhan on a bunt attempt he lined softly to J.T. Snow at first.

Jon has another successful major league appearance under his belt. And seriously, he really needs a nickname.

Did you see Kevin Millar stinking up Camden Yards yesterday? Honestly, my heart goes out to him, but I'm glad we have dependable players at first base now. Who knows? Maybe Millar will find his game and enjoy a rebirth of his old self soon. It's clear that the O's have got to get their ducks in a row. Even Tejada was less than impressive this weekend. And ordinarily, I really enjoy watching him play. Or work. Whatever we're supposed to call it. (Sorry, PD, but it's true.)

The upcoming series with Toronto should be very interesting. I'm curious to see how we stack up against the newly reconstructed Blue Jays.

Cotton Eye Joe is Heard for the First Time This Year

Or is it Cotton Eyed Joe? Is there a hyphen in there somewhere?

So weird to see Halama AKA Sam the Eagle relieving for the O's. It's the top of the 7th and Timlin is warming up in the pen, but Wake is on fire. He could go well into the 8th.

Bard was very good today. Whatever adjustment he made worked. Still, that's a crazy catcher's mask.

I hate these 1:35 games. I can't really get a heck of a lot done before them, and if I sit through the entire game, I have to hurry like crazy to get things done before stores and laudromats close. Eh, that's life during baseball season.

Dependability

I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.
I love you, Jon Papelbon.

Fourth Inning Thoughts

I knew Wily Mo's strike outs were going to frustrate me, but at least I expected them (Still, though, Chen's throwing it way upstairs and Mo is swinging at every single pitch and totally missing.). What I didn't expect was Coco's attempt to steal third after successfully stealing second (Didn't he realize that Chen was going to be paying attention after the first steal?). I still support the attempt even though he was tagged out easily by Mora, but it was odd. Papi's trying to get to second on his rip to right field was also strange. That probably could have been an inside the park home run for Coco, but for Ortiz, it was definitely a single and he knew it. You could see it on his face as he got closer to the second base bag.

Jerry Remy just accused the Aflac duck of having "junk in the trunk" this year.

Landslide

That was some crazy game. I almost felt bad for Cabrera. I listened to a lot of it via EEI and Castiglione/Trup. Holy Mary, Jesus and all that. At one point Trupiano said, "I've never seen a pitcher give up so many straight walks. This is a nightmare." Before the game, Castiglione said (of Cabrera), "This guy has devastating stuff." Well, I guess if you look at it from the opponent's side, last night was truly devastating.

I'd love to write more, but I'm off to Salem. Again. It's a joy to clean and sort out a house all by yourself. It's in the top 5 of things I highly recommend you do with your free time. Soon it will be sold and I can relax a little. I'm hoping to be back in time for the game this afternoon. I wait with bated breath for Uncoolio Tavarez's next fight club moment.

Theo's Grand Uncle Makes The News

Looks like Casablanca was recently named the best screenplay of all time (ranking number 1 of 101). Epstein's grand-uncle Julius, his brother Philip and Howard Koch wrote it. But I'm sure most of you knew this.

Sveum Now Coaching 3rd base for the Rangers

"His new 'stage name' is Steve Smith."


"This has been a Muppet News Flash."

Ok, let me just say, for the record, I like Foulke. And no one wants him to succeed more than me. But, can I just say that Pap is amazing? AMAZING. Did you see that eye of the tiger 1-2-3 shit tonight? That's what we need in a 1-run game. What would you have done with such a close game? I would have put Pap in. As bad as I feel for Foulke.

Sox take 2 out of 3. Good start to the season.

Rubber Game Jibba

In the few minutes that I've been playing catch up with this game (finally, I was given a thumbs-up by the Salem Historic Commission, but that story is getting pretty tired, so I won't go into it again) and I've already noticed a few of things:

1. Beckett shakes Jason off. A lot. I don't know if this is good or bad yet. So far, he's kept the Rangers to 1, so ...
   
2. No run support. Manny's bat is still asleep, but his swing is good. He's just got to make a little contact (Wrote too soon - Trotter just yanked two runs in with a sweet homer. And people say he's overrated. Screw them - Trot rocks.)
   
3. Coco Crisp is fucking fast on the bases. That triple at the bottom of the 6th might have been a single for a guy like Ortiz. I was so disappointed that Coco's work was squandered there. I really, really like Coco. I will probably grow to love him. And then, at the height of my love, when he becomes a free agent, he won't get resigned and I'll make a silly movie about it.
   
4. Loe (that's Lowe minus the dubbya) gave the Rangers a quality start (6 shut out innings). Too bad for them he couldn't keep it going. I'll bet that Loe is just as tall as Hansen. Another funny thing is that Loe's first name is Kameron. Which, of course, rhymes with Singles director (and husband of Heart sister, Nancy Wilson), Cameron Crowe.
   
5. Gonzalez could be an offensive surprise for us this year. Not a powerhouse or anything, but a consistent base hit type guy.
   

I love how Benoit's name is pronounced BEN-WAH. I went to junior high with a kid named Scott Benoit and he pronounced it BUHN-OYT. Also, I knew a guy named Adam Abreu (grammar school, grades 5 and 6) and it was AY-BROO. Not UH-BRAY-OO (as in Bobby from the Phillies).

Denial: It's Not Just a Movie Starring Jason Alexander

It did not snow this morning. I could not have snowed this morning - I am wearing little black flats without socks. So, yeah, it was definitely a snow-free morning. On a related note, the Red Sox did not lose to the Rangers in a painful and humiliating fashion last night. Bard did not handle Wake's knuckleball so, um, amateurish-like, Manny wasn't really 0 for 3, and the Rangers didn't really smack us around Alamo-quest park. Right? Right. At least Wily Mo had an awesome debut.

I will miss a good deal of the rubber game tonight as I must present my solution to the historic commission in Salem for the window restoration (see first post about this). In other words, I have to show up and say, in so many words, that the reigning queen of the historic committee/board/wackjobs was "right all along." And I hate to admit it, but she was. Window restoration is effective and a heck of a lot cheaper than replacement. Not to be all George Costanza (Jason gets a second mention in this post - totally without intent), but it's always nice to keep a little dough in your pocket. What steams my clams is that I will miss a good chunk of the game just sitting around this room, breathing in everyone's collective anxiety. Can't think of a better way to spend a Wednesday night. Maybe sticking hot pokers in my eyes?

Beckett deals tonight.

V for Victory

Part of Curt Schilling's horoscope yesterday said: Mars, as it forms an opposition to Pluto, suggests that almost anything that you start now will take root and develop into something significant. It seems that my fellow Scorpio had a very successful outing yesterday. We saw shades of the old dominant Curt. He didn't throw a cornucopia of pitches yesterday - he didn't have to. No split finger fastball. No need. He kept the Texas Rangers at bay, throwing 119 pitches, 79 for strikes. This is what we needed to see, Red Sox Nation. The cool thing is he did it right in front of Roger Clemens.

And the bats! The bats! Papi, Lowell, Loretta, Crisp, Trotter, Tek ... we definitely had a rhythm yesterday. A steady, cranking rhythm. Coco's ninth inning catch earned best defensive play of the game. Does he have eyes in back of his head or something? That was spectacular.

Pap was lights out, which is not only good news from the "yesterday's game" side of things, but if Foulke has a number of these pooper outings, he might be sharing the closing role with Timlin. It breaks my heart a little. I know Foulke isn't the most popular guy with the media (sort of the Greta Garbo of baseball), but I sort of like the dude. And his smile is burned into my memory after the last out of the game was recorded for the WS victory in '04, so I would like to see him shut down some mofos this season.

Hey, Kevin Millar had 2 key hits for the O's yesterday. Maybe he just needed a change of scenery. Perhaps orange does more for his game than red?

Man, Coco Crisp is going to be huge in RSN. Huge. Not necessarily for numbers people, but from a fan's perspective. A million bucks says that the Dunkin Donuts marketing people are drafting commercial scripts right now with Crisp in the starring role. He's a great player with a great smile and a hell of an awesome name. And he's a lot smarter than a certain former center fielder.

Oh, and Theo, if you are reading this, for the love of Pete, SEAL THE EXTENSION OF DAVID'S CONTRACT. Don't wait another day. I don't want the Cashman to ever dream - even for a millisecond - that Ortiz could possibly be available to him in '09. I guess we've got Ortiz through '07, with an option for '08.

[Original title of this post was 1-0, but I then noticed that Andrew titled his opening day post "1-0". Doh. It's the equivalent of going to a restaurant with someone and ordering the same thing. Well, kind of.]

The Money Will Roll Right In?

I was, at one point in my life, a pretty big Nirvana fan. At the very least, you could say that I was mystified by Nirvana. I eventually got a little tired of it (blame overexposure to the Seattle sound, not the bands themselves), but I continue to respect what they did and what most of the musicians of that time stood for. It was honest and unpolished and many of us really identified with it. Well, I suppose it is impossible to keep the music pure forever. Even the Beatles have been used commercially. Now, it could be Nirvana's turn. From yahoo.com:

"I took on a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me comanage the estate because it was overwhelming," [Courtney] Love said. "The affairs of Nirvana are so massive and so huge, and they've all fallen on my lap.

"I own almost all of [the publishing] ... and it proved to be too much for me. I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation. And this guy's the guy to do it," she said.

Could this mean a Nike commercial? I sure hope not. I happen to like Courtney Love, despite her antics and moodswings and drug addiction. At least she's fierce. And fierceness is so rare for women in music these days. Girls are more interested in coming off as demure and soft and timid-sounding and less interested in rocking out. Where's today's Janis Joplin? I've had enough of Jewel! I've always had "issues" with the girly girls. The "baby-talk" "baby-singing" girls who pretend to be dirty and gritty, as long as they still look pretty. Where's the next Joan Jett? Okay, sorry for the tangent. I'm just saying that I've always stood up for Courtney because she embodies rock and roll. She's not afraid to throw up on herself. She doesn't apologize. Therefore, I will be very disappointed if she allows "Heart-Shaped Box" to start selling chocolates for Russell Stover.

In Red Sox news: First game of the season starts in less than one hour. I am so excited.

[I found this after I posted this entry. Funny.]