Spring Training Top Ten List

I’m doing a Top Ten list because there is no way to put into a blog post how much fun we had or all the things we did. I’m not putting “finally meeting friends I’ve gotten so close to” in this list because throughout my time there, I kept forgetting that we hadn’t known each other forever. Some friendships may begin in the most unlikely of ways, but they’re clearly meant to be. Jamie, Kevin, and I were meant to be friends! The list below hits the highlights (not in any order…they were all too awesome to rank)!
10. Playing Peek-a-Boo
While we were walking around City of Palms Park, the practice fields fences were covered with green tarp-like stuff, so you couldn’t watch practice. We found random tears in the covering, and peeped through. We saw Dice-K throw a side session, and we saw fielding and batting practice. We may have looked like idiots, but we didn’t mind! 9. The selectively knowledgeable Pink-Hats behind us
These two chicks behind us at the Twins parks were rather knowledgeable of all things Twins, yet they didn’t know the Red Sox are in the American League. They spent most of the game out smoking and the rest of the time yelling propositions to the Twins players they found particularly hot. They even photobombed us! 8. The birthday boy’s handstand
At one point a man a few rows in front of us leaned over the railing to catch an impossible to catch, foul grounder headed his way. He leaned so far that he fell, head first onto the field. He missed the ball, and quickly scrambled back into the stands. Van Every (who was an ex-Sox player there playing with the Pirates but who is now back with the Sox – yea, it’s taken me awhile to finish this post) smilingly tossed the man the ball. Then everyone saw security coming to get him. We all boo’d security and gave the man a standing ovation. As the guards were leading him out, his wife turns to the people behind her and says, “It’s his 60th birthday!” Happy Birthday, Man! You’re our hero!

7. T. C. I love Wally. There is no denying that, and Walter is my favorite professional sports mascot. However, T. C., the Twins bear mascot, was pretty awesome!! He was friendly and kind to us even though we were decked out in Sox gear. He posed for more than one picture with us and didn’t even pretend to be bothered. He was one of the nicest mascots I’ve ever met! (Can you tell how wicked sunburned I am in that picture?!)

6. Hanging with Haggs
Saturday evening, Jamie, Kevin and I went out to eat, and then we went to a sports bar called Shoeless Joe’s. Joe Haggerty (not shoeless) came and met up with us and hung out for far longer than we expected. Haggs is a sports writer for Comcast Sports Network New England, and he covers the Bruins and the Sox. Several weeks before we were planning to go, I tweeted Joe to see if he would be there, and I told him that J, Kev, and I had buying him a drink on our Spring Training agenda. 99% of the sports writers out there following professional teams for a big name network wouldn’t have responded, but Joe said he’d love to go. We were all three pumped, but we also doubted whether it’d really work out. Joe’s not just a man with a sports blog – he’s legit! After a few emails back and forth, I realized he really did want to hang out with us. After 2 hours hanging with Haggs at Shoeless Joe’s, the first thing the three of us said as soon as we got back in the car (and pretty much simultaneously) was: “Wow! What a nice man!” Haggs obliged us with some behind the scenes/locker room stories that the common fan isn’t privy to, but he also was interested in letting us talk. He wanted to know where we were from, how we all met, and how we all became Sox fans (we were a Missourian, a Floridian and a Mississippian – good question! :)). Yes, Joe Haggerty is a great sports writer (and if you’re a Sox or Bruins fan, you should be reading his stuff!), he’s knowledgeable, insightful, and well written. But, beyond that, Haggs was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. So, thanks, Joe, for hanging out with us. You made our trip!
5. 24/7 DD – or not! The hotel where we stayed was within walking distance of the Red Sox facilities, so it goes without saying there was also a Dunkin Donuts within walking distance. In fact, it practically shared a parking lot with our hotel. Around 2 am, we decide we’re hungry for Dunkin Donuts (notorious for being open 24/7). We walked to the front door, but it was locked. We looked around, examined the 24/7 sign, loudly joked around about our luck, then walked back to the hotel. Jamie asked the clerk at the desk in the hotel why it wasn’t open. The clerk said (without even looking up): “Knock on the drive-thru window, and you’ll get your donuts.” So, we turned right back around and walked back to the DD. We went to the drive-thru window, knocked loudly, banged our head (ok…my head) against the window, but we were given no donuts. After standing around for awhile in dismay, we gave up. As we were walking back, the DD worker was out smoking a cigarette. He waved, nodded, and pretended we weren’t just at his window pounding and begging for donuts!!
4. Beached Boat
We were driving back from Sanibel Island, and Jamie mentioned that it’s really deceivingly shallow, so most boats don’t ride around the area near the sea. She also pointed to one of the shallow areas where we could see the sand through the water. At that time, Kevin and I pointed out that we saw a boat in the area, and it was going really fast. We watched it as it moved closer to the shallow area. The boat was going full speed until it came to an automatic halt and began shooting sand straight up in the air. Jamie, Kevin and I found it beyond comical, and we still crack up over it.

3. The Youk/Pedey Dance
When we were at Hammond Park, we had seats right behind the visitor’s dugout on the first base side. Our view was unlike one I’d ever had at a Sox game, so it didn’t take me long to realize something was up with Pedey and Youk when they played the field. As the pitcher prepares to throw his pitch, Pedroia and Youk both step forward, step to the left, then jump…in synced perfection. It was mesmerizing for me. Not on a single pitch did they get out of sync; it was the most uncanny thing I’ve ever seen!

2. Jerry Remy
As we were leaving City of Palms Park, Jamie does a mini-squeal and grabs my arm. She simply says (in almost a whisper): “Remy!” She handed me her camera, and waited for him to stop talking with people before asking him for a photo. Crazy drunk guys tried to sneak into the photo, but I scolded them and got a great picture! Then I asked him to take a picture with me, and he obliged. Jamie took the picture. I had asked Kevin to take it, and he looked at me like I was threatening to kill his puppy and said, “Please don’t ask me to do that.” It was both hilarious and adorably sweet. Only Kev would say not to ask instead of just saying no. :) 1. Game Ending Triple Play
I had never seen a triple play – not live or on tv. It was the top of the 9th at City of Palms Park; the Sox were up and three outs away from making out Spring Training debut a positive one with a win. The batter hits a line drive that was caught by the short stop; he quickly tossed the ball to the second baseman for the double play. The second baseman shot the ball to first, but he over shot the first baseman. As I was standing there, I couldn’t believe the kid just threw the ball into the dugout. The runner left first assuming the ball had been thrown into the dugout. Then out of the blue, the ball came flying back onto the field. The catcher had backed up the play, and he shot the ball to 2nd. The second baseman tagged out the runner completing a 6-4-1-4 triple play. I stood there mouth agape! When I was finally able to utter words, I turned to Kevin and said, “Did what I think just happened just happen?!” He informed me that it had. I then added, “DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!” He simply nodded (he too was taking it all in). Then Jamie looks at us and says, “Unbelievable!” None of us had seen it before, and we very well may never see it again. For three lovers of the game of baseball, it was a perfect ending to our first spring training game! If you want to see more pictures from Spring Training, check them out here:
http://s689.photobucket.com/albums/vv253/elizabethcrews/Spring%20Training%202010/

Red Sox Day in Atlanta :)

Today was surreal, and sitting here in my apartment finally cleaned but exhausted and a tad sunburned, I still keep trying to take the whole day in. I’m blogging to share my day with you but also in attempts to make a record for myself. So, here goes Red Sox/Braves ’09, Day 2.

Preparations:
This morning, Molly and I got up early and ran to Old Navy to buy knit skirts for the games. Last night I wore a denim skirt, and let me just say that Atlanta in late June is not conducive to denim skirts – even at night. I was miserably hot! We headed to the ball park at 12:15 jamming to my Red Sox playlist. We got there around 1, got a good parking space and walked straight to Will Call where we picked up our field passes.

On the Field:

We had to go meet at Fan Central inside the park to gather with the rest of the group of pass holders. We chilled out in the Hank Aaron room for about 30 minutes before heading down to the field. We were escorted down to the field and were let free in a gated area that spanned from the Red Sox dugout to the Braves dugout. The group was about 50% Sox fans and 50% Braves fans. We gathered around the Red Sox dugout area. We inched our way up to the front, and ended up in the corner where home plate was directly to our right and the dugout directly to our left. When we first got there, Papelbon was giving an interview a little bit away from us, but the field was pretty empty. Jeff Francoeur, Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, and Youk were the only players out there (Paps went back in the dugout after his interview).

We kept taking pictures because we felt like that was as close as we’d get (which was about 50-60 feet away). Papi came out, and everybody around us went nuts. We started picture snapping like fiends.
Braves BP:

The Braves players all came out to hit, and Sox players began to trickle out. David Ortiz got caught in a signing frenzy after agreeing to sign for a young boy standing in the stands but close to us on the field.

He signed autographs for about 5-8 minutes. He took my glove to sign it, told everybody he had to run, signed my glove and handed it back to me before jogging off towards the dugout. Red Sox players kept going in and out of the clubhouse and dugout and onto the field. There was a good bit of interaction between the Sox and Braves players; the Atlantan Sox boys hung out with their Atlantan Braves friends, and those who played together in the WBC hugged each other in greeting and talked and laughed like old friends. Then the Sox players went back into the clubhouse.

Stretching
The Sox emerged from the dugout en masse and gathered about 10 feet in front of us to begin stretching. It was comical how some of the players were hard core with their stretches while others stood around pretending to stretch. Once stretching got underway, Jason Varitek was off to our left about 15 feet away. My sister, as many of you know, has a huge celebrity crush on Tek, and as many of you also know, my sister is unabashedly bold. So, she says in a typical, everyday, casual voice no different than she would use with me, “Hey, Tek, why don’t you come on over here and stretch” (and she points to a player-free spot about 3 feet in front of us). He looked at her, shook his head and laughed as his face began to blush. He, of course, didn’t come over to stretch by us, but he also didn’t ignore her. They shared a moment, and she’s gonna be talking about it the rest of her life. It was PRICELESS!!

Sox BP
Not long after the Sox started BP, Jacoby Ellsbury came over to sign some autographs. He began a few people away from me and moved farther away – signing for just a minute or two before jetting off to the cage. So I didn’t get an autograph, but several little kids did, so that’s cool. We watched the Sox take batting practice and do some warm up tosses for awhile – taking tons of pictures, of course. I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the Sox players take infield practice. Side note: the Braves took infield practice too – and for a longer amount of time. After awhile, Varitek came over to sign autographs. He spent at least 20 minutes signing – he signed until there was nobody else on the field asking for an autograph. He signed my glove and my Red Sox baseball (though it smeared a bit :(). A while later, Tito went to get a picture with these two adorable kids who were in the stands, and he got roped in to signing autographs for all of us too. Someone asked him what he thought of the heat, and he said he loves it. It’s been so cool in Boston that the heat (the 97 degree heat and, apparently, the humidity as well) was a welcome relief. He signed my glove and then excused himself to get things done. About an hour before game time and about 3 minutes before we had to leave, Jason Bay came over and signed for the smaller group of us who were still around. Several people commented on how badly they wanted (we all want) him to sign a contract. One dude said, “Tell Theo I told him to sign you” – JBay laughed at (not with) him (though he did it politely). Another person said, “Yea, tell him we’ll chip in some to help with the money.” JBay said, “I don’t care about the money. It’s not at all about the money. I’ve made plenty of money already, and that’s not at all what I care about.” It was nice to hear somebody say that and actually believe them. It wasn’t the Johnny Damon, “I don’t care about money...I would never play for the Yankee’s” shtick. I was surprised he actually verbalized that he’s made plenty of money already. Ok, surprised isn’t the right word there because he’s the epitome of humble; maybe pleased is a better word. Most say it’s not ALL about the money (meaning, it’s partly about the money); that wasn’t what he was saying at all...I dug it. Oh, and yes, he too signed my glove.
We were told it was time to leave, and the guards began tearing down the gate we were behind. Seriously, were we psychotic fans, we could have run amok on the field (before being arrested, of course). But, we’re not psychotic fans. We’re also not freaks. Molly and I took a few pictures behind home plate and headed to the concourse to cool off before heading to our seats. We sat down at a picnic table still in disbelief and rehashed the previous two hours by looking back through our photos.

The Game
The game was an amazing pitching duel between Wakefield and Vazquez. The woman behind us, apparently, thought it was an amazing game between Wakefield and Derek Lowe because she yelled GO LOWE every time she wanted Vazquez to get an out. She and her Red Sox fan husband were the kind of annoying, loud, obnoxious fan that you pray won’t sit near you but always does.
It was unbelievably hot, and we were sitting in a section with zero shade. About the fourth inning Molly looked at me and said she was going for cover because she was about to pass out. I thought she was being dramatic, so I dismissively said ok. She went inside. After a few minutes I realized she probably wasn’t being dramatic, and I texted to see if she was ok. She was in the bathroom splashing water in her face and drenching her back with cool water in hopes of cooling herself enough to where she wouldn’t get sick. I finally got worried and went to look for her. There was an open door with several women cluttered around. I heard someone say, “She fell,” and I started walking faster because I was certain it was Molly. I walked all the way through, realizing it wasn’t Molly on the floor of the bathroom. I walked out and ran into her. She was feeling better and headed to our seats while I went back to use the bathroom. The girl in the floor was probably in her twenties, and she had passed out while sitting on the toilet and had fallen. All that to say, it was HAWT in Atlanta today!
The rest of the game went without incident. The Sox won 1-0. It was too perfect of a day for it not to end with a Sox win! Needless to say, Molly and I haven’t gotten up off the couch and chair since we got in! Tomorrow won’t be nearly as exciting but twice as hot. :) We’re looking forward to game three and wrapping up our fun-filled weekend, 2009 Sox game fix!

If you're interested in checking out all the photos from the weekend, here's the link. Enjoy!

http://s689.photobucket.com/albums/vv253/elizabethcrews/Sox%20in%20Atlanta%2009/

Mini-Manny Rant

I didn't realize it'd been so long since I've posted. I apologize. I'll write again soon and try to make up for lost time. Now, on to the Mini-Manny rant.

Bud Selig’s hands are tied; the rules are clear. He can go around saying that Manny as All-Star will take some consideration and he’s weighing his options all he wants – there are no options to be weighed. Can the rules be changed for future years? Sure. But this year, the rules say that the PED suspension can’t bear weight on All-Star participation.
It should bear weight in the voting, though. Manny is one of the best players of our generation – steroids or not, but he hasn’t earned the spot this year – not necessarily because he took PEDs but because he missed 50 games. The reality of it is that if Manny makes the team, someone more deserving won’t. Somebody who played twice as many games as Manny and put up equal or better numbers will be sitting at home watching. And what are the chances that Manny will actually show up to the All-Star game? Was it last year or the year before when Manny led all voting for the All-Star game and some phantom injury that didn’t bother him the game before or after the break kept him from playing in the AS game? Manny’s presence (if he shows) requires someone else’s absence, and this is what I think isn’t fair. Somebody more deserving and clean will be sitting at home while Manny pulls a Manny by coming but refusing to play (or some similarly bizarre scenario).

Thoughts and Musings on the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium*

*From A Red Sox fan

Seeing Willie McCovey in a wheel chair is sad to me.
I'm not believing Wade Boggs wore a Yankee's cap!!!
He played for the Yanks for five years. He played for the Sox for ELEVEN!!! He's in Cooperstown with a Red Sox cap on. I'm floored, floored, floored!
Dave Winfield did it right. He brought, and waved a Yankee's cap but wore his Padre's one!
Boggs was the LONE Hall of Fame representative from the Red Sox, and he couldn't even wear the cap! That's just sad and quite disappointing. I can't wait to read what the papers in Boston have to say about it!
I wonder if the boos of Red Sos in the introductions were louder because there were more of them on the field than Yankees or because we won the world series last year and Tito was managing. Was the animosity greater because of our dominant presence? Or was it just typical Yankee hating?

Two of my favorite quotations from the coverage of the parade from earlier today:
"Listen to that, and you'd think my last name was Varitek, and my first name and middle name were, 'Bleepbleep,''" he [Varitek] said.
"I think they were waiting for the other guys.'' Said manager Terry Francona: "I learned two things: They want Rivera to close and I suck.''

I have to admit if there is anything that soothes a Red Sox fan through a festival week that celebrates ad nauseam the Yankee wins, history and greatness...it's sending seven Sox out to man the field in a game managed by the Sox skipper!

George Steinbrenner did NOT look good. When they first showed him he looked like a recovering stroke victim. Has he had a stroke? I know they are real hush hush about his health and all, but that's not good. Fox quickly panned out to a camera in left field which gave a more flattering shot of the devil...er, I mean the boss.
I loved how Yogi wanted to be about 3 feet from the plate, but the other men kept trying to save their own faces by trying to get him to stop moving up so much.
I'm willing to predict here in the first inning that the MVP of this game will either be Josh Hamilton or a Yankee. I'm also willing to put 20 bucks that it won't be one of the 7 Red Sox players on the roster.

Fox's broadcast is coming through so poorly that it looks like I'm watching it online in an area with bad internet reception.
It's funny to me seeing Varitek behind the plate in Yankee Stadium in home whites.
What I love about the All-Star game is the little league feel that the game possesses. It's the only time you see major league skippers working to make sure every player gets playing time. It's the only time you see a manager allow his team's rival players to have their moment in the spotlight by taking them out mid-inning to allow them to receive ovations from the crowd. I love the fact that these games now meaning something doesn't take this aspect out of a game that is, in the end, still an exhibition game. In fact, the thing that makes this unlike little league games are Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. And, I have to say as much as I love the game of baseball, if my son is playing little league and Joe and Tim are announcing...my son is changing sports!

I think it's interesting that in a game that celebrates (more so than usual) the history of baseball, and in this the 100th year of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” they choose to do “God Bless America” instead. And, when did standing and saluting become the norm for “God Bless America”? Does that not weaken the reverence of “The Star Spangled Banner”? Or do we now stand, remove our caps and salute all patriotic songs? I can imaging Toby Keith concerts could become quite a workout if this is so.

Ok, sidebar after the lead off double by Justin Morneau, I love that when he stood up for the first round of the home run derby last night, the announcers went on and on about how he didn’t really deserve to be there and was the last addition with no one else to do it. Ironic, since he went on to win it!
What does it say about his confidence in the Captain’s hitting when Tito pinch hits for Varitek? There is only one person left on the AL bench, and it’s the 7th! I hope Tito isn’t over shooting his aim.
It’s good to hear “The second place Rays” again. I was not liking the constant reminder that they were in first with the best record in the majors! It’s good to be back on top. Now, let’s keep it that way, and get back on top in this game so we can get home field advantage.
I would love love love for JD Drew to hit it out right now to tie the game. I wonder if he’d get booed then.
HOLY CRAP I CALLED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And it’s a new ballgame. Let’s go AL!
I love the fact that the Reds’ pitcher in the 7th inning wears his cap ghetto style. It’s a little skewed to off center. Maybe it adds cred.
Paps just got berated by the Yankee fans. I’m a huge Mariano fan, as hesitant as I am to admit that. I think he’s misguided, but I love him. However, Pap’s remarks were completely taken out of context, skewed and thrown out there to the masses. After all these years I can’t believe people in NY still believe the NY Daily News. Paps was not responsible for that run scoring; blame the error. Sox players thrive on the boos and yells in Yankee stadium, but that was even more brutal because tonight Paps was pitching for the same cause for which Mo will be pitching. I’m kinda surprised after the reaction of Paps after the parade that Tito even pitched him. I was fully expecting him to sit. I give Tito props for pitching him anyway…you know, cause screw them (in the words of Good Will Hunting).

Ok, as if Lou Gehrig’s speech wasn’t going to be the greatest highlight in Yankee Stadium history. Did that even require a vote? Even a Yankee hater can appreciate that moment!
However, I would have voted for the Sox beating the Yankees in the American League Pennant in 2004 on their way to the World Series win. I mean, how much better does it get than a champagne bath and field celebration in the middle of your rival’s field.

This is the first time I’ve ever hoped for a homerun by Evan Longoria. I hope it’s the last. I’ll take that double!!! And once again, it’s a new ballgame.

So, I know the two teams tied a few years ago, but was that before “this one matters”? Will we play however innings it takes or will this game be over after 9 or 10? *

WAIT! Derek Jeter is a phenom?!!! He’s with Tiger and Federer in the Gillette phenom commercial. If ever there is an ad for Josh Hamilton…that one is it. Jeter? Really? He’s a solid batter and defender. He’s had a great career…Hall of Fame one, but he’s not a phenomenon. He’s consistent and respectful and a good player, but he’s not a stand above all other kind of player.

K-Rod is pitching in the 9th. Surely Tito is going to bring in Mo. If he doesn’t, and the AL wins it in the bottom of the 9th he will NEVER hear the end of it. The media will crucify him!!!
What I love about this season is the constant referencing of Bobby Thigpen by announcers. Thiggy holds the record for number of saves before the All-Star break, and K-Rod was giving him a run for his money. But Thiggy just got another shout out here in this game. Bobby Thigpen played on the Mississippi State team with Will Clark and Raphy. My parents kept us out of school one day (which was unheard of in our house) for us to go see that team play. My parents (my dad especially) knew it was a special team, and that was the kind of experience he didn’t want us missing. I was young, and don’t remember much of it. What I remember more is following the members of that team through their major league careers. When I was in 7th grade, I saw Thiggy pitch in Chicago for the White Sox. It was very very cool.

Good…Tito has brought on Mo. Let’s just hope the NL can’t get to him the way the Sox have in the past few years. While Mo is pitching, let me explain what I, a to-the-core Yankee hater, love about Mo. Mo is probably the greatest closer the game has ever seen. And while I love Paps, he’s got about 10 more years of dominance to go before he’s up there with Mo. But more importantly, Mo plays because he enjoys it. He says he doesn’t matter the contract offer, he’ll quit once he is no longer having fun. He’s a Godly man with strong Christian values who backs it up with his behavior. And he’s vocal about his devout Christianity. And there are few people who have the professionalism and class that Mo exhibits. Like I said…he’s just misguided when it comes to the his loyalty to the Yanks.

This is the first time I’ve ever been hopeful at the beginning of the bottom of ninth at Yankee Stadium. It’s the first time I’ve wanted the game to end in the bottom of the ninth.
(and yes, Will Chandler if you are reading this, you will disappoint me if you cheer for the yanks when y’all go there this weekend.)

I want to see what all this talk about Kinsler is about. Callers into XM for the last few weeks have been shocked that Kinsler wasn’t voted in as a starter. They felt like his offense warranted his placement on the starting lineup more than Dustin Pedroia’s. I want to see him fit the buzz – that strike out didn’t do it.
I’m not cocky enough and too superstitious to try and call another big hit from Drew. You also know it’s an exhibition game when JD smiles and chuckles at the ump who made a horrific strike call. Speaking of strikes, that strike zone just decreased significantly in the 9th.

I love how Joe and Tim seem overly worried about players having to continue playing due to an empty bench. They’ve only played like 3 innings; they’re professionals! I think they can handle a few more innings. The pitchers…that’s another issue. Kaz is off the possible pitchers list because the Rays have requested he not pitch. I say Tito pitch him for as long as the guy will stay out there. We need the Rays to keep losing!

I love how Bank of America advertises that they are the only bank where you get official MLB checks and credit cards. Well, um, I’ve got official MLB Red Sox checks and I bank at Regions.

So, I wonder if they’ll keep saying Yankee stadium is the house that Ruth built when they move to the new stadium. I wouldn’t be surprised if it became the house that Steinbrenner built.

Here in the top of the 10th, Pedroia would have had that ball that Russell Martin hit, and Jeter would have had that ball that Tejada hit.
Um, so if the AL wins after those two errors…does Uggla get the MVP?! Nevermind…it’s a non-issue now. I can’t believe Tajada made that play. He’s not young anymore (especially since he aged three years this off season).
We’re trusting this game to the arm of a Royal. Hmmm….
12 innings in an exhibition game is ridiculous!!! I realize that it poses a problem with a tie, but the facts can not be ignored. This IS an exhibition game! These teams need their players back after the break! Both teams are out of pitchers and are having to rely on pitchers whose teams were told they wouldn’t be played. 11 should have been the cut off! This is ridiculous. Upon a tie, the home field advantage should then go to the team with the best regular season record. If you want to go and make the All-Star game mean something and use it for home-field advantage…whatever, but this is moving closer to beyond ok. If Bud doesn’t call this game at the end of 12, he’s going to have some FURIOUS owners!

It’s 12:30! Ok, and that brings me to another issue. This game should have started at 8. While the coverage of the game started at 8, the game didn’t get underway until 9. Coverage with introductions, and brouhaha should have started at 7 so that the game could begin at 8.

At the end of 12 they show Selig sitting there like he’s about to fall asleep but completely inactive. I guess there won’t be a draw with this. Who cares if this game screws up the arms of pitchers in contending teams (or even non-contending teams. With that NL West, God only knows who could win that one at this point).
David Wright just about got hit in his cute little head by the end of his bat. I don’t know why the players don’t take their own initiative and move back to ash bats. And how long is Selig going to sit on this Maple bat issue? Is somebody going to have to die? People have already been hurt; people have already been sent to the hospital. For the love of safety, make them change the bats!
Ok, seriously. We’re now in the 15th inning. Each bullpen has ONE pitcher left! Starting pitchers go on four days rest. Brandon Webb and Scott Kazmir have had ONE day of rest. This inning will be the last unless Scott gets two really quick outs with few pitches. There’s no way he can go two innings. Let’s just hope he can go one full one! Kazmir will pitch again on Saturday with three days rest. That’s bad for the Rays. Ooooo, David Wright just bout got hit. He just got knocked on his face!
I’m loving Jeter and Tito cracking jokes and laughing in the dugout. They are obviously talking about how bizarre this game has gotten. Well, Kaz got out of the 15th without too many pitches, but I still don’t see Tito sending him back out there. So, basically…we gotta score. Pronto!
Ok, Justin Morneau just about threw out his back there trying to win it in a swing.

I’ve never seen dugouts like these. The NL dugout has all of the bench actually sitting on the bench in a row. The AL rotates between all sitting and all standing. But it’s a one or all kinda thing in both dugouts!
Brian McCann is too good to just be coming into the game in the 15th. That Cardinal player shouldn’t have dove for that. Yes, he got the catch, but he could have EASILY hurt himself there. Alright…let’s go JD! A really solid base hit can win it, but a decent base hit wouldn’t hurt!
Bases loaded…one out! JD Drew has the best numbers out here tonight, but he won’t get the MVP. That will go to whoever ends this game….MICHAEL YOUNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHEW! A 4 hour and 50 minute game is entirely too long for an exhibition game…I don’t care that we won. Selig ought to hear it big time from managers and owners. BUT I haven’t seen Tito that happy since Jon Lester’s no hitter. However, this time it was a mixture of happiness and relief. I love the Jim Leyland hug! And I realize this is a four page blog entry, but you need to realize it was a FIVE HOUR GAME!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JD Drew did get the MVP! LOVES IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!! I’m talking LOVES IT! And, my 20 dollar bet came back to bite me in the rear. I love the boo birds and the fact that JD just laughed off the boos. For somebody who is notorious for being stoic and not showing any emotions, he was very personable in that interview. Well, personable for the four words he said (for those who thought he wasn’t…you should see his other interviews). How cool is it that a guy who deserves to be at the All-Star game and who deserved to be there several times before but is just now there for his first time wins the MVP. Well, it’s 2 am here. The AL won, the Sox represented, and Sox JD Drew continued to be on fire as he took home the MVP award at “The All-Star Game from Yankee Stadium.” I’m content, actually…pleased. But, I’m tired. I hope you guys enjoyed the game.

*will this be over in 9 or 10...yea, that question got answered!

Field of Dreams

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I just got finished watching Field of Dreams for the first time. I realize for a girl who watches over 200 baseball games a season, regularly checks baseball stats, reads baseball literature in the off season, and has a slight obsession with baseball history, that the fact I'm just now watching this movie is beyond shameful. I have no excuse, so I'll offer none, but I do apologize profusely to the baseball gods.

I've seen lots of baseball movies. In fact, there are very very few that I haven't seen. I can't think of one that is better than this one. Your first reaction may be a clanging duh, but in an online poll taken during the Sox/Astros game, Field of Dreams was slaughtered by Major League! Believe me...I was as shocked as you! But this movie...

At the heart of this movie was all things great about the game. There was the magic of the game that only those who want to feel and see are able to experience. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer who are wanting to feel baseball's magic these days. There is the history -- the minute history of the game. The black sox are allowed to play again and are captained by Shoeless Joe.* Those who didn't last in the majors were called up again. And a son was able to play catch with his dad. What isn't there to love about that? I realize that Ray had no idea who was coming to play on his field when he built it, but I can tell you that if I knew that I was spending every single penny I had building a baseball field where I would get to play catch with my dad again...I'd do it in a heartbeat without even remotely thinking twice. And I'd ignore your scoffs while doing it.

Of course, there can't be a movie that delves into the history of baseball that doesn't involve Fenway, despite the fact that not one Red Sox player played on Ray's field. I was blown away by how much Fenway has changed! Seeing the changes little by little, year by year, it doesn't seem that different. But to look at what it looked like in 1988 totally blew my mind. There were, of course, no seats on the Monster, but the Monster was also missing it's Billboards (which may have been due to production, copywrite laws and finances or maybe not), but the most obvious was the missing Jimmy Fund kid. It also blew my mind that Ray was able to show up in Boston and get two tickets to that night's game without having to mortgage his house (which is good cause he was about to lose his house) or sleep on the concrete.

And how many wives would support their husbands through something like that? I'd like to believe more than we would think. Look at how many wives support their husbands who are away from home from February until September at the earliest, and if they're lucky October for the love of the game (or more probably for their husbands' love of the game). Before you throw the money signs in their eyes cop out to me, let me remind you that minor leaguers are paid peanuts, and their wives make the same sacrifices.

This movie covered it all, and it did it without crossing over into cheesy. I decided to share with you some of my favorite quotations from the movie. So, here goes:

"Don't we need a catcher? Not if you get it near the plate we don't."

"Hey -- is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa."

"Is Fenway the one with the big green wall in left field?"

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like a army of steamrollers; it's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again."

This movie reminds us of all that once was good and can be again. It reminds us of the good in baseball without focusing on what is wrong with the game. It's been awhile since sport fans have been reminded of the good in the game, and baseball has sufferred for it. But Field of Dreams brings baseball fans back to the point where we realize that the game, baseball, our game "once was good and it could be again."

If it's been awhile since you've seen it, go back for a second portion. If, like me, you haven't seen it before, watch it! Grab your glove, sit back and watch this movie (another upside is that with some hand work or a little oil you can have your glove broken in by the end of the show). Then go out and play catch with someone you love.

*I'll spare you a speech here about who should (ahmm...steinbrenner) and should not be baned from baseball and who should and should not be allowed into Cooperstown (a separate entity completely from Major League Baseball which for some reason upholds the bans given out by MLB), but I will say that anybody willing to look at the stats of that World Series can tell you Shoeless Joe in no way contributed to throwing those games. He did quite the opposite. His stats for the series were amazing!

What's Good and Bad for Baseball

Congrats Manny!
I’ve been waiting and watching every night for Manny to hit his 500th Home Run. Tonight, I went out to meet DiAnne, her fiancé Chris, Carrie and Will Chandler in Tupelo. I was driving down the road listening to the game on the radio when the first pitch to Manny from Chad Bradford (a Mississippi boy and ex-Red Sox player making him one of the pitchers I like most) went sailing through the air into right-center field marking Manny’s 500th. The fans went nuts! After Manny touched ‘em all, the crowd roared louder and louder. Through Mike Lowell’s out, the transition from the top of the inning to the bottom, and two Oriole batters the crowd never ceased in its enthusiastic applauding and yelling. Then it happened – the most appalling thing I’ve heard from an announcer in quite some time. The announcer noted how loudly the crowd continued to cheer, and then he said: “Remember, we’re at Camden Yards – not Fenway. And it makes me sick…just makes me sick!” Ok, I get it that it’s frustrating for announcers when Red Sox fans (who are well known for their enthusiasm and knowledge of the game as well as their increasing number of bandwagon jumpers) swarm into road games and are able to out yell the home fans with the “Let’s Go Red Sox” chants. (They never seem to mind the inevitable “Yankees Suck” chant that is almost always started by some drunk, co-ed, Sox fan). I get the anger they feel that their fans only show up to home games versus the Sox and/or Yankees. For the past several years the Oriole announcers have been the most vocal about this frustration, and the fact that Camden Yards is often called Fenway South by many Sox fans has to cut deep. This year I’ve also noticed the Rays’ announcers explaining bad calls behind the plate to the fact that a Red Sox player is batting and the idea that Red Sox players don’t get tossed because of the jersey they wear (never mind that their players don’t get tossed for arguing either). But tonight, the game was in Baltimore, and the announcer made no attempt to hide his disgust. My reaction to the announcer came not from a Sox fan’s perspective but from a baseball fan’s. 500 homeruns is a BIG deal! Only 23 other players in the history of the game have hit 500…TWENTY THREE out of the thousands of names in the Baseball Almanac. As a baseball fan, it’s something at which to marvel and appreciate, and it’s most certainly something that deserves cheers. Had a visiting team’s player hit number 500 in Fenway, Red Sox fans would not only applaud but would pay homage by rising to their feet and acknowledging the feat that just occurred. And Fenway isn’t the only place where fans would react like this. St. Louis, Chicago, and New York are other examples of this, and I would be willing to put money on the fact that there are more stadiums out there that WOULD applaud a visiting player hitting his 500th homerun than wouldn’t. In fact, when Raphael Palmeiro (another Mississippi boy and a personal fav) made his 3,000th hit in an Oriole uniform IN Seattle, the place went nuts. In fact, the game was stopped while his teammates ran onto the field and mauled him while the fans cheered constantly. As baseball fans, true baseball fans, isn’t it only right to acknowledge, applaud, and cheer accomplishments like these? 500 home runs, 600 home runs, 3,000 hits, no-hitters, perfect games are things that should excite all of us, no matter what team an individual supports. When watching a game, I’ll give a guy props for just making a great play or web-gem type of play. I’ll acknowledge a called strike from an opposing pitcher (if it’s actually a strike) no matter how loudly a Red Sox player argues. The love of the game runs much deeper than my love for the Red Sox (which it's easy to see is quite deep), and I think most baseball fans would say the same of their teams of choice. I despise Barry Bonds, but as I watched him pass Hank Aaron, not only did I clap, but I stood up in my apartment and clapped as if I were there. I got chills. As bad for baseball as Bonds had come, that day he was good for the game. No matter that a quirky left-fielder’s 500th homerun added another loss to your team’s total, Manny’s homerun was good for the game! There are 164 games to be won or lost in a season, and giving up one run in one game for the good of the sport should be something that baseball fans should see worth it. In a time when baseball’s credibility and nostalgia have been tainted with steroids and HGH, in a time where the greatest pitcher – not just of our lives but of all time – is publicly humiliated by past “indiscretions” (another point in case, I'm probably one of the biggest Clemens haters out there, but I am willing to admit how great he was/is and how horrible this circus around him has gotten), and when Congress has hauled in and ruined the lives and legacy of revered players and the game of baseball as a whole for their own personal humor and hunt for another way to inappropriately use our tax dollars, it is even more important to celebrate the things that are good in the game. Manny’s 500th, Ken Griffey, Jr.'s plight for 600 home runs, Josh Hamiton’s phenomenal season after having dealt with drug addiction and self-destruction, Jon Lester’s no-hitter less than two years after battling and beating cancer, the Mariners and Rays both leading their divisions (as oxymoronic as that sounds), and Cliff Lee’s 1.80 ERA after a horrific 2007 season are all things that should be applauded. With all these things that are good for baseball and deserve recognition and praise, that Oriole announcer deserves criticism and backlash from listeners because he is definitely bad for baseball!

MLB.tv/Sox and Dodgers

I realize it's still spring training, but if the new MLB.tv settings are the same once the regular season starts, then I've been took! The "full screen" is only about half screen --which is annoying enough, but it's even more annoying since I bought a new tv primarily to be able to watch MLB.tv games on my tv. There is a 1.2M option, but the Sox game is only available in 400K. MLB Mosaic doesn't become available until Monday -- a day after the start of the regular season. I'm hoping the Mosaic settings will be better. The settings were different and better last night before they "upgraded" the settings. I'm also a bit frustrated by the fact that this game has been hyped for weeks, but it's not airing on any tv station other than NESN. I can't watch my computer on my tv in HD!

On the up-side, it's good to hear Don and Jerry even if I have to squint to see them. I'm still not used to seeing Joe Torre in a Dodgers uni. This game is in the LA Stadium where the Dodgers played when they first came to LA. There are more than 100K people here. USC football games are played here now. LA has fixed it up as a baseball field for tonight. There is a 60 foot fence in the left field. The left field wall here is MUCH closer than even the Green Monster! The Dodgers are not even using a left fielder; they are using five people in the infield. It looks like a shift is on with an extra man on third. The camera angles are beyond makeshift and bizarre. The pitch shots are coming from behind the pitcher, so it's impossible to call balls and strikes. I'm glad I didn't decide to try to score this game! It's so bizarre that Don and Jerry can't even call balls and strikes! The cameras make it look like you're actually sitting in the outfield; it's as if there is no zoom on these things. Wally keeps asking to borrow my glasses! One positive thing about tonight's MLB.tv airing is that it is showing NESN's commercials instead of blacking them out with a miserable MLB ad with elevator music in the background. I'm looking forward to my favorite New England commercials from places like: Foxwoods, Bob's Discount Furniture, W.B. Mason, Dunkin Donuts, Sullivan Tires, Charlie Moore --the mad fisherman, and bad acting by various sox players pushing whichever store has paid them (or Sox Appeal, which had the most comical sox appearances).
Have I mentioned this year how much I love Tim Wakefield?! Yea, even if he did just give up a hit and committed an error after just one pitched ball. Our SS is fielding left field. Andruw Jones has made more plays at second tonight than the second baseman!
I've seriously missed Don and Jerry making fun of themselves or the various things that occur in the ballgame. I've missed the wheezing laughter that they often break out into but are trying to be silent and not laugh hysterically into the microphone. My favorite quote from the game is:
Don: Some people say not to let [the green monster mess with your swing
by tempting you to swing for the fences] in Fenway Park. But even Fenway
Park isn't this close.
Jerry: Even the Little League Park isn't this close!
This is the first road game in years where Sox fans are actually outnumbered by the home team's fans. It actually feels like a road game! In these years of bandwagon jumpers, it's kinda nice.
Just when a late-spring training game begins to feel like a real game (two days before the opening night, real unis instead of spring unis, full effort by the players), the starters are taken out one by one so that by the middle of the 5th inning the team has changed to a mixture of single A and double A players that only ring a bell as being early round picks a year or two ago.

One random Sox fact that I learned this weekend: Closer Jonathan Papelbon graduated from Mississippi State University (no new news there, but...) and utility player Bobby Keilty played for Ole Miss. How odd is it that a team from Boston has two Mississippi alums from the two major colleges (sorry USM fans...you'll always have Favre).

Spring is in the Air

I'm not for sure if on Groundhog's Day Phil saw his shadow (I was too busy playing with my nephews), but I do know that spring has arrived! Pitchers and catchers arrived at camp yesterday, marking the beginning of spring training. After three and a half months of the Mitchell Report, no Hot Stove action, and Congressional hearings, the baseball offseason has come to an end, and I couldn't be more happy. I realize I'm a day late reporting on the pitchers and catchers arriving at camp, but I had a huge French test that made all thing not French take the backburner. But this morning, transformation occurred. Suddenly I found myself switching my radio from 90s on 9 to 175- MLB Homeplate, a 24-hour, 365 day a year baseball channel. I was greeted with the familiar voices of Buck and Mark Patrick (aka The Big Chair). When I clicked on the channel, a caller was on the phone talking about none other than my Red Sox. It was with glee that I listened as Buck said he doesn't see the Yankees keeping pace with the Sox this season, and I felt like I was back home. So, baseball fans, dust off your playbooks, oil up your gloves, and save your money for hot dogs and peanuts because Baseball season has officially arrived.

Congressional Hearings

As I studied for French on Wednesday (or rather, while I wrote down various verb conjugations), I watched part of the Clemens Congressional hearing (while not technically its name, it's what I call it). The more I watched, the more enraged I became...and this comes from somebody whose stomach has turned at the sight of Clemens for years. There were various members of the house committee who had to keep "sneaking out" to go vote as if voting in the house was their second priority. You have no clue how happy I was to find out that the House Representative from my district was not involved in this three ring circus. As always, I agree with the view of Bill Simmons (the Sports Guy from ESPN). Here is what he said in his online column from Valentine's:

"Given that we're dealing with Iraq, global warming, the subprime shakeout, the decline of the American dollar, the decline of the public-school system and every other troublesome reality in this country right now, it's hard to believe some of our most notable Congressmen didn't have a better way to spend this week than interrogating a disgraced Hall of Fame pitcher and the sad-sack Andy Dick lookalike who once trained him. I do not approve this usage of my tax dollars."

I couldn't have said it better!
You can always find the Sports Guy on espn.com or the magazine.

Can You Believe It?!

"The Red Sox become the first team in the Twenty-first century to win two world championships. Can you believe it?!" This was the call made by Red Sox radio announcer, Joe Castiglione. This year there was no 86 year curse, no last minute collapses, no Buckner moments or Bucky Dents or Aaron Boones. There also were not any of the last minute heroics that Red Sox fans have come to expect since 2004. Instead, this year the Red Sox used every member of its team to remain on top throughout the season and cap it off with a sweep to win the World Series. So, 'The Boston Red Sox are the World Champions. For the first time in [er well, 3] years The Red Sox have won Baseball's World Championship...Can you believe it?!" In fact I can! This is a team that started full steam ahead right out of spring training. It may be a team that has the second highest payroll in baseball, but it is a team that has cultivated players from the minors. As the world series ends, names like: Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkillis, Jacoby Ellsbury, John Lester, and Mississippi State's own Jonathan Papelbon all come to mind as key players from the series. They are all becoming household names, and they all were players that came through the Red Sox farm system. On top of these young players, there was Tek, Timlin, Lowell, Papi, Manny, Coco, and even JD Drew (words I never thought I'd write) who showed their leadership through they plays on the field and off. Red Sox fans are brutal on managers, but Tito has been amazing this year and especially throughout the World Series. In many ways, the Rockies were out managed. As a die hard Sox fan, I thank the team, manager, and coaches; I thank Theo (In thee I trust!), and of course John, Tom and Larry. Thanks for a year of rollercoasters, a year of smiles, nailbiters, cheers, tv moments, and three pennants! My nephew Charlie was born in 2004; my nephew Anderson was born in 2007. I think I'm going to make my brother keep procreating if the Sox are going to win the World Series in years they have kids! Now, it's 1:40 in the morning, and I'm too tired to keep celebrating. I haven't waited as long for this win as I did for the last; I haven't cried as many tears this time; yet, victory is still as sweet as ever. I'm sure this win will only add more members to the bandwagon, more people wearing Red Sox caps who can't name the starting nine let alone the Red Sox greats of the past, more people talking Yankee trash, but those of even those of us who hate bandwagon jumpers, the greater volume of fans yelling: "Yankees Suck!" never bothers us. Time will weed out the bandwagon jumpers. They'll find another team to support in a few years, but for real Red Sox fans...we'll look with pride at the banners hanging inside and outside of Fenway that say 2004 and 2007(Hopefully before this decade is over we can add a few more.), we'll sing "Sweet Caroline" after the top of the 8th as well as "Dirty Water" and "Tessie"after wins, we'll still remember the pain of years past, and we'll always believe. Why? Because we are Red Sox Nation! Way to go Red Sox!!!!!!!!!
"Down by the River....Down by the banks of the River Charles..."

Raise the Flag

I became a Red Sox fan on October 16, 1999. Long before this team’s bandwagon got so big it’s embarrassing, I fell in love with Pedro, Nomah, and the Boston Red Sox. At the time, for me, it was an emotional return to the sport of my childhood – a sport I had once loved with every ounce of my being, and a sport I abandoned when the man who taught me the love of the game, my father, died. On my first trip to New England, the magic of the game swept me off my feet and brought me back to a love that my father instilled in me when I was too young to remember. As a child my brother sat me down on my bed and taught me the caps and logos of every major league team. (Montreal was one I had the most trouble with, the weird “M” baseball glove never said “Expos” to me. Thank God they don’t exist anymore.) I was hard core for as long as I can remember. At the point of my New England trip in 99, it had been five years since I had anything to do with the game of baseball. My life was changed in a major way during that trip to Massachusetts. My sister and I spent the day in Boston where everything was abuzz. Clemens and the hated Yankees were coming back to town, and Pedro and the loveable and “always the underdog” Red Sox were hoping to win the Pennant. Since it was the play-offs, we obviously did not have tickets to the game. We got nowhere near Fenway Park; that wasn’t necessary. We arrived back to her home in New Bedford, Mass in time to catch the game on NESN. My sister and I spent that evening watching Pedro stick it to Clemens to a tune of 13-1. I was beyond cloud nine, and I was hooked. I watched the rest of the series, and I cried when the Sox lost sending the Yanks on to beat the Braves in the World Series. I won’t go through the many times I have bawled my eyes out because of the roller coaster ride of being a Red Sox fan. ESPN has chronicled it enough, and Fever Pitch took all of it out of the sports world and brought it into American pop culture. October 27, 2004 (ironically enough the night before my father’s death date) is by far the greatest moment for every Red Sox fan, and it’s no different for me. However, tonight was not far behind. For the first time in my tenure as a Red Sox fan, my team has beaten the Yankees to win the American League East Division Title! When the Red Sox game finished with a win, the Yankees were leading the Orioles by three with two innings to go. When Mariano came in to pitch the ninth, the Os were still down by three. I figured that my Sox would have to wait another day to clinch the division. Then out of nowhere, Rivera blows the save and the Os tie it in the ninth. The Os have a runner on first with one out. The reliever loads the bases with intentional walks, and a sacrifice bunt brings in the winning run for the Os securing the Red Sox as the winner of the division. And all over the world, Red Sox nation went freaking nuts! Fenway Park, watching the Yanks/Os game on the jumbotron, errupts in a mixture of disbelief and pure elation! I think I may be evicted from my apartment for being too noisy. My neighbors were just privy to screaming, yelling, clapping, and wahooing. The season isn’t over, and the playoffs haven’t even started. I’m a far way from fully celebrating. However, I relish this night – this moment. It feels good to break another curse – the curse of losing the division every year since 1995. Tomorrow is another game; there are still eleven playoff games to win before the season is over. For tonight, I’ll rest in peace. A Division flag will be raised next year at Fenway. Well done, Red Sox, well done!

Food for Thought

As I was driving to work today, I was listening to XM's Baseball This Morning show. The guest on the show was a Double A pitcher from San Diego's farm system named Dirk Hayhurst. Dirk writes a column for Baseball America about life in the minors. He was on the show to talk about all of his columns but especially his most recent one. Here's the link:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/features/264668.html
In the interview with Buck and Mark, Dirk talked about his lack of understanding for why people consider him to be great just because he plays a game. To begin with, he plays AA ball...he's not even a star baseball player. He compared himself to doctors and teachers and explained that he and his job are not the types that should be idolized. As you can read in the column, in many ways his mind has changed about that. The interview, and the article after I read it, made me think a lot. I'm a 28 year old grad student who teaches freshman composition. It's a job that has taken a lot of hard work to get to, but it's no glorious job. I don't feel I'm changing the world by helping my students avoid comma splices and work on organization. But the column made me realize that world changing things aren't the point; life changing moments are way more important. I found myself asking whether or not I drown out the voices of those wanting my attention? Do I look at the faces that are not wanting more from me than a smile or a hello when something that simple would change their day? How about you? Do you intentionally avoid people? Maybe this article will help you stop (as it did me) and ask yourself why you do it. I have a feeling that once you stop and think about it, you will find your reasons are hollow. It doesn't have to be a terminally ill kid, although it may be; it could be the woman checking you out at the grocery store, the person in the cubicle next to you, or that student with serious comma splicing problems.

Also, at the bottom of the column, you will find Dirk's email address. I encourage you to write him if you feel so led.

Red Sox Fans....ahhh, a Quirky Breed

I just got an email from Chowdaheadz* with the subject line: "Time to Support the Sox, Through Thick and Thin!" Yes, there is a seven game deficit in the AL East between first and second place. And yes, the first and second teams are (sarcastic drum roll) the Yankees and Red Sox. However, let me remind you that the Red Sox are the ones with the seven game lead!!!! Are we really in a "thin" time here? Don't get me wrong, I'm freaked out by the fact that there was a two digit deficit at the All-Star break and now it's down to 7. But I think maybe we've jumped the gun on throwing up our hands and calling this a rough patch. Kevin Kennedy said it best yesterday on The Show. The Yankees would have to play 700 ball for the rest of the season and the Red Sox play 500 ball for the rest of the season to be able to overthrow and maintain the division lead. We're playing 600 ball right now. So, yes it's getting close...but let's not jump into the Charles quite yet, my dear friends.

On a side note: with this email from chowdaheadz came a 15 percent off coupon. Great...I ordered stuff from there yesterday! Ahhhh, the bad luck...

*disclaimer: I love Chowdaheadz.com and think it's one of the best places to get great Red Sox stuff. I spend entirely too much money at chowdaheadz and born into it (the parent company) yearly.

Red Sox in Atlanta

Molly and I have made a habit of going to see the Red Sox once a year. The original plan was to rotate between Boston and Atlanta every other year. However, this year (because of my lack of funds) we did another year in Atlanta. Every year Molly and I wonder if the trip can be as good as the last. Over the past few years, every trip has been pepperred with these moments of pure euphoria. We keep thinking, at some point this good luck has got to run out. Luckily, it did not run out this year. We had tickets to all three of the games in Atlanta (of course). Here's a little bit about each game.

Game 1: We arrived late because traffic was horrendous...even by Atlanta's standards. We get there in the top of the second. Our seats were amazing! For the first game, Curt Schilling was pitching. We cheered our hearts out (even in the rain), but our boys apparently left the bats in Boston. We lost the game. From the get-go we had a bad feeling about the night, and as all Red Sox fans know...bad feelings can't be good. (we sox fans are a superstitious bunch).

Game 2: Pure Euphoria

We arrived very early for this game. Our seats were in the outfield right by the score board. They would be Atlanta's equivalent of the Green Monster. This time we carried signs. The front said: Souther Girls (heart) The Sox! The back said: Libby, Molly and Wally (heart) Don and Remy! Needless to say our sign was a huge hit. We were sitting right by the cameras. Because we had pro-Sox signs, they put us on NESN (New England Sports Network...for you non-sox fans. It was the Boston station). We won the game complete with an unbelievable jumping catch by Pedroia and a impossible diving catch by Coco! We were surrounded by a good mix of Sox and Brave fans. It kept the atmosphere entertaining and exciting. There was a downpour of rain which caused about an hour rain delay. We stuck it out, though. Pretty much our whole section stayed until the end of the game! It was great! We came home and immediately pulled up mlb.tv. However, they only had the Braves broadcast station. Luckily, a sweet Sox fan from New England recorded the replay of the game and sent it to me. Molly and I open and close the game dancing and cheering with our signs. They show both sides, and it was AWESOME!

Game 3: We had great seats for this game as well. We were about 20 rows up right between Home plate and the visitor dug out. My friend, Angela, also gave us tickets to the 755 club. It's Atlanta's posh club for VIPs. We went up there before the game and watched batting practice from there. We ate dinner up there with a group of men who had flown in from Boston for the game. It's always interesting to meet new people. I think they were floored by how much we knew about the Sox. They quickly learned we weren't any bandwagon fans. After batting practice we took Wally and headed down to our seats. We cheered, danced, sang, and laughed our way all the way to another victory! Oh, and there was a fight RIGHT in front of us. This drunk Braves fan had started it up with a Red Sox fan. I'm not for sure what lead up to the weak and embarrasing exchange of blows, but it was hilarious. Even better was the dude in front of us who turned around and said, "That's why they stop selling beer in the 7th." It was great!

We had a blast. Here are some pics from the weekend. I'll label some...some are self explanatory.

This is a purse I "made." By "made" I mean sewed the patch onto. Wally is getting ready for the game.

Here we are in the 755 club (which we kept saying like Chris Rock and cracking up!). The first pic is Molly and me; the second one is Wally!

Big Papi!

Molly's Tek!