Archive for the 'Boston' Category
07
Oct
08
Things That Make Me Happy
02
Oct
08
Angels Futility
I heard these stats on WEEI and haven’t been able to track them down yet, but they are pretty ridiculous. Apparently in their last 50 some innings the Angels are yet to hit a post-season home run. Not only that, but over their last 70 some post-season innings they are yet to hold a lead larger than 1 run. Oh yeah, and of course they have lost now 10 straight against the Sox in the playoffs. Yummy!
22
Sep
08
Bush Fiddles for the Celts
When the entire economy is collapsing methinks the executive leader of the nation should try to pay attention to the problem and focus on the issues at hand. Of course, that is not the way in which George Bush governs. So, last week as the financial institutions in New York were collapsing, taking thousands of jobs and billions of dollars with them, Bush was palling around with my champion Boston Celtics. I get that the visit to the White House is an annual event and that maybe Bush wasn’t able to avoid the issue, but when he addressed the issue he started speaking at 10:15 and was done and gone without even taking a question by 10:17. That’s 2 minutes! He must have been worried about keeping the much more important Celtics waiting. Doc Rivers waits for no man!
So, after avoiding doing anything worthwhile in actual governing, Bush met with the Celtics and spent significantly more than 2 minutes. During their visit Bush spent time joking about how he once owned the Texas Rangers, the chance to say the Celtics’ team motto “Ubuntu” in a Texas accent, and then spent time extoling the teamwork of the Celts. It’s good to know the priorities of this administration.
Why should our President give a shit, I mean, it is only the start of a global economic collapse. I guess because it wasn’t oil companies it doesn’t matter. I wonder this counts as Bush’s version of Nero fiddling while Rome collapsed. January 20th can’t come soon enough.
Last night at the Slopicana, the Old Scratch Rays took the season series against the Sox pushing their lead to 2 games with 10 to play and likely ensuring not only their first ever playoff appearance, but to win the division. Despite their success this year, the fans still haven’t been showing up enough, making it possible for Red Sox fans to buy tickets without a problem and make their voices heard, sometimes we wish they wouldn’t… Take for example Christopher Sciesinski, a Sox fan who attended the game and decided that it was appropriate to try and vault the dugout and run onto the field. The security folk jumped into action and nabbed him before he made it onto the field and took him into custody. While getting cuffed one of the cops pulled out his taser and held it against Sciesinksi’s neck, but never discharged it.
Things to love about this picture:
- Who knew Wade Boggs was working as a security guard. Is this the appearances agreement he made with the Rays?
- The security guard terrified of himself getting tased.
- How much I want to know what the cop is whispering into Sciesinski’s ear.
- The cop so desperately excited to get a chance to use his taser.
Clearly feeling lonely and outshined, later in the game Sciesinski’s friend Robert Mansour decided that he too wanted to taste the metal bracelets and got arrested after drunkenly starting a fight with another fan. That way they had a buddy in jail. Now that’s friendship!
Whilst I was listening to the Big Show on WEEI yesterday, Curt Schilling called in to talk with Lou Merloni and Brian Daubach about Manny Ramirez as a teammate. It was a totally random call, Schilling, the ol’ blowhard was just driving around and decided to call in. His call is an interesting look at Manny from a teammate’s perspective.
Don’t get me wrong, Manny is gone, and I’ve moved on. Sure, he’s putting up the ridiculous numbers I expected from him this season, but he never would have done them with the Sox, as Schilling explained, everyone in the clubhouse wasn’t sure if Manny would even play for the rest of the season. To me, when I hear that the situation with Manny became, according to Lou Merloni, “as bad as Carl Everett” I’m thankful that we managed to get someone as solid as Jason Bay before it was too late. Also, it is fun to speculate on who said that to Lou as, according to this site, the only two remaining teammates of Carl Everett on the Sox are Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek, so I wonder which one believes Manny and Jurassic Carl became one and the same. I’m guessing ‘Tek.
Finally, I apppreciate Schilling admitting that he’s been a drain on the payroll because he hasn’t thrown a pitch all season. Schilling is a whole lot of things but honest is one of them. Definitely listen to the clip though because it is an interesting take on the whole situation.
I enjoy that whenever a high school team hazes someone it becomes major news and everyone wrings their hands and decries how horrible it is. However, when it comes to a professional sports team, the media can’t wait to fall all over themselves covering hazing and presenting it as hilarious and all in good fun. Sure, for some reason high school hazing always seems to end with someone getting teabagged or a plunger shoved somewhere uncomfortable and the pros merely make their rookies dress up in drag but still, isn’t hazing supposed to be illegal? That isn’t to say I don’t enjoy it, I mean who doesn’t want to see baseball players dressed as characters from High School Musical? Also, it is certainly a far distance between sodomizing someone with a plunger to making someone wear a dress, but I was under the impression that hazing is hazing.
Regardless, it seems obvious the Red Sox are breast-men based on some of the outfits that the rookies were forced to wear. Also, I’m curious who proposed High School Musical, I hope it was someone who has a young daughter or something, and not some veteran on the Sox who creepily watches that show. Anyhoo, here are some of the photos from the Sox rookies getting dressed for their journey down to Tampa. For more media fawning over this annual hazing ritual, check out the gallery from WBZ here and for pictures from the fan’s perspective, check out Center Field’s gallery.
Catcher George Kotteras has boobs for days
Chris Smith and Jeff Bailey make all the boys' hearts swoon
Jonathan Van Every knows what he likes, and that would be big boobs
Jed Lowrie though looks like a bad extra from Dazed and Confused
If I was one of the rookies I'd be furious that Justin Masterson and David Pauley got off so easy
30
Aug
08
Why I Love Dustin Pedroia
From the Boston Globe’s Red Sox blog today:
“The answer is: Carlos Baerga, 2002.
The question: Who was the last Sox second baseman to bat cleanup?
Dustin Pedroia gets the honor tonight. The reason? Terry Francona indicated with Kevin Youkilis suffering from the flu to go along with Coco Crisp and Josh Beckett on the team sick bed, that he wanted to create a lineup that would be tough for the White Sox bullpen to counter. Francona said he’s taking a lot of grief from both Pedroia and David Ortiz over the lineup, Pedroia who keeps saying, “It’s about time” and Ortiz, who jokingly said he will retire.
Francona said he won’t make a habit of batting his little second baseman cleanup, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen did indicate after an 8-0 loss to the Sox that Pedroia was currently a tougher hitter to get out than Ortiz.”
Pedroia, who is the exact same size and weight as me, gives me hope that MY major league playing career is not a lost cause.
Despite hitting a double in his first at-bat with the Red Sox, I would say Red Sox nation is at most ambivalent to the recent arrival of Mark Kotsay. However, those of us who follow baseball closely ARE excited for one major aspect of the addition of Kotsay to the team, that would be the addition of Jamie Kotsay to the Red Sox family. Welcome Jamie! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jamie, let us explain why we are so excited (she’s the one on the left): 
Then there is this photo that launched her into the dreams of many:
Jamie, who works as a model when she isn’t participating in team wife baseball games, is a very very welcome addition to the Red Sox and hopefully Theo will sign her to a very long-term deal. Mark on the other hand…
Anyway welcome to the city Jamie, welcome to the Olde Towne Team and, by all means, feel free to leave your husband for any of the one bloggers on this site.
(Oh, and for anyone wondering, in any group shot Jamie is always on the left side of the photo, I guess that’s her good side, although I haven’t found a side I dislike yet…)
20
Aug
08
Get Well Soon!
Carl Yastrzemski was taken to the hospital for triple bypass surgery on Tuesday. The surgery reportedly went well and he’s resting and on his way to recovery now. Take it easy Yaz and get well.
01
Aug
08
So Long Manny
I’m going to miss you Manny.
You were one of my favorite all time Red Sox, and much like the Nomar trade this one is hard to take. That said, intellectually I understand and appreciate the move Theo and the front office made. Jason Bay is one of the few players I would have wanted to come replace Manny next season, and instead we get a chance to test-drive him and see how he fits with this team. I’m sad to see someone whose number should have been retired as a Red Sox go off and play for Joe Torre of all people, but Manny wants his money and so he’s off on that adventure. I’m gonna miss him, his big at-bats, the watching of home runs, the sidearm flips in to second base to throw a runner out and all the goofy stuff in between. Manuelito, you will be missed but I can’t help feeling like this team is going to start playing better without you. I hope that’s true. I do know that I feel lucky that I got to see Manny Ramirez’ final home run as a Red Sox player in person on Monday. So long Manuelito, Red Sox Nation is going to miss you.
Heidi Watney joined the NESN Red Sox broadcast team in late April and has since become something of a crowd favorite, mostly because she is a former beauty queen who is easy on the eyes and is genuinely interested in sports. The fine gents over at Red Sox Monster have an item today about a new fan-site for Heidi, which is all well and good, but is not the only Watney related place online. For example, flickr is rife with photos of her and some are especially interesting. Take for instance this one, entitled “Why cameramen love their jobs.”
Heidi isn’t up to Erin Andrews levels of fanboys yet, or even Hazel Mae, but a bit longer in the Boston market and she could be. In the meantime, let’s hope that the fan-sites thrive and we get some chances to appreciate her fine work.
While I’m still angry with Manny, noted lush Bob Lobel’s comments that Manny was fined six figures for pushing the team’s traveling secretary appear to have been wrong, and there is no clear evidence that he purposely took those three pitches against the Yankees. I’m not letting him completely off the hook though.
That said, here’s a pretty funny story about him from Seattle last night. From the Seattle Times’ Mariners Blog:
Seems that Boston slugger Manny Ramirez was leaving the ballpark, with headphones on trying to look inconspicuous and quickly get away from the crowds still leaving the stadium. He started to cross South Royal Brougham Way, against the signals of a traffic cop who was directing pedestrians. The police officer demanded that Ramirez open his wallet and show identification. He warned him that he could face a $500 fine and possible arrest for disobeying a police officer.
It became clear to those watching that the policeman had no idea who Ramirez was. He didn’t ask for an autograph or anything, but did ask Ramirez if he’d attended the game. After the brief lecture, and no argument from Ramirez, the police officer let him go with no further trouble.
Manny, who was pinch run for late in the game, apparently didn’t feel like waiting for the team bus and so went off on his own. I especially like that the cop asked Ramirez if he had attended the game and had no idea who he was; I’m sure that the brief lecture from the cop completely reformed Manny and really impacted his life.
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