Bronson Must NEVER Leave

I must say I'm nervous about the alleged interest in Arroyo by the Nationals. Not only because if he leaves then it will make 2 jerseys I can no longer wear (and I will therefore be screwed come April when I go to the games), but because he is such a loyal guy. He's like the anti-Damon. He took less money to stay in Boston, and he says he'd rather stay in Boston and be a reliever than go anywhere else to be a starter. Is he crazy, or just the best person ever? If he goes I'd be incredibly upset, so someone better be working hard to keep him.

In other news, Theo Epstein going to a prom? Okay.

Also, apparently Mike Myers received not even one call from the Red Sox about keeping him. He was pretty good, and a lefty, so I don't know why there was a huge lack of interest. I hope he does good, even though he's in NY, but not if it means the Yankees win games.

So, Cla Meredith. I hope that kid has gotten better, because he blew every game he pitched in last year. God, it was awful. The memories are just painful.

Nice.

They Say It's Just Business...

but seeing these pictures is kinda sad:


Well, okay, that one just makes me mad.

I hope Edgar Renteria kicks an extraordinary amount of ass in Atlanta. Go Edgar!! I hate all the people who booed him in the beginning of last season, almost as much as I hate the people who booed Mark Bellhorn EVERY DAY.

I think the person who was the most upset to see Mirabelli go was Varitek. You just know he's thinking about all the errors he is going to rack up if he has to catch Wakefield.

I am going to miss Millar so much. So so much. And I don't know why.

Bill Mueller is going to have a better season than Lowell. The fact is, Mueller was great and as soon as Lowell makes a mistake, I'll be screaming that Mueller would have had that.

I better get over these guys fast. I'm living in the past, man! And watching these 2004 videos over and over again just isn't helping. I'm starting to miss Cabrera again, and I really liked Renteria. I just don't see myself liking Alex Gonzalez as much as either of those two. I've never been that good at accepting change, really. Whenever we play Toronto I'm reminded of when my favorite Red Sox player was Shea Hillenbrand. I guess I'm going to have to get over it fast, because the new season is fast approaching, and it's all just part of baseball.

But I will never get over Bellhorn!

Spring Training - 2.25

Greetings from Florida:

Coco Crisp is like, wicked bald. I think I would prefer some hair.

How much longer till Tony gets the boot?

Stupid sign. And I have a feeling I will be seeing many signs bearing the same phrase throughout the season. I bet he's never heard that one before!

This man smiles in about 94.7% of all pictures he appears in.
I guess this solves the mystery of Gabe Kapler's Number. He has Orlando Cabrera's old number (I miss Oooolando), and Beckett has his old number. And yeah, that is Trot Nixon.
That's amusing.

Some sad news: 'With Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar and Doug Mirabelli now playing for other teams, the clubhouse has definitely been at a lower volume level in the early days of Spring Training.
The lovable "Idiots" as Damon named them during the 2004 postseason, have been replaced by a more business like group.'

I don't want a business-like group! I want crazy, fun fools who make dumb comments and make up those crazy (really complicated) hand clapping ritual things. Any direction that leads to a more Yankeeized group is a wrong direction.

2004 ALCS Game 5

Game 5 was Pedro vs. Mussina. Way back in 2004, I knew we were going to win this game, because Mussina was going to pitch. That man seems to have everyone believing he is a fantastic pitcher, but he doesn't fool me. He is just like Jeter - never comes through in a big game. He's fine during the year, but when it comes to a big game (like any Red Sox/Yankee game, especially this one), he freezes up and doesn't do his best. I love it. I guess Pedro is like that, too. But everyone knows that. He probably hates the Yankees more than anyone.

I did not remember the Sheffield quote about the Red Sox being a walking disaster, and just a bunch of characters who only pretend to care about winning. Well. Dear Gary Sheffield, I guess you don't care too much about winning either! That man is really vying for the privilege of Most Hated Yankee Ever.

It's so great seeing all of these moments again. A-Rod hitting what he thought wasn't catchable, and Trot diving to make the catch. Jeter striking out twice in a row. Jeter's laughable error when he couldn't pick up the ball even though it was hit right to him. Sheffield hitting into a double play (haha). Pedro almost hitting Matsui and the crowd going wild (and I love how FOX then immediately showed 3 Japanese Red Sox fans). Pedro hitting like, a million Yankees. Another great catch by Nixon after Pedro had loaded the bases. Dave Roberts running again and conveniently when Nixon came through with a base hit, then tying the game. Tony Clark's famous ground-rule double. Johnny Damon finally getting a base hit, then getting caught stealing. Bronson coming in after his awful Game 3 outing and getting Jeter to fly out, A-Rod to strike out, and Sheffield to strike out (I Love Bronson). Bellhorn getting hot. David Ortiz getting absolutely robbed when they called him out at 2nd even though he really did steal the base. Ortiz kicking some ass with a little bloop shot into the middle of the field to send Damon home to win the game.

Classic.

And now, for some spring training pictures!

There's Alex Cora being dumb or something. He better do something good this season if he wants me to like him!

And now for someone that I like! Some Bronson throwing action going on.

This picture is upsetting, because if you recall, Gabe Kapler was #19. Who can forget that picture of Kapler and Damon standing next to each other and forming the number 1918? What does this mean for Kapler's number?

Also, it appears Manny isn't playing in the WBC, but I'm not counting him out until the last minute.

And now, your moment of zen (TM The Daily Show):

Ewww.

2004 ALCS Game 4

My need for baseball is so extreme that I have Netflix-ed the ALCS games. I skipped the first 3 games because those are definitely not games that I want to see again, but watching this 4th game is just so much fun. I love when A-Rod hit the home run, the ball came back on the field, Johnny Damon threw it back out of the park, and it came back again. And seeing so many of "the guys" again, like Cabrera, Lowe, Bellhorn, Pedro, Roberts, Pokey. And of course the best part is seeing all the smiling Yankees, and knowing that they are going to lose.

Well, they just showed the Boone thing. Why did they do that? Because FOX sucks. I mean, one of the commentators (probably Tim McCarver) called Derek Jeter "clutch." WHAT?! He ALWAYS screws up in the big moments, these people are off their rockers.

I had definitely forgotten just how bad Damon was doing. When the game started, he had been batting .077. Rough. I hope he never gets above .077 for the whole 2006 season!

Bases loaded with Ortiz up, and though I don't remember much of this game, I had a feeling he was going to come up big. And then he would go on to win the game for us, because he is just too awesome for words.

Dave Roberts. They showed him for the first time about 3 minutes before he came in the game, and it's pretty cool knowing at that moment, he had no idea he would forever be a Red Sox hero.

I am definitely way too excited about a game that I already know the outcome of. I'm cheering and clapping and yelling and chanting. And what's with the guy with the "I Can't Beleive We Fell For It AGAIN" sign? I distinctly remember that fool because my mom and I made fun of him for misspelling 'believe.' I hope that man doesn't call himself a Red Sox fan, because he most certainly is NOT. But this game reminds me of all the crap that the Red Sox "fans" gave Bellhorn, which really upset me at the time and now. You just don't boo your players. That's a Yankee thing to do (remember Rivera?) and no matter how much they are screwing up, you just don't boo your players. It's not right.

Anyway, the game was fantastic. So many ups and downs, it was very good entertainment. And it was so good to see a baseball game again, I can't wait until Game 5 arrives tomorrow.

I guess we have to wait

Latest from Camp Manny? He's not showing up until March 1st.

"With the permission of the Boston Red Sox, Manny Ramirez will report to Spring Training in Fort Myers on March 1, 2006. Manny is in Florida completing an extensive training regimen and is prepared to have an exceptional season."

I take it that means he was only kidding about the Italy trip.

I don't really like this. Part of spring training is meeting and bonding with all the new guys, and how much time is Ramirez going to have to do that? He'll go to Fort Myers on March 1, then leave to play in the WBC a couple days after that.

Actually, whatever. As long as he plays like he should, I don't care what he does.

Wilbon hates Vivi and it is awesome.

I've got Ortiz, Bronson, Hansen and more this time around

Hope you're enjoying Italy, Manny! Maybe you were checking out those American ice dancers that have been big news over here. Or how about that Italian guy, he was awfully good-looking! Actually, I don't care where you are or what you do as long as you show up in Florida when you are asked to. That is, I don't care as long as you don't injure your many-RBI-producing body.

From Ortiz: "[Millar] was an outstanding teammate, and hopefully, I'll get a chance to play with him again."
I don't know what's up with the insane amount of love I have for Kevin Millar, but I am very thankful that I can finally appreciate the many, many Orioles games I get down here.

And now, some images that I stole from MLB.com!

Oh, Bronson, he's been a favorite of mine since he joined the team. I see him and Clement talking a lot during the broadcasts, so I have to assume they are good friends. Do you know what's missing from this picture though? Millar.

Guess who's gonna have the best year ever?

In some pictures, Hansen looks a lot like Mark Bellhorn (it's the hair). In others, I don't see it at all (like this one). But the likeness to one of my favorite former Red Sox players is going to make me like this kid even more than I think I already do.

It's Starting!

Well, pitchers and catchers had to show up today, and everyone else comes on Wednesday. Can you feel that? Baseball is coming!

I myself am really excited to see how the new folks like C.C. and Beckett will fit in. I have a feeling everything is going to go swimmingly, because otherwise, I will be unhappy.

Times like these make me wish I lived in Florida. Maybe I'll just have to take an extended vacation. After all, most of my family lives down there, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind having me for a long while.

Mr. Ortiz

This week's installment of MLB.com's Around the Horn series (designed purely to kill time until the season starts) features the wonderful, dependable, fantastically amazing David Ortiz. I guess it also mentions some bench guys or something, but whatever. I no longer read anything about Cora since he played for Bellhorn during the game I went to and then ducked when the ball came to him. It was awfully embarrassing for me, as a Red Sox fan in Baltimore. I assume it was also embarrassing for him. Anyway, back to Ortiz. The best part of the article is this:

Can Ortiz take his game to another level yet again? Perhaps, but it will be difficult. The bar is set somewhere between the Green Monster and the moon.

Gotta love it!

To me, Ortiz's awesomeness really shone through when he said he saw Sox fans crying after the first 3 ALCS games of '04, and decided that he was going to make them smile again by winning the series. I mean, he's just so goddamn awesome I can't even really describe it. Seeing that man smile makes me smile, and he always seems so happy that it's hard not to be happy too when you watch him...do anything. He rarely gets upset or yells at umpires. Basically, it comes down to this: David Ortiz is the best, y'all!

A Sight for Sore Eyes

Yay! THE Truck left yesterday, and it means baseball season is that much closer.

And if anyone had any doubt as to whether or not Wells would report, he certainly will. So did anyone ever question this? Anyone? That article did have a little thing about the seven inductees to the Red Sox Hall of Fame, one of which is the beloved RemDawg. As if that isn't cool enough, Dave Roberts is the subject of a Memorable Moment in Red Sox History -- and if you have to ask, you don't deserve to know.

Wowza

So I'm reading some of my old posts, and it's pretty weird to see how I first reacted to the Departure of Damon. There must be some word for that, when you react rather vehemently to something that is so surprising, but I don't know what it is. It doesn't even seem that bad anymore. I mean, it's not ideal to lack a true leadoff hitter, but I think Crisp will match up in just about everything else. In fact, I am going to think positively and say Coco Crisp will have a better year than Johnny Damon. Yes, I do think that will happen. Karma or something.


Everything is so boring lately. Spring training starts soon, and that's exciting, but there's no news. Some folks have been trying to make news out of Roger Clemens, but nothing's doing there. Even if he does keep playing, how many times has he said he likes Houston? Not even close to interesting.

Finally, I'd like to mention Keith Foulke. I hope he really is progressing well, and they're not just telling us that. My mind immediately goes to the games that he came in and lost, but I'd rather forget those games. Instead, I will choose to remember a time when Foulke was healthy and unstoppable. And I so hope he will come back to us like that, but even if he doesn't, well...I choose to remember a time....

Johnny Wants to Come Back

As you know, Johnny Damon is trying to make up with all the Red Sox fans. The full-page ad, the repeated thank yous and blah blah blah. Now, I think there's more to it than appeasing people that really shouldn't matter to him anymore. I believe that Mr. Damon wants to come back!

He cries with his children upon telling them he has to leave the greatest city ever and go to NY (which I have to say is a great city too but the Bronx sux k), he always says he wanted to stay but they didn't want him enough, and now he's basically saying I LOVE YOU ALL DON'T HATE ME PLEASE to all of RSN. Please, Johnny. I see through your thinly veiled effort to hide just how much you miss good old Boston Already.

Today on my favorite show ever Pardon the Interruption, Tony Reali asked what the odds were of Red Sox fans forgiving Damon. Kornheiser was out of his mind when he said 100% and Wilbon was on track when he said 10%. Johnny can try, and try he certainly has, but the fact is he went to the Yankees. How can we forgive him for that? We can ignore, forget, pretend, rationalize...but Forgive? He's gonna have to do something really big for that to ever happen.


More importantly, Tony Kornheiser will be one of the 3 new MNF hosts. With him on board, I might start watching MNF even when the Patriots aren't playing!