Bad Luck for My Teams

This has not been the best couple of days. Witness:

-Sox lost tonight. Brad Penny was again, not good.
-Oregon lost (Little League World Series) tonight.
-Rhode Island lost (LLWS) today (to Massachusetts, so it wasn't all that bad).
-Virginia (LLWS) lost yesterday (man, I am really bad at picking LLWS teams this year! Bring back Lake Oswego!)
-Novak Djokovic lost to stupid Andy Roddick yesterday.
-Roger Federer lost yesterday after being up 5-1.
-David Wright (I like him, but I don't know why) got hit in the head today.
-I lost my tennis match today!

However. All of the bad stuff was made okay with the sight of Alex Gonzalez back in a Boston uniform tonight. Yay! And if Blogger wasn't so mean to us FTP-ers, I would have that picture right here.

Technically, Baseball Starts Today!

Baseball starts up again today! Not "real" baseball, but spring training is still technically baseball, I suppose. Before you know it, Monday night baseball and Baseball Tonight will be back, and life will be back to 60% Red Sox, 30% school, 10% TV. As it should be.

But we also have to get through the World Baseball Classic first. Red Sox players: Daisuke Matsuzaka (Japan), Jason Bay (Canada), David Ortiz (Dominican Republic), Dustin Pedroia (United States), Kevin Youkilis (United States) and Javier Lopez (Puerto Rico).

I was going to go with the Dominican Republic because of Ortiz, but there are too many Yankees on that team (including A-Roid). So I will be safe and go with Japan again. The U.S. team? Not so great. Except Pedroia, but I don't think he can carry the whole team.

But I really don't care about the WBC, actually. I'm more excited about April 6th.

At Last, It Makes Sense

My neuro exam is over and I am ready to comment on A-Rod. I am a little behind, ok?

Actually, for once in my life, I don't have too much to say. I think now, especially with this news, it's almost expected that if you are good, there is a reason why other than natural talent. Which is sad. But how many baseball players have taken steroids? It's just not that shocking anymore. I think more than anything, it's just disappointment--I mean, even though the man sucks post-September, he is still a very good baseball player and his use of steroids taints the whole thing.

Oh, well. People cheat, and you move on. But this does make my nickname for A-Rod, Dirty Cheater, look perfectly accurate (which I started calling him after he knocked the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove, an image I will NEVER forget). I used to have a picture of Nomar, A-Rod, and Jeter (the three shortstops, if you recall) and I put a giant X on Jeter's head, made an arrow pointing to A-Rod that said "Dirty Cheater," and then there was Nomar all normal-looking. I may have even posted it on this site somewhere. Ahh, memories.

Goodness is Everywhere Now

Obama is the new president and Dustin Pedroia won a Gold Glove for his fan-freaking-tastic 2nd base-ness!

I love the world right now.

Rookie of the Year last year, Gold Glove this year...what will he win next year? MVP? Or will he just get to that this year too?

What a nice couple days it has been!!

Take That Rays

I am sending both congratulations and gratitude to the Philadelphia Phillies tonight. Congratulations on your first World Series title since 1980, and thank you for beating my new least favorite team.

See how I can be both mature (by congratulating a non-Red Sox team) and childish (by taking pleasure in the Rays' pain).

Even if it's not Boston, it was still nice to see the Phillies so excited. I have nothing against them, and Cole Hamels is pretty hot, so I am cool with this. Not happy, but cool.

And now back to anatomy/embryo studying...

I absolutely HAVE to post this link:

Someone is listening!

As Expected!

As I expected, it was a very close game last night between the Sox and Rays. What was not expected was just how many times Matsuzaka scared the crap out of me! He got himself into a bunch of tight places and yet, as you know, he worked out of every one. He even had a no-hitter going throughout most of the game (which my mother jinxed!). Boston won the game 2-0 and that puts us up 1-0 in the ALCS.

If I could, for a brief moment, discuss the NLCS (I know, who cares). Philadelphia is up 2-0 over the Dodgers. This is good news and also bad news.
Good: Don't really want to see Manny do well. SORRY I am....bitter? That's not the right word but the very season he leaves Boston he cannot win the World Series!!
Bad: I want Joe Torre to do well now that he isn't with the Yankees. Not because I like him but because I want NYY to see the mistake they made (like they don't already, right!)

So I don't know about that one.

But the ALCS is going according to plan. They play again tonight, with Beckett going against Kazmir. Kazmir went 12-8 this season (3.49 ERA), which doesn't sound too great but then again, Beckett was 12-10 (4.03 ERA). So who knows. Be there and find out!!

Important Bits and Pieces

Updates That I Deem Important:

a) No significant damage to Jacoby's wrist and the boy may be back this weekend! Absolutely my favorite news of the day.

b) Crisp was given a 7-game suspension for his fighting action the other night. Jon Lester got 5 games and Sean Casey got 3. All for defending a teammate. Hmph.

c) Things are cool with Manny and Youkilis. "It was a misunderstanding," said Ramirez. "Even in the best family, you fight and stuff like that. But it's done. It's over with. We got everything straightened out."

d) We're losing 7-0 right now. That is pretty bad news, guess we can't win 'em all.

Djokovic lost to stupid Nadal. And that was the worst news of the day.

Oops

Apparently we are still in preseason mode. Clearly I don't know what the hell is going on. :)

Next week?! I think I am correct in saying the next real game is April 1st. For the Sox, anyway--I think other teams play real games 3/30 and 3/31. But who cares about other teams?

Timlin is already on the disabled list and we are 2 games into the season. Of course.

On an unrelated note, all of my NCAA teams are losing. In the order of who I like the most, let's see:
1. Georgetown (lost in the 2nd round after they were winning)
2. Villanova (went out last night in bad form)
3. Texas A&M (out in round 2, lost to UCLA by 2 MF points)
4. West Virginia (lost by FOUR points)
5. Georgia (the little team that could, but really couldn't)
6. Texas (hey, one of my teams won!)
7. Oklahoma (again, 2nd round and out)
8. Tennessee (they made it to the Sweet 16, at least)

And Syracuse didn't even make it, but they blew a 22 point lead (NIT).
If I pick you, you will lose. My apologies.

Novak Won!

This is not Sox-related at all, but you all know I have to post this:

Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open last night (and I was up starting at 3:30 am to watch the whole thing, even though it really screwed up my day today!) in 4 sets over a very good Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It was definitely worth it to stay up and watch it all--a very good match that ended just they way I wanted it to. He lost the first set, but that was all nerves, and he corrected himself as he went along. He was so on later on in the match that it wasn't even a question that he'd win (at least not to me!).


And you know during the press conferences they ask all these dumb questions, but I particularly liked this one:

Q. Would you like to play the whole year‑round on hard court without having to having to also play on clay?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Probably, yes. I'll speak with the ATP chairman about it to make all the tournaments hard courts (smiling).

And this one, too:

Q. Can you relive the match point?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know. I really don't know. I can't remember. I just remember that I fell down and I was relieved and so happy. I even couldn't show my emotions because of the momentum, so it's very difficult to say what I felt.

So happy for him!! I think having the Red Sox win in October, Djokovic win in January, and the Patriots win in February would be pretty awesome!!

MT

I am very disappointed that Miguel Tejada is no longer an Oriole. Whenever I go to Baltimore/Boston games, I greatly anticipate the music they play when Tejada is up to bat. It's so catchy!

This kinda sucks :(

Strange Look

Not Sox-related, but....how weird does this look?

3 Things to Brighten Your Day after Last Night

1. Rookies Dress Up

2. You just have to laugh about it when it looks like this (even though the ending isn't quite the same) -- '86 World Series

3. At Least You're Not this Guy

Little League Post of the Day

Yeah Curacao! What a great game I just watched. Let me set it up:

It's a 1-1 tie after regulation, so we're headed to extra innings. Venezuela is up first, and some kid hits a solo shot and depresses me. They are leading 2-1 going to the bottom of the 7th, and 1 out goes by, 2 outs go by, no one is getting on base. After an 8-pitch AB, one of the Curacao kids gets on with a single. The next kid gets a 4-pitch walk. So there's 2 on with 2 outs and Deion Rosalia gets an 0-2 count, and the Venezuela pitcher throws what had been called a strike all day...but this time was a ball. And the very next pitch? A walk-off home run!

So I'm very happy that my International team won today and hope my team from Oregon wins as well...and they start at 3 pm. They have a tough one ahead of them, they're playing the undefeated Texas team. Be there or be square.

The Derby

I can't believe I'm watching the Home Run Derby when David Ortiz isn't participating. However...my favorite non-Sox-never-was-a-Sox-player Vlad Guerrero is in it and I have to cheer the man on. It is my duty!

There's the Good and then There's the Bad

The Red Sox won tonight, and many good things happened: A two-run single that snapped an 0-for-33 hitless streak for Julio Lugo; Matsuzaka earned his 10th win of the season; and Juan Carlos Ferrero won his 4th round Wimbledon match. Oh, was that not baseball-related? I gotta show some love for my favorite tennis player, and I may not have much longer to do it -- he's playing Federer in the quarters :(

I know the Boston winning news is great, but there is something really, truly bad going on at the moment. If you've got 10 little minutes to spare, watch this video of a man who loves baseball and also happens to be 100% amazing in this clip.

Returning Now

Okay, I'm back. My vacation is over and I have to go back to work. Life is not fun anymore!

And you know what makes it worse? Staying up until after 12 so I can watch a Red Sox game when I have to get up at 5:30, and then they lose because of A-Rod. I was messed up the whole next day, and for nothing! And now the games don't start until 10, and I cannot possibly stay up to watch the end of these games. And even if I had last night, losing in the 11th inning is no way to go.

So...NY won today so Boston needs to get back on track and start winning again, and it has to begin tonight. It's not time to fall apart!

But I have been thoroughly enjoying the Women's College World Series. I think I mentioned it last year, actually, but I love love love watching college softball. I even picked Tennessee this year and now they are in the finals. Could even win the whole thing tonight. Go Lady Vols!

Not So Great, That One

That game didn't go according to plan.

Wakefield was off, as was our offense. Things that were not off? NY's offense and pitching. So all of that made for a bad combo.

In positive news (well, sort of positive), Bronson Arroyo gave up 6 runs in 2 innings (and then came out) and he didn't get a loss. His bullpen only allowed one run over the next 7 innings and Washington imploded. So at least one good thing happened today.

The Less I Write...

I've noticed something. The less I update my site, the more the Red Sox win. Let's hope I don't jinx them for tonight's game.

But seriously, they've been pretty awesome over the last few days. I'm still excited about Manny's bottom of the 8th home run to win Matsuzaka's game (what is up with him, by the way?) a couple days ago. Wakefield was damn near perfect last night, allowing no runs and only 3 hits over 7 innings. I bet he was awfully frustrated with the lack of run support, until the 6th when Ortiz launched a solo shot to put the Sox ahead. Romero, Donnelly, Papelbon - the bullpen is NOT blowing games. Truly amazing, considering last year.

So Boston needs no help winning right now, they are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are sitting pretty on top of the AL East. They have a 6.5 game lead over everyone!

I guess now I need to address the serious matter of Tom Brady's latest faux pas. All the non-Sox fans say Sox fans shouldn't care. But...it's a big deal! Right?! How do you not know that people are going to think that's pretty crappy? I think he must be a little nutty, and that's my final conclusion.

Who Had a Good Night?

All the Red Sox players did! Schilling, Ortiz, Papelbon...they all had great nights. Ortiz had a 2-home run evening (contributing all 3 RBI), Schilling gave up one earned run in 7 strong innings, and Papelbon got the final 5 outs in dominant fashion.

Who had a bad night? The Rangers. Too bad.
The Yankees had a bad day courtesy of Baltimore, which was cool with me.

Timlin also had a good day, since he might be ready to pitch by Tuesday. What that means for us is yet to be determined, because who knows what kind of outings he will have.

Off day tomorrow, with Opening Day on Tuesday. Beckett vs. Seattle. Be there or be square. I, of course, will be working till forever, so I am very, very square.

Oh yeah, and congrats to Zach Johnson for winning the golf thing. I was watching it while I was cleaning, and while I wanted Rory Sabbatini to win, I was happy for Johnson. I kind of like watching golf. But only like 2 or 3 times a year, any more than that I can't do.

Pathetic

Pathetic is how I would describe the Bears' performance this Super Bowl 41. Rex Grossman was a disgrace, obviously too nervous to get the job done. It all started out good, with Chicago scoring off the punt return. Things were looking up....and then came the Chicago offense and defense. And man did they suck.

Probably one of the worst SB performances I've seen. At least it wasn't a Bills-type loss, 52-17.

I am positive Criminal Minds will be better than that absolutely awful football game. You know the Patriots would have won that!

Bad News Around the League

Boston isn't the only team dealing with problems (namely J.D. Drew's shoulder); there are plenty to go around:

The Reds: Ken Griffey Jr. broke his left hand "in an accident at home." I wonder how he did it?

The Marlins: Pitcher Dontrelle Willis was arrested for drunk driving Friday morning. That's trouble.

Teams all over: A man was caught stealing the identities of almost 90 baseball players, including Jim Thome of the White Sox and Moises Alou of the Mets. That's just foolish.

With all that bad news, there is one piece of good news: I finished my Christmas shopping today!

Tomorrow Will Probably Be Another Disappointment

Today the winner of the NL MVP was revealed - Ryan Howard of the Phillies. He beat out Albert Pujols with a score of 388 to Pujols' 347. I thought I would report this, even though I do not care one iota. I will care tomorrow, when the AL MVP is announced. You know it won't be David Ortiz, even though we all want it to be him. He isn't even listed on the little info page at MLB.com; instead they write, "The MVP mix includes a New York icon, two terrific Twins and one to Dye for." If that fool Jeter wins...oh, words won't be able to describe my disgust and anger.

Let's see...Nomar has a 2-year deal with the Dodgers and Alfonso Soriano's going to Chicago to play for the Cubs. Matsuzaka had dinner with Theo Epstein, John Henry, and Terry Francona over the weekend. If Scott Boras was also there, it's safe to assume that no fun was had.

And the best name Boston.com could come up with for Matsuzaka was Dice-K? You cannot be serious!

Bill Mueller Retires, GONZ IS GONE

Oh, Billy. I loved watching him play third with ease. But knee surgery has killed his career, and he has taken a position within the Dodgers organization. He'll be doing work in the scouting and player development areas. It's too bad he had all those knee problems, I really did enjoy watching him play.

In other Dodgers news, Nomar is close to signing a deal to stay in LA. All those Sox fans who want Nomar back (myself not included) are frowning.

This is Alex Cora smiling because he got a 2-year deal:

Now, I know Cora is a good backup shortstop/2nd baseman, but I really really really wanted the Sox to re-sign Alex Gonzalez. He will now be teammates with Bronson Arroyo in Cincinnati with a 3-year, $14 million deal. I'm the first to admit he's not too impressive with the bat, but the FO basically spent all last offseason building a great defense, and losing the Gonz screws it all up. He was the best shortstop in the American League this year, without a doubt. Speaking of people that don't deserve the awards they get, why am I seeing Derek Jeter when I am trying to watch the Michigan/Ohio State game? Not cool!

Go Michigan (cheering for them because that's where Tom Brady played)!

GONZ!!!!!!!!! I am so upset. I will miss you, Alex. Say hi to Bronson for me.

More Matsuzaka

Yes, the Matsuzaka news will not stop coming until he retires. Actually, I just have some quotes that I thought were really nice and show that he is excited about coming here.

Q: How would you react to Red Sox fans "booing"?
Matsuzaka: If you can't perform, you deserve it. I want to get good numbers and hope to get booed at away games.

Q: What is your impression of Boston?
M: Never been there, but it has famous universities, museums and hospitals. I'll like it.

M: Boston is a prestigious team and has produced many great players in the past. The price is higher than expected, and was surprising, but I am glad that they value me that much. I also feel some pressure.

Seibu Lions president Hidekazu Ohta: "It was [Matsuzaka's] dream since he was 10 years old to play in the major leagues. I am glad to help make his dream come true."

In non-Sox news, if Frank Thomas signs with Toronto, the Jays will be even better than this year. Bad news for us in the AL East.

Manny's agent refuses to comment on the trade request, saying only, "There's nothing to say. There's no news." All I can say is if we do trade Manny, we better get a whole lot of awesomeness in return.

A-Rod said again last night that he wants to stay in NY. Why, I don't know, because he gets treated like crap there, but to each his own.