Morales Puts Sox, and My Fantasy Team on Notice

I know I'm about a day late in posting this video....but give me a break, it's memorial day weekend. That said, the Kendry "Gramatica" moment from Saturday night is an unfortunate instant classic. But if you consider the Angels a likely competitor in the eventual wildcard and playoff race, maybe you don't feel quite as bad.

What makes this injury worse is that Morales is a cornerstone stud on my fantasy team (Roger Dorn's Revenge). I finally get Curtis Granderson back from the DL and now my best power hitter ruins himself in celebration.

A few of us were at a bar Saturday night when a buddy of mine told me he saw the news scroll across the bottom line. Naturally, I assumed he was joking since he knew Morales is on my fantasy team (we do this all the time, I tell T Murph at least once a week that Adrian Gonzalez was just deported). "How do you even dream up this crap"....at this point, I wish he was kidding.

Anyways, how many times have we seen a Red Sox player hit a walk off and have celebrations of tackling, punching and kicking each other? Good thing Sox players drink a glass of milk everyday. Youk would have ruined Morales years ago.

You Heard it Here First....Unfortunately

(I still can't believe someone was serious when they made this pic)


I went to Remys last night hoping that I would be wrong. As soon as Dice-K nearly threw a no-no last week I called a few people to say he would go 4 and 2/3rds, giving up 5 runs and 5 walks in his next outing.

While I wasn't exactly right, but I was damn near close enough. Dice-K threw the same amount of pitches last night as he did in his 8 innings of dominance over the Phillies (112). This time the output was far from the same. 4 and 2/3rds innings, 8 walks!, 1 k, and 3 runs later, Dice-K was out of the game asking his interpreter how to say over-hyped in English.

That's just who Dice-K is. Impressive at times but amazingly frustrating too....with the frustrating times taking the severe majority. He's far from the phenom from the far east we were sold on....but he's just good enough to keep you wondering if and when he'll turn the corner.

One let down loss to the Royals at home shouldn't derail this team from their current run of great play, but I wonder when Tom Verducci will start to rethink his article on Dice-K's resurgence (ITM note: the velocity seemed to be there last night, but what kind of major league pitcher walks five guys in one inning? T Murph didn't even do that in his little league days.....and if anyone was going to do it, it was him).

See How Much The Sox Are Pouring?

(the pic may not make much sense to you, but believe me when I say, it's funny)

The Celtics have us all on edge....there is fear throughout New England of an unprecedented back to back 3-0 collapse....

But have you been watching the Sox lately? They're the only team that actually matters in my mind, and they just ripped through the best competition the league has to offer. In the words of naughty Mazz "talk about a turd cutter" (ITM note: I still don't know what that actually means, but i've been using it in day-to-day conversation without issue).

Things seem to be falling into place for the Red Sox. They finally leaped over the Blue Jays in the AL East standings last night....and are right on the Yankee's tail for 2nd.

More importantly, the Sox just brought the other-worldly Tampa Bay Rays back down to earth, defeating the AL East leaders in every facet of the game. The Sox went into an environment where they've had little success over the past few years, against the hands down best team in the league, and made them look like the Devil Rays of old (I honestly would have been somewhat happy with winning one game, forget all three).

Will Ortiz continue to average 4 taters every 6 games? Nope. Will Adrian "my main man" Beltre continue to hit .344 and end up with his project 130 RBI? Probably not. But this is still a banged up lineup....as they continue to get healthy, and Pedey finds his swing again, everyone will be able to chip in.

Suddenly the Sox are back, Gonzo is not needed, and teams are likely wishing they would have taken Buchholz in a trade last year (for now at at least...fingers remained cross). With the sweep of the Rays and their recent run through the league's best, they've sent that message to everyone in baseball (including their own fan base).

Next up for the Sox? The Royals and Oakland at home, followed by away series against Baltimore and Cleveland.....they came back to life against the league's best, now it's time to get fat on the league's worst. Go Sox.

They Are Who We Thought They Were.....

Turns out these Boston Red Sox are who we thought they were......it just took a while

The Sox sure had us fooled, and fooled bad. It wasn't the way Theo and company drew it up, but I think we can officially welcome the Boston Red Sox back into the world of competitive baseball. They're somehow still in 4th place in the AL East, but are only a game and a half behind the second place Yanks.

While it's been the balanced combination of pitching, hitting and defense that has led to the Sox winning 6 of their last 7 and going 8-4 against the league's best over the past week, three individuals have to be singled out as the main reasons the Sox have pulled out of the doldrums of the first 5 weeks of the season....

Big Jon Stud Lester: We held our breath throughout April, praying he would do the typical bad for one month, masterful for the rest of the year act. Take a look at his last 5 starts and you'll see why he continues to rival CC for the "best lefty in baseball" title. He has put the Sox rotation on his back, assuming the true ace role while Beckett figures his body out and Lackey stumbles along. He has set the tone, challenging the rest of the staff to play in his league, thus far, only one other pitcher has managed to accept the challenge....

Clay "I look like a child molester" Buchholz: He saw Lester's challenge and whether we want to believe it or not, has pushed himself into the number two starter role. He may not actually be the number two starter, but he's been pitching like one all season. He's been the most consistent arm and has the best ERA (3.07) in a rotation that was supposed to be the best in the league (they still may be).

David "Ride or Die with me" Ortiz: Youk may be the hottest hitter in baseball right now, but we've come to expect that at times. David Ortiz however, has managed big hits and small ones....he's broken out of his slump in a big way, and is letting us all know about it. He's finally pulling his weight in the middle of the lineup (and batting his weight as well). Let's be honest, the offense wasn't necessarily the problem in April and early May.....but Ortiz is the X factor to put the offense over the top.


Honorable mention: Youk, Manny Delcarmen (yes, you read that right) and JD Drew (T Murph is flipping out in Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana ((they're all the same to me)) right now).

I'm usually not one to wave the Red Sox pom poms at the first sit of resurgence....but given the teams they've managed to do it against, I'm on the bandwagon and excited about the possibility of this team going forward.

Just building myself up to only be let down again? Possibly.....god I hope not, because I'll break someone or something if they return to the abyss that was April.

Verducci: Dice-K is the Key

I generally like Tom Verducci of SI.com. I think he's a great baseball writer and provides good perspective from the national level. ITM contributor Joe Murph swears by him, has his column set as his homepage, and I'm pretty sure they chat on the phone every other night or so.

Today however, Tom and I are in disagreement. In his most recent piece, he nearly describes Dice-K as an ace reborn and goes on to call him the key to Boston's success. He provides a solid argument to believe in a possible Dice-K turnaround with the return of his velocity and aggressiveness......but expecting an ace and calling him the key to the team's success may be a bit premature. (ITM note, Tom points to that himself at the end of his article)

When you consider the struggles of Beckett and Lackey, you've got to look at a potential rebound in their performances as the real key to Boston's success....plus....have you seen Dice-K pitch over the last three years?

I was his biggest fan when he was searching for the no-no. I want him to succeed and truly earn his 103 million dollar value....but even after Saturday's masterpiece I was screaming at T Murph that Dice-K will go 4 and 2/3rds, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits and 5 walks in his next outing.

He's only started 5 games this year, Saturday's 8 innings of dominance and shutout baseball still leaves him with an ERA of 5.76. Keep in mind he had a great start against Toronto a few weeks back, only to give up 7 runs to the Yankees in his next go-round.

I pray that history doesn't repeat itself with Dice-K's next start (Thursday against the Royals), but unfortunately that's all I know and expect at this point. Until he can show some longer term consistency and convince me otherwise, I'll consider him a nice to have as opposed to a key to Boston's success.

Clay Buchholz on the other hand....now he's doing some convincing.

Too Funny Not to Post....

As the Red Sox continue to punish the Rays (knocking on wood that by writing that they don't collapse in the 9th), I would be remiss if I did not post this video.

Many of you may have already seen this, but since it's related to the Washington Nationals, and no one actually cares about them, it may have snuck by others.

The fact that Adam Jones was able to score on an inside the park tater on this play is priceless....I only wish the play at the plate was a little closer to increase the dramatic effect. At least Morgan managed a solid gangsta strut when the camera finally got back to him....as if to say "yeah that happened, so what?".

A Surprising Weekend

T Murph is still rolling around in oil on the shores of Louisiana....or Alabama, one of those Southern States. He gave me a ring tonight to ask if this weekend actually happened (in regards to Boston sports). It's midnight on Sunday, so we'll need to elaborate more throughout the week, but for now, I'll stick with some highlights from the conversation:


TMurph: Did the Sox really take two out of three from the Phillies this weekend?

Me: Apparently, but since I missed a majority of the actual games, I'm not entirely sure I believe it.


TMurph: Who is this Celtics team and what did they do with the underachievers I knew when I left?

Me: Studly, that's who they are.


TMurph: Did Dice-K really nearly though a no-no? Or were your drunk text messages just to screw with me?

Me: The text messages were true, although, I'm pretty sure that wasn't Dice-K on the mound, rumor on the street says it was actually the black smoke from LOST.....just using Dice-K's body.

TMurph: That don't make no sense.

Me: I know, neither does the show.

Me: Either way, we've got some momentum heading into a big series against Tampa.


TMurph: &*#@! Tampa! I forgot about that. Southerner's don't get news on a daily basis. Is it home or away?


Me: At Tampa.

TMurph: Balls.


Me: Yes, that. Alright man, get back into the bar and drink some bud-heavies with that guy Ed who has three teeth.

TMurph: Dude, been doing that for days.



Add in a few Tommy Boy and Major League quotes and welcome to our life in a nutshell. This was an actual conversation......and officially one of the worst posts I've ever done. Give me a break, it's 12:15am on Sunday night.

Go Sox.


Random Update: By the way, I'm calling it now, Dice-K's next start, he'll go 4 and 2/3rds, giving up 9 hits, walking 4, and surrendering 5 runs.....because that's just how Dice-K rolls.

Headed Into the Weekend by Going Around the Horn

Leading off with the Friday edition of going around the horn with a truly unique story....

-Pawtucket Pawsox Daniel Nava is a super creep. He's been leaving a ticket to every game in Erin Andrew's name, hoping to one day meet her. And he's been doing this for THREE STRAIGHT YEARS. Dude, you're a triple AAA ballplayer, she's a headliner, dominating the national sidelines and dancing with the stars. We all love her, but you don't see me leaving an office pass in her name to come visit me in Boston everyday, get over it. Erin Andrews is not walking through that door.

-That said, look up Daniel Nava, he has put up the best offensive numbers in the minor leagues for the Sox over the past two years. Hopefully he'll make me eat my words.

-I still don't understand how Lester/Ortiz/anyone can be so bad in April every year. Mark Teixiera appears to do the same. It both amazes and frustrates me. Every year I freak out and think "this is the year they don't break out of it". I don't need this kind of stress in my life.

-Don't look now, but the Rays are pulling away in the AL East (I know, far too early), but the Yanks are struggling, and the Sox are only 3.5 games behind the Bronx Bombers. Just saying.

-Clay Buchholz may not be our ace right now, but he's gotta be considered our 1A. I'm more confident with him on the bump this year than nearly anyone. From pitching for his life in Spring Training to being the rock in a star-studded rotation this year, he's been studly.

-Mr. David Ortiz. We all owe you an apology. Keep it up though, because the media can quickly turn.

-I'm not sure why there is such a cry over Theo going undercover at a Pear Jam concert. Leave the guy alone. ITM note, he kind of looks like Cheech from "Cheech and Chong"...

The NY Headlines

Haven't contributed in too long, so thought I'd return with my old favorite: the headlines I saw on the way to work the morning after a Sox victory over the Yanks...

NY Post: Bad Thames! (The pun isn't quite close enough, in my opinion. You wonder for a second whether it's referring to sporting squads or a point in history.)

NY Post: Yanks Drop the Ball (That's more like it. A figure of speech that turns out to be literally true. There's the quality I expect.)

NY Daily News: Joba and Mo falter as BoSox Bounce Back. (Always appreciate some good old fashioned alliteration.)

NY Daily News: Yanks Waste Sabatthia Solid Outing. (Silver lining.)

New York Magazine: Marcus Thames Giveth, Marcus Thames Taketh Away (My personal favorite for the day.)

New York Times: Rain Delay, Then a Very Long Game (I love that the Times isn't even pretending it's interested in sports anymore.)

USA Today: LeBron Talking With Eddy Curry, Should Knicks Be Worried? (I know that's not a NY paper, but I loved it for so many reasons.)

Stuck on the Green Line, So I'll Blog....

Major issues on the Green Line this morning. Couple that with the cold wind-driven rain and you've got one hell of a hump day. Although, it could've been a lot worse......

My father used to say that you can't truly judge a baseball team until they're 40 games into the season. Well, at 20 and 20 there is plenty to be worried about with this Red Sox team, we've been complaining about them for weeks and at this point, there simply are too many concerns to list.

Between the Celtics and the Sox, Joe Murph and I must of called each other 9 times last night to scream at our phones. I swear that a few of the phone calls were not conversations at all, just noise until we hung up as the next inning started or the Magic came out of a timeout.

One thing we know for sure is, before the season starts, we really don't know a thing. We shouldn't even try to predict what will happen.

This team has been ass backwards through the first 40 games. The hitting on the whole has been a pleasant surprise, while the pitching and defense rivals that of my West Wareham little league team....and even I knew I had to mix up my pitches and keep everything down in the zone.

Last night's comeback win over the Yankees was the 40th game of the season, at times, especially when Papelbon came in, I wanted to just shut it off and go to bed. I've come to expect the worst. "Just be happy that the C's won" I was thinking. A helluva shaky 9th inning somehow turned into a Sox victory, and Papelpon might not be "available" again until June.

Perhaps this is the tipping point game the Sox have been waiting for.

Or maybe it's the classic sign of a team that is just good enough to keep your irrational interest and optimism up, only to get raked by the Twins, Phillies and Rays in their upcoming match ups. Either way, it's the Sox, and it's in my/our blood to be senselessly hooked on this team.

PS: The Yanks are "protesting" the game? What are we seven years old? Bush league Girardi. Bush league.

PPS: I can't wait to read the Yankee media's comments are back to back blown saves by their god Mo Rivera.

Crushing Loss

Not much to say tonight, outside of listing the people I want to punch in the throat right now:

-Every Yankee fan out there

-Karl Malone

-Dice-K (he gets a karate chop)

-Papelbon (he gets two punches)

I'm sure we'll hear how Pap's "long outing" of 2 and a third innings impacted tonight's performance. You're an elite major league ballplayer, essentially demanding to be the highest paid closer in the league, suck it up.

Hands down the worst loss for the Sox all year (among the many terrible losses). And with that, I'm going to flip my kitchen table over.

Games like this make me want to shut the blog down and buy a pink hat.

It's the Sox vs the Yanks. Get Excited Like This Guy...

Ran across this video on Barstool Sports earlier today. It's simply too good to pass up given the circumstances. The Sox need to go into the Bronx and show the Yanks they're still a factor in the AL East, and this is just the guy to get us excited.

ITM note: Is this guy a dead ringer for Dennis Eckersley or what? Long lost brother maybe? This also could be what T Murph will look like 20 years from now in the bleachers.

The Sox continue on their road of mediocrity while the Yanks have lost 5 of 8 (yet remain 5.5 games ahead of the Sox). Boston is sending Dice-K to the mound to try to set things right, while the Yanks run out their best arm in Phil Hughes....yes, Phil Hughes. Studly numbers right now.

Regardless of records, implications and general significance, it's the Sox vs the Yanks in the Bronx. Let's fight.

(yes, this is ITM being somewhat optimistic, we're going to give it a few more tries before throwing our hands up and ordering shots at the bar).

Eck: "No One Cares About Detroit"

Not a good weekend for the Sox, but since the Celtics took home a big game one victory, I'm not looking to blog myself into a terrible mood tonight.

Instead, we'll laugh as Eck offends the entire city of Detroit by indicating no one cares about them. A nice thing to say to a city with a 50% unemployment rate and enough ambandoned buildings to fill the entire city of Boston (both statements are true, I swear, look it up).



In the NESN.com Question of the Day for Saturday, 100 percent of respondents feel the Detroit Tigers will not win the AL Central. "Even with a pretty good rotation, even with a closer like [Jose] Valverde, even with a come-behind-win, you said no," Tom Caron said."It's like a passionate thing," Dennis Eckersley added. "I don't think anybody cares about Detroit in particular," Eckersley noted.



Oh, and for the 100 percent of "the Nation" who believe the Tigers can't make the playoffs. That team just rolled over the Sox this weekend, so what does that say about us? Typical head in the sand response from Red Sox Nation.

ITM note: the same type of blinded response was seen today when 80 percent of the respondants said Jon Lester was a better lefthander than CC....now I hate CC more than anyone, but you can't convince me that Lester is the hands down better pitcher. It's simply not true.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to a better week, with Jacoby, Cameron, and Beckett coming back. If that doesn't work, I'll continue to require the Celtics to keep me sane.

Dedication From Across the Pond

Blogging via the blackberry at London's Heathrow airport? After the week I've had? That's some real dedication.

Contrary to popular belief, ITM is indeed alive, we're just a mess. I've been in London all week, missing out on one important Boston sporting game after another. Of course no one here cares, cricket is currently dominating the TV in the lounge right now. Europeans are odd.

Meanwhile, T Murph was called down to middle of no where Alabama to wipe oil off some baby seals for work. He'll be down there for nearly a month, likely getting ridiculously sun burnt while offending everyone in the state on a daily basis.

What have I heard/read about the Sox since crossing the pond?

-Since I didn't actually see Dice-K's recent gem, I don't believe it happened (think Carl Everett and the dinosaurs)

-Pap may, or may not have confidence in more than one pitch at this point

-Brookline is really trying to screw Sox fans with their plans to change parking requirements around the Fenway area. Metered parking, which shuts off at 6, will now only be 2 hour parking spots. There is actually a petition going around. Maybe I'll link to it when I land in Boston.

-Maybe Brookline should be more worried about who is minding their gas stations huh?

-Is Ellsbury really still out? Really? I'm hoping I missed something. Am I going to have to call him out?

-The Sox just might be turning a corner towards consistent play. Might be.

-I still haven't figured out if I'm concerned about Beckett. No wait, I just decided I am.


Alright, time to not do the Grad school work I need to do while fighting the volcanic ash cloud home. Instead I'll watch a chick flick or two and then deny I've ever seen them in conversation.

Go Sox, Go Bruins. Celtics?...oh snap.

Shots of Whiskey and Cheap Cigarettes

Vicino crossed the pond to visit the memorial site of his favorite WWF star of all time, the British Bulldog, and he left me in charge of ITM. I've been instructed to keep up with the Sox on a daily basis and avoid potential litigation at all costs; the first request isn't a problem, the second not so much.

One of my favorite activities is coming up with documentary titles for a teams season in review dvd, example "The 2007-2008 Celtics, the drive for 17!", or "The 1993 Dallas Cowboys, I Can't Believe We Did that Much Cocaine...and Beat the Buffalo Bills Again". Last year my roommates and I rallied around "The 2009 New England Patriots: Tony Banta Cain's Quest for Double Digit Sacks". We called it 'The Quest' for short, and despite the beat down the Ravens gave us in the playoffs, the season was a success as Tony Banta Cain fulfilled his destiny and reached double digits sacks.

With that said, I've been thinking about what the 2010 Red Sox should consider naming this years dvd based on the first 5 weeks of the season. Here are a few ideas I'm kicking around before I approach the public relations department:

• The 2010 Boston Red Sox: The search for Beltre's Cup
• A Bridge to the Off-season: The 2010 Boston Red Sox
• A Bill of Goods: What the 2010 Red Sox Sold and the Nation Bought
• The 2010 Boston Red Sox: No Offense in the Champagne Room
• Pitching, Defense and a Little League Dream: Your 2010 Boston Red Sox
• 25 Way's to Spend $170 Million on a 3rd Place Team
• Pedey's Laser Show at the Planetarium: The 2010 Boston Red Sox
• Just Call the Rays Are Our Daddy's: The 2010 Red Sox
• Steroids, They Weren't on Them: The 2010 Boston Red Sox
• JD Drew Plain and Tall: Your 2010 Boston Red Sox
• The Streak Continues: Owners Sell Out Fenway...and Real Fans
• Faith Un-Rewarded: The Story of the 2010 Boston Red Sox
• Where the F is Jimmy Fallon I feel like Smacking Someone Silly: The 2010 Boston Red Sox
• I Would Rather Pass A Kidney Stone then Watch This, So Mike Cameron Did: The 2010 Red Sox
• 99 Problems and David Ortiz is at least 14 of Them: The 2010 Boston Red Sox

I'm thinking of directors cut where Curt Schilling talks about absolutely nothing anyone cares about for 45 minutes and then that director kills himself. With any luck we can Ben Affleck to direct, his best days are well behind him...

Voting will begin later in the week and we'll submit the top 3 to the board of directors for final submittal to the Boston Red Sox.Thanks and as always, we'd love to hear your suggestions.

I've got five large on the Bruins tonight, so if they don't win this will definitely be my last post for a while as I head for the mountains along the Afghanistan/Pakistan boarder.

At Least They Weren't Swept

It looks like the Sox will salvage the final game of this series vs the Yankees (9-2 in the 8th inning) which is as much as we were hoping for heading into tonight's game. After getting drubbed Friday and Saturday night by the bombers I was drifting back into my "wtf Theo, this team sucks" zone, similar to last weekend after the Orioles swept the Sox. However I'll put that on hold once again.

Despite Lester looking good tonight and the bats breaking out against AJ Burnett, Red Sox Nation still has to feel like they're third best team in the AL East, and they're in 4th right now. The month of May is probably going to go a long way in defining the 2010 Red Sox and if they're playing baseball this October. After the Yanks leave town tonight the Sox play Toronto, Detroit, 2 with Minnesota, Philidelphia, Tampa Bay, and the Kansas City to round out May.

Excluding the Blue Jays and Royals, the Sox will be playing some of the better teams in the American League and probably the best team in the National League in the Phillies. If the Sox can go somewhere in the area of 15-10 in the month of May they can make a charge through the summer and into the playoffs. Make no mistake about it that it's still early on in the season, but as the Rays and Yankees keep winning, the Sox will have to win that many more games just to contend with the Wild Card. Right now, I have the Sox finishing 3rd, they're just not as good as Rays and Yanks.

Depending how May finishes the Red Sox 2010 season could be going down in flames on Memorial Day.

Thoughts from Sunday Night Baseball:

- I texted a few people, we all confirmed our well known belief that Joe Morgan is terrible, and we miss Steve Phillips being the third man in the booth. Pretty sure Jon Miller called JD Drew Stephen tonight...amateur hour. Harold Reynolds on line 1?

- Alex Rodriguez looks a lot skinnier these days, stay off the juice kids.

- Adrian Beltre is wearing glasses now? Was his problem on defense that he couldn't see the ball? Theo should have written into his contract that he has to wear them.

- I thought AJ Burnett's biggest mistake tonight was throwing David Ortiz a fastball on a 3-2 count in the 3rd inning after Ortiz just missed the fastball before. If Ortiz is sitting dead red on a fastball he's going to hit it, he's not that terrible, not yet at least.

- Celtics evening up the series with the Cavs and the Bruins looking to close out the Flyers tomorrow night, the Garden will be rocking.

WSJ: Yankee Fans Are Hardly Fans At All

The Red Sox are on a roll. Turns out, they may just be what we originally thought they were.......or they may take two steps backwards this weekend. With the Yanks coming to the Fens in what can already be called a "big series" for the Red Sox (not so big for the Yankees), I offer this recent article and analysis from the Wall Street Journal:


The Wall Street Journal surveyed 650 fans across all five boroughs and determined:“There are as many Mets fans as there are Yankees fans in Manhattan, but, overall, the Yankees have twice as many fans. Mets fans own more guns, are more likely to bet on games and follow their team more closely… On the other hand, Yankees fans tend to be more metrosexual, they drink more Starbucks coffee, they’re more likely to own a Mac than a PC, and tend to be single and skinnier. Mets fans drink far more beer… They also drink more in general… Mets fans monitor their team’s progress, and they listen to substantially more sports radio.”


This likely surprises no one, and in no way am I clapping for the Mets here, but ITM has been tied up lately and I needed a quick post.


To quote Joe Murph: "so...yankees fans aren't fans basically. I'm sorry, but skinny single people hanging out in starbucks on their macs and not "following" their team are not fans."


Totally agree. Bring on those metrosexual, latte drinking, mannie-peddie getting, fake tanning, full of themselves, know nothing Yankee fans. Go Sox.

Tuesday Night Takeaways

Typed up on the blackberry while delayed on the subway this morning.....

As a sad and irrational Red Sox fan, I guess it comes as no surprise that I'm actually excited about this team right now. The pitching is starting to come around and the bats are about as lively as they can get given the lineup limitations. Do I think they'll win 96 games and make the playoffs? Not in this division. But I'm still convinced they'll make some noise, and if they can make the right trade deadline move, who knows. I've yet to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing for my health...


On to some takeaways....


-Pretty safe to say I can call Lester "Big Jon Stud" again....with the approval of Soxin10' of course


-2-0 since the return of Heidi. Just sayin.


-Lowell is doing everything right, even managing not to freak out given the circumstances. Ortiz seems to be doing everything wrong, seems like an equation that's really easy to solve to me.


-Just in case you missed another priceless post game Pedey quote in the comment section yesterday: talking about Ortiz and his struggles: "He's only had 60 at bats, a couple of years ago, I was hitting 170 after 60 at bats, and then what happened?.....THE LASER SHOW!"


-Pedey talks the talk (see below post) and walks the walk. I love Tek and all, but it's pretty clear who has stepped into the captain role


-Lester's splitter was filthy. 120 pitches is nothing. He's the definition of a horse (that's what she said?)


-Hoy es cinco de Mayo...5/5/2010...it's also Nomar night at Fenway.I can hear Ozzie Guillen saying "that's as close to being Mexican as he'll ever get"


-We know the Angels are struggling (I can't type that word without thinking of Joe Namath anymore). They're a team with comparable issues to the Red Sox.....we assume we'll be there at the end of the year....but are they too flawed? (Keep in mind the same can be said for the Sox)


-With the above said, I still don't know if the Red Sox won that game or if the Angels just finally found a way to lose it. Juan Rivera looked like a 7 year old tee ball player trying to run down Hermy's 3 run double to put the game away.


-Ahhhhhhh Hermida?


Lackey against his old ball club tonight in the Fens, let's keep it rolling....

Pedroia Addresses the Fans of New England

After mainly discussing Boston's drubbing of the struggling Halos last night, Pedey wouldn't let the reporters leave until he got one last thing off his chest. He addressed this rant to "the fans of New England".....

“Everybody can be [expletive] happy when you’re [expletive] 30-1, but what is everybody going to do when we’re 12-14? Are you going to show up to work the next day and write an [expletive] story? Hell no. You’re going to write the best story of your life. We’re going to try and play the best [expletive] game of our life tomorrow. That’s what you’ve got to do when you’re 12-14. Don’t put your head down and mope. Grind it out. You believe. That’s what we’re built on.”

That's what I'm talking about Pedey! Rub some dirt in it and keep playing! Don't rub it!

This is exactly what this team needs right now, a no-nonsense leader who rallies a clubhouse and gets fans like me pumped up and excited.

Alright, I'm going to read that quote again and start doing "the ultimate warrior rope shake" here at my office.

Go Sox.

Once Again the Center of the Sports World

To be honest, going into tonight, I told myself to be happy with one win out of three....I thought I was reaching when I hoped for two W's....little did I know that Boston would once again be the center of the sports universe.

Clay Buchholz may have had his worst start of the year, but he didn't exactly go Josh Beckett on the Sox either. That's a little thing called composure. He kept the Sox in the game and maintained the lead as the bats showcased their frustration all night.

Clearly, Heidi's return made all the difference in the world. The bats woke up to beat an Angels team that is underachieving the exact same way as the Sox. Perhaps, we can also give some credit to NESN newcomer Jade McCarthy who is clearly bringing her A game of late:

More to come....but for now, I'll go to sleep with a smile on my face, instead of trying to choke myself with a blanket like the video below....

Red Sox Rage is the Worst Kind

Swept away by the Orioles.......A wasted effort by Josh Beckett.....No timely hitting.....Closer to last place than first.....The above video truly captures my emotions (save for the remote thing....that got weird, fast).

Somewhere in West Roxbury, T Murph is punching babies.