Heidi Watney - Boosting Morale One Bobblehead at a Time

What a way to go into a long weekend! I'm sure Heidi will have a strong off season and come into the 2011 looking to improve on her impressive 2010 numbers.

This video single handily made ITM book our tickets to Spring Training. Seriously. We just locked it in. It's going to be a fearsome foursome down in Ft Myers in just six short months. Look out.

Also, how money is Heidi's form? I'm not even kidding, she throws out the first pitch like a pro. Is there anything she can't do?

Lackey's Second Half - Searching for a Silver Lining

Watching the start of the 2010 baseball playoffs has reminded me of two things:

1) I love playoff baseball, it truly is a completely different game. Without the Sox in the mix, it allows me to more thoroughly enjoy the game.

2) I hate that the Red Sox are not in the mix.

Anyways, most media outlets (ITM very much included) have pointed part of the finger of blame at John Lackey in 2010. So much so, that when I saw the headline of a recent NESN.com article saying "Lackey Will Build on a Solid 2nd Half", I immediately dropped F bombs until ITM Gal told me she wouldn't make dinner if I kept it up.

But to my surprise, they almost have a point. Almost. Sure, Lackey's overall numbers in 2011 were an extreme disappointment, but I think I was so pissed at him, that I was blind to his somewhat improved second half (I'm searching for silver linings here, roll with me):

Lackey finished the second half with a 3.97 ERA, almost a run less than his piss poor first half. After the mid Summer classic, he had 88 strikeouts compared to just 26 walks...which is certainly more "Lackey like". Prior to the midsummer classic he struck out 68 and walked 46. Lackey ended the season by going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA over his last three starts.

Lackey called the 2010 season "a learning experience". I'd say that's soft, but perhaps fair.

I'm not softening my stance on the big ass Texan, far from it, he needs to feel the heat all off season to make sure he never feels it again......but I'm just trying to point out the only bit of optimism I have for a guy who's number have been declining each year of late.

ITM note: We may have grossly overpaid for what we thought was inning-eating "ace", but I still would love to crush beers with this guy. I mean, he looks like he could drink team under the table and then drive his pick up truck home, but I bet he's a great drunk. (see George W.)

Four Days in October: I Cried Three Times

ESPN's "Four Days in October" did not disappoint. I simply have too many emotions running through my body right now to put it into an accurate post. So here are a mental dump of some thoughts:

-I literally teared up on three separate occasions during the hour long program. To be entering my senior year of college during this epic postseason only adds to the already perfect script.

-Raise your hand if you forgot completely about Curtis Leskanick and his role in the 2004 ALCS? If it's not raised you're lying. That was a blast from the past and I feel guilty for having completely forgotten about such an important human being in my life. My bad Curtis, if ITM made T-Shirts (which we should), I'd send you one.

-I forgot how much I love Kevin Millar....but if I wasn't a Red Sox fan, I'm pretty sure I'd hate his guts.

-How money was Pedro and his midget mascot Nelso? "Hola gringos" - instant classic. RIP little man.

-This will be saved on my DVR forever, I will absolutely make my future kids watch this until their eyes fall out......all while annoying the hell out of them with my tears and random drunken stories.

-Given the storyline, this was a no lose situation for ESPN. Talk about sitting on a goldmine. They could have produced this in black and white with Celine Deon as the host and I would have loved it.

-Sadly, I can't say I was a big fan of Lenny Clark and Billy boy Simmons on this. It's like they were trying too hard or something.

-Why on earth is Randy Moss/Fox sports trying to show up this show? Literally, they couldn't have waited until 9:05pm to break the news? (For the record, as of 9:30pm, I think it's a crap rumor, but who knows).

New Video - "Four Days in October" - Tonight at 8pm

The season has come to an unfortunate end, so why not cheer yourself up a bit by watching ESPN's 30 for 30 called "Four Days in October".

ITM wrote in about this before, now it's time for the program to live up to the hype. You would think (and wish) that ITM had a promo deal with ESPN for this series.

Maybe it's the way the 2010 season (or lack there of) panned out, but I'm all fired up to live through the 2004 ALCS again.

It's somehow been almost 6 years since the greatest comeback in the history of sports....which means it's about time for a refresher. ESPN has hyped up 30 for 30's in the past, many have looked great on the promotions, but failed miserably (see the one on Mike Tyson and Tupac....totally sucked goats).

Safe to say that if this sucks, ITM will be writing all sorts of choice worded memos.

PS: Curt Schilling has really let things go since retiring huh? The man may be running a video game company with 13 year olds, but he looks like complete crap. Show some pride Curt.

Let the Average Joe GMing Begin

You can blame injuries, the bullpen consistently throwing up all over their own feet, and/or Beckett and Lackey not living up to their huge contracts......choose one, or all of the above, either way, the 2010 Red Sox season is over.

As a result, we've officially transitioned. Summer has turned into fall. Football is in full swing....and sure, the Patriots looked surprisingly good in the 2nd half last night, but this remains a baseball town.....and the off season Average Joe GMing has become a true art form of the winter months.

From signing Prince Fielder to overpaying for Carl Crawford in order to have two 50+ base stealers in the lineup to resigning Rocco Baldelli..... the off season rumors/arguments/irrational thought process is both a lot of fun, and borderline insanity.

Just yesterday Joe Murph and I spent a solid 20 minutes debating if Crawford would be more productive batting lea doff or in the two hole here in Boston. It's a fun game, vicariously playing with someone else's money......and it's started already.

Theo himself said it just the other day, there could be larger than normal changes to our beloved Red Sox by the time ITM is sinking beers down in Ft Myers in March.

So while we continue to come up with witty nicknames and phrases for Patrick Chung ("You've been Chunged", "big trouble in little China", etc), Bostonians will also be spending Theo's money all off season.

I gotta think Theo will be shooting five hour energy drinks for the next 5 months or so.....things should get real interesting, real soon.

ITM World Series Prediction

(According to T Murph: Ryan Howard is the new big sexy.....plus he hangs out with Snoop, how could the Phillies possibly lose with that combination?)

GChat is an amazing thing. It allows for all sorts of random conversation and constant sports chatter among friends while you should be doing work at your desk (yes, the same can be said for ITM).

With the doldrums of Monday morning in full effect, myself, Joe Murphy and T Murph all GChatted on our World Series expectations.....

Interestingly enough, we all agreed on two things:

1- We're praying to the sweet Baby Jesus that the Yanks fall flat on their face to the Twins - especially after losing out on the division thanks to their end of the season loss to the Sox yesterday afternoon.

2- Pitching wins championships; as a result, we expect the Rays and the Phillies to be battling it out in the big show in a few weeks. That said, the stupidest rule in baseball will play a significant role in the series. The fact that the NL finally got over their inferiority complex to win an otherwise meaningless All-Star game gives them the edge in the series.

Also, according to T Murph, "Ryan Howard is the new Big Sexy....and he came to drop bombs."

Take from that whatever you'd like.

Mike Lowell, The Bigger Man

The Yankees and Red Sox played 8 hours of baseball yesterday, but in the end, it was all put into perspective for the people of Boston.

Mike Lowell retired from the game of baseball, fittingly ending his career with a wall-ball single.

It wasn't his play that spoke the loudest yesterday, it was his continued class. ITM wrote a while back that Mikey Lowell owes Boston and it management nothing. He had every right to throw around some four letter words and walk off the field to Stone Cold Steve Austin music while sinking beers and giving everyone the finger.

Of course, he didn't. With his kids by his side he threw out the first pitch and spoke with true passion and emotion about a game, and a city he loved:

“First of all, I’d like to thank the Red Sox organization for this great ceremony and a very generous check, I really appreciate it, that’s really unbelievable. I’d also like to thank my family, friends, teammates, ex-teammates, my minor league coaches, believe it or not over there , and hopefully the silver place winners today for the game. They’ve come a long way, a lot of people and you guys have meant so much to me over my career. I really don’t know where to go from there. I just want to say thank you for that. You know, I’m kind of at a loss for words to kind of explain the emotions I’ve felt over the last five years with respect to the support and the positive responses I’ve gotten from Red Sox fans. I think it’s your passion and your knowledge for baseball that I’ll truly miss, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget. So I just want to thank God for allowing me the privilege and the opportunity to wear this jersey, to play in this ballpark, to represent the city of boston and to share so many memories with all of you. Thanks you very much.”


Of course, Papelpon managed to blow it for Mikey's farewell....par for the course this season.

PS: I gotta give the Yankees props for their actions during the Lowell ceremony, nothing but attention, respect and class (granted, he was drafted by the Yanks). If that were the old days of Damon and Manny, most of the Sox would have been playing tag in dugout.