Jimmy Edmonds Calls It Quits

Jim Edmonds has decided to hang up his cleats at the age of 40.  I can't say I blame the guy, his doctors have pretty much told him that his achilles is bound to rupture if he was to start up spring training.  Believe me, that's nothing fun to deal with.

Why is ITM blogging about a retiring NL center fielder?  Because I still believe that his catch is the best I've ever seen.  He pretty much said to Willie Mays, "See how much I poured?".  Sure the Gary Mathews Jr. over the wall catch was impressive, but "the catch"  by Jimmy E (can I call him that?) still amazes me some 10 years later.

Players rob home runs (with varying levels of impressiveness) on a weekly basis, but no one has recreated that catch by Edmonds.  It's a special play that I'll never forget.  So with that, congrats goes out to Jimmy Edmonds.  Straight class homie.

ITM Note:  I made a similar, diving backwards over my shoulder, catch in high school....and pretty much ruined my shoulder.  Out for the season.  Then, some 7 years later I ruptured the hell out of my left achilles...as a result, I consider Jimmy E a brother.

D Bard Has Had a Good Offseason...

D Bard huh?  I always thought he was more Napoleon Dynamite than a popular clubhouse jokester...which still may be the case.....but I gotta give it to the guy, he's clearly put in some hard work in the offseason.

A 100mph heater and the ability to make fun of himself?  That's truly rare. 

That said, D Bard should really consider the future implications of interviews like this.  People like Pedroia don't let these things go easily, as a result, he'll likely have a ridiculous nickname for the rest of his career.  A nickname that Pedroia will drive home by screaming it day in and day out during Spring Training.....to the point where Dan Shaughnesy is even using it.....and that's a situation no one wants to be in.

This video somehow confirms that Pedey is an animal.  Bring on Spring Training.

Christmas Comes Early For ITM....

Boom.

PS:  Sure, I'm going to have to sell off some of these due to my stint across the pond in London, but having them in my hands is better than holding gold.  So give ITM 1,000 hits each day from your browser and you'll get considered.....

How Money is Rondo?

I absolutely love this guy, he can do no wrong in my book.  Anything it takes to win.

PS:  Rondo defending and pissing off Lebron throughout the third quarter?  Priceless.

Sox Sign a 17 Year Old Softball Player From New Zealand - Kevin Millar's Son We Assume

WEEI.com:  According to a report from Stuff.co.nz, 17-year-old New Zealand softball catcher Te Wera Bishop has signed with the Red Sox.

"We have been impressed by his abilities behind the plate, he has excellent hands and a strong throwing arm, and with instruction from our Boston Red Sox coaches, we are confident he can make the appropriate changes from softball to baseball," Red Sox scout Jon Deeble told the website.


The report suggests that Bishop — who tried out for several major league teams last month — will attend the Australian MLB Academy in June. He is expected to sign a contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday.


"I don't know what to expect. I'm just over the moon," Bishop said.

Is this real life?  I come back from a business trip to Brazil and learn the Sox are signing 17 year old softball players from New Zealand?  We have scouts in New Zealand?  Really?  I'd bet that half of Bostonians couldn't find NZ on a map. 

Are we that concerned about the catcher position?

For some reason, the first thing I thought of after reading this story was that this kid must be related to Kevin Millar somehow.  Admit it, Millar, while instrumental at times during the Red Sox 2004 championship season, would undoubtedly have been the best over 35 mens softball league player in history. 

Keeping with Millar's style, apparently the kid is already learning how to hate the Yanks.  Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Alright, T Murph and I are going to join a softball league in the Boston Common....

Going to Spring Training Means Different Things To Different People....

Quick post as I'm sinking adult beverages on my flight home from Brazil....

It's been hard not to get robbed and keep up with Sox news while down here on business, but I'm doing my best. Random thought, doesn't it seem like evey year you hear that everyone is reporting to Spring Training in the "best shape of their career"?

Anyways, I was talkin to a colleuge today, she works in one of our European Offices but has been interacting with me on a daily basis for years. She knows that every year I go to Florida for Spring Training, but simply thinks I go down there to actually play baseball and train for the upcoming summer season.

Little does she know it's the complete opposite occurrence. Sinking beers, obsessing about a game we dont play, and making bets on March Madness games for the next bucket of beers is what realty occurs.

I didn't have th heart to tell her, so I simply let her go on thinking we're actually down there "training".

Whatever allows you to sleep at night right? Can't wait for next month...go Sox.

Progress on Fenway's Improvements....

As if the signings of AGon, Carl Crawford, and bolsting the bullpen didn't have us excited enough about the Red Sox 2011 season. .... Given all the singings and offseason movements, I had forgotten about the improvements being made to ballpark in the Fens.

I'm excited to make my way home from London in late July and get to as many games as possible.  Revamping gate D is needed, (it's a sea of bottlenecks) and I'm interested to see the difference in the center field jumbotron.

That said, doesn't this dude in the video seem like he should stay in the server room playing with computer geek stuff, and not down in the construction zone that is concourse D?  Stick to what you know buddy.

Truck day, it's coming.  Baseball.  It's coming.