Unshakable Catatonic State

So. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series last night. Yep. 2nd time in three years. Let me repeat that: 2nd time in THREE years. This team, the team who tried nearly every damn year for almost a century, has won 2 of the past 4 World Series. I know it seems like I'm really not that enthused but trust me, that has yet to be the case. It just hasn't hit me yet; it really hasn't. I didn't get to watch the game because I was on the road all last night. I even tried to turn to the sports station in my car, but it was trashy and staticy. I didn't get home until about 4am and didn't even have to see the highlights to know that the Sox won. My mouth dropped open and all I could tell myself was, "They didn't win. I don't believe that," while drinking my blue Gatorade. Honestly, the weird thing was that I accepted that they won in 2004 right off the bat. There were no feelings of, "Oh, my God! Did they really win? This must be a dream!" But that's how I feel now. Maybe it's because I've been constantly on the go as of late and haven't really had time to appreciate my team. If that's the case, I apologize. This makes me no less happy though; understand that. And as I look at their team website, I'm starting to tear up because I really have appreciated my team through everything they've been through. Not once did I turn my back on them throughout this journey. Not once did I waiver when they almost let the Yankees take the division, or when they almost got knocked out the ALCS by Cleveland. No because true fans, diehard fans, don't do that. True fans don't break out their 'nalia the day after a team wins a championship, when they haven't worn it all season. True fans don't say their favorite team is "so and so" only because they've been successful of late. Yes. I'm elated that the Sox won the Series again, but I'm more content knowing that I don't have to wear my emotions on my sleeve to show my joy.

No Time To Bask

So, as of Sunday night, the Red Sox....are going to the World Series! I have no time to bask in this joy though, for reasons I really can't mention right now (other than school work and things). But, I'll be able to talk about it next week, for those of you who care (annnnnd that would be no one!). Anyway, yeah. So the Sox beat the Indians in 7 games, man. It was tough watching that game at first, but then I started making food and I wasn't really paying attention until my roommate started getting upset. I suppose she and her boyfriend are either both Indians fans, or they just felt like rooting against Boston. Either way, serves them right :) Everyone from here to Timbuktu knows I'm a die-hard Sox fan, but I was quite reserved as I saw the game come to a close. I did call my parents and some friends who could've cared less, and I did shed a little tear, but other than that...nada. Don't have time for celebrations, dawg. I have an extremely difficult paper due Monday on Emile Durkheim or something, I think I have an Italian test this Friday (maybe I should find that out?), UNC's Homecoming is next week (and guess who's on the staff?), and my 21st birthday is next Saturday. I'm broke as hell. Scratch that. I'm broke down in general. My life is in shambles. My job sucks. I know it'll get better, and hopefully it'll start with the Sox winning Game 1 of the Series tonight...if there is a game.

Ohhhh Muh Gawd

The Sox won Game 5. What, did you expect me to start this blog off with some other information? Heck no, dawg! In my opinion, this is probably the most significant piece of Red Sox news of 2007. And if they win on Saturday, that'll be the most important. If they win Game 7, etc., etc. Josh Beckett, man...thank you. That's all I can really say. I have no money to give you, no gifts to offer you, seeing as though you can buy practically anything you want in this world. But just know that my "thank you" comes from the heart :)

Now, on to some more troubling news: Joe Torre walked away from a one-year managerial contract worth $5 million, with incentives that could've made it $8 mil. **Sniff, sniff**. Yeah, I know I'm not a Yankees fan in any way, shape, or form, but damn. I think it's really sad. I mean, he's been the manager since I was 8 years old. That's 12 freakin' years! He's a legend! I know I shouldn't joke around about this, but I think New Yorkers collectively committed suicide when they found this shit out, for real. I'm guessing this would be considered altruistic suicide, in the terms of Emile Durkheim, since it results from too much integration. See? Majoring in sociology does teach you something worthy of mentioning. I'm really, really, really, really, really hungry right now, so I shall dress myself and eat brunch.

Hmm, Well....I Dunno

(Tulowitzki and Braun, Top & Bottom)

Sigh. See, I've been having this dilemma, right? I'm trying to come up with my choice for Rookie of the Year, and I have no freakin' idea who to choose. AL is a cinch, has looooooong been decided (Dustin Pedroia, baby!). But the NL is really bothering me. If any has paid any sort of attention to this past baseball season, they would know that NL ROY is between two: Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki and Brewers 3B Ryan Braun. Both attractive young men, both excellent ballplayers. Wow. I'm mad at how I put the fact that they were attractive before their being good players. Need to get my priorities straight here. Anyhoo, yeah. At first, I was all over Tulowitzki because he was on my fantasy team and was doing pretty good. Don't really remember how I found out about Braun; I think I first saw his name on one of those forum things. For some reason, don't know why, I always wind up pulling for the underdog. The Rookie of the Year argument has been no exception, either. While everyone was dropping their panties over Braun, I, on the other hand, was still for Tulowitzki. I'm guessing it had a lot to do with Braun playing in Milwaukee, and that team leading their division for almost the entire season. When you think about it, no one really cares about the Rockies, and that's understandable. In my opinion, all that other shit is subjective. The most important factor in trying to figure out who should win this is the numbers. Numbers don't lie, people! And here are theirs:

Tulowitzki:

Games/ AB/ R/ H/ 2B/ 3B/ HR/ RBI/ TB/ BB/ SO/ SB/ CS/ OBP/ SLG/ AVG
155/ 609/ 104/ 177/ 33/ 5/ 24/ 99/ 292/ 57/ 130/ 7/ 6/ .359/ .479/ .291


Braun:

Games AB/ R/ H/ 2B/ 3B/ HR/ RBI/ TB/ BB/ SO/ SB/ CS/ OBP/ SLG/ AVG

113/ 451/ 91/ 146/ 26/ 6/ 34/ 97/ 286/ 29/ 112/ 15/ 5/ .370/ .634/ .324

So, according to your stats, Braun should be your NL ROY. But guess what else is measured? Fielding. Ah, yes! I'm not even about to copy and paste that shit up here because putting the offense up here took a long time, but I will say Tulowitzki's fielding % is .986 (11 errors), with Braun's being .895 (26 errors). And, also, Tulowitzki did turn an unassisted triple play the other month, only the 13th time that's been done in ML history.

So in conclusion, although the hitting stats point to Braun, I think I'm picking Tulowitzki still. After all, his team is in the playoffs, and the boy can field. AND he wears his hat like a G!

Thank You

I'd just like to give a quick "thank you" to all 30 ML teams and the hundreds of players who made this season one to remember. It's been quite a while since I could honestly say that I enjoyed the entire season from start to finish. From the three no-hitters, to the new home run record, to the thirty runs scored in a single game, the players never ceased to amaze me. It also helps that my team, my guys, shared the best record in all of baseball and ended up winning their division for the first time in twelve years. Hell, I could start bawling thinking about how happy I was during the regular season, and how excited I am for the post season. With that being said, let them play ball...and let me get back to my schoolwork :)

Almost Shed a Tear

I'm sorry, but I had to add this picture. I know I said I didn't really care, but it looks so sad :(

Twelve Years and Six Schools Later

And the Red Sox finally clinched the AL East. Thank ya, Jesus. Thank ya! The last time they won the division, I was a 3rd grader at Manassah E. Bradley Elementary School in East Boston, and didn't give two shits about them. Since their last division title in 1995, my parents had another kid, we moved to North Carolina, I've gone to six different schools, and I've grown from a child to a young woman. That's just crazy, man. It was a long time coming but hey, I'll take it. Shit. Dice-K pitched great last night, so kudos for him. I almost thought the Sox would have to wait another day to clinch, but thanks to the Baltimore Orioles' amazing and greatly appreciated comeback, the Yankees lost.

Okay, enough about the Sox. So, I'd gone to bed pretty late last night after starting a shitty paper on sociological theory that's due Monday (Yeah, I'm working on papers on Friday nights; I have no friends and no life :( ). But anyhoo, I just so happened to emerge out of my slumber and saw David Wright talking on "SportsCenter" or whatever. Damn, I felt so bad for the guy. He's still one of my baseball boyfriends or whatever I called him before, but it honestly pained me to watched that interview. He looked and sounded like he was about to cry, and for good reason, mind you. I don't know the stats off the top of my head and I'm too lazy to look them up, but the Mets have lost like, 11 of their last 15 games or something along those lines. They're currently in a series with the Marlins, a team to whom they've lost like 10 in a row. Ah, love that attempted use of good grammar, huh? I mean, this team (Mets) were leading the damn NL East division you might as well say since Spring Training ended and here they are, the last few days of the season, and they're not leading anything. No division, no Wild Card, nothing. If the season ended today, they'd be out. That's a tough pill to swallow, man. Like Buttermaker from "Bad News Bears" once said: "Baseball's hard. You can love it but, believe me, it don't always love you back". If I really really cared, I'd cry for them. Hey, if the Red Sox can muster up the greatest comeback in postseason history, maybe the Mets can win the next few games and hope the Phillies (who are leading the division) lose. **shrugs shoulders**

What In Tarnation?!

3 1/2 games? Really? I think that about says it all...

All Feel Good Stories Must Come To An End

Elation

Written on: September 2, 2007


Wow. I don't even really know where to begin right now. I'm shaking, but it's an excited shake because I'm happy. Clay Buccholz, rookie for the BoSox, pitched a no-hitter against the O's last night. It was only his 2nd ML start so if this is any indication of how his career will be, good for him. I got in from wherever I was and turned to ESPNews, where I saw he had no hits through 5 innings. I decided to turn to the game and alternated between watching that and doing my homework. I was on edge the entire time and tried not to get too excited about it, or pay too much attention to it. But I definitely had to turn away during the 9th inning, but I turned back in time to see Buccholz strike out Nick Markakis. I was freakin' ELATED. And the only thing that sucks about it is that I had no one in which to partake in the joy. My family and most of my friends pay no attention whatsoever to baseball (or to sports in general) so I mean, I had to bask in the glory by my lonesome. But it was all right. Think it's bout time for me to purchase another Sox ballcap, so I need to get on that. I have to tinkle, but I don't feel like getting up. I finally got my oil changed yesterday, so my vehicle is now good to go. Would be nice to have a new CD player, but that's gonna have to wait. I have way too many bills to pay. My grandmother had a birthday party for herself yesterday, and it was pretty interesting. I usually wouldn't hang around old people like that, but basically everyone on that side of the family was there, my nephews, cousins, etc. We had a good time though, and the food was delicious. Is it wrong that I already hate school and we've only been in class for roughly two weeks? Maybe if all my classes were interesting, I wouldn't give a damn. But guess what? They're not. I'm not even gonna open this can of worms again because I've already talked about that in previous entries. I'm mad that The Departed is on Cinemax now. I love that movie, though. I have it at home, but I hardly watch it. I've noticed that once I buy a movie I really like, I'll wear it out for about a week and then never watch it again. I've watched the movie like, twice since I bought it though (b/c I'd seen it a million times prior). Now with CDs, that's a different story. I know when I got Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album, I freaking killed it for about two months straight, and I would probably still be listening to it if my car CD player worked.

Hello Goodbye, KG

So the MLB trade deadline came and went today and although there weren't really any MAJOR deals, it was semi-interesting nonetheless. For starters, the Braves acquired Mark Texiera from the Rangers yesterday for Jarod Saltalamacchia (or however the hell you spell that crap) and some others. Red Sox received, from the Rangers, Eric Gagne for Kason Gabbard (hence the "goodbye" part of the title). Scott Proctor is now a Dodger (no one really cares....well, I don't), Kyle Lohse is a Phillie, Luis Castillo is a Met, etc., etc. I'll finish this tomorrow, for I am deathly tired.

And I just shat myself as I've just learned that Matt Morris was traded to the Pirates. To the Pirates, really?

Come Back and Haunt Me

It's been a while, yeah? Well, believe it or not, baseball hasn't been at the forefront of my mind lately. Paying bills and getting ready for my fifth semester of college HAVE, though. Today is July 29th. You know, I could go on this whole bit about today being a very important day in baseball history and blaze blaze, but I'm not going to do that. Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today, and that sentence alone should speak volumes. I never really got the chance to see them play that often because when I really started getting into baseball, those two were just finishing up their careers. But I do know what they've accomplished. I mean, what true baseball fan doesn't? Ripken with his humility and 2, 632-game streak, Gwynn with his eight batting titles and friendship with Ted Williams, etc. What I'm still trying to figure out is, who in the hell didn't vote Ripkin and Gwynn into the Hall today? Those should clearly be unanimous decisions. The writers who didn't vote for them are probably the type who believe players like Russell Branyan should be inducted (sorry, that was kinda low seeing as though he's without a job now). I know one thing: if I ever get to visit Cooperstown in this lifetime, I'll probably shit 20 live chickens.

Side note: As lame as this sounds, I'm really excited about "300" coming on DVD Tuesday. When it was out in theaters I thought it was lame, but for the past few months I've been wanting to see it. "The Convenant" came on Starz last night, and that was a pretty decent movie. "The Benchwarmers" is now one of my favorites, ha ha.

Just Pictures, Hardly Any Words

I know I've talked bad about him in previous posts, but he's still my baseball boyfriend...along with the rest of the world's. Even if he IS gay, so what? Still sexy as shit.

No Need for a Funny Headline Here

In my opinion, last night was probably the most exciting night in the general sports world this year. More interesting than the Super Bowl, more exhilarating than the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, and any of those other First Year Player Drafts, for last night was the 2007 NBA Draft (presented by Sprite...hey, you gotta put it in there). Unless you went Helen Keller on me last night, you should already know that a) there was actually a draft and b) who the first four or five players selected were. You know, I'm really not one to watch drafts, especially an NBA one because it's not really my sport, but I sort of felt as though I should do those players justice and just tune in. After all, they're my peers. The majority of those guys are my age or younger, I got the pleasure to see of their skills when I was graced with tickets to games at the Dean Dome (they're so hard to get now even for students), and one dude, who was drafted in the first round, goes to my school (or should I say went?). For those of you curious enough, I'm talkin' about Brandan Wright, drafted 9th overall. I honestly enjoyed watching the draft and hopefully, I'll continue to get more into the NBA as time progresses. And I'm counting the days until Psycho T goes in the first round (Tyler Hansbrough for you lames out there).

Now on to my love, my passion. The baseball world was relatively humdrum and overshadowed by the draft and whatnot, but two vastly significant events took place last night: Craig Biggio got his 3,000th career hit (well, make that his 3,002nd) against the um...you know, I don't even remember. He's the 27th guy to become Mr. 3,000 (first since Ralph Palmiero in '05) and the 9th to get all 3,000 with one team, or something along those lines. Amazing accomplishment, and kudos to Biggio. I'm not the sentimental type, but I kinda teared up a bit on that one. Don't know Biggio and I probably never will, but that shouldn't stop me from saying he's one of the nicest, scrappiest, hardest playing and most giving guys in sport. There shouldn't be a doubt in any sane person's mind that he'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but I just hope it isn't any time in the near future. I'd love to see the guy keep playing and get hundreds and hundreds of more hits. On another note, Frank Thomas became the 21st player in history to collect 500 home runs....and then dude gets thrown out of the game a little while later for arguing balls and strikes, ha ha. I thought that was hilarious. Just goes to show that umps really don't give a damn about how great a player is; can still get thrown out with the rest of 'em.

**Side note: I watched "Edward Scissorhands" this morning and I swear to you, that has to be Johnny Depp's greatest movie (yes, even better than his appearance in "Nightmare on Elm St."), and possibly one of the greatest "creepy" movies ever. I dunno, it must be Johnny Depp week in the cable world or something because "Scissorhands" came on this morning, "The Libertine", which is also pretty good, came on this morning, that "Pirates of the Caribbean" crap (the first one) came on this morning, the second one is coming on TV Sunday afternoon, and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is coming on tonight. Another one of his movies came on last night, but that's neither here nor there, ha ha.

And His Sox Won't Be Red

I wanted Buerhle. God knows, I wanted him. Alright, so maybe that didn't sound right, but if you've been paying any kind of attention to sports news the past few days you probably know what I'm babbling about. White Sox are looking to unload Mark Buehrle, and according to the "grapvine" (yeah, the metaphorical gossip source), the Red Sox were looking to trade for him. When I first heard that, I nearly shat myself, no joke. At first, I didn't really pay attention to who the Sox would give up to get him; I was only concerned about seeing Buehrle, probably the most efficient pitcher in baseball, in a damn Red Sox uni. Then I got to thinking: who exactly would the Sox have given up in order to get the dude? Got question, huh? Yeah, probably. They already got rid of Hanley Ramirez and Freddy Sanchez in years past and look @ what they've become. Exactly. Jacoby Ellsbury, who's in the Sox system (Triple-A Pawtucket, I believe), is a very promising kid and had the Sox given him up to get Buerhle, dude would've probably gone on to win the fuckin' Triple Crown or something had he made it to the bigs. That's the kind of luck the Sox seem to have when it comes to giving up good prospects. But no need to ponder nor fret any further, for there won't be a trade...or will there be? Guess what? I have mosquito bites on my ankle and my diet SUCKS right now.

Heels Back On Top....Sorta

Well, so uh...my Tar Heels are back at the College World Series finals against the Oregon State Beavers. As you may well remember, we came like, one defensive play away from winning it all. Tear, sniff. It's a new year, though. I've been watching the guys (Heels) since the Super Regionals or whatever you call it and they've had me on edge basically the entire time. Can't knock their hustle though, because they always seem to find ways to win. I know, being a student at UNC I should know basically everything there is to know about basketball, baseball, and women's soccer right? WRONG. I barely know shit about NCAA baseball man, because that just isn't my forte. Don't get me wrong, I know some stuff. For instance, pitcher Adam Warren? Yeah, I went to elementary, middle, and high school with him in the great city/town of New Bern, NC, ha ha. Dead serious. Outfielder Reid Fronk is a very attractive young man. Andrew Miller, pitcher for the Tigers, played for us last year. And that's basically where my knowledge ends, whew! Yeah, so I'm ready for this Game 1 and I hope the series turns out a LOT better than it did last season.

Whatever You Do, Don't F*ck With the Cubs, Son

I'm Embarrassed 2 Be A Sox Fan B/C of This...

It's kinda funny though, aha ha ha.

Fellow Red Sox Nation

Fellow Red Sox Nation

And I'm Shakin' Right Now

Why? Because Justin Verlander just threw a no-hitter. I don't know why, but as I watched that final out, I got chills all over, man. A no-no is a wonderful thing to watch, but imagine how I'd feel if I were at the ballpark? Hell, imagine how I'd feel if I were Pudge, who caught Verlander, or Verlander himself? Dude was throwing 102 MPH IN THE NINTH INNING. Nasty. Just freakin' nasty. Like, it was just sad to watch the Brewers submit to him. I don't know what I did to my blog, but it's ugly as hell now. Need to fix that asap. As for some Verlander stats, he was drafted 2nd overall in 2004 behind Matt Bush (and where is Bush now?), he was the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, his no-no was the 6th in Tigers history, 1st one at home by a Tiger since 1952 and 1st one overall by a Tiger since 1984, 3rd guy to be named ROY one season and throw a no-no the following, um....he's not on my fantasy team no, but he should damn well be. Oh yeah, and he's only 24. Let me repeat that: He's ONLY 24. That's ridiculous, damn. If Curt Schilling had actually pulled out his "almost no-no" a few days ago, I'd probably have shat myself, so serious. Damn, Wikipedia sure does update stuff fast. It already has all the info and stuff up there. Wowzer. After hugging everyone, Justin's wife/girlfriend/fiancee/lady friend went out there to hug him. Looks like someone's gettin' "fellated" tonight.

Sorry, I Had To...

Doesn't matter how many times I see "Scary Movie 2", I always laugh @ this part. Classic, ha ha.

I Thought I was The Only One Who Loved Mark Bellhorn As Much As I Did...

...but I guess not. Shun me for living in the past, but I honestly miss the 2003-2004 Red Sox so much. I miss Pedro tossing Don Zimmer to the ground, I miss Bill Mueller hitting grand slams from both sides of the plate in that game against the Rangers, I miss Johnny Damon's, Bronson Arroyo's, and Kevin Millar's gangsta cornrows (ha ha), I miss Todd Walker's post season success in 2003, I miss Shea Hillenbrand getting all pissed off at Theo for being traded. But most of all, I miss Mark Bellhorn. Ya know, I seriously thought I was the only die-hard Bellhorn fan in the world, but obviously that's not the case. After he left the Sox, I started googling and Yahoo-ing (that's not even a verb) his name and all this information came up about how much Sox fans loved him and blah blah. And I remember everyone who didn't understand asking me, "Why do you like him so much? He strikes out too much and his defense is mediocre." To hell with 'em. I didn't really know then, but I know now. It was his scrappy play, his long, flowing hair (I'm serious), his stolidness when he made mistakes, his stolidness when he did great in a game. The way he kept to himself, the cute way in which he shied away from the media every chance he got. He was very soft-spoken and always a sweetheart when he was interviewed. He went out there and played the game like no one's business, no more, no less. Never read a complaint about him from former/current teammates. Hell, I never read a single bad thing about the guy. Bellhorn was basically my replacement love when Todd Walker left, and they just happened to play the same position (yes, I "hearted" Todd Walker like I "hearted" Bellhorn). I don't know what it is about myself and Red Sox 2nd basemen, but I guess things are just funny like that. Call me crazy, but I would probably do anything to get that 03-04 team back. This current team is just not the same. Yes, they're winning, yes, they're the best team in baseball right now and yes, the odds of them winning the AL East are amazing, but I miss that carefree attitude of the Sox of yesteryear. Okay, enough about being nostalgic. Now back to your regularly-scheduled program.

The Rocket Blasts Off...Again

The Rocket, facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, got his first win in pinstripes since 2003 yesterday afternoon. And excuse me for being such a meanie, but I honestly didn't care. I mean, what else is new? Clemens proved to the world that he still "got it" at age 45, or however old he is. What's more important is the fact that I went to Victoria's Secret yesterday and the cashier undercharged me. Did I complain? Of course not! I hightailed it outta there as fast as I could. Yeah, I know. The ethical thing to do would've been to go back and tell her, but yeah. I'm sure she'll be alright. The Bosox almost swept the D-Backs, but Dice-K took the L in a duel against Randy Johnson. Sorry to say, but I had Unit coming out on top all the way. Correct me if I'm wrong, and I know it's still early, but I don't really think Dice-K is living up to all the hype the media created for him. Am I right? I'm always right, ha ha. I was a little upset with the media being all over David Wright's nuts at first, but now that he's breaking out of his 2007 shell, I don't mind it as much. Time for tidbits!

**Scott Podsednik is still not off the D.L. Lemme repeat that: Scotty Pods is still not off the Disabled List. He's been up there since about April or so. I'm not really sure what's wrong with him, but I sure could use him on my fantasy team again.

**Chad Tracy still isn't off the D.L. either, and he was batting .312 for one of my teams.

**I'm sitting here watching the Braves/Cubs game (only because there's nothing else left to watch) and Ted Lilly just got tossed in the first inning. I'm so serious right now. He plunked Edgar Renteria so Jim Wolf tossed his ass. I think that was a little much, but whatever. I'm not the ump.

**Andrew Miller, pitcher for the Tigers who used to play for my school (UNC, baby!) got his second win of the season against Tom Glavine and the Mets. Go Drew, baby!

**I'm really struggling in my Statistics class right now. I feel like giving up, but I'm not going to. I don't have the word perseverance tattooed on my wrist for nothin' :) Yeah, that's pretty much all for this time. I'm about to go heat up this leftover Bojangles, edit my essay, and call it a night.

A Damn Shame

I woke up Thursday morning, maybe around 7:45, to ESPN2's "Mike & Mike in the Morning". I've been watching that show semi-faithfully since I was a senior in high school when it came on ESPNews and here I am, a 20 yr. old young lady and still a fan. But anyhoo, the only reason I woke up to it was because I heard Mike Greenberg, one of the show's hosts, screaming passionately about something that was bothering him. "It's not our business to know about the guy's personal life! What he and his wife do should be private!" And then I saw the headline at the bottom of the screen: A-Rod makes it interesting north of the border it said, or something along those lines. Being half-asleep, I wasn't really paying attention to the headline and I mistook "north of the border" to be New York, ha. But I soon woke all the way up once I realized what they were talking about. A-Rod was supposedly seen at a strip club in Toronto during the Yankees' series against the Blue Jays this past week, and he's also been seen on the town with the female more than twice. And of course, the New York Post or Daily News or one of those major New York papers was the first to report it on the cover of Thursday morning's issue with a headline of "Stray-Rod: Alex hits strip club with mystery blonde". Being the nosy person that I am, I immediately jumped out of bed and got on my computer, eager to see what the hell was going on with that. I don't know what drove me to do that. I suppose the fact that I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan and the accused plays for the Yankees was a huge contributing factor in my wanting to investigate it more. Either way, I looked at it. I know New York scrutinizes the star athletes associated with that state's teams and whatnot, but why does it matter? Why does it matter that Paul LoDuca cheated on his wife with someone way younger than he? Why does it matter that A-Rod is supposedly cheating on his wife now? Why does it matter if David Wright is homosexual or not? This whole thing is based on the public's need to know, right to know, and want to know. These three aforementioned questions are definitely based on the latter. Like Greenberg was saying, it's clearly not our business to be concerned about who's bangin' who, who's doing what drugs, who's doing this that and the other. As far as baseball (and other sports) are concerned, the only thing we, as fans, should be worried about is whether or not our team won that day, whether or not our favorite player performed up to standards. Like the late great Branch Rickey Sr. once said: "A...box score is a democratic thing. It only tells you how good of a player you were on that particular day". And while it's always interesting to get the latest gossip on the superstar players, that's the last thing that we should be worried about. My curiosity can always be satiated another time, like after the season ends. The only thing I care about right now is the Red Sox keeping their double-digit lead in the AL East!

David Freakin Wright

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I Googled "David+ Wright+ Slump" and stumbled across this right here. I love D. Wright and everything, but I thought I was the only one feeling this way. Guess not:

"Though that will inevitably improve, his performance currently doesn't warrant the puke-fest that is David Wright's image or all those activities devoted toward painting it. If I see him on another morning tv show, MTV, some magazine cover/article, video game, or PR for image charity event, I might as well start rooting for Jeter. At least he has rings to accompany his lameness. Until Wright surpasses Spike Owen in HR totals for 2007, I don't want to see his plastic smile again.

I have no problem as a fan rooting for him; he's homebread and a good talent; that part is appreciated. But could we just chill a little bit with being Mr. America for a little while, at least until you start producing on the field? Its a shame to see a talent not reach potential because of a loss of focus."

And I totally concur.

(http://getsbybuckner.blogspot.com/2007/04/david-wright-mr-annoying.html)

Yeah, Boi!

And I'm on Cloud 9 right now. Yes, I know the Red Sox have let me down many, many times before, but hopefully this time will be quite different. They are, get this, NINE AND ONE-HALF GAMES AHEAD OF THE NY YANKEES as of May 17, 2007. A repeat of the 1978 properly titled "Boston Massacre" it won't be...I hope. And, because I have to go to work in a few minutes, I shall finish this when I get off.

But yes, we're still in first place, 10.5 games ahead of New York as of right now (who just so happen to be in fourth place). Weather hasn't been cooperating with Boston as of late, being that the game that's on now was in a rain daily, and they've had to play 2 day-night doubleheaders in the past few days (against the Tigers and Braves, respectively). My stomach hurts, but that's neither here nor there. Right now, looks like the Sox are going to take 2/3 from the Braves.

To get off the Red Sox for a bit, Andrew Miller, who pitched for my school last year (UNC, baby!) and was drafted by the Tigers, made his first ML start Friday against the Cardinals. He debuted in relief for the Tigers last year, some 2 1/2 months after they drafted him. Wow. That's kind of rare these days, getting to the Big Leagues so quickly. I have no idea how he did in Friday's game because I didn't care to look, but okay. So I just checked it, and Miller pitched 6 shutout innings against the Cardinals for the win. Good for him! (I know the exclamation point seems a little sarcastic, but I honestly mean it). Call me weird, but I'm really excited about Sunday Night Baseball tonight, Yankees vs. Mets. I know, I know, but I'm starting to take a strong liking to Mr. D. Wright.

Meh Tidbits

I feel bad for Jeff Weaver, I really do. But I’ll de damned if the Milwaukee Brewers aren’t still in first place. Is it me, or is Chipper Jones extremely productive when he’s healthy? How about Josh Willingham hitting that walk-off homer against Derek Lowe, after Grady Little decided to leave Lowe in the game? This isn’t the first time the ol' “Grade-ster” came out to the mound only to leave the pitcher in the game (i.e. Pedro and the 2003 ALCS). And guess who was on deck after Willingham? None other than Aaron “bleepin” Boone. I know, right? What's all this ruckus about the Mets shaving their heads as a part of uniting the team? Did the 2003 Red Sox NOT do that during the playoffs, or was that just a figment of my overactive imagination? Not only did the "Sahks" sport buzzcuts, they also gave themselves nicknames (the idiots) and adopted a moniker ("cowboy up!"). Now if that wasn't team unity, I don't know what the hell to call it. Roger Clemens will be making like, $5 million a month while pitching for the Yankees. Let me repeat that: FIVE MILLION DOLLARS (well, it's more like 4 and some change, but you get the idea) A MONTH. Do any of you have any earthly idea what I could accomplish with just 500 stacks for the rest of my LIFE? (And for you slow ones, 500 stacks = 500,000). That's greedy, man. But whatever; you. I'm not going to talk about the Giants' left fielder today...I've heard enough about him in the past week to last me an eternity.


P.S. I need a new laptop so if any wants to donate to the fund, please feel free.

Hmph

I just posted back-to-back posts, so don't expect anything from me for at least a week...unless I totally can't help msyelf.

Heartbroken

It breaks my heart. Every single time I think about him, he brings tears to my eyes. I used to see him doing his thing on NESN as a semi-rookie (or whatever you wanna call it), and I now I see him as an NL All-Star batting champ with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes, I'm talking about Freddy Sanchez. It honestly hurt me to the core when the Red Sox essentially "gave up" on him. I know baseball's a business and yaddy yah and I know they had a starting shortstop (cough**Nomar**cough) at the time they got rid of Sanchez, but patience is definitely a virtue. I mean, look at what this guy has become! The Sox didn't need him but it was alright...because he didn't need them either.

Yet another guy the Red Sox got rid of was a dude whom I thought would definitely spent the good chunk of his career (if not the whole thing) in good ol' Boston: Hanley Ramirez. He plays for the Florida Marlins now, yes, but he was also the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year. Do you see the pattern here? First Sanchez and now Ramirez. Like the former, Ramirez is also a shortstop. Like the former, Ramirez was "given" to another team. And like the former, Ramirez saw his first season with a new team as one of the best opportunities he could've gotten, making the Red Sox front office look stupid by pissing in their faces. Kudos for you, Sanchez and Ramirez. Kudos for you. And to the Red Sox: some of the best players develop with time, so give them time to develop.

And He's Not Kidding

After yanking everyone's chain (no pun intended), Roger Clemens has finally made a decision about what he wants to in life, and judging by this opening line you should be able to tell what he wants to do: he wants to be a Yankee...again. Yeah, that's right. The crowd at Yankee Stadium received a nice lil' treat during the seventh-inning stretch, as Clemens announced his plans of becoming a "bomber" again. Honestly, I could really care less. After all, he gave the Red Sox 13 solid years, spent a little time with the Astros; but he's won championships with the Yankees. And they desperately need the pitching. Last I checked they're the only team in the history of the sport to have used 10 different starters in their first 30 games of the season. Yes, TEN. In the first THIRTY games of the season. Ridiculous. And Carl Pavano's career as a Yankee is pretty much over, as he'll probably have Tommy John surgery and be out for 8 million years. Well, he got his bang for his buck.

Somebody please tell me where on earth J.J. Hardy came from? It may be kind of messed up, but I had no idea who this guy was before the past month. Hell, I thought he was a rookie. And I'm thinking that has a whole lot to do with the fact that he was drafted by and plays for the Brewers. But hey, don't laugh; the Brewers are one of the top 2 teams in baseball right know, with my beloved Red Sox being the other (so much for being impartial). As of today, Hardy is batting .339 with 8 hr and 26 RBI. You can thank Wikipedia for that.

Baseball's Being Played? Coulda Fooled Me

So I got a new car. A black 2001 Ford Explorer to be exact. As much as I loathe Fords, the guy made my father "an offer he couldn't refuse". I took my Economics exam yesterday and even though I passed, I was totally unhappy about the grade. It's been at least 90 degrees for the past three days, and I'm honestly about to lose my damn mind. Oh, and the Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway and took 2/3 in the Bronx. My sentiments exactly. And why did I wait after I had explained my own personal goings-on to comment on this? Because both of the series were kind of boring. As a matter of fact, baseball has been boring thus far. Call me a person who needs excitement in her life all day everyday if you want, but you'll probably be right. I'm sitting here with a bowl of lefter over strawberry, raspberry, and lemon sorbet from ColdStone, trying to figure out what to talk about next.

I could talk about the Yankees and their seven-game skid dating back to a few days ago and how they're last in the AL East (yes, they're worse than the Devil Rays at this point) but no one would care (well, except me, I guess). Everyone knows no matter what Steinbrenner may say, he's not going to give Torre the heave ho. I could talk about the Milwaukee Brew Crew being in first place in the NL Central, and the St. Louis Cards being dead last, 6.5 games back, but once again no one would care. Everyone knows this'll probably be short-lived. I could talk about how poorly Carlos Delgado and David Wright are doing for the Mets right now. But guess what? You're absolutely right: no one would care. And you know why no one would care? Because the season isn't even at the 50-game mark yet. So there you have it. I suppose that's my reason for being so bored with the season...it's just too early!

R.I.P. Josh Hancock
4/11/78-4/29/07

Record Breakers

My boys are back. I'm not even about to front; Red Sox started off this season pretty mediocre. They were 4-4 after the first eight games of the season, but when have the Red Sox ever started off the season in spectacular fashion in recent memories? They pushed out four straight homers (by Ramirez, Drew, Lowell, and Varitek, respectively) in the third inning, tying a ML record, to complete a series sweep of the Yankees @ Fenway. The Red Sox sweeping the Yankees at Fenway? That hadn't happened in almost 20 years. Lord, what I would've given to have been there. From what I've been hearing and seeing, the pitching in the series (on the side of the BoSox) wasn't anything to write home about. I didn't get to watch the series (I know, what a shock), but I know for a fact they were down in this game when Lowell stepped to the plate in the third inning, and they only won the series but a few runs, 7-6 Friday, 7-5 Saturday, capped off with a 7-6 victory today. But guess what? A win's a win's a win. I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em. I like how I'm using first-person like I'm actually on the team, ha ha.

**Barry Bonds hit a homer today and yesterday to come within 15 shy of Hammerin' Hank's record of 755. I'm not a huge Bonds fan, but I'd like to see the record broken.

Um...I'm really tired and it's way past my bedtime, but I'll definitely write another one of these things tomorrow...or later today.

I promise, I promise, I PROMISE I'll be back with a great post as soon as I get this schoolwork out the way!

Jackie Robinson Day

April 15, 1947. Do I even need to say anymore? That was the day Major League Baseball changed forever, the day that Jack Roosevelt Robinson took the field as a rookie for the then Brooklyn Dodgers. And guess what? I'll finish this later because I'm tired.

Sorry

In due time, in due time! I promise I'll have an entry by Sunday afternoon, whenever I get my schoolwork done, or whichever comes first, lol.

The Real Barry Zito Needs To Stand Up

6 innings pitched, 9 hits, 8 runs (all EARNED), 3 walks, 4 k's, 1 hr given up, an ERA of 8.18. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, was the line score for Barry Zito against the Dodgers yesterday. The Dodgers and Giants. That's like the West Coast's version of Yankees/Red Sox. For lack of a better word right now, I'm just appalled. He has yet to earn a win with that other Bay Area team. I'm trying my hardest to give Zito the benefit of the doubt, though. Okay, this is the first time in his career he's playing for a new team, this is his first time playing in the National League, whatever, blah blah blah. NO. Although I understand AL pitching is different from that in the NL, I honestly don't think it's that different. I mean, if you're a good, thorough player, you should be able to carry your weight in both leagues. Look what Roger Clemens did. But no need to push the panic button yet, folks. I have a feeling Zito and the G-Men will bounce back in no time. On a completely unrelated note, I am straight beasting the competition in MLB.com's 2007 open. And I'm not even talking about just in my division....I'm talking about the entire league! So, if anyone gets a chance to sign up for the game, just take a look @ Wowzer (my group's name).

I really don't know what's up with the Red Sox. Yeah, they have a pretty good lineup and pitching staff on paper, but whether or not they're producing on the diamond should be of a bigger concern...and they're NOT. So individually the players are doing okay (JD Drew has 9 hits in like, 23 at-bats, Dice K delivered phenomenal stuff, etc.), but they're only 3-3. They lost the opening season game against the lowly Royals (yes, the same Royals who pretty much had the worst record last season), and nearly got swept by the Rangers last night. Get it together, boys. Get it together.

What's really good with this damn snow in Cleveland? With the way the weather's been in North Carolina, you'd think it was late May, early June or something. It's sort of chilly out today though, but I digress. Okay, so from my understanding the Indians' home-opener was snowed out Friday. It was to be played in a doubleheader with another game on Saturday, which was also snowed out. Then those games were to be played Sunday, but that was also snowed out. I can do you one better, though. The games scheduled for tonight @ the Jake have been what? You guessed it: SNOWED OUT. Gimme a break, weather. I mean, seriously. And Grady Sizemore was on an offensive roll, with his cute self.

Roll The Dice-K Already

American food. Japanese food. Completely different, right? Well, how different is American baseball from Japanese baseball? Apparently not at all to Daisuke Matsuzaka (dubbed "Dice-K" by the media and Fenway Faithful) who proved successful for the Red Sox, beating the Kansas City Royals 6-1 with 108 pitches, 74 of those for strikes. Let me repeat that: 74 of those for strikes! His start was even televised in Japan, with viewers waking up at 3am just to get a glimpse of their fellow countryman. I have one thing to say, and one thing only: he'd better live up to that $52 million price tag the BoSox put on his head.

The REAL Opening Day (To Me)

Opening Day's Lone Game
So it was deja vu all over again, the scene ever so reminiscent of last October's NLCS. Sunday's game wasn't so bad. Actually, it was a pretty good game for Opening Day/Night. But then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from Sunday Night Baseball. Redemption proved to be sweet for the Mets, who topped the Cards 6-1. Tom Glavine was nothing short of outstanding, and didn't even let Adam Kennedy's 3rd inning triple rattle his cage. Chris Carpenter looked alright, though his location was a bit off. Carpenter will have time to ponder his mistakes, as he will miss his next scheduled start with elbow inflammation.

Now, On To The Good Stuff...
The Red Sox lost on Opening Day, for about the third or fourth year in a row, to Gil Meche and the Royals. The Red Sox seem to always lose on Opening Day; that's really nothing new. Curt Schilling didn't even last 5 innings,which was quite surprising.

Zito, Oh Zito: IN 5 innings, Barry Zito gave up 4 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), and struck out and walked 2. Not as great as one who've thought for a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher, but it wasn't all his fault: His Giants gave him no defense or offense whatsoever. Only two runners got past 2nd base. But, as Giants 1st baseman Rich Aurilla put it, "Nice day, though."

Damn Yanks: Well, rumor has it I'm not a Yankees fan. In fact, I hate them what a passion. They did do something the BoSox failed to though...win. Yanks beat the Devil Rays 9-5, with Alex Rodriguez providing the go-ahead runs with his 465th career homer. Now you can say all you want about the Devil Rays, but they're a feisty little team, ha ha.

**Nothing else even matters at this point, and I'm extremely tired. I'll do better next time, promise!

Opening Day

So as I type this, there are seven hours, fifty-eight minutes, and thirty-one seconds until the official start of Opening Day. Can it really be called Opening Day though, since the kickoff game between the NY Mets and St. Louis Cardinals does not begin until 8 o'clock tonight? But, I digress. I have waited seven long, hard, dull, and boring months for this. I have suffered through the Red Sox failing to make the play-offs after a 2005 postseason that wasn't all that spectacular either. I have suffered through my beloved Tar Heels losing to Georgetown in the Elite Eight, our dreams of a Final Four berth crushed in those five excruciating overtime minutes. I watched Peyton Manning blow past the Pats on his way to an ever-so-elusive Super Bowl ring and MVP. I have suffered through economics exams, math lectures, and guest speakers on journalism. I have suffered through the most mediocre dining hall food ever, but guess what? All of that is null and void now, for the 2007 Major League Baseball season is here.

Things to Look For: When the ump signals for 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter to throw out the first pitch, don't expect everything to be handed to him. Emotions from last year's NLCS will still be running rampant, and both teams are going to give everything they have to win; the Cards will be trying to defend their World Series reign and the Mets will be trying to de-throne them, if only for a night. This is the only game on Opening Day, so I think a lot of viewers will be tuned in to ESPN2 when it airs. Ha, I know I will.