BLOODY SOX:
Why is it that for the second time in so many weeks I am coming out of a loss to the Yankees with a smile? Much like game two of the previous series in New York, game two in Boston saw the accursed Bronx Bombers taking a victory from the Sox in a game they had no right winning. Still, I was pleased with the outcome. Am I suffering from World Series and Super Bowl Hangover, still dazed from the beating I am taking from Chazer in fantasy baseball this week, or just finally not dying a slow painful death at each Sox loss?
The earlier loss was the game where Varitek took Rivera deep in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game before it was lost when Timlin gave up a home run to Derek Jeter in the bottom of the ninth. The home run obviously rattled Rivera who was dreadful the next game. Last night the silver lining was Curt Schilling’s performance through the first four innings of the game. Sure, he should have been out of the game after five innings with the score tied at two after Trot Nixon homered. Of course, the Sox should have scored eight runs in the first six innings as Jaret Wright was simply horrible, but the Sox and cold bats saved him inning after inning by not taking advantage of their opportunities with runners on base.
I think the reason I was satisfied despite the loss was that Schilling looked so good in what was basically his third preseason start. No ankle problems, no lingering injuries, just his usual dominant self for the first four innings. I think I rested easy due to the fact I did not have to worry about whether Schilling would have this lingering ankle problem all season long. I am not worried that the Sox left a ton of runners in scoring position. They will hit, they are just too talented and too deep not to turn it around in a hurry.
* * *
GEE-WHIZ TIME AT THE HERALD:
If anyone has not seen the hilarious Red Sox press corps flap this past week let me give a quick recap. First, Seth Stevenson of Slate Magazine (Slate.com), part of the mob of outsiders who descended upon the Fenway Park to cover the cultural significance of the Ring ceremony (personally, I was extremely upset that Gallagher never returned my call so he could dress up as Frodo Baggins and I could dress in a Gollum costume and run out on the field during the ring presentation ceremony and wrestle the rings away from the Sox ownership group shouting, My Precious! My Precious!), reported that a Red Sox beat writer (name withheld to protect the guilty) was visibly agitated that the game was dragging on and leaving him scant time to finish his column before deadline, even at times cursing because a Red Sox player got a hit to extend an inning. Well, I, along with 99% of the readers from the Boston area, just assumed it was Dan Shaughnessy and did not give it another thought. But, David Scott, a writer at independent online media blog or site or page or information source or article linker and collector Boston Sports Media was kind enough to out the complainer as Boston Herald writer Michael Gee. Gee then responded via emails to the site Editor and his emails and the responses from David Scott were later posted to the site. It was simply hilarious stuff.
* * *
GET OFF MY THRONE:
Of course, none of all the above is as funny as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner having a sportswriter thrown out of the park for using his private bathroom. That is almost too funny to be true. It sounds like something out of an old Seinfeld episode. I can just picture Steinbrenner having Costanza throw the offending sportswriter out of Yankee Stadium and then the rest of the show has Costanza obsessed with getting into the Steinbrenner executive toilet.
* * *
SNL? SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU SAID S&M:
Tom Brady on Saturday Night Live? Well, it cannot be any worse than Johnny Damon prancing around in his underwear for those hideous Puma commercials. Sorry, but that is way too much Johnny for anyone to be exposed to. At least we do not have to wonder about steroids. I thought it was only guys playing in softball leagues that were allowed to have those beer bellies and pretend they are athletes. Of course, I am sure that his new wife was very supportive of the commercial. I mean, she danced around in her underwear and she is the wife of a millionaire now.
Well at least with Brady there are no worries about him humiliating himself or the team while on SNL. Personally, I think it would be great television to just put Brady and musical guest Beck together in a room for the hour and a half; talk about pairing apples and oranges.
Of course, I am on the wrong side of thirty and have two kids. The next time I watch Saturday Night Live will be when I get a Tivo (which, sadly, is not going to be for some time. I watch too damned much television already).
* * *
Why is it that for the second time in so many weeks I am coming out of a loss to the Yankees with a smile? Much like game two of the previous series in New York, game two in Boston saw the accursed Bronx Bombers taking a victory from the Sox in a game they had no right winning. Still, I was pleased with the outcome. Am I suffering from World Series and Super Bowl Hangover, still dazed from the beating I am taking from Chazer in fantasy baseball this week, or just finally not dying a slow painful death at each Sox loss?
The earlier loss was the game where Varitek took Rivera deep in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game before it was lost when Timlin gave up a home run to Derek Jeter in the bottom of the ninth. The home run obviously rattled Rivera who was dreadful the next game. Last night the silver lining was Curt Schilling’s performance through the first four innings of the game. Sure, he should have been out of the game after five innings with the score tied at two after Trot Nixon homered. Of course, the Sox should have scored eight runs in the first six innings as Jaret Wright was simply horrible, but the Sox and cold bats saved him inning after inning by not taking advantage of their opportunities with runners on base.
I think the reason I was satisfied despite the loss was that Schilling looked so good in what was basically his third preseason start. No ankle problems, no lingering injuries, just his usual dominant self for the first four innings. I think I rested easy due to the fact I did not have to worry about whether Schilling would have this lingering ankle problem all season long. I am not worried that the Sox left a ton of runners in scoring position. They will hit, they are just too talented and too deep not to turn it around in a hurry.
* * *
GEE-WHIZ TIME AT THE HERALD:
If anyone has not seen the hilarious Red Sox press corps flap this past week let me give a quick recap. First, Seth Stevenson of Slate Magazine (Slate.com), part of the mob of outsiders who descended upon the Fenway Park to cover the cultural significance of the Ring ceremony (personally, I was extremely upset that Gallagher never returned my call so he could dress up as Frodo Baggins and I could dress in a Gollum costume and run out on the field during the ring presentation ceremony and wrestle the rings away from the Sox ownership group shouting, My Precious! My Precious!), reported that a Red Sox beat writer (name withheld to protect the guilty) was visibly agitated that the game was dragging on and leaving him scant time to finish his column before deadline, even at times cursing because a Red Sox player got a hit to extend an inning. Well, I, along with 99% of the readers from the Boston area, just assumed it was Dan Shaughnessy and did not give it another thought. But, David Scott, a writer at independent online media blog or site or page or information source or article linker and collector Boston Sports Media was kind enough to out the complainer as Boston Herald writer Michael Gee. Gee then responded via emails to the site Editor and his emails and the responses from David Scott were later posted to the site. It was simply hilarious stuff.
* * *
GET OFF MY THRONE:
Of course, none of all the above is as funny as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner having a sportswriter thrown out of the park for using his private bathroom. That is almost too funny to be true. It sounds like something out of an old Seinfeld episode. I can just picture Steinbrenner having Costanza throw the offending sportswriter out of Yankee Stadium and then the rest of the show has Costanza obsessed with getting into the Steinbrenner executive toilet.
* * *
SNL? SORRY, I THOUGHT YOU SAID S&M:
Tom Brady on Saturday Night Live? Well, it cannot be any worse than Johnny Damon prancing around in his underwear for those hideous Puma commercials. Sorry, but that is way too much Johnny for anyone to be exposed to. At least we do not have to wonder about steroids. I thought it was only guys playing in softball leagues that were allowed to have those beer bellies and pretend they are athletes. Of course, I am sure that his new wife was very supportive of the commercial. I mean, she danced around in her underwear and she is the wife of a millionaire now.
Well at least with Brady there are no worries about him humiliating himself or the team while on SNL. Personally, I think it would be great television to just put Brady and musical guest Beck together in a room for the hour and a half; talk about pairing apples and oranges.
Of course, I am on the wrong side of thirty and have two kids. The next time I watch Saturday Night Live will be when I get a Tivo (which, sadly, is not going to be for some time. I watch too damned much television already).
* * *
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