The Seventh Sense

Painful

Patriots-Colts.  Last night.  Ouch.

The one time I sit down to watch and entire game start to finish.

Harumph.

Racist Much, CNBC?

Hard to believe they allowed this to be published:

Marathon's Headline Win Is Empty

By: Darren Rovell
CNBC Sports Business Reporter

It's a stunning headline: American Wins Men's NYC Marathon For First Time Since '82.

Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds.

Meb Keflezighi, who won yesterday in New York, is technically American by virtue of him becoming a citizen in 1998, but the fact that he's not American-born takes away from the magnitude of the achievement the headline implies.

Nationality in running counts. It's why many identify Kenya as the land of the long distance champions.

As for the United States? Not so much.

It has been well-documented that since the mid-80's, Americans haven't had much success in the marathon. Many cite lack of motivation as the root of our troubles, as in our best athletes devote their lives to sports where they can make big money instead of collecting the relatively small paychecks that professional running offers. That, of course, is not the case with African runners, who see in the same winner's check a lifetime full of riches.

Given our disappointing results, embracing Keflezighi is understandable. But Keflezighi's country of origin is Eritrea, a small country in Africa. He is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country.

Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league.

The positive sign was that some American-born runners did extremely well in yesterday's men's race.

If any of them stand on the top step of the podium in Central Park one day, that's when I'll break out my red, white and blue.

Got that?  Keflezighi is "technically American", but he's not a real American because he wasn't born here, according to this bozo.  Never mind the fact that he's been living in America since he was 12, after fleeing as a refugee from Eritea.  Went to American high schools, and finally became a U.S. citizen -- he's not a real American.

Fortunately, the commentors over at CNBC are lambasting this guy.

UPDATE:  A weak apology, but an apology nonetheless.

Football Logic

Shorter every single rightwing website right now:

Was civil rights pioneer Medgar Evers ever denied the right to purchase an NFL franchise?  Hellz, no!  So why can't Rush?  Because of racism!!!

Okay, not all are saying that.  But you have some really over-the-top whines.  This, by far, is the most WTF of them all:

Earlier this evening, as most of you now know, one of our own, Rush Hudson Limbaugh, while taking withering fire, crashed and burned.

Tonight, Rush is no longer ‘just’ a radio personality.

Tonight, Rush is no longer ‘just’ a NFL owner denied

Tonight, Rush is us. And we are him.

Tonight Rush became the metaphor for all of us… every man woman and child in this great nation of ours.

The enemy of this great nation, the enemy of you and me, Rush’s enemy… those on the left, inside and outside of this nation abhor success… and when faced with it will destroy it… by any and all means possible.

We all have our dreams in life… such as they might be. Rush dreamed of being an owner in the NFL.

Tonight the left proved that they will stop at nothing to end our dreams. Our dreams of success and happiness devastate their need to dominate and control you and me… and well everything and everyone.

And it ends with the Niemöller quote, too ("First they came for the communists....")

With prose like that, you would think this is the equivalent of 9/11.

Seriously, what happened with Rush Limbaugh and the St. Louis Rams is the free market at work. 

Rush was a limited partner in a group headed by St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts.  The group hoped to purchase the Rams.  There was a public outcry, not only among the public, but from many NFL pros themselves.

Rush became an economic liability.  So the group cut him loose, so they could proceed with the sale.

Obama didn't cut him.  The liberal media didn't cut him.  Congress didn't intervene and strike down any purchase possibilities.

It was a business decision.

Heh.

"Hold That Line! Hold That Line!" (Luke 3:7)

I don't have all the facts, just this:

Cheerleaders at a north Georgia high school will have to fall back on school spirit alone to inspire the football team tonight against a longtime rival because the school district will no longer allow them to hold up signs bearing Bible verses.

The Catoosa school district banned the signs over concerns they were unconstitutional and could provoke a lawsuit, the Associated Press reports.

That has angered a number of people in this deeply religious community near Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School and many held a rally last night to protest the ban.

For tonight's game against Ridgeland High School, an area outside the stadium has been designated for displaying the signs. Football fans will be allowed to take their Bible-verse signs into the stands as long as they're hand held, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

A sign at a recent game read: "Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

School superintendent Denia Reese says she invoked the ban after getting a call from a Ringgold, Ga., resident, Donna Jackson, who allegedly said the signs could provoke a lawsuit. The school's attorney agreed.

Reese also said that Jackson filed an open records request for financial documents on the purchases of supplies used to make the banners, the Times Free Press reports.

Jackson denies the allegations, calling them "absolutely false."

I'm not sure it is unconstitutional, to be honest.  The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that students can pray at football games (or pre-games), so long as the prayer is not school-sponsored or school-funded or broadcast over school equipment.  That's the bright line, and there's nothing (yet) to suggest that the religious banners and signs were bought and paid for by the school district.  In fact, the Chattanooga Times Free Press says "the cheerleaders said they raised all the money to make the banners".  If that's true, I think they're okay.

The larger question for me is: What the hell does God have to do with high school football?

Score a touchdown for Jesus?  Oh, come on.  And what happens if the other team scores a touchdown?  Who is that for?  Satan?

I'm no biblical scholar, but I don't think "goal" as used in Phillippians 3:14 was intended to mean the goal line in a football game.  And in fact, in the Kings James Version of the Bible, that passage reads: "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Generally, speaking, the Bible doesn't serve well as a football playbook (ignoring the fact that the Bible predates football by about seventeen centuries).  Take Joel 2:8, for example:

They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.

Well, that might work for short running plays where your team is inches from the goal line, but you've got to put the ball in the air once in a while, right?

Another one that won't work, Genesis 4:8:

"Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

That's probably an egregious foul.  Just guessing.

And why no Galatians 3:3 banners?

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Yeah, I guess that banner wouldn't go over too big.

Of course, I think the most problematic verse for football players is Deuteronomy 14:8:

The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.

Not sure how you can score a goal if you are forbidden to touch pigskin.

Chicago Nixed For 2016 Olympics

To all the conservatives who rooted against America (which, not too long ago, you once considered a bad thing), pat yourselves on the back:  Mission accomplished.

Never mind that the event would have brought in 22.5 billion in economic activity (the equivalent of 315,000 permanent jobs in America), much less be a good place to exhibit American pride.  It's more important to conservatives that Obama lose.  Malkin's mocking the U.S. defeat; so is the Weekly Standard (the offices of the Weekly Standard, in its own words, "erupted" in "cheers" after the announcement). Fox News, which launched an aggressive effort against Chicago's bid, will no doubt follow.

Sad, really, that they're lust to see Obama "lose" trumps everything good.  Let's have a flashback to January 2008:

President Bush Meets with Chicago 2016 Bid Committee and United States Olympic Committee Members

THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank the members of the 2016 Chicago bid to get the Olympics. Listen, Mr. Mayor, you and your committee have put together a great plan. It's a plan that will make America proud.

They say that the Olympics will come to Chicago if we're fortunate enough to be selected, but really it's coming to America, and I can't think of a better city to represent the United States than Chicago.

This is a well thought out venue. There will be -- the athletes will be taken care of. People who will be coming from around the world will find this good city has got fantastic accommodations, great restaurants. It will be safe.

And so I -- this country supports your bid, strongly. And our hope is that the judges will take a good look at Chicago and select Chicago for the 2016 Olympics.

Kevin Drum reminds us:

Remember, in 2005, when New York was eliminated as a host city for the 2012 Olympics, and liberals everywhere giggled like children and mocked the Bush administration?

Oh wait, that didn't happen.

UPDATE:  One conservative columnist, at least, has some sense:

I don't think conservatives should be celebrating the U.S. losing out on the Olympic games. The Olympics is always a chance to put our national pride on display. However, this might be an instructive lesson on how Obama views the world and possibly the miscalculations of his political team.

Obama looks bad. Anyone disagreeing is being disingenuous. But conservatives should temper their excitement. Is losing the Olympics enough to really go nuts over an Obama loss?

Oh, and Rio won, by the way.

Blame it on Rio.

The Jeanne Dixon Of Baseball

Asked prior to the Mariners game against the Toronto Blue Jays last week for a prediction for the game, Mike Blowers, a former Mariners player and now color commentator, said he expected rookie Matt Tuiasosopo to hit his first big league home run in the game.

But not only that - he predicted that it would come on a 3-1 count.

But not only that - he predicted that the pitch would be a fastball.

But not only that - he predicted it would come in Tuiasosopo's second at bat.

Guess what? All of these things happened.

Check it out -- this is fun...

Red Sox In Postseason

Losing five in a row will get you a wild card spot only because Texas lost three in a row.

Not awe-inspiring, but I'll take it.

Still, they will have to get their mojo on as they face Anaheim post season.  No slouching across the finish line against guys like that.

Quote Of The Day

"Get your hats on... We're gonna score before the two-minute warning, get the ball back, then we're gonna score again and win this thing!''

- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, moments before they scored before the two-minute warning, got the ball back, then scored again and won that thing.

The Federer Shot

I've run into a lot of people who claim tennis is boring.

I don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Bloody Sock To Replace Liberal Lion?

Just because he's got he had a decent split-finger fastball doesn't mean he'll be a good political leader:

Can a Republican fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts? Among the list of possible GOP candidates is Curt Schilling.

The former right-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox is not ruling out a possible run.

"I've got a lot on my plate," says Schilling. "Right now, I'm not even going to speculate on it."

But, Schilling admits he would need to make a decision pretty quickly.

"I think for the first time in a long time, it will take the right candidate," Schilling said of a Republican beating a Democrat for the Senate seat.

"I have been contacted," says Schilling about a possible Senate run.

Schilling, a registered independent and longtime Republican supporter, wrote on his blog that while his family and video game company, 38 Studios, are high priorities, "I do have some interest in the possibility."

A registered independent?  Uh, Curt, if you want to run as a Republican, you missed the deadline.

"Any Rebroadcast, Retransmission, or Account of this Game, without the Express Written Consent of Major League Baseball, is Prohibited."

A blogger wanted to tell his friend Tyler about the Diamondbacks-Astros game (on August 23), so, aware of the warnings, he decided to call MLB:

The next morning I shot off an e-mail to MLB with my request and heard back within hours from Valerie Vieira, from the business development department in MLB Advanced Media. She asked me to call her.

I explained my situation to her and asked how to go about getting express written consent. She wanted to know if I was going to blog about the game or do a podcast, and I said no, I just wanted to describe the game to someone while sitting on my living room couch.

"How could anyone stop you from talking about the game in your own living room?" she said, taking my request as a joke.

I reassured her that it wasn't. While I doubted the MLB spies would be able to get to me, the disclaimer made it very clear that I'm not allowed to give my account of the game, so I wanted express written consent that gave me permission to talk about the game, and I would post a blog about how I went about attaining the consent. She said someone else from MLB would be calling me.

I waited 9 days, holding my tongue about the forbidden Diamondbacks-Astros game, patiently hoping MLB would give me the thumbs-up. I called and e-mailed Valerie several times to remind her I was waiting, but neither she nor anyone else has gotten back to me.

I take this to mean I am not allowed to describe the game to Tyler. Which is just as well, because I've forgotten all about the particulars now.

Four Game Sweep

I just couldn't bear to watch the game last night.  7 innings of sheer boredom followed by a couple innings of heartbreak.

The Yankees won the game, and swept all four games of the series, putting them 6.5 games in front of the Red Sox in the A.L. East.

And what's worse, the Red Sox's commanding lead for the Wild Card spot is now challenged.

Wake me up when it's September.

Tainted Championship

When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, it was a BIG DEAL.  You have to understand New Englanders and the Red Sox, but trust me, it was a BIG HUGE HONKIN' DEAL.  You remember when Neil Armstrong took that first stp on the moon?  That was peanuts compared to the 2004 World Series.  I'm talking a really really big deal here, folks.

This kind takes some wind out of the joy:

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to lawyers with knowledge of the results.

***

Baseball first tested for steroids in 2003, and the results from that season were supposed to remain anonymous. But for reasons that have never been made clear, the results were never destroyed and the first batch of positives has come to be known among fans and people in baseball as “the list.” The information was later seized by federal agents investigating the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes, and the test results remain the subject of litigation between the baseball players union and the government.

So basically, an argument can be made that... well, here's how a Sadly, No blogger puts it:

Cheating Boston Cheaters Cheated Their Cheating Way To World Cheat-manship

Maybe, but given the size of the list, it seems that the Yankees (who the Sox overtook after a 3-0 deficit in the AL Pennant) and just about every other player in the league were on steroids.  So.... there.  Right?

Manny Ramirez: Am I In Trouble?

Classic from The Onion:

LOS ANGELES—According to his teammates, his coaches, and the media, Manny Ramirez has appeared visibly confused and anxious since receiving a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, and has repeatedly asked those around him if he is in some sort of really big trouble right now.

"Uh-oh, things are not going so good for me I don't think," Ramirez was overheard saying to Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley. "Chad? Did I do something bad? If I did bad, I did not mean to do it."

"I tried to put on my uniform today and the day before that and Joe [Torre] told me not to do that," the left fielder added. "Chad.... Chad? Chad. Hey, Chad, do you think Joe is mad at me? I am not mad at him. Is Joe mad at me?"

Sources close to the Dodgers organization confirmed that ever since the suspension was handed down last Thursday, the visibly worried Ramirez has spent the majority of his time sitting in the clubhouse biting his fingernails and saying to himself, "Something is no good right now. Something is definitely no good."

In addition, a sulky Ramirez reportedly spent Tuesday afternoon pacing back and forth in front of Joe Torre's office in an apparent attempt to get the manager to invite him inside. When Torre exited his office without acknowledging the 2004 World Series MVP, Ramirez muttered, "I must be in big, big trouble, man. Big trouble."

"I think things are really bad because the people are being different toward me right now," Ramirez told reporters gathered around his locker Wednesday. "The people with the microphones who stand in front of the cameras and write the things in their books? They are talking about me differently than they usually talk about me. Usually they smile and laugh when they talk about me. But not now."

"You kind of look like them," Ramirez added.

Ramirez claimed he began feeling like he was in trouble during Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he found he was not in the starting lineup, was not asked to pinch-hit, and was left off the team plane when it departed Los Angeles for Philadelphia.

"Being suspended is one thing, man, but not being able to play baseball is really, really bad," Ramirez said. "I am going to miss baseball very much. I would like to tell everybody that I really love baseball, and that I love baseball, and that I am going to miss hitting the baseball forever and ever. I would like to end my career as a Yankee."

Dodgers teammate Rafael Furcal told reporters that although several people have attempted to explain the situation to Ramirez, the 12-time all-star either avoids eye contact entirely, smiles for no discernable reason, or nods his head with a furrowed brow, though many believe this is simply Ramirez's way of pretending to understand what is being said to him.

Sources close to Ramirez have reported that when the embattled star is told that his urine sample contained traces of a women's fertility drug, he typically giggles, extends his arms, and points his index fingers at whoever is trying to explain the predicament.

"If something is really messed up, I didn't do it, okay? It wasn't me. It was probably Brad," said Ramirez, attempting to deflect blame onto Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus. "He's no good. I do not like him. He should be in trouble, not me."

On Wednesday, Ramirez said that if he is in as big of trouble as he thinks he is, he hopes to receive his punishment soon so the situation can be over and done with.

"I am sorry for doing what I did, and for all the people who are mad, and for my parents, and my family, and for the fans, and the people I love, and everyone," Ramirez told reporters. "Please just let me start hitting the ball again, and doing all the things that let me do that so good—like looking at the videotape, practicing in the batting cage, and taking anabolic steroids."

Yankees Prices

As some reader to the NY Post pointed out, if you want to see a Yankees-Mariners game, it's cheaper for a New Yorker to see them play (twice!) in Seattle than to see them at the new Yankee stadium:

Reader Gary Cicio, NYC podiatrist, did the research, and asks us to choose one of the two options to see a Mariners-Yankees game this season, and from the very best seats:

Option 1: Two tickets to Tuesday night, June 30, Mariners at Yanks, cost for just the tickets, $5,000.

Option 2: Two round-trip airline tickets to Seattle, Friday, Aug. 14, return Sunday the 16th, rental car for three days, two-night double occupancy stay in four-star hotel, two top tickets to both the Saturday and Sunday Yanks-Mariners games, two best-restaurant-in-town dinners for two. Total cost, $2,800. Plus-frequent flyer miles.

Yikes.  No wonder Yankee game attendance looks like this:

Glad We Got Rid Of Him

I knew he was a bad egg.

UPDATE:  And I'm getting tired of this excuse:

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

"I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

A steroid or not -- it was a "performance-enhancing drug".  And I highly doubt that you would allow a doctor to give you a drug, and neither you nor the doctor suspected that it was banned.

Manny will be out $7.7 million as a result of the suspension.  I think MLB should have a rule where that money should be going to some anti-drug foundation.

Shaky Start Becomes Seven In A Row

Boy, I was worried there for a second....

2009 American League - Standings
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10
Toronto	11	5	.688	-	6-3	5-2	99	70	+29	Won 1	6-4
Boston	9	6	.600	1.5	7-2	2-4	84	63	+21	Won 7	7-3
NY Yankees	9	6	.600	1.5	4-2	5-4	84	97	-13	Won 3	6-4
Baltimore	7	8	.467	3.5	5-3	2-5	82	110	-28	Lost 1	3-7
Tampa Bay	6	9	.400	4.5	2-5	4-4	73	75	-2	Won 1	4-6

Four Corners Isn't Right

You know the famous national landmark, Four Corners? 

It's the exact location where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah come together.

Every year thousands of tourists visit the marker designating where the four states meet, and they take pictures of themselves straddling four states.

Like this girl:

 

Cute, but a waste of time.  Because the marker is off:

Four Corners — the only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together — was first surveyed by the U.S. government in 1868, during the initial survey of Colorado's southern boundary line. Its intended location was an even 109 degrees west longitude and 37 degrees north latitude.

However, due to surveying errors, it didn't come out that way.

According to readings by the National Geodetic Survey, today's official marker sits at 109 02 42.62019 W longitude and 36 59 56.31532 N latitude.

That means the current monument marking the intersection of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona is approximately 2.5 miles west of where it should be.

According to three different Internet sites for distance calculations (including an FCC site and GPS visualizer) the readings were 2.493; 2.484; and 2.499 miles.

So that ruins that vacation memory.

Red Sox Opening

Today... uh, tomorrow.

Stupid rain.

The Sox are in perhaps the toughest MLB division this year.  But I like their chances to take the AL East.  Their pitching staff is young and lean.  And good.  Lester be the man.  And Bay.  Couple of Cy Young potentials on the roster.

And I don't think the Yankees will be as much of a threat, as they usually are.  The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on the other hand, might be.

The Wild Card will be from the AL East, so at least two of these three -- Red Sox, Devil Rays, and Yankees -- will be playing postseason.

Would like to see a World Series matchup between the Red Sox and Dodgers (who now have Manny Ramierez).

Schilling Retires

His blog is down -- probably from the deluge of hits -- but he announced today that he is leaving baseball, at the age of 42, with "zero regrets".  He was out all last season with a shoulder injury, and his best days are behind him, so it's not a major blow to the Red Sox. 

But still, he was the man for a while, and will always be remembered for this:

 

Red Sox To Get New Uniform And Logo

That's the scuttlebutt.

No news in what it might be.

Curt Throws An Ironic Curveball

Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling:

"I guess what I am saying, or asking, is that if you are undecided about who to cast your vote for, don't vote for someone a celebrity tells you to vote for. That's lame, lazy and disrespectful of the rights you've been given," Schilling wrote. "Take the time to listen and see these people. I don't doubt for a second that if you listen to these men and women, if you hear what they are saying, if you look at what kind of people they are, I don't think you can come to any other conclusion than John McCain is far and away the best human being alive to be the next President of the United States of America."

"Don't listen to celebrities, vote for McCain." says the celebrity

Quote Of The Day

"You can never misunderjudge the Red Sox!"

 

                                    -Noah Dumont (my nephew)

Wake Me Up When Its Over

I come home.  It's 11 o'clock.  Red Sox are down 7-0 in the 7th.

Talk about a post-season implosion.

Eh, we'll get 'em next year.

OH-ME-OF-LITTLE-FAITH UPDATE:  No sooner than five minutes after I posted the above, then the Red Sxo score 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th with two outs.  Ortiz, who has been lackluster in this series so far, belted a 3 run homer.  Looks like we (almost) have a ballgame.

UPDATE AT 11:30 pm:  Holy shit, this is a good game.  J.D. Drew hits a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-6.  Now I really can't go to bed.

 

NEXT MORNING UPDATE:  Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!  It was one of those Fenway games that they'll be talking about years from now.....

October Surprise

9-1?  Really?

The Sox got their asses handed to them last night.  I'm not going to be able to watch tonight's game, but a friend is in attendance, so I think we'll even up the series.

Oh, Riiiiight. It's Postseason.

Red Sox knocked off the Dodgers 4-1 last night in L.A.

I gotta get back into this.  Who is on the team now?  I know Manny's gone.  (Good!)  Who is this Lester kid?  He's good.

I'm Almost Ready To Say "Let Him Go"

I had no problem with letting Nomar go.  I thought he was overrated and more trouble than he was worth.  Same with Pedro.

But Manny?  He's the backbone of the team.  He rocks. 

On the other hand, he's such a prick:

On Wednesday, he spoke by telephone with ESPNdeportes.com.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here I've seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them. The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me.

Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don’t deserve me. I’m not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don’t have peace here."

Boo-fucking-hoo.  Manny, you're getting paid an unbelievable sum of money to do what most people would give up their first-born to do.  Stop the whining.

The trade deadline is 4:00 p.m. today.  The latest news is that the Red Sox, Marlins, and Pirates are in a three-way talk for a deal that involves Manny:

The Marlins would trade outfielder Jeremy Hermida and a prospect for Ramirez, and the Red Sox then would flip Hermida and prospects to the Pirates for left fielder Jason Bay. Pirates left-handed reliever John Grabow also is in play, possibly headed to the Marlins.

MLB.com says (at 10:59 a.m.) that this deal "appears close"

Bay for Manny isn't a bad deal....

	Player		TEAM		POS		G		AB		R		H		2B		3B		HR		RBI		TB		BB		SO		SB		CS		OBP		SLG		AVG
	M Ramirez		BOS		OF		100		365		66		109		22		1		20		68		193		52		86		1		0		.398		.529		.299
	J Bay		PIT		OF		106		393		72		111		23		2		22		64		204		59		86		7		0		.375		.519		.282

...especially when you factor in the "prick" factor....

Tuning In

This is usually the time of year when I start to really tune in to the Bosox.  Season being half over and all.

It looks like we're in first -- barely -- and that seem largely due to a Tampa Bay impode more than anything else.  (Really?  Tampa Bay?  Why are they even a factor?!?)

Yankees not a serious threat at the moment....

Of course, Papi is out on disability for a while, Youklis and Varitek will probably soon join him on the DL.  And Schilling just is gone.

And, to top it off, Manny is being all grumbly with the front office apparently.  Seriously, I like Manny, but sometimes his attitude...

All this doesn't bode well for the near future. 

But JD Drew and Mike Lowell are pulling their weight (Drew only has one less homer than Manny); we've still got Dice-K and Papelbon on the bench.

So we might survive a rough patch and squeak through...

2008 American League - Standings
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	DIV	WC	POFF
Boston	57	40	.588	-	36-11	21-29	495	396	+99	Won 2	7-3	61.3	18.6	79.9
Tampa Bay	55	39	.585	.5	36-14	19-25	433	387	+46	Lost 7	3-7	29.7	25.7	55.5
NY Yankees	50	45	.526	6	27-22	23-23	436	412	+24	Lost 1	5-5	6.3	9.1	15.4
Toronto	47	48	.495	9	27-20	20-28	399	376	+23	Won 1	6-4	2.1	2.8	4.9
Baltimore	45	49	.479	10.5	25-17	20-32	441	452	-11	Lost 3	2-8	0.6	1.4	2.0
CENTRAL	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	DIV	WC	POFF
Chicago Sox	54	40	.574	-	32-13	22-27	462	379	+83	Lost 1	5-5	67.8	6.5	74.3
Minnesota	53	42	.558	1.5	32-18	21-24	464	448	+16	Lost 1	6-4	26.8	11.8	38.6
Detroit	48	47	.505	6.5	28-20	20-27	455	449	+6	Won 2	5-5	4.3	2.5	6.8
Kansas City	43	53	.448	12	22-24	21-29	397	458	-61	Lost 1	4-6	0.2	0.1	0.3
Cleveland	41	53	.436	13	26-22	15-31	426	418	+8	Won 4	4-6	0.9	0.4	1.2
WEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	DIFF	STRK	L10	DIV	WC	POFF
LA Angels	57	38	.600	-	26-20	31-18	409	388	+21	Won 2	6-4	56.2	7.6	63.8
Oakland	51	44	.537	6	31-24	20-20	410	345	+65	Lost 2	5-5	35.7	10.9	46.5
Texas	50	46	.521	7.5	25-21	25-25	538	559	-21	Won 1	6-4	8.1	2.7	10.8
Seattle	37	58	.389	20	19-27	18-31	374	437	-63	Won 1	4-6	0.1	0.1	0.1

How About Those Red Sox?

Six game winning streak (and ahead in the 6th inning for their seventh straight win as I type this), and first in their division by two games.  And Dice-K, who is 7-0 this season, is on the mound.

Gotta like it...

BONUS:  Yankees are in last place in the division -- 7.5 games behind the Bosox.

Nice Catch, Manny

They're comparing it to the Willie Mays catch.  Video here.

Unassisted Triple Play

It happened last night.  Only happened 13 times before in the 100+ history of Major League Baseball.  Enjoy.

Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry Gets Ugly

Folks, it's just a game.

How About Them Red Sox Patriots Celtics?

Not a big basketball fan, but it is worth noting that the Celtics are off to a great seasonal start.  An historical one, if trends continue.  Right now, their winning percentage outpaces that of the 1995-96 Bulls, largely considered to be the best professional basketball team ever.

I don't know.  The Red Sox took the World Series.  The Patriots are clear favorites for the Super Bowl win.  And now the Celtics.

Sports fans everywhere are going to HATE Boston.

The Mitchell Report

I wasn't going to address this, but I had the same thoughts as Volokh conspiracy blogger Ilya Somin (also a Bosox fan), so I might as well dive in:

Unfortunately, the prominence of Yankees stars in the Report and the near-absence of Red Sox stars raises the question of whether Senator George Mitchell, the Report's primary author, was compromised by his status as a Boston Red Sox director. Was he deliberately targeting Yankees players and/or purposely overlooking offenses by Red Sox?

Somin goes on to answer his own question with a "no".  Mitchell, he argues, has "made a career of serving as an elder statesman/conflict mediator from Northern Ireland to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", and is unlikely to risk that reputation because of his connection to the Red Sox.

Okay, I'll buy that.

By the way, former Red Sox on "the list" include [Eric] Gagne, [Mo] Vaughn, [Roger] Clemens, Mike Stanton, Mike Lansing, Manny Alexander, Jose Manzanillo, Jeremy Giambi, [Brendan] Donnelly, Kent Mercker, Chris Donnels.

Glad to see Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, and Nomar Garciaperra -- rumored to be on the list -- are in fact not listed.

I have little else to say about The Mitchell Report (full report -- 409 pages in pdf format) other than what everybody else is saying (including the report itself).  The use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs is casting a pall on the enjoyability of the game, and it's high time (past time, in fact) that baseball does something about it.  The report is a launching-off point for serious revisions to the rules, and hopefully everybody -- owners, managers, and (most crucially) the baseball unions -- will get behind it.

That Ruins The Song For Me!

The Caroline of "Sweet Caroline" (the Neil Diamond song) is Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter (who just turned 50, if you can believe that).  Neil Diamond revealed this in a recent interview.

By the way, the song has returned to the singles charts, due in large part to the Red Sox Nation (the song is played at every home game).

Instant Replay In Baseball

Well, why not?

For the first time Tuesday, baseball general managers recommended instant replay be used to help umpires make difficult decisions.

The recommendation, by a 25-5 vote, was limited to boundary calls — whether potential home runs are fair or foul, whether balls go over fences or hit the top and bounce back, and whether fans interfere with possible homers.

I think that's a reasonable use of instant replays.  I don't think it should be used for balls/strikes.  That would make the game even slower.

Busy, Busy, Busy

The closing weekend of Little Shop of Horrors was successful and loads of fun.  Show got even tighter and the audiences were relatively large and appreciative.  Strike, which I thought would be the worst, was completed in about 3 hours -- that includes transporting and unloading everything back at the shop.  Night hadn't fallen yet, and we were all off to a final cast dinner.

And now I'm head-deep in Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever rehearsals.  I'm very blessed with a lot of seasoned adults -- I can just give them blocking and not worry too much about them.  A lot of the kids are very seasoned and talented as well, but there are so many of them, and it's going to be a tremendous task getting them where I want them.

In the meantime, what did I miss?  Oh, yes.  The Red Sox won the World Series in a four-game sweep.  I missed the third game entirely (didn't even TIVO it).  I watched the fourth game in a state of semi-exhaustion.  It wasn't the most exciting game, but for the fact that the Red Sox won and took the title.  I must say, it's very odd being the non-underdog.  The Red Sox are the new Yankees -- the big bad team that everybody loves to hate.  Well, not everybody.

What else did I miss?  I guess there was a tragic fire on the coast.  Yeah, that was bad.

But things are settling down again, and even though I'm in rehearsal, it's a little different when you're directing.  And VERY different when directing 30+ kids.  Oy.

I forge on.

Good Times Never Seemed So Good

2 games to 0.  Nice 2-1 win.  Schilling, who is no longer the Schilling of yore, still knows how to compete.  Then came the "dynamic duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon" who kept the Rockies in place for the back end of the game.  Nice to see that even when the bats aren't connecting (unlike Wednesday's blowout), the pitching takes charge.

Best part: Pap's pickoff of Holliday to quelch an 8th inning rally.  Sweeeeeeet.

Terry Francona Announces Josh Beckett Will Start Games 1, 4, 7, 2, 6, 3, 5

From The Onion:

BOSTON—Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced Tuesday that the Colorado Rockies would receive a healthy dose of pitcher Josh Becket during the 2007 World Series, saying that the ALCS MVP would start games one, four, seven, two, six, three, and five, in that order. "I don't think this should come as a real shock to anyone," Francona told reporters, adding that with this schedule, Beckett should get "more than enough rest" between games one and four, which would allow him to be at maximum strength for games seven, two, and, if necessary, six, three, and the crucial fifth game. "Looking at the pitchers I have at my disposal, this gives us the best chance to win." According to Francona, Beckett should also be ready to pitch in late-inning relief of himself in games four and six, close games seven and three, and pitch on three hours rest if needed

Also from The Onion:

Red Sox Attempt To Break Fabled 'Curse Of Relief Pitcher Curtis Leskanic'

BOSTON—The Boston Red Sox, who have failed to win a single World Series since the departure of relief pitcher Curtis Leskanic in 2004, are attempting to defy the odds and do the impossible: reverse the curse of the journeyman reliever whose ghost has haunted this team since the mid-2000s.

Pitted against the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 Fall Classic, the team that for two long years seemed like it might be destined to lose forever has a chance to finally put an end to its 36-month-long World Series drought. However, the Red Sox must first overcome the famed Curse of Curtis Leskanic, which caused medium-to-long-suffering fans much anguish and heartache during the period between 2005 and 2006.

Read the whole thing...

TIVO/Liveblogging Game One

Little Shop brush-up went well and we got out of there at a decent enough hour, so with a little help from TIVO, I can watch Game One of the World Series.  Might be the only game I get to see.

Pregame (TIVO):  Blah blah blah blah blah.  OMG.  That's Yaz?  Well, I guess he's got to get old too.  Nice way to start the World Series-- reminding Red Sox fans of their mortality.  Jeez, he throws like a girl now.

Top of the First Inning (TIVO):  Beckett rules.  First strikeout.  A good omen.

Bing.  A second strikeout.

Bing.  A third.  Couldn't ask for a better opening inning.

Bottom of the First (TIVO):  And the second pitch sails out of the park off a Pedroia's bat.  This is a great way to start the series, but I don't think we can keep this up.

Youklis doubles with no outs.  This has the earmarks of a Colorado catastrophe.

Youk scores on a Manny single.  2-0.  Ugh.  This rain is nasty.

Manny scores.  3-0.  Two outs.

And that's the inning.  Three strikeouts on the defense; three runs on the offense.

Top of the Second (TIVO):  Strikeout number four.

Okay, I guess that's it for stirkeouts.  We'll allow the Rockies a hit.

Oops. And a run.

Three outs, and two of them were Beckett strikouts.

Excuse me, Bekkkkkett strikeouts.

Bottom of the Second (TIVO): Youk scores again after Ortiz hits him home.  4-1. 

Open up that lead, boys.  I'm never comfortable until you're at least 5 runs ahead.

Top of the Third (TIVO): One, two, three. 

Beckett might not be striking them out, but he's getting them to hit easy grounders and pop flies.

Bottom of the Third (TIVO): I'm not a Lugo fan, but that was a nice two-out bunt.  Too bad they couldn't capitalize.  Still 4-1.

Top of the Fourth (TIVO): One hit (a double), but two more Beckett strikeouts.  Total pitching dominance here.

Bottom of the Fourth:  And I'm live now.

The Ortiz-Ramirez combo pays off.  Ortiz singles.  Manny hits him to third.  First and third, two outs.

They intentionally walk Lowell.  Bases loaded, two outs.  I like this.

Yeah, yeah.  The Red Sox pitching roster bangs on the dugout.  Yawn.  Gotta earn their salary some way I suppose. 

Bam.  Varitek hits a ground rule double to left.  I always feel that's a cheap way to score, but I'll take it.  We get to more.  It's 6-1.  I can relax a little.

Top of the Fifth:  Beckett has seven strikeouts and no walks so far.

One down, two down.  Beckett gets 8th K.  Still pitching 94-96 mph.

Oops, a walk.  Beckett fading a little, but he's still got it.

Side is out.

Bottom of the Fifth:  Morales pitching now for Rockies.  Lugo opens with a hit. 

Bagged at second on a bad Ellsbury bunt.

Heh.  Balk.  I'm not sure about the rules regarding balks.  Oh, okay.  He has to take a step more toward first than home.  Makes sense.  Anyway, Ellsbury to second on the balk.  Two outs.

Youk doubles, bringing in Ellsbury.  7-1.

And Ortiz doubles, bringing in Youklis.  8-1.  Looks like a blowout.  I like the fact that these runs are coming with two outs.  Their last six RBIS were with two outs.

Make that their last seven RBIs have been with two outs.  Manny singles and brings in Ortiz.

Red Sox have scored 9 runs off of 14 hits, compared to the Rockies 1 run off of 3 hits.

And Lowell doubles, bring Manny to third.  This is the 9th extra base hit for the Red Sox, tying a World Series record -- and we're only in the fifth inning.

I like the placement of the ball when it's hit.  It's like the Rockie outfielders aren't even out there.

Lowell walks.  Bases loaded with J.D. Drew at the plate.  He's already one post-season grand slam under his belt.  Will he do it again?

No, but he singles in a hard-hitting infield grounder.  Another run scored.  10-1 and the Rockies are replacing the pitcher.

Not that the new pitcher is starting off well.  He walks in a run.  11-1.

Why did the sportscaster just say "These are not your father's Rockies?".  Nobody's father had the Rockies.

And another walk makes it 12-1.  This isn't even interesting now.  Every Red Sox player except Lowell has an RBI.

Speiers walks yet anoother.  And the Rockies are changing pitchers again.  13-1.

Yay!  The inning finally over.  (Never thought I'd be saying that!)

Top of the Sixth:  A close single, a nice double play, a hit, a flyout.  A comparatively quick top of the inning.  Maybe this game will end before midnight.

Bottom of the Sixth:  I guess the only thing interesting now is whether or not someone steals a base, because if they do, we all get a free taco from Taco Bell.  Which, I must confess, really isn't all that interesting.

Hey.  A fun fact.  The actor Paul Giamatti's father was the same Giamatti who was baseball commissioner and President of Yale.  Now that's interesting.

Okay, I admit.  I didn't watch much of the bottom of the sixth because I was doing laundry.  I feel in the mud while trying to push Cheri Van Loon's car out of the mud.

Enough with the blonde dancing kid.  And the Geico Flintstone ad.

Top of the Seventh: Another scoreless inning for the Rockies, although I see they got a man on third.

Ashanti is singing God Bless America.  Never heard of her, but her eyelashes could spear armor.

Bottom of the Seventh:  Scoreless.  I guess the only exciting thing now is whether my battery will die on my laptop before the game is over.

Top of the Eighth:  Beckett with 9 Ks is replaced by Timlin.

Whoa.  The small TV in my bedroom died.  Well, the sound did.  I knew this was coming; it's been fading slowly for the past few months.  I think I've had this TV for 15 years.  Time to get a new one.

Apparently, the Rockies fell quicky in the 8th.

Bottom of the Eighth:  Well, this is even going to be less interesting with no sound.

One two three.  Quick inning.

Top of the Ninth:  With Gagne pitching.  Let's make it quick, shall we?  It's past midnight.

Fly ball.  One out.

The screen flashed that this is the largest win (12 runs) in World Series history.  Assumng, of course, that the Rockies don't score this inning.

Fly ball.  Two out.

Hey, sound suddenly came back on.  Maybe someone will explain why they flashed a picture of Van Halen on the screen

Strikeout.  Game over.  12 strikeouts for the Red Sox.  Nice win.  Bedtime.

Prediction

Red Sox in seven.

Because you know it just has to be seven.

Oh, Me Of Little Faith

And I was all ready to throw in the towel last week.  Shame on me.

Down 3-1, and with Manny saying "Well, no biggie if we lose" (or words to that effect), I just didn't have a good feeling about the Red Sox taking the pennant.

And even though we got off to a good start last night, we were leaving too many men on base and hitting into waaaay too many double plays.  Up until the 7th, it was a nailbiter of a game.  But once the crazy and/or scary Papelbon (pictured below) took the mound, I felt pretty good.  And that's when the rookies on the team really showed their stuff.

Now it's time to face the Rockies.  They really are, as everyone says, the hottest team in baseball right now.  Ever.  21 out of the last 22 games blah blah blah.  Okay, but there's the thing.  They've had a week to cool down the big mo.  So, we'll see.  Should be a great World Series.

The Anthem Psych-out Fails

The Indians thought that if they got Josh Beckett's ex-girlfriend to sing the National Anthem, it would affect his pitching.

Beckett pitched 8 innings, landed 11 strikeouts, and only allowed seven guys on base.

Back to the drawing board, Wile E. Coyote.

Let's Talk Baseball

FUN FACT:  Watching your team lose twice to the Indians [Monday (4-2) and Tueday (7-3)] on TIVO fast-forward is no less painful than watching it unfold in real time.

I have no empirical proof of this, yet I believe it to be true.

Also....

MEMO TO RED SOX:  Your rare back-to-back-to-back home runs would have been soooo much cooler had you not allowed the other team to score seven runs in the previous inning!!!!! 

Just sayin'....

Do I despair of the Red Sox? 

Well, yes, frankly I do. 

Does it comfort me that we have "been here before", most recently in 2004 when we were down three games to one?

No.  Not in the least.  I don't care, nor do I believe, that's how we roll.

Do I have confidence in Beckett for Game Five?

Yes.  But that confidence doesn't extend in to Game Six and Game Seven (even if it does send us back to Boston).

So is that it for Red Sox blogging for a while?

I suspect so.

Fun Begins Tonight For Curseless Sox

The Red Sox nation is confident, maybe even cocky. 

And why not?  This ain't 2004...

In 2004, she always felt that "something will happen." Now, she says, the Nation is eager to see if the team can take care of business. "That year they didn't win their division. Now they have. Now they won't be the underdog. They have to be the leader."

Beckett is still hot, with a lot of post season experience (half of Beckett's six career postseason starts have been complete-game shutouts).

But  Sabathia (also a Cy Young candidate) is a member of the AL pitching elite and deservedly so.

Expect a low-scoring game tonight.  I think it will actually come down to the success or failure of the closers.  Should be fun and - yay! -- with no rehearsal tonight, I get to see it.

Sweep

Well, that was easy.

Beckett Rocks

That is all.

Nineteen Mets Injured in Frenzy of Post-Game Finger Pointing

Lol:

Injuries include three scratched cornea, two punctured eardrums and fourteen badly bruised psyches.

NEW YORK, NY (Sportsman’s Daily Wire Service) —

No one knew precisely what triggered it, but suddenly the morgue-like locker room transformed into a furious martial arts flick, as fingers came flying from all directions. They came fast and they came hard and when it was all over, nineteen Mets -- including two coaches and PR Director Jay Horowitz -- were taken to a local hospital for an assortment of minor injuries.

Red Sox Take AL East

Which is why I display a rather embarrassing Papelbon and Youk danceoff:

The post-season fun begins tonight, with the Angels at Fenway.  The Angels may pose a bigger obstacle to the Pennant than the Yankees.  The Red Sox and Angels are pretty evenly matched, but our pitching bench is healed and well-rested, and the Manny-Ortiz-Lowell gauntlet is in full force. 

I would, for once, like to avoid another battle with the Yankees, so let's hope the Indians have the juice.

Red Sox Have Clinched A Playoff Spot

Noted.