Summer Sweeping

Rain or sun, it's been all the same for the Sox-Yanks this season.
(espn.com)

Who would have thought we would have woke up this morning, and have the Sox pull off an 8-0 record against their arch rivals (9 consecutive dating back to last year)? Who would have thought that A.J. Burnett, a man who has dominated the Red Sox in the past, would have a 12.92 ERA against them while in pinstripes? Who would have thought that we would be 2 games away from winning the season series against the Yankees, IN JUNE? Who would have known that only 2 of the Yankee starters would reach the 6 inning mark in the eight matchups against the Crimson Hose? Not me, and I guarantee that you didn't either. This is the 1st time since the inaugural season at Fenway (1912) that the Sox have taken the 1st eight contests against the pinstripers. While I don't think that the Sox will take the 1st fourteen like the world champion 1912 team did, it's always good to start off with this kind of dominance against the Yanks, especially after the contrasting offseason plans the two franchises embarked on. What's truly amazing about this streak (or for New Yorkers, devastating) is that the Sox have beat New York in every way imaginable. We've beat them in the close ones, we've shut them out, we outlasted them in the slug fests, we've rallied against their bullpen twice late in games (including overcoming the mighty Rivera), and we've even literally stole momentum by swiping home. There isn't much else the Sox could do, and it's soooooooooo good (I'm all ready to start breaking out in "Sweet Caroline."). Never has moving a broom back and forth felt so satisfying. Even though there are 102 games left in this season, it is moments like this that make me feel comfortable about the team in the midst of a ferocious division race.

Hey Sabathia. You're lookin' like $161 million bucks.
(espn.com)

Coming into this week's series, it felt good just to be 5-0 to start the season against The Empire. I have to admit though, I was feeling a bit nervous. Ever since the last matchup between The Empire and The Nation in the New Yankee Bandbox, the Yankees had posted a 21-10 record, with Teixeira, Jeter, and the rest of the offense finding their stride after A-Rod* re-entered the fray. On the other end, the Sox mustered a mediocre 16-14 record with Papi needing to check his eyes, an apparent last ditch effort for a falling star. The first matchup (Beckett-Burnett) gave me images of the slugfest I attended almost two months back with the two fireballers. But if it's one thing that's been a constant in the past month for the Sox, it has been Beckett's monster performance. By starting off the series with a dominant 8 K, 6 IP appearance, Beckett continued a seven start unbeaten streak, which has included a run of allowing only 3 ER in his last 5 starts. On the other end, New York's $82.5 million dollar man could not get out of the 3rd inning, tossing 5 BBs and allowing 5 runs in the process of a 7-0 loss. I was more than honored to be going to Game 2 of the series, which featured the ageless knuckleballer Wakefield up against the Taiwanese sinkerballer Wang, who is approaching a historic season (Hint: Not in a good way). The matchup saw pretty much the same, Wakefield earned another quality start en route to his club leading 8th win, while Wang imploded before the completion of the 3rd inning. Even with villains Damon and Teixeira going back to back off the almost invincible Ramon Ramirez late in the game, the Yanks would inevitably fall short as they did in the previous 6 contests against The Nation. On the bright side for The Bronx Bombers, Wang's ERA was lowered from a grandiose 14.46 ERA to a minuscule 14.34. Also the fact that his next start is against the Nationals, which gives him a "minor league" start to turnaround his "historic" season. Remember, always look on the bright side! The third matchup literally featured a heavyweight battle as Penny got ready to audition for his next team against multi-million dollar C.C. (Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!) Sabathia, who had been owned by the Red Sox recently (I should start putting an exclamation point next to C.C. just like I put an asterisk next to A-Rod* for effect. Please comment for approval). The contest ended up being like a heavyweight title bout, as Penny and C.C. stayed even through the 1st 6 innings. Then in the 7th, A-Rod finally got his clutch on by driving in 2 with a double off Delcarmen, who I tweeted was due for a blowup. But the situation would do a 180 in the 8th as the Sox loaded the bases on C.C., and then exploded on Alfredo Aceves to complete another Sox rally, deflating the Bombers once more. It was the third lead the Yankees' bullpen had pulled an Orlando Magic-type choke job on with their rivals, which probably didn't make Hank and Hal too happy. There was nothing more to anticipate, other than the back pages of the New York Post.

2 HR vs. Yankees + Papi Smile = Happy Chuck.
(espn.com)

So what does this mean you ask? It again proves like I wrote in the 1st Fenway series with the rivals, that the Sox have more depth than the Yanks, it's that simple. Just look at the pitching. While the Sox still carry the best bullpen in the majors, the Yankees continue to struggle creating their bridge to Rivera, and even Rivera hasn't been a guarantee lately. Against the Sox this year, the Yankee bullpen has a 5.10 ERA with 21 BBs and 6 HRs in 30 IP. On top of that, they haven't had a consistent groove with their starting pitching, emphasized by their problems to manage the Wang debacle. An 0-6 mark with a 7.04 ERA amongst their starters in the 8 games against the Sox doesn't alleviate anything, considering that they spent so much for opposite results. Having a 1.000 win percentage against your rival is not a bad edge to have. I haven't been able to stop smiling the whole day. However, like I mentioned earlier in the entry, there is a loooooong way to go in the season. The past 3 series help us enormously in terms of the divisional tie-breaker, but that's about it. The truth is that there's a lot of gametime between now and the next time the mega-rivals meet up on Aug 6th. The Sox, while carrying serious momentum from the sweep, hold only a 2 game lead in a division that still have the sleeping giant Rays, and the uber-resilient Blue Jays (arguably the biggest surprise in the MLB). With what has happened thus far and with the huge chunk of time in between this past series and the next, no one knows how the pendulum will swing. But if that pendulum swings like Jason Bay has swung the bat this season, I'm liking the Sox's chances. Can't wait for Big Papi to tear it up in Philly.

Bonus: Sox-Yankees Montage 6/10

"Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline, 1969

Saving Private Ryan: More Than Just Cinema

Saving Private Ryan: The 4-star general of movies.
(abovethevile.files.wordpress.com)

Hey Cloud 10 fanatics! For all you history buffs out there, you know that this past Saturday, June 6, was the 65th anniversary of a significant day in world history. I would have loved to write about this on the day, but I was on a housesitting gig this weekend and didn't have a strong enough wireless signal. Making money on unemployment takes some creativity. Anyway, It was a day in which the fate of Europe and the world hung in the balance as many brave men invaded the beaches of Normandy to fight Hitler's mighty army. It was a moment in history in which success was the only viable option, for failure meant a possible catastrophic downturn in the state and morale of humanity. As I saw the news footage of Obama's appearance at the Normandy American Cemetery, reminding us not to forget the lessons that we learned that day sixty five years back, I was also reminded of a movie that presented the mainstream many images of the ultimate sacrifices made by many to literally save the world. This classic Spielberg film not only taught us the virtue of sacrifice, but also the brotherhood shared by the many fighting men of what Tom Brokaw coined, "the greatest generation". The movie's powerful message, combined with its high entertainment value makes Saving Private Ryan my favorite movie of all time.

Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan
(rickthegreat.files.wordpress.com)

The success of this film could be credited with the fact that it had elements that many could appreciate, and it starts right from the first scene of the movie. The film opens with a half-hour, action packed skirmish with the 2nd Rangers on Omaha Beach, which could only be described as hell on earth. As opening scenes go, it really gets the average viewer hooked into the environment of the film and at the same time, captures the fiendish interest of battle scene junkie. Most importantly, the scene portrays realistically the horror of the invasion, both in the faces of the soldiers, and in the unimaginable carnage on the beach. The Omaha Beach scene only further deepens my respect for those who served in World War II as well as those who are serving currently in our present day conflicts. I don't know how I would react if I realized that six machine guns were simultaneously firing at me. My immediate reaction wouldn't be to charge closer to them, that's for sure. A respectable cast didn't hurt either. A film directed by Steven Spielberg and with Tom Hanks (Captain Miller) at the main role is always worthy of a viewing, but the supporting cast shouldn't be ignored. Along with Hanks was good ole Tom Sizemore (pre-career meltdown/Heidi Fleiss days), Vin Diesel (pre-Fast and The Furious), Sam Malone....errr Ted Danson, and of course Matt Damon as paratrooper James Ryan to name a few. All of them put up brilliant performances, portraying soldiers in the constant heat of conflict, creating an even more believable aura. Hanks's character for example, tries to present himself to his men as mechanical personality, however the rigors of battle show up, evident with his hand tremors and him breaking down once after battle. The portrayal of the Captain Miller character I believe perfectly fits the image conflict of many soldiers as they try to survive the uncertainties of the battlefield. The plot line of eight men on a mission to save one was real far-fetched to me at first. Then I realized that the plot made me ponder the same question of whether one man is worth so much. Throughout my viewing of hundreds of war movies in my lifetime, the main principle you learn is that in the end, you fight for the man that's in the foxhole with you, and Saving Private Ryan made me look at this same principle in a creative and different way. This film was so carefully crafted, that apparently all the main characters, except for Damon's Ryan, went through the pre-movie boot camp, just so that anger could show through on camera. Not a bad ploy from the ET guy. By reading through the details of the crafting and witnessing the realistic environment the film provides, its not that hard to see why this movie is so revered by many.

Tiger Tank = Not a good day.
(api.ning.com)

So immediately after I got home on Sunday night, I reached into my DVD collection and watched the movie probably for the 22,541,396th time, feeling more appreciation for the film than ever. Saving Private Ryan won over viewers (including myself) by making a movie experience feel like a living experience. I don't know of any film that entertained and educated as much as this movie, while at the same time revitalizing not only the war movie genre, but also interest in World War II history. I mean how many more WWII movies, video games, documentaries, and books came out afterwards? The tally is just endless. Not a knock against The Dark Knight (which I actually saw for the 1st time about 10 days ago) or other recent blockbuster smashes, but they don't come close to the impact that Saving Private Ryan has had on a cultural level. The movie also didn't fall into the trap of having some of the cheesy traps of the genre, like melodramatic music during the intense scenes and having "Rambo-like" characters (Nicky Cage in Windtalkers comes to mind.) who can shoot the enemy from behind his back, while running into thousands of bullets without getting hit. In a pop culture world where sequels and movies of 70's TV shows continue to dominate the big screen, it is nice to have this 11 year old classic around to bring a constant breath of fresh air.

Before I Peace: PLEASE STOP IT BRETT!!!!

(everyjoe.com)

Once again, Brett Favre decides to take the media and a young quarterback hostage with his indecision to hang it up. A couple months after he decides for the 2nd time he will not play for good, he now gets arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in anticipation of ANOTHER comeback. To top it off, it is most likely going to be with a divisional rival of the team his name is synonymous with. Really? Favre, I'm sick of your charade. Let the league move on. You're done, and I know I'm not the only one who is driven completely insane by this. And if anyone brings up your greatness one more time, I'm gonna mention how your Jets collapsed and how you have 310 career interceptions, and how almost a whole generation has passed since you last won the Super Bowl. On second thought, I hope you do comeback, just so that you can have another city's fan base turn on you as you choke away their season.

Mochaman's Fantasy Baseball Report
- Bubba Gump Shrimpz - 61-54-11 (4th, Steroid Freaks' Anonymous, 7 GB)
Coming of my first back-to-back series losses of the season. Offense not being helped by the Josh Hamilton/Asdrubal Cabrera injuries or the Arizona bullpen whenever Dan Haren starts. Need a big week to stay afloat in this 7 team race.

- Mocha Sox - 28-58-4 (12th, Yahoo Public 38095, 25 GB)
Finally won my first series of the year with this team. Halladay has just been a beast, and the offense is starting to find some consistency. Hope to spark the flame some more. Long way to go.

- Firehawks - 42-45-3 (7th, Yahoo Public 162279, 14.5 GB)
Trio of Lester, Beckett, and Hamels are finding their groove together. Combined with a solid, but not overwhelming offense, the team is now morphing into a possible contender. Sky's the limit if this keeps up.

Yeah, But LeBron Can't Hit 570-Foot Homeruns!

Watch out Wieters. We might have another 'Chuck Norris' of baseball.
(theghostofmoonlightgraham.files.wordpress.com)

Six days after personally witnessing the debut of super-prospect Mr. Matt Wieters in Baltimore, and five days after writing an entry on new Sox reliever Danny Bard, I encountered a story that got absolutely every bit of my attention. And this is all after I was getting good laughs from a website that compared Wieters to a certain bearded martial arts star of 'Walker, Texas Ranger'. On the cover of Sports Illustrated was a photo of a high-school slugger that was positioned next to the title, "Baseball's Chosen One". Immediately, I had to rush online to find the article that has created this LeBron type buzz. The story, written by the esteemed SI writer Tom Verducci, detailed the prodigious accomplishments of Las Vegas High student named Bryce Harper. What I found in this article was astonishing. A kid clocking 570-ft bombs? Quicker bat speed than McGwire at his prime? Scoring on multiple wild pitches from second base? Throwing a 96 MPH fastball when he pitches? All of this at the age of SIXTEEN! Sixteen? At an age where my main goals in life were to pass AP Biology and to try not to be awkward with the opposite sex, Harper is just dismantling opposing pitchers while being to compared to fellow prodigies A-Rod* and Griffey Jr. in their senior years......as a sophomore! If that doesn't get your attention as a sports fan, you might need a doctor's appointment soon. But the same story that provoked so much excitement also produces a wee bit of worry for me, and it goes far beyond the SI cover jinx. It brought me to how many times I have heard this story before. Remembering Craig Hansen, Delmon Young, Brien Taylor, and Jeff Allison, the lights of caution always blink as soon as I hear about these prodigious athletes emerging. All of these guys were sure to be the best thing since the Internet, but succumbed due to lack of confidence, injury, drugs, or just being the talented victims of the humbling nature of the sport. It is stories like this that are created to promote awe and celebration amongst those in the sports community. But it is these same stories that can become extremely detrimental to everyone involved, most importantly the athlete that is literally front and center.

You can do that LBJ, but can you hit a 500-footer at the Trop?
(media.photobucket.com)

The one thing that you can't deny is this Harper kid's raw ability. I mean, imagine if Jason Bay could rip 500-plus foot homers and strike out guys with high 90's heat. Being in a crazy media market, he would be a superhero in Beantown. And from reading the article, you get a sense that Harper is not done, that he has the confidence and determination of a player 15 years older than him. Makes you wonder why some baseball executives have predicted him to be a top two pick,......RIGHT NOW! But what you can't convince me is that his swagger and ability alone is gonna carry him to a Major League ballpark in a couple years with no issues. Harper isn't the first confident kid that was raking on the high-school diamond, nor will be the last. I get a sense he has felt the extra-added responsibility of living up to his cover appearance, because it's natural. When I had a couple of poems from my creative writing class published in a minor publication when I was 16, I felt a sense of confidence and entitlement approaching a professional level, even though I definitely wasn't no Poe. That feeling is probably magnified a million times over when you are placed on the front of a nationally-famous sports publication with millions of eyes on it. At a young age, it is easy to buy into your own hype, especially when you have no challengers around you. Many times, the confidence (which apparently this kid has plenty of) combined with the heightened attention, ends up in a self-creation of a persona that is more grandiose than what many of these whiz kids can live up to. That brings me to the nature of baseball and its destructive Darwinism of weeding out the young talent that can't physically and mentally adjust. The talent showcased in the MLB is so unique, which makes it an accomplishment just to arrive, and a triumph when you survive. Harper's parents, Ron and Sheri, are extremely aware of this as they see their son crushing the 80 MPH fastballs of his high-school competitors. So they are doing the right thing for his talent at least, by possibly having him pursue a GED in the summer and go the junior college route to set him up for the draft in 2010. But is this truly the right thing? Is this a roulette-type gamble for the kid from Vegas (Had to make a gambling reference. Just had to.)? Harper's ability is undeniable, but the unforgiving reality is that he could be one bad tweak of the knee or shoulder away from having his dreams crash down on him and his GED, and not much else to base his life upon. A huge possibility considering the average career of a MLB player is only 5.6 years for the guys that even make it, which I'm sure includes many guys who were predicted to be in the Hall of Fame in their high-school days. Imagine being a 25 year old retired ballplayer with limited options because you saw the glory of you dream, with a sharp tunnel vision, crash in a fiery ball of failure. It is something that unfortunately happens all too often, and I'm just too scared that it could be happening with this Harper kid in a Truman Show-type environment. The worst thing is that the young victims of these tales become enslaved by the weight of everybody's expectations, which makes it more suffocating when their dreams come crashing down on them.

Harper: Tearing the cover off on the cover.
(sincityxtreme.files.wordpress.com)

So am I saying this kid is going to fail? I hope he doesn't. In fact, I hope he doesn't now more than ever, now that he has attained this sudden rush of national exposure. We've seen this before fairly recently with megastar LeBron James, who has been able to obtain instant success with his superb play along with his amiable personality (sans the walking off the court incident in Orlando a few days ago). It's hard to predict who will attain successful longevity in any sport, but it felt like destiny when James was performing like a freak in high school. The skill set in basketball is much more basic then it is in baseball, where guys who hit the ball thirty percent of the time are considered elite, and five-tool players are all the rage because of their rarity. What Bryce Harper is going to attempt is something possibly more difficult than what LBJ attempted when he got out of high school and entered the 2003 NBA draft. Harper is attempting to become a generational player in a sport where the top draft picks rarely succeed and that the best players aren't necessarily the ones who have the most ability, but the ones who can make the most adjustments at the right time (waaaaay easier said than done). Added with all that is the pressure of being an icon in a sport where virtually every hero of the past era has been caught up in some sort of steroid controversy, while being a 6'3'', 205 lb. powerhouse himself. Whatever Harper does, I hope that he and his parents do what is truly right for him (whatever it is) rather than simply act, blinded in the glory that his sudden media coronation has given him. I'm pulling for the kid, because my sport doesn't need any more sob stories.

The Long Awaited 2nd Gamecast: Sox -Tigers

After a month and a half hiatus from the play-by-play, I'm back at it in game 52 of the Sox's season. The season lately has been mediocre at best. Since their last day off on the 18th of May, the Sox (29-22) have posted a 7-6 record, while continuing their struggles on the road (12-16 overall). The sudden lack in offensive production prompted Francona to make some changes in the lineup in the last game of the series at Toronto, and apparently are going to continue tonight. That Fenway series against Texas can't come soon enough, but a good series here can bring some swift momentum heading into Beantown. Again, it will be Dice-K (0-3) who will take the mound for the Red Sox on the Cloud 10 Gamecast. Let's hope he has better luck than he did in the last one, as he goes against young ace-in the-making Rick Porcello (6-3) and the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers (28-21). Let's hope the gamecast is more of a firestarter and less of a jinx. However, with the Sox's recent luck against pitchers they haven't seen before, I'm reluctantly leaning myself towards the latter. But don't expect me to lose the faith. I've seen crazier things with these Boston Red Sox.

7:07 PM - MVPedroia steps in the box against Rick Porcello, who was 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in the month of May. Promptly doubles on the 2nd pitch of the game. Kinda early, but I'm liking this whole new lineup thing.

7:09 PM - Drew ropes a single up the middle and puts the Sox on top against the young hurler. 1-0 Sox! Have to remember the Sox started well in the last gamecast, only to relinquish the lead in the bottom half. Remember that Baseball's Houdini is pitching.

7:13 PM - The young hurler ends up inducing a double play with Youkilis and strikes out Bay on a good breaking ball. Important to note that Porcello came in dominating righties with a .179 average against. In contrast, Dice-K has been a throwing tee stand to righties at a .483 clip. OUCH!

7:16 PM - Dice-K promptly walks Clete Thomas to start the game. I'm gonna go with a 4 as an over/number on the walk total. As always, not a good start.

7:18 PM - The stingy Placido Polanco bloops a single to center. 2 on, nobody out. Here we go again with Dice-K. And here come the best two hitters in their lineup. Both righties (prayer position time).

7:19 PM - PHEW!!! Double play on Magglio as the slugger hit one back to the Matsuzaka, killing the rally a bit. Not out of the clear with Cabrera coming to the plate.

7:22 PM - That's Cabrera being Cabrera. Miggy singles to tie the game at 1. Somehow not that shocked, considering that Dice-K did not put him away after he was ahead in the count. Just plain typical.

7:24 PM - Granderson singles on the hit-and-run, putting runners on the corners. And you were expecting an easy inning. Another righty in Inge coming to the plate.

7:27 PM - Granderson steals 2nd. I don't remember the last time we've thrown out a runner. 2006?

7:27 PM - Dice-K ends the drama with a K on Inge. Could have been worse I guess. Threw 26 pitches overall in the 1st. Now thinking of a logical over/under for innings pitched by Dice-K, considering he hasn't pitched higher than 5 1/3 all season.

7:31 PM - Here comes Papi in the 6th spot. Just sad to see. I read the latest Bill Simmons article on how he thinks he is older than listed, which would make sense for this mega-slump, considering many Dominican players have been revealed to have a few more years on them (Tejada, Vlad Guerrero). It's just crazy how sudden this drop-off is that the Nation can't pin point exactly what it is. It's just like throwing at a dartboard of solutions at this point and picking something. It's like nothing I've seen before.

7:32 PM - Base hit for Ortiz. Next train stop, The Mendoza Line.

7:35 PM - And just like that, the Sox have 'em loaded with hits from 'Tek and Ellsbury with 1 out. Leyland out to talk with his young pitcher. Now for the moment of truth.

7:38 PM - And in shocking news (sarcasm alert), the Sox strand 3 as Nick Green and Pedroia can't hit one out the infield. Hmmm.....thinkin' how to get Miguel Cabrera in a Sox uniform. Do I seem bitter?

7:48 PM - After a hit and a couple outs, Dice-K uncorks another wild pitch, making it 6 for the year. Eck is asking for the record book now. Just embarrassing. Should have an over/under for that, too. New nickname for Dice-K could easily be "Box O' Wild Chocolates" at this point.

7:51 PM - Clete Thomas, already anticipating to get walked by Dice-K again, jogs to 1st on Ball 3. Kinda don't blame him, but probably more embarrassing than the wild pitch earlier. Strikes out on the next pitch to end the inning.

7:56 PM - After a hit by Drew and a pop-up by Youk, Jay Bay Bay slams a hanging breaking ball from Porcello a mile (you pretty much have to at Comerica) to put the Sox ahead 3-1. Make that 16 long balls for the Canuck.

7:59 PM - After Lowell gets on by error, Ortiz ends the inning by way of the double play. The decline continues (Now have "Final Countdown" in my head). Hoping for at least one 1,2,3 inning from The Dice Man.

8:04 PM - After a Dice-K strikeout, two great things happen. One, a Heidi Watney sideline report. Second, her reporting on John Smoltz and his continuing success in his rehab outings. Can't wait for this guy to get out there and improve our starting pitching one way or another. Just a true professional.

8:05 PM - No 1,2,3 for me as Magglio gets on with a single. 1 out.

8:06 PM - Miggy lines out hard into a double play. Only one base runner for Dice-K this inning. Could Dice-K go over fi.........NO NO NO. Not gonna jinx it (finding wooden objects).

8:10 PM - Ellsbury hits a single and steals a base, making it 22 SBs on the year. Just wish his OBP was higher. He'd just be a monster, in the lead off spot.

8:13 PM - It was the Brandon Inge show at third base as he makes two solid plays to get the Tigers back in the box. Could this be the 1,2,3 inning we're all looking for from The Dice Man? Like a shooting star, you have to keep your eyes open, or you might miss it folks.

8:18 PM - We'll, so much for that shooting star. Granderson singles to lead off the bottom half of the 4th. Possible stolen base threat as he already has 10 for the year.

8:22 PM - After a K on Inge, the hit-and-run went horribly wrong for the Tiggers, as Josh Anderson hit into a 9 to 3 fly out, throw 'em out double play. Granderson was in Cancun somewhere, not even close to getting back. To the 5th we go.

8:28 PM - After a classic Youk walk, Porcello is taken out after 84 pitches. He wasn't pin-point sharp tonight, but it still seems premature, even for a young pitcher. Especially one who has been riding a month of dominance. Stuff that makes you wonder, but you have to take care of the young guys. Anyway, here comes the 22-year old rookie Ryan Perry.

8:32 PM - The young Perry gets the Tigers out of it. All expectations off for Dice-K as he heads into his 5th inning of work. Final line for Porcello: 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks, and 1 ball that probably landed in Ontario. Not his best outing, but I see why the Tigers are excited about this kid.

8:39 PM - After a long at-bat by the #8 hitter Laird and almost giving Eck the big one, Dice-K gives the .231 hitter a free pass. Here's an Aflac Trivia Question: When was the last time Dice-K pitched a 1,2,3 inning?

8:43 PM - Dice-K has now walked the 8 and 9 hitters to begin the inning. $103 million dollars is looking reeeeeeeeeeeal expensive right now. Hope that money pays for my future blood pressure medication.

8:46 PM - The Dice Man just launches a fastball by the bat of Thomas that looked like it was 98 MPH to strike him out. Guess that what happens when you throw 75% breaking balls. 1 out.

8:48 PM - Polanco hits a solid liner that Jay Bay Bay catches up to for the snag (....and exhale). 2 outs, Magglio coming to the plate (.....inhale.......).

8:50 PM - MAGGLIO STRIKES OUT (.....huge exhale)! 6 Ks for Dice-K as he tightrope walks out of another jam. The Sox should consider sending a proposal to Selig to have 2 runners on to begin every inning of Dice-K's starts. It would improve his walk totals, his WHIP, his ERA.......everything! I swear he would be the best pitcher in the league.

8:55 PM - Papi's late on a 1-2, 96 MPH. Story of his life right now. 1 down. Average now at .189 (Please hold off the HGH/PED jokes till after the game, not in the mood).

8:59 PM - After a 'Tek walk, Ellsbury gets on for the third time today with a solid opposite-field hit. Maybe putting him 8th could be the best thing for him. Sort of was anointed the lead off hitter after Game 4 of the World Series without a large sample of experience. 2 on, 1 out.

9:02 PM - Ball 4 to Nick Green. They're loaded again. Looking for MVPedroia to provide some clutch insurance right now. Former Sox Lyon in the 'pen.

9:04 PM - Ball 4! A little offense by patience. 4-1 Sox. Let's see if Drew can continue his solid night. Old friend and member of the "03 closer by committee crew" Brandon Lyon will try to put out the fire.

9:09 PM - Weak chopper hit by Drew to Lyon. Only out is made at home. 2 out.

9:09 PM - Now a little offense by pain. Youk promptly gets hit by a pitch off the leg. 5-1 Sox. Hey, whatever gets the job done.

9:10 PM - Bay grounds to Inge at third, who makes another nice play to end the inning. Doubting that Dice-K will be coming out for the bottom half. At least he's in the driver's seat for a much needed victory. How bout "The Tokyo Rollercoaster" for a moniker? Final Line: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, and 6 Ks.

9:16 PM - Just learned from Orsillo and Eck that the Sox bullpen has tallied a 2.17 ERA in the last 20 games with a 2.96 ERA for the year (which is like a run better than the next team), and a .238 average against. I wonder if it's possible to give a whole unit of a team with an MVP award. It should be.

9:19 PM - Wow! What a concept. I think that was the first 1,2,3 inning by a pitcher from any side tonight. Kinda surprised that this game is only 5-1. Going on to the last third of the game, feeling alright.

9:24 PM - Another strikeout on Ortiz. Plummeting faster than TWA right now.

9:25 PM - How 'bout The Captain? 'Tek gets on with his 10th double of the year. Who would have thought that he would be a threat in the bottom of the order after last year's train wreck? Guess I'm one of the guilty ones.

9:28 PM - After an Ellsbury walk, Nicky Green hits a weak grounder to end the top half. Time for the 7th inning stretch/my 3rd gallon of water. The funky Okajima is set to step on the bump.

9:36 PM - Another solid inning from Okajima. Starting to think that my proposal of sending the bullpen out for the whole game might be a genius idea. There is no guy I would want to face right now, and I'm sure the AL feels the same way. Too bad the Yanks are just murdering the Rangers right now. Speaking of, my 1st round pick in one of my fantasy drafts (Josh Hamilton) might be out for two months with an ab strain. I should just send a proposal to my league next year to just skip the 1st round. Who in my league has a Bubba Gump voodoo doll? C'mon, admit it.

9:44 PM - Lyon produces the first 1,2,3 inning of the night for Detroit's pitching staff. Just found out that the San Fran bullpen blew a potential win for Lincecum against the "Natinals". If it isn't the Sox taking years off my life, it's my fantasy team. I guess I have to complain about something now that the Sox are up 5-1, right?

9:48 PM - After 1 1/3 solid innings, Francona pulls the Japanese lefty to put in the Dominican right-hander Ramon Ramirez, who has just been solid this year. He has posted a 1.38 ERA with a .161 average against. Other than his 2 ER outing on the 30th of May (which was as many runs as he had allowed all year to that point), he has just been baseball's version of a Rubik's Cube.

9:53 PM - And the bullpen remains perfect. 3 IP with first base nice and clean makes Chuck a happy camper. Here comes the final stretch.

9:58 PM - Former starter Nate Robertson concludes a perfect inning by striking out Big Papi on a questionable low pitch. 3 Ks for the Big Man. I wonder if it's more torture for me than it is for him. Papelbon looks like he's coming in, considering it isn't a save situation. Keep in mind, he hasn't pitched since the 28th against the Twins. Game over?

10:03 PM - There goes the perfecto from the bullpen. Cabrera singles to center off Paplemonster, who came into the game with righties batting at a .268 clip. Could be arguable that Papelbon might not be the most dominant bullpen presence this year.

10:06 PM - Point proven? Another single, this time by Granderson. I bet you he's in "save mode" now.

10:09 PM - Aaaaanother single, this time by Inge off a hanging slider. I don't know what it is, but Papelbon seems to make things too interesting this year.

10:10 PM - Juuuuuuuuuuuust foul. Josh Anderson almost made this a game again by centimeters. A little bit too late off the fastball. What a battle!

10:13 PM - Another foul. This is just the classic Papelbon drama this year, getting long at bats from number 7 hitters. Splitter anyone? Dice-K looks understandably tense.

10:15 PM - FINALLY! Paps goes high on Anderson for the strikeout. Still alive and responding. 1 out, still bases loaded.

10:19 PM - INSIDE FASTBALL STRIKE 3 ON LARISH! I think both Papelbon and Matsuzaka both have a bet going on to see who can kill me 1st. 2 out, tying run still at the plate.

10:21 PM - HE STRUUUUUUCK HIM OUT. Ramon Santiago goes down for the count, concluding another 35 pitch balancing act by Papelbon. This is the 500th win recorded by Francona as the Red Sox manager, and like many of them, this one wasn't easy. And just to think, I was going to apologize for not picking the most exciting contest to do the gamecast tonight. This puts the Sox at the 30 win mark, keeping them on pace with The Empire. Good to get on the right foot against a division leader on the road. Also good for the confidence of Dice-K to get that first victory. Would have liked him to have gone 6 IP, but we're thinking baby steps here ladies and gents. Overall, all I have to do is add some AC, and I can sleep well tonight. Later folks!

Late Night Eclipse

Many hope Conan's newest gig turns out better than......yeah.
(insidesocal.com)

Tonight's the night where the anticipated changing of the guard happens on the late night scene as Conan O'Brien will be the 5th man to take NBC's after-dark throne. O'Brien, who has seemed to have been destined for this job since I was in middle school ('97-'99), is now stepping into the arena where "The Chin" was a big time player for 17 years, becoming the late-night mainstay for many. Armed with Pearl Jam and the uber-hilarious Will Ferrell, there is obvious anticipation for a big splash in the 11:30 PM slot tonight. Many of my friends and peers are psyched about the arrival of the red-haired funny man, who is considered a breath of fresh air and an alternative to the much elder combo of Leno/Letterman. I truly believed that The Simpsons were at their best when Conan was at the helm as the writer. For a period of time, he was my go-to guy for my bouts of insomniac television viewing. But for some reason, I don't think the switch will pay major dividends for the NBC Network.

Question: Who's gonna end up hosting The Tonight Show in 6 months?
(scrapetv.com)

Call me old-school, you can even call me old, but I'm gonna miss Leno. In fact, I'm probably the only member of my age demographic who is currently saying this. Between his "Jaywalking" segments and his quirky (admittedly corny sometimes) stand-up in the beginning of his shows made for some good bellyaches from laughter. My all-time favorite segment in late night was "Headlines", a series of articles and advertisements that were mailed in by viewers containing some of the worst typos imaginable creating insane innuendos. It was in my opinion, a better, more consistent alternative to the Letterman "Top 10 List", which some nights seems like it's trying too hard to obtain cheap laughs. Being a fan of randomness and unintentional comedy, the segment fit my comedic needs perfectly, while being my perfect send off to slumber every Monday night. But Leno's show did not just revolve around one thing. It was the variety (the Jib-Jab cartoons, Stuff We Found on eBay, the Howie Mandel bits) that made the show the constant leader in the late night rankings despite being on a tanking NBC network. O'Brien will undoubtedly be a worthy competitor to Letterman in capturing the younger, more modern viewer. But will he maintain the more mainstream constituency that Leno won over? The conversations with my mother and uncle about the subject don't bode well for O'Brien if the mainstream share my family's opinions. They described him as being "too tacky" and just simply being all over the place. While I think Conan's edgier, outside the box approach makes him unique and has made him successful so far, I just don't buy the older viewers taking his offbeat style seriously. On top of that, he doesn't really have too many memorable segments that stick with me. However, his contribution of introducing Triumph The Insult Comedy Dog to the world is sooooooo priceless. Even for me, Conan's wacky persona gets a little old for me after a while, and he's gonna need more than a personality to sustain his stay on the late night pedestal.

If this guy is on your first show, GET EXCITED!
(reellifewisdom.com)

So you are probably asking me if I'm rooting against Conan. I answer with an adamant no. I wish him tons of success in his latest endeavor of a stellar career. It would be extremely discourteous to wish a guy like O'Brien with any kind of failure. However, sentiment and my personal prediction of the trends say that he has a mountain to climb, and I'm not the only person that he's going to have to win over. Being the only jewel in a floundering network, NBC most definitely will have high expectations on Conan to continue Leno's success in bolstering the Tonight Show brand. Regardless, from a person that still religiously watches reruns of Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as his primary source of television, I am amped up for what kind of start Conan has laid out for his brand spanking new show out in the left coast. Definitely more amped up for this than the opener for The Carson Daly Show, or for anything on TV in the past decade for that matter. Well, off to get my Seinfeld fix before the show, hoping to expect the unexpected, hoping for my expectations to be defied.

Before I Peace: You're Kidding Me!

(cache.boston.com)

Move over Pink Hat Nation. Here comes your hungrier cousin, Watermelon Hat Nation! Yes, for $15 dollars on the team shop, this lovely-scented piece of head wear can be all yours. What? Scratch and sniff hats? This gives me another reason to start burning copies of Fever Pitch. Granted, the old-school roadies were a great idea, but the top Sox have done everything to destroy the brand lately. Between the "Hanging Sox" caps and the "Softball League" alternate unis, Mike Dee and Co. are beginning to destroy any dignity the Red Sox brand has. They should just start adding Sesame Str.......OOOPS! I shouldn't start giving the brass ideas. Gallagher, please smash this cap to bits!