Saturday Roundup 2/6/10

A little bit of this and that going on in the world....

1. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/02/12/1171296729_0298.jpg boston.com

If the rumor mill is to be believed, Nomar Garciaparra will shortly be announcing his retirement from baseball.  Nomar is, and always will be, fondly remembered for his time here in Boston.  None of us will forget what happened in 2004 after he was traded mid-season - the trade was a bit shocking, but his injuries were mounting; since being traded he has been plagued with injuries. I wish him much happiness and success in his retirement and offer my "Thank you" for all he did for the Red Sox.

2. http://www.imaginginfo.com/images/article/1151084888256_Johnny-Damon.jpg http://www.imaginginfo.com

He best not lose the suit just yet.  Johnny Damon has yet to find a team willing to sign him for this upcoming season.  Could it be that teams feel that he is too old and beat up to play any longer?  Or could it just be that his agent-from-Hades Scott Boras wants too much money?  The latest twist?  The Detroit Tigers should sign him - AFTER all - the Red Sox signed him and they won the World Series and then the Yankees signed him and they won the WS..right....hmmm..the Yankees might want to get their money back; it took Johnny a while to win that WS for them.  Good luck to Boras and Damon.  Seriously?  This couldn't be happening to a nicer duo.

3.  While I am sure that my good friend Scott is enjoying this turn of events, but my Bruins and Celtics have fallen on some hard times.  Last night during their game vs the NJ Nets, the Celtics trailed 55-51 at the half.  No big deal you say?  Well..the Nets were 4-44 coming into the game last night.  No..I didn't type that wrong - they were 4-44.  So trailing was NOT an option.  The Cs came out and played better in the second half, but they only won by 9 points!  Not a good showing for a team looking to win it all.  And the Bruins?

http://brucemarkow.com/images/number10.jpg
http://brucemarkow.com/

The number 10?  That is the number of games in a row that the Bruins have now lost....sigh...wonder if their coach will have a job in the morning...

4. February 12th is Truck Day here in Boston - PROVIDED that the equipment can make it through the the snow in the mid-Atlantic to make it to Florida!  As they prepare for Spring Training, the Red Sox find themselves with only 2 vacancies on the roster - one in the bullpen and one on the bench.  To help fill those spots, the team has invited 20 nonroster players down to Spring Training.  Among those invited to attend are right-hander Casey Kelly, outfielder Ryan Kalish, outfielder Lars Anderson and outfielder Gil Velazquez.  Good luck to them and all the invitees!

5. On the eve of the Super Bowl, the NFL has announced the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees.  Headlining the class are wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith.  Congrats to them and all the members of the Class of 2010!  And who will win the Super Bowl?

http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/9812-new_orleans_saints.jpg

What?  You didn't expect me to root for the Colts did you?

6. I'd like to send out congratulations to the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School National Oceanography Sciences Bowl Teams who participated in the Blue Lobster Bowl today at MIT in Cambridge Massachusetts.  My oldest son, a freshman in HS, was a member of our B team and they finished 4th out of 24 teams. (The only match they last all day was in the semi-finals.)  Our A team won the event and will be heading to the University of Southern Florida the end of April to compete in the National Competition.  I am proud of my son and all the boys and girls on the 3 teams we sent to the event.  Congrats to all of them - we parents are all very proud of you!  To learn more about the N.O.S.B. program you can click HERE.

http://www.oceanleadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/nosb_logo-thumbnail-300x300.jpg

Did you know?


Believe-Nothing---Buddha-Magnet-C11.jpg image by wendishness

http://media.photobucket.com

February 1st.  11 days until Truck Day.  17 days until catchers and pitchers report.  29 days until the first preseason game.  61 days until the season opens and the Red Sox get their first win.  Right Scott? ;-)  And what do I have for you?  Nuthin...there is a lull in the action as the Hot Stove season whines and Spring Training gears up.  So I thought I'd share with you some little know facts about the Red Sox you might not have known...


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The longest losing streak in Red Sox history?  From May 1, 1906 to May 25th the Red Sox lost 20 straight games.  During this losing streak the Red Sox were out scored 128-53.  It is the 3rd longest losing streak in majors and it ties an AL record.  Here's hoping we don't see this streak ever again!

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Who would regularly bring his gun to Fenway to shoot the pigeons who roosted at Fenway Park and who also shot out the red globe that covers the first "out light" on the score board?  That would be Ted Williams.  The bird hunting in the park ended quickly once the Humane Society got wind of it.

What event is celebrated every September 12th in Massachusetts?  In 1979 then Governor Ed King proclaimed September 12th as "Carl Yastrzemski Forever Day" in honor of the day that Yaz collected his 3,000th career hit.  And the game he got that hit in?  It was in the 8th inning of a 9-2 win over the Yankees!

What did the Red Sox do on June 27, 2003 at Fenway Park? They recorded 10 runs in the first inning before an out was recorded in a 25-8 win over the Florida Marlins.  The 25 runs that the Red Sox scored are the second most that the Red Sox have scored in a game.

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/02/12/1171296729_0298.jpg boston.com

What did Nomar Garciaparra do on his 29th birthday in 2002?  He set a league record by hitting two homeruns in one inning on the way to driving in 3 homeruns in a 24-2 win over the then Devil Rays at Fenway Park.

What was the final score in the Red Sox game vs the Washington Senators on August 15, 1941 that was played in Washington?  Even though when the game was called on a count of rain the Senators were ahead 6-3, a forfeit was declared and the Red Sox declared the winners because for some bizarre reason when the game went into rain-delay the Senator's ground crew did not cover up the infield and the game was called because the umps declared the field unplayable.

All these fun facts - and more! - can be found in the following book:

http://images.indiebound.com/442/603/9781578603442.jpg

Happy Birthday to an Original

http://emsworth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/jackie-robinson.jpg
http://emsworth.files.wordpress.com

91 years ago today Jackie Robinson, the man who would become the first black man to play in Major League Baseball - and not just in the Negro league - was born.  But we do a disservice to him if that is all that we remember him for.  I suspect if we could ask Mr. Robinson he would rather that we remember him for the great baseball player that he was.  We will know that we have made great strides in race relations when we can talk about the baseball player that Jackie Robinson was and not mention the color of his skin.  After all - does the color matter?

http://notinhd.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/dice-k1.jpg http://notinhd.files.wordpress.com

This news does not leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling - it is being reported on MLB.com that Dice-K took a week off from his off-season training at the Athlete's Performance Institute in Tempe, AZ and there doesn't seem to be a reason as to why he did this.  There is no apparent injury nor is there an apparent explanation as to why he left camp.  Hmmm...why do I suddenly feel better knowing that we have a plethora of starting pitchers?

Are you familiar with Spike TV?  You know "TV for men?"  In attempt to boast ratings, or perhaps they were just trying to alienate sports fans around the country,  they came out with their list of the top 10 lamest sports rivalries of all time and can you guess what came in at number 8?

http://www.yankstalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/rivalry.jpg
http://www.yankstalk.com

I guess no baseball fans work for the network.

And their reasoning for listing the greatest rivalry in all of baseball at #8? 

"The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a lot like watching two rich kids playing polo during recess in elementary school," the Web site says. "It's shocking how utterly ridiculous they look riding around on their high horse, but no matter how much everybody else hates them, none of the regular students can do anything because they can't afford to play in the same league." 

Yea, no teams spend as much money as the Red Sox and Yankees - I mean the Cubs, Phillies, Tigers and Angels each only spend over $110 million each  for salaries but hey - I guess they just don't strike the Spike TV execs as spoiled polo players...sigh...free speech; it's a wonderful thing...

A passing you might have missed...

On January 11, 2010 Edward Scott Sr.passed away at the age of 92.  Not familiar with the name?  Mr. Scott was a baseball scout from 1961-1990 with the Boston Red Sox.  Some his most notable signings when he was with the Red Sox included George Scott and Oil Can Boyd.  He also was prepared to sign Willie Mays to the Red Sox, but sadly we know that the owners of the Red Sox at that time were not ready for that.  But perhaps his most famous signing?  When he was working a minor league team called the Indianapolis Clowns he discovered and signed some guy named Hank Aaron.  Ever hear of him?

An update on a previous post...

A number of you expressed an interest in my updating you on the condition of Matt Brown, the hockey player from Norwood High who was seriously injured in a hockey game.  In a sick twist of fate, on this past Wednesday night, another member of the Norwood High Hockey team was seriously injured in a game as well.  Senior defenseman and team captain Christopher O'Brien suffered a severe concussion during the game and was rushed to the hospital.  He has since been released though he will be out of school for an undetermined period of time.  Matt Brown is slowly making strides after his 7 hour surgery.  His condition has been ungraded from critical to serious but it is still not know how much of his mobility he will recover.  When he is medically able to, he will be moved to a facility for adolescents who have spinal injuries.

As if we needed the reminder, the sports community is a family and the high schoolers across my state are showing why we should have faith in our future generation of leaders.  High school hockey teams are holding raffles and planning fundraisers to help the Brown family with the enormous medical bills they will face.  They are kids, but they know they have to help one of their own, even as we adults - we parents - tried to comprehend the nightmare that Matt's & Christopher's parents face.  Good kids getting seriously injured doing what they love.

And a message to my good friend Scott

My Boston Celtics play the L.A. Lakers today and I have only one thing to say....

http://digitalderek.typepad.com/sawxblog/photos/2008/regular_season/may/BEAT_LA.jpg
http://digitalderek.typepad.com

Sorry Scott!  It will be another lose for a team wearing purple & gold! ;-)

GO CELTICS!!!




The Record is intact

Theo Epstein has done it again!  The Red Sox and outfielder Jeremy Hermida have agreed to a one year, non-guaranteed contract worth $3.345 million and have again avoided going to salary arbitration under Mr. Theo's leadership.  Congrats to the Red Sox for getting all their contracts in order before Spring Training begins.

http://redsoxhen.mlblogs.com/red_sox_hen/images/waket.jpg bostonherald.com

Congrats to Tim Wakefield for winning the Bart Giamatti Award for Community Service.  He received the award Tuesday evening in New York.  Although he down plays his community service, Wakefield has been active in both the Boston area and in his home town of Melbourne, Florida.  Wakefield Warriors is in its 13 year and it brings patients from the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund Clinic to Red Sox games on Tuesday nights.  And for the last 17 years he has hosted the Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic in Melbourne, benefiting the Space Coast Early Intervention Center.  Wake is the third Red Sox player to win the award.  Curt Schilling won it in 2005 and Mo Vaughn won it in 1996. 

While at the dinner, Wakefield also addressed what his role for the Red Sox should be next season.  He firmly believes he will be the 5th starter in the Red Sox rotation - and I have to say I love that idea!  Ian Browne, the MLB beatwriter for the Red Sox wrote a great article about Wake and you can find it HERE.
http://blogening.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/crystal-ball-2.jpg
http://blogening.com

Do you have a crystal ball?  Then join Red Sox fans in making predictions for the 2010 season!  For the second year in a row, Chad Finn of Boston.com's Touching All Bases Blog is asking Red Sox fans to offer their opinions - Who will lead the team in homeruns?  Which player will bounce back best from a poor 2009 season?  How many games will Tek play behind the plate?  Join in the fun and let RSN know what you think!  You can find the survey HERE.


wbztv.com

I would like to send out prayers and best wishes to Matt Brown, a hockey player for Norwood High here in Massachusetts.  In a freak accident in a game on Saturday against Weymouth High, Matt slammed head first into the boards and he broke his 3rd & 4th vertebrae.  Today he under went 7 hours of surgery in an attempt to repair the damage and to stabilize his neck.  The Norwood High team will play its first game since the accident tonight and I know the young men will all be playing with heavy hearts.  Best wishes to them all.



It's TOO quiet!

38 days until the Red Sox play their first preseason game against the Northeastern University Huskies...71 days until they record their first win against the Yankees...right Scott? ;-)  And yet the closer we get to that magical day.....

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/02/12/1171306180_6878.jpg
boston.com

The less news there seems to be about the Red Sox!  Or about baseball in general.  Gracing the headlines today...

http://www.isteroids.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/steroid-baseball.JPG http://www.isteroids.com

Here's a shocker - the trainer who was arrested on steroid distribution charges (and who admitting supplying Jose Canseco with steroids) has said that he is the person who supplied Mark McGwire with his illegal drugs.  Oh yea...I feel SOOOO much better knowing that!  Yes...Jose Canseco, the poster-child for the steroids era in baseball is starting to look less and less like a liar.  So why doesn't that give me a warm, fuzzy feeling...

But in a story that does make me feel good, Grant Desme, a top prospect for the Oakland Athletics, is retiring from baseball to enter into the priesthood.

 http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/images/photos/000/805/876/RackMultipart.15731.0_feature.jpg?1264208677 http://cdn.bleacherreport.com

The MVP of the Arizona Fall League says that while he was doing well at baseball he "wasn't at peace with where" he was.  In this day and age of greed and sky-rocketing contracts, how refreshing is it to have a young man make a decision based not on money but on what brings peace to his soul.  I wish the future Father Desme well; I don't think I need to wish him luck...

Tony Massarotti for the Boston Globe wrote an interesting opinion piece about whether the Red Sox are a team that can go all the way this season (he initial access is no) and whether the change in the team is going to be effective.  It's worth a read.

My friend Mike and I were discussing this article today from ESPN.com about a proposal presented to the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BWAA) in December to award a new award to the best reliever in baseball.  The article is a lengthy one and it raises some valid points.  The last time a reliever won the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season  was 17 years again ago by Dennis Eckersley of the As.  Since then only one reliever has won a Cy Young (Eric Gagne in 2003 when he went an astounding 55-55) and of the 1,000 first place votes cast for Cy Young winners in that 17 year period 4 VOTES  have gone to relief pitchers. 

http://cricketsoda.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/relief-pitcher-tshirt.gif
http://cricketsoda.com/

ummm..perhaps the wrong relief pitcher...

Anyway....Mike raised a valid point - if they are going to introduce a new award for pitching (and we both think they should) then it should be two awards - one for the best reliever and one for the best closure in the American League and the National League.  His argument was that a relief pitcher and a closure play very different roles on a team and how could you compare the impact that they each have to come up with one winner.  It makes sense to me.  The criteria for the Cy Young Award was set during a time when pitchers regularly pitched complete games and a closure?  That was just the last pitcher on the mound.  Now being a relief pitcher or a closure has developed into an art form.  So maybe the time has come to reward these very specialized pitchers.


And then there were 4....

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http://imgsrv.vermilioncountyfirst.com

It is the final weekend in football before the Super Bowl and four teams remain.  In the AFC we have the Colts and the JETS - do we have to have an AFC team in the Super Bowl? - and in the NFC the Saints and the Vikings will fight it out for a trip to the Super Bowl in two weeks.  And my prediction?  I see an Indy - Vikings Super Bowl...and who will win it?  Let's just say my good friend Scott will have a lot to be celebrating while wearing his purple!

http://www.netnax.net/imgs/sports/minnesota-vikings2.png

I LOVE THIS GUY!!

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boston.com

Carlton Ernest (Pudge) Fisk

A Red Sox legend, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and FINALLY a player who speaks for all of us fans when it comes to the PEDs/steroids scandal in Major League Baseball!  In article in yesterday's Chicago Tribune Fisk pulls no punches when it comes to his opinion about players who cheated.

The use of non-prescription steroids?

"You don't blame people for not ratting them out; you blame the people who abused the pharmaceutical world," Fisk said. "It's not like you are taking a couple of aspirin and you don't know what's going on. (Non-prescription steroid use has been) a federal offense for a long time, regardless of whether baseball was recognizing it and putting rules into place. The people who did it ... they were breaking the law to start with. It doesn't have to be a baseball law. They knew what they were doing and the reason they were doing it. Now they are sorry because they are getting called out."

Imagine that - someone in baseball admitting it;  those who used steroids without prescription where breaking federal drug laws!  If you or I did this we would most likely end up in jail; without a job.  You're in the military?  Kiss your career goodbye.

Mark McGwire says the the PEDs didn't help him break Roger Maris' record?

"That's a crock," Fisk said. "There's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does -- performance enhancement. You can be good, but it's going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can't use (steroids) anymore, they can't play anymore.

So..if the drugs weren't helping McGwire to play better why was he taking them?  Well he says it was to keep himself in the game after all his injuries.  And Fisk's response to that?  Come on - you know he has one!

"Try having your knees operated on and catching for 30 years," Fisk said. "Do you think you feel good when you go out there? (McGwire) had to stand around and play first base. So excuuuuuse me."

I LOVE this guy!  And no - Rocket Roger and Barry Bonds did NOT get free passes from Fisk.  You have to read the article.  I am old enough that I remember Fisk playing for the Red Sox - heck I was in Junior High in 1975 - and his comments in the article echo my feelings about the PEDs/steroids usage in baseball.  Did MLB have to come out and say "No, no!  You can't use them?"  It would have been nice if they did but guess what?  We had - and still have! - federal drug laws that say you can not obtain steroids without a prescription and use them!  What Fisk is taking about is not the player who went into the local GNC and bought a supplement that you or I could have bought.  He is talking about the guys who where shooting up in the locker room.  Those guys who knew what they were doing was wrong but didn't care.  I tip my hat to Carlton Fisk for having the courage and moral conviction to come out and tell it like it is.  These guys cheated, the broke the law and they knew it.  Nothing more; nothing less.

http://www.cagle.com/news/BaseballSteroidsRoundup/images/varvel.jpg
http://www.cagle.com/

Tidbits from the Off-season

We all have to believe in second chances..redemption...the belief that most are good people deep down inside.  But every once in awhile, someone comes by who makes us scratch our heads and simply ask "Why?"  And one such person is Jose Offerman.



The one time All-Star who once played for the Boston Red Sox has been banned for life from the Dominican Winter League after punching an umpire during an argument at a game.  Offerman is the manager of the Licey Tigers and the owners of the team is going to try and get Offerman's ban over-turned.  Huh?  The team wants him back after he threw a punch at an ump during a game?  Makes NO sense to me.  ESPECIALLY when you consider that in 2007, while playing for the Long Island Ducks he hit the pitcher and catcher of the Bridgeport Bluefish with a BAT ending catcher John Nathans' career.  And the reason for the attack?  Offerman got hit by a pitch.  And that begs the question - Why is he still playing professional baseball?  I'm all for second chances but when you hit someone with a bat in the middle of a baseball game I think you forfeit all second chances.  I hope the Licey Tigers' ownership comes to their senses and finally end Offerman's relationship with professional baseball.

http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/95832c1169_theo_11072007.jpg bostonherald.com

Might Theo Epstein's record of never going to salary arbitration be ending?  The Red Sox have 4 players eligible for salary arbitration - relievers Jonathan Papelbon, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen and outfielder Jeremy Hermida - and the team and the players will exchange figures by noon time on Tuesday.  It is expected that the team will come to agreement quickly with Ram-Ram, Delcarmen and Hermida.  But Papelbon?  That's a whole different story.

http://hawkfantasysports.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/jonathanpapelbon.jpg

Papelbon has not been interested in signing a multi-year deal, instead preferring to sign a year-to-year contract.  And last season was very lucrative for Pap.  He signed a one-year deal worth $6.25 million - a record for a first-time arbitration eligible pitcher.  And this year?  What will it take to get Papelbon to settle without arbitration?  Well Bobby Jenks and the Chicago White Sox settled for a 1-year deal worth $7.5 million.  While Pap did not have the best of years last season (There is a reason he was called heart-attack Pap by the fans!) his numbers are still a lot better then Jenks.  (29 saves in 46 appearances with an ERA of 3.71 for Jenks vs 38 saves in 59 appearances and an ERA of 1.85 for Pap.)  Theo has his works cut out for him - Papelbon is not going to be easy to please.  Even though he has a playoff meltdown last season (and really, a less then stellar regular season), Papelbon considers himself an elite closer and wants to be paid accordingly.  Even though he only has 4 years of service.  This should be fun....

And an interesting read...

When the news about Mark McGwire broke, I wrote a blog about it and in it I questioned whether all the PEDs and steroids scandals would drive away future fans.  Well it seems that Denis Hamill of the New York Daily times had the very same question.  You can read the piece that he wrote HERE.  MLB needs to pay heed to the rumbles that are out there - before it is too late.


THIS JUST IN - It appears the Red Sox and Papelbon are on the verge of signing a 1 year deal with $9 million, thus avoiding salary arbitration.  Stay tuned.....

The Envelope Please....

Wow!  That really is all I have to say....and thank you!  Our Fearless leader Mark Newman has posted on the MLBlogosphere blog the rankings for the top 50 blogs for the calendar year 2009 and I am honored and humbled to be ranked #3.  I was thrilled in 2008, when after only a few months of blogging, my blog ended the year at #95 and now?  We have an amazing community of bloggers and readers here who all share a common love - baseball.  I have made a number of friends here - and have had the pleasure of meeting people whom I never would have met were it not for MLBLogs and the Boston Red Sox.  That I did it while writing about a team and a sport that I love is merely the icing on the cake. 

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http://wiskthis.com

In case you missed it - here is the complete list:

FANS
1. Confessions of a She-Fan  
2. Red State Blue State  
3. Julia's Rants  
4. The Happy Youngster...Brew Town's Ballhawk  
5. Rockpile Rant  
6. The Future Blog of the Red Sox  
7. Phillies Phollowers  
8. I Live for This  
9. FutureAngels.com  
10. Rays Renegade  
11. Pick Me Up Some Mets!  
12. Blogging Dodgers and Baseball  
13. Yankees Chick  
14. I'm Not A Headline Guy...  
15. A Diatribe from a Law Student: Baseball Edition  
16. Counting Baseballs  
17. The 'Burgh Blues  
18. Indians, Cardinals, and Tigers! Oh my!  
19. Eat, Sleep, Baseball  
20. Unfinished Business  
21. THE BOSTON RED SOX BLOG  
22. Baseball, The Yankees, and Life...  
23. Plunking Gomez  
24. Baseball Cleats & Shoes  
25. LA NACION MEDIAS ROJAS  
26. King of Cali  
27. Bruce Markusen's Cooperstown Confidential  
28. Cambios y Curvas  
29. Statistician Magician  
30. The 1 Constant  
31. Passion & Pride Collide  
32. Rocky Mountain Way...Outside Coors looking in  
33. The Diamond Diva  
34. All Baseball All The Time  
35. King Yankees  
36. Flair For The Dramatic  
37. Hook, Line Drive, & Sinker  
38. Cook & Son Bats' Blog  
39. A Misplaced Astros Fan  
40. The Closer  
41. The Yankees Baseball Whisperer  
42. Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees  
43. Phillies Red Pinstripes  
44. The Pittsburgh Peas  
45. The Watercooler  
46. sittingstill  
47. Baseball Canadiana  
48. Everything Baseball  
49. Yogi Brewer  
50. Cardinal Girl  
51. Bottom of the Ninth  
52. The Brewer Nation  
53. The NYC Autograph Collector  
54. Linea de Primera  
55. A Bite Off The Big Apple  
56. A Girl's View of the Brewers, and Other Related Baseball Things  
57. cat loves the dodgers    

MLB.COM BEAT WRITERS
1. Bowman's Blog  
2. The Zo Zone  
3. Muskat Ramblings  
4. Bombers Beat  
5. Obviously, You're Not a Golfer  
6. Postcards from Elysian Fields  
7. Beck's Blog  
8. CastroTurf  
9. Brownie Points  
10. Brew Beat  
11. All Nats All the Time  
12. Mark My Word  
13. By Gosh, It's Langosch  
14. Major League Bastian  
15. Haft-Baked Ideas  
16. rallymonkeys  
17. The Fish Pond  
18. Being Ozzie Guillen  
19. Noble Thoughts  
20. Kenny G Around the Horn  

PLAYERS
1. Reed Between the Lines  
2. Torii's Storiis   
3. Ank's Blog  
4. Behind the Mask  
5. Matt's Blog  
6. Disco Hayes  
7. Dining with 'Dre  
8. kevin slowey's (offseason) blog  
9. Scott Eyre's Blog  
10. Matt Kemp's Blog  
11. Big Papi's Blog  
12. Deep Thoughts By Gordon Beckham  
13. Derek's Blog  
14. Perk's Place  
15. Moskie Madness  
16. Beau knows diddly  
17. Bally's Blog  
18. Plouffe!  
19. Rick's Blog  
20. Better Off Red  
21. Laying Down the Lawrie  
22. Wagner's Compositions  
23. Life in Grey Pants  
24. Future in Pinstripes  
25. 30 is the new 20  
26. Huston Street's Blog  
27. Braves in the AFL  
28. Hanley's Blog  
29. Giants in the AFL  
30. Michael Cuddyer's Blog  

MLB PRO  
1. MetsBlog.com  
2. Hot Stove Blog  
3. Bronx Banter  
4. Mets Minor League Blog  
5. Was Watching  
6. Pinstriped Bible  
7. Trade Talk  
8. Inside the Dodgers  
9. The Kimberly Jones Blog  
10. YES Blog  
11. Baseball Nerd  
12. MLB.com Fantasy 411  
13. The Baseball Collector  
14. Alyson's Footnotes  
15. *touch* 'em all  
16. Around the Horn in KC  
17. Phillies Insider  
18. Inside the White Sox  
19. Reds Internal Affairs  
20. Inside the Giants Clubhouse  
21. Ben's Biz Blog  
22. The Max  
23. MLBlogosphere (lol)  
24. Newberg Report  
25. MLB.TV Blog  
26. The USA Baseball 16U Blog  
27. Red Sox Insider Blog  
28. B3: Big, Bald and Beautiful  
29. Vine Line's Cubs Club Blog  
30. Tommy Lasorda's World  
31. Kaat's Korner  
32. Beat the Streak Report  
33. The Blob  
34. Twins Ballpark Update  
35. Friar John's Blog  
36. Down the Line with the Phillies Ballgirls  
37. The Nets Insider  
38. Deep in the Red  
39. MLB Urban Youth Academy  
40. The Pulse  
41. Brian Anderson's House of Blogs  
42. Off The Wall with Chris Shearn  
43. Mrs. Singy  
44. MURRAY COOK'S FIELD BLOG  
45. New Era Presents the Call-Up  
46. Heard It From Hoard  
47. Notes from NatsTown  
48. Comerica Park, 48201  
49. Is this thing on?  
50. View From the Booth  
51. Inside the Chiefs  
52. Remembering Harry Kalas  
53. The LumberBlog  
54. MLB.com Organizational Report  
55. got milb?  
56. Gameday  
57. Twins Confidential  
58. The Dog Ate Daron's Homework..Again  
59. Chirp Chatter  
60. Harold Reynolds Presents  

Again, thank you to everyone who stopped by to read and comment.  And thank you to all my fellow bloggers - you are all incredible writers who keep the bar raised high!  And I really only have one thing left to say....

Is is April yet?

~ Julia

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The Truth Hurts

Especially when you don't tell it!

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http://www.light-up-your-life.com

Perhaps someone should have told Dice-K this.

It has been reported in the Japanese media that not only did Daisuke Matsuzaka suffer a groin injury last January training for the WBC, he also LIED to the Red Sox about it.  Okay - he "failed to mention it."  If the reports are true (and so far Dice-K has not denied them) then they would explain why Dice-K looked so bad at the start of last season when he went 2-6 and averaged only 4 innings a start.  Explains a lot doesn't it?  By Dice-K not admitting to an injury that renders pitchers ineffective, not only did he tax our bullpen, putting other games in jeopardy, he costs us games. 

http://notinhd.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/dice-k1.jpg http://notinhd.files.wordpress.com

As crazy as he drives most Red Sox fans, the Dice-K of the 2007 & 2008 seasons was good.  In 61 starts he went 40-21.  None to shabby numbers, and if the Red Sox are going to be successful this season, having a weaker offense, then we need the Dice-K who was worthy of a $103 million price tag and not the Dice-K of last season.  The reports are that his training this offseason is way ahead of schedule and without a WBC to worry about (think the Red Sox will let him play in another one?) he should report to Spring Training in some of the best condition of his career.  I hope so.  The Red Sox can not afford another disaster.

Odd Man Out....

The Red Sox have a problem that the other 29 teams would like to have.  We have 6 quality starting pitchers on our payroll and the team only plans on using a 5 man-rotation.  Hmmm..that is a bit of a problem.

Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey?  Please, we want them pitching more, not less, so they are guaranteed spots in the starting rotation.  Dice-K?  He is always a question mark, but if he comes into camp in the shape that the Red Sox expect him to, then yes, he will have a spot on the rotation.  So who does that leave us with?

http://cache.boston.com/images/bostondirtdogs//BDD_CB_nohit_9.1.07.jpg boston.com

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/baseball/pitching/Images/Pitchers/TimWakefield_2006_001.jpg http://www.chrisoleary.com

Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield.  A curious problem to have.  The 25-year old Buchholz has been rumor-bait for a number of trades this off-season, yet to date he is still with the team.  He has gotten everything he can out of triple-A ball and unless he shows up to Spring Training in awful condition, you would have to assume that he would earn a place in the starting rotation.  He is getting to the age and stage of his career that one has to assume he is ready for a breakout year.  So that leaves us with Tim Wakefield.

Wakefield had surgery on his back in the off-season and he appears on pace to be ready to resume work come spring training.  The Red Sox also broke with tradition and signed the 43 year old to a 2 year deal - so they must expect him to be back in top form.  But the question remains - how will they use him?  Is he destined to become a long reliever?  Perhaps.  I think we all know that plenty of things happen during a season - games get delayed and moved due to weather; pitchers get hurt or need to rest.  Any number of things can happen.  And having that extra quality pitcher will be like an insurance policy for a team.  I truly believe that Wakefield will play a staring role on the team.  It is the role that just needs to be defined.

And congrats to the Boston Bruins!

There might be those San Jose Sharks' fans who will argue that it took a shootout for the Boston Bruins to win in San Jose on Thursday night - and that would be correct.  HOWEVER it is STILL a win!  And yes, I can NOT wait to see which team will go farther in the playoffs....hmmm...might there be another wager in my future?? ;-)

And I'd like to help a friend out....

Some of you might have noticed the countdown clock at the top of my blog.  It shows the amount of time left until opening day - April 4th - when the Red Sox will take on the Yankees at Fenway Park.  Now my good friend Scott is a bit confused as to what the clock means.  He is under the misguided notion that the clock shows how many days until the Yankees get their first win.  The poor man could NOT be more WRONG!  Scott my friend, we all know what the clock means.....

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http://blogs.dallasobserver.com

And I don't need Carnac the Magnificent to tell me!

Red Sox 1

Yankees 0

Another record with an *

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http://www.students.sbc.edu

Anyone surprised by this?  Mark McGwire has admitted to using steroids when he broke Roger Maris' homerun record in 1998.  You can read about it HERE.  Great.  Another "superstar" - a savior of baseball- admitted that he cheated.  Hate to say it, but I'm jaded enough now to say "Gee - NOT SURPRISED!" and I was ready to chalk this one up until my 15 year-old son asked me, half in jest, "Who hasn't used steroids when he broke a record in baseball?" and that stopped me.  I thought for a moment and answered "Henry Aaron?" hoping that I was correct in my answer.  But it also got me thinking...are these users killing baseball?

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http://images.dailyradar.com

Teens, kids, today are blasted with the message over and over again - "DON'T DO DRUGS" and yet here we have a group of highly paid athletes who seemed to have no problem flaunting their drug use.  It's as if being an athlete makes them immune to the laws and norms that we fans have to obey.  And when challenged, many of them lie.  Oh I'm sure there are many who will say "Good for Mark!  He admitted his drug use!"  Funny - what about when he lied to Congress?  Or maybe "lie" is too strong of a world.  How about when he REFUSED to answer the question because he didn't want to "talk about the past"?  What a joke he made of those hearings and what a mockery he has made of the game.  Does he deserve to be the person who broke Roger Maris' homerun record?  In the opinion of this humble blogger the answer is a resounding HECK NO!  Cheating doesn't pay.  Or at least it isn't suppose to...and there in lies the problem...

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Our young people, our children, are seeing that cheating does pay in baseball.  A player gets caught, he gets suspended for X-number of games and loses a % of his salary.  And what happens?  Fans come out in droves to "celebrate" the player's return to baseball.  The lost salary?  Hey - he is still making millions!  Teams welcome the prodigal son back!  Afterall - he fills the stadium and lines the owners pockets.  Why should they care?  Not enough fans care - at least not fans of a "certain age".  But what about the kids?  I'll grant you my boys are not the sports nuts that dear old mom is (Obviously I have done something wrong!) but even at their age they are becoming jade.  They are the next generation of baseball fans.  The ones who will be buying the tickets and hats and t-shirts to pay the salaries of the next big superstar and to line the pockets of the owners.  But what if they don't come?

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http://ckelly.typepad.com


What if they don't want to be fans of a game where every record has to be questioned and viewed with a skeptic eye?  Parents would never accept the excuse from their child that they used drugs because "everyone else was doing it" and yet that is exactly what Mark McGwire did - blaming the "era that he played in" for his drug use.  Really Mark?  And if everyone was jumping off a cliff?  We fans have to take part of the blame for the mess that we are in.  If we and management weren't so quick to kill the fatted calf then perhaps players - even players who now know the consequences - might not be so inclined to use PEDs and steroids and whatever.  Or will we go along as we are - every two or three months hearing about another player who used?  And then will our kids get so tired of the lies and double standards that they decide that baseball isn't worth it?

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And is that a risk that baseball is willing to take?

I am sick and tired of this.  Is anyone else?

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