Welcome Back, Papi

Oh Papi, my Papi.  Welcome back to the show.  None of us really believed it would last.  Once the jersey was excavated from the new Skankee Stadium, it was all a matter of time.

Some other things I am loving right now:  Dice-K (dare I say we now have a legitimate 1-2 ace situation?).  Although Dice-K drives Andy (my fiancee) crazy because he is sometimes slightly painful to watch (so many walks!), I really believe Dice-K has turned the corner.  Unlike last season, I feel complete confidence in him.  I know that we have a better chance to win than lose when he is pitching — and that’s all I can ask for.

Also, I am loving Jed Lowrie.   I wouldn’t be surprised if Lugo is stocking up on Visine to put in Lowrie’s Gatorade — I mean, this guy has already been about 5 times better offensively than Lugo and has played in a third of the number of games so far.  He is making himself very valuable to this team, and I have a feeling that once Lowell comes back, there will be some platoon situation going on at short.  Maybe the competition will push Lugo a little.  I hate coming down so hard on Lugo, because I know he’s a good guy, and has passion for the game, and shows enthusiasm, but holy crap!  He stinks at the plate.  He is better off taking every pitch, because then at least he’ll get on base some of the time with walks.

And my boo, the Captain, Mr. Varitek.  A power hitter?  Who knew?  I’ll take every home run and other RBI I can get from him.  I love having him on the team for his knowledge and leadership, and hell, if we can get some truly unexpected offense from him, all the better.

Again, Papi:  so good to see you again.  You and Manny are going to be FREAKING SICK this year.

Lesson in Nature (Or, How to Make Moose Crap)

PLUS

EQUALS

You stink, Mussina!  I bet you have nightmares about Manny Ramirez beating you over the head with his bat.

I love it.  As a fellow nerd, I am allowed to say this:  stick to the crossword puzzles, Mike — I’ll bet they’ll be a little bit easier for you.

More mature posts to follow shortly.  I have to get this stuff out of my system early.

In a Red Sox Funk at the Monk

Hello? Ok, so I know we are into the third week of the season and this is my first post, but whatever. Just got back from the Hairy Monk, which is a Red Sox bar on the east side of NYC. AWESOME place. If you haven’t made it over there, go! They even sell these sick t-shirts that say “Sox in the City.” Which I love, of course. And to watch the Sox hit the crap out of the ball against the Skankees always makes me happy.

So, it’s so good to be back in baseball season. I always feel like once the season is over in late October (at least, for the Red Sox it is), I am frankly, a little tired of baseball. When you watch every single game, every week, for six + months, it wears you out. Especially when I scream at the TV just as loud in April as I do September. But then, after keeping myself with football and the Super Bowl, we enter the SPORTS DEAD ZONE, which is exactly from the final minute of the Super Bowl to the first pitch of Opening Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love Spring Training, but there is nothing like standings that mean something. And now that we are in the full swing of things, I want to say to anyone out there, welcome back, and I look forward to a long and winning season with all of you . . . . . go Sox!

I did hear one question posed by a fellow fan at the Monk that I though was hilarious: “Who is uglier, Julian Tavarez or Hideki Matsui?” I’ll let you all discuss.

Oh, and I think I’ll set up a poll so that we can all pick a new nickname for Julio Lugo. I have a couple of suggestions:

1) The Human Buzzkill

2) Rally Killer

3) A Very Expensive Mistake

4) I Weigh More than My Batting Average

(Aside from Lugo) our boys look great, so let’s keep it going.

More tomorrow.

The Day After

  AP

Ok, so I am officially obsessed with slideshows of the Sox after their World Series victory. Here’s some more interesting stuff:

The Red Sox Flight Home

Red Sox Nation Fan Tributes

NESN Video of Dropkick Murphys Giving Paps a Kilt

NESN Video of Rolling Rally at City Plaza

NESN Video of Paps in a Kilt

NESN Video of Paps Dancing at Copley

NESN Video of the Rally Home Stretch

SI Slideshow of the Rally

Yankees Fans Show their Sox Envy

ALDS Recap

ALCS Recap

That’s Right, Baby

The trophy is in Boston once again. 4 games, 4 victories, and that’s all, folks. I almost wish (dare I say it) that there was a little more of a fight, but I don’t want to be a crappy winner.

AP Photo

I would write more after my first post earlier today, but so many people have written already, so I’ll just point you in the direction of what’s out there about this tremendous season and awesome accomplishment.

Hilarious slideshow from boston.com: Photoshopping the Sox

Boston.com slideshow: The Celebration

Red Sox: Team of the Century?

Red Sox Doubters: We’re not going anywhere!

Re-Sign Low-ell (Clap! Clap! Clap-Clap-Clap!)

Exhibit 1,004,057 why A-Rod is a D-Bag

Yankee Universe Schmooniverse

The ESPN World Series Page

The Sox return to Fenway: Slideshow

And, I can’t forget my new BFF, the Sports Guy and his post:  The MVP Red Sox Team

How do I feel right now? I think Paps expresses what everyone in the Nation feels . . . . .

Thank you, guys. Thanks Tito and Theo and everyone. I am so happy.

The World Series: the Good, the Bad, and the Despicable

It is rare that on one night we get to see both what is good and what is bad in baseball.  As millions sat in front of their TVs watching the Red Sox on the verge of a second World Series title in 4 years, led by a valiant pitching effort from cancer survivor Jon Lester and supported by a loveable cast of characters — veterans and rookies alike — it could be said that all was right in the baseball world.  The right team was on the verge of winning the World Series — they were the best in baseball all year, and they showed it until the final out of last night’s game.  

And while I waxing poetic about all that was good and loveable about baseball, FOX cut to a special announcement from Ken Rosenthal on the field:  Alex Rodriquez was opting out of his contract with the Yankees.   Did A-Rod not realize that there was a World Series going on?  I know the man has never played in one, but are you seriously telling me that he and Bor-Ass couldn’t have waited one more day?  This player and this agent are what is bad about baseball.  Isn’t this a team sport?  Shouldn’t the glory and attention go to those who succeed and are able to call themselves champions?  Why must baseball fans be forced to pay attention to the every move of A-Rod during a game in which he has absolutely no part? 

I have to believe that A-Rod is a complete creep, and the biggest egomanic in all of sports (and I’m not alone).   Look at me, I am even talking about it, instead of gloating, which I would much rather be doing.  Forget the bad:  A-Rod is despicable, and I hope the Red Sox are smart enough to stay out of his crazy bidding war.  Our team works, our team wins, and the last thing the Sox need is to disrupt their mojo with a cancer in organization.  And that’s what this man is. 

Let’s resign Lowell, and I can name a million reasons to.  The only upside of the whole A-Rod thing is this:  I get to hear Yankees fans say a variation on one of the following statements: 1)  “Good riddance! I never wanted him on my team anyway” or 2)  “He was never a real Yankee and we are better off without him.”  While I think both statements are actually true, hearing it come from the same people who held A-Rod out to the world as the symbol of Yankee greatness, the proof that the best players wanted to wear pinstripes, and that with A-Rod, the World Series rings would fall into their laps — well, that just makes my day.  Ha!  I didn’t want to say I told you so, but I did. 

Can you hear that?  It’s the sound of the Evil Empire crumbling.  Get your lifeboats people!  This Yankee ship is going down! 

Now, I don’t have time for a full gloating “We Won the World Series” post, but I promise, that is coming later today.