SleepingPoliceman

I wanted more time to write a little eloquently and/or ramble haphazardly about how lucky I feel to be a Red Sox fan now. If I had told you in 2003 that that would be the first of five trips to the playoffs in six years, and that at least two titles would come out of that stretch…I would have punched you in the neck for lying to me. And then cried. I was very emotional and volatile in 2003.

But the point stands: these are the golden days. And here’s hoping for 11 more wins and a third title. Not because we’re greedy, or because we deserve it, or because we’re entitled to it. But because…it would be awesome. And maybe we’re a little greedy. Come on, Sox…let’s get down to it.

And, yes, I love being in school. It’s going great. But I’m really, really unsatisfied that I will be in class from 7-9:40pm PST tonight. I guess that means I could catch the final inning or two somewhere on campus. Hopefully, when I get in front of the TV, Delcarmen will be pitching with an eight run lead. That would be nice.

Go Sox! It’s on, it’s on, it’s on.

First Red Sox (or any) post in a long, long time coming here soon. No-no? Yes-yes.

edit: well, this was an empty promise, huh? The bottom line: this was the only Sox game I went to in 2008. A friend at work had tickets, but didn’t want to go because he was tired after commencement weekend. He asked about 15 people around the building before getting to me, and was grateful I took the tickets off his hands. What proceeded was probably the greatest single baseball performance I’ll ever see in person. And I’m talking about the fact that even Lisa understood that a no-hitter was going on, and that she wasn’t supposed to talk about it. I was very proud of her.

All in all, it was a good night. Who doesn’t love Jon Lester?

6:10am: Greetings from the land of the rising sun. Or at least a couch in Brighton where the sun is rising. We’re about ready for the first pitch of the 2008 season. What better way to jump start the SP than a little half-awake live-blogging? Joe Blanton takes the mound to a decisive shrug of the Japanese faithful. Play ball!

6:12am: Pedroia hits a dribbler up the middle for the first hit of the season. Picking up where he left off and reaching across cultures, Dusty talks smack in Japanese all the way up the baseline.

6:16am: Manny flies out to end the first. NESN pretends that it’s not going to go to commercial to cover the historic moment of Dice-K taking the mound. Then they say, “Eh, whatever,” and start running the first of many, many Southwest ads of the year.

6:18am: It’s nice to see that the Sox have endured a 16 hour flight around the world to end up in the Asian version of the Tropicana Dome. It’s, uh, not the prettiest ballyard in the land. Or maybe it is…I don’t know. They could at least have looked to the SkyDome for inspiration, right? Or maybe included more neon and flashing lights.

(more…)

Since Game 5 of the ALCS, the Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox have gone 44-3.

[Boston.com]

I wouldn’t describe the following link as necessarily Not Safe For Work. But…it isn’t really safe either. Be warned: it is full of foul and explicit language…which is sort of the point. The title of the article is accurate and apt.

Robert Edward Auctions: Can we even run this? 1898 Obscene Language Baseball Document – Not For Kids!

I’m sure I’m being naive, but it amazes me that people used such harsh and foul expletives back in the 1890s. That’s 110 years ago. William McKinley hadn’t even been shot, yet apparently ballplayers were throwing around phrases like, “I’ll make you suck my ass!” I know that things weren’t as innocent and chaste back then as I thought…but still, it’s somewhat shocking to see these things in print.

Those are some filthy mouths. What would Jimmy Collins of the Boston Beaneaters think? (From the looks of it, probably something about a dog.)

History and baseball: what can’t they do?

Goatees win championships.

Thank you, Red Sox. What a year. Let the Papelbon dancing begin…

Let’s.

Do.

This.

Remain switched on. Comeback kid, bring it back home. Roll on, roll on…

Don’t look now…but we’re halfway there. Keep it rolling, guys. Keep it rolling…

Good start last night, gentlemen. It’s nice when the bar goes from a-rockin’ to a-snoozin’, and it’s because the lead is so big everyone bails on a weeknight. I’d like to see that again tonight.

Tonight is a pivotal game. If we can get out of Boston up 2-0, then the thin air and NL rules aren’t as daunting a duo. But if they can squeeze one out, they’ll feel real proud of themselves and have some good momentum going to their home park. Don’t listen to the hype that it’s men-against-boys and that we should win in a walk…letting our guard down is just what they want us to do. Do what you did last night, and get halfway to the goal.

Keep bashing, boys. Let’s stay all on for tonight.

So, to repeat:

Goatee + Shirt + Harry’s = victory.

Dice was ice…enough. Oki and Paps held it down. Pedroia and Youk exploded in the end. And Kenny Lofton continued to be unlucky for other teams. Good times all around.

The water…she is dirty. We have replaced the white with the blue. Now let’s go for the red. Four more wins, gentlemen. Please, continue in the tradition of Matsuzaka-san and follow his words of wisdom:

“Emotionally, it is on,” Matsuzaka said. “I don’t know if the term switched on is the right term, but I am all on for [tonight].

In-friggin’-deed.