Tek

Photocredit: ErinCox Photomanipulation: Jaid

Guess what I did while I wasn't sleeping last night???

Stephen King Sports Center

by bsap11 @ "Surviving Grady"

Manny Speaking Manny...

“I’m going to get 50 steals!”
Manny Ramirez declared, after yesterday's all new episode of the 'Manny Being Manny Show'. He blatantly stole second base. In classic Manny fashion, he decided that the game against The Tampa Bay Satan Rays, {and the last 20 straight games} were not quite bizarre enough for his long time viewers. Manny made it so and was kind enough to autographed it for us.
“If you want to see the car, sometimes you’ve got to let the car go,”
Ramirez said.
“It made me feel like I was back in high school.”
We love you Manny...

*** am i the only one who can't afford the gas to let the car go?***

Well, that explains that...

Retired Numbers
Of all the great players that have worn a Red Sox uniform, five of these men have earned the honor of having their numbers retired by Boston. Besides Jackie Robinson, whose number was retired by Major League Baseball in 1997, only Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Ted Williams (9), and Carlton Fisk (27) have seen their numbers posted on the right field façade above the right field grandstand. The Red Sox employ a rather strict policy on retiring uniform numbers; to be considered, you need first to have played a minimum of ten years with the team and you must also be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. At one point, there was also a requirement in place that a player had to finish his career with the Red Sox, but that rule was dropped after Fisk was elected to the Hall in 2000.
The Sox also use to place the numbers in the order that they were retired;
after Yastrzemski had his number retired in 1989, the numbers went 9-4-1-8Somebody pointed out that the sequence might be interpreted as September 4, 1918 - the day before the first game of the 1918 World Series, which witnessed the last world championship won by Boston before they finally tasted victory again in 2004. This change also occured after number 27 was retired. (Thanks to loyal reader Rex B. from Maryville, TN who pointed out this feature!)
This article was borrowed from Fenwayfenatics.com

The Rundown...

Jason Varitek was in last night's starting lineup. Hoo-Ray! And not a moment to soon! I think I have been very clear how I feel about the
"usurper". Tek is slowing getting better after suffering {in every sense of the word} from the
flu. Or as it has been widely reported "flulike"
symptoms. Ok, let's go there, but just for a minute. He had the FLU. You have "fluelike" symptoms when you have the flu. I have no idea why "they" keep saying "flulike". I can only imagine that we have, as a society, become so extremely politically correct, that we can't say FLU without offending someone who is suffering from a cold, or sore throat or sore
muscles? Seriously? Are we there already? God God, Y'all!


Last night was Tek's first full game since game last Saturday, against
Texas. He came in to pinch hit in the ninth inning in Friday's game. He was
a sight for sore eyes. I was amazed at how much more fluid the game is with
Tek catching. I was again, reminded of just how much we will miss him when
he hangs them up. I wonder if the massive hole he leaves in the bullpen,
the clubhouse and behind the plate will ever be sufficiently filled. I'm
betting the answer is a great big hell no.

David Ortiz was scratched from last nights starting lineup due to a
bruised right knee. He was hurt diving into first base attempting to beat
out a double-play grounder in the final inning of Boston's 5-4, 11-inning
spectacular loss to the Rays on Friday night. He will also miss today's
game, the last of the 3 game stand. Boston has lost the the first 2 with
Tampa and has now lost 4 in a row. Boston is tied for first place with
Baltimore. Tampa Bay is now only one game behind Boston. New York and Toronto are 2.5 and 4.5, respectively.






Kevin Youkilis set a new major league record for first basemen when
he fielded his 1,701 consecutive chance without an error in the
seventh, recording the out on Eric Hinske's grounder to second. The old mark of 1,700 was set by Stuffy McInnis from May 31, 1921 to June 2, 1922.
Youkilis' last error at first came on July 4, 2006, a span of a major
league-best 205 games.''It's not a big deal,'' Youkilis said. ''Winning ballgames is my biggest concern.''





J.D. Drew was the DH last night, Papi's knee is banged up.{see above} Drew had a bizarre two-out infield single in the first inning. He broke his bat, and the barrel forced first baseman Carlos Pena to move toward second to avoid it. By the time Pena got first, J.D. was able to beat second baseman Iwamura's throw to the base. Way to go, Drew!



Dustin Pedroia went 0-for-4, his hitting streak ends 14 at games. Matching
his personal best. Even when he isn't hitting the ball, I love to watch his
swing. But for Pete's sake, hit the ball!



Mike Lowell and his sprained left thumb went 1-for-4 in his second rehab
game with Triple-A Pawtucket. He could be back with the team Tuesday. It will be good to see him again. I miss that big handsome grin and those bushy brows. I'm ready to see him do some flying, Ala Coco.

Sean Casey
hurt his right hip when he was running around bases. He
started, stopped and started again. A muscle in his hip, objected and now
his is on the 15-day disabled list. So Boston recalled 1B-OF Brandon Moss
from Pawtucket. Welcome back!

His Honor, Mayor Casey

Sean Casey is called "The Mayor" and for good reason. He is one of the friendliest and most personable players in baseball. He is, it seems loved by all. I believe he was born to wear red sox. Sean's goofiness and easy smile has
already endeared him to Red Sox Nation. He agreed to a one year, $800,000 contract to spell Youk at first and also "got a trip of a lifetime {Japan} thrown in".

Casey is a 3 time All-Star. Not bad, huh? He played 11 years with the Cincinnati and a couple in Pittsburgh and Detroit. But what he really wanted to do was direct. No, I'm kidding. Casey wanted to be on a winning team. “I’m at a stage in my career where I really wanted to come to a place where I had a chance to win,” he said. “Playing first base, you get a feel for what the guys are like. I remember playing them {Red Sox} last year in Detroit, thinking, ’What a great bunch of guys.” He's right. We do have a great bunch of guys, and now he is one of them. “That was the first time in my career I was like, ‘This is what people must feel here,” he said. “In Boston, they have that feeling a lot.” He said "It seems like Game 7 of the World Series every night,” Casey said. “When I was coming in here as a visiting player, I always thought it would be cool to hear that on the home side.” Now he does and with his climbing popularity he will be hearing it even louder. Welcome to Boston, Mr. Mayor.

A Second Look...

This must be New Math. The Rays numbers just don't add up. This is a screen cap of the line score for Sox/Rays game last night. The game was exciting but I was distracted trying to do the math. I decided I was over my vodka limit and copied the score to figure out this morning. I'm sober now but the math is still off.

Just one of the many, many reasons we love Manny. Not that any of us needed another reason.

YOOOOUUUUUUUK!!! With attitude! I love this picture of Youk. I'm guessing that the photographer was probably a Yankee fan or a Fox Sports announcer. They are equally annoying.

This is the way all Red Sox games should be.

Welcome Back Captain Varitek

Our fearless leader has finally returned! Not a moment to soon either. Rookies and banged up veterans did their damnest to hold on to the lead in the Al East. All told, they did an outstanding job against Texas and LAA. I got a chance to see the kids play and get to know their personalities somewhat. But, please God, give us back our Red Sox! It's just not Red Sox ball without Varitek, Beckett, Lowell, Cora, Dice K, Crisp, Schilling, and on and on...

I'm so happy that Tek is back. It was so frustrating for me to see Cash play such a sloppy game.
I dislike Kevin Cash so much I'm beginning to see him in Yankee pinstripes. He has done a good job, offensively. But behind the dish he's a train wreck. Granted, the best way to catch a knuckle ball is to wait for it to stop rolling and pick it up. Cash seems to think it's the only way. He was scouted as a player who was offensively weak but tight on defense. Pfffft yeah, right. Give us Dougie!



"Pedroia the Destroya" continues his hitting streak and is putting up monstrous numbers!
He has become Big Papi's "Mini Me". Dustin has now tied his personal best with 14 consecutive game hits. With a trash mouth and a huge bat, how can I not love this kid?

His on base percentage is 386 and a slugging average of 476. He has a batting average of .340 Wow.

Raise your hand if you are happy that our little "Timex" is wearing Red Sox.

He's got himself trophy for Rookie of the Year. If he doesn't win a gold glove this year, you know the vote was rigged.



I came across this picture of Dustin at "Us Versus Them" I bet it makes you giggle!

Baseball Is Life...

Baseball is poetry, dance and fluid emotion. It is ecstasy and anguish. Both work and play. Baseball turns men into boys and boys into men. Baseball is blind to race and nationality it crosses all barriers and moves boundaries. Baseball is a time machine, enabling us to travel into the past and future. It is shock and awe, a comedy and a mystery. Baseball give us reason to dream, to believe, to strive and achieve. It creates friendships and enemies. It forgives but never forgets. Baseball can make a man a hero, a legend a god. Baseball creates memories that will last forever. It produces laughter and tears. Baseball is a socially acceptable addiction. Thank God, because Baseball Is Life.