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That was fun last night. I think I'll try it again.

I hadnt seen a Sox game since last week, so as soon as I was awake I started up Boxee and caught the game around the 3rd inning. Ugh. Terrible. And it seems like that's how it went while I was away up north. Swept by the Rays in a 4 game series, that's just embarrassing. The Rays are a strong team, so the embarrassment has nothing to do with them... but WE should be much better than that.

..and then I look at our team. I take a good concentrated look, and see that maybe we're really not better than that. I'm not sold on one single acquisition we made in the offseason. Beltre, Scutaro, Hall, Cameron, Lackey- none of them feel like they're part of our champion-caliber, gritty, tough, always-contending team. They're still strangers. I didnt have that feeling with Bay or VMart when they joined us.

(sorry, i couldnt help including this. i miss jason bay .. just a little.)

I feel like I could get used to Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre, but the others... I mean, clearly Lackey has been widely hyped for his performance, so it's not that I think they're all no good. Although Lackey isnt an ace as far as 2010 proves it, and that's all that matters to me, what he can do for the Sox. For a team touted as having 3 aces (and a 4th in the making in Buchholz) we sure dont seem to be able to keep opponents' bats quiet. Look at the facts here, ladies and gentlemen:

The Red Sox have played 13 games as of the time of this writing.
We've won 5 of those games.
(Dont do the math to find out how far under .500 we are... it hurts. Just tell yourself that it's early, there's no sense getting worked up, and read on.)
We've held the opposing team to 5 runs or less in 6 games, and have only won 3 of those 6 (meaning, more often than not when we get beat, the other team is really scoring runs; and even after holding them to 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 runs, we havent been able to produce enough of our own to come out on top).
On the other side of things, we've been held to 5 runs or less in 9 games (9 out of 13 total), and we've won ONE of those (meaning, other teams' pitching has been more effective against us than ours has been against them slash our offense is perhaps just very weak, as supported by the previous bullet point).

If we're not going to be scoring runs, our starters have GOTTTTTTT to be stepping things up. That's the most anxiety-inducing part of these early-season struggles for me... pitchers are strange and wonderful beings, impossible to understand, complex, unpredictable, and filled to overflowing with intensity.

Mechanics, psychological stuff... everything from the concrete to the abstract can throw a pitcher off his groove. If they're not working right, so to speak, how do we make them work again?

I've never been a huge Beckett believer... have seen him toss some gems, for sure, but I've always liked Lester as our #1. Sure, I acknowledge that there's a sort of gruff, constantly pissed, murderous-temper quality that gives Beckett more of an Alpha aura, but when it comes to results I'd see Johnny more surely getting things done right, if anyone.

Still, no matter about my personal preferences... they're both considered to be toward the top of the list in MLB. Lackey too (for the record I was unenthused by this pickup, though I did and still do hope that he would make our strong rotation even stronger).

so what's going on here?!


The Sox need to start assigning laps and pushups for fielding errors. And maybe if they incentivize for increased offense.... say, Tito takes everyone out to JP Licks after every game in which at least 7 of 9 guys get a hit. Or we could dream a little smaller and just say that the team gets a pizza party every time Papi only strikes out once in a game.

Hmm, interesting. I'm looking at the individual player stats.

Petey has 5 home runs, the most of any of the guys- can you guess who has the second most right now? Jason Varitek, with 3. (I should note here that he has only played in 3 games to date.) Pedroia is also breaking away from the pack in Total Bases (37.... next in line is Youk with 21!), Hits (18, Beltre and Scutaro after him with 12 apiece), RBI (13, Hermida/Youk/Beltre each with 6), and then the stats (BA, OBP, SLG, OPS). Petey is a machine of a man right now, more than usual. So while I dont enjoy watching my team bumble around on the field game after game (lately), it is incredibly fun watching Petey be on FI-YA.

Again, we're working off of a small sample size here. They've been playing for mere weeks. But until things have had a chance to balance and settle, what else is there to do but talk about what's happened thus far?

I must be Boston at heart.. I've rambled on about nothing for a long time here, but have done it with vigor. At least, I feel invigorated.

Here, let's end on a positive note. I was reading through my scorebook tonight, looking at the games I'd recorded, and I came across the game Bowdie pitched that nearly ended up being a no-hitter.

(taken at the 7.19.09 game, actually)

Paw Sox vs the Indianapolis Indians, 7.19.09. It was literally down to 2 outs in the top of the 9th with no hits allowed to that point, and Fernando Cabrera gave up a scorcher of a line drive right into left-center. FCab, of all people- around that time last season he could do no wrong, he was on a roll. That was a beautiful day. There was a fair on the neighboring football field after the game with a mini baseball history museum, and some games, and food, and booths, etc. Some notes from my scorebook: I sat in Sec 10, Row C, Seat 9. Bowdie went 5 innings, a somewhat high count of 4 BB but 5 SO, two of them looking. I apparently found it necessary to note that Mike screamed  F&*# from the mound after walking Shelby Ford in the 5th- his 4th walk issued in the game, frustrating as he doesnt think of himself as a pitcher who walks a lot of guys. Oh, and the gun read 101mph on Bowden's first strike thrown in the 2nd inning. Haha. Fat chance. Finally- looking at the Indy Indians' current roster, it seems like they've got a lot of familiar names: Argenis Diaz, Brandon Moss, Jonathan Van Every, Craig Hansen... some old friends :) Anyhow, we won 3-2!

Taken on the night I became a Red Sox fan.

Autumn Arrives

I havent been outside yet, but I can see the silhouette of trees blowing around out there through the curtains. It leads me to believe, along with the golden light that's filtering through the fabric, that today is a most excellent Autumn day. Fall has become my favorite season, though I dont really want to discriminate against the others. The weather is so relieving after whatever the year's summer has brought; September brings us new faces on all of the MLB teams; and there's a general sense of introspection and reflection that I settle into. I've discovered that I enjoy being alone in this season, I enjoy the feeling of yearning to be with someone who I'm not with. Fall is mellow, earth tones, acoustic music, coffee and pumpkin and apple and spice and the settling of dead leaves on the pavement and the smell of brush fires and the last celebration of being outside before winter comes.

Come October 1, I will be unemployed. Quite happily so. It has been relatively smooth sailing at work but with a week and a half to go that could come crumbling down at any point. I've lived with that same mentality the entire 2+ years I've been there, actually, and though I've rarely been treated in a hasty manner (to my face), I've seen how other people are treated. And I've had a few ridiculous and unnecessary situations come my way as well.

The Office is back on! The first episode was solid.. not an all-time favorite, but it included some lines that I'll be quoting for months and years to come. Of course, I was at the game when the first episode aired (I watched it after the fact on nbc.com/theoffice). Fenway never gets old. I was exceedingly giddy to be there on Thursday, as if it were the first game of a new season. The fact that we've got minor league call-ups on the team now adds to the excitement for me. Most of the time when I go, I try to make sure Mike knows I'm there. It's nice to know that you're on the home team, and that everyone is rooting for you in a general sense- but when he sees me standing or sitting behind the bullpen, I hope he feels, at the very least, like there's someone present who is pulling for him. No matter what kind of work we do, I feel like we all need someone who we know believes in us. I'm sure I'm not the only one at Fenway on any given night who would put Bowden on their list... hmm, maybe top 5 favorite players in the park? But he knows my face, he knows my name, and if it doesnt translate as a sign of enthusiasm and support then I dont know what else I could do. Now we've gotta work on getting Sean Danielson some playing time next season... with any team...

Speaking of Sean, he's unknowingly responsible for my latest addiction- to Kings of Leon. I'd hear one of their singles on the radio now and again but really wasnt fond of it. Then, the Paw Sox season ended, and everything associated with Pawtucket immediately became sentimental. Sean is a big Kings of Leon fan, and the single reminded me of him, so I started not changing the station when it came on. Then, I found things about it that I liked... then heard another single and liked it even better... then went online to listen to both... then started listening to a whole bunch of KoL... and this was like a big snowball effect, because once I listened online, I went tumbling head over heels for this band. I also found out that their song Closer is the song that Dusty Brown had playing as his at bat music this season. I remember asking a number of different people if they knew the song but no one did. Ta Da! I got it. Now go listen to it on www.grooveshark.com . (The part of the song he had playing as he walked to the plate was just the beginning instrumental bit.)

What a busy past few weeks. Weddings (Jeff & Laura! Dave & Rachel!)... ballgames... 2 trips to Maine... a new MacBook Pro and free iTouch... an office move... a Maggie move (and another one to come in about a week or so). Yep, I'll be living with my brother for a couple weeks. Scary... a house with 3 or 4 guys two years younger than me. Well, I've been there before and it wasnt a wreck. :)

The last time Bowdie pitched was 9/8. Anytime now...
In other news, Josh Reddick is seeing some fair playing time. Dustin Pedroia is hitting homeruns. (I was at the game 9/8/09 vs O's where he hit 2 hrs in the same game, for the second time in his career.) Jason Bay is hitting homeruns. Alex Gonzalez is quiet and easy to like. Dusty Brown is up with the big club and also getting some time behind the plate. Daniel Bard is a Major Leaguer, not a minor leaguer trying to prove himself. Sometimes I come back to the realization that life happens, just keeps moving along. I dont have to try to make it happen. With baseball, it's great to watch life happen for these guys. With myself, well, there are some unknowns on the horizon, and I'm trying to embrace that. I'm not going to NZ afterall... I'm going to Ireland with my brother, about which I am extremely excited. A brother-sister trip is something I've been waiting for my whole life!

9/9/09 - happy 23rd birthday Mikey

The above pictures are from 8/30, 9/8, and 9/9.

Grandma had a blast :)

I bought Pop Tarts as I do once every very long while. They are down in the kitchen, nearly audibly calling my name. Then it's off to softball... playoffs have begun. The lazy part of Saturday is just about over!

A Great Weekend

well, tonight's game vs Detroit has been eventful so far. we're in the midst of a rain delay right now, but to offer a short recap- Junichi Tazawa made his major league debut as a starter and went 5 innings, 1 earned run. his line actually looks pretty good... 4 hits, 2 bb, 6 k.. he threw 35 pitches in the first inning (actually, this was due to not one but TWO botched double plays, one of which was a complete wreck and the other which was broken up by a runner sliding into... shortstop? it definitely wasnt even close to second base and it kept Petey off-balance). he definitely got better as the game went on, and hey, you cant expect super solid performance can you? it's a big transition for a pitcher from AAA to the majors. what a strange game though. they scored 3 runs in the first inning and left us all with pits in our stomachs, thinking of our anemic-as-of-late offense. tazawa was throwing strikes but wasnt overpowering the tigers. bottom of the first and we did nothing. 2nd inning... bay with the 3-run homerun to tie it up. Jason Bay is a fixture favorite, and by that I mean that I know I'll be rooting for him for the rest of my life. Same with Pedroia, although Petey came first. Red Sox uniform or no, Bay and Petey are such likable characters and they make the game exciting.
Before I move on... there was a detroit batter just barely hit on the hand (well, it was just an out of control pitch delivered by a big-league first-timer... come on) and then an inside pitch to victor martinez in retaliation... and then... Porcello DRILLS Youk in the back. And there was no question, Youk was out of the batters box just like that, charging the mound. Porcello looked a little terrified and i dont blame him for it. No damage done in the end but Youk made it to him (you should have seen him go) and they were both on the ground by the time everyone else got to them.
Mikey Lowell came off the bench and hit 2 homeruns.

It's getting late now. Friday was the Paw Sox, and what do you know... we won. Futures at Fenway happened all day Saturday... and now I wish that they'd have a minor league game at Fenway every week. My ticketed seat somehow ended up being the one directly behind Kelly O'Connor who is the photographer behind www.sittingstill.net and who I've known online for about half a year. She had some great camera tips (our cameras are similar.. our zoom capabilities are not!!) and it was refreshing to talk casually with another woman who really just knows baseball. I'll have to jot down some highlights tomorrow because I'm fading fast and there are two games to summarize. I'll try to throw some pictures on here too.

Night.

Let's have a look, shall we?

First thought as I sit down to watch the remainder of the Sox/Jays game: I dont care what anyone says, those old school powder-blue Jays uniforms are sweet. They remind me of my childhood. My favorite player, Jimmy Key, wore one. Not ugly. Definitely great.

It's gotta be the 6th inning (commercial break).. been watching on espn gamecast, and prior to that I had been at Kings in Back Bay watching coworkers bowl or in transit from there to home. We're up 4-1 thanks to a YOUKAH 2-run shot and a David Ortiz double. Petey has scored twice tonight so far. Bay has struck out twice. Yadda yadda... you can look at the box score and like I said, it's the bottom of the 6th so there's more to come.

I've been all over the place. All Star Break.. did some TV watching for much but not all of both the hr derby and the all star game. Wednesday, I trekked out to Lowell to catch the Spinners game with Victor. Thanks to some serious line-cutting, we each secured ourselves a Pedroia bobblehead. What! He's the one who cheated... I just joined him once I got there :) Spinners won and it was a gorgeous night. Scored the game and learned some more major pitches. Before, I could tell you about 2-seam and 4-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs, knuckleballs, and changeups. Added splitter, cutter, think that's it.

Charlie Zink is of great interest to me since I last saw him start. I was so impressed watching him warm up. Cant wait to catch his next home start. Tonight he had another tough outing- 4 earned runs, 7 walks, 4 HBP, 0 K.. all over 4.2 innings. What changed between last year and now? He was named IL Pitcher of the Year in 2008. "..was named International League Pitcher of the Year after going 14-6and ranking second the International League and all of Triple-A with a 2.84 ERA in 28 starts at Pawtucket." (taken from http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=P&sid=t533&t=p_pbp&pid=468402) This year, so far, he's 4-9 with an ERA of 5.14. I liked Charlie Zink last year but I was noooowhere near as involved in the happenings of minor league baseball as I am at present. Would have liked to see Zink as king of MiLB.

Daniel Bard just chewed those Jays up and spit 'em out. Man. When he's on, he's ON. Blows it right by batters.
Speaking of strikeouts, Bay just struck out a third time. sigh.

Right, excuse this entry. Basically just keeping my fingers busy while checking email, talking with housemates, and watchin the Sox.

Okie dyed his hair.
Michael Bowden did an interview for weei. http://audio.weei.com/m/25342574/pawtucket-pitcher-michael-bowden.htm


WHAT? I went for the entire post without even mentioning that Buchholz pitched for the big club tonight?? 6 innings, 1 earned run, 3BB, 3K over 5.2 innings. 103 pitches, 66 for strikes.