Not His Best: But Still, A Win

Erm, to say that Beckett pitched well against the Yankees would be a bit of an overstatement. He was good enough to win, but not good enough to make my heart flutter like a knuckleball (not that the knuckleballs have been aflutter much lately). Sixth inning, Joshua. I feel like there needs to be at least 50% more focus involved in that inning. For future reference.

I have no idea what I'm writing about today. I don't feel like writing, but I'm trying to start September off on a good note. We won! The Jimmy Fund telethon raised over $3M! I.... didn't.... break anything? I don't know, I'm reaching here. Honestly, I'm kind of cranky and stressed out. My social life is putting a huge strain on my me-time. This weekend, I'm taking off. I don't know where to, but I'm packing up the boyfriend and we're going on a roadtrip to 'west.' So I probably won't be watching the games and I probably won't post about them. Yup. West. I don't know how far west. I guess it depends on how far we drive till I get tired. I don't want him driving my car, after all.

Tonight, I'm heading to Fenway with no tickets and hoping to get some awesome Will Call luck. After all, my boy Jonny is pitching, and there is nothing better to relieve stress than watching one of your favorite pitchers pitch live. Hopefully it'll help. If not, I'll pick up a couple of bottles of vodka on my way home from the game.

All I know is, I hope AJ Burnett is still crazy. That is all.

Don't Let The Yankees Ruin It: Jimmy Fund Time Has Returned!

I do this every year. It's time again for the Jimmy Fund Telethon, guys! Now, I know the Sox dropped an ugly one to the Yankees last night, leaving an entire nation on base, but don't let that sour your outlook on life. There's still plenty of good to be done, and maybe those karma points could go toward a Sox victory tonight? Hmm? Just a suggestion.

Cancer has affected my family so deeply, and I have lost so many loved ones to this horrible disease. The Jimmy Fund is my charity of choice for that very reason. There have been so many breakthroughs in cancer research, but all those breakthroughs require money. Every small bit counts. Believe me, it does.

My father and both of his parents were lost to cancer. My maternal grandfather died of cancer. My aunt and uncle both have struggled with cancer and are hanging strong right now. More funding means more research, and more research likely means more cures. I want to believe in a future where my niece and nephew don't have to worry about the disease. I want to believe in a future where people don't have to watch their loved ones go through what I watched my loved ones go through.

If you'd like to donate, go on and click here or call 1-877-738-1234. Additionally, you can text KCANCER to 20222 to donate $10 instantly! It's so easy, and you really didn't need to buy coffee and a bagel from Dunks today, did you?

If you'd like more inspiration as to why donating is a good idea, there are some touching stories listed here or if you just want to follow along with how the telethon is going, you can head over to the WEEI Radio Telethon page.

Or, if you've had enough of my little guilt trip, you can just look forward to watching Beckett mow down the Yankees tonight. There's nothing wrong with that.... but imagine how much better a win tonight would feel if you've already done your good deed for the day. Just saying.

That Guy: He Won Again

That guy I mentioned yesterday? The one who used to pitch for the other team but now he sometimes pitches for our team? He beat that team he used to pitch for again. He seems to be having lots of luck in that regard, and our offense seems to have no problem facing them. I like wins. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that before, but wins make me feel all warm inside. I haven't really liked that guy all that much.... well... ever, so it's nice for him to give me a reason to not want to punch my TV. Yeah, ok, the 3-run home run was frustrating, but it's fine. He didn't give up anything else after that, and that's really all that matters. I think. For now.

As for Daniel Nava... while I completely and utterly appreciate his hard work in this win, I think it would be in his best interests to, you know, not dive for baseballs. Yes, it had to be done, but that doesn't mean it wasn't scary. Especially after being hit in the ribs with a 90-something mph pitch. Sue me if I'm a little overprotective of our outfielders' ribs. I have justification for being this way. Nava was sort of my hero during the game last night. Watching him this season has been fun, hasn't it?

Bill Hall has also been a pleasant surprise. I think I've brought it up before, but aside from his suspect fielding, he's turned into a pretty good pickup. Solo homer to tie the game at 2 in the 4th was delightful. I don't know, it's another night that I really can't complain about. Everything seemed to make me happy.

Especially seeing Dave Roberts. He's looking fairly fantastic for someone who has gone through as much as he has, and that wonderful smile almost never left his face. The day before the Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon commenced, it was great to see Dave and get an update. I wish him absolutely the best in the world, and hope to see a little more of him. Good luck, Dave! We're all rooting for you!

Since I've been piling on Paps so much lately, I'll go ahead and give him credit. He was great last night. Nothing negative to add. I'm not going to bring up anything else from the season. He was great, and when he pitches like that, I'm happy. I think for the first time all season, I wasn't complete nerve-wrecked when he stepped onto the mound. I don't know why I wasn't nervous. Sometimes you just know that it's going to work out. So much credit to Paps. Let's keep that up, huh?

And last, but absolutely not least, happy birthday to my dad, who would have been 69 years old today. How very appropriate that today starts the radio telethon for the Jimmy Fund. My dad (also named Jimmy) passed away February 2, 2007 of colon cancer that metastasised to his lungs, so every year, I pledge my money to the Jimmy Fund, hoping that one day, there will be a cure. I pledge in my father's name, and I honestly believe that the money they collect makes a difference. I hope to live to see the day when I won't have to pledge any more. So happy birthday, dad. I love you, and I miss you so much. And I've already made my pledge in your name to try to put an end to this awful disease.

If you want to pledge money to the telethon, please go here: http://www.jimmyfund.org/

2009 Jimmy Fund Telethon

There are few causes that I bother with... actually, there's only one. Not that I believe other causes aren't worthy, but the Jimmy Fund radio telethon just MEANS something to me. I know I don't have a huge blog following. Hell, I don't know if ANYONE reads these silly ramblings, but every year, I will do whatever I can to prompt people to donate.

The goal is $5 million. Right now, according to the website (http://www.weei.com/jimmy-fund/home), they're at about $400,000. The telethon has been on the air for just over 5 hours, and they haven't even raised $100,000 an hour yet. It IS a 36 hour telethon, and I know a lot of the big donations come later on, and towards the end, so I'm not worried. I also know that when given the chance, people prove that they're loving, caring, and want to help. Especially in Boston, people have such a good relationship with the Jimmy Fund. We care about this cause around these parts.... and if you don't, maybe you should.

I know the shape the economy is in, but as I was listening to the radio this morning, I heard a stat (and I hope I get this correct) that 80% of their donations last year under $100. I don't know how true that is, but if it is true, it blows my mind! Think of it. If everyone you knew would give just five dollars... man, that would be over a hundred dollars just from THIS floor of this office! For the price of a Starbucks coffee and a scone, you can help the Jimmy Fund reach their goal of helping people with cancer. You can go without coffee for one day to help children going through chemo, can't you?

I got into a debate this morning with a friend. He's convinced that there will never be a cure for cancer and there's no point in trying to find one. My reply to him was simple... Even if there's NEVER a cure, we can still work our hardest to improve the quality of life for people who were stricken with the disease. We can still give parents precious years with their sick children. We can make sure that a few more parents are around for college graduations. We can give people hope, and comfort, and make it so that their last years on Earth aren't years full of pain and suffering. And along the way, if we can find cures for even a percentage of the types of cancer out there, then that's a bonus! My God, it's not all about finding a cure, it's about giving hope. Everyone needs hope sometimes.

So consider the people in your life who have been affected by cancer. I pledge every year in memory of my father in the hope that the research they're doing will be able to save someone else's father. Even if you don't know anyone personally... as a baseball fan, look at Jon Lester and Mike Lowell. They were the lucky ones. They survived. They are proof that the research is working!

Do it for guys like Greg Montalbano, who lost his fight with cancer last week. Do it so guys like Greg can live full lives. Greg is a testament to the fact that there is still so much work to be done. He was too young to be lost to this awful disease, and while I didn't know him, my heart goes out to his family and friends.

Do it because it's the right thing to do.
Here's the number... 877-738-1234

Jimmy Fund Telethon: Call in

Now, I don't know how many people actually read this page, and I don't really need to know. But, if you're reading this, and you aren't aware, we've come upon the Jimmy Fund Telethon again....

Cancer research is near and dear to my heart. I lost one grandfather when I was a year old. I lost the other grandfather while I was in high school. I lost my father just last year to lung cancer, and my aunt is dealing with breast cancer right now. My family is very much affected by cancer, so every year, I try to give something... ANYTHING to help cancer research. I know there might come a time where I will have to face chemo treatments, or someone else I love will get a cancer diagnosis. I want to do anything I can right now to help, so if I ever need a cure, or if my sister ever needs a cure, or my mom, or my cousins, or my niece and nephew... if anyone else in my family ever needs a cure, maybe it will be there for us.

I don't know any of the kids or employees at the Dana Farber Clinic right now. I don't know any of their families. But I know what it feels like to realize there are no treatments left. I know the numb, the fear, the anger that appears when someone you love is out of options. It's an awful feeling. So even though I don't know anyone over there right now, I'd like to think that maybe my money is helping just one more family not have to feel that way. And if that's the case, I'll keep donating every year, as much as I can.

Jon Lester has a special place in my heart, because he went through it, and he's thus far been victorious. I don't know Jon personally, and I probably never will, but he got his cancer diagnosis right around the time that my father was being told there was nothing left for him but to die (thus how Lester became "Binky" to me... it was strangely comforting seeing him pitch in the majors again). Seeing someone like Jon get back on a pitching mound should inspire people. They can find cures and successful treatments, they just need the funds.

This is why I urge everyone.... donate if you can. Treatment is so much more than medicine. The people at Dana Farber do what they can to help kids still be kids while they're sick. They do so much good work. Even if they can't save everyone, they can save more than ever before. Just imagine what cancer treatment could be in the future if it had the funding it so badly needed. So call in, or click in, and pledge just a little bit of money to help the folks at Dana Farber do what they do best... make a cancer diagnosis managable.

The kids at Dana Farber are counting on you.
Call in number: 877-738-1234
or go to here