Cody Ross or Tim Thomas: Who Has More People Talking?

Clearly, Tim Thomas does. He opted not to meet the president. People are very upset at his decision. I'm not.

I didn't care when Manny did it, and I don't care that Timmy did it. These are sports figures, folks. They're not foreign dignitaries. They're not royalty, or memebers of Congress, or key political figures of any kind. They do not have to attend the White House ceremony if they feel they do not want to be there. I know sports figures are generally held high on a pedestal and expected to act exactly how we want them to, but they are not contractually obligated to appease our expectations in all facets of their lives. If Timmy has strong political objections to the way this country is being run, he has the freedom to express those objections by opting out of the White House visit. Despite how we personally feel about these players, they owe us nothing except to put all of their effort into every game they play... and they don't really even owe us that. They really owe that to the people who pay their paychecks. That's just how it is. If the Bruins have a problem with him not attending, they will fine or punish him, but I still stand by his decision. That's all.

Now, Cody Ross. So we cleared up $6M from Marco Scutaro to turn around and hand half of it to Cody Ross? Don't we have enough utility players already? I thought that money was going towards making a bid for Oswalt? Apparently, we are just in the process of collecting the throwaways of all the other teams. Weird, I feel like we've tried this before and it didn't quite pan out. Cody Ross seems like a very nice guy, from what I've read thus far, but I'll tell you what he is not. He is not a shortstop. He is not Roy Oswalt. Maybe he is an every day right fielder, but we had Josh Reddick and we let him go. Do you know what he is? He's a more expensive Josh Reddick. I love making claims like this with absolutely no data to back it up.

This is how the season is going... trade Lowrie, sign more expensive version of Lowrie.... trade Reddick, sign more expensive version of Reddick. Pile up a bunch of midrange arms and hope that lightning strikes.... or hope that lightning doesn't actually strike because a bunch of lightning stricken pitchers isn't going to do us any good. I'm only being negative because I'm feeling negative, folks. I guess this is my problem... I don't really know WHAT I want the team to do, so I'm going to be unhappy no matter what moves they make. You know, at least until the season starts and it's all sunshine and baseball once again. And hey, there's pretty much zero chance of Keebs bringing back Lugo, so I've always got that. Happy Tuesday everyone.

Foghorns At Fenway: Sox Powerplay On Point

Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, Tim Wakefield
Nine wins is all that separates Timmy and the all-time wins record. How fantastic was he today? Answer: Very fantastic. It seems that every time you pair Tim Wakefield and Tim Thomas, good things happen. The Bruins, of course, were in the house to celebrate their Stanley Cup championship with the Sox. Watching #33 Captain Zdeno Chara throw out the first pitch to #33 Captain Jason Varitek was incredible. In honor of the B's, the Sox let the foghorn echo every time we scored a run. The foghorn got a strenuous workout today.

Tim, though. Tim is unbelievable. This man just keeps chugging along, pitching innings, confusing batters, and lately being a Beckett-level badass (without the Beckettesque attitude). Today, in just another day's work, Timmy pitched eight innings of three-hit ball. Two of those hits were home runs, and the other was a double. The only other baserunner Nyjer Morgan, who reached on a walk in the 5th. All Tim needed to dominate the Brewers was 99 pitches. Yet another quality start for the elder statesman. Yes, Jim Rice, he IS a horse.

As for the foghorn... there were only three innings where it didn't have a job to do. Shame on you, innings 2,3, and 8. You're off the hook, 9th inning, because we didn't have to play you. By the time the first inning was over, CRW had a multi-hit game going, and the foghorn had sounded six time. SIX TIMES. Munchkin got the foghorn screaming again in the fifth inning with a solo home run to straightaway center field. That home run was followed by Ernie's 1000th career hit... a triple, no less! Two batters later, Ortiz beat out the throw to first, preventing a double play and scoring Ernie from third. In the fifth, the horn sounded for Munchkin again as his sac fly scored Reddickulous from third. At this point, everyone on the team except for Scutaro had collected at least one hit.

Scoots didn't have to wait much longer, as he hammered a ball into the monster seats in the 6th, plating two more runs and letting the horn sing again. In the seventh, Ernie singled in Drew Sutton, who had been running for Munchkin. Too bad they didn't have him run for Youkilis, who was hobbling around pretty bad out there at the end of the inning. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he's not hurt.

Aside from the news that Dahmer is now on the DL with a stiff back, this was a beautiful day at Fenway. And of course, Dahmer is only injured because the sports gods are doing everything in their power to get Wake those nine wins. Don't be surprised if Lackey ends up with another mysterious injury when Clay is ready to come back. And no, it won't have anything to do with Mike Timlin.

What A Night: Everything Seems So Happy and New

I'm slightly delirious. No sleep last night. Living in the Boston suburbs, with neighbors shooting off fireworks all around my house and being too hyped up to sleep anyway led to a pretty restless night... but I would absolutely live it over and over again. Fantastic sports night.

I want to keep waxing on and on about the Bruins and how excited I am for them to bring the championship back.... how I kept telling everyone 'Get Horton to Vancouver and they'll win!"... how Horton poured Boston water on the ice before the start of the game... how Luongo looked like he was about to cry half way through the second period... or how we HAD to score four more goals off of him because he was taken out of game six early and we hadn't finished with him yet, but this is a baseball blog, so I'm about to get back on point. The last thing I will say is Chara made the commissioner look like a kindergartener. Holy crap that man is tall... but the look of pure joy on his face was something I will not soon forget.

Back to topic. Beckett.... goddamn it, Josh. Just damn it all. I have this list, you see... a list of people who have ruined your no-hitters. Now do I need to start a list of people who ruin your perfect games? Because if I do, Reid Brignac's on that list, and I'm not even sure he deserved a hit for that! I think they should have given Youkilis an error. Regardless, Joshua. Enough! Just get a damn no-hitter already and let me dispose of this list! God, you're frustrating!

Only partially kidding on that one. Beckett was so close to perfect that I really can't fault him for that one "hit". Sharky comes in two days ago and throws a complete game with five hits and three walks on 110 pitches. Beckett gives him the middle finger, marches on to his pitching mound and throws a complete game with one hit and no walks using 97 pitches. I don't even know which phrase to use here. In your face, Sharky? Stick that in your pipe and smoke it? It is with great amusement that we assess your performance in the sporting event of the previous day and determine that it is of lesser quality than that of the performance delivered by our pitcher in the most recent game? Eh, that's a little too wordy. In your face, Sharky!

I was ready to deliver a barrage of spine punches to Kevin Youkilis, who absolutely deserved every one I was planning... and then he hit that home run, and we're kind of friends again. Kind of. I was flipping back and forth between the Sox and Bruins. I flipped to the Sox as they were walking Ernie (right after Munckin's triple! Yay Munchkin!) and Don informed me that Bergeron had scored, so I flipped back to the Bruins in an effort to catch the replay. I got to see it; I cheered a little, and then flipped back to the Sox just in time to see that I had missed the home run. For next time, guys, could you please make the most exciting points of your game at different times so I don't miss them? Thank you. It is most appreciated.

The Yankees beat Texas 12-4 AGAIN, so we're still only 1.5 ahead of them, but we kicked a little dirt in Tampa's face last night. Today, it's up to Dahmer to take down David Price and deliver us a series win. Go for the jugular, Clay! Show no mercy!

And finally, a message to MLB. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE NICK SWISHER'S STUPID YANKEE FACE WHEN I GO TO REDSOX.COM! Take that nonsense down immediately!

Bruins: Stanley Cup Champions!

Congratulations to the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins! Great job on bringing the cup back home, boys!

Goats: All Goats

... Except Wakefield. Wakefield was what everyone else should have been. He was good. The rest of the team didn't bother to show up. I hate to do this, but I'm afraid I have to take away the rest of their off-days as punishment. It's for their own good, and believe me, I take no joy in it.

Especially bad for the night were Salty and Youkilis. Salty couldn't remember how to catch a knuckleball, and it scares me to be able to say that Varitek did a better job handling Wake. Youkilis grounded into two double plays. For chrissake, man, just strike out! Stop taking others down with you. CRW's double play was sandwiched between Youkilis's 3rd and 6th inning DPs. Also, Crawford leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first? Not acceptable.

Really, there's not much to say. Tommy Hottovy struggled. Alfredo Aceves couldn't stop the damage.... though it WAS limited damage. On a night where Wakefield only gives up two runs, you would expect the offense that put 14 runs on the board in their last game to at least make a game of it. They didn't. They weren't even in the park as far as I could tell. Tim deserved better, guys. He threw over 100 pitches for the first time since 2003 or some ridiculous year like that. You couldn't have managed to NOT ground into three double plays? You couldn't have maybe taken a few more pitches apiece from Sharky to get that pitch count up? He pitched nine full innings and only threw 110 pitches. See something wrong with that, guys?

Still, we have a game and a half lead over the Yankees, so it's not ALL bad, now is it? Winning streaks don't go on forever. Especially when Youkilis keeps grounding into double plays, damnit!

Joshua Patrick takes the ball at the Trop tonight, and a pack of bears look to turn Vancouver into Boston. I am going to be a ball of tightly wound nerves all day.

Bruins Game Six: Didn't.... Matter? What?

Ok, Mister Vancouver head coach.... I get it. You don't want your team to focus on the game six loss. No, really, I understand. But to say that the entire first period melee didn't matter? Well, I'm just going to have to call you a giant, dirty, liar-pants.

"To tell you the truth, it didn't really matter," Vigneault replied. "At the end of the day, they won and we're going back home in front of our fans [for a] one-game showdown to win the Cup. That's it."

See, because I'm pretty sure it did matter. But if you can't SEE that it mattered, I'm not going to change your mind.

Anyway. Dear Bruins, I kindly request that while you are playing game seven in Vancouver that you pretend you are in Boston. That's all. Just pretend. But you have to pretend REALLY well. You have to pretend well enough to convince the rest of us that you're convinced. We'll be able to tell. Maybe team practice should involve some make-believe time. Just a suggestion!

"Clean" Sweep: Beckett A Hit In New York

Oh wait... no, I meant "Beckett Hits A Bunch in New York." I am absolutely angry that I fell asleep last night and missed him plunking Granderson. I've been waiting to see him exact just a tiny bit of revenge since the moment Granderson broke up his no-hitter on June 3rd, 2009. I know, you're thinking I'm bitter and vindictive. In this case, you are correct. I saw him hit Jeter, and I missed the plunking of A-Rod and didn't care.... but man, if I had only stayed awake till the fifth. That's my punishment for being exhausted.

The result of the game was infinitely more pleasant than I had anticipated when I went to check the score this morning. Beckett settled down and got through seven innings with no more runs allowed. He hit almost as many as he allowed hits to (3 to 4) and he walked two. Granted, it's not the kind of dominant performance against the Yankees that we've seen twice already this year, but I figured they would score off him eventually. It was almost like pity runs to apologize for all the hit batters. Hah... right, like Josh Beckett has pity for any of his enemies.

In what I assume was retaliation, Papi got hit by Fatass in the fourth. I guess it's only fair, and I'm not going to act shocked and appalled. We hit their guys, they hit our hottest hitter. Are we square now? Probably not, but I could care less as long as no one gets seriously injured.

I'll have to watch the 2-hour replay that I Tivo'd so I can see that glorious 7th inning (or you could just watch the highlight video here). Looks like Fatass just fell apart. Ortiz singled (guess the hit didn't kill him, huh?), Lowrider tripled, Cam doubled, Tek singled, CRW singled, Ernie singled, and Fatass came out. His replacement, David Robertson, kept the rally going with a single to Youkilis and a double to Papi (two hits in an inning. NY really showed him!). When it was over and the dust had cleared, the Sox put seven on the board and handed Fatass his THIRD loss against Josh this year. I love that Josh keeps winning the rematch. It makes me feel vindicated. Who doesn't love a good Friday vindication?

All of our active sports teams are in Canada right this very minute. The Sox are preparing to face the Jays while the Bruins are lacing up to hopefully gain a series lead in Vancouver. Do us proud, guys.

Terrific Timmys: Wakefield and Thomas Secure Wins

44 year old Tim Wakefield and 37 year old Tim Thomas made sports fans in Boston very happy last night. For Thomas, he recorded yet another shutout for the Bruins in their quest to bring home a Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972 and helped turn the Finals into a best-of-three affair. And I can't say I was morally against his hit on Burrows either. I'm just hoping that Thomas and the boys can keep up this pace and finish the Canucks off back at the Garden in game six.

As for Tim Wakefield, he reduced his magic number from 12 to 11, pitching five and one third innings of pretty good baseball against the former number one team in the AL East. Tim's first three innings were brilliant, and then the ever-baffling knuckleball seemed to take a nasty turn on him. Timmy allowed five runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. More importantly, Tim and the team got the win. For Wake, this is win number 182 in a Red Sox uniform. Ten to tie, eleven to take the top. It's seeming more and more likely that he can do it, and if he can't do it this season, Theo better bring him back next year.

For a few moments after realizing Varitek was catching for Wake, I was filled with pure and paralyzing terror, but I have to say... he did a damn fine job of it. Though we all know Tek is scared to death of catching that knuckleball, he knew we needed him and he did what he had to do. The battery duo last night has shown time and time again that either of them will do anything the team needs done, and that's why I love both of them so much.

The offense jumped on a largely ineffective Burnett early, putting three up on the board in the first inning for the second night in a row, two runs coming off another Ortiz home run. I'm sure Girardi didn't appreciate it at all, but thankfully, we don't play to keep Girardi happy. Tito, on the other hand, probably loved it. In the second, Scoots and Drew teamed up to add another run. In the fourth, Varitek beat out a double-play ball to bring in a run, then CRW doubled to bring in another, and THEN Munchkin singled to bring in the 7th run. Still, for all the runs we put on him, Burnett lasted longer than Garcia.

The Yanks tried to make it interesting in the later innings, but Alfredo Aceves earned a save by throwing three and two-thirds innings and only allowing a single run. Just to make it comfortable again, the Sox added three more in the ninth on home runs for Crawford and Drew. Aceves slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth, and we take the top spot in the East. Easy, right?

Sure was. Let's home the never-ending rematch of Beckett vs Sabathia plays out the way these last two games have.

Papelgone: Suspended

As predicted, MLB has sided with the umpires and handed down a three-game suspension to Jonathan Papelbon this week. That's what you get for bumping an umpire. He is appealing his first career suspension, which made him eligible to pitch last night. I'll get into the details of the game in my next post, but I'll say that he was needed, and he was able to record his 200th career save. In your face, Tony Randazzo.

Seems a little ridiculous that Nate Horton gets nearly decapitated by that Rome guy on the Canucks, and Rome only gets a four game suspension. Papelbon slightly bumps the umpire and gets three games. Where is the justice?

Bruins: Oh My

The lions and tigers got nothing on those bears. I'm not a hockey fan by trade, but I get all worked up for any of my hometown teams when they need the support.

After the Horton hit, which actually made me flinch more than once, I hoped as hard as I could that they would come back and put a hurtin' on the Canucks. When the five minute penalty expired with no retribution, I started to worry. Then... well, eight goals later, I was comfortable.

Keep this up, guys. Do it for Nate.