To Opening Day. Less than 24 hours ...
The Red Sox announced their lineup for tomorrow's Opening Day game against the Rangers. It makes me smile just looking at the names.
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Carl Crawford, LF
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
6. David Ortiz, DH
7. Mike Cameron, RF
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9. Marco Scutaro, SS
SP -- Jon Lester, LHP
It's going to be a good season.
So now that it DOESN'T MATTER, the Red Sox are creaming the Yankees in their series this weekend.The Bosox pitchers and rookies are playing great as the cool in-crowd players have to sit it out with their Ben-Gay and Ace bandages.
And meanwhile, the hapless Mariners are facing Tampa Bay, ensuring the Rays a sweep right into the playoffs. *sigh*
I'm in a weird American League pinch, as I can't possibly root for the Yanks or Rays to win, and the Red Sox and Twins have a long-standing animosity that I can't get over. So I'm going for the Texas Rangers! Here's my rationale: they're in the West and I have some loyalty to that division (plus why would I ever root for the Central), my brother lives in Texas (not that he ever follows baseball), and most importantly: Henry was born in Texas. So that makes him Texan by birth and me Texan once-removed. Anyway, that's my story and I'm going with it. Now I just need to find out who the hell they are.
So, in doing my initial research, I've found some Rangers insider information:
Official Texas Rangers Claw and Antler Shirt
You've seen the players wearing it, and now you can wear the Claw & Antler tee, too.
The blue and red Nike cotton t-shirt that have the claw on the front and antlers on the back will be made available to fans again in late September. These are the T-shirts the Rangers have been wearing this summer that signify their two celebratory gestures. The claw is a long-distance high-five that players give each other after doing something good during a game. It was first devised by Esteban German in the Minor Leagues and brought to the Rangers by Nelson Cruz. The "deer wave", or antlers, is given when a player does something special that requires him to utilize his speed.
Ooohhkaayy... Um, go Rangers! Yeah!
From a recent Bleacher Report reader poll:
Since it's impossible to rule the Bosox out completely, I'm in the 5-10% crowd. But it's sure taken the excitement out of watching. More a feeling of foreboding, hopelessness and dread. Just your typical Red Sox emotions, with the exception of a few surprising years in the last decade.
The Baltimore Orioles, the absolute worst team in baseball, really stink. They have a .315 record, which means they've lost so many more games than they've won this year. 29 games won, 63 games lost. Pathetic.
They played the Tampa Bay Rays last night. It went to 10-10 into the thirteen inning, with the Orioles finally winning it very nicely on an RBI from Julio Lugo. (Remember him? Uneven shortstop kicked out by everyone including the Red Sox.)
Anyway, it helps that I'm happy to see Tampa Bay lose, especially on a night when the Yankees and Red Sox lost. But you don't need to care about the standings to enjoy a victory like the Orioles had last night. Whoo hoo! Thirty wins! And it's not even August yet!
Meanwhile, Carl Crawford left the game with a "testicular contusion." Reminds me of a story about my freshman boyfriend in college. After a lovely evening early in our dating relationship, we said goodnight and parted until breakfast. He never showed up the next morning and his roommate told me he ended up in the infirmary late that night with a malady we will not discuss further here. Ouch. Never mind. Back to baseball. Play ball!
AP photoHere's a rundown on the ailing Red Sox, who, even with some of their best players out, are tied for the fifth best record in baseball right now.
| Player | Injury | Unofficial return date |
|---|---|---|
| Jacoby Ellsbury | Fractured ribs, strained back | Minimum 3 weeks |
| Josh Beckett | Strained back | 5-10 days |
| Dustin Pedroia | Fractured bone in foot | 2-3 weeks |
| Clay Buchholz | Strained hamstring | Next week |
| Manny Delcarmen | Strained forearm | 2-3 days |
| Jeremy Hermida | Fractured ribs | Week to 10 days |
| Victor Martinez | Fractured thumb | 1-2 weeks |
| Jason Varitek | Fractured bone in foot | 2-4 weeks |
| Jed Lowrie | Mononucleosis | Rehab in Pawtucket |
| Mike Lowell | Strained hip | Indefinite |
(This is actually a baseball post)
Back when Henry went to the local Waldorf preschool, they seemed to be weirdly fixated on gnomes. I've since learned that that's a typical Waldorf tradition, along with believing that children can't learn the alphabet until their first permanent teeth come in, which is a topic for another post. Anyway.
They built gnome houses, went on gnome-spotting walks, teachers had "Gnome-Powered" bumper stickers on their cars; the whole thing seemed odd and a bit twee, as they say across the pond.
So, what does this have to do with baseball? Well, hang on. I had a bet going with a Phillies fan last week when the Red Sox and Phils faced each other during interleague play. I must admit I wasn't hopeful of my chances, but the payoff was good either way: whoever lost had to buy the other person a winning-team-logoed item of about $30. So either I got something Bosox-related or I got to buy something outrageous for my winning friend.
So, when the Sox won the series 2-1, I was looking forward to receiving my Red Sox nightie, towel set, bobblehead dashboard decoration or whatever.
So here's what showed up today in the mail.
I'm not sure where in the yard I'll put the little guy. Somewhere where I can see him whenever I look out my window, or maybe where he can stun the neighbors and passersby. He'll look good anywhere, I reckon, because after all, there's no place like gnome.
Look! I knitted a softball cozy!
It's supposed to be an apple cozy but it came out a little big. Kathi D, do you have any baseballs needing sweaters?
Um, no, not Easter. I like it and all, the bunnies, the chocolate, the jelly beans, the Easter dresses. In fact, here's me in an adorable Easter outfit from the distant past:
Though apparently I'm indicating to my parents that my purse is empty. Always subtle, that's me.
Where were we? Oh yes, the most happiest day of the year!
That would be Opening Day! Of the baseball season! Today! Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway!
What could possibly be better? Assuming the Bosox win, of course. It's okay, we got the whole season ahead of us. This is the year, hope springs eternal, we'll show them this time and all that. Everyone's an optimist today. Or tomorrow, when all the other teams start play. So, it's time to...
PLAY BALL!
Feb. 18: Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.
Feb. 23: All other players report to Spring Training.
I have to admit that if I read a similar post regarding football in August or whenever they all report, I'd think "what a loser." But hey, it's my blog, so it's cool.
Yes, baseball season is over as of last night. I don't need any unattractive gloating from Yankees fans. Especially since they won by spending the most money. But I'm not bitter. I just miss baseball.
So, the biggest mystery in baseball (other than what the "Day-O!" song has to do with it) is what are those thick necklaces that a lot of players, especially pitchers, wear. I shall now reveal all.
"Phiten products work with your body’s energy system, helping to regulate and balance the flow of energy throughout your body. Proper energy balance helps to alleviate discomfort, speed recovery, and counteract fatigue. Athletes find that they tire less easily and recover faster from intense physical activity. Further benefits of Phiten’s exclusive technology are more relaxed muscles leading to less stress and a greater range of motion that can be of great benefit to an athlete or anyone in any walk of life..."
I got to get me one of these! Red Sox version, of course.
Red Sox fans face a tough decision this postseason now that our beloved
baseball team has been swept out of the playoffs: Who do we root for?
On the other hand, the Dodgers are coached by former Yankee manager Joe Torre, who brought Yankees great Don Mattingly to the West Coast as his hitting coach. During his tenure in New York, Torre was perhaps the most respected member of the Yankees organization by Red Sox fans, but we still think of him as a Yankee -- primarily.
Mattingly also told Sports Illustrated that "the country wants" a Dodgers-Yankees World Series, which smacks of the typical New York arrogance and presumptuousness that so many Red Sox fans dislike about the Yankees. Mattingly, in our opinion, will always be a Yankee. More importantly, he's a Yankee without a World Series ring. Red Sox fans would like to keep it that way.
Pros: Former Red Sox favorite Bill Mueller serves as special assistant to GM Ned Colletti, and who doesn't like Bill Mueller?So there it is, a team-by-team breakdown. Personal experience leads me to believe that most Red Sox fans -- if they haven't already abandoned Fenway for Foxborough -- will be halfheartedly cheering the Angels to victory. In a postseason without a clear-cut front-runner, it seems like the lesser of several evils.
Let's just hope the Rally Monkey didn't make the playoff roster.
Baseball's dead to me. Over, kaput, finis. The Boston Red Sox were swept by the Los Angeles Angels (formerly of Anaheim but now cashing in on LA glamour) in three games for the American League Divisional Playoff series, round one.
I don't know how anyone can say that baseball is boring. It's a suspense film agonizing in its tension. I knit furiously between standing up and pacing and shouting at the screen.
Today was a killer: the Bosox well ahead into the ninth, ONE STRIKE away from winning and going on to the next do-or-die game, Papelbon giving up three runs, Angels going up 7-6, my man Pedroia making the last out. Papelbon had not been charged with a run in 26 postseason innings entering the game, but he finally let me down. I don't envy his winter with the Red Sox Nation - not the most forgiving bunch.
I'm working through denial, anger, depression, bargaining; not yet at acceptance. Summer ended very abruptly here in Bend: it's cold, we had snow and frost, and the heady days of baseball are gone. The season's over (except for all those other teams battling it out for something -- but who cares?) and it's time to start counting the months and days til spring training. March is only 141 days away.
"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out."
-Casey at the Bat, 1888
I think I'm getting the hang of doing nothing. Really, it's not so bad. And I'm not even on drugs.
What I have been doing:
Teaching Robin to knit
I had to relearn the pattern, remember where I made the mistake so I could re-create it on the next section, and dive in again. Very gratifying.Don't you envy me, just a little bit?
So, like any self-respecting homeowner, after I mowed the lawn yesterday I cracked open a bottle of Mikes Light Hard Pomegranate Lemonade and came in to watch the Red Sox obliterate the Phillies on my not-very-big-screen TV. "But the game wasn't televised!" you say? It is in my house.
Game on TV (in Hi-Def of course):
Source of video: MLB.TV on my laptop
, hooked up with S cable and multiple monitor mode:
I'm so cool.
Quoting from several sources here:
"The changes were done to put more of an emphasis on returning the visual elements that have made the Red Sox such an influential brand within the sport of baseball. The club will also go with the "Hanging Sox" -- which has been around since 1931 as the new primary logo, and it will be used more frequently and will be displayed on new caps that the Red Sox will wear with their alternate jerseys at home and on the road.
For long-time fans, the new road jersey will be a trip down memory lane, in that it will resemble the road grays worn in the 1980s during the days of Jim Rice, Dwight Evans and Bob Stanley.
The "retro roadies," as the Red Sox referred to them in a press release, will feature the word "BOSTON" in blue lettering across the chest.
"The origin of this was Turn Back the Clock Day in June of '07 in San Diego," said Red Sox COO Mike Dee. "Everybody thought the gray was a bluer gray because of the blue lettering. The bordering makes the same gray look bluer. Basically, we've taken what was the red 'BOSTON' on the front and replaced that with a blue 'BOSTON.'"
The alternate road uniform will be a combination of white pants and blue jersey with "BOSTON" in red lettering across the chest.
No changes have been made to Boston's primary home uniforms. The alternate home red jerseys will still be used for Friday night home games, and will now be accompanied by alternate hats which feature the new "Hanging Sox" logo. The alternate caps will also be worn on the road with the alternate blue tops for Friday away games.
"If you look at the outerwear that we wear on the road, we've pretty much gone to blue as a road color and red as the home color," said Dee. "This is really an exact continuation of that. We have blue dugout jackets on the road and red dugout jackets at home; blue BP jerseys on the road, red BP jerseys at home. This gives us a blue theme to the road uniform and then a blue alternate top."
The "circle Sox," which had been the primary logo, will now be the secondary logo and will now include better graphics and clearer font. The "B" will be the third logo.
"The decision to change [to "Hanging Sox" as the primary logo] was made given the long-time iconic stature of the 'Hanging Sox,' which possesses an instant appeal and recognition of the team," the club said in a press release.
All the changes were meant to be subtle in nature.
"There's several changes, but we think they're traditional in nature and aesthetically pleasing and will be warmly received by the fans," said Dee.
Saturday morning started with a long walk in the sagebrush with Mary and the dogs - an activity we've enjoyed for 12 years, on and off. Brisk and invigorating (Mary has long legs). I then brushed a pound of hair off the dog which always makes him all giddy and silly for some reason.
Mary (my occasional-housemate) has bought her own place so moved her stuff out of my spare bedroom. We'll really miss her, but I did gain back a room. I spent the rest of the day reclaiming it, moving in the Wii, books, knitting stuff, ironing board, etc. That was absurdly rewarding, and got me to organize bookcases, magazines, projects and knitting stash. As a result, my bedroom is now much less cluttered and more relaxing. I then finished every knitting project on the needles - a first in a long time. Mellow evening at home with a movie, Henry and his sleep-over friend, and a solitary sojourn in the hot tub.
Sunday I baked for breakfast, then had fun with the wet/dry vac for an hour or so. I discovered that it blew as well as sucked, so I blew all the leaves and needles from the winter off the deck, terrace and porch. Nice! Next I sucked out the old nasty pond water from the waterfall, found the leak in my liner and patched it. I filled the pool, set up and started the pump and was rewarded for all my hard work last year with the lovely sound of water down through the rock, between a trickle and a splash. (Not a trash really, how about a splickle?)
It was (unseasonably) warm and sunny, so I sat on the terrace, enjoying the waterfall, knitting lace and drinking Pinot Gris while 10-yr-old boys played baseball in the front yard.
And you know what? I felt incredibly happy, and at peace.
And to top it all off, baseball season started.
You know the purported Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." This has been an interesting year, both globally and personally. Because this blog is ALL ABOUT ME, here is a top ten list of interesting things that happened in my life this year. (in chronological order - I'm not about to rank them!)
1. I started the Bend Knit-Up, which grew from six people to over a hundred in a year.
2. My dad turned 90, and we all celebrated together in NC and everyone got along.
3. AT&T bought Edge Wireless, and we no longer had any work, though we still had jobs.
4. Neighbor X and I broke up, got together, and finally broke up.
5. I taught myself the whole blogging thing, that which you are reading at this instant.
6. Henry and I went back east for a family trip and went to Fenway. Go Sox!
7. We were finally released from AT&T, though were still paid, allowing me a summer off.
8. I spent the summer off shoveling dirt and hauling rocks for my waterfall.
9. I got a new job at the High Desert Museum - yay! and patted a badger.
10. My dad broke his hip and I flew back east for the third time.
What were your interesting times?
About the Author
Kristen Merrill writes daily for NESN.com and is the author of the blog Basegirl.