The end of an era: Jason Varitek retires

I thought I could hold it together, I really did. And then, about a dozen words into his speech, Jason Varitek began to cry - and all of Red Sox Nation (including yours truly) followed suit.  Tek has been playing for the Boston Red Sox since I was seven years old - I literally cannot recall what any of the catchers who came before him look like.

Jason Varitek is the only Red Sox player I've ever met in real life, and some of you might remember this post, where I posted my favorite pictures of Jason Varitek's Celebrity Putt Putt and gushed about how my life was made complete when I handed the Captain his runaway golf ball.

Over the lifespan of this blog (about three years), I have posted about Varitek forty times (not including this one) - accounting for almost ten percent of all my posts. Though not my current favorite player (if you don't know who that distinction belongs to, you must be new here), Jason Varitek means a lot to me.

Tek is a Red Sox stalwart, a Dirt Dog, a leader. His teammates respect him, and the fans love him. He reduced Red Sox Nation to tears several times over this evening at his retirement press conference with sentiments like thanking Terry Francona for "letting me sail with you and captain your ship," and "The hardest thing to do is walk away from your teammates, and what they meant to you.''

Varitek has received tons of praise from teammates past and present (and some non-Sox) for his loyalty and work ethic (quotes gathered by @Jared_Carrabis):

• "He showed me how to be a player with honesty, hard work and integrity without ever having to say one word." - Jonathan Papelbon
• "He taught me how to be a leader & showed me how to be a champion... It was a honor and a pleasure to have been his teammate." - Johnny Damon
• "In my 23 years of professional baseball I never played with or against a more selfless and prepared player than Jason Varitek." - Curt Schilling
•  "I’ve always admired the way Jason played the game, and I appreciated the opportunity I had to get to know him throughout the years." - Derek Jeter
• "His first care was that his teammates succeeded even before himself. I have never seen a player so prepared for every game." - Mike Timlin
• "Although his leadership will be missed, his legacy in Red Sox history will be forged forever." - Tim Wakefield
• "Tek was hands down one of the best teammates I ever had... he was a true captain in every sense of the word." - Mike Lowell

Jason Varitek was always the consummate professional, even if he's declined offensively in the last few years. He always came prepared, even catching four no-hitters from four different pitchers (and might have had a fifth if Schilling hadn't shaken him off).  And, even though he refuses to autograph the picture, Jason Varitek did this:

 And if nothing else, we'll always love him for that.

Why I give to the Jimmy Fund

Today, the Red Sox are hosting the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon to raise money and awareness about the Jimmy Fund. The following is a re-post of my September 25, 2009 entry entitled "Baseball as a Coping Mechanism," which should explain why even a broke college student like myself makes sure to give every year. 

 "Surviving cancer is, and will always be, my toughest battle. I laugh when people talk about how tough it is to deal with the boos of the fans or the high expectations of big market baseball. Hah! You want to know what tough is. John Kruk knows. Andres Galarraga knows. And Jon Lester has come to find out. When cancer comes calling, baseball takes a backseat. Having forty thousand people at Yankee Stadium tell me I suck is a nice diversion." -Mike Lowell, Deep Drive

Cancer took my mom last month. Today would have been her sixty-second birthday.

When I came back from boarding school with a renewed obsession for baseball, my mom humored me, watching all the games with me (with intermittent naps), and even picking a favorite player (David Ortiz). After I read Mike Lowell’s book, I knew she had to read it, too. The above passage caused Mikey to replace Papi in her affections.

The Red Sox were something that we shared. She didn't have any real affinity for professional baseball before I did (though she grew up in rural Connecticut, so the Sox would have been a logical choice), but she started paying attention because it was important to me: I loved the Red Sox, she loved me. Therefore, she loved the Red Sox, too. The other members of my family are what you would term "casual fans," they don't know very much about the players, don't really watch on TV, but, like all good New Englanders, they have Sox hats and are happy when the home town team does well.

When we were in the hospital last month, the Red Sox were on the television every night. The first night we were there was the night of Victor Martinez's two-out, go-ahead double in the ninth inning, and when he hit it I leaped out of my chair, feeling that I shouldn't yell in a hospital. My mom felt no such qualms, and shouted her excitement. She then looked at me and said, quite seriously, "You know, I really liked Justin Masterson... but this new guy looks promising." I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Red Sox provided an escape these last few years when I needed one, and they were something for my mom and I to enjoy together when we could. Her first trip to Fenway was last June, and Tim Wakefield pitched the Sox to a win over the Diamondbacks. We went twice this summer, once to see Jon Lester pitch 7+ perfect innings (and a complete game) against the Rangers in June, and once to see Brad Penny toss a gem against New York the next week.

"I never thought I'd get to go to Fenway Park," she told me more than once. I'm so glad that she did.
Even when I was away at school, she would watch the games so she could talk about them with me (and, as a lifetime coach and phys. ed. teacher, she had a deep love of sports). I have a saved voicemail on my cell phone from April 26, 2009. She called me during the game, while my phone was off, and left the following breathless message: "Wow, Kayla, I really hope you're watching the game, because Jacoby Ellsbury just stole home, and it was AMAZING!" As soon as I got the message, I called her back and we discussed it at length.

My mom valued sportsmanship highly, perhaps because of her keen awareness that life isn’t fair, she expected sports to be fair… She even infamously pulled out a rulebook in the middle of a field hockey game last season in order to correct the referee. As those she coached well know, she never advocated arguing with the umpire, so if she was upset, there was something very wrong. Sure enough, she was right, and another person learned that it’s very unwise to doubt Deryl Fleming when it comes to field hockey. She taught me to always respect the umpire, and the only time I ever saw her visibly upset over a call in MLB was last year. Mikey Lowell, whose book she had just finished, starting arguing balls and strikes with the umpire. "Well," she reasoned, "Mike never argues, so if he thinks it's a bad call, it's a bad call."

I can't thank everyone enough that helped her and our family through everything: all the food, and the rides, and the support, meant more than anyone will know. I wish there was some way for me to thank the Boston Red Sox, and specifically Mike Lowell, for giving her, and me, something to believe in and hope for right up until the end.  

To give, call 877-738-1234, go to jimmyfund.org, or text KCANCER to 20222 to give $10. Every little bit helps.

Yo, Adrian [Gonzalez]!

It's official. Adrian Gonzalez (who, according to baseball-reference, has no middle name) is a Boston Red Sox. I've been pinching myself all day, and this is no dream - I can hardly contain myself.

I watched the press conference this morning (which started late, shocking), and was entertained and intrigued by turns. It's obvious that the Red Sox front office has coveted Gonzalez for years, almost to the point that Theo was more of a stalker than a scout. The baseball numbers are promising to say the least, and Boston.com's Extra Bases posted a very revealing graphic this afternoon:

[Click the graphic for the link]

Because Gonzalez has been hitting in Petco Park for the last five years, his numbers are an understatement - and they were nothing to sneeze at to begin with. The Padres ballpark is where doubles go to die, as illustrated by the graph above, which plots the location of Gonzalez's batted balls last year and overlays them in Fenway Park. As you can see, there are at least "15 balls at Petco that would have been hits at Fenway and most of those would have been for extra bases."

I'm sure most of you are aware that the lefthanded slugger was playing through some pain last year... I can't wait to see what Gonzalez will be able to do in a friendly ballpark when he's healthy.

Aside from that, I'm confident that Gonzalez will fit into the clubhouse with no trouble at all: he seems like a quiet, friendly, confident guy, and as Mike Cameron pointed out, it doesn't hurt that he's bilingual.

He also already has an impressive grasp on what it takes to be embraced by the fans of New England (being a top player doesn't hurt). Gonzalez had quite a few quotable quips during the presser, but the two that come most quickly to mind cover subjects near and dear to the heart of any true Boston fan. The first? "I'm very excited to be here in Boston. And I'm ready to beat the Yanks."

Slam. Dunk. Put down the Evil Empire and I'm with you. If that wasn't enough, he lavished praise on Ted Williams, and then mentioned that his "good friend" Dave Roberts had nothing but good to say about the Red Sox and their fans. Swoon:


The biggest controversy so far seems to be over jersey number. Gonzalez wore #23 in San Diego, but it currently belongs to Sox outfielder Mike Cameron. Cameron had initially wanted #25 or #44 when he came over, but #25 was Mikey Lowell's, and the memory of Jason Bay as #44 was still fresh in everyone's mind. Now, it's conceivable that Cameron will take #25, and give #23 to Gonzalez in if the new first baseman will make a donation to a Boys and Girls Club (via Boston.com).

So when can I get one of these jerseys? They're not on the Yawkey Way or Redsox.com online shops, and I was hoping to ask for one for Christmas. Hurry it up, MLB - you're losing money, and we all know that's not your style.

Hey... Who's that fat lady?

[Bonus points to anyone who knows what 90's TV show the title is from!]

Before I let the mysterious overweight woman following the Sox around sing her song, let me just say that I refuse to give up until the math tells me that there is no other choice. Remember our opponents in the 2007 World Series? Those Colorado Rockies won 21 out of 22 games down the stretch, proving that such a feat, while improbable, is possible.

I know in my heart that things are drawing to a close, and that each Sox loss and every Yankees and Rays victory takes us closer and closer to some October golf. However, just because the Sox look to be out of the championship hunt for 2010 does not mean that we should be giving up on this season: this is still an interesting team capable of playing great baseball.

We've got several players playing for a spot next year, both rookies hoping to earn a permanent spot, and free-agents to be looking to up their price for the upcoming offseason. And what of these pending FA? David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Adrian Beltre, and Victor Martinez all have contracts expiring when the last out is recorded this season (which looks more and more like it will be October 3rd).

Let's start with the easy one: Mike Lowell has repeatedly said he will retire after the season, to which I say "Happy Trails, Mikey." Lowell has meant a lot to me personally in his time with the Sox, and, lest you'd forgotten, he was the MVP of the 2007 World Series. I know he's been unhappy with the way things have gone this year, but if anyone deserves to be sent off with respect, it's Mikey.

David Ortiz will most likely be back - other teams are not going to be lining up to take a gamble on an aging slugger with Papi's history and body type. The Red Sox are probably not going to pick up the $12.5 million option for 2011, but it's all but certain that a deal will get done.


Beltre and Martinez are more complicated. The Red Sox need them, and they seem to thrive in Boston, which is certainly no given for many players. However, the sticking point between the sides will likely be length of contract, for both players. The Red Sox will not want to sign Martinez to a long-term deal as a catcher, as players at that position rarely age well, but it's possible that they see him as Papi's eventual replacement at DH.

Beltre is the most unlikely of all to be with the 2011 Red Sox, as his agent is Scott Boras, and he had excellent 2010 numbers. Boras always pushes his players to free-agency, and there will be teams that value Beltre more than the Sox will, and will be willing to pay him accordingly. It's a real shame, since his antics have kept the club fun, despite the continual reminder of the 2010 Parade of Carnage.

So maybe this is it... I hear the fat lady warming up backstage. But if the Red Sox aren't playing meaningful baseball this fall, we can at least take comfort in the memory of what happened the season after 2006 - the last time the Sox missed the playoffs.

Why I give to the Jimmy Fund:

Today, the Red Sox are hosting the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon to raise money and awareness about the Jimmy Fund. The following is a re-post of my September 25, 2009 entry entitled "Baseball as a Coping Mechanism," which should explain why even a broke college student like myself makes sure to give every year.


"Surviving cancer is, and will always be, my toughest battle. I laugh when people talk about how tough it is to deal with the boos of the fans or the high expectations of big market baseball. Hah! You want to know what tough is. John Kruk knows. Andres Galarraga knows. And Jon Lester has come to find out. When cancer comes calling, baseball takes a backseat. Having forty thousand people at Yankee Stadium tell me I suck is a nice diversion." -Mike Lowell, Deep Drive

Cancer took my mom last month. Today would have been her sixty-second birthday.

When I came back from boarding school with a renewed obsession for baseball, my mom humored me, watching all the games with me (with intermittent naps), and even picking a favorite player (David Ortiz). After I read Mike Lowell’s book, I knew she had to read it, too. The above passage caused Mikey to replace Papi in her affections.

The Red Sox were something that we shared. She didn't have any real affinity for professional baseball before I did (though she grew up in rural Connecticut, so the Sox would have been a logical choice), but she started paying attention because it was important to me: I loved the Red Sox, she loved me. Therefore, she loved the Red Sox, too. The other members of my family are what you would term "casual fans," they don't know very much about the players, don't really watch on TV, but, like all good New Englanders, they have Sox hats and are happy when the home town team does well.

When we were in the hospital last month, the Red Sox were on the television every night. The first night we were there was the night of Victor Martinez's two-out, go-ahead double in the ninth inning, and when he hit it I leaped out of my chair, feeling that I shouldn't yell in a hospital. My mom felt no such qualms, and shouted her excitement. She then looked at me and said, quite seriously, "You know, I really liked Justin Masterson... but this new guy looks promising." I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Red Sox provided an escape these last few years when I needed one, and they were something for my mom and I to enjoy together when we could. Her first trip to Fenway was last June, and Tim Wakefield pitched the Sox to a win over the Diamondbacks. We went twice this summer, once to see Jon Lester pitch 7+ perfect innings (and a complete game) against the Rangers in June, and once to see Brad Penny toss a gem against New York the next week.

"I never thought I'd get to go to Fenway Park," she told me more than once. I'm so glad that she did.

Even when I was away at school, she would watch the games so she could talk about them with me (and, as a lifetime coach and phys. ed. teacher, she had a deep love of sports). I have a saved voicemail on my cell phone from April 26, 2009. She called me during the game, while my phone was off, and left the following breathless message: "Wow, Kayla, I really hope you're watching the game, because Jacoby Ellsbury just stole home, and it was AMAZING!" As soon as I got the message, I called her back and we discussed it at length.

My mom valued sportsmanship highly, perhaps because of her keen awareness that life isn’t fair, she expected sports to be fair… She even infamously pulled out a rulebook in the middle of a field hockey game last season in order to correct the referee. As those she coached well know, she never advocated arguing with the umpire, so if she was upset, there was something very wrong. Sure enough, she was right, and another person learned that it’s very unwise to doubt Deryl Fleming when it comes to field hockey. She taught me to always respect the umpire, and the only time I ever saw her visibly upset over a call in MLB was last year. Mikey Lowell, whose book she had just finished, starting arguing balls and strikes with the umpire. "Well," she reasoned, "Mike never argues, so if he thinks it's a bad call, it's a bad call."

I can't thank everyone enough that helped her and our family through everything: all the food, and the rides, and the support, meant more than anyone will know. I wish there was some way for me to thank the Boston Red Sox, and specifically Mike Lowell, for giving her, and me, something to believe in and hope for right up until the end.


Click here to give online, call 877-738-1234, or text KCANCER to 20222 to give $10. Every little bit helps.

Calm. Down.

Everyone needs to stop what they're doing. Seriously, pause for a second, and take a deep breath. We are exactly three games into the season. Three games, to be exact, against the World Champions of baseball (vomit).

So David Ortiz has exactly one hit thus far. CALM. DOWN. I've heard enough panic in Red Sox Nation. "Papi's done," "Put in Lowell," "He can't hit anything!"

Enough.

Mark Teixeira has one fewer hit than David, and I haven't heard anyone in New York howling for Cashman to buy a replacement (and we know that it doesn't take much for the MFY fans to start whining about underachievement).

I know that last year's prolonged slump is making everyone far more nervous than they might otherwise be, and, contrary to his claims, David Ortiz has a lot to prove to this team, front office, and fanbase. Theo made it clear that he would not wait as long this year for Papi to come around as he did in 2009 (and, lest you forget, it was close to one third of the way through the season before Tito so much as dropped him in the order). However, we are THREE GAMES IN. One of which was started by one of the toughest lefties in the game, CC Sabathia.

Everyone is clamoring for Mike Lowell to get his at-bats. Well, I have news for you: the front office has already decided that Mikey is not the answer. In fact, they decided this almost six months ago, when they traded him to the Texas Rangers. The deal was thwarted by Mike's bum thumb, but the Sox have made it clear that Lowell is only on the team until they find a suitable dumping ground for him. As I have said before, the situation is hardly ideal: Lowell deserves nothing but respect, and he's in a tough situation.

And as for Papi? He's earned the right to the benefit of the doubt for longer than one series against arguably the toughest team in baseball. If this truly is the end, Tito will probably stick with Ortiz far too long (being too loyal to veterans is one of his only flaws, as far as I'm concerned).

But back up off the Tobin Bridge, people. The Sox are headed for a three-game set in Kansas City tonight, and David deserves our support, for at least a little while longer.

Unless, of course, you're ready to forget what he can do when everything clicks...

Setting Beltre Straight

Amalie Benjamin has a great piece on Boston.com today about the apparent lack of conflict in the admittedly awkward Adrian Beltre/Mike Lowell situation. Of course, Mikey is the fan favorite who had an underwhelming season last year due to decreased defensive production, while Beltre is the new guy who has a reputation for flashing the leather, though he struggled immensely at the plate in 2009.

According to Benjamin's piece, the Sox front office assured Beltre that Lowell would not be the starting third baseman, regardless of his eventual decision (which fully explains their botched trade attempt) but it will make things awkward if Beltre gets off to a slow start. The fans will not be particularly forgiving of a bad April from a player replacing Lowell, who is so revered that he even had the Captain lobbying for him back in 2007.


It's tough to replace a guy who is held in such high esteem by the fans, and Beltre gets it: as he said to Benjamin, he's been down this road before. However, I have a hunch that Beltre could turn out to be a fan favorite in time, especially if his swing is as suited to Fenway Park as some have speculated, and all he has to do is stop confusing us with the Yankees. In Seattle, he said, the goal was to try to contend for a playoff spot:

"Here, it’s different because you don’t hope. Playoffs is a failure. World Series is the main goal."

Alright, let's set some things straight. Every year, the Boston Red Sox try to win 95 games, a number Theo and his team of math wizzes have decided is generally good enough to get to the playoffs. Yes, the roster is set up by those same men to be as good as possible, and thus the team generally makes it there. However, fans who have started to see the playoffs as a birthright (or a failure) need to get the hell out of Red Sox Nation. Let's be serious: anything can happen in a seven game series, and the effect is magnified in the LDS, which of course is only five games long. Getting to the playoffs is what takes most of the work: winning the World Series has almost as much to do with luck as anything else.


Of course winning the World Series is the main goal. I do, however, like to think that most Red Sox fans aren't spoiled and ignorant enough to see any other playoff run as a failure. Get that straight, Beltre, and you could easily win yourself a place in fans' affections.

Quote of the Day

Dan Shaughnessy did a column today on Adrian Beltre's lack of... erm... protection for his nether region. That's right, the new Sox third baseman doesn't wear a cup, and the discussion of this topic naturally led to some comedic gems from members of the team.

"If you don’t wear a cup, it’s going to do some damage and it makes you talk funny for a while.’’ -Dustin Pedroia

I like to think Pedey would make a face something like this one...

“You could saw my cup in half and it would still work.’’ -Mike Lowell (Lowell, of course, had one testicle removed during his fight against cancer.)

One of the most epic Mikey faces I've ever seen.

Separate from Baseball

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Mike Lowell is the classiest of class acts. He knows very well where he stands, and that he's not even likely to have the chance to fight for a starting job. No, Mike Lowell is trade bait, and everybody knows it.

"I have to separate some things. I think there’s the baseball aspect of it and I think there’s (a) real life aspect of it and I’m very comfortable with where I am in my real life. You know what I mean? I feel I’m in a tremendously privileged situation. No one needs to feel sorry for me in life. Is my baseball situation not ideal? Yeah, it’s not ideal. I don’t want to diminish the baseball fact. But you never know what can happen." -Lowell, via Boston.com

Mikey has perspective that most players (I'm looking at you, Cinco-Ocho) can't imagine. Part of his ability to separate baseball from "real life" comes from his experience with a disease that has touched us all:


"'The worst case scenario,' he [the doctor] continued, 'is that you have surgery, they do the analysis, and it may be a progresses state of cancer.' Whoa, cancer?! 'Yes, cancer,' he added. 'You'll need radiation, chemotherapy, and the we'll see how far along it is. It might cost you a year or so before we think you're healthy.' And he wasn't even mentioning baseball." -Lowell, Deep Drive

After a conversation like that, how could the prospect of a trade (or a salary cut, or a reduced role) possibly make you quake? Mike Lowell doesn't want the fans to pity him, and so I won't feel sorry for his situation. All I have (all I have ever had) for Mike Lowell is admiration, pure and simple. I hope he gets to play this season, and I'll miss him if he ends up elsewhere, but he deserves every chance he gets.

No, not THAT Adrian.

Off the Monster would like to extend a cordial welcome to the newest member of the Boston Red Sox: Adrian Beltre. As much as I'd like to think Theo was going for a certain first baseman from San Diego and simply got mixed up, I agree with the sentiments of the Globe's Peter Abraham:

"Long-term, this suggests they do not believe they can pry Adrian Gonzalez away from the Padres any time soon. It also would seem to indicate that Mike Lowell will either play off the bench or be traded."

Not that this is particularly unexpected, but I won't pretend to be thrilled about it. Beltre is absolutely an upgrade defensively over Lowell, but he's not the bat that Mikey has been over the course of his career. Of course, part of the issue here is that Mike is getting older and, as we've been noticing, much more fragile. Though Lowell hit .290 last season, he only played in 119 games, and as he's already been part of an attempted trade, he's clearly not the first choice (if you ask the front office).


Beltre has been a power bat in the past; it's entirely possible that last season's failures were a fluke, and that he'll recover in the next year. However, the way the deal is structured, we'll be stuck with Beltre if the production doesn't return, and if he has a monster year, then he won't trigger the player option.

Sentimentally, I love Mikey. Ideally, I want Adrian Gonzalez. But practically? I guess I'm okay with Beltre.

Happy Trails, Mikey

Sean Casey, Tim Wakefield, Mike Lowell, Jon Lester, and David Ortiz. So much class at the annual David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic.

Part of the thing that drew me in about baseball was the personalities: I loved when the Globe did player profiles, and I still devour biographies and memoirs as soon as I can get my hands on them.

In recent years, the Red Sox have seen a parade of characters, but very few of them have had the class of Mikey Lowell. Lowell, as I'm sure you remember, was a throw-in in the Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett deal - sort of a salary dump for the Marlins. He was coming off a bad year, and no one would have been shocked if he continued his downward spiral.

Mike wasn't having any of that. He fixed his swing, continued with his work at third base, which had always been good, and threw himself into the Boston philanthropy scene. By the end of 2007, he was the World Series MVP, and Boston loved him. Jason Varitek crossed over from Captain to fan at the World Series Parade, holding up a sign imploring management to "Re-sign Lowell."


Theo complied, and Mike was his usual consistent self for the first half of 2008, but then his hip injury took him out of commission. I don't know about any of you, but watching Mike give his all during the 2008 playoffs was one of the most gutsy things I've seen. It was clear that he was in excruciating pain, but when he was asked, he was going to give his all - for his teammates, for his fans, and for all of New England.

On a more personal note, Mikey's book helped me through a very tough time earlier this year. I expect you've all tired of hearing this by now, but if you have not read his book, go out and buy it right now. Deep Drive is the perfect gift for any baseball fan, anyone affected by cancer, or anyone who enjoys a good read.

Now we're getting word that Mikey is being traded to Texas for Max Ramirez (pending a physical, which, considering Mike's history, is becoming problematic). If/when the trade gets done, Mikey will be a first base/DH type, coming off the bench as needed, which might be the best thing for him considering his age and injury history. However, when he comes back to Fenway Park, I fully expect to see Red Sox fans stand and cheer. Mike Lowell is truly a class act, holding no grudges when management unabashedly went after Mark Teixeira last winter, though he was clearly the odd man out.

Happy trails, Mike. I'm so glad you spent some time in Boston, and I'll miss you.

Great President? Or the GREATEST President?

As I was telling some of you about my American Presidency midterm this morning, I had to explain the course... Here are my exact words: "For the record, it's about the institution as a whole, not Obama, Buch, Lincoln, or anyone specific. Very non-partisan."

Of course, I noticed my Freudian slip pretty quickly: I meant to name the forty-third President of the United States, and not the presumptive fourth man in the Red Sox 2010 pitching rotation (don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE a course about the Sox, but this one is about the presidency).

However, that slip of the tongue got me thinking: what would it be like if Clay (or any of his Red Sox compadres ) were to take a seat in the Oval Office? What would their campaign be like? Who would their closest advisor be? Could they push their agenda through an unwilling Congress? And, most importantly, which takes precedence: the Patriot's Day morning game, or Presidential duties?

The only one with Presidential experience of any kind is, of course, Jerry Remy: honorable president of Red Sox Nation. So as I was finishing my midterm I posed the following question - "Jerry Remy: Great President? Or the GREATEST President?" Obviously, the Rem-Dawg is the inaugural President of RSN, so it remains to be see how great he might become... In the meantime, here's what I think might happen if some of our favorite Sox characters occupied the White House.

Jonathan Papelbon:
Paps would show up every day for work dressed in awkward lacy shirts, possibly with a Bud Light box on his head. He would be skilled in leading the country in high pressure situations, but would get bored if there were no problems and might pick a country to start a war of words with, just for kicks. Presidential quote: "Lord President Cinco Ocho has no comment about that situation."

Kevin Youkilis:Kevin Youkilis would support eliminating the age restrictions on buying alcohol, as long as those under twenty-one don't DRINK the booze, but dump it on Julio Lugo or Joba Chamberlain instead. His intensity level would be just as high during the Annual White House Easter Egg Hunt as it would be when dealing with Kim Jong Il. Presidential quote: "I'm not bald, I'm follically challenged. Let's be PC, people."

Jason Varitek:The Captain's first order of business would be declaring July 24 a national holiday: on that day, any MLB player (or fan!) wearing #33 is legally allowed to shove his glove into the face of anyone wearing #13. Every year, A*Rod and Tek will ceremoniously reenact the famous episode on the White House lawn. Presidential quote: "Please, I don't want to talk about my [hitting] speech-giving... most of my job is behind the plate... er I meant behind the desk..."

Mike Lowell:Before anyone gets the immigration authorities involved, Mikey was born in Puerto Rico, making him an American citizen, and thus eligible for the Presidency. Mike's agenda would be comprised entirely of invading Cuba, and democratizing the island. Don't believe me? Read his book. Presidential quote: "Suck it, Fidel!"

Tim Wakefield:Timmy would make it his business to eliminate gun violence, while still allowing for personal gun ownership (a man's gotta hunt!). His Vice President, Mike Timlin, will be his hunting buddy. However, Timlin promises not to shoot anyone in the face. Presidential quote: "Ask not what the knucklah can do for you, but what you can do for the knucklah!"

Dustin Pedroia:Pedey's first official act as the leader of the free world will be to order a booster seat for the Oval Office, followed shortly by a law that says every American must be filthy by the middle of their workday, or they're fired for not working hard enough. He'll immediately release his Presidential memoirs, tentatively titled Born to Prematurely Publish Memoirs. Presidential quote: "[Not appropriate for all audiences]"

Josh Beckett:Becks would start off with a bang by single-handedly digging Osama bin Laden out of hiding, then pelting him with 95MPH fastballs before turning him over to the United Nations. Josh would be only the second bachelor President, but hey, the guy likes to play the field... let's hope the Secret Service don't ruin his mojo. Presidential quote: "*ahem* Baseball Terms."

Baseball as a Coping Mechanism

"Surviving cancer is, and will always be, my toughest battle. I laugh when people talk about how tough it is to deal with the boos of the fans or the high expectations of big market baseball. Hah! You want to know what tough is. John Kruk knows. Andres Galarraga knows. And Jon Lester has come to find out. When cancer comes calling, baseball takes a backseat. Having forty thousand people at Yankee Stadium tell me I suck is a nice diversion." -Mike Lowell, Deep Drive

Cancer took my mom last month. Today would have been her sixty-second birthday.

When I came back from boarding school with a renewed obsession for baseball, my mom humored me, watching all the games with me (with intermittent naps), and even picking a favorite player (David Ortiz). After I read Mike Lowell’s book, I knew she had to read it, too. The above passage caused Mikey to replace Papi in her affections.

The Red Sox were something that we shared. She didn't have any real affinity for professional baseball before I did (though she grew up in rural Connecticut, so the Sox would have been a logical choice), but she started paying attention because it was important to me: I loved the Red Sox, she loved me. Therefore, she loved the Red Sox, too. The other members of my family are what you would term "casual fans," they don't know very much about the players, don't really watch on TV, but, like all good New Englanders, they have Sox hats and are happy when the home town team does well.

When we were in the hospital last month, the Red Sox were on the television every night. The first night we were there was the night of Victor Martinez's two-out, go-ahead double in the ninth inning, and when he hit it I leaped out of my chair, feeling that I shouldn't yell in a hospital. My mom felt no such qualms, and shouted her excitement. She then looked at me and said, quite seriously, "You know, I really liked Justin Masterson... but this new guy looks promising." I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Red Sox provided an escape these last few years when I needed one, and they were something for my mom and I to enjoy together when we could. Her first trip to Fenway was last June, and Tim Wakefield pitched the Sox to a win over the Diamondbacks. We went twice this summer, once to see Jon Lester pitch 7+ perfect innings (and a complete game) against the Rangers in June, and once to see Brad Penny toss a gem against New York the next week.

"I never thought I'd get to go to Fenway Park," she told me more than once. I'm so glad that she did.

Even when I was away at school, she would watch the games so she could talk about them with me (and, as a lifetime coach and phys. ed. teacher, she had a deep love of sports). I have a saved voicemail on my cell phone from April 26, 2009. She called me during the game, while my phone was off, and left the following breathless message: "Wow, Kayla, I really hope you're watching the game, because Jacoby Ellsbury just stole home, and it was AMAZING!" As soon as I got the message, I called her back and we discussed it at length.

My mom valued sportsmanship highly, perhaps because of her keen awareness that life isn’t fair, she expected sports to be fair… She even infamously pulled out a rulebook in the middle of a field hockey game last season in order to correct the referee. As those she coached well know, she never advocated arguing with the umpire, so if she was upset, there was something very wrong. Sure enough, she was right, and another person learned that it’s very unwise to doubt Deryl Fleming when it comes to field hockey. She taught me to always respect the umpire, and the only time I ever saw her visibly upset over a call in MLB was last year. Mikey Lowell, whose book she had just finished, starting arguing balls and strikes with the umpire. "Well," she reasoned, "Mike never argues, so if he thinks it's a bad call, it's a bad call."

I can't thank everyone enough that helped her and our family through everything: all the food, and the rides, and the support, meant more than anyone will know. I wish there was some way for me to thank the Boston Red Sox, and specifically Mike Lowell, for giving her, and me, something to believe in and hope for right up until the end.

She had always wanted to swim with dolphins, so we went to Florida in March. As you can see, she was rarely without the Sox hat I gave her.

Monday One-Liners

First let me apologize for my extreme delinquency in posting for the entire month of August; I was dealing with some very serious family issues, and then had to immediately be ready to return to school. In short, I had some good reasons, but I'm sorry in any case.

Now, on to the post. Like many of you, I have a rather large collection of baseball books, and each of them has its own share of classic one-liners. Because I need some laughs (and who doesn't on a Monday?), here's a compilation of "greatest quotes" from certain of my books:


"Since Dan Shaughnessy is the guy who invented this curse nonsense in the first place, I find it kind of odd that he keeps talking about it. He's a bright guy. I can't believe he actually believes in it. I guess the Curse of the Bambino has a better ring to it than the Curse of Dan Shaughnessy." (Page 102).

I know this book as a whole is sort of crappy, but this line is too good to overlook... I mean, the Curse of Dan Shaughnessy? Gold. As a side note, I realized that only crazy Red Sox fans like myself would bother to learn to spell a name as difficult as Shaughnessy when he's not even a player. Yastrzemski was one thing, but really...





"Every time I go someplace where the people have never met me before, they all tell me the same thing: I look fatter on TV... I always joke with them: 'Who do you think I am, Kevin Millar?' (Trust me, bro. Millar would say the same thing about me.)"

This just captures the carefree AWESOME of the magical 2004 team. Shots before the game? Fine. Calling a teammate fat in a national bestseller? Whatever. Honestly, Millar would undoubtedly say the same, and he has.







"'I began to think about the pinstripes?' The allure of the tradition?' 'Set my legacy?' Who spoke like that? You could have polished the entire fleet of New York City cabs for a year with all that polish."

And we all know about Clemens and the liniment, so I'll spare you that particular mental image once again, but I just can't resist a good shot at A*Rod's dignity.









"I kept teasing him [Pedroia]: 'They told me you were a second-rounder. I didn't know they drafted short, fat people that early. If I knew that, I would have just not grown and eat a lot of cheeseburgers.'" Also about Pedey: "Simmer down, Napoleon."

That one needs no explanation: this next one, however, means a lot to me on a personal level.

"Surviving cancer is, and will always be, my toughest battle. I laugh when people talk about how tough it is to deal with the boos of the fans or the high expectations of big market baseball. Hah! You want to know what tough is. John Kruk knows. Andres Galarraga knows. And Jon Lester has come to find out. When cancer comes calling, baseball takes a backseat. Having forty thousand people at Yankee Stadium tell me I suck is a nice diversion."


"What happened in player meetings, was supposed to stay in player meetings - sort of like the first rule of Fight Club."

Now, this book was not especially informative, or even well-written, and I definitely don't recommend buying it, but that line just made me picture a drunken Josh Beckett brandishing his fist in the face of someone like Josh Reddick, while the rookie pees his pants and the rest of the veterans look intimidating in the background. Red Sox Fight Club? Sign me up!







"Forget about A-Rod. We've got Mike Lowell in the house."

While that quote was attributed to the much maligned Manny Ramirez, its sentiment rings true. when it comes to championships, character, team spirit, resemblance to George Clooney,or just general awesomeness, Mikey wins. Every single time.





"Once, Francona was so frustrated with Ramirez that he told Ortiz, 'I'm going to kill him.' Ortiz listened and told the manager that he'd check on Ramirez. After a while, Ortiz returned with a smile and a statement: 'It's all right for you to kill him now.'"

Oh, the days of Manny and Papi... It's like good cop/bad cop. Don't get me wrong, I don't miss Manny (especially the way he's been hitting lately), but those were some good times.








"I came up next. And put a line drive over the Monster. With that bomb, I was only 742 home runs behind Barry Bonds on the all-time list."

"I always wanted to be a miniature badass."

Only Dustin Pedroia can deliver these two gems without a trace of irony. If you haven't read his book, do it now. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, just read it.







I'll try to be better about posting, and if I'm being honest with myself, it's likely that this blog will come before homework (a girl's got to have her priorities - this is a pennant race!).

Monster Disappointment

Am I surprised? No. Disappointed? Absolutely.

I heard the news yesterday morning at work: my boss, knowing what a fan I am, asked me what I would think if Papi turned out to be a juicer. I shrugged, and honestly told him it would upset me, but no one is safe from suspicion. Of course, I was immediately tested on this claim, as he informed me of the New York Times report (that he had first heard on ESPN).

I was a little bit blindsided, but the reaction I had predicted to my employer was impressively accurate. I am absolutely not surprised. I don't think there is a name in the game that would shock me anymore, and that, more than anything, speaks volumes about the integrity that baseball has lost. I'm a politics major, and the very basis of the American legal system is that you are innocent until proven guilty. This is no longer the case in America's pastime. If you played anytime in the last twenty years, you're a suspect, and that's just sad.

I realized today that I have never experienced the game of baseball free from juicers. I was born in January of 1990, and by the time I was an engaged and cognizant fan the Steroid Era was well underway. As much as Bud Selig and MLB would like us to believe that era is coming to a close, we know better. Until they have some sort of proven test for HGH, we'll always wonder who's using. Is the batter who hit that walk off doing it clean? What about the pitching prospect who's throwing 100mph? Or the veteran who has a bounce back season?

Mike Lowell said it best when he cited the pure numbers from the 2003 "anonymous" testing: 104 players are on that list, out of over 1000 who were tested. Less than 10% of players tested positive, this at the so-called "height" of the Steroid Era, and yet all we hear about are those who used. Part of this is due to the way the names keep coming out... As one or two names trickle out every three months or so, we have to wonder: "Is my guy next?" If the names are going to come out, let's see them all and be done with it; no more of this slow hemorrhaging of [former] heroes.

The Papi news hurts a lot, if only because he was such a great story: the poor boy from the Dominican, shut out of the Twins organization, then becomes a hero in the baseball mecca of Boston. Ortiz regularly lambasted steroid users, demanding a full-season suspension of those who are caught. There's nothing to say Papi didn't stop using after 2003, when the mandatory testing regimen was instated: I'm guessing a lot of guys did, whether from fear of suspension or humiliation. Until we know more, I can't say anything else about it... Papi seemed blindsided by the news, but that doesn't mean anything.

And to those who think this taints the '04 and '07 World Championships: do you honestly believe that even a single team was devoid of cheaters? We KNOW New York had a few of their own, and anyone who believes the other playoff participants were completely clean is either stupid or lying to themselves. I'm not excusing anyone - cheating is cheating - but the Series' wins mean as much to me now as they ever did, and NO ONE can take that away.

Photo of the Day

After yesterday's loss where the bats couldn't seem to wake up, coupled with a Yankees win (and Rivera's 500th career save - why is it impossible to hate him?), the Red Sox are now three games up on the Yankees in the AL East. They boast the best record in the AL (46-29), and the second best in baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (48-28). So why do I feel so... lackluster... today? The only explanation I can come up with is the fact that the Sox ended the road trip with a loss, coupled with the seemingly never-ending rain that keeps falling from the sky here in North Conway, New Hampshire. Honestly, the rain has more to do with it: I almost feel like I should be building an ark.

Now, on to the photo of the day, which needs no introduction:As you can see from the timestamp on the picture, this was taken on a team flight during the summer of 2007. My favorite part of this is that Paps - the young stud, has a Budweiser, while Mikey Lowell - the elder statesman, if you will, has a Bud Light... Mikey knows that you need to watch those calories as you get older. Paps also has that "I can finally be photographed with alcohol because I'm 21 now" look, even though he would have been 26 at the time, and it's just priceless. I would pay SO MUCH money to be allowed to witness the shenanigans that go down during team flights.

In defense of Javier Lopez

There's absolutely no excuse for botching the play the way Lopez did last night in the bottom of the ninth.  I mean, I know second string Little Leaguers that would have caught that feed from Youkilis.  However, that game was not lost solely on a fielding error by the unfortunate Mr. Lopez.

Remember the third inning, when Lugo got a nearly perfect throw from Youkilis while covering second, and a clean catch would probably have meant an inning ending double play?  Well, E6 dropped it, and instead of being out of the inning, Ben Francisco took Sox starter Brad Penny deep for a three-run homer.  Alright, so Julio just needs to shake the cobwebs off, right? He can't be that bad... but wait.  

Lugo, seemingly determined to make Sox fans forget the two hits he notched last night, made a nearly unforgivable mistake: he ignored a center fielder calling for the ball.  The rules of fly ball catching are simple: the shortstop has priority over the infielders, the center fielder over the other outfielders, and the center fielder over the shortstop.  Lugo, perhaps thinking that a spectacular running catch in short center field would endear him to the fans who have previously disparaged his performance, ran out into Jacoby Ellsbury's territory and tried to make the play.  Now, had he made the catch, it wouldn't matter, but he didn't.  Instead, Ellsbury goes into a slide, seemingly hoping to avoid a collision with Lugo, and Lugo, of course, misses the ball, which bounces off Ellsbury and into left field... I'm just assuming the inimitable Jason Bay returned it to the infield, because I was too busy screaming profanities at my television to notice.

Lugo had this to say: "It's going to take me a little while to get back.  I'm not 100 percent right now. I haven't played for a long time, and I'm going to be off a little bit. I don't have my skills put together. It's going to take me a little while to get back in playing shape and for my knee to feel good and be 100 percent."  Oh, okay.  But if Lugo's not 100%, what is he doing back with the big club? Isn't the purpose of a rehab assignment to get the player back to his full potential!?!? Whew. Deep breaths...

Not that this was a one man show: the Sox made other errors last night, including one on a throw from Mike Lowell, usually an exemplary fielder, throwing over Pedroia's head (cue the "Pedroia is short" joke).  Penny gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings, though only four were earned.  

Obviously, Lopez's drop of the Kevin Youkilis feed that would have meant extra innings was the most visible sign of defeat, since, technically, it was the play during which the winning run was scored.  However, it's important to remember that even if Lopez had made the play, there's no guarantee that the Sox would have won in the extra frames.  I'm a bit of a Lopez apologist, and I'll admit that it's partially because he generally seems like such a good guy (also, slightly hilarious, see his comments in this video).  But I genuinely believe that Lopez has something to offer this team: at this time last year, Sox fans were doubting the effectiveness of Manny Delcarmen, and to this point this season, MDC has not surrendered an earned run.  I have faith that Lopez will pick it up, and really, he pitched a scoreless ninth, except for his own error that allowed an unearned run.

An unfortunate way to end the eleven game winning streak, to be sure, but in the wise words of Kevin Youkilis, "You don't like losing, but we're playing good ball.  There's too many games to sit around and mope.  Just go home, get some rest, and get back at it again." And really, if anyone has the right to dismiss this loss, it's the man who had two of his throws turned into errors instead of outs.

I imagine his thoughts as this picture was taken closely mirror the words we see Pedroia use after he strikes out... But that's just a guess.

6 things I love right now...

1.) A straight steal of home by Jacoby Ellsbury.  Okay, you know how I feel about him, but tonight, he totally earned all of that admiration the fangirls heap on him every time he takes a breath.  I might even consider getting a #46 shirt... maybe when his OBP is up over .350...

2.) Our ridiculously productive farm system.  Beyond the obvious position players (Youk, Pedroia, Lowrie), the farm system has given us quality arms.  Tonight Theo's strategy of "stockpiling" quality arms was on display, starting off with Justin Masterson (you know, the 6'6" sinkerballer that drives a Mini Cooper) and continuing with Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden.  Love it. So much.

3.) The savvy free agent pickups from the offseason.  This one is in the same vein as the last, but I LOVE that Saito can close when Paps (he of the erratic control) is unavailable, having pitched two straight days.

4.) This team knows how to win.  They pull it together during slugfests and nailbiters, can string together plays and create runs (see Ellsbury, above), or, conversely, slug it out with the best of them.  For instance, yesterdays game? Ridiculous.  Thought I was looking at a football score.

5.) Mark Teixeira goes 0-for-4 with a strikeout, all of his outs courtesy of a Red Sox homegrown player.  maybe this is vindictive, but it just feels so good to see him struggle to hit his weight and commit errors (third inning) while Mikey Lowell hits .324 with sparkling defense.  I wonder how much his wife will love New York when they're getting hate mail...

6.) SWEEPING THE YANKEES!!!! (This one should need no explanation)