I love people watching. I'm the person who's content standing in the dark corner of a room during a party and watching people, how they interact, with whom they interact, their mannerisms, their body language, and their communication.

So, if you're a people observer, try this for kicks. Tune into the local baseball team's radio station after a loss. Note: it's easier to be objective and amused when it's not your team, so try it when you're travelling to a different city.

I've been tuning into the the local National's broadcast station lately. The team is on a pretty hot streak. They've won the series against both the Cubs and the Mets. No small feat for the team ranking dead bottom.

Two observations.

First, although they ended up winning the series, the Nats lost badly to the Cubs on Saturday, thanks primarily to pitcher Matt Chico, who had be the assumed ace after last year's performance but has so far flailed this year. For a team that's been in town for only a couple of months, they've already gained some passionate fans who ran both Chico and Acta over the coals. I was a proponent for bringing the team to DC but my loyalties to the Red Sox runs deep. I was surprised how some locals have already adopted the Nats as the home team. Boy, those fans weren't any nice than Red Sox fans are after a bad loss!

- send Chico down to the minors
- why is Acta coddling him?
- the batting coaching is terrible... they swing at everything
- velocity? What velocity. the radar guns are wrong!

It's like Monday morning armchair quarterbacking for baseball!

Second, the broadcasters aren't so gentle on the team either. And it comes out in the choice of words, even during the regular broadcast. It goes to show how teams with established loyalties have an advantage with sympathtic broadcasters. Some actual quotes:
- The Nationals have been extremely poor in pick-off defense
- They are fumbling with the ball all the time
- ... little to no command of the pitching...
- May not be a routine catch but definitely should have been an error
- ... lucky he wasn't charged an error...
- I don't know what he was thinking at all

Damn. From your own dedicated broadcasters? Brutal.

The "countdown" to Manny's 500 HR mark. Has seemed to hit a plateau. He was hot, red hot, at the start of the season. But this past week, I was hoping to see one such run on tv while I was at home. No luck.

 

I forget which commercial- Budweiser, perhaps?- that had a scene of the New York Times Square Ball dropping on New Year's Eve and the ball gets stuck. The crowd just kept repeating the last countdown number.

6.

5.

4.

4.

4.

4.

4.

Manny, how about popping it down to 3?

Am I impatient. Yea, probaby unfairly so given that Manny is hitting at an impressive .370 and he already is tied in third with half a dozen other players in homerun hits. Still.

4.

4.

4.

4.

Y'all thought we true Red Sox fans are a rabid crazy lot.

Would it scare you to hear there's a breed within this breed?

I admit.. I don't find the need to go that far personally. I'll settle with the blogging. Red war paint? Nah, the sun an' me makes the combo naturally enough. Although I would like to get seats amongst them on the Green Monster for just one game, just to get the experience.

Whatever that bug is, it's felling quite a lot of otherwise sturdy professional athletes. Beckett, Varitek, Delcarmen, Colon...

Newest victim: Dice-K. So much for a starting pitcher. Lester will be working with only three-days of rest. We'll see how he does.

Red Sox: 7, Angels: 6

What an exciting game. Start ahead, fall behind, tie, get ahead, tie, break ahead. I felt like my mind was volleying back and forth like a tennis ball in a court.

Observations:
- NESN called the play of the day Youk's homerun. While he tied the game after a four run deficit, I feel like the honors really belong to Ellsbury, closely followed by his partnership with Pedroia. Two homeruns, and the winning score. That's almost half the Red Sox score.
- Lugo's hitting is hot. I'm still holding his defensive weakness against him.
- Timlin didn't really earn the win... no more than Oliver deserved the loss.
- Best facial expression: Weaver's open-mouthed gape at Youkilis' homerun.
- Oki wasn't so hot tonight. I hope that's a temporary thing.
- Would kinda have liked to see Pedroia holding a catcher's mitt, just for schitz and giggles.
- Wished my parents' ginormous plasma HDTV had captioning.
- It's good to be able to watch a Sox game, though.

 

Happy Birthday, Tito.

... but Lugo was SAFE!! Argh. Ellsbury was cheated of an RBI, 2-run home-run.

... and Pedroia volunteered to be secondary catcher. I almost want to see that.

 

In the meantime, I'm wondering how bad shape Beckett is in terms of health. It hasn't been a good start for him this season.

 

Another aside: On my drive back north yesterday, I stopped by NYC to have dinner with a high school classmate and his wife. I miraculously found street parking in the Village, ignored a brief thought about a possible break in with my car bulging at the seams with personal belongings for my move. But I circled and backtracked my steps back to my car... just to take the Red Sox magnet of the side of my car in hide it in the trunk to avoid attracting any attention. Just. In. Case.

while listening into the game against the Rangers... especially during the fourth inning.

Final score: 8-3, Red Sox.

What I loved best about this game was the fact that the Red Sox shows its brilliance not through the big named players but through its depth of experienced, its investment in the farm system, and, finally, its demonstration of a cohesive team.

The commentators kept saying how Nippert was "taking one for the team" and deliberately left hanging out to dry because the Gabbard had an unexpectedly short outing. I didn't like this implication. The way I see it- if the commentators are right, then it's poor coaching, leadership, management, and whatever other word you want to insert in there. It's saying that the team and coach made the conscious decision to call the game a wash and designate Nippert as the scapegoat. That's poor sportsmanship. That's poor teamwork.

So I'm going to assume the commentators are dead wrong and doing a poor job of the primary role as a narrator. My next question is: why did Washington leave Nippert out that long? Yes, they lost their starter earlier. So what? Stuff like this happens all the time and they should have, in the process of building their roster, planned for this possibility. The only reasoning I can come up with is that they have exhausted all available relief pitchers in the earlier games of the series, leaving precious few in the right physical condition to carry on. Since I did not follow any of the other games live, I don't know if it's true or not.  

Don't get me wrong. I was cheering every step of the game for the Sox. I just, as a baseball fan, have to sympathize with that it going through the Rangers' fans' minds at the moment. It seems to me that they have the right to be frustrated. 

Overnight bag	check
Case of Virginia wine for Dad	check
Bag of spices for Mum	check
XM radio in car for the drive	check
Munchies for the the drive	check
Wallet	check
Full tank of gas	check

 

I'm set, and ready for the drive home! The thing of it is... being able to watch the Sox games on tv is such a treat for me. I'm going to lose XM access once I move so I *might* subscribe to MLB.com but at this point I have yet to decide if it's worth the time. Until then, going home is a treat not only because it's home but also I get to follow the Sox. Trips like this offer me opportunities to see the team's brilliance on screen... such as Buchholz's no-hitter last summer.  

Oh yeah... it'll be good to see you, too, Mum and Dad. :)

The exciting thing about late inning rallies are that it's against a crunch as well as the possibility that it may not happen at all. The problem is the rally may not happen. And we've seen that in the games against Toronto.

Lately, though, the Sox has been pulling it off... Against the Indians and now the Rangers. I'll just do my best to mimic this expression:

 

Otherwise, weather here has been miserable. I originally intended to attend this. I was a bit disappointed that weather forced a cancellation but relieved that I am excused from traipsing across a soaking wet lawn in summer whites. Instead, we sloshed our way to a local establishment for warm comfort food.  

... technically, that's not true. I simply have mastered the art of procrastination.

One thing I like to do each year is to browse through the team roster and check out the ugly mugshots. Seriously, if you thought your driver's license 1x1 was bad, imagine having something worse posted for the world to see, and knowing that fans like myself do check it out. And having to live with it.

I still haven't figured out if they update the pictures annually if the players are returning to the same team. I know they have a Picture Day every spring training. But having browsed through the mugshots last season as well, I would have sworn some of those photos remain the same. Either that, or the guys are simply very very good at repeating faces and hairstyles.

So, from this year's roster, my having fun at their expense:
- Aardsma: the scariest of dem all.
- Beckett: in dire need of a full shave.
- Buchholz: big boyish ears will never have fans taking him seriously if it weren't for the no-no.
- Casey: As if the "Nice guy" rep wasn't enough... he had to make it apparent with the tilt.
- Youk: *slap* Wake up, man!
- Thur-who?
- Lowrie: How much more new-kid-on-the-block can you possible make it?
- Varitek: It's a toss-up between "Don't mess with this mo-fo!" and "O Captain, My Captain!"

It's called jetlag. It's almost midnight and not only am I wide awake... my belly keeps willing me to raid my rather sparse and unhealthy pantry.

Link Lists

One of the sorest points for this transition of MLBlogs is losing links and the ability to maneuver them. If you're still wrangling with them or seething about not being able to work them, try creating new lists. I still can't edit most of my pre-existing lists and how some can be editted and some can't is beyond me. I'm pretty much decided to plurge all but one. The creating a new list seems to be fixed so I had to recreate my lists. The new lists, I seem to be able to access again. Fingers crossed.

If anyone has any idea how to do any of the following, advice would be greatly appreciated:
- Order link lists and how they appear on my blog
- Reorder the links within thier respective lists, short or re-doing the whole damn thing
- Access pre-existing link list items where the list shows up under "Manage Link Lists" but comes up blank when you click on it.

Homeward Bound

I'm going back to my folks' next week. Dad had surgery and is in recovery. While all seems to be well, I'm going to give Mum a hand... and kept a whining invalid off her hands for a bit. Dad even quipped "at least there's a Red Sox game every day for the next two weeks so I'll be preoccupied four hours every day." Yep, Dad, you do that. And I'm going to join you in watching.

Baseball Movies

I'm enjoying my Netflix perks. I suscribed in a spur of the moment when I found myself stuck in bed with a miserable cold several months ago. Now that I can catch up with movies, what are some good baseball movies you baseball fans would recommend?

How does one explain the exclamation and the wince one experiences when one comes home in the wee hours of the morn after a long and late workday, logs online only to see a final score of 15-9, Yankees?

He so was safe!!!

Even though I know little else about baseball outside the Red Sox, I appreciated this commercial. I've seen it running for about a week now.

 

Wow. Didn't think I would be able to still watch the game. Am currently on the Left Coast for business. Came on in time to see Pedroia tag Cabrera.

Exciting moments of the game that I was lucky enough to catch:

- Double-play by Pedroia in the 8th
- Coco and Pedroia in the 8th.
- Lopez almost force Abreu to a face surgery. (damn. I'm not sure I'd be all the calm if I were Abreu.
- Casey saving Lugo of another error with a fantastic base catch and out on Abreu.
- A-Rod striking out (apparently the second of the night!)
- Delcarmen closing, effectively.

 

Observations:

- Wow. Coco and Ellsbury on the same line-up. Two of the Sox's fastest runners and most effective base stealers. Must be quite a show.

Have thoughts about the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. Will probably post it in time for the next match up later this week.

I'm busy, busy, busy, hence the lack of posting lately. Worry not (or do worry, depending on your perspective!), I shall get back in the groove as soon as I get a chance.

In the meantime, I cheer yet again for my favourite player.

 

(photo from Boston.com)

 

Whadya think, Beckett? Aim for another 20-win season? Perhaps exceed it? 19 to go, then. No pressure. Seriously. Although winning 20+ more would be nice as well.

 

Other thoughts:

- Anyone else worried about Ortiz's silence? As much on a roll as Manny is in, it can't hide the DH's lack thereof.  

Well, I don't need to repeat what can be read or heard in the news. Just my thoughts:

• The Sox seem to be going through a seesaw on ups and downs, this being a huge up after being swept by Toronto.
• Emotionally, this is a high not just for the team but also for the fans who get a chance to watch the team play as we saw them play last fall.
• JD Drew is blazing hot... and continuing it. I hope this is a big year for him.
• What a surprise to see Buckner make a return to Fenway! I missed the festivities, but was vastly amused to read the reactions of fellow bloggers, Dan and Steve.
• I hope the team regains energy and momentum from today's game and celebration. It still is a long season to come.
• Tigers... ouch. Now, that team's fans have got to be beginning to worry.
• Personally, I'm enjoying this view, even from thousands of miles away:

I've travelled enough and am old enough to appreciate the sense of coming home after each trip. I revel in the sense of relief, the familiarity, of walking back into my house, a place I created my own roots, my own life, and my own career.

I can't say I'm on the road nearly as much as baseball players to understand their life. But I believe each of them has some sense of coming home when they go back to the team's home stadium. Especially with fans like the Red Sox Nation.

I am glad. I'm glad they are home. They must be tired. All the globe-trotting, all the excitement. They hadn't even been home since spring training started. And they haven't even had the chance to really have their real opener. The opener that should have happened at home, in Fenway. Where the city awaits to welcome them home with open arms and loud cheers.

So here's to a new start to the 2008 season. Welcome home, Red Sox. Fenway and your fans await to give you the proper, familiar home, sweet home. We've missed you.

No, I haven't visited yet. But we passed it twice..

First, from the Anacostia. As crew season is kicking up, I steered our 8-man shell past the stadium. What a novel and impressive sight. From the water, it is HUGE. It is right by the waterfront, the non-existant, non-developed waterfront that the city has been struggling for over a decade to revitalise. It was about sunset, on an overcast evening, so getting dark. The stadium stood out in the landscape, and the lighting was beginning to glow. Out of curiosity, I steered pretty close by and passed it. Surprisingly, no major sign of security along the waterfront other than two police cars with their lights flashing.

Just as I turned the boat and start to steer it across and back upstream, a huge roar rose from the stadium. Perhaps the Nationals scored? Wow, that was an impressive sound for a crew that is used to listening to little more than coaches yelling and traffic wizing by overhead on one of the many bridges.

Later on, after practice, I drove three teammates home. We decided to gamble and drive down M Street, which we were warned was shut down at the start of the game. By now, it was dark outside. Well, since it was well over an hour and a half after the first pitch, M St has reopened. And the street the most devoid of casual driving traffic. In fact, other than my car, the places was flooded with District of Columbia tow trucks. (area readers, be warned).

This is the first time all four of us have seen the stadium up close. We were struck by how big it was, and how much of it was visible from the street driving by. I felt like I could do a mental side-by-side comparison between my split-second drive-by glance and the brochures available.

I've been driving through this neighbourhood over five years, everyday for six months each year. And I am struck by the change. I hope this will help improve the rather impoverished Southeast neighborhood. Block by block has been going through a little gentrification, but this remained one of the more sketchy parts of town, the worst probably being right across the river into Anacostia.  

Ladies and Gents,

May I present to you, my first official baseball sore loser sulk of the year. One of many to come, I'm sure.

 

Two errors in two games. Red Sox, four errors in two games and still counting. Team: The fact that we're celebrating Youkilis's error-less streak doesn't mean you can compensate for lack thereof. And is this how you welcome your ace back??

You folks are too well-paid for this many mistakes. Why else would it be officially tagged as "Error"? Think about it.

Keep sluggin' in those homeruns. You're going to need 'em.

*******************************

Update:

Three ef-fing errors by one player in one game. Apparently, we fans are not the only ones looking forward to Lowrie. Tell me why I shouldn't shut off the radio.

To Toronto's credit, they are coming strong this year. I believe we've overlooked them too long. They just may be the other AL East team to reckon with.

What does it say about what's preoccupying my mind when each time the broadcaster says "Rod Barajas" I keep hearing "Barack Obama"?

blows (b.l.o.w.s)

sucks (s.u.c.k.s)

hell (h.e.l.l)

damn (d.a.m.n)

An a few dubious ones:

*******

****

.. besides the lawyers?

Seriously, Canseco never impressed me all that much.. given his defense, well, let's just stop here. On the other hand, I can see saying I want his autograph just to say I have it.

Did anyone get the sense, in this article, that he is still trying to grasp on his five-too-long-minutes of fame?

Speaking of finances.. here's a topic that makes me apoplectic. Cost of Fenway tickets.

Yes, yes, laws of economics. When there's limited supply and high demand, prices go up, etc etc. Here's the deal, folks, prices do NOT have to go up that high. There is no competition, no alternative. There is enough demand that tickets will continue to be sold out.

I get the the owners have the right to make a profit and bring in revenue. I get that we have an expensive team payroll to bankroll. But all signs show the front office working towards the farm system with less costly young players. Yes, there will always be a few big ticket contracts, but there's increasing pressure to make those big names work. Schilling, anybody? Lowell?

Then the Sox drops to number 4 in annual payroll. But the ticket prices go up?

I also believe in making baseball affordable. A little bit socialist, perhaps. But baseball starts as a backyard game for kids today. Most of the fans still root for the hometown team. How is it a hometown team if the hometown residents are being asked to pay a pretty penny?

Guess what.. we're not top two in costly payroll. Heck, we're not even third... Fourth. That surprises. In all fairness, the totals between the three teams are within the range. My father anticipates another huge drop next year when Manny's contract is up. The huge roster of young players, I suspect have something to do with it.

Top Ten:

N.Y. Yankees -- $209,081,579
Detroit -- 138,685,197
New York Mets -- 138,293,378
Boston -- 133,440,037
Chicago White Sox -- 121,152,667
Los Angeles Angels -- 119,216,333
Chicago Cubs -- 118,595,833
Los Angeles Dodgers -- 118,536,038
Seattle -- 117,993,982
Atlanta -- 102,424,018

Personally, I'm going to be paying more attention to these following teams. Now, talking about underdogs:

Washington -- 54,961,000 
Tampa Bay -- 43,820,598
Florida -- 21,836,500

So, yesterday was an exceedingly excellent day for the Sox:

- Dice-K pitched phenomenally, taking in a win
- Youkilis ties his error-less streak record, meaning the odds are he's going to set the new record if he continues just one more game
- Beckett is slated to pitch on Sunday, finally

All this aside, I couldn't find a single game featured on tv last night. It didn't even have to be the Red Sox. Any team would do. Baseball is baseball and I'm still a baseball fan. Argh. And I forgot to pack my XM radio to tune in. After being able to watch a couple of games earlier this week, I'm beginning to get used to the idea of watching baseball on tv. I don't know how I managed last year- listening to XM and watching the mlb website with those virtual recaps of each pitch. Word, I must have been nuts.

I'll admit it. I am an unabashedly devoted fan of Beckett. Heck, if someone told me to carry a sign pouring out some of those adulations, I just may do it. That big of a fan, yes.

So I am picking every little bt of news about his health and recovery. Because I want to see him pitch. I want him to resume his well-deserved and well-earned position as the Boston Red Sox ace.

At the same time, as a coach, I can appreciate the need to heal properly. So I'm not clamouring for him to hurry the heck back but I am eager to take in any bit of good news.