Just Utterly Brilliant…

Still in my top five films ever. Cliched, ridiculous, but I just love it still…

“This guy here is dead…”

“Then cross him off….”

Purgatory Postponed….

The Phillies delayed the inevitable last night, by actually winning a game agianst the Yankees. Still, they let the lead drop from 8-2 to 8-6, and Jeter’s double play out in the 9th sealed the vistory when the Phillies threatened to blow it, but still, with Pettitte resuming his deal with the devil and pitching on full rest against the 2009 (and not 1999) Pedro tomorrow night, I think the inevitable triumph of evil over less evil is just postponed.

Again, though, you have to look at a $200m team that are scared shitless to use a 4th starter in the play-offs. They put Burnett in on short rest, and he got slammed. His low pitch count may mean he is available for more meaningful duty in any deciding game, but still, even with Pettitte drinking the elixir of life, you think that Burnett would have been a better bet, especially at home. This overwhelming desire to pitch CC in three games has meant that the Yankees compromised their chances last night against Cliff Lee (who wasn’t on his game as much as the opening salvo). Hey, who am I to second guess these chumps? The Phillies trusted their 4th starter and Blanton gave them a decent start, and it was Lidge’s effort that lost the game, not Blanton’s. Burnett choked early and it was done (almost).

But let us not get our hopes up. It is over in Game 6. It was lost in Game 4.

On The Edge Of Purgatory

As soon as tonight the worst could happen. The New York Yankees, who somehow have branded themselves as some sort of underdog upstarts, battling against adversity and impediments, with a loose playing staff you could just love, are now one game away from the World Series championship.

Let me get some facts straight. OK, not strictly facts, but certainly admissions.

The Yankees have the best batting line-up in baseball. On any given night they can take anything other than stellar pitching apart. The line-up is very good. The best in baseball by a fair way.

The Yankees have one of the elite starters in the league, a very decent number two man, and a more than decent number three pitcher. That they have over 100 wins in the regular season was down to point 1 above. That, and the best closer in the history of the game.

The Yankees pay more money, can buy more players of quality than anyone else. It is a fact. Imagine Manchester United beating Aston Villa in a best of seven series. Then imagine Manchester United branding themselves as the underdogs. It is that laughable.

To me, ever since the Red Sox went out, it has been inevitable in my mind that the Yankees would win it all. They got a lucky Game 2 win against the Twins, which saw them through the series comfortably, rather than squeaky bum time. They then got another fortunate Game 2 win against the Angels, who seemed content to field like bumbling amateurs happy to have got the Red Sox monkey off their back. I’m not saying the Red Sox would have won, but I’ll bet it would have gone 7. I had hoped the Phillies would do it, but this isn’t the 2008 version, and they are not playing the Rays. That they got (and wasted) such a great start by Pedro, and managed to keep the Blanton / Sabathia game close emphasises that Cole Hamels has gone backwards, and Brad Lidge is a liability.

So the richest team in all of sports will today buck its underdog status and win the main prize. If not tonight, then Wednesday when Pedro may be asked to repeat his luck again. The first win since 2009, and the sight of Joe Girardi as a World Series winning manager will only go to prove that money can pretty much buy you anything if you have the most of it.

Still, it will please the wife.

Wish Them Luck

I know I will be…. and especially for the man who really got me into baseball.

So for Pedro…. win it Phillies….

I would, of course, have been saying this if the Angels hadn’t asphyxiated against the mortal enemy, as I have no love for those whingeing, classless ass-hats (I speako Americano), but, of course, I have to watch what I say as I am in union with a Yankee wife. I knew it would come to this…..

I Really Miss Fire Joe Morgan…

Again, all non-baseball lovers can switch off, but this was just the best site at debunking ridiculous comments by “experts”. A UK equivalent would be “Fire Andy Gray”, but I’d just need him to say “son” one more time for me to want to do that, rather than pick out his nonsense.

One of the key contributors was a guy with the name “Ken Tremendous”. I don’t know why I am posting it here, and I really don’t care, but on a thread discussing the possible career moves of the undoubted best hitter in baseball over the past few years, Albert Pujols, Ken Tremendous’s comment made me chuckle..

“If there’s any chance at all, they do it. They don’t have nearly the chips to trade (choose any seven guys from the farm system + Cano, Swisher, and anyone else who isn’t nailed down?) I don’t think, but money would never be an impediment to landing Pujols.

Jeter
Damon (on short money)
Pujols
ARod
Teixeira
Posada
My Mom
Your Mom
A Sea Lion

That line-up scores 1100 runs.”

It made me chuckle.

This was the genius at work - as fantastic a site as I have ever come across. I could only dream of being this good. They came back for one day on Deadspin, a US sports blog website, and then disappeared again. 

As I said, they always made me chuckle. Especially as one of their top targets happens to be the beloved’s favourite player.

He Can’t Be Serious, Can He?

Those of you who have ESPN America may have come across the little mouthy New Yorker on the show “Sports Reporters” called Mike Lupica. His often tiresome righteous indignation has, on occasion, made me yearn for the always entertaining, but barely sentient, Charles Sale to return to Hold The Back Page or whatever it is called now, but not often. Lupica always seems so down on the sports world, so angry.

So when I read this article in the New York Daily News, I, like Jere on A Redsox fan from Pinstripe Territory, had to double take. If this is sarcasm, he’s disguising it very well. It could well be the work of a malevolent genius. I really can’t be sure. I’ll bet some Yankee fans actually believe it. News to them – Manchester United draw more per game, and have a worldwide floating “support” that would put the Yankees to shame, so cut with the most known team in the world of sport crap.

It is be nice to the Yankees time as they look like winning it all, despite Joe Girardi’s eccentricities last night. These are the comeback kids, the world’s wealthiest underdogs, a team of very expensive talent seeing off those that actually can’t afford their salaries. Best fans in the world indeed. Nice to support a front-runner.

A Resigned Red Sox Fan

I am afraid that the truth is rather staring us all in the face. As much as I try to plot a rational course otherwise, there is no alternative. The New York Yankees are going to win it all this season.

I can’t quite fathom why they are so dominant this year. The line-up, Texeira excepted of course, is a year older and although has decent bats down the line-up, is nothing that much more daunting than when they had as Sheffield or a non-drugged up Giambi in the team. And would you rather pitch to Bernie Williams or Melky Cabrera? So despite an amazing offensive season, they have still to be worried about post-season play?

No, for some reason, aura has come back to this team. It makes CC Sabathia God. It makes AJ Burnett something other than totally inconsistent. It has made Andy Pettitte scary again. This season the Yankees have a ton of walk-off wins, finding ways to come from behind, or snatch a win when all seems lost. They have Mariano Rivera and his super-expanded strike zone. But this aura is affecting opponents.

Philadelphia are the reigning champs and playing very well – I could not believe their coughing up of a Game 2 loss in LA as the coach played revolving doors in an 8th innings farce. Yet if they get through, with their potent offense and a more than decent pitching staff, you know the Yankees will take them. The Dodgers have no prayer against them with exceedingly flaky pitching and a hardly terrifying batting line-up.

My hopes were staked on the obnoxious Angels seeing them off. This really is like rooting for Stalin to defeat Hitler (well it isn’t really, but you get my drift) as the Angels seem to bitch and whine every time something goes against them – and that Aybar goat seems the worst offender – but their dismantling of the Red Sox gave me hope that they might just give the Yankees a real go.

Two games into the series and they have played error-strewn baseball and given the Yankees both their wins. In the cauldron of a freezing New York Yankee Stadium playpen, they’ve come up woefully short and played like chokers. The Yankees haven’t lost a play-off game yet, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they sweep. There is only one thing worse than losing, and that is choking. The Angels celebrated beating the Sox as if they had got rid of a monkey off their back. Instead they put a ten ton gorilla on instead and he’s cutting their windpipe.

I am mentally prepared for the worst, and I am praying that Brad Lidge gets his mojo back for any closes he’ll have to do in that hell hole in the Bronx. It is a terrible scenario for me to ponder.

Dmitri’s Pilgrimage.. Part 1 – Fenway Feelings

A selection of pictures from my visit to Heaven – Fenway Park in June 2007

Feel the Tingle...

No Tickets Available

The First Photo Inside

Looking Up To The Boxes

Looking Out to Centre-Field

If you look at the picture above, see if you can pick out a seat in right field which is red (in among all the green). That is the seat where the longest home run was hit (by Ted Williams).

Those Were The Days My Friends

That Evening's Entertainment - We Lost

Who Is This Muppet?

Retired Numbers

The Bull-Pens

The Monster

Pesky Pole...

More pictures somewhere down the line!  But here are a couple of video vignettes..

Some Monday Thoughts…

All totally at random, but here goes…

While on holiday I managed to watch all 8 parts of Michael Palin’s Pole to Pole. The only thing I would say is that it got a PG certificate but at one point, Mr Palin’s appendage is clearly visible. Excuse me. He also gets his arse out too! I could get all Daily Mail here, but who cares. Actually if you read his diary extracts on line, you get a much better feel for the journey he took. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will look for the others on sale to take up a few more hours of my time.

The next book being read is by Colin Thubron and is called “Shadow of the Silk Road”. Lord knows why, because I read his book “In Siberia” and although he wasn’t as tiresome as the author of Mirrors of the Unseen (Jason Elliot – and I’ll explain why sometime but it revolves around a charicature American, his moaning about tourists, and then an incident with a camera – clue…you were a tourist too, mate) that book plodded. I am wading through it like I would a lake of treacle. Don’t expect a book review for a month.

A quick restaurant review or two. I went to the East Quay fish restaurant on Saturday in Whitstable. Jolly nice, if a little pricey. In Cornwall I had lunch in the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle, and thought the fish left a lot to be desired, but then again, I was a bit grouchy that day. At the Godolphin Hotel in Marazion, the burger was fine, but the staff need hearing aids (the mother-in-law went meal-less). The Norway Inn, on the main road between Truro and Falmouth did an excellent baguette – but lets face it, that’s tough to cock up. Harvey’s Wharf in Falmouth got good reviews from the beloved and m-i-l but I thought my whitebait was cack, and the crippling soullessness of the place probably accentuated by malaise. The sandwich and smoothie at Polzeach (near Rock) was absolutely magnificent – especially the smoothie. Although expensive, I wanted another. That’s the end of food critic corner.

I listened to the radio when the boss of the refs union suggested the Crimson Snide should be suspended. I sometimes wonder if football can get any more up its own arse, and then something comes along to banish those wonderments. Crimson Snide is a law unto himself, he does what he wants, he knows he is untouchable, and yet you feed it. If he thinks Alan Wiley is bad, then my mate Henry VIII would point him in the direction of Phil Dowd!

Hey ho. Rio Ferdinand made a dozy mistake. Why is anyone surprised? Ashley Cole makes an error trying to do too much. Why is anyone surprised? I swear, football can’t parody itself enough.

On the way home from Whitstable I had Charlton v Oldham on the radio. A League One game on Radio Five Live. It may well have been a bad game, but fuck me blind, if that had been Liverpool v Man Utd, frequently a turgid affair, I’ll bet the moans wouldn’t have formed the basis of the commentary. Have a pop at the lower leagues, twats. No-one cares.

The NFL game in London is two weeks away and my tickets haven’t shown up. Worried. Not yet. Ticketmaster said they had been despatched and we were away all last week, but there is no record of them trying to deliver the things.

I will avoid politics for the time being, except to say that Ben Bradshaw must be having a laugh. In general.

Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace prize. According to those that know about this sort of thing, he was nominated just 10 days or so into office. Hope wins you millions. I must confess I laughed. Still, Al Gore won it a couple of year’s back for a powerpoint presentation so credibility is always going to be a problem.

Nice to see Rio win the Olympics – it really needed to go there. If they can afford it, and the infrastructure is there, then it should go there, and wasn’t it amusing to see Chicago go out first depsite the Messiah making their case. Change I could believe in.

Congratulations to the Eden Project for having helpful stewards and attendants – and not utter utter jobsworths. You still couldn’t pay me to actually go in there, but at least I dropped off and picked up the beloved and m-i-l with help from the high visibility jacket brigade.

I have several beers to consume, but will say at the outset that Skinners Cornish Lager is a most acceptable beverage. I have Sharps, St Austell, Skinners, Keltek, Lizard and Wooden Hand to drink – yes, I am getting more into bitters.

It would be nice to see the Dolphins beat the Jets and pop that awful team’s bubble. It won’t happen though. A shame also that Favre and the Vikings are 5-0. The beloved’s Giants are also 5-0 and look the best of the bunch at the moment.

I know the Yankees are the best team in the MLB, but did they really need to be helped by playing Minnesota less than 24 hours after they clinched their place in the postseason and having had to go 12 innings to do so? Why didn’t they just make it clear and ask them to play with one hand tied behind their back while they were at it?

Think it easy to do without Sky Sports (or ESPN America)? I had a whole week without it and it was very bad. With nothing major on the terrestrial channels, it was a case of Sky News or those god awful channels with home auctions and what not. No wonder I watched the DVDs on the laptop (see internet problems).

Nice to see Terminal 4 has had a polish up. However, you get the feeling that the airline industry is in a really bad way at the moment, and it wasn’t exactly a hive of activity there. Maybe it was a false impression.

Now the Sox are out, at least I can sleep without looking up their score on the mobile. The beloved will be happy about that, I am sure.

WindyBricks drew 1-1 with Willie Carson and Julian Wilson’s Magic Roundabout Town, which according to the cognoscenti was a good result. Some bloke on loan scored for us, and Comes Alive got sent off. I missed a 5-0 win over the team managed by “You’ve got to have the gift, but use it at the right time.” Clearly he didn’t and he couldn’t. Not Thierry got a hat-trick, and all of them were from outside the area, and none of them bust the net. The Plassie Scousers soon got rid of “Liverpool FC is Hard As Hell”.

Enough random musings. I will return.

All Over For Another Season

When JD Drew took Scott Kazmir deep for a two-run homer and a 5-1 lead, I posted on my Facebook page that it was nice to see us leading, but too early to celebrate. The signs were there – the Angels kept getting men on base, Daniel Bard wriggled out of a bases loaded no-out jam to concede just the one run, and then the introduction of Jonathan Papelbon brought the whole edifice crashing down. Needing one out in the eighth with men on second and third, he put a fast ball in Juan Rivera’s arc first up and brought the Angels that bit closer (5-4) and despite getting an insurance run in the eighth, the implosion with two outs that brought the Angels from 6-4 down to 7-6 up seemed almost inevitable. The meek surrender in the bottom of the 9th merely confirmed all Red Sox Nation’s fears. This edition just was not up to it.

I know many of you will shout “hindsight” at me, but I just really did not think in my heart that this Sox team would win it all. The clues were there in the recent road performance against any half decent team. I can recall one winning series in Tampa Bay, and a two game sweep in New York in the early knockings of the season, but Boston went 0-7 in Yankee Stadium after that, won 2 of six, I believe in Anaheim, and won 2 of six on the road against the Texas Rangers. We lost 2 of 3 in Minnesota, and only had a good record against Detroit as a “half-decent” outfit on road trips. 3 wins out of 9 in Tampa would also show just why the Sox caused me concerns. Boston beat up on Baltimore and that helped no end, and took just enough off the rest of the dross to keep them within range in the second half of the season. I think what really convinced me was the manner in which Boston lost the last three in New York – it was so routine it was almost inevitable. One of my mantra is you can’t turn “it” on and off like a tap. Boston thought they could, but what their bad patches really showed is that the offense could hit alarming slumps and their pitching wasn’t quite as lights out as they had you believe. Just Boston and Minnesota of the play-off teams had losing road records, and both have very quirky home fields which may lend that little bit more of an advantage. Both have gone home from the AL Playoffs having been swept by teams that won 45+ games on the road.

Unlike those on Sons of Sam Horn, or my good blogger colleagues on Joy of Sox, I am not a statistical nut on baseball and can’t match their detailed analysis. Much of my opinion is formed by the limited action I see and the things I read. Here is my take on the Boston Red Sox as they stand now.

Starting Pitching – Lester and Beckett had dodgy old starts but this seemed to coincide with the Sox having their best part of the season when they held the divisional lead. Neither are the cause of the Red Sox demise, but then neither are, in my view, regular season top-tier aces at this stage, although Beckett bloody well should be. That Lester was preferred as the number one starter in the play-offs should act as a wake-up call to Josh. I would love to see the Sox add a third top-line starter to the mix and use Dice-K (a waste of a season) and Buchholz (a promising campaign that tapered off a bit at the end) as the 4th and 5th. Instead I suspect Boston will punt around for another low end of the rotation arm and probably come up with another turkey. It is interesting that John Smoltz, much heralded at the start of the season, was out of Fenway by August. If that didn’t teach the front office something, nothing will. Maybe it is time to test Toronto’s patience and see how much they want for Halladay.

Relief Pitching – The numbers may not have suggested but the perception certainly did. Papelbon’s meltdown yesterday was on the cards. Those quick innings in relief seemed just not to be there this season – again perception maybe more than numbers – but this wasn’t the unhittable Paps of recent years. That said, to panic him out of Fenway would be a nonsense on the back of his meltdown yesterday. The temptation to rush Daniel Bard, a great prospect, but sure to be hit about a bit more next season, into the closer slot is one that should be resisted. He should be the set-up man that Joba isn’t. Okajima did a good job, but flew under the radar, Delcarmen regressed, Ramirez was a decent mid-innings guy, Saito cleared up a lot of rubbish but isn’t really worth what he was paid, and Wagner is out of here. The bullpen will only need work if the Red Sox want to blow it up with a new closer. I can’t see it.

Catcher – As suspected, Varitek was a disaster, and the Sox moved to close that gap by getting Victor Martinez who is a decent hitter in that tricky position. I, along with most of the free world, know that Joe Mauer is a free agent after next season, but I, along with most of the free world, know that the New York Yankees catcher is no spring chicken and needs replacing soon. I also know who has more money. We have to hope that Mauer is a Yankee hater. I would love to see the Sox get Mauer and move Martinez to first and Youkilis to third – dreamer that I am – but that isn’t going to happen (not sure, but I think V-Mart’s contract is up after next season). Varitek has to be gone – when he bats he is a hole in the line-up and when he catches, he is stolen upon at will. He reminds me of my old cat. He was a fearless lump and no other cat would mess with him. Then he got old and the young whipper snappers rubbed his nose in it. He just ignored them but you knew he was thinking – a few years ago and you wouldn’t have been this brave. Jason Varitek is Tabs.

The Infield – Youkilis had a decent season but wouldn’t be mentioned as an MVP contender as he was last season. His charging of the mound against Detroit cost the Sox his services in a key series in Texas which went a bit pear-shaped. He is a decent hitter and gave us one of the best moments of the season with his walk-off extra innings homer against the Yankees early in the season. Pedroia had a fair season, but not quite as stellar as his MVP year. He is still the heart and soul of this team and is not the problem. Mike Lowell was injury-hit and that 2007 contract is looking like a mistake, given he is a groundball double play waiting to happen. I think his future isn’t bright. Short-stop was a disaster. Lowrie was injured, Green fizzed early and booted late, Lugo was gone and there was much rejoicing, and Alex Gonzalez is not a long-term answer although he was the best of a very bad bunch. This could be an interesting one for the Sox.

Outfield – Jason Bay is a free agent, and will want a massive contract. I wouldn’t give it to him unless I was offered garbage in replacement. The Yankees may well need a left fielder this season too! Jacoby Ellsbury was dropped from lead off but then posted solid numbers and returned there. I like him there, he is a good fielder and we would be daft to chuck him out. JD Drew is an annoying enigma – a great hitter at times, and at others a whiffer who just doesn’t perform day in day out. As one of the highest paid players in the team, I’d want more. Rocco Baldelli did little to make us forget when Drew wasn’t in the line-up and other options (Anderson for one) won’t be fondly remembers. Maybed Josh Reddick will come forward to take up the cudgels in the future, but we could do with what Sons of Sam Horn calls “the mythical big bat” because…

DH – David Ortiz was truly atrocious for large swathes of the season, got it together a bit in the latter part, and then had an ALDS to forget. One season of a slump at the start may be wished away, but two seasons of horrific early numbers cannot. His failed drug test revelation hardly helped, but then he posted better numbers after it was out in the open – very strange. I do not have the foggiest idea what to do with this position at this stage, given our key hitters are all useful in the field. Boston need to make that decision fast. I suggested that Ortiz’s at bat in the 8th last night was his last as a Red Sox, even before the comeback. I am probably wrong, but won’t be surprised if not.

So the play-offs go on, and the Yankees meet the Angels with the Dodgers meeting the Phillies or Rockies. I really can’t see past the Yankees, I’m afraid, unless the Angels get to CC, Burnett AND Pettitte, because that team is going to score runs on Lackey, Weaver, Kazmir and Saunders – make no mistake they won’t go cold like Boston did. I am no fan of the crying whingeing Angels so won’t be rejoicing too much if they win, but it is really, despite my beloved, anyone but the Yankees in my eyes. I would like to see the Phillies give them a go in the World Series, but just suspect that it is the Dodgers’ time. Imagine, watching Manny Ramirez in the World Series. The Red Sox eyes won’t be smiling.

Maybe Next Year.

Banalities and Generalities

Apologies for the lack of blogging for those of you who give a fig and are not here to find a map of Barbados. A mixture of work, lack of motivation, illness and lack of inspiration has meant that there has not been a lot to write about, even if I wanted to. WindyBricks won 3-1 at the weekend, and looked quite good against some northern nonsense who sound like cow’s tits grazing, and the first two goals by Can’t and The Dresden Axeman were very well worked. When the bloke who lost an r off the supermarket sign headed in his first goal since transferring from the borough of ghastly Follett MP, the game was all but up. This week, We Three Kings Of the Fat Welsh Dartman are our hosts. Rigged snooker matches all round.

The Red Sox are 7 games up in the wild card, 6 games down in the division. Unless a cataclysm happens, the Sox will play the Angels in the ALDS starting in a fortnight. There really isn’t much else for me to add.

The next book to be reviewed (and I get the chance to read now I commute) will be Ashes Victory (2005) which very much falls into the category of “I should probably get this one out of the way”. It hasn’t had the most auspicious of starts, and has not been particularly enlightening thus far. Is there really any more to be said about that series?

I have in mind a post about the country of my wife, and which I think I need to talk about in my own way. It is revolving around in my head a bit, and it is not at all clear to me what the message will be. For the first time in my life, I really do believe my future may lie elsewhere – not the immediate future, but the mid-term one. And yet, the things that revile me about my current country, and the one I always will be a citizen of, no matter what the paperwork says, are creeping in in the States. Would it merely be jumping out of the fire place and into the fire? All I do know is I am off to Cape May in November and it doesn’t feel like a holiday to me. It feels like going to a second home. I know when I walk the border collie I look up and see the aeroplanes flying in to Heathrow and think – I so want to be on one of those, having come back from the USA. Oh well, I’ll come to that sooner or later.

So, surprisingly people, you have a calm and considered Dmitri – I am not feeling too angry about anything except the gaping hole in the sleeve of my shirt. I built a chest of drawers from Ikea on Sunday to go with the garden furniture. Work is going very well with most people happy with me for once in a while. I am enjoying the married life, despite a lot of the time probably giving off the impression that I don’t, and feel a lot less stressed. Commuting has been fine, with little to annoy me. I have a break coming up. I don’t care what the dietitian says to me. Hatchet Harriet scares me more next week.

I hope to get enthused soon. I am sure something – like Carol Kirkwood putting the Aussie dust storms down to a hot summer in Australia (guess she can’t figure out why they play test cricket in December and January down under then) – or another ludicrously bent decision going the Crimson Snide’s way will put fingers to keyboard, but at the moment, I have a Billy bookcase to build, TVs to take to the recycling units and a state visit from the Mum in Law to prepare for.

Game 3/5 – Nationals Action..And A Familiar Face

More from my night at The Nationals in June 2007

Duke On The Mound

Let The Race Begin...

George Leads Abe..

TJ Not At The Races

Teddy Takes His Time

Dead Presidents

Teddy Last...

Jason Bay - Then Of The Pirates

More Bay Up Close

Patience....Patience

More Bay

Jason Bay - Now Doing It Where It Matters

Coming To The Crunch

Who Won?

The Final Score

Game 3/5 – The Clash Of The Titans..

And so on to the best game I’ve seen in the flesh, won on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th.

Pittsburgh Pirates at Washington Nationals – Boxscore Here

This game was played at venerable old RFK Stadium, in the days pre-their new ball park, and we had cracking seats on the top tier behind home plate. I think this was the most enjoyable game we went to, even though it took a while to get out of the car park. A great night, though..

Where we sat...

Da Meat Hook!

Micah Bowie pitching in the 1st

Da Meat Hook At The Plate - Dmitri In Da Howse

Church Swings And Misses

The Pitch, The Batter...I Like This Pic

Duke Dealing...

Guzman hits out

Da Meat Hook At Da Double!

More To Follow – Including The Spectacle That The Nationals Are Most Famous For

Arbitrary Moans Of The Day..

Ah…it must be September. Unlike this time last year, I am cooped up in this London rat-race and not off to the beautiful Vermont for a week, to sample the  relaxed and happy environment of Burlington, or bathe in the warm waters of the Cape of the Fifth Month in the Newest Channel Island. Nor visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame, nor watching the Phillies play the Brewers, nor trying to drown myself in a kayak. Or is it a canoe? I couldn’t give a monkey’s toss.

No. It is September. Which means traffic hell. Over-running road works meet the return to school imbeciles in a battle to the death for road space. Whereas the odd illiterate lorry driving fool blocking the tunnel for 5 minutes wasn’t really a big deal in the summer, now it ensures traffic chaos. The journey to work has leapt from 30-35 minutes to the best part of an hour, and the journey home, passing the criminally ignorant ill-phased lights at the Aspen Way flyover, has also jumped in length. And as we sit there longer and longer, we see our extra 2p plus a litre fritter away into the pockets of our masters. I am seriously thinking of getting the train next week. That jaundiced sympathetic view of rail travel passes about a week after you decide to go down that route- the first time you have your train cancelled / 10 minutes late / DLR signal failure / it rains.

I have a question. I am one of those suckers who buys those instant cappucino thingamies by Nescafe. They are pretty awful, but I am also dead lazy. In a fit of optimism meeting stupidity I bought a box of “cappucino skinny” – snigger – and the thing is it appears utterly incapable of dissolving itself in my reasonably sized coffee cup. Jesus, every so often your coffee is interspersed with a lump of powder. How can I get the damn thing to dissolve. I am sure it would resist concentrated sulphuric acid.

Red Sox lost last night. Texas won. The Yankee had their tummies tickled all right.

Pretty much a quiet life at the moment, but I am sure that will end soon. It has a habit of being peaceful for all too short a time….

Disaster Averted

This is how being a UK baseball supporter works, especially when your team has a potentially big game against its jinx side of the past couple of years. Last night, in my view (if not in the view of my good friends on Joy of Sox) was the biggest game of the season, but I also had a potentially big day in the office today, so there was no chance of catching any of the game live on MLB.TV, seeing as it started after midnight.

So, having retired at midnight, I tossed and turned and could not sleep, finally drifting off at around 1 am. I did not look at the score on the mobile before I went to sleep. I am a restless night person and I wake up many times overnight, but on this occasion, it was 3:30 on the clock when I woke. I fumbled for the mobile, extremely wary not to make a noise and also not to shine the bright light of the phone in the beloved’s direction. She may be a sleeping beauty, but she should not be awoken under any circumstances. As a Yankee fan, she can sleep in peace, as all crap teams turn to jelly in their presence. She keeps saying she is concerned because the Yankees can’t beat the Rays in September, but this does not assuage my fears…. anyway.

I switch on the mobile, and connect via my bookmarks, to MLB.com. Boston are always the first game on there if the game is in play, and it is with that small sense of concern that when the page comes up, you never seem to look at the top! Ah. Boston 7 Tampa 4 (Bot 8th) it said. Nice one – a lead. But let’s see what is happening.

You click on the score and up comes a game summary. I look and it says Bottom 8th One Out. BJ Upton strikes out. I look down to the diamond and there are three red dots on the bases. Oh. Shit!

For the next 15 minutes I go through the routine of switching the internet off, trying to sleep, switching it back on, trying to sleep.. until I see Paps gets the last two outs for no runs. I then see 15 minutes later we’ve won 8-4. Jacoby scoring Alex Gonazalez for an insurance run.

So, with the bases loaded jam with no outs averted, and a win against Tampa (now 6 back) in the books, Boston can now concentrate on seeing off Texas who won both their games in a double header against Toronto last night to close within 3.5. Tonight a struggling Josh Beckett goes against recent nemesis Matt “The Flob” Garza (watch a man spit with more substance than the sputum from this bloke’s gob) in a must win for the Rays. A win for the Sox, will keep them 6.5 behind New York, who will have their tummies tickled by the terminally awful Baltimore Orioles just one more time.

Baseball Games – Part 2 of 5 – The City Of Brotherly Hammerings

Number 2 of the 5 I have been so far. San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies -

Boxscore here – A Close Game…

The tickets, like at Yankee Stadium, were at nosebleed height – so high I got vertigo. The stewards asked me about my accent – which is pretty common. The game was over very early, as the Phillies failed to get a hit off Matt Morris until two outs in the 6th. By then the Giants were up 13-0. The weather closed in and we left early to return to the Cape of the Fifth Month…

I wanted this game to see the great Barry Bonds. He did sweet FA, he didn’t need to. But, I’ve seen him play…

Pictures…

Citizen's Bank Park for Batting Practice

And Another One..

From Behind Home Plate

Jumbotron with the City Behind...

No Ringing For The Phillies This Night

2007 Was An Excellent Year

More Than One Brit In The House!!!

The Voice Of Darth Vader

The Phillies Line-Up

Jesus Dmitri – Did you take any pictures of the game, I hear you cry?

The Ever Popular Barry Bonds

A Sporting Icon...

Another Intentional Walk

Taking First Base...

Omar Vizquel - Facing Adam Eaton

Bonds Swings....

Home Run Machine Ryan Howard At The Plate

Howard Swings

A Close Game!

Mr Popular...

More From Yankee Stadium…

The Star Of The Show...

An Even More Odious Pose In The Flesh

Long Name...He Has A Very Long Name...

The Pit Of Hell

Umpire Down!

Red Sox Reject!

Horr Hay

The Beloved's Idol... Looks A Bit Odd To Me

A Definite Strike

Dear God!

I Don't Think This Has Quite Got The Distance... Home Run In A Silo

A-Rod. Still No Rings.

Toronto won 8-6. Game Number 2 to follow….San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies…..

Part 1 of 5 – Baseball Games Attended. Evil Empire….

1st May 2005. First Game Ever. Mum and Dad still with us. Beloved not even a handle on the WindyBrick horizon…

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees.

Boxscore – here

I went to New York for a weekend visit and attended this game (the only one without the beloved, but ironically against her team) and I am pleased to say I have a 100% record against them. The Jays won 8-6, I missed Sheffield’s home run, and I saw Carl Pavano pitch for the Yankees – which is a lot more than most Yankee fans can claim!

Some photos (as usual). Broken down into a couple of parts…

High Up Behind Home Plate With All of Hell Before Us....

Steep Banking

The Chamber of Horrors!

The Face Of Evil

Remember Him?

The Cream Of The Crop!

Mr Madonna

Pedro Is Behind You....

Shemp

Always Wondered What Happened To Princess Anne's Ex....

Help The Aged

Whispers, In the Powder Room...Reminds Me Baby Of You...

Good Work Agent Pavano!

The Living Legend

Orlando Hudson Facing The Great Carl Pavano

Ex-Yankee Ted Lilly

Da Meat Hook – Not Much On The Wires…

Sad to see that Dmtri Young lost his mother earlier this season. My thoughts, late as they are, are with the inspiration behind this blogger’s ID. I know from bitter experience how hard this time can be.

The early hopes around pre-season that Da Meat Hook might be back have evaporated, and now Dmitri has been put on the 60-day injured list to make room for fellow svelte athlete Livan Hernandez. DO tore a left quad muscle in July as reported on the Nationals own site…

“Young, 35, hurt the quad running out a single for Double-A Harrisburg on July 19. He then went to Washington to have an MRI, which revealed the tear. Young, who is currently rehabbing the quad in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was hitting .241 with two RBIs for Harrisburg.”

Dmitri says he’ll be back next year to play for someone or other. I rather doubt it, but this blog will try to keep an eye out.

September Stretch Run…Will The Red Sox Remain?

The Boston Red Sox have come through the treacherous August with a lead in the wild card, but with little realistic hope (despite the over-optimistic blogs Joy of Sox and A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory may think) of catching the Yankees for the AL East. Sure, we could sweep the Yankees in the series at the end of September, but no-one really thinks this is likely, and the Yankees just don’t seem to lose to rubbish teams. The key difference is the road records – the Red Sox are under .500, the Yankees 10 games over that mark.

The two rivals for the Wild Card are the Texas Rangers (4 games behind) and the Tampa Bay Rays (5 games behind). Boston are finished with Texas, and given their record against them this summer (2-7), that is just as well, but still have six more games to play against the Rays, who needless to say, the Red Sox have a poor record against as well (4-8, including 1-5 in Tampa). Despite the relentless New York media spinning recent results against a weakened Sox team for all its worth, our 9-6 record against the Evil Empire should still have the rather uppity Bronx team looking towards October with some concern.

Boston need to take care of business for themselves, and the signs are that those soft losses to non-contenders that seem to annoy the hell out of me more than losses to better squads are being eradicated. Boston swept Toronto at home, and took 3 out of 4 against the White Sox. They recently swept Toronto on the road, a place they never seem to do that well in. Taking 3 from 4 at home to Detroit, the Central Division winners elect showed that the horror of the sweep in the Bronx had been put behind them to a degree, but now Boston face their most crucial series of the season in my eyes – the three game set at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. Win one out of three, and the Sox have limited the bleeding. Win two out of three, and the Sox pretty much take the Rays out of the equation. Take the lot, and the Rays can practice their golf swings. Lose the lot, and to quote the phrase, it could be “squeaky bum time”.

The three pitching match-ups are

Game 1 tonight – Jon Lester (10-7 – ERA 3.60) v Andy Sonnanstine (6-7 – ERA 6.61)

On paper a very good match-up for the Sox, as Lester’s record seems to be accompanied by wretched run support, and he deserves a better win-loss than that, while Sonnanstine has been in AAA ball because, quite frankly, he was awful this season. However, the Sox have had fits with Sonnanstine in the past, even though he has an ERA over 5 against them, so nothing is assured, especially as the Rays have taken to Lester in the past as well.

Game 2 Tomorrow – Josh Beckett (ERA 3.80 – 14-5) v Matt Garza (7-9 – 3.95)

This looks an even fight with similar ERAs, if distinctly different win-loss records. However, Beckett is in a real slump having been hit hard in his last three outings (ERA over 9). Garza also had an awful outing last time out against the Tigers, but has an ERA of less than three agains the Sox, who hardly figured him out in the ALCS last season, and have had trouble with him this season too.

Game Three – Thursday night – Clay Buchholz (3-3 – ERA 4.38) v David Price (7-6 – ERA 4.63)

Two young pitchers trying to make their way in the majors after much heralded intitial appearances, in what looks like an intriguing pitching match-up. Last time out Buchholz was awesome against the Blue Jays (who, it should be noted, shelled Texas for 18 runs last night) giving up three hits, and conceding just the one run after he left the game (Okajima allowing his inherited runner to score) in the 9th innings. Price has an ERA less than 3 at Tropicana Field and gave up just one run in his last start too. This one is a big game.

From then on in the Red Sox face a variety of opponents, with three series looking genuinely “tough” against play-off contenders:

Tampa Bay (away – 3 games); Chicago White Sox (away - 4 games)

Baltimore (home – 2 games); Tampa Bay (home – 3 games)

Los Angeles Angels (home – 3 games); Baltimore (away – 3 games)

Kansas City (away – 4 games); New York Yankees (away – 3 games)

Toronto (home – 3 games); Cleveland (home – 4 games)

 The interesting series are the ones against pseudo-contenders like the White Sox (although that is fast disappearing as they are 6 games behind Detroit) early on in the month when they could still be focussed on the prize. The Angels have the West won, so who knows how well they’ll play (but they also have seven games to play against Texas), while the Tampa Bay series at home could be a real killer off of their hopes should this series be split. However, eight games against Kansas City and Cleveland are the types you want in your schedules, as well as five against Baltimore and three at home to Toronto! If it is in our hands in the last week, you’d want to be playing our schedule more than Texas (Rays (h), Angels (a), Seattle (a)) and Tampa (two of the last three series – Rangers (away), Yankees (home)).

Up by four, with the offense firing a little better, while the pitching is a slight concern (OK, a bit more than that) should be enough to see a rematch with the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS, but it is in the hands of this Boston team to make it easier than it needs to be. Just win tonight.