Here We Go Indians, Here We Go

My best friend, my brother and my brother's best friend will be visiting the house that Ruth built tonight--two cheering on the Indians and one (my friend) cheering on the Yankees.

My little Yankees buddy is going to have to be very quiet as she's going to be sitting in the Indians play-by-play production area, compliments of this guy--a high school friend of my brother.

Retired Guy and I agree on this: we really, really want the Indians to finish them off tonight. We do NOT want the Red Sox to face the Yankees, and mostly, we really want to find out if George will fire Joe.

Nuff Said

Sweep. The BoSox await the winner of Cleveland-New York. Well done, Sox.

You Gotta Love 'em

My brother doesn't understand how I could have deserted the Indians to become a Red Sox fan.
It's easy. David Ortiz hits one out in Anaheim in October and instead of silence, there is cheering. Real, certified noise 3,000 miles from Fenway, with members of Red Sox nation standing and cheering as Papi rounds the bases. Then Ramirez goes back to back and the noise is off the hook.

How could I not be a Sox fan?

But, as soon as this game is over, my Sox hat comes off and my Indians cap goes on. Here's to Cleveland sweeping the Evil Empire later on today--gnot too much to hope for. The Brownies had a tough one against the Patsies, but I'm feeling it for my second favorite baseball team.

One Down, Two To Go

Yee Haw. Josh Beckett seems to have sewn up the Cy Young award last night with a nasty performance against the Angels. Big Papi is back in form, and Youk hit a solo shot in his first at bat.
Such a dominating performance leaves us with only one question: what the heck was Papi wearing for the post-game press conference? Yowza.

Here We Go Red Sox, Here We Go

The Red Sox and Angels will begin the ALDS tonight with a first pitch at 6:37--Brian Williams will get short shift in our house tonight.
In preparation for tonight's game, a little linkfest of Red Sox love:
Complete series coverage from The Globe
My favorite Sox blog
The Dirt Dog Blog--hysterical brilliance
Tony Massarotti column on the Sox newest ace, Josh Beckett
Report card on John Lackey--no worries, he's a solid B and we're an A+ offense.

Sports Illustrated breaks down the series.

And, we can't forget the Tribe. May they defeat the Evil Empire in three.

Red Sox You're My Only Only Only

UPDATE: had a little blogger glitch and had to correct the title of this post.

2007 AL Eastern Division Champions

Thanks to an original Dirt Dog, Kevin Millar, the Sox are Eastern Division Champions (the Orioles had to beat the Yanks in 10). I'm sure Dan Shaughnessy is elated and relieved. Ever since he claimed the division for the Sox on May, many Sox fans have been certain the Yanks would take it.

We more backed into it than took it outright, but we'll take it anyway we can. Yee Haw.

Gahhhhh

Boston 3-The Team Who Must Not Be Named 4.
C'mon Guys. Finish well at least.

Today, We Hope It's One and the Same

I'm wearing my favorite shirt today.....
We take an 8 game lead into the Bronx and it doesn't feel like enough. Regardless, GO SOX. Oh and how about a little run support for Dice-K? Just this one time?

A Beautiful Day for a Ball Game

Sunday was the pilgrimage to Fenway Park. Once a year, we go to a Red Sox game with about 10 other couples. More precisely, we are taken to a game by one of our friends who has season tickets. He manages to scrape together 20 tickets for a game, all in really good seats (he trades games with other season tickets holders).
We rent a bus, we go to the game and then afterwards, we go to Luccia's in the North End for dinner.
Angels vs. the Red Sox. It was a perfect day for baseball--70 degrees and sunny, little wind.
We were in Pavilion Seats on the 3rd base side, and from there, the Boston B was still visible in center field.



We saw Bobby Keilty make a spectacular catch in right field to save a three run homer. We almost got to see a fight when Julian Tavarez brushed Orlando Cabrera's jersey and Orlando took offense.
In the 5th inning we got our 15 seconds of fame with a shout out on the scoreboard. The Fenway Franks were tasty, the peanuts were salty and the beer was cold.

The only thing missing was a win. JD Drew struck out looking with two on to end the 8th and that at bat just about sums up his season so far. He and Manny have decided that batting is a spectator sport--no need to swing the bat. And just like that, the Yankees are only four back.

As they say, tomorrow is another day. Wakefield mesmerizes the Devil Rays and the Angels return to Annaheim to face the Evil Empire. As of tonight, this guy might be my favorite player in baseball. Ryan Budde. Yankee slayer.

Tonight It Was All Good

From AP.com

Jon Lester crowned his courageous comeback with a victory.

The young pitcher, whose rookie season ended suddenly when he was diagnosed with cancer, pitched six innings to win his first game in 11 months and lead the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians 6-2 on Monday night.

Working to major leaguers while his parents sat on the edge of their seats near Boston's dugout, Lester allowed two runs and five hits to easily handle the Indians, the AL's best team at home.

Red Sox Nation Has Two New Citizens

If you happen to be watching the Red Sox playing the Indians tonight, watch for two cute blonde kids behind the dugout on the 3rd base line. They'll be wearing Red Sox T shirts. One is my 13-year old nephew and the other is his good friend. My nephew has always been a bright boy, but this shocks even me.

My family are all dyed in the wool, life-long Indians fans and my defection to Red Sox Nation has caused no end of dismay and garment rending, and much ridicule from my brother, who once uttered "When will you start rooting for Michigan, you turn coat?" They even considered sending me to a detox program to try to get it out of my system. Poor boy is in for a lot of peer pressure, but being right isn't always easy.

Go Sox, and go get 'em, Jon. It's good to have you back on the mound.

UPDATE: The nephew reports in via text message: Ya! Big papi pointed at me and he and Dice-K threw a ball to me and one to Conner.

It's always good to be a member of Red Sox Nation.

My Eyes Is Goin' Crazy

The San Diego Padres' plan to confuse Dice-K worked perfectly in the first inning, as Dice-K couldn't locate the strike zone hidden in the crazy throwback colors of the Padres. He walked the first three batters that he faced last night.
Thankfully, his eyes finally adjusted to the mess in the second inning and he got the win 2-1.
(Can you believe someone actually selected that as a team uniform?)

Conundrum? Nah.

The Tribe invades Fenway Park tonight (and the Blue State Blogger will be there in person, lucky girl), and in case there is any doubt, I'll be pulling for the Red Sox.

Three years ago, on the first day of the Red Sox/Indians three game series, I dutifully wore my Indians cap to my tennis clinic. At breakfast, I kindly informed my husband that while I loved the Sox, my loyalties had to be with Cleveland. Afterall, I'd grown up going to Municipal Stadium with my dad, the all time greatest Indians fan going (he can still list the starting line ups of every Cleveland team during the 1950's and 1960's and he can still remember specific games and innings from those decades). As a kid in the backyard, I was Gaylord Perry, the greatest junk ball pitcher of all time. I dragged my best friend to a dive bar in Manhattan in a driving rain to watch the seventh game of the Florida/Cleveland World Series (that would be the series that nobody watched--as evidenced by the empty bar). I was an Indians girl.

That night, during the middle of the third inning, my husband quietly said, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were rooting for the Sox." And I realized that he was right. I desperately wanted the Sox to win. I don't think I qualify as a fair weather fan because that was before they won the World Series. Rather, my unrealized to me, my loyaties shifted the year before when Boston lost that ALSC, that heartbreaking seven game series of 2003. I was a Mainah then and I felt that loss, deeply (not as deeply as my husband, who could literally not get out of bed the next morning).

My father hasn't quite forgiven me and I still pull for Cleveland when they play anyone else. But tonight, my heart is a Dirt Dog and I'm a proud member of Red Sox Nation. Here we go Red Sox.

Oh, and welcome back Trot. Good to see you in Fenway.

Quote Of the Week

"I tried my best to take the team as deep into the game as possible to fulfill my responsibility as the starter. I regret that I ended up being a burden on my teammates [Friday]. I'll do my best to prepare for my next start." -- "Dice-K" Matsuzaka

As of today, the Sox are still 10.5 games ahead of the Yankees. Dice-K picked up his 7th win last night (despite leaving early due to tummy troubles. He felt like he was going to yak, which brings back memories of 41 and the Japanese Prime Minister, but I digress), and ESPN is reporting that Yankee GM Brian Cashman is feeling the heat from the Boss.

For now, it's good to be part of Red Sox Nation.

Rolling with Dice-K

When asked about Daisuke Matsuzaka before last night's game, Detroit manager Jim Leyland said, ""I don't give a [expletive] about him," Leyland said, according to the Detroit Free Press. "I'm not getting into all that. I could give a [expletive] less. It's another pitcher."

Dice-K threw his first MLB complete game, allowing two runs on six hits. He got 17 outs on ground balls and struck out five batters. He did not give up a walk. I should repeat that. He didn't walk anybody, not even in the fourth inning, the inning of Dice-K doom. He threw 124 pitches, 89 of them for strikes.

After the game, Leyland said, "That Matsuki guy is the real deal. He's good."

I'm Not Taking This Bet

Remember how all those New Yorkers wondered if the blood on Kurt Schilling's sock in the ALCS was real and all of Sox Nation knew beyond a doubt that it was real?
The controversy bubbled up again this week in Baltimore, due Gary Thorne's complete lack of a sense of humor or understanding of irony or his desire to become a national story...whatever.
WEEI spent hours discussing whether it was real, national media outlets picked up the story and to no one's surprise, Kurt Schilling went ballistic and then went directly to his blog, where he writes:

Someone gave me a great idea to end this once and for all. No one will ever need to bring it up again. I’ll wager 1 million dollars to the charity of anyones choice, versus the same amount to ALS. If the blood on the sock is fake, I’ll donate a million dollars to that persons charity, if not they donate that amount to ALS.

Any takers?

Um, not me. I totally believe you, buddy.

Wicked Good

The Sox were Green Monsters (insert groan here) last night, coming back in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game on Coco Crisp triple and going ahead on an Alex Cora single.

They couldn't stop A-Rod, but Coco did his best. He almost snagged this A-Rod dinger before flipping a$$ over tea kettle into the bullpen. But no matter. Coco got his first hit (0-7 prior to last night) off Mariano Rivera to drive in the tying runs.

The Yanks Are Coming

A-Rod's playing a little better than he was in October of 2004 (10 Home Runs, 26 ribbies, and a .351 batting average), when he was reduced to cheating to try to get on base, but we're not beneath (above?) reminding him about this little incident and hoping for a similar incident. It's the Yuckees and all's fair in love and the Sox/Yuckees rivalry.

Let's go Sox.
Check out more Sox info at A Red Sox State of Maine.

Love That Dirty Water......Boston You're My Home

What's not to love about a town where fans rooting for the same team will toss pizza at each other?

Also note that Remdog thinks the guy got tossed not for "throwing the pizza" but for ruining a good piece of pizza....(the pizza tosser was from Maine. Wicked small world.)