Second Game

I've been watching since I got home, and things aren't looking good.

I watched at work until 6:30 Central time, and we've been behind the whole game. It's now the top of the 9th, and the score is 1-5, Oakland. Lowell got off a good single to lead off and, strange as it may sound, Casey is at the bat.

BAHAHAHAHAHA.....

Ooh. Ouch. Casey has not struck out, but Casey has hit into a double play. I think that's worse. So it's all up to Varitek, who is not one of our strong hitters. There goes our perfect season, eh?

I'm trying to figure out why the ESPN graphic has a yellow square at first base...there's no one there.

Oh, yeah! I almost started crying when they came back from commercials during the 8th inning and I heard "Sweet Caroline" over the loudspeakers.

Well, Tek hath struck out. Sigh.

Oh, well. We're still in first place all by ourselves.

And now, they have to come back and play exhibition over the weekend on the West Coast.

Later, my friends.

And They're OFF!!!

Brandon Moss just hit his first major league home run to tie the game 4-4 in the top of the 9th. It doesn't get much more exciting than this. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any more across, so we go to the bottom and hope for extra innings.

It's been a pretty rough ride this morning (is it actually tonight in Japan??), as Dice-K was pretty much all over the place this morning. He got behind early, but then the Sox got the lead back while I was driving home from work. But by the time I got in the house, used the bathroom, and came back out to the living room, they were behind again.

Okajima is pitching now in the bottom of the ninth.

Our boy, Jacoby made an amazing catch out in centerfield in the bottom of the 8th. Looks like it hurt a little as his back slammed against the fence, but he came up to bat in the 9th.

And he pulls in another one in the bottom of the ninth.

We have two outs in the bottom of the ninth, a 2-2 count to Ellis, who hit a home run off of Dice-K in the first. He chops back to Okajima, who tosses to first to send us into extra innings.

Top of the 10th. Lugo outruns a ground ball to third. Pedroia's up. Dustin gives up a good sac bunt. Almost bunted it too hard, but it worked. Youk is up. Youk strikes out. Here's Papi, with Lugo on second and two out. Oh, my God. They're walking Papi to get to Manny. The last team that did that was the Angels in the Division Championship Series of '07. And we all remember how that worked out. MANNY GETS A DOUBLE OFF THE TOP OF THE CENTER FIELD WALL!!!! WOOHOO! A four RBI game for Manny, and the Sox are up 6-4!

Huston Street comes out of the game, after blowing a save and possibly losing the game. Hah! That'll teach Sports Illustrated to put him ahead of Papelbon in the Relief Pitcher category! And while we're talking about that...SI didn't even list Beckett in the top three pitchers for fantasy baseball! What is up with THAT??

Commercials, commercials, commercials...

Ahahaha...now they're walking Mike Lowell. They brought in a new pitcher to throw balls. What strategy! And they walked Lowell to get to the guy who is responsible for the 10th inning, to begin with. Moss flies out to center.

Here comes Papelbon! Woot!! Can we say "game over?"

Ouch. Paps walks the leadoff batter. And one strike-out. Well...Brown lines one into the gap, scoring one, but he gets caught in a run down between second and third. So there are two out, now. Bad, bad base running. Good for us, too, because the next batter lines one up the middle. Dang...another hit.

Ok. Runners at first and second, 2 outs, bottom of the tenth. Pitching coach is having a friendly visit with Mr. Papelbon. I think he said, "Jonathan, get this next guy out, k?"

WOOT!!! Ground ball to first, toss to Papelbon, game over. Okajima gets the win!

The Red Sox are perfect in '08!

Hahaha...

I Can Feel It Coming In the Air...

It is less than 5 hours until baseball season starts. I'm at work, and, sadly, will still be at work at 5 (Central Time) when this blessed even starts. But I have my DVT set, and I will turn on MLBTV on my work computer. I may not be able to pay real close attention, but the game will be on. Hopefully, I can at least see the first pitch.

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I know I join many friends and fans (if you're a Red Sox fan, you're my friend...even Ben Affleck, whom I really didn't like until I saw him and J. Garner at a game sporting "B" hats. Dang it.) in this excitement.

I'm all decked out in my '04 championship t-shirt (my '07 one is in the laundry), my Carl Yastrzemski jersey, and my favorite new hat, the bright red Boston hat with the black B that they all wore during Spring Training.

I need to get another "Red Sox Nation" wristband...mine broke last year. Not sure how you break one of those thick rubber thingies...I think a Yankees fan snuck into my house and cut it with scissors.

Anyway. Just think...in a few hours, we will all be doing something together. United we stand, and all that rubbish!

Woot!!

Belated Happy Easter

I meant to log on and say that this morning (only it wouldn't have been "belated" would it?), but it got late and I was getting ready for church.

So....HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

We had a great day, mostly. Had some issues with Steph at church, but otherwise, nice. We did a new song at church that I wrote last week, and everybody seemed to really like it. That makes me happy. And, Rachel, my 18-almost-19-year-old *gasp*, was back playing guitar with me. That made me even more happy. And proud. She's really good.

So, yeah...great day. And, like Tex, I was pleasantly amazed to wake up and see that Drew had hit another salami. I'm getting goosebumps over the possibilities of 2008 in Boston.

Just-a waitin' for Tuesday morning, 5am. (Central Time)

Oh, yeah...just curious...how does everyone like the new layouts on the MLB sites...I'm not sure yet. It looks sharp.

Dropkicks

I'm not sure when my hearing will return to normal.

You know, I may be getting to old for this...

Nah...

But, that being said, it was one of the loudest things I've ever heard.

We had an entertaining night at the House of Blues in Dallas Saturday night, seeing the Dropkick Murphys live. Unfortunately, both of the warmup bands were really bad. I'm not sure I ever got the name of the first band, but the second was called "Big D and the Kids Table." Ugh.

They struck out with me before ever playing a note when the rolled out a huge banner that said "Stop Global Warming." Don't even get me started on the biggest scam that has ever been foisted upon our nation.

Anyway, they were basically "ska." I didn't know anybody still played "ska." The lead singer was whiny, rude, and obscene (many, many "f-bombs").

Finally, around 10p, the Murphys came on. I don't remember how long they played, but it was a good length, not too short. I'm majorly disappointed though. They did not play "Tessie." I guess maybe they've gotten a little burned out on that...whoa! Was that lightning??

Where was I? Lessee...guess maybe they've gotten a little burned out on that song. But still...there were a lot of Red Sox fans there, and I'm sure we would have all sung every word.

Oh, well. Didn't let it ruin my evening. They gave us "Shipping Up to Boston," "Captain Kelly's Kitchen," "The Fields of Athenry," "Flannigan's Ball," "Citizen CIA," and a whole bunch of songs I really didn't know very well, because I didn't go back past "Warrior's Code" and listen up on their older stuff.

See, I really didn't get into them until sometime last year. Here's how it happened. We were getting ready for our trip to Boston last year, and I was searching on Yahoo! Music Unlimited for songs about Boston to put on my mp3 player. I found a lot of them, some by groups/people I had never heard of. I learned that I really like "Boston" by Augustana... I also found two songs by the Murphys, "Shipping Up to Boston," and "For Boston." Well, I was exploring the album, "Warrior's Code," and I saw this song called "Tessie" down at the bottom. Being the curious type of person I am, I clicked on it. Imagine my surprise when the opening of the song was that Boston radio announcer calling the final play of the '04 series with Keith Foulke underhanding that ball to first base to end the game.

Then the song started. I was hooked. I spent the next week researching the Royal Rooters, "Nuf Ced" McGreevy and "Tessie." I even have the original recording of the song on my player now.

Having been a fan of the Sox for as long as I have, I'm actually kind of ashamed that I didn't know about McGreevy and the Royal Rooters before last year, but I love the history, the story, and it's tons of fun.

Anyway, that's when I began to really like the Dropkick Murphys and the rest of their music. It started when I realized they were Red Sox fans, but blossomed from there.

In the concert, their lead singer, Al Barr, well, he looks really angry all the time. Intensity, I guess. My wife described him as a "caged cat" when he wasn't singing. It was like he was pacing, but only had a limited area to pace in.

Unfortunately, the volume was so loud that we really couldn't understand any of the words. Well, not very many of them, anyway.

For one of the last songs, Ken Casey invited a bunch of girls up on the stage. It was pretty wild. I think some of them had had just a tad too much to drink. Ya think?? Heh. Then for the final song (or two) the whole stage was full of fans that had been on the floor area. Very crazy finish. Looked dangerous to me. I don't know if I would want a bunch of drunk, crazed people that had been whipped into a frenzy by an hour and half of Irish punk music anywhere near my expensive musical equipment. Hahaha....

Anyway, it was good fun, even though they didn't play "Tessie."

Now, it's time to really get serious about some baseball. I ordered my yearbook and media guide Saturday. I've got my MLB TV subscription so I can actually watch Red Sox games live. I'm hoping to get one of those new all red hats for my birthday. I really like those. I don't remember seeing those before this year. I should have my tickets to the three games in Texas very soon. I'm ready.

Ok, ok....back to work with me...

Take Me Out....

No, I'm not talking about Franz Ferdinand...

So, I got this letter today from the Texas Rangers, and it goes like this:

Dear Jeff:

Congratulations! You have been selected to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" prior to a 2008 Texas Rangers home game.

The Texas Rangers will begin scheduling performance dates in early March. We will follow up with you either by letter or by email with a date and further details and instructions that you will need for your performance.

We appreciate your support of Texas Rangers Baseball and look forward to seeing you perform at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 2008!
~~~~~~~~~~

Huzzah!! This is pretty exciting! I'll just have to concentrate really hard so I don't sing, "Root, root, root for the RED SOX!!!" Hahahahaha....
~~~~~~~~~~

The Rangers signed my favorite Rangers player yesterday to a 5 year contract worth 22 mil. Ian Kinsler will stay with the team for a while. That's great news.

Also been reading articles on the Red Sox page. I love the one about Jacoby Ellsbury (my family's favorite Red Sox player) and the parade he got in his home town in Oregon last November. How cool is that?

TTFN, y'all!

Ooh, That Smell! Can't You Smell That Smell?

What's that smell?

It's in the air. Faint, but noticeable.

Do you smell it?

Of course you do. You're a Red Sox fan, too.

Pitchers and catchers report to camp tomorrow. This weekend, Spring Training is officially on.

Happy sigh.

It's Time For Baseball!

Baseball starts this week!!!

Huzzah!!!

I can hardly wait.

<3<3<3<3

Update on Christi and Baseball

I took Christi to her first follow-up doctor's visit yesterday (November 16). It went very well. They took X-rays, which they said looked really good. She is cleared to ride in the car and even drive some if necessary. She is also cleared to return to work for at least partial days the week after Thanksgiving (which is next Thursday). It was a great report. She was also told that she doesn't need to wear the hard neck brace any more, so we picked up a cervical soft foam collar on the way home from the doctor's office.

In other news, (I haven't talked about baseball in a while) dear old A-Rod now says he wants to remain a Yankee. This is fine with me, in fact, I'm ecstatic about it. That means he won't be coming to Boston or even back to Texas. Let him stay in New York. Let the Yankees keep his baggage. Once again, look at the record. Yes, he will likely break the all-time home run record some day if he stays healthy. But no team has won with A-Rod on the roster. Not even the Yankees.

Barry Bonds is being indicted!!! Yay and Hooray!!!! Now, maybe he will go away!

Kenny Rogers has fired Scott Boras!! People, this his HUGE news! Especially in light of the fact that A-Rod had negotiations with the Yankees without Boras, as well. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end for the "devil of baseball." I keep saying that all of the major league owners/GMs need to just refuse to talk to Boras. He is singlehandedly attempting to destroy baseball as we know it. Free agency may be not such a bad thing, especially for players, but representation by an agent is bad for the sport, especially an agent like Boras.

The Red Sox are still in negotiations with now free agent Mike Lowell. They have offered him a three year deal, but he seems interested in a four year deal. One of two things needs to happen. Either the Sox need to go ahead and give him what he wants, or he needs to have some loyalty and do something unique in the baseball world by not just going for the money. Either way. The Sox need Lowell. The Red Sox Nation would love to see basically the same team take the field on Opening Day as the one that left the field at the end of game 4 of the World Series.

I think they need to work on a good shortstop. That has been the weak link for years. Lugo and Cora are adequate, but neither one of them can be compared with the likes of Youk, Pedroia and Lowell.

Oh, I almost forgot. It has been announced that they will be adding at least 800 new seats to the legend that it Fenway Park for next season! All in the ongoing work to keep Fenway alive. And we may get to go back again next year. I may have actually made a Red Sox fan out of my wife, now. Hee!!

Well, Thanksgiving is next week. I have to go get some groceries today so we can start preparing for the big meal. We will be cooking a turkey, some dressing, and the ubiquitous grean bean casserole. Plus I am making a sopapilla cheesecake for church tomorrow. I've never tried that one before.

TTFN, y'all!

Yankees Go HOME! And STAY Home!!!

It was with great pleasure that I watched the Indians finish off the Yankees last night.

How ironic that a team that did not beat the Evil Empire once all season long, knocked them out of the playoffs.

At least one of the sportscasters opined that the Red Sox would rather play the Yankees with their "beat-up pitching staff" in the ALCS than the Indians. I don't know how the Red Sox team members feel about that, but I know how the fans feel. I don't know any Red Sox fans that want to be anywhere near the Yankees! I'm sure that there was great elation all throughout the Red Sox Nation last night as that last Yankee batter struck out.

So, the Sox face the Tribe on Friday night. In Fenway Park, of course. And let's see...not that it means anything, as evidenced by the series with the Yankees, but Boston's record against Cleveland this year is 5-2. A little less one-sided, and I don't see the Red Sox getting cocky. I do see them winning.

The Rockies face the Diamondbacks Thursday. The Rockies will win. I don't know if they will sweep, but they will win. We will have a Red Sox/Rockies World Series this year.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. Happens all the time. It's just a feeling.

Night of Praise with Dennis Jernigan

Saturday night, Christi, Stephanie, and I drove all the way up to Denison, TX, to take part in a Night of Praise with modern-day Psalmist, Dennis Jernigan. As always, it was an inspiring night. We sang most of the old favorites, along with some brand new songs, a couple even newer than the newest cd, "I Cry Holy." There were a few problems with the sound system at the church. At the beginning, Dennis couldn't hear his tracks from the monitor speakers (by the way, DJ uses an iPod for his tracks; this is an increasingly popular thing to do), and later, his powerful singing was simply blowing out the speakers and distorting them. But we still had a good time. Stephanie got to meet Melinda, Dennis's wife, and four of their kids were there...lessee...Asa, Ezra, Gayla, and Raina (not sure if I spelled those right or not), and Stephanie got to meet all of them, too. And DJ actually remembered her name! Now, that made her night, doncha know? I got a pretty good picture of Stephanie standing between Dennis and Melinda, so I'll post it here.



~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't not write about the playoff results. I was disappointed that the D-Backs swept the Cubs. I was happy that the Rockies swept the Phillies, although, I must say I'm a little afraid of the Rockies. They are hotter than August in Texas right now, and have won 17 out of their last 18 games. Of course, I was ecstatic (and not in the least surprised) when the Red Sox swept the Angels. Manny was amazing. Sunday afternoon's game was close until the Sox blew it open in the top of the 8th inning. I almost felt sorry for the Angels. I said, "almost!"

Then the darned Yankees had to go and spoil it all by beating Cleveland last night. It was supposed to be straight sweeps across the board. But NO! We have to have another game, now. So, tonight...we'll be rooting for the tribe again. But you know what? I'm not the least bit afraid of the Yankees right now. This Red Sox team can handle them. I know the Yanks beat the Sox during regular season, but it's playoff time, now. The Sox are hot and out for rings. And it's time for New York's domination of baseball to be over.

TTFN, y'all!

What the....???

Yesterday, the Texas Rangers did something that has not been done for 110 years. They scored 30 runs in one game. 30. Thirty. Three Oh. I can't help but laugh just thinking about it.

This happened in the first game of a double-header in Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Here's a team that has had one of its most mediocre seasons ever, and they went to town on the poor Orioles.

What makes it even funnier is that they only scored in four innings! Five runs in the fourth, nine runs in the sixth, TEN runs in the eighth, and six in the ninth. Marlon Byrd had a grand slam in the sixth, which just happened to be the Sonic Slam Inning. That's right. Some lucky Rangers fan won 25,000 dollars plus a little extra because someone else hit a home run in the same inning. Then Travis Metcalf hit a grand slam in one of the other innings. There were lots of singles, though. It wasn't all home runs. Just hit after hit, salted with a few walks. It was pretty incredible.

When I got to work last night, someone asked if there wasn't some kind of "mercy" rule. Nope. Not in the bigs. No ten run rule. On the one hand, it would have been nice to save 20 or so of those runs for other games. They only needed four runs to win the game. On the other hand, though, they now have the modern-day record for runs in a game, AND the modern-day record for most runs in a double header, breaking the previous record of 36 when they won the second game 9-7.

Needless to say, Kason Gabbard got the win in the first game.

Sadly, Benoit blew a save in the second, then got the win when the Rangers came back. Reinecker would have had the win, even though he gave up five runs.

That brings up the subject of a badly needed rule in baseball. It should not be allowed to blow a save then get the win. There's rule that a pitcher can't pitch his way into a save situation. Why isn't there a rule that a pitcher can't "steal" a win by blowing the save? There needs to be. Maybe someday, when baseball has a real commissioner, such a rule will be instituted. But as long as Bud Selig is pretending to be a baseball commissioner, that's not likely to happen.

Oops. I went and got on a soapbox, didn't I? Dang.

Oh, well. Congrats to the Rangers for making history. It made an otherwise bad day a little bit of fun. It was otherwise bad because the Devil Rays beat the Sox 2-1, and the Evil Empire finally managed to beat the Angels. So the Sox are back to only 5 games ahead. But...they are still the best team in baseball. For now.

TTFN, y'all!

Wakefield Delivers Again

Once again, Tim Wakefield has shut out the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Sox won 6-0 last night with Wakefield shining again, for what, I believe, is his second shutout in a row. And the Angels continued their domination over the Evil Empire, as they scored a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to win 7-6. This put the Sox back to 5 games ahead of the Yanks.

The Rangers and the Orioles were postponed by rain. In the meantime, the Rangers' first baseman hit two three run home runs for the Atlanta Braves. It's too bad Tom Hicks would rather "contend" than "win." I'm not sure he knows what that word means.

TTFN, y'all!

A Good Day, Mostly

Last night turned out good for both teams that I watch. The Red Sox finished strong and managed to beat the Angels 10-5. Of course, that helped the Rangers, too, and they beat the Twins 5-0. Kam Loe had a strong outing, after coming back off the disabled list. Oakland lost, too, which means the Rangers actually gained some ground in the AL West. Lessee....they are only...um...*takes off shoes*...Hah. 17 games out. 5 behind the A's.

I say it was a good, "mostly." The one thing that kept it from being an excellent day was the Evil Empire beating the Tigers 5-2. So the Sox maintain a 5 game lead over the Yanks. I suppose it's going to come down to that last series beween the Sox and the Yanks, just like every year. But then, it wouldn't be baseball without that, would it?

Today is Stephanie's birthday. She turns 14 today. She has already opened her presents (at about 6:30 this morning), and has scored a new laptop, mouse and lap desk. Along with a new dvd player for her room and a set of Full House dvds (season 6, I think). All the grandparents are meeting us at church and we are going out to Bennigans afterwards, so she will likely get a few more presents and a little bit of cash, to boot. Should be a good day.

TTFN, y'all!

A Split Decision

Yesterday's double-header with the Angels was a mixed bag. It looked for a few minutes, like the Sox had pulled off another miracle come-back. Then Gagne blew another one. Here's the deal. I liked Gagne as a Ranger. But I'm hating him as a Red Sox. That was a pathetic performance last night. Then that umpire made the worst call ever. Youk foul-tipped a pitch on the second strike and the up called him out on strikes, said he missed it. The camera showed over and over that the ball hit the end of the bat and changed direction. Francona was subsequently ejected, as was Youk. They had to pull Youk away from the ump. But, hey. The ump was flat wrong. And I'm proud of Francona for getting tossed on a call like that. I would, too. I've seen Rangers managers not argue calls like that. If I'm a manager and the ump makes a blatantly wrong call, I will get tossed. He needs to know how wrong he was. And frankly, I think the club owner, in this case John Henry, should be able to throw the ump out of his ballpark! Yeah, that's it! Henry should have come down and tossed out the ump. "And don't EVER come back to MY ballpark!!" Yeah.

Oh. I forgot to say that the Sox won the first game in the double-header handily.

Then after that was over, I had to endure listening to Jamie Wright lose a game for the Rangers. On a wild pitch. Egad.

So yesterday, two Red Sox pitchers threw brilliantly, only to have the game lost by another. Well, technically, Kason Gabbard isn't a Red Sox anymore, he's a Ranger. But he pitched very well and got no decision, as it was tied when he left the game. Same happened to Josh Beckett, who is trying to get his 16th win. He may have been behind when he left...can't remember. I just know they were ahead when Gagne took over.

Tonight's game...another knuckle-biter. It's currently the bottom of the 6th, and the Sox are ahead 6-5 after a 6 run fifth. This included a fabulous grand slam home run by Papi!! Everyone knew it as soon as he swung, too. He just watched it go, started trotting towards first, and tossed down the bat, as if to say, "So, there!" Hah!

TTFN, y'all!

A Mixed Week

This week, Red Sox fans were treated to two exciting finishes and one disappointment. In Monday's game, we saw Tim Wakefield take a no-no into the seventh inning. I didn't actually start watching the game until the 5th when I logged on and saw that Wake was throwing a no-hitter. I figured that as soon as I started watching, he would lose it, but it went for another two innings. It wound up being a two-hit shutout.

Then, Tuesday night, we were treated to a rare, ninth inning rally for a win. They were behind, 1-0, and a stat was announced that the Sox had only won something like 1 game all season when they were behind after the 8th inning. Well, anyway, Mike Lowell proceeded to hit one over the Green Monster, out into the street, to tie the game. This was after Manny struck out looking (on a pitch that was around ankle-high). After Lowell's blast, Youk struck out looking. I think his third strike really was a strike. Much closer than Manny's anyway. After Youk's out, Tek blasted a ground-rule double into the right field boxes. This brought up Coco Crisp, a healthy part of this balanced breakfast. No, wait. Sorry. I just always thought his name sounded like a breakfast cereal. And I'm certain that I am the first person to think that. Coco hit a nice single into right field. That's all we needed. Tek scored, and the game was over. Stephanie and I had a high five, and I went to work.

Wednesday afternoon, they weren't so lucky. The rally didn't quite make it, so they lost while I slept. Fortunately, the Evil Empire also lost, so no ground was lost in the standings. Oh, yeah. I think it was on Tuesday that the O's beat the Yanks 12-0. Life is good.

As I'm typing this, Detroit has beat A-Roid and company yet again, making three losses in a row. The Sox rested today and gained a half game. Today, they have a double header against the closest team to them in the MLB, the Los Angeles California Anaheim Orange County Angels. Did I get all the names in there? I was hoping for a really great matchup between Beckett and Lackey, but the Angels moved Lackey's start to game two. What a game that would have been!!

Who Is This Jesus?

There have been debates over the years, and will be still, as to who Jesus was. History does show that he was a real, breathing, walking person, who lived on the earth around the time our calendars changed from A.D. to B.C. Here are some words about it:

"This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." These are the words of John, in his gospel, chapter 5, verse 18.

But if that isn't enough, hear the words of Jesus, himself:

"The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."

There it is, straight from the proverbial "horse's mouth." And I'm not calling Jesus a horse.

There is no getting to God without going through Jesus. Jesus is the judge. God has granted him that privilege/responsibility. Anyone who does not acknowledge and honor Jesus Christ, no matter how hard they try, or what lofty words they say, does not honor God. Hard words, but truth.

---

Well, the van is mostly packed and we will be leaving for Richardson soon. Here we go.

---

I had hoped to have good news to report this morning, but the Red Sox lost to the Orioles in the bottom of the ninth inning last night. At least the Rangers won, thanks to Frank Cat Ala Knot Oh. The Sox have now allowed the Evil Empire to creep to within 5 games of first place. They'd better wake up!

TTFN, y'all!

National Day of Mourning

It is a dark day in baseball history.

Barry Bonds has cheated his way into the record books. He is not the reigning home run king of Major League Baseball, as he overtook Hank Aaron's record last night.

I have to say that I agree 100% with Jim Reeves, local sports columnist for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. In fact, rather than try to quote parts of his column, I will link to it. This should do it.

I don't know anyone personally who wanted Bonds to break this record. But now it's over. Now, just maybe, he will go away. Maybe he will stop trying to play a game that he has been physically unable to play for years. Everyone knows that the only reason he was still hanging around was to get this record. He can barely run around the bases. And he certainly can't adequately play a position. His knees are shot. He will probably die young, likely from heart failure, from all the steriods and other junk he has put into his body.

We can only hope that A-Rod will hurry up and catch him so that his name won't disgrace the record books for very long. And I don't even like A-Rod. But he is the youngest player to reach 500 home runs. And he doesn't look like he's pumping up with 'roids. Who knows, though?

It's a dark day in baseball. Let us all hang our heads and mourn.

TTFN, y'all.

Was the Teixeira Trade A Good One?

The buzz around the MLB was that the Rangers actually came out pretty good for this year's trades. I'm not so sure.

While it was obvious that the "devil in baseball," Scott Boras was NOT going to allow Tex to stay in Texas (and Tex is foolish enough to think that Boras actually works for him...), there was still a year left in his contract. Hickman and the Boy Wonder claim that Tex turned down a multi-year contract worth $140,000,000. The problem is that Tex did not turn it down, Boras did. I wonder if Tex ever even knew it was made. That's just the kind of agent Boras is. Every fan of baseball should detest Scott Boras. Oh, sure, he's great for the players...or is he??

Most Rangers fans should remember the glory days of Rafael Palmeiro. Rafe wanted to stay with the Rangers. Boras lied to the Rangers and said he had a better offer. So the Rangers backed off and let him go. There was no better offer. So Palmeiro wound up in Baltimore instead.

It's my opinion that every MLB owner should band together and refuse to even talk to Boras. Ever. Don't even acknowledge that he exists. It would only take one season with all the top name players having contracts before they get smart and fire him. And yes, baseball could survive one season without all of them. Look at how much fun it is watching the Rangers right now. They are a bunch of (mostly) young, hungry players. They are barely playing .500 right now, but so what. This season is pretty much over for them. If they manage to claw their way up to .500 before the season is over, most fans will consider it a success. And they might not even finish in dead last!

Ok....lemmee step off of that soap box now. So far, the mediocre first baseman for which we traded a great first baseman is 1 for about 11 at the plate. In the meantime, Tex has hit two homer in his first two games as a Brave. I understand we got some "prospects" for Tex, as well. But how well have the Rangers' "prospects" ever worked out? Anyone remember this infamous "DVD" bunch? Danks, Volquez, and Diamond? Zilch. Nada. Never panned out worth anything.

And...we traded our only closer to the Red Sox. Now, mind you, it tickles me to no end to see Eric Gagne with the Sox. He's got a sure shot at some playoff action this year. A possible World Series ring. And the Rangers got Kason Gabbard out of the deal. That shocked the heck out of me...but I guess if you have talent out the wazzoo, you can afford to throw some away. But even Gabbard lost his first outing with the Rangers, after being 4-0 for the Sox so far. And the Rangers still have no closer until Otsuka gets off the dl. So there you go.

Only time will tell if the Rangers actually did well this trade season. My bets are on "no." Because that's the Rangers style, and it's definitely Jon Daniels' style.

And by the way...a note to the Rangers fans...probably some of the worst in all of baseball. Both Tex and Gagne got huge standing ovations from their new fans. When have Rangers fan EVER done that?? When have Rangers fans ever waited in a block-long line just for the hope of getting a ticket for a sold-out game? When have Rangers fans ever bought enough tickets that there is no hope of the opponent's fans even getting in the ballpark. And yet they whine and moan when they hear cheers of "Let's Go Red Sox!" wafting through the Rangers Ballpark. Pft. Every Rangers fan should be required to visit Fenway Park at least once. At Fenway Park there is no "cutesy" organ music urging fans to clap for the players during the inning. The Fenway Faithful need no urging. If one tries to start up a cheer of "Let's Go Rangers!" during an inning in Arlington, he will be a lonely voice, getting some stares from other fans indicating that he is just south of sane. Another thing I noticed about Fenway Park is there is NO promotional schedule. They don't give away anything. They don't have to. No stupid "chatter bats." No bobbleheads. No stupid "Wingo" games. And DEFINITELY no stinkin' CHEERLEADERS!!! I still think that's the dumbest idea that Hicks has ever come up with.

At Fenway Park....it's just baseball. And it's glorious!

TTFN, y'all!