Sunday, September 30, 2007

An Ode to Tommy Glavine.

Hey Tom,

I just wanted to say, "Sorry", I'm sure you don't remember meeting me at the Burlington Mall. But I was about 13. I had on a Charlotte Hornets starter jacket and I had Paul and Chris with me. My biological brother and his best friend who never left my side. I had convinced my mom to drop us of at the mall to meet you. We had heard that you were going to be at the Burlington Mall raising money for the Bridgewater State Girl's softball team or something like that. I was in the beginning of my love of baseball. Paul and I had started collecting baseball cards and making Daddy buy us cards (all of which are now dusty in our cellar just waiting for a hot water tank to blow so my mom can toss them). Anyway. I was starting to like baseball, but mainly I liked liking something that my dad and brother liked. Then we went to the Burlington Mall. We were allowed to get one thing signed per person. I had an 8X10, and about 9 baseball cards. You smiled at me and said you didn't mind signing them all. I took an awkward picture of you signing the cards, and you smiled at me and told me you'd be happy to take a picture with all of us. I still have it. The boys smiling like their heads would explode. Me, completely awkward wearing my Hornets jacket, a pimply face and a really bad haircut. You asked the boys what positions they played. Who their favorite team was. You told them you understood they liked the Red Sox, but that they should like the Braves too unless they met in the World Series. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I was pulling for you today. That despite my Ryan Howard crush, I wanted you to win. You to go 7 strong, force the playoff, and everything else. I wish you had gotten a chance to wear the Red Sox uniform. Despite the WS with the Braves, the millions, the success, I can't believe it still doesn't hurt a little that the Boston kid didn't ever wear the Old Town's Team's colors. So, I'm thinking that you might come back next year, or, maybe you're done. But whatever you are, thanks, for making me think all baseball players were that nice. You kept me along till Nomar came along and I fell in love head over heels. And for that, I am grateful. I've been sucked in ever since. So sorry about todays game. I'm happy about the AL East and homefield. And I would never root for two teams at once. But just know it hurt a little to see your line score today. Thanks for everything.

Love,

Amanda

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Counting down the days, hours, and minutes till I am in Boston next weekend while searching the internet for pictures of Papelbon's ass.


The 2007 AL East Champion Boston Red Sox.


I love this team. After 22 games in person this year...too much money spent at Fenway and the Baseball Tavern...2 kick ass road trips...one that almost killed me....one horrifc Jack Daniels encounter and almost commiting manslaughter when Papelbon blew the 14th inning and Detroit. It's finally ours. The AL East Champion Boston Red Sox. It has a such a great ring to it doesn't it? Anyway, I don't have a ton to say, I'm thrilled, relieved and excited. I'm glad it came off Mo. I'm hoping this team got hot at just the right time. Anyway, some awesome pictures from Kelly taken at the game last night and some fun pictures of the Sox partying at Game On after the game. SWEET!


(I cannot WAIT to be home for the ALDS next weekend. Between getting to watch Monday Night Patriots this week, the Red Sox on national TV starting next week, and my kids having standardized testing so we are just going to hang out a lot this week, I feel like it is already Friday and I am already getting on the plane to go home and see my favorites...and my friends too.)
HAPPY AL EAST!!!

Thank you Baltimore!

HI CONOR!

(back with a real post later!)

Sunday, September 16, 2007



I can accept a little fun ribbing. I think this is hilarious.

Kind of hard to breathe...







LT is "confident" that if the Chargers play the Patriots 10 times, they win 9. There is a difference between "confidence" and "stupidity"...

Patriots just marched down the field. I think we are going to dominate tonight.

The Great Autograph Experiment Update...

I just moved into a new house a month ago, and I have been getting my mail forwarded. And the other day...I got mail from Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds since I got here. That is right. From A-Rod I got my card returned along with an autographed A-Rod photo and from Barry Bonds I got my card back, unsigned, along with another Bonds card and a letter thanking me for being a fan. So my two least favorite baseball players on the earth do at least, return mail. So now I have heard back from 4 players, Manny (card returned unsigned), Timlin (card returned signed), Bonds (card returend with letter), and A-Rod (card returned unsigned with autographed photo).

Seriously?

Waiting on 8:05

"They show no class, no class at all, and maybe that comes from the head coach" L "I steal nick names and am a little bitch" T

Good afternoon! I am going to be semi-live blogging today while I eagerlly await tonights killer matchups. Chargers @ Patriots and Yankees @ Red Sox. A very busy night in New England. I am in prime form. I alept till 11:00. Had some homefries and sweet tea. Watched the pregame shows. I'm ready to go. I got 7 hours to kill and you do too...

A few thoughts from the pregame show...

*Boomer annoys me.

*Why do we need so many people on the show?

*Everyone likes the Patriots. Me too.

*"Coach" Mike Ditka keeps forgetting his picks. Good work "Coach". I once coached a basketball team at the Boys Club. From this day forth, I would like to be called, "Coach" please.

*Eli Manning will play today. Well thank God. I still can't get over the feeling that Eli would rather be running around a field with butterflies, curling up on the couch with a nice cup of coco, an afghan, and a good book.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Brutal.

The one word text from KP summed it up entirely. It was brutal. I watched the first four innings or so from my couch and then checked in sporatically at the one real bar in North Carolina. I had a strange sense of uneasyness the entire time. But a 6 run lead in the 8th? I'll take it. Now, I have a confession to make. This loss was my fault. Last night, I was chatting with a very attractive young gentleman who was a friend of a friend. He was from Connecticut and was...a Yankees fan.

Obviously I had to have a little fun with him. I told him that he should really go check the score for me and was telling him how those Tigers are fiesty and that he better watch out or they'll be watching October at home, I told him I was really sad when the Yankees traded my favorite player, to which he said, "um, you mean Johnny Damon?", to which I replied, "You signed Johnny Damon...you traded Scott Proctor, who was my favorite pitcher in any bullpen" Yes, I counted my proverbial eggs before they hatched. I told him how Dice-K is a big game pitcher and how the best bullpen in baseball was in the game. I told him 6 and a 1/2 game lead with two weeks to go isn't going to be easy. I was cocky. And then VAYF (very attractive Yankee fan) got a text and went outside to read it because there is terrible service at the bar. I knew this was bad. I went to the one crappy little TV that had the game on and almost threw up on myself when I saw the score.

Despite this game now being a car accident (I didn't want to look but I had to) I had to stand in front of this little TV in a really bad spot with VAYF with my neck at a really uncomfortable angle. They were all zoomed in on Mo who was trying to close out the game, I told VAYF Mo was my favorite closer in the 2004 ALCS. He winced and said, "That hurts". I smiled. We may have lost last night, and it may have hurt. But at least, no matter what happens in the future. We'll always have 2004.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Good news!

*Talk about absolutely fantastic news, Kevin Everett is moving his arms and legs. Everett, a tight end injured in the Bills game Sunday, originally was thought to be paralyzed. So great.

*Not that everything is about us, but it is, anyone who as ever seen Travis Roy at the Bruins game or the "Dream On" montage at Game On or read 11 Seconds knows how devasting this kind of thing is.

*This is a really sad story about high school football players paralyzed in games. As someone who stood on the sideline for 40 plus college football games, I have to say this was always one of my biggest fears. The story does, however, have a somewhat bright light, and that is a charity started to help these injured high school football players. I swear, if I am ever a millionaire, I am going to have a lot of fun giving my money away.

*Well, the Patriots kicked ass and took names on Sunday, as expected. Now we learn we may have cheated by stealing Jets signs. I say, whatever works. I don't need to win higher and mighter than any one else. I just really need a Peyton-free Super Bowl Sunday okay? I am coming home Columbus Day, mainly so I can watch a Patriots game on TV before Thanksgiving. (Only partly joking)

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Here we go again...

The Colts and Saints kick off the NFL season tonight, and I've been trying to get back in the football swing of things. Things haven't quite gotten off to a great start for the Pats, with Moss and Richard on the injury list and Rodney taking HGH and Tom possibly being distracted by baby drama. I'm not worried, I know that we are well coached, and that our game plan is going to be well thought out.

The thing is, I'm not sure that I'm ready for the stress. I've still got a baseball season to focus on.

And, I'm not quite over last season yet. I really thought we were getting 4 in 6 years. It had such a great ring to it. It said, dominance, it said, dynasty. I loved our team last year. I thought we were getting Corey one more ring and showing Larry how it is done in New England. After we dispelled the Chargers, I thought, there we go, that was it. And even when the Colts came back after that horrific Hobbs call and Peyton couldn't watch...I still thought, Tom will do it. Tom will get it done. We will not be beaten by the Colts in January. Then it happened, and I had a cold February to suffer through till the truck left for Spring Training.

Anyway, all this can be fixed of course, but even if we get to the promised land this year, I'll still be thinking...should have been 5 in 7 years.

Do I sound like a spoiled brat right now? Absolutely. But I am a Boston fan after all. And it is always about us.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Kicking ass and taking names...

I'm getting my life in order and the blog is back, hopefully to stay...

So I've had access to MLB TV for about a week now, (thank you Joe) and in that time I've seen the Sox lose every time I watched. Last night I was planning my lessons for the next week, and my computer was running low on battery. Instead of plugging in my computer and throwing on the Sox game, I put it back on my desk and let it charge, hopped in the shower, and got ready to go out. I got to the bar, and checked my phone, and had a missed call from Katie, and two texts from my brother...the first one read, "The Red Sox have all the hits through the 8th", and the second being, "Clay got a no-no". I was wondering if Paul was messing with me, then Frank's "Awesome" text came in. I got the goosebumps, Paul called and filled me in, then I called Katie back and she told me she had wanted to call but had the whole "fate of the no-no" to worry about. I totally understand. I was the one that made a poor text choice to Katie and Erin during the ill fated Curt Schilling almost no-no and I assured her she made the correct non-call.

Nothing quite like watching a no-no is there? I remember babysitting a crying two year old and infant when I was 16, just beginning to really fall in love with baseball, and I was channel checking and came across David Cone in the 8th inning of his perfect game. I remember wanting to call my Dad to make sure he had on the TV, but not wanting to jinx it, even thought he was a Yankee. There are very few chances in your life to see a perfect game, you don't one to pass you by.

I was babysitting Joey and Nicholas, my all time favorites, when Pedro hit Gerald Williams then almost no-hit the D-Rays. Their parents came home, and Lenny went to take the sleeping Nicholas off me, and I told him he couldn't drive me home now, idea. He was confused till I told him, "You need to sit down, and you need to watch the game, and I can't discuss this right now". He's a huge baseball guy, he got it, and then Pedro's chain broke from his neck, he had to put it in his pocket, and John "Freaking" Flaherty hit a bloop and it was all over. It still bothers me today that when you see the wall in the Hall of Fame with all the no hit and perfect game balls, Pedro doesn't have one there. It always felt like you were just 5 days away from the next chance to see a no-no.

Pre-2004, my favorite Sox memory was Game 5 of the ALDS when Pedro came in and no hit the Indians for 6 innings and risked his shoulder and career for a chance to go to the Dance.

Okay, I'm officially rambling...BUT,

I'm saddened and surprised to learn that Rodney used HGH. He's my guy. I firmly believe that the Patriots were one Rodney Harrison away from a 4th Super Bowl in 6 years. I love him, and I'm sad he didn't think that he had enough in the tank to get back without help.

You see, I have a thing for a certian type player. I like pitchers who aren't afraid to come inside and aren't afraid to hit someone betweent the numbers every once in a while, I like defensive backs who aren't afraid to absolutely cream someone coming across the middle so that for the rest of the game wide recievers are cringing when they go up for a pass, I like shortstops not named Julio Lugo as a rule, I like closers, especially those named Papelbon, I like the slightly dirty player. I like the gamer. And that is why I love Rodney.

One last thing, I'm sure everyone had the same reaction to me when we heard Richard Seymour was going to miss the first 6 weeks. I closed my eyes and said softly to myself over and over, "Clay Bucholz no hitter, Clay Bucholz no hitter, Clay Bucholz no hitter"

Oh, and one more one more last thing. Got to give some props to Bridget for throwing the big f you and your dumb Brazillian super model and giving the baby the Moynahan last name.