Hot Stove on a Cold Day

Was this REALLY the best abbreviation WEEI.com could find for "Assistant"?

I’ve given up trying to figure out when the WEEI.com gig begins. I’m aiming for sometime in January, but who knows, really? The plan is to have this domain forwarded to the new one, so folks shouldn’t miss a beat when it finally happens. Thanks to everyone who’s been asking about it!

I was going to rant about Paul Byrd deciding he wants to spend time with his family so he plans on not starting the 2009 season until halfway through, but I decided to focus on someone who DIDN’T make me want to punch him (currently, anyway): Kevin Youkilis.

Sox and Youk came to an agreement on a four-year, $41 million contract extension that comes with a $13 million club option for 2013 or a $1 million buyout. So we get Youk for another four years. Team could do much worse. Youk could too. SO now we have a first baseman and a second baseman we know will be sticking around for a while. Knowing that they’re be out there makes me very happy. See? I’m easy to please.

Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Pawtucket for the annual “Hot Stove Party” the PawSox throw every year. For a total cost of $0, you can meet some of the new blood (including Lars Anderson, Mark Wagner and Daniel Bard), hear manager Ron Johnson talk about the upcoming season, buy tickets for the 2009 season and wander the halls of the clubhouse at McCoy Stadium. It’s well worth taking the trip!

Incidentally, my dream of taking over the PawSox website has been killed. It has been brought into the fold by MiLB and is now “one of them“. For all the complaining I did last year about the site, I’m a bit bummed that the PawSox have been forced to assimilate. I’m hoping this change means more access to info on the team and the players. If that happens, I’ll have little to complain about in that area. Right?

I’m just going to ramble for a few minutes

Work is absolutely insane and I’m just worn out.  But the news about Jim Rice, the John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli signings, and an opportunity to meet Bronson again have kept me happy throughout the insanity.

Sadly, it all hasn’t helped my brain much so I’m still struggling to be coherent.    Given that my EEI gig probably begins some time late Wednesday or Thursday this week, the timing couldn’t be worse – BUT I’m out of work from Thursday through Monday, so that should give me plenty of time to get focused and start pumping out the entries again.

In the meantime, I’m taking the easy way out.

*  It was pointed out to me in comments on the previous post that I didn’t make any mention of Rickey Henderson making the  Hall of Fame.  I like Rickey and I’m happy he was elected into the Hall.  But the story there would have been if he WASNT picked to make the Hall this year.  My focus was on the man who deserved to be elected in many years ago but had to wait until his last year of eligibility before he got bumped over to the Veterans Committee.  I make no apologies for that.

*  Raise your hand if back in 2001 you thought in 2009 Derek Lowe would get a four year, $60 million contract.  If your hand is up, you’re a liar.

*  Rob Bradford is reporting that Alex Cora has agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the New York Mets.  Cora is one of those “average” players that I have a strong affection for.  It saddens me that he won’t be with the Red Sox, but I’m happy that the New York team he landed with doesn’t play in the Bronx.

*  Seriously.  How is it January and I haven’t heard ANYTHING about Kyle Snyder’s status?  There’s no one out there who can hook me up with some information?  Goal for 2009:  Score an interview with Kyle.  Hey, it could happen!

*  Greg Montalbano was at the Lowell Spinners Alumni dinner last night.  It was inspiring to see him there, looking so well and speaking so fondly of his time playing baseball.  We need more Greg Montalbano stories.  We need to hear more about the unsung heroes in baseball and not just the superstars.

*  Unrelated to baseball:  Watching Bill Hicks tonight and then catching about 5 minutes of Dane Cook made me miss Bill Hicks (and good comedy in general) immensely.  Really, people, stop lining Cook’s pockets.

*  Kelly O’Connor took some fabulous photos at the Boston Baseball Writer’s dinner AND the New Stars for Young Stars event.  Go see her amazing photos here.

Finally, by popular demand:  (This is from last year, not this year’s show, but it serves its purpose!)

A brief “Woooooooo!”

Jim Rice Yesterday - Photo by Steven Senne/AP

Work was crazy busy so I was off-line for the better part of the day yesterday (and will be today as well) and around 1pm it hit me what the day was – and knowing I wouldn’t be online to get the news. I anticipated a text message or two letting me know the outcome of the Hall of Fame voting.

KellyO was the first to hit my cell with the news: “He’s in! Woooooo!!!!”

And, a bit to my surprise, I started to cry. I’ve spent a little piece of this blog talking up Jim Rice. I make it no secret that I think he belongs in the hall of fame. There was a huge feeling of vindication for the man and his career upon reading Kelly’s words.

I normally write something just before the HoF announcements come out.  Every year I wrote about Jim Ed he didn’t get in.  I purposely wrote nothing this year.  So he has me to thank. 

I don’t think I could be happier for him if I knew him personally.

With any amount of luck, tomorrow begins my gig at WEEI. I’ll let you know as it gets more certain!

Still on my Bronson high

Enjoying the last few hours of reflecting on the weekend.

Bronson on Friday night - Photo by Me

Had to miss two events yesterday because I’m a klutz (I will live!) but still got to see Bronson on Friday.  He and his band were entertaining as usual and did many songs we hadn’t heard them do live before, including a cover of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” and Bronson’s original song “Painted it All Yellow” (the song he sang on the last entry I posted).  Highlights of the night (for me) were getting to hang with Cindy, KellyO and Janine all night (CBS Scene? Meh. Bar Louie’s? I almost didn’t want to leave there to go to the show.), getting to chat up Elan Trotman for a few minutes after the show, and, of course, getting to meet Bronson again at another meet and greet he did (also after the show).

“Meet and Greet” is a bit generous.  From a lot of reports I’ve heard, many people felt rushed through the line.  Buy a shirt or cd (which we did – shirt – before the show), have him sign it/maybe pose for a picture and get lost.  But, see, we don’t roll that way. I went first, asked Bronson the name of the song he wrote (he didn’t mention it in his intro), told him how much I liked it…gabbed a minute or two and then asked him if he’d pose for a picture.  This all came after I handed him my t-shirt (designed by him) inside out (hey, they were promoting it as “REVERSIBLE!”) and he remarked, “It’s inside out.”.  I smiled and told him I knew it was inside out and that I wanted him to sign the side with less printing on it.  He shrugged and began to sign when the woman accompanying him barked at him, “Wait, it’s inside out!!”.  Bronson responded with a smile and “She knows.” and began signing again.   Then the guy behind him (security?) taps his shoulder and says “It’s inside out” to which I replied, “I KNOW! It’s reversible, right?”  Making Bronson laugh and then ask me where he should sign it.  We then took a picture and I got to thank him again for the great show and coming out to meet the fans after.  He was, as ever, quite nice and gracious to the fans.

More Bronson on Friday taken by me!

KellyO, Cindy and Janine all went through the line and got autographs and I took each of their photos with Bronson.  By force of habit, I suppose, I thanked him after each photo and as I was leaving, thanked him again.  He laughed and thanked me for being so nice.  So I’ve got that going for me.

If you don’t like Bronson or the type of music he plays, this evening wouldn’t be for you.  But he puts on a really good show (I got the chance to ask Elan if HE did all of Bronson’s arrangements, as most of the covers he does sound almost nothing like the originals, and he told me he does and that “It’s a lot of hard work”.)  and, it might not seem it to folks who don’t go see them, but Bronson and Elan take this stuff really seriously.

Bronson didn’t say so, but I’ve heard stories that the original song he wrote was about a friend of his who passed away.  I give him a lot of credit for finally having the courage to sing one of his own songs in public, but he gets a little more if that song happens to be about something so tragic and personal to him.

(One thing I forgot to note: Bronson sang “Boston” again. Used the same words too. Then told us that if anyone from the media asked, it was some guy in his crew who looked like he could be Bronson’s brother who sang it. It, as you would expect, went over huge again!)

So I’ll bask in the glow one last day and listen to some more Bronson while watching the snow fall.  There are worse ways to spend a Sunday.

The video below is one of two I took Friday night.  This one is Bronson singing “Fire and Rain”.  YouTube distorted the vid a little, but it still came out not too shabby.  Enjoy!

Happy Days

Rocco Baldelli last night - Photo by Kelly O'Connor

Last night’s baseball writer’s dinner was a lot of fun. A bit more low-key than last year (hell, they had Lester, Pedroia and Lowell all sitting at the head table last year) but fun nonetheless. Rocco Baldelli was truly well-received by the fans and everyone else there. He seemed genuinely touched to be awarded the Tony Conigliaro award and a bit stunned at the two standing ovations he received.

The more I hear him speak, the more I read about him, the happier I am that Theo made this deal. The contract is a good one (better, admittedly, for the Sox) and if Rocco’s body can handle it, I think he and the team will really enjoy each other in 2009.

I was pleased to get home last night to find that the Sox had given Rocco the number 5. I’ll always have a soft spot for Nomar Garciaparra, but I think it comes to a point where you have to suck it up and give up the number. Baldelli is as good a guy as anyone to wear it. Nice move.

Tonight is my annual “Become a total fangirl for a night” trek to see Bronson Arroyo in concert. It’s funny how during the season I DO watch as many games as I can in which Bronson starts, but there’s much less of a “squee” feel than there is when I get to see him in concert.  I’m probably a little old to be squeeing over anyone.  But, as I always say, I have to just embrace the fact that I still get girly over Bronson and it, obviously, isn’t going to go away. I watched the video below this morning and it all came back. I can’t wait for the show!

The Internet is for Spoilers

Rocco Baldelli Photo by Al Behrman/AP

You know what I really want?  A surprise.    I don’t mean a “Here’s a picture of your new President having sex with his dog” surprise, I mean a HAPPY surprise.  Something to make me feel good.  We all deserve a surprise like that some time.

Announcing that the Red Sox are signing Rocco Baldelli at tonight’s Boston Baseball Writers Association dinner would have been one such surprise and, seemingly, that was the plan.  But Peter Gammons et al decided we needed to know NOW so now there’s no surprise.  I  mean, hell, it’ll still be  nice when they announce it (which, I imagine, will come when he receives the Tony Conigliaro award) but it would have been a bit more exciting had we no idea the announcement was coming.

How do you not like this story?  Kid from New England…Red Sox fan…doesn’t suck…coming back from major health issues and now he’s going to be the fourth outfielder on his hometown team. It’s the feel-good story of the off-season!

I’m a wee bit stoked about the possible addition of Mr Smoltz to the roster as well.  But that’s for another entry.

I’ll be at the Writer’s dinner tonight and really look forward to seeing Rocco and hearing the announcement live.  Even if I already know what’s coming.

Leigh Teixeira has no idea what awaits her

Johnny Knoxville photo from EOnline.com

Let’s see.  Mark Teixeira gets an enormous contract from the New York Yankees.  Mark Teixeira is also, historically, a very slow starter.

Yankees fans are somewhat notorious for booing their high-paid players who don’t perform well on demand.

Yeah, April and May should be a blast for the Teixeiras.  I think the missus should stay away from the park until maybe June.

But, honestly, what did you expect him to say?  “We really wanted to play in Baltimore but what idiots would turn down what the Yankees offered?”?  No player would ever be that honest.

I watched a little of his interview with Hazel Mae on the MLB Network last night.  I lost count of how many times he mentioned that his sister lives in New Jersey.  It was his passive way of saying “See, it wasn’t about the money!  Jersey is close to New York!”.

So the Red Sox were never in it.  Will this shut up everyone bitching about how Theo couldn’t get it done?  Teixeira is where he wants to be.  At the very least, he’s where his wife wants him to be.  And even if he isn’t, it’s the store we’ll be beaten to death with in 2009.

Follow up to the last post.  In this article about Teixeira,  I found a line that made me laugh out loud:

They talked about family, routines, influential coaches and Teixeira’s assessment of the Yankees. The hours seemed to fly by, said Cashman, who marveled at the lessons Teixeira had absorbed from former teammates like Chipper Jones.

Mrs Teixeira should have told her husband to sign with a city that doesn’t have a Hooters in it.

It must not mean what he thinks it means

So Chipper Jones has just had enough of the Mets and the Phillies – especially Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran.

These two teams are constantly going at each other verbally. You know, win with class, lose with class. Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game.

Dwight Evans Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

I’m not a big fan of folks using the word “class” whenever they discuss sports, but since Chipper brought it up – let’s talk about class.

Is class schtupping a Hooters waitress and having a child with her while you’re married to someone else?  Destroying a marriage that spanned almost seven years and produced a son just to get your rocks off with another woman?  Is that how class is defined these days?

I get it.  That happened off the field.  Doesn’t matter what happens off the field as long as you stay classy on the field, I guess.  Every ball player cheats, so cheating on your wife and child isn’t indicative, really, of what type of person you are, is it?   Cole Hamels is without class because he called the Mets “choke artists” during a radio interview?  Let’s get THAT quote, shall we?

…he was asked outright, “Do you think the Mets are choke artists?”

“Last year and this year I think we did believe that [they were choke artists],” he said. “Three years ago we didn’t because they smoked everybody, and I think we all thought they were going to win it all. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. But, yeah, that’s kind of what we believed and I think we’re always going to believe that until they prove us wrong.

“For the past two years they’ve been choke artists.”

Not exactly evil sounding, is it?  Doesn’t even sound all that “classless” to me.  Maybe Chipper’s too busy banging waitresses to look up the meaning of the word?  I believe if Chipper is so eager to become relevant again that he’s going to throw himself into this fray, well, maybe he should choose his words more carefully.  I look at Chipper Jones and, in all honesty, the first thing that comes to mind is “he cheated on his wife with a Hooters waitress”.  I don’t think about his stats.   Not about how good he was or all his success with the Braves.

I think about what a scumbucket he is.

So when I read that he’s calling others out for being classless it really got a chuckle out of me.

In any other field, your morals and your standards define what kind of person you are.  No one says “He’s a great accountant.  Sure he cheats on his wife and shoots up, but he’s a tax wiz!”  People call that guy an ass behind his back, because that’s what he is.  In baseball, the type of person you are off the field only seems to matter when you’re a good guy.  Everyone wants you to know that this player devotes a lot of time and money to charities or that player spends all his free time with his elderly grandparents.  We get beaten to death with those stories.  But you’ll never hear about a pitcher touted as a fabulous guy who was screwing a groupie while his longtime girlfriend was planning for their future or about the married catcher with a different girl in every city his team visits.  The press knows these stories, the players know these stories, and they all ignore them.  You’ll read everywhere about what wonderful people these players are.  Great guys, a tribute to their teammates…but you’ll never hear about their personal lives.  Because it doesn’t matter, right?  They’re fabulous players and all their teammates love them so who cares if, when they walk off the field, they have no problem cheating and lying?

I have a problem rooting for these men.  I do it for some on my team, so I’m a bit of a hypocrite here.  But I’m not whining about the lack of class in an area where I’d be throwing stones in a glass house.  Chipper is surrounded by glass and he needs to mind his own business.

Chipper also needs to get the hell off his high horse and leave the likes of Cole Hamels alone.  The Braves finished in 4th place in 2008 and third place in 2007.  Maybe he should focus on helping to improve his team instead of whining about the way other players are handling their successes?

Lost Weekend

I’m hanging with the Sistahs for the weekend (someday we really will update that blog!) and NEXT weekend is my annual pilgrimage to see Bronson in concert – so I leave you today with one of the videos I took of him last year.

Bronson coming to Boston for these shows is the first sign that Spring Training isn’t too far away.   Woo!

Have a great Saturday, folks!

Promises, Promises

So I promised to write about the best and worst (in MY opinion) of 2008 today.  Instead, I spent the day with family and am now watching Don Larsen’s perfect game on the MLB Network.

So I haven’t done a bloody moment of writing.

That’ll change later tonight.  For now, I’m singing Harvey Haddix and watching baseball.  Life doesn’t stink.