just some random Sox chatter...

it's cracking me up to read all the talk about Matsuzaka's rumored gyroball, now that he's had a start against an actual MLB team the other day. no one on the Sox seems willing to confirm its existence. "Farrell said the pitch was Matsuzaka's changeup, which has some screwball action. Dice-K told Japanese reporters it was his cutter that had them thinking gyro." (Extra Bases) whatever the case, the Marlins' batters claim that they saw it. i don't care if it exists or not. he's either blowing whatever he has by them or he's got them so freaked out watching for it, that it's helping him anyway.
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yesterday's games were split squad. i was listening to the Red Sox-Twins game, because it had the better lineup. found it supremely amusing that for some reason someone thought it would be a good idea to make Dougie our DH. i realize that we only had half our team present for this game, but are you telling me that Mirabelli was our best choice for DH? Dougie of .111 AVG?

i do love that every single game he plays, the announcers tell the story of his triumphant return to Boston last season. that's just a feel-good story. The Wakabelli Show. maytheyneverbeseparatedagain.

and just as i am typing this, Dougie chugs in to steal second base! unbelievable! LOL!
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listening to some of these announcers is hysterical during Spring Training. they are just as out of practice at the rest of us. they come out with some of the funniest stuff! listening to the Sox-Phillies game just now, the announcers were trying to call the play on the field, but there are so many minor leaguers playing in the games & non-roster invitees --basically, a bunch of guys no one has ever heard of -- that unless it's a well-known starter, we're all left looking around asking "who??" anyway, back to this game. one of these Phillies announcers just said "and that was... uhhh... i have no idea who that just was." ha!

thank God i don't have to listen to the home announcers for the Twins. that was painful yesterday. those guys were terrible. and at one point they almost killed me when they came out with: and Sox fans are really hoping that Matt Clement will make a comeback. no. oh no. no, we most certainly are not. i don't care if he's starting to throw in rehab again. no surgery short of a lobotomy is going to fix the real problem which is (understandably) in his *head*. they gave me chills when they said that. and *not* the good kind.
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this freaking rocks. i am pretty enamored with the potential of our starting rotation this year too. of course what they can do for us will go to waste, unless these guys can start pitching complete games, because to be honest, our bullpen is *not* getting this kind of glowing praise. =P
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oh. and i read something that finally cleared up some major confusion from last season. so many times, Francona would make some crazy decisions. i couldn't figure out what he was thinking, but now i know...

The bus ride back from Jupiter last night went better than the ride there, when the driver got lost. Francona took no chances. He went back by car with coaches John Farrell and Gary Tuck.
"Tuck had a bunch of shortcuts and we arrived five minutes after the bus,'' Francona said, "but we stopped at Dairy Queen and they didn't. It's amazing what a Heath Bar Blizzard can do for your frame of mind.'' (Extra Bases)

omg. that explains all the boneheaded pitching changes last season. the man is just trying to get through the game so he can make it to Dairy Queen before it closes.