in the home stretch of Spring Training now!

some random observations on tonight's Sox-Twins game:

**if Julio Lugo doesn't start producing at the plate (since we've seen what he isn't capable of on the field), i may have to glue his butt to the bench.

**considering using what's left of that glue on the mouths of the Twins tv announcers.

**Youk with a bat is a lot of fun to watch this Spring Training. the beard though? can't get used to it.

**i am loathe to say this, considering my fierce loyalty to Trot Nixon, but JD/DJ is making it very difficult not to like him. the true test will be if he can continue to prove likable (and by that i mean, *produce* & *stay healthy*) once the actual season gets under way.

**i might have imagined it, but i think i saw Manny actually legging one out, trying to make it to the bag before the throw. Manny has hustle?

**four words that make every Sox game a great one in my book: Home. Run. Mike. Lowell.

**eight Ks for Joshy in five innings! nine straight batters retired, before he gave up a single. i could get used to this...

**heard something about a new field for the Twins in 2010. (you know, while we should have been announcing the game & not having chitchat time.) dare we hope it's not another home-run-eating dome? ::crosses fingers::

**the starting Sox brought bats. i am happy. (i was getting a little concerned, truth be told.)

**i do not find it amusing when Big Papi tries to chug out extra bases & then caps that little display off with a slide into third. *especially* in a meaningless Spring Training game. my heart can't take that kind of stress. and after last year, i worry about his too, in addition to broken bones or other such injuries our DH need not suffer.

**i miss the days with Loretta & A-Gon, when balls hit up the middle were gobbled up. now we have a big, gaping hole for a middle infield. i won't mention any names. yet. but only because it's still Spring Training. i will always reminisce about The Year of the Perfect Infield, though...

**sometimes the best parts of the game are the "behind the scenes commentaries" that take place in email & chat: purgatory. platypus (platypi??). and sonofaSteinbrenner.

**nothing like taking a 6-0 lead & turning it into a nailbiter. at least they still won. i am starting to suspect my boys get some kind of sick pleasure out of torturing their faithful fans like this. =P