smiling so much my face hurts

photo from ESPN.com, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald

1. i had forgotten how unattractive Andy Pettitte really is. and how amusingly long Jorge Posada's neck is.

2. i respect the reason for the green jerseys last night, but i really do not care for them. it looks like Christmas threw up on the Boston Red Sox. Pedroia Pocket looked like an adorable little Christmas elf though. if he dials up the cute any higher, we might be able to send our opponents into sugar shock.

3. let me repeat myself: Please. Do not. Hit. The Youk. it makes me very sad.


4. there were cheers for The Traitor last night! when he Kd. >=]

5. i spend a lot of time gushing over Lowell at 3B. don't want it to go unknown that Youk at the opposite corner is just as well-loved. no one digs throws out of the dirt for the out the way he does.

6. Coco is so twitchy at the plate -- fidgeting, wiggling the fingers, making faces -- that it makes *me* nervous.

7. Coco can twitch at the plate all he wants if he keeps driving in the game-tying run against the Evil Empire on a triple in the eighth inning!


8. hidden benefits: teeny tiny little Pedroia = a teeny tiny little strike zone! now if we could just get him to hit into a spot where no one is standing. he has had the worst luck with that so far this season.

9. favorite commercial break #1: Dick's Sporting Goods - a bunch of people in Sox gear saying "It's about nevah giving up. Nevah *evah*!"

10. i love the Captain scoring the tying run. bonus: how cool is this photo with the dirt spraying up from the slide?


11. speaking of Tek. the bat is back. 3-for-4 with a home run & 3 RBIs last night! that & i take pure pleasure in watching him hit off Mariano Rivera.


12. favorite commercial break #2: Sportscenter - Jorge Posada walking down a hall & as he passes each open door, you hear people say "Hip hip Jorge! Hip hip Jorge!" cracks me up every time.

13. Dear David Ortiz: *stop*. *sliding*. good Lord was that ugly. we won't even talk about what it does to my blood pressure.

14. good effort, Coco, good effort. and i don't know what happened there, but suddenly Coco could hit after this little ass-over-tea-kettle tumble...?




15. i know everybody loves to hate A-Rod. admit it though: he's got some talent. i would trade Lugo for Slappy without batting an eyelash -- if for no other reason than to keep from having to play against him. oh crap... that just made me sound like the Yankees. =P

16. what the *hell* is going on on Whiffy Mo's face?!

17. wish i could find it to reference it, but my favorite online article title from last night's game: "Wicked Comeback." we so do not use the word "wicked" (in the *proper* context) often enough.

18. random Sox thought: i have to admit. i am starting to like Julian, despite all his... idiosyncrasies. i feel kind of bad for him though. we know he's going to lose his slot in the starting rotation when Lester moves up. and i don't know where he'd fit in with the bullpen. believe it or not, but i actually like that situation as is. if someone put me in Tito's shoes, Whiffy Mo would take a trip to Pawtucket from some batting practice. we are all about pitching in Boston this year. and we learned the hard way that you can never have too many pitching options.

19. Alex Cora continues to make his bid for starting SS. knocked in the game winning run for the second night in a row!


20. i just had to watch the last out again when i got up this morning. queued up MLB.tv & got the NESN version (i had watched on ESPN last night because that was on the tv) & saw a shot of a very animated Julian talking a mile a minute to 10K & his translator. i still can't figure out if Matsuzaka likes Julian or wishes he would give him a little space.

21. anyone notice the other tribute made by the Red Sox last night?

Manager Terry Francona and Jason Varitek came up with the idea to wear a remembrance of Virginia Tech on their uniforms. So, on the green uniforms that the Sox are wearing today in memory of Red Auerbach, there is a small "VT" on the sleeve of the green jersey that was approved by MLB. (Extra Bases)

22. i didn't see it on ESPN but Nichole texted me about it while we watched the game on opposite coasts. by far the best sign for 2007:


23. favorite commercial break #3: Papi & Posada in an ESPN conference room. they are talking about how Posada's cap looks like it's never been used. so Papi picks it up & is breaking it in. he puts it on to show Posada, just as Wally is walking by the window to see Papi with a Yankees cap on. David waves to Wally who is all freaked out, realizes why Wally is freaked & tries to tell him it's not what he thinks. OMG did that make me laugh. and by the way? this is the *only* time that it's ok for Papi to wear that cap.

24. are you kidding me?! Hideki Okajima!! that was almost Papelbon-esque. his first time facing the Yankees & he pitched an awesome inning. i was on my feet at home along with every fan at Fenway.


25. favorite post-game moment: Papi bowing to Okajima.

26. 15 minutes til game time. Sox shirt on. Joshy gets the nod. here we go, Red Sox, here we go! holy crap, am i nervous...