slow motion

photos from Yahoo Sports, The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald

1. The Dodgers are pounding the pavement for a power hitting third baseman. They're looking at everyone from Toronto's Troy Glaus, to St. Louis' Scott Rolen and even Boston's Mike Lowell. The Dodgers have good young players like Matt Kemp and James Loney to move. It would seem far-fetched for the Sox to give up Lowell with the team playing so well and because Lowell has been one of Boston's most productive hitters. (Extra Bases)
are we starting this crap again? leave my third baseman right.where.he.is. please-and-thank-you. he is third for the Sox in total hits (52, Papi has 53, Youk has 57); one behind Papi in RBI with 36; and when he went deep last night, he tied Ortiz to lead the Sox with nine homers. why do we need to keep revisiting this topic?


2. make that fiften consecutive games now with a hit for Youk!

3. i always find myself tilting my head when Moose pitches. he has such a... unique wind-up & delivery. he starts by bowing low to the ground. then he stands up & stares toward home plate, motionless. then he winds up & releases, with a quick knee-jerk kick. the first part is so slow, but then the end of it is rushed. it sort of reminds me of when MLBtv runs super slow & then races to "catch up," almost like watching the players on fast forward.

4. Julian turned 34 yesterday. for his gift, Manny brought a bat & knocked in a three-run whammy in the first. Manny makes it look so effortless. i just wish he were swinging like this a little more often.

in an effort to make myself feel a little better, let's compare 2007 to 2006.
Manny's stats through May 22
2007: 41 hits. 22 runs. 7 HR. 28 RBI. 32 Ks. .244 BA
2006: 42 hits. 23 runs. 8 HR. 22 RBI. 39 Ks .294 BA
and we all know that by the end of last year, those numbers exploded. so what we've learned here is: all in due time...

5. first inning of last night's game: Youk - single. Papi - single. Manny - home run. Lowell - double. Tek - single. well, would you look at that. apparently, the Sox *did* bring bats to NY with them after all. just not for Wake. >=[

6. spoken by Michael Kay (at least i'm pretty sure that's who it was -- it was one of the Yankee's tv announcers anyway) in the middle of the first: "Nothing against Julian Tavarez, but you don't feel like he's the kind of guy who's going to shut you down." i wonder if he'd like to retract that statement as Julian is now 2-0 against the Yankees in 2007.

7. in-game realization: Monday's game stole my optimism. brought me right back down to earth. i feel wary. like suddenly, it all seems too easy. i feel like i am looking over my shoulder all of a sudden, like reality is going to come sneaking up on me any time now. like the sky will fall in & i will find myself dumped unceremoniously back in the second half of 2006. even a five run lead late in the game felt tenuous & fragile.

8. i have often been proud of the 'C' Tek has on his jersey. he embodies the very definition of what a Captain should be. last night, i learned that Varitek was reluctant to have the 'C' on his jersey, and while this makes me respect him even more, i am so happy that his teammates insisted he wear it anyway. because they are *that* proud to call him Captain.

9. JD Drew continues his downward spiral as JD Don't. Tito has faith that he'll recover & start swinging again. i hope he has faith enough for both of us, because, right now, mine is dwindling in direct relation to JD's batting average.

10. was anyone else flabbergasted to see Jonathan Papelbon shake off Varitek?! dude... lesson learned now, right?

11. tutorial for Alex Rodriguez on the proper way to break up a double play:
the right way:

the cheap-shot, this-just-ain't-cool, elbow-in-the-gut way you employed last night:

i would say pick on someone your own size, Slappy, but i'm thinking Pedroia Pocket, wee though he may be, just might be scrappy enough to take you on.

12. some games have the ability to make you feel like time is moving backward. last night was one of those games, even though we pulled off a win, 7-3, against the stupid ass Yankees. dare i say that i am actually ready for Thursday's off day? sixteen games in a row (rain outs don't count when you follow them with double headers) seem to have drained my spirit. i am having a hard time getting into the last few games and this is against the *Yankees*. i didn't even pace when Papelbon started off the ninth by walking back-to-back hitters.

13. once again, another respectable game from our number five. two runs on three hits. 106 pitches. he didn't go as deep as he did his last turn (i originally thought he pitched 6.2 last night, but i have since read that it was 5.2, indicative of how long this game felt to watch), but i'll take another solid start and a mark in the W-column.


14. why do i have the sneaking suspicion that Schill & Pettitte will not make this a snappy game tonight...? oh well. i'll be front & center, watching quietly, because i *will* watch, even if my energy has been tapped.