I have to admit, I wish he were pitching against the Sox this weekend. Oh well. Those could be some high-scoring games...

Mark Melancon down to Pawtucket.
Tito Francona flip-flops, will attend Fenway Extravaganza after all.
RSN forming angry mobs and lighting torches after last night's debacle.

That's the news from New England, now back to the Yankees.

Go Hiroki!

(2) I think Francona is right to go, and be there for the fans who supported him. I think after the latest craziness in Boston with Bobby V. that Terry will get a pretty warm reception too. I know several of the Sox players will be longing for the days of beers and chicken in the clubhouse vs. being called out in the press.

[4] Oh, he's guaranteed to get the biggest applause of anyone. Which will be uncomfortable for Lucchino and Valentine.

I think the feeling of the players is, Valentine is an old-school discipline guy, but he won't be here for long so we can ride it out. Pedroia has already made it clear that he thinks he's in charge, not Bobby.

[5] Yeah, the whole thing just seemed like ... if I may ... Bobby being Bobby, until Pedroia assumed the worst and made an ass of himself. Clearly, there's not much of a rapport in that clubhouse.

"That's not how we do things around here, he'll figure that out soon enough."
Can you imagine? Such open insubordination!

Jesus, I LOVE this!

[2] Fuck the Yankees. What's happening in Boston is a lot more fun.

Not sure if someone heard John & Suzy on the pregame or with Francesa but these are in rare form. The are ready for tonight for sure.

Maybe I'm a sap, or the Levon Helm news has softened me up, but I'm starting feel sorry for the whole RSN milieu. When the rival is down, the satisfaction of victory is diminished.

I love the Band, and especially liked Levon's writing, and his singing behind the drums. I had the opportunity to see them in their glory. They're a North American treasure.

Good idea, spot them a lead. Worked last night.

Or two.

This could be going better

We have them just where we want them. Lull the Twins with a two run lead.

Oh joy!

Moreau is one of my least favorite players in baseball

Huh.

[14] Lulled the shit out of 'em, huh?

Corroded

And there's my least favorite.

Lull.
Sass.
Omoo.
Wally Pipp.
Sam Nunn.

Alright, just knock around Marquis

i missed the home opener, and only saw Kuroda's first start and today's. He must have been great that second start, but to what I've seen, not so.

Oh Jesus Ibanez is in the field?

Good grief. Down 4-0 already??? It's the first inning!

Could be a high-scoring game.
(Now watch, both pitchers will settle down and we'll have seven uneventful innings...)

In reference to that story of Marquis' daughter, my cousin's daughter also had handlebars lacerate her liver. She spent three weeks at Children's hospital and was near death in the beginning. Very scary, and the best to Marquis' daughter and his family.

And now we have a game again.

In fact, I wonder what the Win Expectancy is right now? Runners in the corners, down a run in the bottom of the first with no outs. Must be just about even. I'll check that.

Geez, I get here late and already 7 runs have come across the plate?

It's .566 in our favor.
Let's see if Andruw raises or lowers it...

[21] I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Andruw, nice work.

[31] :-)
I just liked the letter pattern of "lull", so to distract me from the top of the first I thought of some more with the same pattern.

Well that sucked.

Damn. He hit that hard too

Wow, that was a Win Expectancy downer. (From .633 to .412.)

3 runs isn't bad, but darn, I wanted more.

Ugh

Uh oh.

Oh Robbie

Some good news...Rangers up 2-0.

Jeter is really seeing the ball, Captain Grounder no more.

[41] Uh, no. You misread the scoreboard.
The Red Sox were up 2-0, but now it's 2-1.

I really, really dislike Morneau.

[42] Sorry, the NY Hockey Rangers are up 2-0

[44] Oh! Good. I guess.

Oh Christ, Rapada

[46] I don't think he can be worse.

[45] I know, out of place...but it is the playoffs (he says meekly).

God almighty, Mike Napoli just destroys the Red Sox. Two run dinger of Beckett, 3-2 Rangers. (Napoli homered twice last night.)

Jeez, I thought that was going to be worse. Kuroda might have a couple of good innings in him, right?

Right?

[47] I'm sick as a dog right now. I'm so not in the mood to watch Girardi use six relievers tonight

Finally.

Hey, there ya go! And there it goes!

Frank Robinson, Aaron and Mays?

Oh, sure, Eric. *NOW*. Not with the bases loaded.

ouch

What I miss What I miss?
[7] He said that?? Amazing how the MSM won't call him out on that..what a d-bag.

[57] Why should they? He's forever associated to his brother via birth, that's about as bad as it gets.

[57] Lets not act like Valentine isn't a total ass and didn't behave like an ass.

Valentine being such a classless buffoon, I have no problem with even the midget calling him out.

[57] First inning fireworks galore. Your kid stunk. Twinks guy sucked too, but Eric Chavez GIDP with sacks juiced to let him off the hook a little.
Rob homered.

That's about the size of it.

[59] There's enough douchiness to go around, but I think Valentine deserves less flak than he's getting on this one.

[61] Valentine's got a big, smug mouth. I have no problem with people tearing him apart for it.

I really, really don't like Justin Morneau.

Tuck.

I meant yuck. Stupid autocorrect.

[60] In fairness to Chavez, he smoked the ball on the dp. If it wasn't hit right at Casilla it would have gone through.

Aw fuck.

[66] I know, I know.
Eh, bad timing is one kind of bad luck, smoking a liner to an IF is another.

[60] Thanks!
[59] But the manager is the manager..if your "team leader" so clearly doesn't respect him then the other guys won't either.

Oh, and Youk is a slow, injured, fatty fat fatty. Maybe Bobby was right?

[69] Well, Bobby probably *was* right, but he shouldn't say it in public. Maybe.
But he didn't really say anything all that bad. Youk was being hypersensitive. And Dusty's comment really smelled bad, I thought. Inmates running the asylum, kinda thing.

Wow. That wasn't close.

he was safe

Grrr.

Al Leiter said SOMETHING (anything?) intelligent yesterday. As a former player for Valentine, his quote was that you should not listen to what Bobby Valentine says to the press, but only what he says in the clubhouse.

[74] I don't know why you should just allow Valentine to be a buffoon in the press. He's an asshole, and if he wants to continue to be an asshole, I have no problem with him getting called out on it

[74] Yeah, I liked that too.

Scott Baker is the Twins number one starter?

I think Span may have been safe too.

The only thing better than standing around in the cold watching my JV team lose 21-7 is to get home to see this shit of a game. Bollocks!

[79] JV football?

[80] I'm thinking baseball. The multiples of seven just a coincidence.

[75] Casey Stangel? Yogi Berra? Asshole or not, the manager is the leader and cannot be questioned openly in public. Players make so much money, they don't have to worry of the repercussions these days.

[81] I went to a baseball game and a football game broke out.

[83] Last night in Fenway, actually. But it was just a whole lot of field goals.

Remember when we had Phil Coke, whose job was to give up homers to Joe Mauer

It was a baseball game. An error filled painful to watch baseball game. But I told the Varsity coach we only we only lost by a couple. Touchdowns.

Speaking of which: bases loaded with one out for Murphy, with Napoli the Destroyer on deck.

[85] Yes! Now we have Boone, whose assignment is to walk him, I believe.

Craig Gentry batting for Murphy, falls quickly behind 0-2, then fouls two off.

Mission accomplished, Boone.

[84] Heh.
[86] ouch, I assume the mercy rule was invoked? There's a point I don't like the score goes higher. Unless it's Boston.

Gentry fouls off another, then watches a pitch at eye level, then one in the dirt.
Then Morales hits him, forcing in a run.

Mike Napoli steps to the plate with a chance to salt the game away.

Napoli doubles. 6-2. Now IBB to Moreland, second IBB of the inning (first was to Beltre, who just scored).

Nice.

Booooone!

Kay is having a particularly horrible night reading the outfielders.

Just flicked on the hockey game, Pittsburgh vs. Phillie, and did a double-take at the score. Reminded me of Just Fair's jv game.

It's 10-3.

Oh, a fight has broken out in the hockey game!!!!

Go Pens!

They showed a lot of replays of the fight. Then huge numbers of players were given huge penalties.
I do like Olympic hockey, but man, this shit is hard to take.

Youk batting with one on and one out in the ninth.

Youk grounds to third, Beltre glances at second, decides to throw to first, throws it away.
Tying run on deck with one out!