All Star Game: Get Out the Red Sox Vote!

The last post mentioned the All Star Game....and how Tim Wakefield is definitely worthy. I can't believe he's never been to the All Star Game before. If any year, it is this year and not just because I had to apologize to Timmy for all the smack I had been talking about him.

However, pitchers aren't voted on by the fans. But there is still a lot of voting that Red Sox fans can be doing. Voting remains open until 11:59 PM on Thursday July 2nd. Head on over to redsox.com and get to voting. Go NOW...we'll wait.

Now, how are our boys doing so far in the All Star voting courtesy of CBS Sports??

First Base: As of RIGHT NOW, the evil Mark Teixeira of the NYY is beating our own lil' Kevin Youkilis but only by about 35,000 votes. If you vote for nothing else...YOU MUST GO AND VOTE FOR YOUK. The idea of Teixeira and his douchebaggery starting over Youk is unacceptable. UNACCEPTABLE.

Second Base: Pedey is currently in 2nd place in the standings to Ian Kinsler of the Rangers. He is behind by about 60,000 votes. So, while you are over there voting for YOUK (and you are voting for Youk right?)...why dontcha vote for the AL MVP Dustin Pedroia while you are at it?

Third Base: Mikey Lowell is currently in 4th place behind Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Young. Mikey would need about 1.5 million votes to take over the lead. Please feel free to vote for Mikey as well, but as long as Longo stay in front of ARod, I am cool with the voting results.

Shortstop: Chuckles. What I find comical about this is that Jed Lowrie is currently in 5th place in the results. You know...that Jed Lowrie who hasn't played games and is currently rehabbing his way back to us? Derek Jeter is leading all the others and has a pretty comfortable lead. As long as you don't vote for the Yankees own "twinkle toes"....feel free to vote for whoever you'd like. I'll admit it, I sometimes vote for Jed just because I miss him so much.

Catcher: Jason Varitek is currently in second place behind Joe Mauer. He is about a million votes behind, but well...come on, it's Joe Mauer. I love Tek something fierce and hope he makes the roster, but I think Joe Mauer probably deserves the start. However, I still vote for Tek. Homer all the way, I am.

Outfield: Jason Bay is rocking the outfield and has the most votes of ANYONE. Jacoby Ellsbury is currently in 6th place (in front of Johnny Damon in 7th...tee, hee, hee) and JD Drew is in 11th place. Jason doesn't really need your vote, but I say give it to him anyways....and feel free to shower votes to Ells and JD while you are at it. I'll continue my JD LOVE and say he should be way higher up the list than 11th. Johnny Damon is beating JD Drew people...just think about that for about 2.2 seconds. OK...now you the traitor rage and go vote for JD Drew a few times over.

So...it goes without saying. You should make sure you get your 25 votes in before the end of Thursday night. And...then you should find all those other email addresses you have and then vote 25 times for each one. You have no idea how many email addresses I have and I have voted 25 times with each one.

Vote YOUK and VOTE OFTEN!!! Let's GO RED SOX!!!

Read more...

You Can't Tell Me Wake Doesn't Deserve To Be In The ASG!

Wake tossed 6 innings of 3 hit shutout ball against the Braves today for his 10th win of the season, lowering his ERA to 4.18, as the Sox beat Atlanta 1-o in a great pitcher's duel. Papelbon got his 18th save.

I'm still in the middle of moving, Fenway West is headed to CO for some RnR, so details in this post will be few, but check back soon. Fenway West (Matt) will soon have a special interview treat coming in a couple of days.

Sox WIN 1-0 Box Score

Read more...

Today's Red Sox Lineup 6/27 vs Atlanta

Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 3B
Ortiz, 1B
Kotsay, LF
Ellsbury, CF
Lugo, SS
Kottaras, C
Wakefield, SP

Read more...

Brief Update on Jerry Remy

The RemDawg posted a brief update on his health through his twitter account today:

I appreciate all your support-doing well-going to gym-gained weight back-no issues-have not set return date yet-anxious to get back-Jerry

Read more...

Nick Green Can't Hit to Opposite Field

Nick Green wears a mic during batting practice and mixes it up with hitting coach Dave Magadan. Watch below:

Read more...

Josh Beckett Can Still Kick Ass With Stomach Cramps

Neither the FAILHAT nor stomach cramps could stop the Red Sox ace from doing his usual ownage of the Braves; he is now 6-0 with an 0.38 ERA in his last 6 starts against Atlanta. The abdominal issues limited his outing to 98 pitches but he was able to go 7 shutout innings giving up just 6 hits with no walks and 6 K's. Oki came in and made it a little interesting but then struck out the side in the 8th preserving the shutout until Paps came in to pitch the 9th. Papelbon gave up a homer and a hard hit ball to the gap before recording the final out of the game.

Ortiz broke up the scoreless game in the 5th with his 8th homer of the year. Pedroia and Drew each had 2 hits in the game.

Red Sox Win 4-1 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	4	7	1
Braves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8	0

Read more...

Congrats to Tito

With tonight's win Terry Francona earned his 800th career victory as manager.

Read more...

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 6/26 vs Atlanta

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, 1B
Jason Varitek, C
Mark Kotsay, CF
Nick Green, SS
Josh Beckett, P

Read more...

DeMarlo Hale Gets No Respect on Redsox.com

Ever take a look at Red Sox third base coach DeMarlo Hale's bio page on redsox.com? Chances are the editors didn't either. Half of the entry relates to first base coach Tim Bogar:

Tim and his wife, Wendy, have 2 sons, T.J. and Ty, and 2 daughters, Aralee and Jesse Lynn...They reside in Bloomington, IL...Attended Eastern Illinois University where he batted .408 with 17 home runs to earn All-America honors in 1987.

Read more...

The Georgia Connection

The trip to Atlanta will be a homecoming of sorts for many players on the Red Sox:





J.D. Drew is from Valdosta, Georgia

Jason Varitek went to Georgia Tech and lived in Gwinnett County during the off-season.

Nick Green went to Duluth High School in the Atlanta suburb. (Gwinnett County Public Schools - my former employer in the late 90's)

John Smoltz spent his career in Atlanta before coming to the Red Sox and still lives in Georgia.

Mark Kotsay played for the Atlanta Braves in 2008.

Read more...

Josh Beckett's All-Star Chances

After a slow start Josh Beckett has completely turned it around and is now looking like the best pitcher in the American League. In his last 4 starts he has an ERA of 1.88 with 29 strikeouts while only walking 4 batters. Opponents hit just .186 against him over that stretch.

But where does that put him when it comes to the All-Star team? Even with his great run of late he is 20th in ERA, tied for 5th in wins, and tied for 5th in strikeouts. He is on the bubble right now for making the team but has a good chance if he has a few more quality starts.

He is facing the Braves tonight and he had a complete game shutout against them last time he faced them so things are looking good for Beckett to be on the mound for the A.L. in St. Louis this July.

Read more...

Sign of Trouble

Things may have been too good to be true for Mike Lowell and his recovery from surgery. Rob Bradford has this on Lowell after tonight's game:

Mike Lowell said that his surgically-repaired right hip felt no better after getting four of the previous five days off and a decision regarding the approach would be made on the way to the team's next series in Atlanta. One option that Lowell has been weighing are shots to help lubricate the hip, along with additional time off.

We may be seeing some more of Kotsay at 1st with Youk spending time at the hot corner while Lowell rests.

Read more...

Smoltz Does Not Deliver the Goods

The John Smoltz era did not start out as Red Sox fans had hoped. It took 35 pitches to get out of the first inning and before it was done the Nats had 4 runs on the board. Smoltz did settle down and pitched 5 innings. In reality the jury is still out on Smoltz's ability to come back from the shoulder surgery; his velocity was good enough and he had good control in the game but he did get hit pretty hard. His first inning looked like one of Dice-K's recent starts but by the way he finished the night left room for some optimism. It will take three starts to know what the Red Sox have in John Smoltz and if he doesn't have it they can always turn to Buchholz, Bowden, or Masterson to join the rotation unitl Dice-K comes back.

The Red Sox bullpen had an off night too with Bard and Saito each giving up 2 runs. The offense had some bright spots with Baldelli hitting a home run and Drew getting 2 hits in the game. But there were some problems as well; Pedroia went back to struggling at the lead-off spot going 0-4 and Ortiz had an 0-fer at clean up.

Red Sox Lose 9-3 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	8	2
Nationals	4	0	1	0	0	2	2	0	0	9	11	1

Read more...

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 6/25 vs. the Nats

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, 1B
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jason Varitek, C
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Nick Green, SS
John Smoltz, P

Read more...

Big Milestone for Tito

Terry Francona is going for his 800th career win as a manager tonight. He has 514 wins with the Red Sox and 285 with the Phillies. He is 799-730 in his career as a major league manager.

Read more...

Top'a Da Ordah

Dustin Pedroia is batting .218 in the lead-off spot this season. Hitting coach Dave Magadan thought Pedroia was trying to hit for power too much:

He’s pressing a little bit and just like everybody else he’s trying to get two or three hits in every at bat. He’s just got to slow everything down, let the ball come to him and hit the ball where it’s pitched rather than trying to do too much with it.

It was looking like Francona was going to make a switch soon but Pedey is starting to heat up. He had multiple hits in his last two games and may stay at the top spot a little longer. With Ells finding his grove again and getting on base it seems like a good time to put him back up top but Lou Merloni of CSNNE likes Jacoby batting 7th:

Which brings me to my next point, I like Jacoby in the 7 hole. I realize that all hitters want to hit at the top of the order. Its a pride thing, I get it. But like i just said, the middle of the order isn’t where i want this team to "manufacture" runs, its the bottom third where they should and with Jacoby hitting 7th that’s exactly what can happen. He no longer has the big boppers hitting behind him so every time he gets on base he thinking one thing……steal this base.

Pedroia put up huge numbers last year batting second and it seems like the place he belongs. Youk is in a mini slump of his own so batting Pedey in front of him may not be the right move now but Francona needs to get Ells back at the top and move Pedroia to batting second before the All-Star break.

Read more...

Happy Smoltz Day Red Sox Nation!

The day has finally arrived. John Smoltz will make his major league debut in a Red Sox uniform this evening against the Washington Nationals.



Every time I think about Smoltz pitching for us, I get giddy as a school girl. I do worry that I am setting myself up to have WAY too high expectations, but giddy as a school girl none the less. I have to remind myself that Smoltz is coming off surgery and that he is going to need to build up his pitch count and what not. Doesn't change how flippin' excited I am! We have JOHN SMOLTZ on a mound for OUR team. That is just complete and utter awesomesauce. We have a guy who has dominated starting games....closing games....middle relief.

The guy just knows how to win...and his competitive drive is one of the highest I have ever seen. Whenever I think of his competitive spirit, I remember when the pitchers were doing sprints in Spring Training. Who won the sprints? Yeah, that's right...the 42 year old John Smoltz, that's WHO!

I think he is going to fit in ever so well with the Red Sox and it's faithful Nation. 7:05pm cannot come early enough for me today.

HAPPY JOHN SMOLTZ DAY EVERYONE!!! (Except Braves fans)

Read more...

A Win is a Win is a Win

Everyone in Red Sox Nation is expecting the Sox to crush the Nationals by 30 runs each game; after all, they play in the NL and they have one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors. Boston did not crush the Nats tonight but they did play well enough to win and have already won the series.

Jon Lester was good but not dominant in the game going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. The Red Sox overcame a 1-0 Nats lead when Big Papi hit his 7th homer of the season in the 4th. The 3 run blast put Ortiz over the 1000 career RBI mark. Pedroia stayed hot with another 2 hit night and Tek had a 2-run tater in the game.

Masterson gave up a run in relief, Oki faced 2 batters; walking one and striking out one. Papelbon earned his 17th save of the season by retiring the Nats in order in the 9th.

Red Sox Win 6-4 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	0	0	3	1	2	0	0	0	6	7	0
Nationals	0	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	4	8	0

Read more...

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 6/24 vs the Nats

Dustin Pedroia, 2B

J.D. Drew, RF

Kevin Youkilis, 3B

Jason Bay, LF

David Ortiz, 1B

Jason Varitek, C

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

Nick Green, SS

Jon Lester, P

Read more...

MLB Drops the Ball on Manny Suspension

Here was Major League Baseball's chance to get tough on PED users and once again they failed. When Manny Ramirez became the first big star to be given a 50 game suspension, MLB touted how their policies were working and that everyone would be treated equally. When Manny violated his suspension by being in the clubhouse and speaking to reporters MLB simply gave him a warning. Now Manny has begun his rehab in the minor leagues which doesn't seem like much of a suspension at all. He has been given a huge spotlight where he can ignore the reasons for being suspended with statements like:

"I don't want to talk about that," Ramirez told the AP. "I'm not talking about it anymore. I already said what I'm going to say. I'm here to do my rehab, you know ... get a couple at-bats and get back to the big league team."

He is acting like he is coming back from an injury and even showed that the suspension did nothing to his reputation:

Was he concerned that after all the work he did repairing his image since his trade to Los Angeles last July, Dodgers fans would still be in love with him?

"They still are," he said. "People love me everywhere I go. I'm excited to bring a lot of joy to a lot of people here."

MLB Network (which is owned by Major League Baseball) showed his at bats live last night. After the game they interviewed the Isotopes manager about how Manny is progressing. The network was actively promoting Manny during his suspension. How is that a punishment? The game was played in front of a record crowd. If a player is suspended for 50 games they should be out of baseball for 50 games. Players should not be allowed to rehab and enjoy the spotlight during their suspension; that goes against the purpose of the suspension. If fans want to forgive Manny that is fine but let him finish his punishment before he gets to bask in the glory of cheering fans and shame on MLB for being part of this glorification of a cheater during his suspension. Why is this happening? Because guys like Donald Fehr and Bug Selig wanted to look tough without actually being tough.

Read more...

Red Sox Feast on Nats Pen

The Red Sox and Nationals were engaged in a tight game until the 8th inning when former Red Sox Julian Tavarez entered the game and the rout was on. Tavarez only recorded one out before he was replaced by a revolving door of Nationals relievers that continued to get shelled. When the game was over the Red Sox had 8 hits, 4 walks, and had scored 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings off of the Nationals bullpen.

Brad Penny had a few rough patches in the game giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Oki, Saito, and Bard each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Bay and Ells had great nights; Ells went 4-4 with a walk and 2 triples, Bay went 4-6 with a home run. Pedroia came out of his slump going 3-6.

Red Sox win 11-3 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	1	0	1	1	0	1	6	1	11	17	0
Nationals	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	8	1

The game was played in front of a record crowd of mainly Red Sox fans. With the Red Sox victory and the Yankee loss to the Braves, the Sox extend their lead in the A.L. East. The Yankees have now fallen into third place and suddenly the off-season spending doesn't look so good.

Read more...

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 6/23 vs the Nats

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jason Varitek, C
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Nick Green, SS
Brad Penny, P

Read more...

Manny Acta Likes Cheap Clothes

Nationals manager Manny Acta is making $600,000 this year but he still likes to shop at discount clothing stores:

For the record, Cindy Acta said her husband spends any downtime he has on the road shopping for clothes. He's big into TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, and the like.

He also was showing off another of his striking hats yesterday. Everyone liked it but his wife. She still didn't think it worked. I asked if it came from Marshalls.

"Burlington Coat Factory," he said.

Maybe he has been listening to Ken Rosenthal and is preparing for unemployment.

Read more...

Interview With Nationals Pride

To get ready for the series with the Washington Nationals, Fenway West interviewed Mike "Hendo" Henderson, columnist for NationalsPride.com.


- Should Manny Acta be on the chopping block?

Mike Henderson: There've been many questions about Acta's ability to guide this club through its struggles to an improved, if still probably losing, 2009 record, as well as to get the Nats to the next level. Still, he has much support in the clubhouse. The Rosenthal rumors seem, somewhat paradoxically, to have given Acta something of a cushion, as team president Stan Kasten appears to be pretty steamed about Acta getting "fired" in the media because of unsourced reports.

I'd expect the Nats to consider, among others, triple-A Syracuse manager Tim Foli as a candidate for next season, but won't be surprised if Acta holds the job through 2009, and won't be stunned if his tenure is extended. His even temper is a welcome breather from the drama that's surrounded the club over the last several months, and the Nats' ownership and front office -- not to mention much of the fan base -- deeply appreciate that.

- Are the stories of Nationals PR mistakes (uniform misspellings, fireworks, etc.) exaggerated or is the team being run by fools?

Mike Henderson: Gaffes are news, especially for a losing team. Even so, the Nats are trying, not without success, to make lemonade from lemons: the misspelled jerseys brought nice prices at their Dream Foundation auction, and the fireworks kerfuffle appears to have been ironed out. Fans are, I think, much more concerned about whether Teddy will ever win the Presidents' Race, and with reason. While I hate to burst their bubble, the outlook is pretty grim for him, and it wouldn't shock me to see single-A Potomac mascot Uncle Slam get a September callup.


- Has Adam Dunn been a good acquisition for the Nationals?

Mike Henderson: Absolutely. He's hitting the ball hard and taking good at-bats. Also, especially along with Dukes and Willingham in the lineup, he's offering needed protection to Ryan Zimmerman; an intentional walk to Zim is no longer a "gimme" as it's been in the past. Dunn's defense has been no more or less than expected, although I'm not wild about the experiments the Nats have tried with him in right field or first base. Perhaps most importantly, he's a steady clubhouse presence and is rapidly growing into a fan favorite.


- Do you see the Nats making any deals before the deadline?

Mike Henderson: The Nats still need relief pitching and prospect arms, and Nick Johnson's name is the one most often mentioned as the player they'd offer in exchange. I could see Johnson going to the Mets, who are struggling without Delgado, but it's not clear whom the Mets or any other club would be willing to deal back at this point. Dunn's name also comes up in rumors; I don't take those too seriously.


- What is your prediction for the series with the Red Sox?

Mike Henderson: Three-and-oh Nats sweep, baby! Seriously, I think Lannan, especially if the defense stays behind him as it has, stands an excellent chance in the matchup against Brad Penny. Stammen just earned a win at Yankee Stadium, which should prepare him to do battle with Lester. The real X factor will be how ready Smoltz is on Thursday; I'd say both he and Zimmermann could end up throwing a lot of pitches, resulting in a slugfest against the bullpens. Call it Nats 1, Sox 1, undecided 1.

Thanks for the chance to chat with you. I'm looking forward to three exciting games at Nats Park this week.

P.S. Please advise Washingtonian fans of Sox Nation to keep a watchful eye on the Metro Red Line, as there's just been a horrific Red Line derailment this week. The Green, Orange, or Blue Line or the Nats Express buses from RFK Stadium may be preferable.

Read more...

Sox and charities: The May edition

I'm late in reporting this, but late is better than never, eh?

I posted last month that I committed to donating $10 for every Sox win this season to charity. The Sox won 14 games in April and therefore $140 was donated to the Malaria No More foundation.

Yes, I know June is almost over...but I never reported about the donations for the May Sox wins. Since Memorial Day was in the month of May, I wanted to make the donation that in some way honored the troops. There are so many organizations out there that do wonderful things for the men and women in service...but I was able to narrow it down to one.

I was watching ABC and Bob Woodruff was reporting about the conditions of many of the troops who come home from war. If people don't remember Bob Woodruff, he is an ABC correspondent who suffered a serious brain injury while reporting on the Iraq war. Woodruff quickly learned that he was not alone when it came to recovering from war injuries and made it his continued drive to bring this issue to light. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Bob Woodruff, his strength and how he chose to use his experiences to help other people. A lot of people know about the struggles of soldiers who come back from war with physical injuries, but Woodruff has made a dedicated effort to inform the public about those soldiers who have suffered those "hidden injuries" such as traumatic brain injuries and psychological issues.

So, I decided to make my May donation to the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Here is just a snippet about the foundation:

The mission of the Bob Woodruff Foundation is to provide resources and support to injured service members, veterans and their families -- building a movement to empower communities nationwide to take action to successfully reintegrate our nation’s injured heroes—especially those who have sustained the Hidden Injuries of War—back into their communities so they may thrive physically, psychologically, socially and economically.

2.2 million Americans have volunteered to serve our nation in uniform.

More than 35,000 service members have been physically wounded.

It is estimated that more than 320,000 have sustained traumatic brain injuries.

More than 300,000 have psychological wounds.

The Sox won 15 games in May, so that means that $150 was donated to the Bob Woodruff Foundation. If you feel inclined, please feel free to donate to the cause. I know that any amount can truly help the cause of helping soldiers who have come back from war with issues and injuries...and in many ways have been forgotten by our communities.

It's almost the end of June and as of right now, the Sox have won 13 games in June and have 8 games left. I am hoping that the June donation will be the biggest donation yet. I'll be rooting for the Sox for each and every win...not only for the Sox, but for charity. Who can root against charity?

Read more...

Donald Fehr is Stepping Down

MLBPA head Donald Fehr is calling it quits after 26 years. While he did help players get bigger salaries he is as responsible for the steroid era as is Bud Selig. By always coming down on the side of the cheaters; Fehr did little to help those that played by the rules.

Read more...

Father's Day: Yankee Fan Style

Nothing like going the ballpark with your kids to celebrate father's day and then getting into a fight with a Marlins fan.

Read more...

Nick Green: Mr. Clutch

Nick Green is the player you want on the line when you need to bring a run in. His average with runners in scoring position is now .419, but the only run he need to drive in last night was himself with the game tied 5-5. Green's walk-off homer shows that he deserves to be the everyday shortstop and Lugo's days with the club are numbered. Green has proven to be so valuable that he may remain in the position when Lowrie returns from the DL.

"Did I have something to prove? Yes, I did. And I still have something to prove," Green said. "I think I've matured enough as a shortstop -- every day they put me in there, I gain more confidence. If [Francona] has confidence in me, I'm going to play better, and if he does, it makes me feel good too."

Read more...

Governor's Report

Wanted to report back on my trip. With 37 Governors in attendance, we all hooked up Tuesday afternoon. I met the majority of the other Governors and they are a diverse and wonderful group of people. We obviously all share a love of the team. Rob Crawford, VP of RSN was present as well as Joe Chamas and Mardi Fuller. We were given a tour of the park and sat on top of the Green Monster for as long as we could before being pushed along. I didn't know that Carlton Fisk signed the fair pole and have no idea how he got up that high to autograph it. I asked Rob how to get those fabulous seats and was told it was a lottery. There is an entrance at center field where we hung out for awhile and we were told that each of us were going to be filmed stating our favorite "moment". I was also told that since I was the Gov that traveled the furthest, I would be throwing out the first pitch. So, freaking out about that AND freaking out about the "moment" I tried to write what I was going to say while waiting my turn. I'm sorry but I'm not alone with the Dave Roberts steal. For me, that one play means everything. Never giving up. One single play can change the outcome. One single play can change the momentum. One single play can change history. I call it "reversology of karmology". All you need is the BALLS to go for it. Talking to N. Carolina, he said that when Roberts was safe at second his outlook on life changed from pessimism to optimism, in that moment. I go "I'm going to steal that from you" he said go ahead. So not sure what I said on camera but pretty sure it completely bombed because when I was done I think the cameraman was rolling his eyes. Hopefully if it's that bad it will never be broadcast. We all wished we had more time to prepare. Next was batting practice on the field right behind home plate. We could not believe how close we were, it was so "totally awesome". N. Carolina asked Kottaras if it was easier to catch Wake or the machine and he replied "machine". (We were told not to address the players)

Onward and upward over the bleachers and who stops by but Larry Lucchino who goes around shaking everyone's hand. I'm in a dream I think. I call my brother to tell him about the first pitch and he says "don't aim, just toss the ball to the mitt, weight off the left foot, take a moment and soak it all in...look around at the crowd..enjoy it Karen this is reserved for the President of the United States"..you guys don't know me that well but let me tell you I start freaking out even more. We were each given a sign with our names and States to hold while we walked onto the field from center, by the Green Monster, visitors dugout waving to the crowd. After National Anthem I walk out to the mound with a bat girl. I stand there and they announce my name and State. I touch fingertips of both hands to my lips, elbows out and throw a kiss to the crowd. She hands me the ball. I black out. Next thing I see is the ball bounce on the grass. I bend over holding my head. I'm embarrassed but what can I do? (Except not sleep for two nights running that moment over and over in my brain! Agh!) Walking through the crowd to my seat I hear "Hey Cali! Good Job!" I say "I'm so embarrassed!" "no, no, good job". I swear, I love the Nation. We run over the Marlins. Great day, great night, great game.

Wednesday morning meeting. Open mike for all regarding feedback and brainstorming. A lady from Red Sox Foundation comes in and speaks to us. It looks like eventually we are going to have a community outreach in all States whether it's reclaiming a little league field or doing volunteer work, etc. I'll be finding out more. Wednesday night is the 500th consecutive sellout. We have seats in the bleachers, row 2 directly in back of Ellsbury. Excellent seats. Marlins center fielder's last name is Ross. Two guys behind us say "hey Ross, how's Rachel?" then go no, no, no. Pull out their phone to find out his first name. "Hey Cody!" they yell, he turns around, is a little distracted and seconds later flubs a play. For the rest of the night it's "Coooooooo-Dyyyyyy". There were two sections in the upper deck that were given Stanley tape measures as a promotion and everyone had theirs pulled out to the 50' or whatever. Hilarious. Another great game. Great crowd. Great night.

Thursday night, sitting in the rain. Nobody moves. Everyone sits there as though it's not raining. Girls in flip flops. I am happy. Too bad game is called and recorded as a loss. Players are pissed.

I am absolutely crazy about Boston. I love the feel of the town, the beauty, the history, the people. Twice I left packages somewhere, went back and someone turned them in. Had lunch at McGreevys. When I win the lottery, I'm going to live in Florida for spring training, move to Boston for the summer and winter in the bay area. But with this past week, I think I already won some sort of lottery.

With respect and truly the luckiest girl in the world,
Karen Doherty
Gov, RSN, CA

Read more...

Today's Red Sox 6/21 Lineup vs. Atlanta

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mark Kotsay, 1B
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Nick Green, SS
George Kottaras, C

Tim Wakefield, SP

Read more...