Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Games 55 & 56 - Red Sox
Wait, Th...That's Pokey Reese's Music

Red Sox 8, Royals 4
Red Sox 5, Royals 3
Record: 33-23

Random, disconnected thoughts to reflect the conclusion of a random, disconnected road-trip:

1. Sox did their jobs against the Royals, winning the series despite spotting KC the first game of the set. Nothing fancy, just workmanlike winning performances, though Mike Timlin's three hitless innings in back of Derek Lowe on Sunday was impressive.

2. Nomar's starting tonight against San Diego. No, wait, he's starting for Pawtucket. Um, he's 5-12 for the PawSox, and he's moving fine - can we hurry this up, please? At this rate, Paulie Walnuts' Russian will emerge from the Pine Barrens before the Red Sox' once and future shortstop wanders in from the cold.

3. But Trot's telling the world that he's gonna be back by June 15. That's one week from today for those of you scoring at home.

4. Tonight marks the opener of interleague play for 2004. I love the idea of interleague play, and I hate the execution. Mostly because the Sox traditionally suck against their NL brethren (maybe I'm just overly jaded by Boston's 10-20 mark against Atlanta), and the Yankees bludgeon the Senior Ciruit (or at least did last year). I could look it up, but that would detract from the slack, sloppy nature of this post.

5. The Sox play the NL West, in addition to Atlanta and Philly, during this year's interleague period. I must admit that I'm looking forward - in a hands-over-the-eyes sort of way - to seeing the good guys face Barry Bonds at Pac Bell.

6. Caveat to no. 5 above: I'm not at all looking forward to seeing Derek Lowe face Barry Bonds - anywhere.

7. I do think that the Sox should be looking to do no worse than (fingers vigorously crossed) 11-7 against San Diego, Los Angeles, Colorado, San Fran, Philly, and Atlanta. None of those teams are all that good. Hell, the Braves have the same record as the Mets.

8. I bid fond adieu to Larry Bird today, shaking hands with Walter Payton as I enter my 34th year on this planet. Birthdays get more and more useless as I add more of them.