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My wife's in Europe for a week, leaving me to try to figure out how the hell she manages to spend all day every day with the kids without sticking her head in the oven. I'm fighting a nasty sore throat that makes every swallow feel like I'm trying to injest a porcupine. Recent events at work have our organization mired in a miasma of uncertainty and doubt. Finally, the media brings news that appetizers are probably bad for us. All in all, not a great week.

All that negativity washed clean away beginning at 7:00 pm EST yesterday, though, as Curt Schilling threw the first pitches of the Grapefruit League season in the battle for the Mayor's Cup between the Sox and the Twins. The Sox' egregiously loud red spring uniforms notwithstanding, baseball on television was a sight for sore eyes. It's worth noting that Terry Francona and most of his coaching staff eschewed the red caps that the players wore, making the squad look like a D-league softball outfit. Good for Terry, giving the Man just a little taste of rebellion.

The game action, it goes without saying, was rough, though Schilling threw 19 pitches in 2 efficient innings. The most notable action was Joe Mauer's opposite-field bomb off of Julian Tavarez - mark it down here, Mauer's gonna explode this year. Dustin Pedroia showed off his new, slimmer physique and looked patient and sharp at the plate. Centerfielder of the Future Jacoby Ellsbury looked a bit reminiscent of a skinny Johnny Damon, and drove in a couple of runs. Brendan Donnelly opened up the closer competition with a tight inning, especially as compared against Joel Pineiro's struggles. Fittingly, the game ended in a tie, as all Spring Training contests probably should.