Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Secrets of the Morning

Game 1 - Red Sox

Red Sox 6, A's 5 (10)
Record: 1-0

This is, above all, a blog about individual fans and their interactions with and observations of their teams. And so this afternoon you won’t be getting much from me in the way of pithy analysis or nuanced prose regarding the Sox’ 6-5 win over the A’s. Instead, I’ll tell you how it felt.

It felt weird, that’s how it felt. I woke up at 6:00 to catch the opening pitch from Tokyo, and was stymied by DirecTV, an organization rapidly ascending my list of non-preferred trading partners. (Aside: c’mon, Verizon, you slack bastards. I’m ready to buy FiOS as soon as you’re ready to sell it to me.) So I swore at the television for a few minutes and then went to take a shower.

With ESPN2 still out (but no other channels), I enjoyed the season’s first Matsuzaka Happy Fun Wildball Inning via mlb.com’s top-notch game feed before heading downstairs to eat breakfast and watch Hi-5 on Noggin with my kids.

I caught most of innings 4 through 6 via XM radio, finally getting to hear the sounds of real, live baseball, if not see the sights. Manny’s 2-run double highlighted the Sox’ first rally of the season, which was capped off by emergency starter Brandon Moss’ first RBI of the season – a nice bit of foreshadowing.

Pulled into the office just in time to hear Kyle Snyder give back the lead, and followed the late innings via mlb.com until I had to leave for a 9:00 a.m. meeting. From that point, I got my updates via text message, only getting the salient details (another 2-run double by Manny, Moss' first career homer to tie the game in the top of the 9th) and video highlights at a late lunch a few minutes ago.

Whitney called it dedication, though I might frame it as technologically-aided desperation. And weird. Did I mention weird?

We’ll try again tomorrow, me and DirecTV. And Jonathan Papelbon, who was decidedly middling. Oh, and Jason Varitek, who appears to be in midseason form. Maybe we’ll give Synder the day off, though.

4 comments:

T.J. said...

Good to see Huston Street blows no matter what time zone he's in.

Jerry said...

Hold on....that was really a real game??? Really? Doesn't the season usually start on Final Four weekend? What the hell is going on here?

The American League...it just doesn't make any sense at all.

T.J. said...

Orestes Destrada (sp?) really loves Japanese baseball.

rob said...

believe me, jerry, i'm as confused as you are.