tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52318292012-01-12T03:44:03.462-05:00Two avid baseball fans torture themselves by following their favorite major league squads. Follow along as the Red Sox and Mets inflict pain and suffering on a daily basis, soothed only by great beer and rock 'n' roll.robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.comBlogger16381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-34622697117417427722009-12-31T16:30:00.002-05:002009-12-31T16:31:32.314-05:00

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-88225015866492785492009-10-12T21:55:00.002-04:002009-10-12T22:17:38.502-04:00

Game 3 - American League Division SeriesAngels 7, Red Sox 6Angels win, 3-0Not a ton to say, really. The Sox were beaten decisively by a team that played a lot better from the beginning of this series to the end. Sure, the last inning yesterday was hard to watch, but it felt a lot like a foregone conclusion. Fittingly for me after a season in which my baseball-related attention span was

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-14660097708313922212009-10-10T20:59:00.004-04:002009-10-10T21:19:03.905-04:00

Game 2 - American League Division SeriesAngels 4, Red Sox 1Angels lead 2-0Let's review the bidding, then. In two ALDS games, the Red Sox have one run. Okay, that'll be just about enough.Sure, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester could've been a little better, but when you're pitching with a razor-thin margin for error, sometimes you get cut. Pretty simple game, baseball. You throw the ball, you catch the

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-83789774291039426842009-10-09T14:25:00.004-04:002009-10-09T14:32:22.660-04:00

Game 1 - American League Division SeriesAngels 5, Red Sox 0Angels lead, 1-0Yesterday I got up at 5:30 am, had three beers before noon while playing vaguely work-related golf, did a few hours of work, played softball, had another beer, and came home to watch the Sox play the Angels. Also, apropos of nothing, I'm getting old.That's my litany of excuses for falling asleep right after Torii Hunter's

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-22392024863558512422009-10-04T20:19:00.005-04:002009-10-04T20:46:40.525-04:00

Games 157 through 162 - Red Sox Blue Jays 8, Red Sox 7Blue Jays 12, Red Sox 0Red Sox 3, Indians 0Red Sox 6, Indians 2Red Sox 11, Indians 6Red Sox 12, Indians 7Record: 95-67, AL Wild CardWhile the Sox were winding down the season trying hard not to get hurt and playing Pawsox in random places (see, for example, George Kottaras spending the final half of today's game at third base), I took the

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-81362923831249808812009-09-29T14:04:00.002-04:002009-09-29T14:12:13.113-04:00

Game 156 - Red SoxBlue Jays 11, Red Sox 5 (6)Record: 91-65Careful. Careful. That's it. Just a little more to the right. Back it up...back it up. Aaaaand...almost there.The Sox are treating the season's final week like a gang of furniture movers carrying a Louis XIV armoire up a narrow flight of stairs. Tito's nursing starters, coddling relievers, resting the weary, and generally behaving like

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-37927807322151633742009-09-28T13:37:00.003-04:002009-09-28T13:46:09.281-04:00

Games 153 through 155 - Red SoxYankees 9, Red Sox 5Yankees 3, Red Sox 0Yankees 4, Red Sox 2Record: 91-64Let the record show that I watched a total of approximately 10 pitches from this game, all Saturday, and all while the college football games that were the primary focus of my attention were on commercial breaks. Let the record further show that I'm the better for it, in terms of both my blood

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-71686695696573447812009-09-25T10:27:00.003-04:002009-09-25T10:40:14.138-04:00

Games 150 through 152 - Red SoxRoyals 5, Red Sox 1Red Sox 9, Royals 2Red Sox 10, Royals 3Record: 91-61The Sox awoke from their Greinke and Manny-induced coma to salvage a split against the suddenly frisky Royals and endow this weekend's series in the Bronx with at least a scintilla of intrigue. Clay Buchholz' 10th consecutive 'quality start' (and 7th straight outing allowing 2 runs or fewer)

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-74352531599082808482009-09-22T12:48:00.003-04:002009-09-22T12:58:04.906-04:00

Game 149 - Red SoxRoyals 12, Red Sox 9Record: 89-50Yeah, all that stuff I said about catching the Yankees? The lesson, as always...wait a minute. That lesson's wrong. This one's not my fault. The Sox had 6-0 and 8-2 leads on the Royals on a night the Yankees lost, and you want to blame this one on me? Oh, hell no.Let's put blame where blame is due, friends. And blame is due Manny Delcarmen, for

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-88570550084502197552009-09-21T12:35:00.003-04:002009-09-21T12:46:45.166-04:00

Games 145 through 148 - Red SoxAngels 4, Red Sox 3Red Sox 3, Orioles 1Red Sox 11, Orioles 5Red Sox 9, Orioles 3Record: 89-59In the early years of this blog, we spent a good deal of pixels and more than a little angst whining about the Baltimore Orioles and their (perceived, almost certainly, as we were rarely inclined then as now towards actual 'research') prediliction for playing the Red Sox

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-7770133367796057032009-09-17T11:10:00.003-04:002009-09-17T12:27:15.250-04:00

Games 134 through 144 - Red SoxWhite Sox 12, Red Sox 2White Sox 5, Red Sox 1Red Sox 6, White Sox 1White Sox 5, Red Sox 1Red Sox 10, Orioles 0Red Sox 7, Orioles 5Red Sox 9, Rays 1 (6)Red Sox 3, Rays 1Red Sox 4, Rays 0Red Sox 4, Angels 1Red Sox 9, Angels 8Record: 86-58Last night's Sox/Angels game was so good that it jarred me out of my malaise and inspired me to blog again. For now.The Sox came

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-13864638867495832512009-09-04T16:10:00.002-04:002009-09-04T16:18:11.359-04:00

Games 132 & 133 - Red SoxRays 8, Red Sox 5Red Sox 6, Rays 3Record: 78-54John Smoltz is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA, a 0.82 WHIP, and 21 Ks in 17 innings for the Cardinals. Brad Penny pitched 8 innings of scoreless 5-hit baseball against the Phillies in his first start for San Francisco. The two combined for a 9-14 record, 6.24 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 171 2/3 innings for the Sox.Stuff your small sample size

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-15587794002251610242009-09-02T16:37:00.002-04:002009-09-02T16:49:46.376-04:00

Games 126 through 131 - Red SoxRed Sox 3, White Sox 2White Sox 9, Red Sox 4Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 0Red Sox 8, Rays 4Record: 77-54As both the season and this blog (apparently) wind down and the air cools, the Sox suddenly find themselves on the list of the hottest teams in the league. Winners of 7 out of 8 and 11 of 14 and, more importantly, of 1 in a row

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-89513932544173559492009-08-26T09:43:00.004-04:002009-08-26T10:05:42.253-04:00

Games 121 through 125 - Red SoxYankees 20, Red Sox 11Red Sox 14, Yankees 1Yankees 8, Red Sox 4Red Sox 12, White Sox 7Red Sox 6, White Sox 3Record: 72-53We interrupt this all-too-regularly scheduled blog-apathy to bring you good tidings of great joy. Jacoby Ellsbury swiped his 55th base of the season last night, breaking the all-time Sox mark held by Tommy Harper for nearly 35 years. And since

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-33513845130738840502009-08-22T16:00:00.014-04:002009-08-23T13:07:28.247-04:00

Games 94-122: YankeesYankees 6, Orioles 4Yankees 6, A's 3Yankees 8, A's 3A's 6, Yankees 4Yankees 7, A's 5Yankees 11, Rays 4Rays 6, Yankees 2Yankees 6, Rays 2White Sox 3, Yankees 2White Sox 10, Yankees 5White Sox 14, Yankees 4Yankees 8, White Sox 5Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3Yankees 8, Blue Jays 4Yankees 13, Red Sox 6Yankees 2, Red Sox 0 (15)Yankees 5, Red Sox 0Yankees 5, Red Sox 2Blue Jays 5, Yankees

T.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17519941093549398451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-34156261808521629202009-08-21T15:26:00.003-04:002009-08-21T15:36:54.252-04:00

Game 120 - Red SoxRed Sox 8, Blue Jays 1Record: 69-51Sweeps are neat. Brad Penny and Junichi Tazawa facing the Yankees tonight and tomorrow: less neat.Still, beggars can't be choosers. The Sox improved to 7-3 post-Bronx beatdown with yet another convincing win up North. J.D. Drew went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and Jon Lester dropped yet another dominant performance, going 8 innings for his

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-18889040137226795242009-08-20T14:46:00.004-04:002009-08-20T14:53:30.243-04:00

Game 119 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Blue Jays 1Record: 68-51Buchholz > Halladay.And that, in a nutshell, describes last night's Sox win. Knock me over with a feather.Clay Buchholz pitched 6 strong, poised, effective innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and escaping a handful of potentially game-changing jams. Roy Halladay failed to get into the 6th inning for the first time in 42 starts, gave up homers to

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-63485580917560670912009-08-19T12:50:00.003-04:002009-08-19T12:56:26.384-04:00

Game 118 - Red SoxRed Sox 10, Blue Jays 9Record:67-51Good gracious. Even the wins hurt these days. The Sox blew three different four-run leads and tried to give away a three-run advantage in the bottom of the 8th before holding on to win. Based on my emotion after Jonathan Papelbon recorded the final out, I'm not sure I'd have felt any worse had the Sox lost.On the bright side, it was, in fact,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-20442075630125118372009-08-18T12:50:00.003-04:002009-08-18T13:01:38.047-04:00

Games 116 & 117 - Red SoxRangers 7, Red Sox 2Rangers 4, Red Sox 3Record: 66-51It all seems to be slipping away, doesn't it? Sure, the Sox still have 45 games to play, and they're only one game off the Rangers' Wild Card lead, but the vibe out of Boston is distinctly vintage late 2006.In a lot of ways, the Sox seem to be approaching the season's final months like Tiger Woods did the last two

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-89855589912240641082009-08-15T14:51:00.003-04:002009-08-15T14:58:12.081-04:00

Games 112 through 115 - Red SoxRed Sox 7, Tigers 5Red Sox 8, Tigers 2Tigers 2, Red Sox 0Red Sox 8, Rangers 4Record: 66-49Apologies for the extended absence. Team MLC has had a lot going on. Tune in to Gheorghe: The Blog on Monday to hear more.In the meantime, the Sox seem to have righted the ship, winning 4 of 5 since that time in the Bronx we don't talk about. It's pretty clear that the Sox are

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-56469173007077435522009-08-12T14:57:00.003-04:002009-08-12T15:19:17.373-04:00

Game 110 - PhilliesPhillies 4, Cubbies 3 (sorry Pop)Record: 62 wins, 48 losses, 3.5 games ahead of FloridaEvery time the Phils get groovin', I come back here to post and instantly they throw up all over themselves. The club is 33 and 19 on the road with a gutty victory in 12 innings at the Friendly Confines. That's the best record in baseball. Unfortunately, before they left for Chicago, the

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-72503929301459108552009-08-11T09:42:00.001-04:002009-08-11T09:44:04.508-04:00

Game 111 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Tigers 5Record: 63-48Insert the usual caveats regarding reading too much into what amounts to six-tenths of one percent of a baseball season here. And then proceed to say/hope/extrapolate that last night's game was a positive sign for the Sox for the following reasons:1. They won a baseball game. This is a non-trivial matter.2. They scored 6 runs, roughing up a very

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-15763978239689436672009-08-10T14:21:00.003-04:002009-08-10T14:23:05.527-04:00

Games 108 through 110 - Red SoxYankees 2, Red Sox 0 (15)Yankees 5, Red Sox 0Yankees 5, Red Sox 2Record: 62-48As Whitney reminded me this weekend, somebody posted the following back in July regarding a newfound (and, shortlived, as it turns out) confusion about the Sox/Yanks rivalry: "As with most things, the Yankees are at the root of this new evil. Several times in the past week alone,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-89090908584634601082009-08-09T07:05:00.003-04:002009-08-09T07:10:40.084-04:00

Games 108 through 110 - Red SoxYankees 13, Red Sox 6Yankees 2, Red Sox 0Yankees 5, Red Sox 0Record: 62-48This hangover comes courtesy of Whitney, Dale's Pale Ale, and little girls awake before 7:00 am. It also bears the gift of brevity.I feel nearly precisely the way I felt after the Yankees went up 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS after embarrassing the Red Sox in Game 3.And I think we know how that turned

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-83032155508595207322009-08-07T11:50:00.004-04:002009-08-07T12:07:31.397-04:00

Game 106 - Phillies Phillies 3, Rocks 1Record: 61-45, 7 games ahead of FloridaSince we last posted, the Phillies have recovered rather nicely from a hellish June. You might recall the Phils posted a absolutley horrific 6 and 12 record against the AL East. Funny thing is, they were 3 and 3 vs. the Yanks and Sox and 3 and 9 vs. the "others".The Phils were 43 and 37 exactly one month ago when I last

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-79738051620373819532009-08-07T09:09:00.002-04:002009-08-07T09:10:23.925-04:00

Game 107 - Red SoxYankees 13, Red Sox 6Record: 62-45You using the whole fist there, Doc?I guess I'm supposed to chalk last night's game up as one of the unwinnable ones. Sox were due to lose to the Yankees, every team's gonna lose their share during a 162-game season, blah, blah, blah. Placing too much emphasis on a single regular season contest is a surefire recipe for the preparation of tasty,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-14512372613646352222009-08-06T10:59:00.002-04:002009-08-06T11:28:19.807-04:00

Game 106 - Red SoxRays 6, Red Sox 4Record: 62-44With apologies to one of the great SportsCenter commercials of all time, I offer the following two-sentence recap of last night's game, and by extension the Sox' mini-series with the Rays: Did you see it, Jack? They sucked. And now they get to go into Yankee Stadium (New and Improved! Same Mouth-Breathing Fans, More Homeruns!) limping both

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-80021333225034329622009-08-05T10:52:00.002-04:002009-08-05T11:04:53.700-04:00

Game 105 - Red SoxRays 4, Red Sox 2 (13)Record: 62-43So it appears that the coronation of Daniel Bard may have been a tad premature. Just like Terry Francona's hook.Tito yanked Jon Lester after a leadoff HBP to Carlos Pena in the bottom of the 7th. To be fair, Lester had thrown 110 pitches to that point, but he was also dealing, having only allowed 3 hits and no runs. Hideki Okajima relieved

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-75038631511791462922009-08-03T13:03:00.003-04:002009-08-03T13:23:58.985-04:00

Games 101 through 104 - Red SoxRed Sox 8, A's 5Red Sox 6, Orioles 5Red Sox 4, Orioles 0Red Sox 18, Orioles 10Record: 62-42Adam, we hardly knew ye. In all the (highly justified) hoopla surrounding last week's trade deadline acquisition of Victor Martinez and (surprisingly underblown) fooferaw regarding Big (Pill) Papi, the Casey Kotchman for Adam Laroche deal barely registered. A few shoulder

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-76552216205290002662009-07-30T13:31:00.004-04:002009-07-30T13:55:34.279-04:00

Games 99 & 100 - Red SoxA's 9, Red Sox 8 (11)A's 8, Red Sox 6Record: 58-42I was prepared to spend a few free lazy afternoon moments lamenting a pair of losses against a mediocre Oakland squad, and offering a measured, wholly rational prognosis for the rest of the season (the ceiling for the current roster is the AL Wild Card, after which point anything is possible, though I think the Yankees are

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-22085235017428638872009-07-30T07:40:00.000-04:002009-07-30T11:10:24.425-04:00

Games 95 through 99 - MetsAstros 5, Mets 4Mets 10, Astros 3Mets 8, Astros 3Mets 7, Rockies 3Mets 4, Rockies 0Record: 48-51In baseball, as in life, sometimes you have to bottom out before you can begin the slow crawl into recovery.Did the Mets bottom out this week? Seven games under .500, yet another PR debacle, one firing with more being predicted, with the deals of the past making the trade

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-65135190513443587102009-07-28T09:44:00.002-04:002009-07-28T09:48:57.593-04:00

Games 95 through 98 - Red SoxRed Sox 3, Orioles 1Red Sox 7, Orioles 2Orioles 6, Red Sox 2Red Sox 8, A's 3Record: 58-40I'm on Cape Cod, staring out at ocean as the tide recedes over the Brewster Flats, and I'm still cranking out more content than the rest of Team MLC combined. This, friends, is not the Golden Era for our little blog.Short version: Orioles, good for what ails a team. Smoltz,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-3434590427592701612009-07-23T12:50:00.002-04:002009-07-23T12:55:46.972-04:00

Game 94 - Red SoxRangers 3, Red Sox 1Record: 55-39Since the All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox are 1-5, having plated a total of 13 runs. The Sox' batsmen have recorded a robust .192/.252./.285 line, good for a .537 OPS. To put things in perspective, Reggie Willits has a .542 OPS. Darin Erstad's is .541. Matt Cain's OPS is .539. San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain. He's a pitcher. THE BOSTON

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-3519289243422128772009-07-23T11:11:00.002-04:002009-07-23T11:38:10.012-04:00

Games 88 through 94 - MetsBraves 5, Mets 3Braves 11, Mets 0Mets 5, Braves 1Braves 7, Mets 1Mets 6, Nationals 2Nationals 4, Mets 0Nationals 3, Mets 1Record: 44-50Every day seems to sink the squad a little lower than the day before. Every day the news -- ranging from updates in severity of injuries to Jerry Springer-style reportings about loose cannon members of the organization -- gets worse.

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-69902116935363612562009-07-22T17:39:00.002-04:002009-07-22T15:13:24.969-04:00

Games 48-93: YankeesYankees 3, Indians 1Yankees 10, Indians 5Indians 5, Yankees 4Yankees 5, Indians 2Yankees 12, Rangers 3Rangers 4, Yankees 2Yankees 8, Rangers 6Rays 9, Yankees 7Yankees 4, Rays 3Yankees 5, Rays 3Red Sox 7, Yankees 0 Red Sox 6, Yankees 5 Red Sox 4, Yankees 3Yankees 9, Mets 8Mets 6, Yankees 2Yankees 15, Mets 0Yankees 5, Nationals 3Nationals 3, Yankees 2Nationals 3, Yankees

T.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17519941093549398451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-16821543221570129092009-07-22T17:05:00.000-04:002009-07-22T14:55:38.804-04:00

Games 92 & 93 - Red SoxRangers 6, Red Sox 3Rangers 4, Red Sox 1Record: 55-38And here you were thinking I'd come in this joint all throwin' shit around and breaking stuff. I can't possibly imagine what would have led you to believe that. Me, all mild-mannered and even-keeled. In truth, the breaking-stuff option crossed my mind a few times over the past several days. The Sox haven't hit in weeks,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-4274432704861129262009-07-20T12:59:00.003-04:002009-07-20T13:03:35.120-04:00

Games 89 through 91 - Red SoxRed Sox 4, Blue Jays 1Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 2Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 1Record: 55-36On the one hand, losing 2 of 3 to Toronto while the Yankees sweep the Tigers really isn't the most auspicious beginning to the second "half" of the season. On the other, I'm still recovering from 4 days (and 3 nights, more importantly) spent in the company of various rakes, scoundrels, and

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-42977592573641005472009-07-13T10:40:00.003-04:002009-07-13T11:03:58.701-04:00

Games 86 & 87 - MetsMets 4, Reds 0Mets 9, Reds 7Record: 42-45These last two games before the Break are merely a handful of sawdust sprinkled on the puddle of classroom barf that was the first 85 games of the season. In the ever-so-slightest of ways, it reduces a little of the stench and unsightliness, but let's face facts: there's no mistaking what's under there, and the teacher says it may be

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-20694545643763982312009-07-13T10:07:00.004-04:002009-07-13T12:32:14.461-04:00

Games 86 through 88 - Red SoxRed Sox 1, Royals 1Red Sox 15, Royals 9Red Sox 6, Royals 0Record: 54-34There may be a better way to enter the All-Star Break than a three-game Sox winning streak coupled with a three-game Yankee losing streak (Amy Adams is likely involved, if there is), but I'll certainly take the real-world scenario that played out this weekend.Jon Lester and Josh Beckett took turns

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-58760177292400589572009-07-11T07:25:00.003-04:002009-07-11T07:39:38.468-04:00

Game 85 - MetsReds 3, Mets 0Record: 40-45Bronson Arroyo had been getting lit up like a Christmas tree for weeks. PitchersIP H RERBBSOHRPC-STERAB Arroyo(W, 9-8)9.0400050115-755.38The Mets face Johnny Cueto tonight. Cueto was absolutely torched by the Phillies last time out (9 ER in 2/3 inning). I will be fairly stunned if he doesn't throw a shutout against the Mets.In other news to file under

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-80376840437423952502009-07-10T16:00:00.000-04:002009-07-10T16:10:46.995-04:00

Games 84 & 85 - Red SoxRed Sox 5, A's 4Royals 8, Red Sox 6Record: 51-34I really want to amp up the righteous indignation, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to generate any emotion that's not theatrically enhanced. (Cue Jon Lovitz: "I'm ACTING!") The Sox are 3-4 at home against Seattle, Oakland, and Kansas City. The Yankees have crawled back into a flat-footed tie with the Sox atop the

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-59511654837035269272009-07-10T14:35:00.002-04:002009-07-10T14:41:56.981-04:00

Games 83 & 84 - MetsMets 5, Dodgers 4Dodgers 11, Mets 2Record: 40-44For the first time that I can remember, I TiVoed the Mets game and deleted it before watching even one pitch. I inadvertently caught the score when it was 11-2 in the 8th. What would be the point of watching?Mets vs. Reds tonight. July 10, and the Reds have a better record than the Mets. To borrow from Annie Savoy, this is

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-61593650305402587652009-07-08T11:48:00.002-04:002009-07-08T14:48:57.316-04:00

Game 83 - Red Sox Red Sox 5, A's 2 Record: 50-33More accurately, nothing to say. Sox take an early lead against a struggling young pitcher. Josh Beckett keeps the A's at bay. Sox bullpen does its job. One of 162, and a relatively unmemorable one at that.And damn, but the Yankees are looming.

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-4893647103987297422009-07-08T07:39:00.000-04:002009-07-08T10:32:36.798-04:00

Game 82 - MetsDodgers 8, Mets 0Record: 39-43Good to see the Mets kicking off the latter 81 of the 2009 season the same way they closed out -- and played much of -- the former . . . like dipshits.The Mets book-ended the Dodgers' eight runs with bases-loaded walks. Add Mike Pelfrey and Brian Stokes to the long, stupidly long list of Mets' pitchers who've walked in runs. After Stokes' walk -- his

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-25674592776208490802009-07-07T15:29:00.003-04:002009-07-07T16:13:14.495-04:00

Games 74 through 80 - PhilliesBraves 5, Phils 4Braves 11, Phils 1Braves 5, Phils 2Phils 7, Mets 2Phils 4, Mets 1Phils 2, Mets 0Phils 22, Reds 1Record 43 wins, 37 losses - 1st place, 2 games ahead of FloridaGoing into Monday night's opener of a four game set with the Redlegs, the Phillies had the second smallest run differential of all the division leaders in MLB. The were only 19 runs better than

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-54980804671079411372009-07-07T12:40:00.002-04:002009-07-07T12:52:55.269-04:00

Game 82 - Red SoxA's 6, Red Sox 0Record: 49-33Returning to the self-referential well once again, I commend to you the words I wrote on July 31, 2004 after the trade that eventually played a major role in turning the Sox into World Series Champions....with all that said, all the logic expended, I still am so verydisappointed to see Nomar leave Boston. I lied a few days ago - he's my

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-73253893674927516992009-07-07T08:24:00.000-04:002009-07-07T12:04:46.404-04:00

Games 78 through 81 - MetsMets 9, Pirates 8 (10)Phillies 7, Mets 2Phillies 4, Mets 1Phillies 2, Mets 0Record: 39-4239-42 at the halfway point. Ugh.That the Mets have sunk to their worst mid-season record since . . . close your eyes and shudder when I say it . . . 2003 . . . is bad. That they are only four games better than that collection of no-talent assclowns is just frightening. This is

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-2435036829009526302009-07-06T15:55:00.003-04:002009-07-06T16:15:41.157-04:00

Games 79 through 81 - Red SoxMariners 7, Red Sox 6 (11)Mariners 3, Red Sox 2Red Sox 8, Mariners 4Record: 49-32Two things happened on Sunday to completely change the tenor of this post. And woebetide the gentle people in MLCville if they hadn't, because losing two in a row at home to Seattle is unacceptable in normal circumstances, and downright grumpy-making with the Yankees bearing down with

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-59512993722228318422009-07-02T15:35:00.000-04:002009-07-02T15:38:36.611-04:00

Game 78 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Orioles 5 (11)Record: 48-30Let it be noted for the record that honorary Canadian Julio Lugo, he of the thick skin and thin skillset, singled home the game-winning run in the top of the 11th inning to provide the Sox with an improbably glorious Canada Day victory.Let it further be noted that actual Canadian Jason Bay, he of the milquetoast mien and (formerly)

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-2012965277920636992009-07-02T13:58:00.003-04:002009-07-02T14:20:36.065-04:00

Game 77 - MetsMets 1, Brewers 0Record: 38-39Had to have this one. It wasn't pretty (12 Mets K's, 1 run on 5 hits), but it's a win. David Wright was initially given the day off but was later penciled in; our friends over at Metsblog praised Jerry for the presence of mind to keep Dee-Dub in the lineup. Dave rewarded them with an 0-for-4, 3K, 12th-error-of-the-season day. Oh, well. It came in a

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-29403321845250058612009-07-01T09:53:00.004-04:002009-07-01T10:10:19.756-04:00

Games 76 & 77 - Red SoxRed Sox 4, Orioles 0Orioles 11, Red Sox 10Record: 47-30It was funny at first. When Justin Masterson retired Felix Pie on a routine grounder to second to end the 6th inning, he walked off the mound and into the Sox dugout, followed by nearly all of his teammates. Thing is, Pie's out was only the second of the inning. Belly laughs ensued from Sox players and fans alike, as

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-25487728019584113412009-06-30T22:54:00.000-04:002009-07-01T00:39:56.453-04:00

Games 75 & 76 - Mets Brewers 10, Mets 6 Brewers 6, Mets 3 Record: 37-39So in the bottom of the 4th with the bases loaded -- loaded in part because Kelly fell down on a routine fly ball -- this kid hits one over Ahmad's head in left. Ahmad retrieves it and fires it to Tanner, who throws a one-hopper to the plate, one that hit Engelberg in the gut but somehow caromed over to the backstop,

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-81899265911135077112009-06-30T10:44:00.002-04:002009-06-30T12:10:09.782-04:00

6/3/09 - Phillies39 wins, 34 losses - 1st place (by default) by 2.5 games over the Florida MarlinsI changed the format a little here because there was no damn way I was going to research the scores of every single game since I last posted. I suspect it was about 20 games ago or so and the Phils probably only won 6 of them. Perhaps if they'd won 14 of them, I'd be a little more industrious. I am

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-70152641716863346532009-06-29T19:06:00.004-04:002009-06-29T20:45:26.531-04:00

Games 60 through 74 - MetsMets 6, Yankees 2Yankees 15, Mets 0Mets 6, Orioles 4Orioles 6, Mets 4Orioles 5, Mets 4Mets 5, Rays 3Rays 3, Mets 1Rays 10, Mets 6Mets 6, Cardinals 4Cardinals 3, Mets 0Mets 11, Cardinals 0 Mets 3, Cardinals 2Yankees 9, Mets 1Yankees 5, Mets 0Yankees 4, Mets 2Record: 37-37I don't know what's more disappointing in the text above, that the Mets have slipped to .500 or that I

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-71667113555404323172009-06-29T10:02:00.003-04:002009-06-29T10:11:49.025-04:00

Games 73 through 75 - Red SoxRed Sox 4, Braves 1Red Sox 1, Braves 0Braves 2, Red Sox 1Record: 46-29The Red Sox scored 6 runs in 3 games this weekend. And won 2 of them. I can't be but so upset with their current 'win 2 of every 3' strategy. In their last 10 games, the Sox have plated 38 runs, but 7 of those came in 2 innings against the Nationals' bullpen. Remove those gold-plated gimmies and

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-30125065092834073402009-06-26T09:57:00.003-04:002009-06-26T10:09:33.419-04:00

Games 71 & 72 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Nationals 4Nationals 9, Red Sox 3Record: 44-28I took my first trip to Nationals Park last night, arriving an hour before gametime in hopes of checking out the joint. (My traveling partner gave an alternative meaning to that last phrase.) By the time Jordan Zimmermann threw the first pitch of last night's game, I'd toured the ballpark extensively, devoured a

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-77177920601654292802009-06-24T10:32:00.003-04:002009-06-24T10:52:20.050-04:00

Games 67 through 70 - Red SoxBraves 8, Red Sox 2Red Sox 3, Braves 0Red Sox 6, Braves 5Red Sox 11, Nationals 3Record: 43-27The Red Sox keep on keeping on, mixing a terrific start by Josh Beckett, some luck and a Nick Green walk-off, and some more luck and a bad Nationals bullpen into a tidy little 3-game winning streak. But we come here not to praise the Bostons. Rather, we come to this place

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-3130079167150789882009-06-19T14:32:00.004-04:002009-06-19T14:35:53.139-04:00

Game 66 - Red SoxMarlins 2, Red Sox 1 (5)Record: 40-26Meh.Can't win 'em all. And even if this one went the distance, the way Sox bats were flopping around like so many, um, fish against Ricky Nolasco, there's a better than even shot that the result would've been the same. Bullpen gets rested. Bring on the Braves.I'll be seeing the rest of the MLC staff later this afternoon. Hopefully I'll be

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-29358108858049014402009-06-18T08:48:00.005-04:002009-06-18T09:36:14.091-04:00

Games 64 & 65 - Red SoxRed Sox 8, Marlins 2Red Sox 6, Marlins 1Record: 40-25I suppose it's a telltale sign that things in Soxland are heading in a positive direction when the biggest gripe I can muster is about Terry Francona using 5 pitchers in a 6-1 win. Or about Jacoby Ellsbury committing the first error of his career to lead to the Marlins' only run. Or, I guess, about the fact that the Sox

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-44062153562142402962009-06-15T12:59:00.003-04:002009-06-15T13:14:03.513-04:00

Games 61 through 63 - Red SoxRed Sox 5, Phillies 2 (13)Red Sox 11, Phillies 6Phillies 11, Red Sox 6Record: 38-25Seems like only last week I was lauding Josh Beckett's recent run in this space. Ah, to be young and carefree again. Oh. It was only last week. The Curse of the Premature Utterance by MLC Know-Nothings struck again, as Beckett gave back a 4-1 lead, ultimately allowing 6 earned runs and

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-217737614003080602009-06-13T11:07:00.004-04:002009-06-13T11:42:25.061-04:00

Games 57 through 59 - MetsPhillies 5, Mets 4 (11)Phillies 6, Mets 3 (10)Yankees 9, Mets 8Record: 31-28Does this kind of crap happen to other teams? Doesn't it seem like it only happens to the Mets?Just when the thoughts of Ryan Church missing third began to fade away, another T-ball Special by the Mets invades the highlight films and blooper reels. Luis Castillo single-handedly (bitter pun

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-68606062540423666832009-06-12T10:51:00.005-04:002009-06-12T20:21:47.786-04:00

Game 60 - Red Sox Red Sox 4, Yankees 3Record: 36-24On the one hand, the logical, measured hand, the Sox have 102 games to play and are up only 2 games on a talented Yankee squad. And Teejay got a silver lining last night, belatedly realizing that he gets the MLB Network.On the other hand, suck on 8 in a row, Yankees!I was perfectly prepared to let this one go after the Yanks scored 3 off Manny

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-61513107788446948072009-06-11T10:00:00.004-04:002009-06-12T13:27:29.554-04:00

Game 59 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Yankees 5Record: 35-24Owing to a combination of work-related issues and old-friend-related gatherings, I've witnessed a grand total of 0.2 innings of this week's Sox/Yanks series. The elevated heart rate, exasperated sighs, and eventual fist-pump-induced ribcage strain testify to the fact that those are 0.2 innings too many this early in the season.In fact, I returned

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-62467149216558410492009-06-10T10:30:00.000-04:002009-06-10T10:29:41.720-04:00

Game 58 - Red SoxRed Sox 7, Yankees 0Record: 34-24As the erstwhile Ebby Calvin continues to surge, it's only fitting that we use the words of the great Annie Savoy to describe the work of Josh Beckett and the Boston bullpen last night. "Oh, my", indeed. (Where's my Strunk & White? How the hell do you properly punctuate that quotation?)Beckett gave up a single infield hit and struck out 8 in 6

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-46417677517900130352009-06-10T08:26:00.003-04:002009-06-10T10:22:51.763-04:00

And a quick word on a small matter across the aisle. It's something I've been thinking about for a couple of weeks now, something sparked by the wealth of thoughts on the woes of one David Ortiz as chronicled and just about eulogized by folks in and out of New England. Folks in places from NESN to ESPN to MLC have lamented Big Papi's plight, and rightfully so. He has sucked. Sucked bad. And

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-7617263341848420872009-06-10T07:41:00.000-04:002009-06-10T09:25:32.835-04:00

Games 52 through 56 - MetsPirates 11, Mets 6Mets 3, Nationals 1 (10)Nationals 7, Mets 1Mets 7, Nationals 0Mets 6, Phillies 5Record: 31-252 GB PHLWhen the Mets went down 4-3 on Jimmy Rollins' home run last night, I was irritated and unhappy, but I had to shake my head and smile. Just an inning before, I'd thunk to myself how much better it was that there is now an actual rivalry between the Mets

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-65297666541730568802009-06-08T14:51:00.003-04:002009-06-08T15:02:58.373-04:00

Games 55 through 57 - Red SoxRangers 5, Red Sox 1Red Sox 8, Rangers 1Rangers 6, Red Sox 3Record: 33-24Celebrating my favorite Texas musicians, headline-style, on the day after the Rangers won their first series against the Sox since 1997. Not first series in Fenway, first series anywhere. Guess we'll file this one in the 'Can't Win 'em All' folder and move on.Jon Lester was the bright spot,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-50342828898986531062009-06-05T08:35:00.002-04:002009-06-05T09:06:17.024-04:00

Games 53 & 54 - Red SoxRed Sox 10, Tigers 5Red Sox 6, Tigers 3Record: 32-22Little bit of everything for the discerning baseball fan over the last few days, as the Sox dispatched the Central-leading Tigers on the strength of timely offense, a little bit of luck, and gritty starting pitching. Toss in an injury to Kevin Youkilis and an ejection to mild-mannered Mike Lowell, a 2-run double by Papi (

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-39781074451893378292009-06-04T11:31:00.003-04:002009-06-04T12:18:37.843-04:00

Games 38 through 51 - PhilliesReds 5, Phils 1Phils 12, Reds 5PHILS 7, yanks 3yanks 5, Phils 4PHILS 4, yanks 3Marlins 5, Phils 3Phils 5, Marlins 3Marlins 6, Phils 2Phils 5, Nats 4Phils 9, Nats 2Phils 4, Nats 2Phils 5, Padres 3Phils 10, Padres 5Phils 5, Padres 1Record 31 wins, 20 lossesIt's amazing how much changes when you go two weeks between posts. We are 51 games in now and we have witnessed

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-82947524145275247962009-06-04T10:32:00.003-04:002009-06-04T11:20:34.113-04:00

Games 45 through 51 - MetsMets 2, Marlins 1 (11)Marlins 7, Mets 3Mets 3, Marlins 2Pirates 8, Mets 5Pirates 3, Mets 1NYM@PIT, PPD, RainRecord: 28-23Somehow we're into June already. The All-Star Break is a month away, and teams are starting to make deals. Skippers are getting canned. Things are getting shaken up. Some teams have already punted on 2009, either eliminated realistically (Rockies,

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-59855272622995592712009-06-03T09:14:00.004-04:002009-06-03T10:11:41.240-04:00

Games 51 & 52 - Red SoxRed Sox 8, Blue Jays 2Red Sox 5, Tigers 1Record: 30-22Games of inches writ large over the past two days, as Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka take baby steps and Jonathan Papelbon escapes his self-made troubles by a whisker.Lester struck out 12 while allowing a single run in 6 innings in Toronto on Sunday as the Sox salvaged a lone win against the Jays. Last night, Daisuke

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-38232955039178045082009-05-30T16:24:00.003-04:002009-05-30T16:40:29.760-04:00

Games 49 & 50 - Red Sox Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 3 Blue Jays 5, Red Sox 3 Record: 28-22You might think I'd be annoyed that the Sox have lost 4 of 5 to fall out of first place. Well, how 'bout that? You're a freaking genius. What gave it away, the pissy grimace after Brad Penny gave up a homer to Adam Lind? The quick turning off of the radio when J.D. Drew grounded out to the pitcher to end the

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-29712885586953779512009-05-29T06:54:00.004-04:002009-05-29T07:23:03.753-04:00

Games 46 through 48 - Red SoxTwins 5, Red Sox 2Twins 4, Red Sox 2Red Sox 3, Twins 1Record: 28-20A search of 'varitek corpse' in the MLC archives yields dozens of results. (NOTE: this is not true. Poetic license, though it would be true of a search of my mental archives. You'd also find the word 'melonfarmer' and a cache of Mary Lou Retton photos there. Please leave them be.) There's not a Sox

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-80190005628289877152009-05-28T12:50:00.001-04:002009-05-28T13:20:48.489-04:00

Game 47: YankeesYankees 9, Rangers 2 Record:  27-20Tied for 1st in the AL EastA.J. Burnett, so nice of you to show up.  Last night's win was his first since April 14th.  Money well spent I say.  Ugh.Howevah, the real star of the game was leather-faced Hideki Matsui, who went 2-4 with two HRs and three RBI.  MLC was able to obtain some footage of Matsui's performance for your viewing pleasure:

T.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17519941093549398451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-87759765459444824092009-05-27T15:17:00.002-04:002009-05-27T15:23:35.950-04:00

Games 9-46 (Jesus I suck): YankeesYankees 4, Devil Rays 3Indians 10, Yankees 2Yankees 6, Indians 5Indians 22, Yankees 4Yankees 7, Indians 3Yankees 5, A's 3Yankees 9, A's 7 (14)Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 (11)Red Sox 16, Yankees 11Red Sox 4, Yankees 1Tigers 4, Yankees 2Yankees 11, Tigers 0Yankees 8, Tigers 6Yankees 7, Angels 4Yankees 10, Angels 9Angels 8, Yankees 4Red Sox 6, Yankees 4Red Sox 7, Yankees

T.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17519941093549398451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-62923701040703824642009-05-26T20:56:00.004-04:002009-05-26T21:16:12.150-04:00

Games 41 through 45 - Red SoxRed Sox 5, Blue Jays 1Mets 5, Red Sox 3Mets 3, Red Sox 2Red Sox 12, Mets 5Red Sox 6, Twins 5Record: 27-18I plead guilty to both of the sins (and I count travel, given that I put nearly 800 miles on my gas-chugging SUV) detailed by Whitney as excuses for my lack of posting intensity this week. I spent the holiday in the Myrtle Beach area with my folks, wrapping a trip

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-78757422957079766222009-05-26T18:42:00.002-04:002009-05-26T19:16:49.671-04:00

Games 41 through 44 - MetsMets 5, Red Sox 3Mets 3, Red Sox 2Red Sox 12, Mets 5Mets 5, Nationals 2Record: 24-20The Red Sox play the Mets for the first time in years, and we have nothing to say about it. Huh.I think Rob and I are both still recovering from a long weekend of traveling and drinking . . . and following that series the best we could while doing so. What a difference one swing of the

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-31999355137317796662009-05-21T09:50:00.004-04:002009-05-21T10:30:51.903-04:00

Game 40 - Red SoxRed Sox 8, Blue Jays 3Record: 24-16I just got done reading a terrific piece by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker on the phenomenon of the underdog. In it, the author postulates that, "David can beat Goliath by substituting effort for ability."In news that's related, but only tangentially, the Sox' erstwhile Goliath (ironically named David) finally matched effort to ability last

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-81953826682118479412009-05-21T09:09:00.005-04:002009-05-21T10:06:54.032-04:00

Game 40 - MetsDodgers 2, Mets 1Record: 21-19I'm getting sick from the Mets. Not sick of them -- I am coming down with illness because of this road trip. I am staying up night after night until 1 or 2 in the AM to watch our lads. There was something about watching them beat up on the SFO-mo's for three nights that staved off the repercussions of sleep deprivation. Now that the Mets are

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-43984478016234585502009-05-20T21:08:00.004-04:002009-05-20T21:28:59.799-04:00

Game 39 - MetsDodgers 5, Mets 3Record: 21-18Now this loss was more like it.Wait . . . what?I guess what I mean is that it was a step up not to see the Mets inflict a humiliating implosion of a defeat on themselves. This game came down to John Maine pitching okay for the most part but making a few crucial mistakes. He allowed a double to the opposing pitcher (bad) and a three-run

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-311454850231305922009-05-20T16:32:00.002-04:002009-05-20T16:40:50.114-04:00

Game 39 - Red Sox Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1Record: 23-16The little girl with a curl has been really good this season, and yesterday was no exception. And when she's good, the Sox blister through games. Tim Wakefield went 8 strong innings last night, the Papi-led [:-(] offense squeaked out just enough runs to back his effort, and vintage Jonathan Papelbon quelled the grumbling for a night. The result

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-85846981097306739962009-05-20T12:41:00.002-04:002009-05-20T13:15:29.763-04:00

Game 37 - PhilliesPhillies 4, Reds 3Record: 21 wins, 16 lossesIt's been about 13 days since I last posted. In all that time, not a word of concern of my whereabouts was posted by my brethren here at MLC. There are likely several reasons for that.1 - My posts are boring. No one noticed I was gone.2 - My posts blow. Something about letting sleeping dogs lie.3 - I am being confused with TJ.4 -

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-3771613895709964602009-05-19T08:15:00.001-04:002009-05-19T10:26:18.284-04:00

Games 35 through 38 - MetsMets 8, Giants 6Mets 9, Giants 6Giants 2, Mets 0Dodgers 3, Mets 2 (11)Record: 21-17It's really hard to know where to begin this morning. Okay, we'll go with the obvious one. Really?? You missed 3rd base?Here's when you know that as a collective, though you are in first place (until tomorrow) and you make millions of dollars, you should hang your heads for a moment in

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-84878702141303801942009-05-18T08:05:00.004-04:002009-05-18T08:27:16.913-04:00

Games 36 through 38 - Red SoxMariners 5, Red Sox 4Red Sox 5, Mariners 3Mariners 3, Red Sox 2Record: 22-16Jon Lester's baffling implosion on Friday notwithstanding, the gray overcast of the Sox' early-season starting pitching broke briefly this weekend, with Josh Beckett and Justin Masterson both providing warm-enough rays of sunshine. Unfortunately for the Sox, the offensive cold front that's

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-13797322032006554412009-05-15T17:12:00.000-04:002009-05-15T17:23:23.959-04:00

Games 33 & 34 - MetsBraves 8, Mets 7 (12)Mets 7, Giants 4Record: 19-15Day games, late night games, we've got it all lately, and I've been able to watch a whole lot of Metball. For once, when I am on a tear of tuning in, the Mets aren't thoroughly rewarding me with fork-in-the-eye play. They still make enough aggravating mistakes every game to keep me cursing and mocking, but they're getting

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-26944889560255456302009-05-15T08:54:00.003-04:002009-05-15T08:56:11.891-04:00

Games 34 & 35 – Red SoxAngels 8, Red Sox 4Angels 5, Red Sox 4 (12)Record: 21-14Willie Mays stumbled around in the Mets’ outfield for a season. Johnny Unitas hung on to take a beating in San Diego. Even the sainted Yaz didn’t have anything left at the end. When it’s over, the thunderbolts are usually the last to know, reminded as they are of just-yesterday’s glories when their body was willing,

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-33278817119172254122009-05-13T10:22:00.001-04:002009-05-13T13:53:47.590-04:00

Game 32 - MetsMets 4, Braves 3 (10)Record: 18-14A twisty cone of mixed emotions was served up in last night's Met game. It was as frustrating and irritating a game to watch for seven innings as I can remember. The Metmen played a miserably poor game of fundamental baseball (or as Keith calls 'em, "fundies"), making mental mistakes and "doing the little things" to create opportunities for their

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-21145707076148456672009-05-13T10:14:00.003-04:002009-05-13T10:27:42.348-04:00

Game 33 - Red SoxRed Sox 4, Angels 3Record: 21-12West Coast games are like the modern Republican Party: out-of-sight, out-of-mind, largely irrelevant in terms of mindspace, but ultimately worth at least a small bit of attention, if only for the entertainment value. In this case, the entertainment came at 6:45 this morning when I checked MLB.com to find out that Jason Varitek's run-scoring

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-70927265571783579682009-05-12T13:28:00.003-04:002009-05-12T14:21:06.121-04:00

Game 31 - MetsBraves 8, Mets 3Record: 17-14It still works. I can still talk about the Mets' strengths, only to see them fade away instantaneously. Last night was a Bob Lanier-sized punt in the crotch, Atlanta Braves-style. I was sure that the unearned run Atlanta scratched across in the top of the first would hold up. I almost wish it had.Instead, we aren't (merely) lamenting Fernando Tatis's

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-28407887107280367692009-05-11T10:37:00.003-04:002009-05-11T11:26:10.356-04:00

Games 27 through 30 - MetsMets 7, Phillies 5Mets 7, Pirates 3Mets 10, Pirates 1Mets 8, Pirates 4Record: 17-13I love winning. You know, it's like . . . better than losing? And despite the Red Sox' and Phillies' recent formulae for success, the Mets are doing it with the normal recipe -- better starting pitching. Using actual quality starts or at least six strong innings rather than Ollie

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-87590185498475570692009-05-11T08:55:00.003-04:002009-05-11T10:01:19.105-04:00

Games 30 through 32 - Red SoxRed Sox 7, Rays 3Rays 14, Red Sox 5Red Sox 4, Rays 3Record: 20-12Fortunately for me, we party for real on Mother's Day at my house. So hard, in fact, that I slipped beyond the boundaries of consciousness precisely as Jonathan Papelbon put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out in the top of the 9th last night. The last thing I remember thinking is, "I hope they only

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-19522240799761491922009-05-08T11:00:00.001-04:002009-05-08T11:06:42.079-04:00

Games 28 & 29 - Red SoxIndians 9, Red Sox 2Red Sox 13, Indians 3Record: 18-11We interrupt our regularly scheduled inanity for a bracing dose of the real world. Cancer, friends, is a motherfucker.Jerry Remy's been absent from Sox telecasts for the past few weeks. Speculation about the cause has ranged wildly. Yesterday NESN posted a statement from Remy regarding his situation. It seems that the

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-45537923212171448632009-05-07T13:13:00.003-04:002009-05-07T13:19:32.110-04:00

They got Manny. 50 games. PEDs. I don't believe any of them at this point. Time for an ollie-ollie-oxen-free moment from the league - admit it now with full immunity, or risk permanent ban from the game. Overkill? Yes, absolutely. Necessary? Sadly, probably. The game's a laughingstock in the midst of a once-in-a-generation economic turmoil. They'll never lose people like Team MLC, but

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-68485196304204981022009-05-07T08:16:00.006-04:002009-05-07T09:16:38.854-04:00

Game 25 - PhilliesMets 1, Phillies 0Record 14 wins, 11 losses - 1st place Last night I watched hockey. Specifically, game 3 of the Caps-Pens series. Now I have long conceded that I know nothing about hockey and I often annoy hockey fans by proudly proclaiming this fact. Its not that I dislike hockey. Seems like a cool sport. I give into my natural lust for violence now and then and hockey

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-40279854729834940542009-05-06T22:40:00.003-04:002009-05-06T23:23:01.188-04:00

Games 25 & 26 - MetsMets 4, Braves 3Mets 1, Phillies 0Record: 13-13My friend Nick knows a lot about the Philadelphia Phillies. He does. He's been a fan since he wasn't old enough to know better. He follows them, watches them, peruses their boxes (not boxers, TJ, you perv) daily, and actually provides a good bit of insight on them.But please . . . please don't read his post from earlier today

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-27394712394998530552009-05-06T14:37:00.003-04:002009-05-06T14:47:00.427-04:00

Game 27 - Red SoxRed Sox 7, Yankees 3Record: 17-10We've a time-honored ban on cape-tugging 'round these parts, and I'm certainly not going to violate it. The forces of karma long ago won the argument with Team MLC. Case in point: Peter Angelos and his decade-long wandering in the wilderness.That said, given the choice to have the Sox win their first 5 games of the season against the Yankees

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-54006402452546818912009-05-06T11:31:00.003-04:002009-05-06T12:10:27.390-04:00

Game 24 - PhilliesPhillies 10, Cardinals 7Record: 14 wins, 10 losses - 1st place24 games are in the books. That's about 15% of the season completed. The Phils are in first. If you weren't following them day to day, you'd be inclined to say "sounds about right." Ah, but if we were to look at if from different perspectives - perhaps say, statistically - then you might say "how the hell did they

Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10766511205584696474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-30692182996912827672009-05-05T15:12:00.005-04:002009-05-05T16:38:07.217-04:00

Game 24 - MetsMets 6, Braves 4Record: 11-13Whatever corner of the bullpen Oliver Perez was sitting in last night, let's hope he was watching. John Maine started down the steps to Ollie Hell, then made the necessary adjustments and reversed course. Three second-inning walks led directly to three runs for the Braves and had Mets Township collectively groaning. (Groans replete with f-words.)

Whitneynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-38319404522853353992009-05-05T14:21:00.002-04:002009-05-05T14:31:07.579-04:00

Game 26 - Red SoxRed Sox 6, Yankees 4Record: 16-10I see you, Papi. I see you.Or, more pertinently, I read about you. Rain in New York combined with an abundance of compelling sports action last night to ensure that I saw only the slightest bits and pieces of the Sox' first ever game in the new Yankee Stadium. For the most part, I greatly enjoyed what I saw.I managed the remote effectively enough

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231829.post-81522840458480320052009-05-04T12:10:00.003-04:002009-05-04T12:14:58.235-04:00

We've worked hard here over the past 6 years to build a sustainable brand. Blood, sweat, tears...all that crap. Also, alcohol. Today, though, comes confirmation that we've made it. Just hours after my lamentations about David Ortiz' woeful, pitiable, worrisome (stop me at any point, really) start, Papi himself responded directly to MLC:"This is my seventh year here. If you don't know me at this

robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09442498450575812092noreply@blogger.com0