Is this really me?

As I finished writing, Youk scored the first run for Team USA so I thought this photo was fitting. Photo taken by Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.net. Used with permission.

On Saturday, my family threw me a birthday party. Big old bash with about 150 people. (It was fantastic – thanks to everyone for making it so special – especially the Red Sox Hen for all her hard work!) So I missed everything baseball Saturday and Sunday (Sunday in recovering from Saturday!). I’m just now catching up with the news and settling in to watch Team USA play Venezuela in Toronto. Shout out to friend of the blog, Steve in Toronto, who will be attending all the WBC games there and hopefully sending some insight on what the experience is like.

I DID get to see the MLBN’s round-up of the WBC and, admittedly, it was a bummer to see Jason Bay make the final out and look so disappointed about it. Sure, I want the US to win but the names on the back suck me in to and it was tough to see one of our guys defeated.

Everyone is reporting that Jon Lester and the Sox have come to a five-year contract extension (though there’s no official verification of it as I write this). I like the idea of wrapping up the young guys for the long-term. I just would love to read one story about Jon Lester where they didn’t mention his cancer. Mike Lowell has moved past the “cancer-survivor” tag; why do they insist on hanging Lester with it still? Part of me feels like it’s a forced “you have to like the guy, he’s a survivor” thing. I don’t go in for that. Tell me how he’s pitching, tell me about his contract, fine. Stop beating it over my head that the kid had cancer. (And, yes, I understand what it means to others to know he’s a survivor and I think that’s wonderful. But two seasons after coming back from it, I think the work he’s now doing with the Jimmy Fund covers that quite well.)

Found out over the weekend that I’ll be at Citi Field on April 3rd and 4th for the Mets/Red Sox exhibition games. KellyO is a master of the virtual waiting room – even when she’s on vacation! Kelly and I had discussed doing this back when they first announced the games (and before Kyle Snyder signed with the Mets). I wasn’t convinced we’d be able to get tickets, but that Kelly…she’s good. So a huge thanks to her. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new park, seeing the Mets and going to a Red Sox road game (such as it is) since I won’t be doing that much this year. It’ll be a bonus if Kyle is still with the team for the exhibition games – I’m crossing my fingers. Speaking of Kyle, another friend of the blog, Anna, went to two Mets games this weekend and missed Kyle pitch by one day. Just finished listening to the two innings Kyle pitched this afternoon. Not such a good day for him. He faced 10 guys, gave up three hits and one earned run (two runs totaled). He walked one and struck out one. His second inning was much better than his first. WFAN dude said he had no command on his curve. He also said that Dan Warthen, pitching coach for the Mets, told him (is it Mike Francesca calling the games? I think it is.) that the Mets really like Kyle. So you take some good and you take some bad. Tomorrow’s another day, Kyle, hang in there.

Watching the WBC and I can’t get over how quickly Kevin Youkils grows facial hair. It looks like he’s bringing the goatee back! Also, does anyone know why Youk is wearing number 21? I checked the roster and no one else on the USA team is wearing 20. What’s up? (Just noticed that David Wright is wearing number 4 and no one else on the roster is wearing 5. Did the team retire certain numbers?) They just “Youuuuuuk”ed in Toronto. I can’t wait until we do that for “real”.

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