One more cheap suit in the loop

Don't ask him if he's Irish, he doesn't know. But he'll wear green just in case!

Things I found out while watching NESN today:

*  The Opening Day (NIGHT) game on April 4th will be broadcast both on ESPN2 and on NESN.  This annoys me only in if it isn’t an exclusive game for ESPN then there was really no point making it the Sunday night game anyway and it just gets me cranky that we get cheated out of an actual opening DAY because MLB and ESPN stink like cheese.

*  Heidi Watney is “under the weather” and I didn’t miss her.  I understand this comes as no surprise to anyone who reads me but Heidi bashing aside what I mean is that I didn’t miss there being a sideline reporter at ALL.  Didn’t miss Heidi, didn’t miss anyone who would have taken her place.  It’s an unnecessary position created just to annoy me and/or people like me!

*  John Lackey has no idea if he’s Irish.  He said so in his post-appearance presser (I’m guessing they asked him because he showed up to it in a green shirt).   How do you not know one way or the other?  He’s been pitching his butt off so far so I’m letting this one slide for now.

*  Red Sox fans are a tough crowd even at Spring Training.  At the end of the game Carl Beane, Red Sox PA Announcer, left folks with “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everybody!” which the crowd responded in unison with a loud groan (or at least that’s what it sounded like via NESN!).

*  I genuinely don’t care if the Sox win or lose these games.  They lost today (after an afternoon of great pitching short of Ramon Ramirez) and while I’m sure Ramon isn’t too happy right now, I was just pleased to watch the game (and get a look at the green jerseys!).

What (well, really, WHO) I DIDN’T see on NESN:  Kyle Snyder and Mike Timlin.  I was really hoping Kyle would get to make the trip but if he was there NESN never showed  him (my peeps in Ft Myers didn’t see him either).  Mike Timlin, on the other hand, was there and I’m a bit disappointed NESN didn’t think to grab him for a minute or two in the booth instead of having the leprechaun dude show up again.

Something I found out before the game began, Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine.  Here’s my thing:  I don’t think it’s “brave” of him (as Jon Heyman called it on Twitter) to have owned up to this.  He had no choice, he failed a drug test.  What really bothers me is that this guy is the manager of MLB’s most famous (ex) drug addict (a drug addict in the midst of recovery who “fell” last year).  It’s frustrating that he was so damn stupid.  And, to be fair, he had been tested after that positive and never tested positive again and that’s worth mentioning.  I don’t believe for a minute that he happened to get drug tested just after the first time he ever used cocaine but I’m willing to believe it was the last.  I wonder, though, what kind of credibility he now holds with Josh Hamilton or any of his players (regardless of the company line of “We support Ron” that you’ll soon be hearing)?

It is a gorgeous St Patrick’s Day in Boston!  If you’re going out to celebrate, please be careful and have a wonderful time!