I took this last year at McCoy Stadium. Dusty Brown eyeballing the ump an inning before the same umpire ejected him from the game. It's a bit of a cranky post today and I thought the photo fitting.
This next week will be the longest of the year, won’t it?
One week from this coming Sunday we get our Opening Day (night) and, yes, I will be there. While I’m thrilled for the opportunity and grateful to have received the invite, I still am a little grumpy about the timing of it all. I’m Catholic and Easter is a bit of a big deal so having it on the holiday sucks just a bit. Thankfully, I was born of a family who won’t be offended if I leave Easter dinner a little early to make it to the park.  I’m okay with it. Just means I won’t get into Boston as early as I normally would that day.
What really annoys me about it is that they have taken our Opening Day away from us.  As it is in many cities, it’s practically a holiday in Boston. People blow off work, let their kids stay home from school, plan game watching parties…it’s a big freaking deal for fans going to the game and those who aren’t. But not this year, we get that taken away from us because ESPN decided they wanted the Sox/Yankees on at 8pm on Sunday night. (Let’s not even get into how horrid it will be trying to LEAVE Fenway when the game is over. Late night ball game, Sunday night on a holiday? Good luck finding a cab or getting to public transportation on time.) Also, they did a little bit of a bait and switch on folks, since when they originally started selling the tickets, Opening Day was scheduled for Monday, April 5th.
Dan Lamothe over at Red Sox Monster has a different take that on this that I, unfortunately, disagree with. Winning those championships isn’t what prompted this. ESPN and Fox have always over-touted “The Rivalry” long before 2004. I also don’t find it to be “epic”. Red Sox/Yankees has been played out. Since 2000 both teams have won two championships.  There is nothing compelling here for anyone who isn’t a Sox or Yanks fan – and even Sox and Yanks fans (raises hand) are sick of the two teams being forced down the throats of baseball fans.  The games excite me, as a Sox fan, but I can understand the rest of the baseball watching world not wanting to bother watching that first game. It’ll be interesting to see if they sell out that night. I received an email this week from “Red Sox Nation” saying there were tickets available but only selling them in a package of other games…smooth move. Way to kick those who can barely afford tickets just one more time. I secretly hope they don’t sell out. (Hypocritical, I know, since I’ll be there. Also, I guess my hope isn’t so “secret” now.)
What else can I complain about this lovely morning? 🙂
How about a cancer survivor, someone I would hope had a greater appreciation for life, killing a living creature for sport? I’m not sure I’ve mentioned my distaste for hunting here before (I have elsewhere!) but here it is in a nutshell: I detest it. Having written that, I feel less strongly about it if the hunters are actually hunting for food. It still makes me a little squeamish but how can I argue someone hunting for food? I love animals but I do love people more. So as much as I hate hunting and will argue about it with people, if someone is actually doing it for food, I can’t argue it if I’m going to the supermarket and buying beef, right? Fine. But what about some idiot (yes, Jon Lester, I’m talking about you) who kills an animal (in this case, a bobcat) just for the trophy?
“Just yesterday I shot a bobcat with a bow here in Georgia. My buddy’s got a real cool bobcat mount in his house, so I’ve wanted to shoot one for years.”
Takes a big man to kill a living thing just because you want something “cool” mounted in your house, Jon. I’m not kidding when I say I read that and shuddered. How can someone who had such a close call with death care so little about the life of another living creature?
Someone pointed out to me that more players we like (hello, Mike Timlin) probably do similar things, we just don’t read about them. I can’t argue that. It’s not up to the players, or anyone, to be exactly the person I want them to be. So, again, I’m a hypocrite (hey, I can admit it) because I read this story about Lester and thought “Dude, this says a lot about the kind of person you are – and I’m not impressed.” An unpopular position to take for one of the more popular players on the team but there you have it.
Now that I’ve alienated folks…
A piece of fun news. According to my friend (and sistah!) Susan down in Ft Myers, the Red Sox started selling out Spring Training games on March 16, 2003. Today’s game marks the 100th sold out Spring Training game for the Sox. Along with that, in every game I’ve listened to so far that has been played on the road, the announcers have mentioned either a sold-out park or a park full of more Red Sox fans than they’ve seen before. So much for Dan Shaughnessy’s contention that Red Sox fans are turning into Braves fans who don’t really care any more. Way to represent Nation. And I feel the need to again point out that this began in 2003. Fenway’s sold out streak began on May 15, 2003. Tell me again how the fans have only been showing up since the team won it all in 2004?
The bobcat killer is on the mound today at 1:05pm against the Blue Jays but we don’t get to see it or hear it. As a matter of fact, we don’t get televised Sox baseball until Sunday (on NESN at 1:05pm against the Twins).
Only 9 more games that don’t count folks…we’re almost there!
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