so, i am thinking Kellie Pedroia is due for a little shopping! Seriously, Pedie was making like $400,000 last year. to you and me that’s a lot of money, but to live like a baller, that’s chump change. and honestly, i love the way his deal is set up. he is getting 1.5MM next year…not too ridiculous. and he was just named the MVP, he could have walked in there and said, “5-10 mil a year or I’m out…” But good ole Dustin knows how to keep a good thing going and that’s (hopefully) what he plans to do! I for one am happy to have Dustin’s antics around for 6 more years. I will be happy to hear more of his one liners…”98 comin’ in, 102 going out!” … gotta love Pedie!
So Congratulations to Dustin ( and Kellie) Pedroia! We’re happy to have you in Boston for the next 6 years! And beyond, hopefully!
for love of the game.
Filed under: things | Tags: charity, Coco, pedroia, Ramirez, Tek, World Series
why is it that I feel like in the long run no one is going to notice that we just sent Coco packing? He is one of those players that has come to Boston and stood in the shadows. He has contributed once in a while, he has made some people laugh, but he hasn’t made the connection. As much as we hate Manny now, we loved him when he was “connecting” with us…making us feel like he was just a regular old guy who happened to play for the Red Sox. Coco isn’t that guy. Coco is quiet, and almost aloof. Sure he took it down and dirty a couple of times, but does that really get us where it counts? I don’t feel my heartstrings being tugged as Coco plans his next hair do in Kansas City…I almost feel relief. “Good, now Jacoby can be the star he should be…” Is that wrong of me? My sister is pissed, now she can’t wear her “I’m cuckoo for Coco” t-shirt…But that’s really all she is mad about…That’s kind of sad, honestly. We generally, here in Red Sox Nation, pride ourselves on the connections we have with “our” players. We are all begging, pleading for Varitek to stay; I think a few of us shed a tear (right along with his mother) when Pedroia won the MVP; We really don’t want to deal Lowell for Texeira, but we know Theo knows best; We’re sad to see Timlin retire, but it’s better that way than losing him to an undeserving opponent. My point is this: in order to really make it in Boston you have to connect with the Nation. You have to have that extra something…You basically have to have the personality of Manny Ramirez, but play with heart like Jason Varitek. So a word to the new comers to the Red Sox organization…make a connection, make an impact on New England and Red Sox Nation, and we will stand behind you till the end. It will help if you contribute a World Series win, gather a slew of individual awards and maybe have a worthwhile charity that benefits the locals…
for love of the game.
Filed under: things | Tags: dice-k, Fenway Park, Ortiz, pedroia, the Fitch's
So it’s do or die. Make or break. It’s the big deal tonight. And this much I know is true, Dice-K will be our man. I was listening to my local sports radio show this morning on my drive to work and there was all this talk about David Ortiz bunting. Yes, BUNTING! I just don’t get the school of thought on that. I can see it maybe once, maybe if we are losing by a lot…but even then I have a hard time with it. I just don’t see the use. Ok, say he beats out the throw and he is standing on first…then what? It’s not like he is going to steal second. So why bother? I just feel like you might as well sit his ass on the bench and let John Henry hit for him. I say Ortiz finally comes through tonight, Pedie keeps on keeping on and Ellsbury steps up. I have this feeling that Youuuuuk’s going to hit a “homah”.
I am getting pretty frustrated with the haters around here. It seems like we are turning into the Yankee fans. For the past 4 years the red sox could do no wrong for so many of us. Suddenly it’s like the curse is back and we are going to turn our backs on the sox. I just don’t get it. We always loved the sox, heartbreak and all. So what if they are down 3-1 in the ALCS…stranger things have happened. I am not always this optimistic, but I just feel like, it gives us something to believe in, it gives us hope when in many other aspects of American life right now we are just getting shot down and rejected. To the fans sitting in Fenway Park at game time tonight: Get off your ass and on your feet. Jump up and down, do the wave, cheer, drink beer and be merry. Now is not the time to sit quietly and chat on your phone at the Park. The Sox feed off of the emotion of the fans…give them something positive to feed off from. I don’t care how much you paid for your seat (or your standing room)…Get your monies worth and cheer your head off. I will be cheering from the couch at the Fitch’s house…I expect you might even hear me all the way down in Boston if the wind is right.
for love of the game.
my brother and sister in law are at the hospital right now awaiting the birth of their first child, a girl to be named Paige. I am sitting at my desk trying to act casual when inside I am super excited to be an Auntie! But the events of the weekend still keep my mind racing. I just read an article about Beckett that was basically about how he says he is feeling fine physically, his pitches are just missing. My thought is this: Where is his head? In high school my coach used to tell me, “Softball (baseball) is 90% mental”… I am wondering what is on Beckett’s mind that is standing in the way of those pitches falling where they are supposed to as opposed to hanging over the plate. When is it Varitek’s turn to take some of the heat? A lot has been made over the fact that Varitek is the best catcher in baseball because he puts in the time, he knows the pitchers, he knows the hitters, he knows the game…but if he is so great at what he does, why can’t he get Beckett back on track when he starts to slide? Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t jumped on the Varitek bashing bandwagon just yet, but I am concerned that as the Capitan and leader of this team it seems like it’s his job to take charge and say, hey listen, get your head out of your ass and pitch the damn ball. I am glad that other members of the team are stepping up. Pedroia has finally broken through the glass wall that was holding him back. Youuuuuk has really stepped up…I have faith in these Sox, I have faith in this team. I am happy that Lester is starting tonight. A little worried about Wakefield tomorrow night. But what could be worse then the Beckett we have seen lately? So here it is:
Dear Mr. Beckett;
You have created a fan base here in Red Sox Nation that is very concerned about you. We defend you to the less faithful, we keep our fingers crossed that today is the day you come out of your funk. But how long do you expect us to hold on? You aren’t trying to pull a Manny are you? Please tell me you are just going through a dry spell and you will be back on top of your game in the next couple of games. I know that this is a team sport, but you have emerged as one of the leaders of this team and it’s your job to hold up your end of the deal. We need you to be Mr. October…We know you can bounce back and do what you do best. We need you Mr. Beckett.
Sincerely,
Bethany
Filed under: things | Tags: Angels, Josh Beckett, Lester, pedroia, Rays, Timlin
so, my crush on josh beckett is disappating as we speak. during his pitiful start with the angels, i brushed it off as rust…last nights ridiculous outing against the rays there is no excuse. The offense was helping him out and he still couldn’t keep his ass out of trouble. i believe the phrase “beckett, get off your knees, you’re blowing the game” came out of my mouth more than once last night. i was freaking out…but thank goodness for PEDIE!! he came through last night in a big way and I think we can look for him to be his normal self for the rest of the series now. “98 comin’ in…102 goin’ out” haha. The pitching off Beckett and Kazmir was disappointing at the least, horrendous at most. Both bullpens did what they had to do…Ole Timlin just couldn’t get it done. I’m not ready to say (like one of my fellow bloggers so eloquently did) that Timlin is ready for the glue factory just yet…but I do think he needs to hang it up for a while. Let’s hope Lester is on top of it tomorrow night and gets us in a 2-1 lead and then we can blow it wide open on tuesday for the 3-1 lead…I still love Beckett, but it’s going to take a freakin’ miracle for Sox Nation to fall back in love with the guy….
Filed under: things | Tags: Bay, beckett, Go Sox, Kotsay, Lowrie, Ortiz, pedroia, SUDO
i have a couple of friends that are in the military and one of them has passed along a saying they use quiet frequently in his company, “SUDO”. Suck it Up and Drive On. I feel like the Sox need to have that mentality right now. Yeah, two hard loses in a row…last night was a miserable outing, but they gotta keep going, got to keep driving. Ten games left, we aren’t out of it yet…SUDO ya’ll. We have had these brilliant flashes of greatness in the past week or so…Beckett was AMAZING the other night, David Ortiz was on fire last night…Dustin has been great lately, Kotsay and Bay and Lowrie are fantastic…Let’s make the end of the season one to remember…GO SOX!
for love of the game.
So I read the “Red Sox Insider” Blog everyday….sometimes it has good insight into the sox organization, sometimes it has information, sometimes it has witty banter…today it had a listing of the songs the players use for their entrance/at bats. I thought the songs were hilarious choices for the most part. Dustin Pedroia uses “F*ck with Dre Day” by Dr. Dre…HAHAHA. Beckett uses “Rockstar” by Nickelback…a little cockiness I think…but I am okay with that! Anyway, I just thought it was a cool post…
http://redsoxinsider.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/09/magic_numbers_and_sox_musical.html
for love of the game…
